After Ji Shiyi signed the contract, Tian Jing smiled and handed her a copy:
"Comrade Xiaoshi, congratulations on becoming a member of the special skills team. Don't worry, Captain Zeng will arrange other work for you after a year."
"You can just help Wang Xin here, washing and chopping vegetables, and only start cooking when you see Jing Rong. If you don't see him, just help serve the food."
"Be nice to the team members who come to get food; they are all people dedicated to serving the country."
Ji Shiyi nodded vigorously. "I will. Wang Xin has already told me everything. I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Tian Jing gave her a slip of paper. "You stay here and if you need anything urgent, call me at the village or your father."
"Okay, okay." Ji Shiyi took the slip. "Tian Jing, thank you."
"You're welcome, I'm leaving."
Tian Jing waved and burst into laughter after leaving the cafeteria.
She asked Li Zhengguo to wait for her and sent the contract to her secretary for filing.
Looking at the signed contract, the secretary couldn't help but say, "Captain Tian, the terms of this contract are too harsh and unreasonable."
"It's okay," Tian Jing lied smoothly. "It's only for a year, and it's consensual. The other party is an artist and needs inspiration."
The secretary found this reason somewhat acceptable. "Is Ji Shiyi in the cafeteria? I'll go see her when I have time."
Tian Jing nodded. "You must not mention the name Ji Shiyi to Captain Zeng, unless he asks you directly."
After saying goodbye to the secretary, Tian Jing returned to the cafeteria entrance and saw her elder son talking to her husband.
She happily clapped her elder son on the shoulder. "Haohao, I have a task for you."
Li Weihao turned around. "Is it about the new cafeteria employee?"
Tian Jing looked at her husband. "Did you tell Haohao?"
Li Zhengguo nodded. "I just told him about Ji Shiyi's identity."
Tian Jing waved her husband off. "I'll tell him."
Tian Jing quietly explained the entanglement between Ji Shiyi and Zeng Jingrong, and then her plan: "...So, when you have time, bring some young men to talk more with Comrade Xiaoshi, whether to make Captain Zeng jealous or to make him feel inferior, you need to provoke his emotions."
Li Weihao readily agreed, as he and his brother had long wanted revenge.
"Mom, don't worry, I'll definitely handle Sister Xiaoshi's matter."
Tian Jing patted her son's shoulder again. "Young man, you have a future."
Li Zhengguo accompanied his son to tour the special abilities team's training ground and his son's dormitory before reluctantly leaving.
Upon returning to the village, he encountered Zeng Jingchu who had come to 'inspect the results.'
Tian Jing gave him a 'gentle' smile. "Boss Zeng, I've noted it. Tell Comrade Jing Rong that I've arranged a surprise for him, and he shouldn't thank me too much."
Receiving a 'gentle' smile from his 'cousin', Zeng Jingchu got goosebumps.
"Tiantian, I, I was just joking, I was really at my wit's end with her bothering me."
"I've already resolved it. She won't bother you, nor will she bother Comrade Jing Rong. You can rest assured. Goodbye!"
Tian Jing directly waved him away.
Zeng Jingchu left the courtyard house and went to ask his elder brother.
Zeng Jingliang only knew that Team Leader Tian and Village Chief Li had been away for four days, and knew nothing else.
Zeng Jingchu teased his niece, who was still patting his hand, before leaving Kshanli.
The pre-vernal equinox exams in Kshanli Villages One and Two passed, and the villagers tearfully carried their hoes to the fields.
As soon as spring plowing ended, without waiting for Village Chief Li's notice, they got busy according to last year's allocation.
With the villagers of Villages One and Two working, the pressure on the villagers of Kshanli decreased.
They cleaned the new village buildings, bought the necessary supplies, and prepared for the new village's opening.
By the end of April, the expansion project of Wuligou was completed.
Village Chief Li convened a meeting, the content of which included the following points:
One, the new scenic spot is estimated to be completed in August, and the new accommodation buildings are also not finished, so visitor numbers will still be limited.
Two, all villagers from Villages One and Two participating in the scenic area work must maintain a serious and enthusiastic work attitude, or they will be replaced.
Three, all growers, if they have any questions, must report to the village committee, and the village committee will send people to teach them.
If the annual income differs too much from other villagers, I'm sorry, we will replace you. Don't occupy the greenhouse and waste land and time.
Four, all able-bodied villagers who are idle will be divided into two groups. One group with good swimming skills will work in the cave, and another group will help build the accommodation buildings south of the cave.
Five, middle-aged villagers will continue to clear land at the new primary school, striving to start classes in the second half of the year. The children from all three villages will receive free education. Villagers who do not allow their children to study will be fined!
Six, elderly villagers should raise pheasants and rabbits peacefully, but sell them at the price stipulated by the village. Those who raise prices or lower prices will lose the qualification to raise pheasants.
Seven, children aged twelve and above can work part-time on Saturdays and Sundays. Shops in the new village and the hot spring valley can be applied for.
Children aged twelve and above from Villages One and Two who are not yet attending school can apply for temporary jobs starting May 1st.
...
Listening to the meeting content, the villagers felt reassured. Not only did the adults have work, but the children were also arranged.
May 1st marked the opening of the Kshanli tourist season.
The three villages worked together.
The villagers of Kshanli truly felt the benefit of having ample manpower this time.
They didn't need to be stretched thin, and could focus on their own jobs and stay at their posts.
The visitor limit of 2,500 people remained, and tourists had no objections after hearing that visitor capacity would increase in August. They understood the scenic area needed time.
Li Zhengguo became busy, customizing high-quality rafting boats, anti-collision devices along the stream banks, guardrails for curves and cliffs.
He also led a group of skilled swimmers to painstakingly clear unsafe objects from the streambed, such as rocks and sharp stone blades not yet eroded by the water.
At the suddenly raised riverbed near the cave entrance, an underwater iron net was installed to prevent rocks from the riverbed from entering the stream.
A rafting starting platform was installed on the platform outside the cave entrance.
A rafting terminal was built on the bank of the river where Wuligou flowed into Kuhe.
And a parking lot was built next to the dock.
Minibuses were purchased to serve as shuttle buses.
Zhou Chengbun could help with the procurement of these items.
For customized items, he had to find people to custom-make them himself, because he was looking for quality.
Li Zhengguo was extremely busy, while Tian Jing remained leisurely, managing the nursery with fifty people.
Damai squatted next to Xiaomai. "It's been over a year, and you're still not pregnant?"
Xiaomai paused. "I used to use contraception. I haven't for this past year, and still no pregnancy."
Damai was a little worried. "After work today, let's go have your brother-in-law check your pulse."
Xiaomai agreed. She was already thirty-one, considered an advanced maternal age.
After her pulse was taken, good news was received: she was over a month pregnant.
Damai chided her sister for being careless.
Xiaomai was overjoyed. After she and Chengbun returned from the mountains, they had been diligently trying to conceive.
Perhaps due to anxiety, her period was delayed every month.
Each time, she thought she was pregnant, but the pregnancy test always showed one line.
Her period was late again this month, and she thought it was another false alarm.
She didn't expect it to be a surprise.