Chapter 132: Unspeakable

An Qinghe was dragged away by someone, yet he couldn't stop giggling foolishly, 'Grafting, grafting, what a divine idea—how did you come up with it?'

Gu Xixi said, 'Calm down!'

'Never mind whether it's divine or not; you haven't seen the results of the grafting with your own eyes, so why don't you question me?'

The two people holding An Qinghe saw he was no longer struggling, so they cautiously loosened their grip.

An Qinghe's emotions remained agitated, but at least he stopped flailing about, 'I don't doubt it, because this is a miracle! I'm willing to wait for this miracle to appear; whether I see it with my own eyes or not doesn't matter.'

'And Xixi, do you know? For generations we've cultivated fruit trees, traits that were once thought to be permanently fixed—like, it would be great if they bore fruit in two or three years, great if the canopy were a bit lower to make picking easier, great if every year each tree produced sweet, crisp, large fruit.'

'Ideas like these we've long dared not mention; even just thinking about them feels as laughable as a daydream.'

An Qinghe displayed an unprecedented solemnity; his sharp-featured face seemed to be shrouded in a layer of holy light.

'But Xixi, whether it's the words you spoke in the Yunling County nursery or the grafting you just proposed, you've let me truly see the miracle of a fantasy becoming reality!'

The interior had already fallen into silence.

Although everyone couldn't fully understand, they were shaken by An Qinghe's impassioned speech.

A fervent passion and hope surged in each person's chest.

They wished they could immediately get to the day of planting trees, everyone together opening up a new world and working hard with Gu Xixi!

Qin Dasao said, 'I also have a feeling—we can make this happen!'

The crowd loudly echoed, 'Right!'

'From now on, whoever dares to speak pessimistically in front of me, I won't be polite!'

'Exactly, no matter what others say, I've made up my mind—I'm going to stand tall!'

Gu Xixi smiled without speaking, her cheeks slightly flushed.

It's all because of An Qinghe's words—both pleasing and embarrassing! Too extravagant~!

An Qinghe continued to extrapolate, 'If the Pinpo fruit can be grafted, can other fruit trees be as well?'

His eyes lit up, his smile uncontainable, 'I have a feeling that grafting will become a great discovery! With such a rare opportunity, why don't we join hands?'

An Qinghe looked around, wanting to speak but hesitating.

He winked at Gu Xixi, trying to stay composed, 'Let's not talk about this now; we'll discuss it in detail later.'

On the other side outside, Mu Nan Zhao had already walked near Lao Qian's home.

At the fork, turning right you could see the gate of Lao Qian's house.

Mu Nan Zhao heard the door open, followed immediately by a burst of cheerful voices and laughter.

Tonight the moonlight was hazy, the moon occasionally disappearing behind clouds.

Just as the moonlight dimmed, Mu Nan Zhao suddenly stopped his steps.

He stood in the shade beneath a tree, watching Gu Xixi emerge surrounded by a crowd.

An Qinghe stood beside her, chatting and laughing with others, clearly already quite familiar.

The fire that Mu Nan Zhao had carried in his chest all along suddenly cooled.

He just stood there, watching the crowd disperse, watching An Qinghe hold a lantern, escorting Gu Xixi home.

Because one was bright and the other dark, neither of them noticed Mu Nan Zhao's presence as they passed close by.

Only when the lantern's light could no longer be seen did Mu Nan Zhao move his feet.

At that very moment when he had just seen Gu Xixi, Mu Nan Zhao's mind raced through countless thoughts.

Some words, once spoken, cannot be taken back; whether Gu Xixi agrees with him or not, the outcome would burden her psychologically.

Moreover, he is currently a dying man.

Even if he doesn't die, in the future he has his own path that must be followed to the end.

For now he cannot afford to give Gu Xixi any promises.

And Gu Xixi also has her own future.

Thinking of Mu Nan Zhao, what virtue or ability does he have to dare ask Gu Xixi to abandon everything and follow him?!

Mu Nan Zhao slowly walked back, the corner of his mouth curling into a self-mocking arc.

Actually, Gu Xixi had already said that he has his own ladder to heaven.

And she herself harbors a dream of a granary for the world.

If we wait a bit longer, until he accomplishes those things, perhaps, maybe……

When Mu Nan Zhao entered the gate, Gu Xixi stood in the courtyard holding a lantern, smiling at him.

The early spring night was still cold.

Mu Nan Zhao frowned and said, 'Standing there blowing in the cold wind—be careful you catch a chill and get scolded.'

Recently, Lao Langzhong has been wholly focused on preparing medicine, not even having time to come to the front yard for meals.

If someone at this time, idle, seeks trouble and makes themselves sick, adding to Lao Langzhong's busyness, isn't that just asking for a scolding?

Gu Xixi pursed her lips and smiled, 'I've been waiting for you.'

'Aunt said you went to pick me up, but when I returned I didn't see you—I guess you took a wrong turn.'

'If you don't come back again, I'll have to go out to fetch you.'

The warm yellow light illuminated her smiling face, making it look warm and gentle.

Mu Nan Zhao's expression unconsciously softened, 'I could find my way back even with my eyes closed—I won't get lost.'

Gu Xixi stepped forward two paces, stood face to face with him, smiled, and then asked softly:

'So why did you suddenly run to meet me? Is there something up?'

Mu Nan Zhao locked eyes with her, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly, 'Nothing.'

'Old Jiang said one shouldn't sit too long after a meal; moderate exercise is good for body and mind.'

'Perfect—when you're tired from walking, go back to sleep.'

Gu Xixi watched Mu Nan Zhao walk toward the west room, tilting her head in puzzlement.

Just exercising after a meal, as a side activity?

At that moment, An Qinghe lifted the curtain of the main hall, eagerly calling out, "Gu Xixi, hurry back, let's properly discuss that big matter we just mentioned!"

From behind came Shitou's voice, "Brother An, hurry in, didn't we agree to play dominoes?"

"'Hey!' Gu Xixi replied with a smile, 'I'll come after I put out the light!'"

Mu Nan Zhao heard the conversation and silently closed the door from behind.

An Qinghe confessed his thoughts to Gu Xixi, then sat on the kang like a little puppy, eagerly awaiting Gu Xixi's response.

Gu Xixi chuckled lightly, "Boss An really knows how to make money."

An Qinghe proudly said, "You can say I lack ability, but you can't say my judgment is poor."

The ventures I approve of have always been praised by my father, elder brothers, uncles; otherwise they wouldn't have placed me alone in the Seedling Merchants Association.

Gu Xixi said, "So you want to partner with me to make money?"

An Qinghe nodded solemnly, "I will definitely not be mistaken; grafting has great potential."

Also, I heard they say you have some secret method for growing grain? Why not make use of all of these?

As long as you master the core secret, we can use this method to make big money, and it will be a steady stream of money!

Gu Xixi thought, "I actually underestimated this guy before."

I didn't expect his thinking to open up so quickly, forward-thinking to the point of considering future agricultural technology development.

Gu Xixi also became serious, "Then you should think it over carefully, exactly how to do it; when you come up with a plan, I'll consider whether to accept your cooperation."