I have been farming since I crossed over.

The scorching, unbearable heat of June flew by amidst the Yang family's frantic efforts to reclaim land. Yes, I'm talking about the Yang family, not just the fifth branch. Remember, during the last land-buying spree, the fifth branch took the lead, acquiring the vast majority of the land, but the rest of the Yang family followed suit, acquiring significant tracts of land.

Furthermore, other families in Changshan Village, such as the Zhang and He families, also purchased land of considerable size. Looking around, Changshan Village's arable land has practically been snapped up, leaving only the uncultivated grasslands within the mountains untouched. Consequently, every household has thrown themselves fully into the frenzy of land reclamation, striving to prepare sufficient paddy fields by mid-August for the final rice harvest of the year.

Seeing this, Old Man Yang discussed it with Village Chief Zhang and decided that the Yang family would help the villagers germinate their rice seeds. After careful cultivation and germination, the rice seeds were sold to the villagers at 4 wen per jin (approximately 50 grams) of rice. Furthermore, those fortunate enough to participate in the training program received a special benefit: each person received jin (approximately grams) of high-quality, germinated rice seeds free of charge each year.

However, there are always two sides to the coin. Because this preferential policy only applies to trainees, parents whose children weren't selected for the training program inevitably felt a sense of disappointment and resentment. Some even took their anger out on their own children, beating them and leaving them screaming. For a time, the village was filled with the pitiful cries of children, a heartbreaking experience.

After completing the rice seeding mission assigned to her by Tang Jiahang, Yang Mingxi didn't even have a moment to breathe before immediately diving into the rice planting work for every household in Changshan Village. Her days were grueling, running back and forth between the two seedling nurseries during the day and harvesting and planting in the space at night. Sometimes, she was so busy that she barely even had a moment to look up at the sky.

Meanwhile, Lu Jintang was also overwhelmed and extremely busy. He hadn't returned to Changshan Village in days. All operations of the commercial street had been handed over to Lu Jinshuo. Lu Jintang, along with Lu Changhe, traveled to the neighboring counties of Zhuli and Kaoshan. With the assistance of Lu Changfeng, the second eldest brother, and Lu Changchun, the fifth eldest brother, they set about developing the commercial streets in these two counties and purchasing barren hills for the construction of their village.

Lu Jintang and Lu Changhe were the first to arrive in Zhuli County, which was under Lu Changfeng's charge. After meticulous investigation and consideration, they finally finalized the exact location for the commercial street, clarifying the functional facilities to be planned in each area and how they should be constructed. Furthermore, they made precise judgments on which areas of barren hills would be suitable for acquisition and construction of the village. After everything was arranged, Lu Jintang left Lu Shiyi to assist Lu Changfeng and Lu Changhe with the follow-up work, and then set off again alone, heading straight for Kaoshan County.

Kaoshan County's geography is more complex, bordered on one side by the turbulent sea and on the other by towering mountains. Site selection alone consumed Lu Changchun's three or four months, and unfortunately, the exact location of the commercial street remains undecided. Fortunately, however, five locations have been selected for Zhuangzi, all offering both strategic locations and considerable land area.

After personally inspecting the area, Lu Jintang immediately dispatched his staff to purchase all five farms. He then recruited local workers and began the massive project of clearing land and building the farms. However, the question of where to locate the commercial street was a bit daunting, whether it was within Kaoshan County or in one of the coastal towns. After careful consideration, he ultimately decided to return to Changshan Village to discuss the matter with Yang Mingxi, hoping to gain her valuable advice and ultimately determine the ideal location for the commercial street. After all, it had been a long time since he had seen Yang Mingxi, and he missed her deeply. So, after properly handling the relevant matters in Kaoshan County, Lu Jintang hurried back to Changshan Village without hesitation, traveling overnight.

After many days of hard work, Yang Mingxi finally managed to harvest the seeds from Changshan Village and the seeds from her own three plots of barren land. She followed the original plan closely, and her hard work paid off. By the end of June, she had successfully planted all the rice seedlings needed by the Lu family.

By this time, the bitter melons in the dry land had already been harvested four times, and the vines had withered and no longer produced fruit. To prepare for the next harvest, Yang Mingxi decisively arranged for Yang Laowu to have someone pull out the seedlings, carefully fertilize them, and actively prepare for the second planting. It's worth noting that almost every household in Changshan Village has reserved dry land this time, eager to plant bitter melon seedlings immediately after the corn harvest.

Time flew by, and in a blink of an eye, it was the second day of July. On this day, all the gentle slopes of the Yang family's property were covered with lush green bitter melon seedlings. Looking at this scene full of vitality and hope, Yang Mingxi's heart was filled with joy.

However, she didn't stop there. After a short rest, she immediately went to check on the sweet potato seedlings she was cultivating. To her delight, they were already thriving and ready for cuttings! If she completed the cuttings now, she could have two bumper sweet potato harvests by New Year's Eve! This way, her French fry workshop could open smoothly this year!

Night fell, and all was silent. Yang Mingxi, exhausted from a long day's work, had already fallen asleep, lost in a sweet slumber. Suddenly, a familiar scent crept into her nose. She instinctively opened her eyes and found Lu Jintang, the man she had longed for and hadn't seen in over half a month, standing quietly by her bed, gazing at her lovingly. Instantly, a wave of surprise washed over her. Without hesitation, Yang Mingxi rose and threw herself into Lu Jintang's arms. He embraced her tightly, as if to pour out all the longing and yearning she had accumulated during their separation.

At that moment, Tang Jiahang sat upright in the Qingshui County government office, his slightly narrowed eyes revealing a hint of shrewdness and anticipation. Just then, one of his subordinates hurried over and reported the latest news: "Sir, there's new information coming from Changshan Village..."

Tang Jiahang perked up, listening carefully to his subordinates' words. Upon learning that everything in Changshan Village was progressing smoothly, he nodded with satisfaction. Then, his subordinate continued, "Not only that, the rice seedlings in the other towns have also been planted. Transplanting is just around the corner in a month and a half. Based on the current progress, we'll be able to harvest in about three months!"

Tang Jiahang couldn't help but smile slightly, calculating things in his mind. Everything had been arranged perfectly; by then, it would be the perfect time for him to retire and return to the capital to take up his new post. Thinking of this, a confident smile curved his lips, as if he had already seen the surprised and admiring expressions on their faces.

"Hehe, I really don't know how many people will be shocked by my political achievements this time!" Tang Jiahang stood up, put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, looked at the prosperous and lively scene outside the window, his heart full of longing and expectation for the future.