The poor girl from the 1970s was forced to kiss by the damp educated youth.

Spring turned to winter, and Chen Zhi's flower shop got back on track.

During that year, Chen Zhi not only planted flowers but also medicinal herbs, and also learned some basic medical skills from Xi Lang. Nowadays, the Taoist Association also offers some courses, including martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine, which Chen Zhi attends when she has free time.

Xi Lang's social circle is expanding, and he especially likes to take Chen Zhi out to meet people from all walks of life and all kinds of people. He says this is also a kind of spiritual practice.

In 1980, Xi Lang leased 100 mu of fertile land and 100 mu of mountain land outside the city for Chen Zhi, and hired people to grow grain, fruit trees, flowers and medicinal herbs.

There's almost nothing that Xi Lang can't find if Chen Zhi wants to plant it.

Chen Zhi doesn't have to cultivate these lands herself, but whenever she has free time, she will inspect them every day, riding her bicycle around the fields. Sometimes, when she's in the mood, she will even go down to the fields to work herself.

Xi Lang also found her several street-side shops, such as a flower shop or a rental property.

The two of them have been busy for the past two years, and neither of them has mentioned returning to Sandong Village, as if they have already forgotten about it.

I saw Xi Fangxiu again in the autumn of 1980. Xi Fangxiu had retired, unable to wait for his son Xi Yue to take over his job. It wasn't that Xi Fangxiu retired voluntarily; he had fallen ill, his old injury had flared up violently, and he collapsed and was hospitalized.

When Xi Yue went to inform Xi Lang about this, he found that strangers had moved into the small villa. When he learned from the tenants that they had been living there for two years, Xi Yue was dumbfounded.

Xi Yue went to find Zhu Chen again, and Zhu Chen went to the Song family and asked Song Zhaoyuan for Xi Lang and Chen Zhi's current address.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 10 ...

When Xi Yue received the address, he was stunned. He and Tao Tao were still regretting not getting the villa, but Xi Lang bought a better house than the villa. That courtyard house, whether in terms of location or size, far surpassed the villa.

Xi Yue was furious, angry, and resentful. His handsome face was twisted and ferocious, which frightened Tao Tao who was standing next to him.

Tao Tao comforted him, "Xi Lang now has a better house, shouldn't we have that little villa?"

Xi Yue's eyes lit up. "I'll go talk to Dad right now."

The answer is, of course, no.

Xi Lang sneered, "Giving you the house the Ye family gave my mother to your son with your mistress? You really dare to dream of that. Aren't you afraid my mother will strangle you in the afterlife?"

Xi Fangxiu's chest heaved with anger. "He's your brother! You've made it big now, what's wrong with helping your brother out?"

"Heh—" Xi Lang sneered, "You're getting old and can't remember things anymore. Since that's the case, I'll repeat it again: if Xi Yue dares to act up in front of me, I will make sure he dies without anyone knowing, without even leaving a corpse behind."

Xi Fangxiu's expression changed drastically. He stared at Xi Lang with wide eyes, too angry to speak.

Xi Lang stood up and said coldly, "I will come to offer you my last incense on the day of your funeral. As for the rest, your second wife and stepson can forget about it. They might not only fail to get the things, but also lose their lives."

Xi Lang opened the door, and Xie Lingling, Xi Yue, and Tao Tao, who were eavesdropping outside, were so frightened that they backed away. Xi Lang didn't even glance at them and strode away.

Chen Zhi knew nothing about what was happening with the Xi family; she only had one thing on her mind: Xi Lang was going abroad.

"Can't you take me with you?" Chen Zhi had asked this question several times already.

Xi Lang shook his head. "This time, I'm going to raid their hideout alone."

"You think I'm a burden?" Chen Zhi was heartbroken. She had tried so hard, but she still hadn't gained Xi Lang's approval.

"Of course not," Xi Lang retorted. "But it's too far away, and I can't bear to see you go and enjoy the sea breeze."

"You just think I'm a burden, and that I haven't mastered the skill of shrinking the earth to an inch." Chen Zhi looked extremely disappointed.

Xi Lang almost softened when he saw her like this.

But he can't.

He was on this mission alone, and if something happened to him in a foreign land, he would be completely helpless. He couldn't bear to take her with him into danger.

Even on the day he left, Xi Lang didn't give a straight answer.

Chen Zhi gritted her teeth and glared at him, "I'm only giving you three months. If you don't come back after three months, I'm going back to Sandong Village to get married."

Xi Lang couldn't stand such words. He immediately pressed the person against the wall and kissed him fiercely for a while. In the end, he still couldn't stand it, so he bit the sweet and soft lips until he tasted the bloody sweetness before letting go.

