Chapter 62

On the way back.

Since there was no rush, Cha Jiuzhang held the reins while wrapping an arm around Jiang Tiantian’s slender waist, guiding Little Red Date into a slow trot.

Little Red Date, having wandered off somewhere all afternoon, seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.

The horse pranced as if performing a dressage routine, head held high, hooves rhythmically tapping—looking particularly elegant.

Cha Jiuzhang had spent the afternoon swimming multiple laps in the lake, exhausting most of his pent-up energy through vigorous exercise.

Now, his entire body was in a state of post-exertion calm, relaxed and comfortable.

Feeling lazy, he rested his chin on Jiang Tiantian’s head, rubbing against her soft, fluffy hair.

Deep down, he actually felt relieved—he would be returning to the capital in half a month.

Perhaps, being farther away would make things less tormenting.

Otherwise, having such a tempting feast dangling in front of him every day, yet unable to take a bite—how could he endure that?

Cha Jiuzhang leaned down and murmured into Jiang Tiantian’s ear, “Let’s find some time in the next few days—I’ll help you review the key points.”

Back then, because of her parents’ accident and the need to quickly take over the company, Jiang Tiantian had missed her college entrance exams.

Two years later, when everything stabilized, she felt that taking the exams and going to university no longer held much meaning.

Instead, she opted for an MBA program—one that only required money to enroll but came with valuable networking opportunities.

Now that she had the chance to start over, she wanted to make up for that regret—for both herself and the original owner of this body.

Hearing his offer, she nodded eagerly.

“Okay~”

Then, playfully, she tilted her head back to bump Cha Jiuzhang’s chin as a show of gratitude.

With a top scorer tutoring her, why not take advantage?

“Hiss—”

Cha Jiuzhang, caught off guard by the pain in his chin, immediately retaliated by gently biting her earlobe.

With a deep, husky voice, he pleaded, “You little rascal, stop teasing me!”

Jiang Tiantian laughed and turned to look at him seriously.

“Cha Jiuzhang, I think I like you even more now. What should I do?”

In that instant, warmth surged through Cha Jiuzhang’s chest—a tingling, electrifying sensation that was different from mere physical desire.

He had never imagined that mutual love could bring such… exquisite joy.

Such… addictive bliss.

He used to think that fulfilling his duty—marrying his childhood betrothed, having children, and living in respectful harmony—was enough.

But now, he realized he wasn’t satisfied. He craved more.

There was an emptiness inside him, one that only Jiang Tiantian could fill.

Smiling, he nuzzled her ear with his lips, whispering seductively, “Mmm… I know. And I allow you to love me for a lifetime.”

Jiang Tiantian’s smile never faded.

Looking at the fiery sunset in the distance, the crimson glow reflected in her eyes, she felt a shimmer of unshed tears.

In her heart, she silently spoke:

“Dad, Mom, can you see this? I’m doing well now. I’ve found someone I can spend my life with. I believe you must be living happily in another world too.”

—-

Around 6:40 PM.

A broadcast rang out over Chajia Village.

Through the loudspeaker, the village chief, Cha Chengye, made an announcement that reached every household.

“Attention all groups! Attention all groups!”

“Group leaders, please organize your members and head to the village activity center immediately. The village collective meeting will start at 7 PM sharp.”

“At least one representative from each household must attend. No absences without reason.”

After two days of discussions, the village committee had finalized their decisions.

These matters concerned the collective interests of all villagers.

Thus, tonight’s meeting would officially inform the entire village about two key projects moving forward—hot springs and a tea processing factory.

At this moment, the activity center was packed with people.

Scanning the crowd, Cha Chengye was surprised—more people had shown up than expected.

Did entire families come?

The original chairs were far from sufficient, so many villagers simply sat on the ground.

“Ahem—quiet down!”

As the clock struck 7, Cha Chengye spoke into the microphone.

The crowd quickly settled down.

After a moment, he smiled and asked, “Everyone had dinner, right?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

“Not yet.”

“No.”

“Are you treating us, Chief?”

“…”

Laughter and chatter filled the air, with villagers joking around in a relaxed manner.

Cha Chengye wasn’t bothered. He chuckled and said, “If you haven’t eaten, don’t worry—I’ll keep this short. Trust me, once this meeting is over, you’ll enjoy your dinner even more.”

A villager called out, “Chief, is there good news?”

Cha Chengye continued, “I’m sure some of you have already heard bits and pieces, but tonight, I’m officially announcing two pieces of great news.”

“First, we’ve secured the necessary approvals, and the hot spring project we proposed last year is finally ready to break ground.”

“Not only that—we’ve improved the plan. Originally, the hot spring facility was meant only for our villagers.”

“But now, we’re expanding it to serve the public, allowing us to open for business.”

“The times have changed, policies are favorable, and more wealthy city folks will be looking for travel and relaxation spots.”

“Our goal is to turn our hot springs into a key tourist attraction for Chajia Village.”

“Our roads are already built, and once the hot springs are ready, the next step is to welcome visitors from far and wide—to sightsee, vacation, and spend money here.”

“Does that sound good to everyone?”

“Yes!”

“We want it!”

“That’s great!”

“…”

The villagers responded enthusiastically.

Cha Chengye grinned. “Does anyone oppose this? If you do, speak up now, and we’ll address it on the spot.”

“No objections.”

“…”

Satisfied, he nodded. “Good. After the meeting, group leaders, stay behind for task assignments.”

“Ahem—now for the second matter.”

“Yesterday, after discussions with the village committee, we unanimously agreed to start the development of ‘Chajia Village Tea Processing Factory.’”

“In the past, our tea couldn’t sell at high prices—not because of its quality. In fact, our tea is excellent, a legacy from our ancestors, proven over generations.”

“What we lack is a brand and recognition.”

“Once we establish our reputation, we can sell our tea at premium prices—just like matsutake mushrooms.”

Cha Chengye’s voice deepened.

“Do you all remember two years ago?”

“Back then, our mountain-grown matsutake mushrooms were worthless, left to rot because no one wanted them.”

Then, he raised his voice.

“But now—less than two years later—our matsutake mushrooms are being exported overseas, bringing in foreign money.”

“I believe that in less than two years, our tea will do the same—fetch high prices, and even be sold internationally.”

“So tell me—do you all have confidence in this?”