Hermit in the Mountains

Up on the mountain, Gu Changsheng received a call from Yang Dashan. He went to the living room, sat cross-legged by the fireplace, and answered the phone, "Brother Yang, is there any result regarding the contracting of the mountain?"

Down the mountain, in front of the public housing, Yang Dashan sat on the stone steps next to Yang Mancang, holding a cell phone in his right hand. The call was on speakerphone, and everyone could hear Gu Changsheng's voice.

Yang Mancang spoke up from the side. He didn't address Gu Changsheng as a junior, but instead addressed him as "Boss" in official business to show respect. "Boss Gu, that's me."

"Hello, Uncle Mancang!"

"Boss Gu, the village has agreed that the rent for the ten acres of mountain land you previously leased will remain unchanged."

"Your cabin is located halfway up the mountain. The remaining flat mountain land is worth 100 yuan per mu per year, while the other steep mountain land is worth 50 yuan per mu per year."

"If the rent is too high, we can discuss it further and come up with a rent that both of us can accept."

Inside the wooden house, Gu Changsheng heard that the rent offered by Xiahe Village was neither high nor low, and he made a decision in his heart. "Uncle Mancang, let's calculate it according to this rent. You should go up the mountain as soon as possible to measure how many acres there are."

Yang Mancang's voice came through the phone, "Boss Gu, the village has a government land registration certificate that records 450 mu. Do you need to remeasure it?"

Upon hearing that the village had a legal registration certificate, he said, "Uncle Mancang, just have Brother Yang take a picture of the certificate and show it to me. We can draft a ten-year contract based on this area."

"How much is the rent per year?"

On the other end of the phone, Yang Mancang held a yellowed piece of paper and reported the rent details to Gu Changsheng, "Boss Gu, the hilltop is 450 mu in total, 27,000 yuan a year."

「你已经租的十亩一年3000块不变，缓坡40亩一年4000块，陡坡400亩一年20000块。」

The villagers' eyes were focused on Yang Dashan's mobile phone. They were all waiting for Gu Changsheng's reply. When they heard the voice coming from the phone, everyone's faces lit up with joy.

"Uncle Mancang, let me round it up for the village: 3 yuan a year for a ten-year lease."

"Consider the extra 3000 yuan as my annual New Year's red envelope to Xiahe Village."

The phone paused for a moment before Gu Changsheng's voice came through again.

"I have a few requirements. After the mountain is contracted to me, the village must not breach the contract in any way within ten years. Of course, I will not breach the contract either, unless there is an irresistible natural disaster."

"After signing the contract, no villager or outsider may enter the mountain without my consent during the contract period."

"It's not impossible to go up the mountain, but you two need to tell me in advance, Uncle Mancang and Brother Yang, and I can only go up the mountain after I give my approval."

"I will place animal traps on the hilltop after I take over the land. I will not be responsible for any injuries caused by people wandering in."

Yang Mancang's gaze swept over everyone. "Has everyone heard that? Can you abide by Boss Gu's demands?"

Gu Changsheng didn't even try to bargain, and even gave the village an extra 3000 yuan in New Year's red envelopes. What's a little request compared to that? Besides, the mountain that Gu Changsheng contracted was too far away for them to go to, so this request was practically meaningless.

As for breach of contract, that mountain has been abandoned for over twenty years. Even without Gu Changsheng's contract, it would have remained abandoned and ignored.

The villagers nodded in agreement, agreeing to comply with Gu Changsheng's request.

With no objections from the villagers, Yang Mancang replied, "Don't worry, Boss Gu, I will write your requirements into the contract."

Inside the wooden house on the mountain, Gu Changsheng heard the reply on the phone: "Then I'll trouble Uncle Mancang to prepare the contract. He can call me to let me know when he can sign it, and I'll come to the village to sign and pay the rent."

The reason for the slow contract preparation time over the phone was, "Boss Gu, the area you've contracted is a bit large, so we need to get approval from the town. It might take a few days."

"Uncle Mancang is fine. Just contact me whenever you're ready."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Mancang, along with his nephews Yang Dashan and Yang Qingshan, prepared to go through the contracting process.

