Chapter 55

Cha Baiwan drove his car straight to the village committee courtyard.

After getting out, he tossed the car keys to Cha Jiuzhang. “Unload the stuff yourself, I need to head home.”

Then, he walked to the back seat and stretched out his hand to Jiang Tiantian. “Hand Chunni over, I’ll drop her off on my way.”

Jiang Tiantian carefully handed over the still-sleeping Chunni. Cha Baiwan took her in one arm, grabbed her belongings with the other, and strode off.

So cool.

Jiang Tiantian watched his retreating figure. He was already taken, but that didn’t stop her from appreciating a handsome guy.

Cha Jiuzhang walked over, blocking her view. “He’s already gone. What are you still looking at?” he asked, a little jealous.

She could just look at him instead! Wasn’t he handsome enough?

Jiang Tiantian rolled her eyes.

Hmph.

Childish!

The more she got to know him, the more she realized that despite his usually serious and intelligent demeanor, his heart was actually quite small.

Cha Chengye came out with the village committee members to help unload the supplies.

Seeing Jiang Tiantian, he immediately beamed. “Tiantian, you’re back! Was the trip tiring? Come inside and have some tea. Let Jiuzhang and the others handle the heavy lifting.”

This girl isn’t just a daughter-in-law—she’s practically the village’s lucky star!

That morning, during a village committee meeting, Cha Chengye had shared Jiang Tiantian’s ideas about setting up a tea factory.

To his surprise, it was almost unanimously approved.

The villagers were already worried about their income decreasing once the matsutake mushroom season ended. So, an opportunity to create a sustainable village business was something they all fully supported.

With roads improving over the years, their horizons had expanded, and they realized they couldn’t just sit on their resources and remain self-sufficient. They needed growth and change.

The outside world was developing fast—there was no reason for them to fall behind.

After the morning’s pleasant surprise, the afternoon brought another one. The committee members gathered around the newly unloaded pipes, inspecting them with curiosity.

“Jiuzhang, do you think these pipes will really work?” one of the elders asked.

“Second Uncle, here are the technical specs. Take a look,” Cha Jiuzhang replied, handing over the documentation.

The elder took the papers, and the other committee members crowded around to read.

Meanwhile, Cha Chengye noticed several more boxes being unloaded and asked curiously, “What’s in those?”

Cha Jiuzhang pulled him aside and whispered a few words.

Cha Chengye’s eyes widened in shock, and he sucked in a breath.

Whoa!

This daughter-in-law of his is full of surprises!

Suddenly, a mysterious godfather appeared, not only wealthy but also incredibly generous?

But after thinking it over, it actually made sense. Jiang Tiantian knew far too much for someone her age, and it was unlikely she had learned all of it from her parents, Jiang Jianhua and Du Yulan.

Even if she claimed to have read about everything in books, where did she even get access to such a wide range of professional literature?

Just last night, the set of books she gave Erzhu alone looked extraordinary—definitely not something easily purchased.

If a wealthy foreign godfather had given them to her, that would explain everything.

After all, the Cha family had relatives overseas, and they had maintained contact over the years. Cha Chengye knew that many wealthy foreign aristocrats were passionate about charity and philanthropy.

No matter what, Tiantian was a good kid—there was no way she was lying to them.

After convincing himself with multiple justifications, Cha Chengye quickly accepted the existence of this godfather.

Having another person care for Jiang Tiantian? Why not?

With a big smile, he walked over to Jiang Tiantian. “Tiantian, the village has received such a great gift from your godfather—it feels a bit undeserved.”

“What does he like? I’d like to find something suitable to send as a thank-you gift.”

A gift in return was always a good gesture. Since Tiantian was still young, he had to help her maintain this connection.

Xiao Qi: I’m not old!

Jiang Tiantian’s eyes lit up. Just when she needed an opportunity, someone handed it to her!

“Dad, my godfather isn’t interested in material things. What he truly loves is researching Huaguo’s traditional culture and customs.”

She pointed at the boxes. “See those? He sent them over to add some entertainment facilities to the village. But he also hopes I can take more photos and videos of local traditions to share with him.”

Come to think of it, the system’s personality did resemble that of her godfather.

