Chapter 81

Lu Baiwei understood!

This was why her third uncle had specifically invited the cadre Qian from the commune to come to the brigade to eat the housewarming banquet.

As for the matter between Zhao Yongsen and Tang Yunling, her third uncle had taken the moral high ground this time.

It didn’t matter if the party secretary from Hongqi Brigade wanted to protect someone. Tang Jinghe didn’t even need to go to the commune to report; he could make sure that Qian, the commune official, knew everything about the situation in Hongqi Brigade.

Her cousin’s issue with Zhao Yongsen wasn’t over yet.

Zhao Yongsen had lost both his wife and his soldiers; he obediently handed over the 200 yuan compensation to the Xiangyang Brigade, but what awaited him next was prison.

Tang Yuanliang had someone calculate the auspicious time for the house’s beam raising.

When the time came, Tang Yuanliang led a group of people to set up the beam and set off a string of firecrackers.

Then came the main event: throwing candy and peanuts.

Tang Yuanliang and He Ting, carrying baskets, threw candy from the roof, while the women and children from the brigade gathered below to pick up the treats.

Zhou Yanfeng, Tang Yunling, and a few of the younger Tang family members, along with He Xiaopeng, were calling out to Tang Yuanliang and He Ting from below.

“Throw it here! Throw it here!”

Tang Yuanliang doted on his sister the most, and seeing the little ones and He Xiaopeng eagerly watching from below, he grabbed a handful of the biggest candy and threw it toward them.

As people rushed forward to grab it, He Ting quickly threw another handful of candy and peanuts in the opposite direction to keep the crowd from pushing toward his little nephew, who was squirming in the crowd.

Despite his complaints, He Ting was still fond of his pesky little nephew, He Yunqi.

Zhou Yanfeng picked up a large handful of candy and split it: half for Xiao Qi and the younger Tang family members, and the other half for Tang Yunling, keeping only one piece for himself.

Tang Yunling, with a pocket full of candy, felt a heavy heart, especially since this person had helped her out today.

Seeing that Ranran and Xiao Qi had a few of the younger Tang family members looking after them, Tang Yunling called for Zhou Yanfeng.

“Come here, I have something to ask you.”

Tang Yunling led him to a quiet spot, weaving through the bamboo grove next to the new house.

Zhou Yanfeng followed her into the bamboo grove.

The bamboo grove isolated them from the noise outside, leaving just the two of them alone. Zhou Yanfeng was nervous, rubbing his hands together, though he tried to appear calm on the outside.

“Tang Yunling, I know what you want to ask.”

“I hate seeing you being bullied.”

Tang Yunling: “…”

Previously, Zhou Yanfeng had often thrown candy at her, and she thought it was just because he liked sweets.

Previously, Zhou Yanfeng often threw candy at her, and she just thought he liked sweets.

But today, with Zhao Yongsen showing up, Zhou Yanfeng had pierced through that veil, and Tang Yunling had completely driven Zhao Yongsen out of her heart. It was only when she looked at Zhou Yanfeng through the eyes of a woman that she realized he had already been circling around her.

Although Tang Yunling was tough and had her brothers to protect her, she didn’t need anyone else to look out for her, but hearing Zhou Yanfeng say he couldn’t stand seeing her being bullied warmed her heart as a girl.

She just didn’t know how to respond. Normally, she was always chattering away, but now she fell silent.

When she didn’t speak, Zhou Yanfeng misunderstood and thought she wasn’t willing.

He felt disappointed, and the joy he had felt from Tang Jinghe’s acknowledgment was completely chilled by Tang Yunling’s indifference.

He shrugged it off, saying nonchalantly, “I just can’t stand seeing you bullied, so I’m deliberately provoking your fiancé. Look, the things Zhao Yongsen did, they’ve got people in the brigade gossiping behind your back. Both you and your father have lost face.”

“I’ve eaten so many meals at your place, so let’s pretend we’re together. That way, people will know that even without Zhao Yongsen, Tang Yunling still has someone who wants her and can still get married, so they won’t talk behind your back.”

Tang Yunling: “…”

Zhou Yanfeng, this fool, always found ways to make her mad.

