Chapter 107: Harvest Season

Seeing Xin'er's beautiful face and gentle smile, Shopkeeper Lu always felt that kid was a match for her.

She sighed in her heart, stopped thinking about it, and resolved that during festivals one must be joyful; even if the young lady marries to the County Town, she can still often go back to visit.

The Qiao Family celebrated the Moon God Festival with great merriment, while the Yuan Family, Qiao Family, and Tian Family did not celebrate at all.

Qiao Mai was like a thorn lodged in their hearts; no matter what they did, they could think of Qiao Mai.

The better she lived, the more the thorn hurt them.

The Tian Family had thought about making peace with Qiao Mai, but they knew in their hearts that it was a dream.

Having kicked away her child, this is a grudge of killing a daughter—how could it ever be eased?

Moreover, she now has a husband at home, making it even more impossible.

Anyway, as her business thrives, they get no share of the glory, feeling as restless as ants on a fire.

The Qiao family felt it even more; their own biological daughter living so well, they had nothing prepared for the festival, how could their spirits be good?

The fields, once over two hundred mu, have now grown to nearly five hundred mu, yet the space still hasn't upgraded, and Qiao Mai is not in a hurry.

They had thought the parents would once again drain their blood, but Yuan Lao Han, smoking, said calmly.

It was the increase of Spiritual Energy, which raised her internal force; now her Lightness Skill lets her travel from Tianshui Town to the County Town at full speed in only half a quarter‑hour.

Add occasional porridge and biscuit making, and several tens of thousands of jin is truly a lot.

He bought ninety‑seven spirit stones from customer service, raising his cultivation to the sixth level of Qi Refinement.

It was enough for them to have a good New Year, while the Qiao Family had to pay a hundred jin of corn per mu, ending up with only five hundred jin—just a hundred jin more than they did.

If not for the mayor's well‑known introductions, the tenant farmers of these three families would not be so good; after harvesting the corn early, they came to the Qiao Family to voluntarily deliver grain.

The eldest son gave Yuan Lao Han a cold look and said, "Father, Old Five still eats and drinks from other people; what can he offer us? Not to mention, we've already split the family; each lives his own life. You have reasons to cause trouble, but we, as brothers, have no reason; he doesn't owe us anything. When he was in a bad state before, we didn't help him either."

The melons, fruits, and vegetables they had harvested were piled like a mountain, being sold both online and at the Small Food Shop.

No matter how these three families thought or acted, on August 18, Mr. Wang brought his elderly wife back to the Qiao Family, and Wang Zihan did not follow.

She couldn't process the medicinal herbs, and the quantity was huge, so she bundled them and sold them online at a price lower than the platform's.

So she found an excuse to shift the conversation, but judging by the Feng Family's look, they would likely bring it up again later; Lu Sanniang only temporarily quelled their ideas.

Cultivation truly isn't a pastime; it's all built with money.

They gave the main family six hundred jin of corn per mu, the remaining four hundred jin were theirs; a household with twenty mu amounted to eight thousand units of grain.

On the eighth day of the ninth month, the Feng Family came to visit; this time they arrived with the entire family, though they brought no concubines or illegitimate sons or daughters.

Nevertheless, she also enjoyed the benefits of her cultivation advancement.

At night, idle with nothing to do, she went out to stroll; with a single leap, she easily vaulted onto the five‑ or six‑meter‑high roof.

All four brothers fell silent; don't assume they don't want it, they actually do, but recalling Old Five's ruthless attitude and his current status, going to his door would be self‑inflicted disgrace.

"Father, Mother, we have all split the family; please stop plotting against Old Five."

On that day, Qiao Shicheng lost a huge temper.

The elderly Yuan couple kept urging, "You don't have to force him to change his mind immediately; slowly show him goodwill, see how he reacts, and proceed step by step."

Then, with twenty mu of land and twenty mu of cultivated medicinal herbs, this way the four‑hundred‑plus mu of land will become nearly a thousand mu in a few days.

Thus, seizing the festival opportunity, Yuan Xushi prepared a table of fine dishes and called the four sons to the house to discuss matters.