The plan to contract the mountain was underway, and the next day, Gu Changsheng achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation.

Inside the wooden cabin bedroom, a ray of sunlight shone through the wooden window onto Gu Changsheng's exquisite, jade-like face.

Gu Changsheng closed his eyes to rest, and a voice echoed within his sea of ​​consciousness.

"break--"

The 'Tree of Withering and Flourishing' rapidly collapsed, condensing into a gray ring. After absorbing the 'Power of Withering and Flourishing' within Gu Changsheng's sea of ​​consciousness, the gray ring collapsed again, turning into specks of starlight that merged into Gu Changsheng's body.

Within minutes, Gu Changsheng's physical body had reached another level. Except for the fact that only a small portion of his hair on the left side remained black, his appearance did not change much.

After sitting quietly for half an hour, Gu Changsheng finished comprehending the changes brought about by the breakthrough. He opened his eyes with a twitch of his eyelids, a gray-black flash in his left eye and a emerald green flash in his right eye.

He raised his hands and clenched his fists tightly, and a crisp "da da da" sound of firecrackers rang out between his knuckles.

Breaking through four thousand jin with force;

The "withered and flourishing armor" appears above the five internal organs for protection;

Divine senses can reach a distance of five meters, and perception can be applied to a radius of fifty meters.

Twenty emerald green rings emerged from the center of the illusory glass life plate within his body, representing an increase of twenty years in Gu Changsheng's lifespan, leaving him with one hundred and ten years of life remaining.

He stepped barefoot onto the floor, walked to the doorway and stretched his limbs under the eaves, and a crisp crackling sound rang out.

Wash up, eat, feed the pet spirit liquid, and cultivate spirit ginseng.

The Chinese medicinal herbs and sixty seedlings were still not planted. He returned to the living room, sat cross-legged, and mentally planned the planting layout.

Plum blossoms are planted on the hillside, while peach blossoms are planted on the slopes. The white and pink blossoms envelop the entire mountain, creating a beautiful landscape.

Fifty acres of gentle slope halfway up the mountain have been designated as bamboo forest and planting areas.

He plans to set aside 15 acres of land for growing vegetables, fruits, common Chinese herbs, and a cultivation area for genuine medicinal herbs. The wooden house, which doesn't take up much space, will be placed in the planting area.

Sweet bamboo is planted behind the wooden house, so you can dig up sweet bamboo shoots to eat anytime;

Agarwood is planted on the left side of the wooden house, golden bamboo is planted on the right side, and golden thunder bamboo is planted directly in front.

Four plants are lined up along the edge of the planting area, enclosing the planting area and the wooden house.

Each side is 100 meters long and 100 meters wide, forming a square planting area of ​​10,000 square meters (15 mu).

A beautiful picture of a mountain peak with peach and plum blossoms blooming in two layers had already appeared in Gu Changsheng's mind.

Three days later, Gu Changsheng received a notification from Yang Dashan that he should go down the mountain to the village to sign the contract. The town sent an official to witness the signing of the contract.

He paid 100,000 yuan for three years' rent in one lump sum, with the excess amount converted into a deposit.

Returning to the mountain with the contract, Gu Changsheng immediately began implementing his plan that afternoon.

Beside the cowshed on the back mountain, Gu Changsheng fitted the blue ox with a plowing device called a "curved plow".

A yoke is hung around the ox's neck, with a curved plow attached to the back. Gu Changsheng doesn't need the reins, as the ox can understand his speech and can operate it directly via voice commands.

He carried the curved plow in one hand and, along with the ox, came to a position three meters behind the wooden house.

While directing the blue ox, Gu Changsheng held the curved plow and dug a straight furrow thirty centimeters deep.

The trench ran parallel to the wooden house for a full hundred meters. Every ten meters, Gu Changsheng would stop, pick up the curved plow, and use the plowshare to dig a pit directly.

The cow is no ordinary cow, and the person is no ordinary person either.

The man and the ox quickly plowed out a square trench with sides of 100 meters, with a pit every 10 meters.