Chapter 66: Contract Termination

After a short break, Shen Yanming drove Bi Qiao’an to the courtyard he was renting. As the car rolled to a stop, he threw on his raincoat, getting ready to face the rain. “Wait here,” he said, reaching for the door handle. “I’ll pack up quick.”

Bi Qiao’an shook her head, a determined look in her eyes. “I’m coming with you.”

Shen Yanming didn’t argue. He circled to the passenger side, opened the door for Bi Qiao’an, and took her hand, guiding her to the front door. Fishing the key from his pocket, he unlocked it with a click.

As the door swung open, Bi Qiao’an gasped, her eyes widening at the sight before her. The yard was a sea of cultivation bags, each one teeming with plump, delectable mushrooms.

Shen Yanming ushered her inside, locking the door behind them. He pulled her close as they entered the living room. “Wait here while I grab the bags from the yard. You can start picking the mushrooms in this room.”

With a quick scan of the living room revealing nothing amiss, Shen Yanming darted to a hidden spot, retrieving a storage box from his space. He handed it to her. “Put them in here.”

As Bi Qiao’an nodded, she couldn’t help but shudder at the sight of black mold stains and green moss crawling across the walls. 

Shen Yanming headed out to the yard, snatching up two cultivation bags in each hand and bringing them back to her. 

Sitting on a small stool by the box, Bi Qiao’an carefully plucked the tender mushrooms from the bags, placing them carefully inside without bothering to sort them.

Shen Yanming, noticing that Bi Qiao’an couldn’t keep up with his speed, would pause every few trips to kneel next to her, helping to collect the mushrooms she had harvested and transferring them to his space. This harmonious teamwork allowed them to maintain a steady rhythm, preventing her box from ever reaching capacity.

Half an hour passed before they had collected every mushroom, including two bags of prized silver ear fungus.

Shen Yanming closed the door, tucking the storage box back into his space. “Qiao’an, let’s store these used bags in the planting area on some unused soil. Who knows if they’ll grow more mushrooms after the bountiful harvests.”

Bi Qiao’an agreed and moved all the used bags. “Worth a shot. This way we won’t mix them up with the unharvested ones.”

Shen Yanming went to each room to ensure nothing had been overlooked. Satisfied, he took Bi Qiao’an’s hand, ready to depart.

Before they could reach the door, an insistent banging sounded from outside. “Hey little bro, you in there? It’s your big sis. Open up!”

Shen Yanming glanced at Bi Qiao’an and shrugged, then called out, “Just a moment!”

He walked over and opened the door, revealing a group of six people, an equal mix of men and women, huddled together in the doorway.

“Little bro, about the place you’re renting from us, do you still need it? Can we talk?” asked the middle-aged woman who had introduced herself as “big sis,” her tone apologetic. “You see, we’ve been imposing on relatives for two months now and it’s really inconvenient. Any chance we could end the lease early?”

Shen Yanming arched an eyebrow. “Big sis, we have a contract. You should know that the lease term isn’t up yet. Besides, your house isn’t fit to live in right now. The yard is flooded and the walls are covered in mold.”

The man behind “big sis” looked ready to butt in, but she grabbed his arm, shutting him up. “Little bro, I’ll be straight with you. We saw Chief Li’s video today saying the nightly rain is good for your health. Of course we gotta follow his guidance.”

She went on, “The problem is that at our relatives’ place, we’re already sleeping on the floor. There are nearly twenty of us packed into a ninety square meter apartment. If we keep staying there, by the time we all finish showering after getting drenched every night, it’ll take over an hour or two.”

“We talked it over and figured it’d be way more convenient to get rained on in our own little yard at night. It’s safer too, and we can shower and hit the sack early afterwards.”

She looked at Shen Yanming hopefully. “How about you and your wife move in with us? I can clear out a room for you two.”

Shen Yanming quirked an eyebrow. “No need, it’s not a big deal. Since you’re here, big sis, why don’t you take a look inside? If everything seems okay, we can go ahead and terminate the lease early.”

Hearing this, “big sis” broke into a wide smile. “Little bro, you’re too kind! Can’t thank you enough. If you still need it, feel free to use our courtyard anytime.”

Shen Yanming nodded and smiled without comment. 

After completing a thorough inspection of the house, “big sis” emerged and remarked, “Little bro, you haven’t been living here, have you? Everything inside is exactly the same as when we left.”

“Yeah. I just borrowed your yard for a bit. If there are no issues, we’ll get going then.”

“Great, great. Swing by for a meal sometime when you’re free, little bro!”

Back in the car, Bi Qiao’an turned to Shen Yanming. “That “big sis” sure is quick to follow Chief Li’s guidelines. Wonder if everyone else is doing the same.”

“They have a yard, so they’ll definitely try it out tonight. As for other people…” Shen Yanming shook his head. “Hard to say.”

“But this was officially announced. Do you think there are still people who don’t believe it?” Bi Qiao’an had expected a definitive yes from him.

“Some might wait and see what others do first.”

“Ah, herd mentality.”

---

“Nini, how are things going with you and Xiao Fei?” Father Zhang massaged his brow, his expression stern.

Zhang Chenjun rose to pour her father a cup of tea, and sat down across from him with a smirk. “Not bad. That man is just a two-timing scumbag, though.”

“No matter what happens, you have to guard your heart. Don’t let yourself get hurt. If it really doesn’t work out, so be it.” Father Zhang sipped the tea slowly.

“Mm, it’s all just an act. I know what I’m doing.” Zhang Chenjun smiled gently, touched that her dad’s biggest worry was still her well-being.

“We’ve sent people to sneak into Xiao Fei’s place twice now, but couldn’t find that ring you mentioned either time. Could you have been wrong?”

“Maybe,” Zhang Chenjun said, pausing mid-sip. “It’s also possible Xiao Fei just hasn’t gotten it yet.”

“If that’s the case, it’s not a big deal. We can find more chances to search his place later. What I’m worried about is that Xiao Fei’s dimensional space doesn’t actually come from that ring at all.”

Zhang Chenjun furrowed her brow. “If it’s not the ring, then I really have no clue where Xiao Fei’s space came from. Besides, from all my interactions with him so far, he doesn’t seem like someone who has a dimensional space.”

Father Zhang sighed. “Just keep up the act for now. But remember your bottom line. If there’s still no progress after a while longer, we’ll pull out. The supplies I prepared earlier should be enough for us to live comfortably for a few years anyway.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you, Dad.”

“By the way, Nini, what did you think of Chief Li’s video today?”