"Don't even think about having any other man besides me. Even if I die, I'll come back as a ghost to keep you company. Be a good girl and wait for me in the capital, understand?"

Chen Zhi was even angrier and cursed, "Domineering!"

"Yes, it's domineering," Xi Lang admitted, staring intently at him. "There's absolutely no room for negotiation on this matter."

After Xi Lang left, Chen Zhi remembered to tear off a page of the calendar every day. When she tore off the eighty-seventh page, Xi Lang returned.

Smelling of the sea, Xi Lang embraced Chen Zhi tightly. Before Chen Zhi could even speak, his kisses rained down on her. The two kissed as they walked toward the bathroom.

Chen Zhi spent the next three days in bed.

On the fourth day, Song Zhaoyuan and Master Yang came to her door, and Chen Zhi was finally "rescued," escaping their clutches and gaining a chance to catch her breath.

Song Zhaoyuan: "Our people sent word back that you stole from three museums."

The tone wasn't a question, but a statement.

Xi Lang gave a lazy "hmm," and said, "You guys are pretty well-informed."

Song Zhaoyuan first chuckled silently, then his smile grew wider and wider until he burst into laughter. He laughed for a full five minutes, tears streaming down his face, as if he were releasing all the pent-up frustration of the first half of his life.

"Good, very good, you did a great job!" Song Zhaoyuan gave Xi Lang a thumbs up.

But Xi Lang continued, "Not only did I loot their three museums, I also stole from the vaults of their six banks and took back seven or eight tons of gold."

"..."

Song Zhaoyuan was completely stunned.

Master Yang also looked dumbfounded.

After a long pause, he rubbed his stiff face, wishing he could kneel down before Xi Lang. "I'll ask my superiors to commend you. By the way, we'll go to Europe in a few days, and then to America. It'll be a publicly funded trip, and you and your wife can both go."

Xi Lang's lips twitched. "Stealing is a disgrace to our sect."

Song Zhaoyuan: "It wasn't stealing, it was taking."

It was originally ours.

Xi Lang raised an eyebrow. "It's not ours, so we can't take it?"

Song Zhaoyuan: "Of course, that's just borrowing."

If they borrow and never repay, it's not unreasonable for them to retaliate in kind.

Chen Zhi's eyes lit up, and she seemed to find it very interesting.

Before going abroad, Song Zhaoyuan hired two teachers to teach Xi Lang and Chen Zhi English.

Chen Zhi became even busier, having to learn English, grow flowers, and constantly expand the space within her sleeves day and night.

After two busy and fulfilling months, Chen Zhi boarded an airplane for the first time.

Over the next few years, she and Xi Lang traveled both domestically and internationally, visiting many countries and "bringing back" a lot of things. At first, it was some antiques and gold, but later the items they brought back became increasingly diverse, including weapons, advanced technology products, some documents, and even medical equipment and medicines.

The sheer variety of products forced her and Xi Lang to learn a great deal.

Perhaps because they stole so much, many countries became extremely wary, increasing security and imposing strict entry and exit controls.

Song Zhaoyuan told Xi Lang and Chen Zhi that they could take a break for a while.

Chen Zhi, still wanting more, asked, "Is that enough?"

Hearing her tone, Song Zhaoyuan found it amusing. "There's no such thing as enough or not enough, but everything in excess is as bad as deficiency."

Those things are important, and Xi Lang and Chen Zhi are also important.

Chen Zhi and Xi Lang, who were finally on vacation, returned to Sandong Village.

Unbeknownst to many, eight years had passed since Chen Zhi left Sandong Village.

Chen Zhi: "I don't know if our house is still there."

When the land was allocated, her and Xi Lang's household registration had already been transferred to Beijing, so they were not entitled to any land in Sandong Village.

But the houses on the ground can't be demolished and divided up, can they?

That was her and Xi Lang's first house, and it held extraordinary significance. If it were gone, Chen Zhi would inevitably feel a little reluctant.

Xi Lang comforted her, "We'll have many more houses in the future."

Chen Zhi nodded, "That's true."

After saying that, she added, "We don't need too much, just a place to stay."

Now she and Xi Lang have so much wealth that they could never spend it all in several lifetimes; it's enough.

Eight years have passed, but time has left no trace on Chen Zhi and Xi Lang; they look exactly the same as they did eight years ago. As soon as they entered the village, someone recognized them.

"Chen Zhi?"

An auntie looked at Chen Zhidao in surprise, and before Chen Zhidao could answer, she exclaimed, "Xi Lang?"

Chen Zhi was surprised, "I didn't expect my aunt to still remember us."

"Oh my, it really is you guys!" The auntie smiled, her face crinkling with wrinkles. "With looks like yours, there won't be another one like you in our village. Not to mention me, everyone remembers you well."

