Chapter 43 Homestead and Medicinal Materials Base

Liu Daocheng entered the house, glanced at the tense atmosphere, and smiled. “So lively here—what’s going on?”

Chen Yuexiang forced a smile. “N-nothing! Captain, why are you here?”

“Nothing, you say? But I heard that Brother Changming’s leg injury has some background to it. Chen Yuexiang, you and your husband were there that day—tell me, what really happened?”

Earlier, Chen Yuexiang had been aggressive, like a fighting cock, but now seeing Liu Daocheng, her eyes darted nervously, and she looked very guilty.

“There’s no inside story… Captain, you must be joking! Haha… Since you’re busy, I won’t disturb you. I’ll leave first.” She chuckled nervously and slipped away like a rabbit.

After Chen Yuexiang left, Xu Guifen finally relaxed from her defensive stance and perked up to greet Liu Daocheng. “Uncle, have you eaten? Come, have a bite.”

Liu Daocheng waved her off. “No need for food, sister-in-law. Don’t bother. I’m here on business—want to talk to Ji Tangtang.”

Although Liu Daocheng refused the food, Xu Guifen still brought out the freshly steamed buns and offered them. “Uncle, eat while we talk. Our family has had a rough time these past years, thanks to your family’s care. Don’t be polite with us—you’ll be estranged if you are.”

Liu Daocheng, having run around all day and barely had a chance to eat, took a bun and started eating. He had a good private relationship with Ji Changming, so he wasn’t formal about it.

“Ji Tangtang, you’re really a great asset to our village! Today, I followed your advice and went to the commune. The leaders immediately agreed and fully supported our plan to start a medicinal herb planting base.”

After a few bites, Liu Daocheng got down to business. “I came mainly to discuss with you how we should run the herb base. You’re smart—what do you think?”

Ji Tangtang had thought he came to talk about building a house, based on what his wife had said, but it turned out to be about the herb base. Her mind raced. “Captain, my idea is that the base shouldn’t take up farmland. We can clear some land at the foot of the mountain for planting. That way, it won’t affect our crop yields, and everyone will have less pressure.”

Liu Daocheng nodded approvingly. “That’s exactly my thought too.”

“Divide the cleared land into sections. Some areas for herbs that take three to five years to harvest, and some for those harvested within a year. This way, it’s easier to keep everyone motivated and ensures the base runs long-term.”

“Good idea!” Liu Daocheng praised. “I’ll let the accountants know and call a small meeting. I’ll appoint you as the main person in charge of the base. Don’t go to the fields tomorrow; focus on planning the cleared land. I’ll send a few people with you to the mountain to gather seed herbs.”

“I’ll do my best to make our team’s herb base thrive,” Ji Tangtang agreed immediately and seized the opportunity. “Also, Captain, I’d like to borrow a bit of your time to discuss building the house.”

Hearing “house,” Liu Daocheng’s thoughts immediately turned to Ji Tangtang and Gu Shiyu’s marriage. A hint of concern appeared in his eyes as he looked at Ji Changming and Xu Guifen. “Are you really sure about this marriage?”

He wanted to say that if there were difficulties, they could tell him, and he’d do his best to help. Ji Changming understood, but he had already troubled him quite a few times. Liu Daocheng was the production team leader, and many eyes were watching, so he couldn’t intervene in everything, especially since his daughter now had her own ideas. He trusted that if she said she could cure Gu Shiyu’s paralysis, she could do it—he could feel the improvement in his own leg injury these past days.

“Gu Shiyu is a respectable man, and we support our child’s decision,” Xu Guifen nodded.

Seeing this, Liu Daocheng didn’t say more. He only asked, “Have you decided how to build the house?”

“Uncle Liu, we want to apply for the Zhulin Bay plot as our building site,” Ji Tangtang said.

“Not building next to the current house?” Liu Daocheng was surprised and didn’t fully approve. Although Ji Tangtang earned a lot from selling herbs, Gu Shiyu was disabled and would be a heavy burden for the family. If they spent all the money, what would they do in the future?

“No,” Ji Tangtang replied. “We want a slightly larger house, made of red brick. I’m not sure if we can reserve bricks from a nearby factory.”

“The land at Zhulin Bay can’t grow crops, so applying for a building plot there should be approved. Not many people build with bricks, so you should be able to get them if you want,” Liu Daocheng said seriously.

“Thanks, Uncle Liu. I understand your good intentions,” Ji Tangtang sighed. “You saw what happened yesterday. If I don’t spend the money I have, it really can’t be saved. Just now, my aunt came asking to borrow 200 yuan for urgent use! I have so many expenses, where would I get 200 yuan?”

Liu Daocheng thought for a moment and decided not to argue. Many people in the village were keeping an eye on Ji Tangtang; if she didn’t spend her money, it would only stir more trouble.

Building a house was good—once it was done, they could live in it for a lifetime. Once people saw them building the house and spending their money, they quieted down.

“Alright, write an application. I’m going to meet with some officials shortly, so we can use that opportunity to have them discuss this matter. Once approved, it can be sent to the commune for official authorization sooner,” Liu Daocheng said.

“Thank you, Captain.” Ji Tangtang had already bought paper and pen, so she immediately took them out and wrote the application, handing it to Liu Daocheng.

“Your handwriting has improved!” Liu Daocheng said, holding Ji Tangtang’s application, a look of appreciation flashing in his eyes. This girl was steady and composed. She had quietly practiced good penmanship without showing off at all—not like her cousin, who made a show of even a little skill.

“Not even close to your child, he still has a lot to learn,” Xu Guifen said. Hearing Liu Daocheng praise her daughter made her feel as sweet as honey. But out of habit, she still modestly downplayed her daughter, offering some flattering words.

“No, this handwriting is much better than my boy’s. When a child does well, they should be praised,” Liu Daocheng said. Folding the application and putting it in his pocket, he said to everyone, “I still have things to do, so I’ll leave first.”

By this time, Ji Tangtang had already efficiently packed a cloth bag full of buns. She handed it to Liu Daocheng. “Uncle, today everyone is going to be busy again. Take these buns for everyone to have as a snack.”

At this time, to get approval for a plot, the team officials had to discuss and agree that the applicant met the requirements. Once approved internally, it could then be submitted to the commune. If anyone deliberately obstructed it, the whole application could fail. Ji Tangtang knew the power of “sugar-coated” influence, so she directly offered buns as a gesture to smooth the process.

Liu Daocheng understood the subtle complexities and also realized this was not a matter he could decide alone. He took the buns without pretense and left Ji Tangtang’s house.

After Liu Daocheng left, Ji Tangtang remembered what Ji Changming had said earlier to Lin Yuexiang. She recalled the plot in the book and noticed it didn’t explicitly explain how Ji Changming had injured his leg. In the story, because the original protagonist had an accidental encounter with Gu Shiyu and was blocked by villagers, her reputation in the village was ruined, and she had no choice but to marry Gu Shiyu. After marrying him, her character became increasingly obstinate, often causing trouble, and Ji Changming and Xu Guifen frequently had to clean up her messes. Ji Changming’s leg never fully recovered, eventually leaving him a permanent limp.

Thinking of the tragic fate of the original protagonist and her family, Ji Tangtang frowned. “Dad, what did you mean by what you just said to Aunt?”