"Hmm, so you came today for this, didn't you!"

"That's one reason," Wang Xiaoqiang was clear and direct, "Also, I have nowhere to store my fifty acres of crops. I'd like to rent the old committee building to store the grain."

Liu Mingshan thought for a moment, "Well, that's no problem. It's just sitting idle anyway; if you want to rent it, go ahead."

Having said that, Liu Mingshan's eyes flickered, and he added, "By the way, you wanted to rent a whole plot of land, right? The land in front of the old committee building, a total of forty acres, belongs to the village. I can rent it all to you. It's just a pity that the land is quite far from Shibalih River, and it's inconvenient to fetch water for irrigation..."

Wang Xiaoqiang was well aware of the land in front of the old committee building. It backed onto Mantou Mountain, and in front was a pond, but the pond was too small to irrigate the land, which was also far from Shibalih River, making water fetching for irrigation impractical. Since the year before last, after someone had leased it for a season to grow Jade Bamboo Yams, that land had been left idle.

The moment he thought of that land, Wang Xiaoqiang immediately said, "Well, that's no problem, I'll take it!"

"Little Qiang, you should think this through. That land had Jade Bamboo Yams grown on it the year before last, and it's certain that the soil quality has suffered greatly..."

"It doesn't matter," Wang Xiaoqiang said. He had the Five Elements Spiritual Spring; he wasn't concerned about whether the land was fertile or had essence."

"Alright then, since you want that plot, I will also give you the small pond next to it for free. You can raise some fish in it if you like," Liu Mingshan said grandly.

"Let's draw up a lease agreement then," Wang Xiaoqiang suggested. He said this because he was concerned about the possibility of something similar to today's lease cancellation happening in the future.

Liu Mingshan, however, was dismissive, "If it's a short-term lease, there's no need for an agreement,"

"It's definitely for the long term," Wang Xiaoqiang replied with a wry smile, "I originally planned to lease it for three years, but I don't have enough funds..."

"Three years," Liu Mingshan's eyes lit up, and he immediately waved his hand, "No problem, if you're short on money, you can owe it for now."

Nowadays, the young people in the village were all going out to work and weren't sticking to their tiny plots of land at home, so the value of land had dropped. Now that Wang Xiaoqiang was willing to lease the land and use the land resources to make money, Liu Mingshan was very supportive. This would mean additional income for the village committee, which was good both publicly and privately.

"Since Uncle Mingshan is willing to defer the payment, then I'll lease it for three years. It's just that I'm not sure about the rental price of this land..."

"The rent will certainly be cheaper than the village rate, eight hundred per acre. What do you think?"

Wang Xiaoqiang already leased land from Great Bull Head and Chimney Uncle, paying a thousand per acre per year. Liu Mingshan's offer of eight hundred was clearly a discount by two hundred per acre, giving Wang Xiaoqiang no reason to refuse. Thus, he nodded immediately, "Sure, then eight hundred it is. But for now, I can only afford to pay the rent for one year."

Forty acres at eight hundred an acre adds up to thirty-two thousand for one year. Wang Xiaoqiang currently had eighty thousand on hand, so paying for one year's rent was no problem, but it wouldn't be enough for all three years.

"Alright, just pay for one year for now." Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang acting decisively, Liu Mingshan, equally straightforward, immediately stood up to prepare the lease agreement. After Wang Xiaoqiang paid the rent for one year and received the contract stamped with the big red seal of the village committee, Wang Xiaoqiang felt buoyant.

He went to the old committee building and walked around the Old Village Committee Courtyard. The courtyard was left with just the grounds; the gatehouse was dilapidated, the two-story building with three rooms on each floor was intact. There was more than enough room to store the grain, and the remaining rooms could still be used for accommodations.

However, Wang Xiaoqiang felt that, given its distance from the village, measures must be taken against theft, and someone needed to build the gatehouse.