"Stop fighting, stop fighting; Father and Mother admit they were wrong. As long as he can change his mind and re‑enter our Yuan family genealogy, that's enough; Father and Mother even point to him to glorify the family name."

This made the astute Lu Sanniang instantly grasp their intention; coming to the New Zhai to 'recognize the gate' was merely a pretext, the real purpose was for Feng Yinshi's son, as they wanted him to become a disciple under Mr. Wang.

They must have learned Mr. Wang's true identity; being under his tutelage provides both a powerful patron and a good master—a double benefit.

This time she no longer cherished those cultivated herbs; she harvested the entire two‑hundred‑plus mu, leaving only the rubber trees, as they had not yet matured into timber and could not be tapped for latex.

With ample rain, it was another bountiful harvest season.

Fortunately, with Miss Wang, everything was quickly resolved.

When advancing from the third to the fourth level, she used fifteen spirit stones; from the fourth to the fifth, thirty‑six spirit stones; when moving from the fifth to the sixth, she used the remainder and almost failed to ascend. Had the space not contained that ten percent Spiritual Energy, her prior efforts would have been in vain.

Several tens of thousands of jin of corn seemed abundant, but the Qiao Family couldn't consume it for long, as they also raised many small animals.

Time slipped into golden October, and the farmers showed smiles; the heavens were favorable, with both spring and autumn offering good weather.

It's not that she doesn't resemble this son‑in‑law; she knows Mr. Wang's temper, cares about no one's face, follows only personal preference, and she certainly doesn't want Mr. Wang to beat her later.

Since the online store opened, she has sold nine hundred thousand taels of silver; she originally had seven thousand taels of gold, and now holds ninety‑seven thousand taels of gold.

At the wine table, the Feng Family mentioned Qiao Niang, as well as the matter of the gentleman hired by the Qiao Family.

The elderly Yuan couple mulled it over at home these days, feeling that their own strength alone would certainly be insufficient.

"Yes, yes, Father and Mother regret it, hoping to mend the fence after the sheep are lost."

"Now Old Five lives so well, don't you help your brothers? Previously Father and Mother were at fault, often bothering him, but you are brothers; when one is struggling you ought to help, right?"

Now she can spar with ordinary martial‑arts masters.

Seeing the results, she was delighted; the money spent was truly worth it!

She needed power so much that she slept only four or five hours each day; the rest of the time was spent cultivating, solidifying her foundation.

It was Mrs. Wang's concern that kept him at the Wang Zhai, and because of this, Wang Zihan even had a major quarrel with his mother.

These grains have never been sold; quail, chickens, ducks, and geese all eat dishes mixed with cornmeal, and deer, horses, and cattle sometimes also eat some of it.

"Back then he loved studying so much, and you had silver in hand yet didn't fund his education; had you known he was that kind of material, it wouldn't have become so strained now."

After the festival, she took a break, and Qiao Mai began to focus on managing the space.

Each time she replanted, the land would double.

Seeing such a residence, the Feng family's faces brightened quickly; the whole family was very pleased, pulling Shopkeeper Lu into lively conversation.

Qiao Mai did not step forward; she took the Kitchen Maid into the kitchen to cook, gave the main family's seat to Lu Sanniang, making the Feng family aware that in this residence, Lu Sanniang also held a voice.

Fields across all families were busy harvesting; the Qiao Family's three tenant farms were especially delighted, as corn yields higher than wheat—over a thousand jin per mu. The Qiao Family took only sixty percent, the remaining forty percent belonging to them.

"War among brothers—if he has trouble later, won't you brothers have to step in?"

Qiao Mai's space, thanks to her Diligence, has already risen to level three, and now she has over two thousand mu of land.

The rubber trees have already been harvested, the sturdy durable white cloth has also been bought, and only the step of boiling the rubber and evenly applying it remains; once the rubber cools and sets, the greenhouse frame can be started.

The whole family mobilized together and harvested the five mu of Corn in the backyard.

In the Qiao Family's courtyard, under the eaves, all the bound Corn is drying, and the golden, dazzling ears are truly a feast for the eyes.

(End of chapter)