Xiao Qi: That’s right! From now on, just call me ‘Godfather’!

After hearing this, Cha Chengye became even more convinced of the godfather’s existence.

This sounded just like the refined tastes of many foreign elites he had heard about.

He slapped his thigh. “That’s easy! Just tell me what you want to film, and I’ll arrange everything for you.”

Jiang Tiantian suppressed her excitement and spoke seriously. “Dad, I don’t think I can do this alone.”

“Why don’t we train a photographer in the village to handle this professionally?”

“They wouldn’t just record local traditions. Once the tea factory and hot spring resort are built, they could also make promotional videos. We could air them on TV as free advertisements!”

“If we have an in-house photographer, we won’t need to hire outsiders. It’s a win-win.”

Cha Chengye looked at Jiang Tiantian with admiration. How does she come up with these ideas?

Such foresight!

“Alright, I’ll listen to you. What kind of person should we look for?”

Jiang Tiantian rubbed her chin in thought.

“Someone meticulous, quick-thinking, hands-on, and good at communication. They should have a passion for creativity and a genuine love for photography.”

“Oh, and they need to have good physical endurance. Dad, don’t underestimate photography—sometimes you have to carry a camera around all day. It’s exhausting.”

Cha Chengye furrowed his brows in thought.

“In that case, a young man would be more suitable.”

After a moment, he asked, “What do you think of Dazhu? He’s steady, detail-oriented, and hardworking.”

“He’s been wanting to learn a trade. I think photography would be a good fit for him.”

Jiang Tiantian recalled meeting Dazhu the previous day. He did seem reliable. She nodded. “Let’s ask if he’s interested first.”

Cha Jiuzhang, who was explaining the pipes to the villagers, heard his father call him over. “Jiuzhang, go get Dazhu.”

He walked over and asked, “What for?”

After hearing the plan, he immediately agreed. Carrying camera equipment was exhausting—he was all for training someone else to do it!

“Alright, I’ll bring him over.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Tiantian unpacked a camera and asked in her mind, “Xiao Qi, do you have a photography crash course manual? Let Dazhu get familiar with it first.”

“Yes, I’ve placed it at the bottom of the box.”

“Wow, Xiao Qi, you’re finally being generous! Last night, the cooking manual cost me 100,000 gold coins. Why is this one free?”

“System rules—anything related to improving photography skills is provided free of charge.”

Interesting!

Jiang Tiantian’s mind started working. “Then can you give me some classic movies and documentaries? Let Dazhu study their cinematography techniques.”

Xiao Qi: ?!

Is the host learning how to exploit the system?!

“Fine. Check the video player box.”

Jiang Tiantian unpacked the TV and looked at Cha Chengye. “Dad, let’s put the TV and video player in the village activity center.”

“We can use it for movie screenings or showcase Dazhu’s videos in the future.”

“It’ll also give the village another entertainment option.”

She wanted to spark everyone’s creativity. The activity center was the perfect place for that.

“Alright, I’ll arrange it. On behalf of the whole village, thank you.”

Dazhu arrived, already excited after hearing the news from Cha Jiuzhang.

When he touched the camera and video equipment, his hands trembled with excitement.

Maybe one day, his work would be shown on TV or even in cinemas for the whole country to see!

Looking at Jiang Tiantian, he said earnestly, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry! I’ll study hard and won’t let you down.”

Jiang Tiantian smacked the crash course manual into his hands. “I believe in you! Do your best—I’m counting on you.”

“Spend the next two days getting familiar with the equipment. Then we’ll discuss what to film and how.”

Dazhu clenched his fists. “Got it! I’ll master the equipment in two days!”

As he walked off with the camera and manual, Jiang Tiantian rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

“Xiao Qi, I think just being a photographer is too limiting for Dazhu. Do you have a director’s crash course too?”

Xiao Qi: “Yes, but it’ll cost—”

“Wait!” Jiang Tiantian interrupted. “Talking about gold coins ruins the mood. If he learns directing, won’t that improve his filming quality? Shouldn’t that be free too?”

Xiao Qi: “…Fine. I’ll get it for you.”

The host is getting better at exploiting the system…