In the restaurant, Li Zhengguo and Tian Jing hosted the Song father and son. Mother Li was absent, guarding her great-granddaughter and forbidding Song Yinyu from getting close.
It could be said that the young Song Yinyu had yet to see the woman his father insisted he marry.
The meal was filled with invisible battles.
Mr. Song's every sentence was a trap, and the Great Hero Tian parried each one. Ouyang Meihua was deeply impressed, while Li Min was dizzied.
After the meal, Tian Jing personally saw Mr. Song and his son to the main gate.
"Mr. Song, don't bother with your schemes. While the Song family might seem like a good match to others, to me, it's merely a decadent cage."
"The more you test and dig pits, the more detestable you become. 'Thinking you're clever and acting on it' describes you perfectly."
"I won't mince words: Lu Shi can't control his daughter's decisions. You're hoping for proximity? Or financial investment? It only further exposes the capitalist's pursuit of profit."
"Young Song Yinyu, whether you came here sincerely or not, I'm telling you the honest truth: you have a father who digs pits for his son."
"Alright, have a safe trip."
The father and son gazed at the empty doorway, exchanged a look, and then left.
"Daddy."
Song Yinyu looked up at Song Shaoqing. "Grandma Tian is right. I really do have an unreliable father."
Song Shaoqing shrugged. "What can I do? Your dad's mouth is just too sharp."
"Then you shouldn't appear anymore."
Facing his nonchalant father, Song Yinyu said calmly, "Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll dig so many pits in front of me that I won't have a place to step."
"Alright."
Song Shaoqing agreed. "After some time, I'll find a way to send you over to stay for a while."
"What way do you plan to use?"
"For example, your grandfather is gravely ill?"
"Grandma Tian missed one thing. You don't just pit your son; you pit your father too."
...
County Magistrate Li stood beside his wife, admitting his mistake. "Wife, I didn't know they had ulterior motives."
"I thought they were Lu Shi's friends and intended to invest in Ling County, so..."
Tian Jing didn't blame her husband, nor did she regret not telling him about the matter her mother-in-law had mentioned earlier.
"The Song family's willingness to offer twenty percent of their group's shares as repayment for Lu Shi saving a life shows they are people of sentiment and righteousness."
"To offer so many shares and now want to bind them through marriage, Lu Shi's connection to the Song family is definitely more than just a simple life-saving favor."
"Since they have intentions, avoiding them is useless. We have to confront them head-on, just like I did."
County Magistrate Li asked timidly, "Did it work?"
"No."
Tian Jing was certain. "You said Sheng Song Group is the third strongest in the world. How could the successor be easily scared away by minor difficulties?"
"Then why did you still..."
"If we don't drive them away forcefully, should we warmly welcome them to stay? Hurry up and go to work."
"Oh."
...
After her younger son left, Mother Li took her great-granddaughter to the kitchen for lunch.
Li Min reheated the reserved meal. "Mom, should we hide Xuanxuan?"
Mother Li glanced at her daughter. "Hide her where?"
Li Min looked at her younger sister-in-law.
Tian Jing shook her head. Besides the little tyrant in the martial arts class, the class wasn't a kindergarten. This year, she had delayed sending Jiqing and Jixiang in, and now she was using this opportunity to have Sixi learn martial arts...
Mother Li glared at her daughter. "If I send her away, will I still be able to see her? Wouldn't that be like cutting my heart with a knife?"
Fine, Li Min covered her mouth and said nothing.
Ouyang Meihua sat beside Xuanxuan, who was eating delicately. "Xuanxuan, do you want to learn martial arts? Like Brother Ji, so you can beat up bad guys in the future."
Xuanxuan nodded obediently. "Yes."
"Go!"
Mother Li snapped at her elder daughter-in-law. "She's a perfectly good girl, why should she learn martial arts?"
Before Ouyang Meihua could nurse her injured heart and complain about her mother-in-law's favoritism, she heard her grandniece say, "Protect Great-Grandma."
"Oh, my darling dear."
Mother Li stopped eating and pulled her great-granddaughter into her arms.