Chen Zhi smiled and took out a handful of candy. "Please have some candy, Auntie."

The aunt took it, put it in her pocket, and continued, "You haven't changed at all compared to a few years ago; you've taken such good care of yourselves!"

Chen Zhi smiled faintly and remained silent.

The two continued walking into the village, and to Chen Zhi's surprise, almost everyone of a certain age could call her and Xi Lang by name.

Chen Zhi: "It feels a bit unexpected."

"Eight years isn't too long." Xi Lang squeezed Chen Zhi's hand. "Everyone remembers your kindness from that time in the mountains, so naturally they'll remember you as a person."

Chen Zhi didn't think too much about it at the time. She went to help and took action at a crucial moment. One reason was that she was a member of the group, and another reason was that the brigade leader took the initiative to approach her, and she wanted to do the brigade leader a favor.

She and Xi Lang had no family backing them, and no one to support them. They could only befriend the brigade leader and the secretary to make their lives easier.

To Chen Zhi and Xi Lang's surprise, their house was still there!

However, the vegetable garden had been divided into two sections, and vegetables were being grown in them. The well was still there, and the stones beside it were smooth and free of weeds, indicating that people must have come to draw water regularly.

The door to Chen Zhi and Xi Lang's brick house was still locked, and the lock looked like it had just been replaced not long ago.

Chen Zhi looked at Xi Lang, "The house has changed hands?"

Xi Lang shook his head; he didn't know either.

Just then, a person rushed over and shouted before even getting close, "Chen Zhi, Xi Lang."

Chen Zhi and Xi Lang turned their heads at the same time and recognized Chen Da at a glance.

Chen Da held a key in his hand, threaded with a red string. He handed the key to Chen Zhi while panting, his eyes shining. "I've been watching over your house for you."

"Thanks." Chen Zhi unlocked the door, pushed it open, and looked at the familiar furnishings inside the house. Images of living in this house floated into her mind, and a bittersweet feeling welled up in her heart.

"Chen Peng and I come over to clean from time to time. The house is fairly clean, but since no one has lived here for a long time, it smells a bit musty." Chen Da's gaze lingered between Xi Lang and Chen Zhi. Eight years had passed since he last saw them, and the two looked even better. They were still young, but he had aged.

Chen Da couldn't help but feel envious, but he was also happy for Chen Zhi. Over the years, they had worried about Chen Zhi quite a bit, but now that he saw that she had found Xi Lang and seemed to be doing well, he was relieved.

After not seeing each other for many years, he and Chen Zhi had become more estranged and distant.

The three chatted and cleaned the house. Soon after, Chen Peng, Chen Ergou, and Chen Xiaoshuai arrived, and the house became lively.

All the moldy wooden furniture was dismantled; almost nothing was left.

"I've taken the pots, pans, kitchen utensils, and the food you left over. I'll go home and get it later," Chen Dadao said.

"No need," Chen Zhi refused. "You've managed the house for us for so many years, I should be paying you a salary."

"No need, no need, it's nothing." Chen Da was worried that Chen Zhi would really pay him, so he quickly changed the subject, "How long have you been back this time? Are you leaving again?"

"Stay for a few days," Chen Zhi said, though she herself hadn't decided how many days she would stay. "Come eat with us later, and bring your wife and kids too."

Chen Da, Chen Peng, and the others were all taken aback. "You're lacking everything here, isn't that inconvenient?"

Chen Zhi smiled and said, "We brought some things, so you can come without any trouble. Just come empty-handed, don't bring anything, I have plenty here."

Chen Da and Chen Peng were undecided. Did they really have to go empty-handed?

Chen Zhi planned to treat them to a barbecue. She and Xi Lang had countless foods hidden in their Qiankun sleeves, including whole cows, sheep, and pigs, various large wild animals hunted abroad, and all kinds of seafood from the sea...

In addition, there are all kinds of desserts and cakes, all kinds of candies and fruits, and countless wines and beverages.

Xi Lang took out tables, chairs, pots and pans, and barbecue utensils from his Qiankun sleeve, and then took out the food one by one.

"Would you like a whole roasted lamb?" Chen Zhi asked.

Xi Lang thought for a moment, "Two sheep, one pig, and a cow, and some seafood too."

Chen Zhi paused, "Can you finish eating all of this?"

Xi Lang smiled and said, "It's never a bad thing to prepare more."

As it turned out, Xi Lang was right. At first, only Chen Da and Chen Peng came with their families, but later, more and more people came, and almost the entire village, young and old, came.

When they ran out of meat, Xi Lang brought out a sheep and a pig, and everyone ate until late into the night before gradually leaving.