Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

After Chen Sumei left, Mrs. Hu was depressed for several days.

Granny Chen didn't mention Chen Sumei's matter either. The families had all agreed that the name Chen Sumei would be ignored at the end of the village.

As soon as spring arrives, Maocao Village gets busy. In Jiang Xing's greenhouse, the seedbeds are packed full of chili peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, sorghum, and some other vegetables. All of these are seeds that Jiang Xing bought from the system, which are first grown into seedlings in the greenhouse before being handed over to Zhang Shi to plant.

Zhang said to Xiao Fang, "These seedlings are growing strong, this year will definitely be a good harvest." Xiao Fang responded and squatted down by the seedbed, pulling up the seedlings one by one. Qing Ye lined the bamboo basket with a damp cloth and neatly stacked the seedlings inside.

The first winter, several families had already seen the benefits of greenhouse vegetables. While it was freezing cold outside, the vegetables inside the greenhouse were still juicy and tender.

Aunt Wang also told Shen, "Smell the mud in this shed, it's damp and warm, a completely different world from outside." Shen replied, "It's all thanks to Jiang's resourcefulness. This year she suggested starting seedling cultivation, and everyone followed suit."

After the news spread, villagers flocked to Jiang Xing's courtyard to ask for the seeds, almost breaking down the gate.

Tian Dasheng stood in front of Jiang Xing at the door and shouted, "Don't push! Come one family at a time! Everyone gets a share!" But the villagers wouldn't listen and craned their necks to look inside.

Tian Gouzi, carrying a hoe, squeezed up from behind, shouting even louder than Tian Dasheng: "I want chili seedlings! And those tomatoes too! My wife said last year's tomato soup was amazing!"

Someone nearby laughed at him, "You don't even know how to grow tomatoes, let alone tomatoes!" Tian Gouzi puffed out his chest, "If I don't know, I'll learn! Miss Jiang harvests all her vegetables, so what's wrong with me planting a couple more rows!"

In Maochao Village nowadays, whatever Jiang Xing plants, the villagers plant too. Not for any other reason than that Jiang Xing is honest about buying. As long as the vegetables they grow are of acceptable quality, Jiangxiansheng Supermarket will buy them all at the agreed price.

With every household earning more money, naturally no one wanted to fall behind.

After touring the village, Village Chief Tian returned and told Jiang Xing, "Now everyone in the village is eyeing your land. You grow chili peppers, they grow chili peppers; you cultivate eggplants, they want eggplants too. I bet once the tomatoes ripen, your supermarket will be overflowing with produce."

Jiang Xing said, "Even if it's piled up like a mountain, it'll sell."

Village Chief Tian chuckled, "That's great! I'll have Dasheng turn over the soil too and start planting."

Just as they had settled the seedlings in the field, news came from Magistrate Song.

The people who came were from the county government. They went to the end of the village and spread the word that the officials sent by the capital to inspect the potatoes were on their way and would arrive at Maocao Village soon.

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Tian immediately notified everyone about their land, instructing them to level the field ridges and remove the weeds from the edges of the fields. The villagers sprang into action, some turning over soil, others hoeing.

Tian Dasheng carried a hoe from one end of the village to the other, shouting, "The county magistrate is bringing people here, so all of you better be alert and don't embarrass our Maocao Village!"

Several women laughed at him, "Tian Dasheng, you're busier than the village chief!"

Tian Dasheng said, "My dad said this is a big deal!"

Jiang Xing originally thought that it would be Magistrate Song or some old scholar from the Ministry of Works again, so she didn't take it too seriously. What she really didn't expect was that a few days later, several carriages entered the village along the official road.

The first person to get out of the car was Pei Jingshi.

He had lost some weight, and wore the official robes of a Vice Minister of Revenue. His expression was calm, and he exuded an even greater air of authority than when I last saw him. Behind him followed another Vice Minister of Revenue, as well as two directors from the Ministry of Revenue.

Village Chief Tian stepped forward and bowed to Pei Jingshi, saying, "Lord Pei, you must be tired from your journey." Pei Jingshi nodded in return, his gaze passing over him and landing on Jiang Xing behind him.

Jiang Xing stood at the gate of the courtyard, with a row of newly sprouted chili seedlings behind him.

She looked at Pei Jingshi for a long while before saying, "Lord Pei."

Pei Jingshi walked towards her, stopped in front of her, and gave a very faint smile: "Jiang Xing, it's been a long time. No need to be so formal."

Pei Jingshi said, "It's been seven months."

He glanced at the greenhouses and vegetable gardens behind her, then looked at her again: "Your place has changed a lot."

Seeing the two men standing and talking, Village Chief Tian tactfully went to greet the other adults.

Jiang Xing asked, "Why are you here?"

"The imperial court wanted to send people to learn potato cultivation, and since I had just been transferred to the Ministry of Revenue, I volunteered to come."

He paused for a moment, then added, "I also wanted to see you and Xiao Niu." Then, as if realizing his words were somewhat inappropriate, he quickly corrected himself, "Mainly Xiao Niu. I wanted to know if he'd fallen behind in his studies since I left."

Jiang Xing nodded as if suddenly realizing something: "He should be very happy if he knows you're back."

Pei Jingshi looked at her, his gaze light yet steady: "Then I'll stay a couple more days."

Jiang Xing didn't reply, but simply stepped aside to make way for him: "Come in and let's talk." Pei Jingshi stepped inside.

The other adults behind him followed, and Jiang Xing ushered them into the main room, where Xiao Fang brought tea.