Chapter 108: She’s Getting Anxious

Of course, Qiu Yinuo had no idea about the ruckus going on between the Lin father and son.

As soon as she got home, she learned that a letter had arrived from the provincial capital. When she saw the sender was Cai Zhong, she immediately had a good feeling.

Sure enough, the letter was from Uncle Cai, asking where she had purchased the peach preserves.

Look at that! Opportunities for distribution were already showing up!

It was clear that the trip to the provincial capital needed to be prioritized.

Dabao tugged on Qiu Yinuo’s sleeve. “I want to go back with you.”

Ever since she found out that Dabao’s soul belonged to a fifteen-year-old teenager, she had stopped treating him like a child. She often consulted with him on many matters.

“You want to go back?”

“I’m bored to death staying in the village.”

“How about signing up with Menghua for the Strong Nation System? Keep yourself busy.”

Dabao pouted, his voice soft and childish, “Bad mama, I’m not playing with you anymore.”

Qiu Yinuo reached out to ruffle his little head. “I never said I wouldn’t take you. Since you want to go, we’ll all go together.”

She then picked up Erbao, who was still in a daze. “Erbao, how about going back to the provincial capital with mama?”

Erbao blinked. Before he could register the formulas that had just flashed through his mind, his mother’s sudden movement had scattered them.

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”

Erbao: “……”

“Alright, it’s decided then. Mom, I’ll be taking Dabao and Erbao back to the capital in a few days.”

“The kids are so young! Why drag them around with you?”

“Qingqing hasn’t seen her cousins and aunt in a while. We’ll only stay for about a week. Besides, Dabao and Erbao might have already forgotten what their home looks like. It’s a good time for them to get reacquainted.”

“Fine then. Just come back as soon as your business is done.”

The Next Day

Village Head Lin didn’t dare waste any time. Early the next morning, he went into the county town.

He met with the county chief and explained the plan for his village to co-establish a canning factory with another village.

The chief’s first reaction was to oppose it. While the current policy did encourage rural development initiatives, business wasn’t easy.

“You can’t treat this like a whim, little brother. Starting a factory isn’t as simple as you think.”

But Village Head Lin had anticipated this response. He immediately pulled out the proposal Qiu Yinuo had prepared.

“Brother, take a look at this first.”

The plan Qiu Yinuo had drafted was excellent—practically a textbook template.

The sections were clearly divided and easy to understand, even for someone unfamiliar with such documents.

Gradually, the only sound left in the office was the rustling of papers. Occasionally, the county chief would ask a question.

Village Head Lin answered each one clearly and confidently. The chief could tell this wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment decision.

“You’ve done your research?”

“Of course. You know I’m cautious—I wouldn’t just jump into this.”

After some thought, Village Head Lin brought up the name of the person behind the canning factory idea.

“I suspect she knows about our relationship.”

The county chief didn’t respond but continued asking questions. “My advice is that you think it over again. Try stalling Ping’an Village a bit. You might be able to get a better deal.”

“I’m afraid that won’t work. I already gave them my word. You don’t know, but Ping’an Village has been in talks with other villages too—Heyan Village and Baoqing Village. I was just barely able to get ahead…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he paused, noticing the chief’s gaze.

“You’re too impatient.”

Village Head Lin frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Have you thought about how you came to know all this information so clearly?”

“Of course I was the one who sent someone to investigate.”

The county chief rubbed his aching temples. “Aren’t the people of Ping’an Village afraid of offending you? They could’ve handled this in secret without letting you know. But now that you do know, how could you not be anxious?”

Village Head Lin pressed his lips tightly together, as if something suddenly became clear.

“When you’re anxious, you lose your composure, and naturally you won’t have any leverage during negotiations. Weren’t you in a very passive position when you tried to discuss cooperation?”

“Besides, you have me backing you. As long as the project is good, I will definitely give my full support.”

Village Head Lin slapped his own forehead. “That Qiu Yinuo is really full of tricks.”

He didn’t even call her Comrade Qiu anymore. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect that he had also been one of her calculated pieces.

The county chief chuckled. “Now I’m really curious about this young woman. If what she promised you in that proposal actually works out, then this could turn into a great project.”

“You think I should keep them dangling a bit longer?” Village Head Lin was still feeling somewhat unwilling.

“Integrity is the most important principle in doing things. Since you’ve already agreed, don’t go stirring up trouble at a critical moment. If the cooperation between the two villages truly achieves what’s described in the proposal; boosting the local economy, even driving development in neighboring villages, then I’d be willing to put her on a pedestal myself.”

Village Head Lin had never imagined that Qiu Yinuo could earn such high praise from his cousin.

The plan at the end of the proposal seemed too grand. He hadn’t taken it seriously at all, thinking it unrealistic.

But the county chief saw through it right away. This proposal clearly wasn’t meant for Village Head Lin. It was meant for him.

“Since she’s done me a favor, I’ll acknowledge it. In a bit, I’ll have my assistant give you a set of prepared materials. I’ll support both of your villages as much as I can.”

If those two villages could rise, who’s to say nearby villages wouldn’t be envious?

With that thought, the county chief felt highly motivated.

Although Village Head Lin was a little irritated by Qiu Yinuo’s scheming, he couldn’t help but envy Village Head Sun for having someone like her. Even the county chief didn’t hold back his praise.

What kind of good karma had that old fellow accumulated in his past life to be on the brink of such success?

That same day, Qiu Yinuo was at home packing her luggage when she heard a strange female voice outside.

“Is Comrade Qiu Yinuo at home?”

Qiu Yinuo walked to the front gate and saw an unfamiliar face.

“And you are?”

“My name is Lin Caiyue. I’m one of the educated youths who came to Ping’an Village last year.”

The original owner had constantly been trapped in negative emotions and rarely socialized, so after Qiu Yinuo took over, she hadn’t interacted much with the educated youths either.

So far, she had only had contact with Zhou Xue, who had been sent to the northwest for reeducation, and then with Qian and Luo, the other educated youths.

As for Lin Caiyue, she had absolutely no impression of her.

“Hello, may I ask what you need from me?”

“Comrade Qiu, I came to inform you that Qian Zhiqing is about to return to the city. You’d better keep an eye on your younger brother. If he does something foolish and manages to make her stay, I doubt your family will have peaceful days ahead.”

Qian Zhiya returning to the city was indeed surprising, but it was even more shocking how well the other party knew her overly eager younger brother.

“Thank you for telling me, Comrade Lin. But this is my brother’s business. I can’t control him.”

As expected of a love-struck teenager, he couldn’t keep anything hidden. The whole educated youth quarters probably knew by now.

Although she was annoyed, she still needed to figure out what Lin Caiyue’s intentions were in coming to inform her.

Lin Caiyue grew anxious. “Didn’t you get upset last time because Zhou Xue falsely accused your brother? Now that you know Qian Zhiqing is leaving, how can you not stop Qiu Qianjin?”

Oh-ho!

She’s panicking, she’s panicking.