That very afternoon, Wang Xiaoqiang contacted the local construction team about building the gatehouse. The leader of the team, Wang Sanqiang, was no less straightforward and agreed to construct the gatehouse after the autumn harvest.

That afternoon, Wang Xiaoqiang and his sister-in-law Liu Juyi cleared out the old village committee building and then moved the grain in. Out of the six rooms, only four were used for storing the crops. Wang Xiaoqiang cleaned up one of the remaining two for himself; he planned to sleep there overnight to guard the grain.

"Sister-in-law, after you've had dinner, come replace me for a bit, and bring Old Yellow Dog from home!" As they finished up, Wang Xiaoqiang told his sister-in-law.

"Don't worry, I'll bring dinner over..." Juyi wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, smiling at Wang Xiaoqiang.

The weather was hot, and after being busy for a while, Juyi had broken out in a sweat. Her pink sweatshirt clung to her body, outlining her slender, curvaceous figure.

Her fair face was flushed, a healthy glow that was comforting to look at, especially when she smiled brightly, which was very charming. It dazzled Wang Xiaoqiang, who thought to himself that since the autumn harvest, his sister-in-law had not only been cooking but also helping out in the fields, spending days under the scorching sun.

Yet, how come her face not only hadn't tanned but had become even more tender and fair?

"Alright, but sister-in-law, I'm sorry to trouble you again!" Wang Xiaoqiang said with a sense of indebtedness.

"We're family, don't talk like we're strangers, that's too formal!" Juyi laughed, waving her pale, delicate hands.

She liked these busy, fulfilling days as they helped her forget the bitterness in her heart. Moreover, she found herself growing more fond of spending time with her brother-in-law, which made her feel somewhat ashamed.

After saying this, Juyi went back home.

At dinner time, as the sun set, Juyi brought over the meal, followed by the family's Old Yellow Dog, who had been with the Wang family for seven years and already showed signs of old age.

Sunset. Field paths. Village woman. Old Yellow Dog.

From the second floor of the village committee building, Wang Xiaoqiang saw this scene from afar, and a warm feeling arose in his heart.

"Little Qiang, come and eat," Juyi brought the food to the village committee and set it on the table, saying, "It's hot, so I made you some cold noodles, try them and see if they suit your taste..."

As she spoke, Juyi took out the food: a bowl of cold noodles, a bowl of chilled sliced cucumbers, and a bowl of mixed vegetables. Though it was just a bowl of cold noodles, its freshness was precious, and the dishes complemented each other perfectly with a balance of meat and vegetables.

Wang Xiaoqiang picked up the bowl and wolfed down his food. Juyi needed to clean up the dishes, so she had to wait until Wang Xiaoqiang finished before she could leave. So, she sat down and watched him eat.

While Wang Xiaoqiang's eating manners were not very elegant, to Juyi they appeared enjoyable. She felt that a man should eat this way, that eating heartily was very manly, and she loved to watch Wang Xiaoqiang eat, finding happiness and warmth in it.

But happiness and warmth are always fleeting, and in no time, Wang Xiaoqiang had finished the meal she brought, leaving the bowls turned upside down. Juyi felt a bit melancholic as she said, "You finished already?"

Seeing his sister-in-law staring intently at him, a somewhat embarrassed Wang Xiaoqiang touched his mouth and said, "Uh, yes, it's all because you made the noodles too delicious…"

Enough compliments, you're starting to sound a bit corny…" Juyi felt a sweet sensation within, giving Wang Xiaoqiang a playful glance: "Are you full? If not, I can bring you another bowl."

"I'm full, I'm full..." Wang Xiaoqiang hurriedly said, but he was mesmerized by Juyi's vividly beautiful eyes.

He quickly turned to pretend to check the sky. At that moment, the sun was almost setting, and evening was nearing. Wang Xiaoqiang said, "It's getting dark, sister-in-law, you should head back soon…"

"Uh..." Juyi glanced casually at the outside sky, feeling a bit forlorn as she said, "Okay, then you rest, I'm going back."

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