Just when she was feeling a little moved, he had to say she wouldn’t be able to get married.

Little did he know, because of her tough and domineering nature, the thing she heard most growing up was that she’d never be able to get married.

So when Zhao Yongsen clung to her, wanting to marry her, that’s why she cherished it so much.

Now Zhou Yanfeng came along and said she wouldn’t get married. Just when she was moved, her anger flared up in an instant.

She kicked him angrily: “Stupid pig, you’re so dumb!”

After kicking Zhou Yanfeng, Tang Yunling didn’t want to see him anymore and stormed off toward the bamboo grove outside.

A woman’s heart is as deep as the ocean!

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, wasn’t he just helping her out of a difficult situation?

Tang Jinghe had already accepted him as a son-in-law.

So why was she kicking him? And why was she angry and ignoring him now?

Zhou Yanfeng was aggrieved!

He held his knee, which he had hurt from the kick, and chased after Tang Yunling. “Hey, don’t turn your back on me! What did I do wrong…?”

Meanwhile, after finishing the housewarming banquet and watching the beam-raising and candy-throwing ceremony, Director Shen and his grandson were preparing to head back to the county. Lu Baiwei took out the spicy rabbit heads she had prepared for Director Shen.

“This time, I stewed six rabbits for the housewarming banquet, and two others I made into whole spicy rabbits. I kept the heads from the other six rabbits and made spicy rabbit heads. You can take them back and enjoy them slowly.”

“This time, we stewed six rabbits for the housewarming banquet, made two into whole spicy rabbits, and kept the heads from six others to make spicy rabbit heads. Take them back and enjoy them at your leisure.”

Director Shen really had a soft spot for these.

Even though the four hearty dishes from lunch had left him stuffed, just the smell of the spicy rabbit heads made his mouth water. With a proud expression, he accepted the two whole rabbits and six rabbit heads, his arms full.

“Teaching you pulse diagnosis wasn’t a waste of effort. Remember to show some filial respect in the future,” he said.

Shen Junqian, his grandson, couldn’t stand it anymore and looked at him with disdain. “Are you really so desperate for food? If you want Weiwei’s offerings, just ask directly. Why all these excuses?”

“What do you know? If you keep interrupting, I might just officially take her as my apprentice. Then your seniority would drop a notch,” Director Shen shot back smugly.

Shen Junqian thought his old man was too ruthless.

He quickly protested, “Don’t! I’m her brother. It’s fine to teach Weiwei pulse diagnosis, but you can’t formally take her as an apprentice.”

Otherwise, the family hierarchy would be a mess.

Listening to the playful banter between the grandfather and grandson, Lu Baiwei struggled to keep from laughing out loud.

As Director Shen was about to be called over by the cadre, Baiwei seized the moment to share an idea with Shen Junqian.

“If our brigade starts raising rabbits and processes them into spicy rabbit or fragrant rabbit dishes, could you help find a market for them, Brother Shen?”

This idea had been sparked after He Ting and Tang Yuanliang brought back a large haul of rabbits from the mountains.

He Ting was very supportive of the plan, even saying that the gold found in the Yin family’s dig should, under different circumstances, be handed over to the public treasury. Using that money to develop the brigade’s economy would be ideal.

Shen Junqian’s eyes lit up at her words.

“Don’t just stop at processed rabbit dishes—even fresh meat rabbits from your farm would have a market. I can supply them directly to large factories’ kitchens, and we can follow official procedures to do it,” he assured her confidently. “This is a brilliant idea! Rabbits breed quickly, and if the farming techniques are well-established, this could help meet the meat supply demands of many factories.”

“Baiwei, your brigade should pursue this boldly. Leave the sales to me.”

Mountain-caught rabbits were notoriously hard to adapt to captivity. Raising them would require expertise.

He Ting assured Lu Baiwei he could help solve this problem, and with Shen Junqian promising to handle the sales, Baiwei’s idea began to take shape.

After sending off the guests, she called Tang Jinghe and Secretary Liu aside and shared her thoughts about starting a rabbit farming initiative in the brigade.