The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

The Shen family stayed at home for two days, and on the third day of the Lunar New Year, they went to Shitou Village to pay New Year's greetings to the village chief.

Early in the morning, the village chief and his family were already prepared and waiting at the door.

When they saw the Shen family's carriage appear, they all went to greet it with great enthusiasm.

"Brother Shen, we've been waiting for your family to come."

"Sister-in-law Ma, it's been so long! You look so much younger!" Mother Shen said with a smile, taking Aunt Ma's hand and exchanging pleasantries.

"Uncle Shen, Aunt Shen, Happy New Year!" The village chief's two sons greeted Mr. and Mrs. Shen.

"Wow, Tiger and Er Gou have grown so tall and look much stronger."

"Kids change every day, they're almost grown up now," the village chief explained with a smile.

This was the first time Mr. and Mrs. Shen had visited the village chief's house since they moved to the county town, and they were both pleasantly surprised by the changes in the village chief's home.

I am genuinely happy about the changes in the village chief's family.

Shen's mother went to the kitchen to help, while Shen's father chatted with the children and the village chief in the main room.

Seeing that her older brother and the village chief had important matters to discuss, Shen Cao took her younger siblings to play in the village.

The village chief's house was very close to the Shen family's old house, and Shen Cao took them to play by the river in front of their house.

In the main room, Shen Chen spoke first, "Uncle Ma, I want to ask, I heard from my sister that you listened to her and planted chili peppers and made some money."

"Is this kind of chili pepper difficult to make?"

The village chief waved his hand, "We're all farmers, what's so difficult about that? It's easier than growing grain. Grain is precious, and you have to weed and fertilize it from time to time."

"If you're not worried about weeds stealing your nutrients, just make sure the soil is fertile before planting, and then you can just water it."

"Those chili peppers are so beautiful."

Shen Chen frowned; he was quite unfamiliar with farming.

However, according to the village chief, growing chili peppers is simpler than farming.

“I asked my sister, and she said she needs a lot of chili peppers next year.”

Upon hearing this, the village chief immediately understood Shen Chen's meaning.

His face lit up with joy, and he rubbed his hands somewhat embarrassedly. "Well, nephew, you mean I should encourage the villagers to grow chili peppers?"

Shen Chen nodded. "That would be ideal, but it ultimately depends on the individual's wishes."

"My sister thinks that if it's available, she'll definitely want it."

The village chief hesitated, then stammered, "This...this."

Shen Chen waved his hand, "Village chief, I know what you mean. The reason I called you here today to talk about this is because I've already asked my sister."

"She has long since moved on from the past."

"We are truly happy for you to see the changes in your home."

"As the village head, you must have more to consider, and I understand some of your concerns."

"You can rest assured and do it next year."

"After all, I grew up in Stone Village."

"If I become an official in the future, then these are the things I should do."

Upon hearing Shen Chen's words, the village chief's eyes reddened. "I thank you on behalf of the villagers."

"Don't dare."

"I'm just talking; you'll have to do the follow-up work yourself."

"You have experience with this kind of chili pepper."

"And ultimately, all of this is thanks to my sister."

Shen's father never expected that Shen Chen would go to the village chief because of this matter.

No wonder Shen Cao took the children out to play as soon as she heard that.

He admired the two children somewhat, but he was still a little angry with the people in the village.

This is why he hasn't returned to the village for so long.

"Actually, it was on my way back last time that I saw the difference between the neighboring village and our Stone Village, and I felt a little uneasy."

"Yeah, not to mention you, every time something happens to me as the village chief, I get so embarrassed by what the village chief from the next village says."

"They're so close, so why is it that only their village can make money, while we can't?"

"To be honest, I did think about encouraging everyone to grow chili peppers, but then I thought about what would happen if no one wanted the chili peppers after they were grown."

"I'm not worried about selling them because that girl, Cao'er, guaranteed that she would take them all, and indeed, she ended up using them all."

"But no matter how much she wants, my family can handle it."

“There are dozens of households in the village. If they all plant it, I’ll be worried about not being able to sell it.”

"Since my family got better, many people in the village have come to inquire about me."

"But I dare not say it, I'm afraid it will delay them."

"Sigh, now when I think about the look in their eyes, it chills me to the bone."

"After feeling disheartened, I began to understand them a little. After all, our village was just too poor."

"Never mind, it's all in the past."

"I'm at ease knowing that my nephew and niece are here."

When Aunt Ma walked in, she saw her husband, with tears in his eyes, holding Shen Chen's hand and talking to him with some emotion.

She laughed and joked, "Why are you getting so excited during the New Year?"

"Alright, get ready and let's eat."

Upon hearing this, the village chief immediately got up to clear the table.

Shen Chen said, "Then I'll go call my younger siblings back for dinner."

Shen Chen strolled along the country road. Although it was during the Spring Festival, the entire Stone Village was not particularly lively.

It's even noticeable that very few families in the entire village set off firecrackers.

Compared to the bustling county town, the village was incredibly deserted.

I passed by a house where an old lady was sunbathing in front of the door.

When she saw Shen Chen, she greeted him with a smile, "You must be the eldest son of the Shen family."

Shen Chen was taken aback because he was completely unfamiliar with this old lady.

He greeted her with a slightly embarrassed smile, "Grandma, Happy New Year!"

The old lady sighed, "Oh, what's so good about it? We can't even afford to eat during the Lunar New Year."

"Hey, why should an old woman like me talk so much to a child like you?"

"Here, I have some millet that I just roasted yesterday. Try it."

She walked over enthusiastically, took Shen Chen's hand, and pulled a handful of roasted millet from her pocket for him.

Shen Chen felt a little embarrassed.

"Take it, child. It's the New Year, and Grandma doesn't have much to give you."

Shen Chen had no choice but to accept it. After exchanging pleasantries with the old man for a while, he made an excuse to leave.

After walking a distance, he opened his palm and carefully examined the roasted millet in his hand.

The millet was fried until it turned a golden brown. Although it was called millet, it was actually a collection of broken grains, and there were even some small stones mixed in.

It made him feel a little uneasy.

He knew that it was already quite kind of the old lady to give him such a handful of roasted millet to eat.

Many families may not even be able to afford fried millet.

Perhaps because he grew up in Stone Village, he still has a deep affection for this land.

He decided to give them another chance, hoping they wouldn't disappoint him and his sister.