Chapter 1501: Waiting for the Wind

"An activity venue?!"

Secretary Xiao Zhu stopped her stroll, ignored the tourists, and rode her electric scooter over, rushing up: "Why did you suddenly think of this?"

It wasn't that Song Tan had just come up with this idea on the spur of the moment, but she had always felt it was too early and there was no rush. However, Yun Duo asking this question just now proved that quite a few employees on the mountain already wanted to stay.

Since that was the case—

"There are more and more employees. Except during busy farming seasons, everyone else works normal hours. Without an activity venue, everyone has no entertainment, and that's not good in the long run."

The small square in the village currently used for tourist parking did have some equipment—the kind of fitness gear common in residential communities—but it was basically left idle except when people moved around a bit while chatting after dinner.

Secretary Xiao Zhu nodded: "I wanted to bring this up before, but I felt bad about constantly milking you, the big household, so I didn't say anything."

When she wasn't standing on ceremony, she really wasn't, but she wouldn't say a word about things that shouldn't be mentioned.

The village currently only had this one "first to get rich." If the first to get rich leads the others, they couldn't be squeezed dry... If things went on like this, who would be generous enough to do good deeds in the future?

But as the village secretary, she looked after the collective interests of the locality, so if the big household took the initiative, Secretary Xiao Zhu could only rub her hands and say, "Good, good, good!"

Moreover, what Song Tan said was also a fact.

Aside from technical talent (like Yan Ran and the others), the farm employees basically had four days of flexible leave per month. Some people didn't want to save up their vacation time, so they had nothing to do on their days off.

They had a canteen for meals, and the dorms had washing machines, internet, and hot water supplied all day. That left nothing to do but play games or mess around on their phones.

But they couldn't just pass the days like that forever. After a long time, people who loved to gather together would either gamble or drink; that was unavoidable.

Song Tan also laughed: "That's why, as long as the village collective arranges a place, I can arrange football, basketball, badminton, table tennis, various sports projects, and space for square dancing..."

"Oh, right, it wouldn't be impossible to set up a small stage. Later on, if anyone in the village wants to host a wedding or hold a banquet... the village can discuss how to charge fees."

Secretary Xiao Zhu was truly a bit surprised.

"You... how did you manage to sublimate while farming!"

Song Tan was stunned: "Sublimate what?"

Secretary Xiao Zhu walked around the courtyard with her hands behind her back, taking the opportunity to organize her words: "Do you remember the first time we met? By the Chinese milk vetch field, I thought to myself, young people really have gumption! You came back and, without a word, started scattering grass seeds!"

Don't look at it as just something to fertilize the land; many people building a career rely on that spirit. Coming back and, without a word, getting the work done and filling the land—that meant they could really stick with it for a year or two.

Honestly, she was really quite surprised.

However, Song Tan was a bit arrogant at that time—not the kind of arrogance that looks down on others, but a sense of inexplicable pride in her own things.

Of course, later she tasted them and knew that the person had the qualifications to be proud.

But pursuing a career without aiming for economic benefits, instead being a bit willful and casual, being polite to ordinary people when talking business, but not yielding an inch to big households...

Secretary Xiao Zhu only then spoke frankly: "Back then, I was really afraid you wouldn't last long."

And Song Tan was so stingy back then!

Really stingy!

Who would have thought that starting from last autumn and winter, she became more and more generous, bit by bit. It wasn't blind generosity, but rather spending money where it mattered most—spending it grandly and beautifully!

Take this activity venue matter; if it were the her from last year, even if she had the money, she would probably say: "There's so much work left undone, how could I have time for this!"

Song Tan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

But when she thought about it carefully, she had to admit that Secretary Xiao Zhu was really quite sharp.

When she first came back, she really did feel she was quite remarkable—if nothing else, she was willing to sell things containing spiritual energy, and if others could buy them, that was truly fate and good fortune.

But later, after doing more work, she discovered that while her things were good, other people's hard-earned money didn't come from a strong wind. People paid money, and they weren't after the spiritual energy; they just wanted to eat something tasty...

Doing business, if people didn't eat it, it wouldn't affect their lives, so why get all pretentious?

Later on, there were Professor Song and Teacher Tang. Professor Song, at his age, ran to the mountain every day, observing and collecting even if he couldn't find the spiritual energy, and he would come back at night to help implement the land planning.

Back then, the old Song family was also dirt poor; in the sweltering heat, what was he after?

And Teacher Tang, the little old lady had plenty of bourgeois sentiment, even more drive than Lu Chuan. But she was always decent, preparing her best state every day, always generous and poised.

Moreover, she only demanded things of herself. Her family members wore thick cotton shoes and pants every day, and she never picked at them, at most giving some advice on matching.

How much cultivation she had!

When she lectured, she was articulate, teaching Qiao Qiao those great principles—"A family that cuts ice does not keep cattle or sheep." If she hadn't mentioned it, Song Tan might never have realized in this lifetime that she had become a "family that cuts ice."

After all, how much money did her family earn?

But no matter how much she earned, her business, her presence locally, made her that big household. If she lowered her level slightly, she would be blocking the path for the surrounding villages.

Even the fact that Lu Chuan's refined lifestyle could be so easily accepted by the old Song family was inseparable from Teacher Tang's subtle influence.

Thinking of this, Song Tan even missed the old lady a little.

Then there was Lu Chuan.

In the car accident, he threw himself into the fray—everyone has courage, but daring to be the vanguard, that was truly great courage.

Moreover, he was exceptionally good at summarizing and reflecting. He never interfered with what others did, but would deduce the pros and cons from it—last time he even praised Song Tan for having a grand vision and doing things thoroughly!

Thinking of this, Song Tan remembered the bits and pieces from when she was cultivating immortality, and couldn't help but smile at this moment.

That world where one could attain longevity seemed to embody the heroism and chivalry of ancient times, but what it fundamentally practiced was "survival of the fittest."

Instead, in her own ordinary hometown, what she realized was "benevolence."

Benevolence is the heart of heaven and earth.

And then, the wind stirred in all four directions.

Secretary Xiao Zhu looked at the courtyard in surprise. The agapanthus by the corridor swayed, the larkspur was surrounded by the spring breeze, and the star jasmine on the wall rustled, bringing waves of refreshing fragrance.

Star jasmine... was it this fragrant?

Secretary Xiao Zhu was almost intoxicated.

And in the center of the courtyard, Song Tan suddenly turned her head to look outside. Squirrels darted across the wall one by one, and the big orange cat also brought its children home at high speed. The fluffy ones sat in a row, as if they were also feeling this exceptionally gentle and warm spring breeze along with Secretary Xiao Zhu.

On the distant mountain, tourists also opened their arms and shouted: "The mountain wind—so free! So happy! It feels warm when it blows..."

The whole person felt like they were melting into the spring breeze.

On the river beach, suddenly all the dogs started running fast, and even Chen Chi happily followed: "What a comfortable wind!"

Chen Xi followed behind, laughing and scolding: "Silly child! What are you fussing about again..."

In the center of the courtyard, Song Tan withdrew her mind, feeling the shackles that had prevented her from breaking through due to insufficient spiritual energy suddenly melt away, and she smiled slightly at this moment. ===== CHAPTER 1502 =====