"Great-Grandma doesn't need Xuanxuan to protect her. Xuanxuan just needs to protect herself."
Xuanxuan looked up at Mother Li. "Great-Grandma is tired. I'll hit my younger brothers."
"Good, good, good."
Hearing this reason, Mother Li agreed. "Xuanxuan will learn martial arts from your great-aunt and take care of your brothers for Great-Grandma. If they don't listen, give them a beating."
Xuanxuan nodded her little head. "Mm."
And so, Ouyang Meihua gained another disciple.
...
Spring turned to autumn, cold gave way to heat. Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
In the summer of 2008, Jiqing and Jixiang, who were in the senior class of the Ouyang Martial Arts Kindergarten, were already in the first grade of primary school. No, they would be in the second grade when school started.
Jinian, Jiyang, and Xuanxuan had been promoted to the senior class. Siyu, in the junior class, was only admitted this year.
In the middle class was Yu Siji. His mother was pregnant again, so she sent him back to the Li family.
When this child first returned, he was somewhat withdrawn and didn't proactively interact with the other children. After his grandmother forced him to practice martial arts with the children every morning, he gradually integrated into the Li family's children.
Actually, there was one more person in the middle class: Zhou Yufei, who was inconsistent in her attendance.
Her purpose for coming wasn't to learn martial arts, but because she felt it was fun to be with everyone.
She especially liked following behind Song Yinyu.
Song Yinyu, more than a year ago, had been unceremoniously dumped at the Li family's by his pit-digging father, using the excuse that his grandfather at home had been in a car accident and was on the verge of death.
At the time, Tian Jing had rolled her eyes. If the elder was dying, shouldn't all his descendants be summoned? Why summon only his son and not his grandson?
But Song Shaoqing had dumped his son and his luggage and fled, leaving Song Yinyu looking pitifully at Mother Li. Mother Li's heart softened, and she let him stay.
He had been here for over a year, and Song Shaoqing had never reappeared. However, the development of Ling County had gradually begun.
The county's development was something the Aodu Group couldn't get involved in, so they focused their investments on the Kushan line.
The resettlement housing in Zhangshan Village and Zhonghe Village was distributed to the villagers before May Day.
Villagers who chose to move into the resettlement buildings along the rural road were actively renovating, hoping to open their shops and earn money during the scenic area's opening season this year.
The land that was centrally relocated was far from the rural road and also far from the original village site. However, the layout was very neat and beautiful, and the villagers had no complaints.
They kept their land, received their money, and got new houses with storefronts. What more could they complain about?
The ones who had complaints were the villagers who moved into the county town. They had been bewitched to sell their land.
They regretted it, but the contract was signed in black and white, legally recognized, so their regret was useless.
After more than three years of construction, the large amusement park, large animal farm, and large picking farm were all completed.
When the Kushan Hot Spring Valley scenic area opened on May Day, the three venues also opened for business.
The large amusement park featured many thrilling rides suitable for both adults and children.
The large animal farm was divided into two: a cattle ranch and a horse riding field.
At the cattle ranch, children rode docile cows for a slow stroll.
At the horse riding field, adults galloped on horseback, provided they knew how to ride.
Those who didn't could pay to learn, or even purchase a favorite horse to be raised in the riding field as their own exclusive mount.
The picking farm was divided by season: strawberries in spring and grapes in autumn.
The picking farm also offered "happy planting," where tourists could pay to adopt a small plot of land, plant and harvest it themselves, and experience the joy of farming.
Although the three venues were located in front of Kushan, they did not affect the visitor traffic to the Hot Spring Valley scenic area due to the different attractions.
Two months after opening, the revenue from the three venues had been steadily rising.
The villagers of the first and second villages hoped that the Aodu Group would continue to develop their two villages.
Of course, this hope could only remain in their hearts.
In the past, when Kushan was prosperous, they had shamelessly integrated into Kushan. Now, seeing Zhangshan Village and Zhonghe Village's storefronts along the rural road begin to operate, their thoughts became restless. It felt as though they were too wishy-washy.