A Farm Girl: Three Acres of Fertile Land Can Be Exchanged for a Country

Fortunately, Duan Fufeng didn't notice her. He gave a place name in a calm tone without any inflection.

“The checks in Phoenix City are getting stricter these days, so we need to go further away and turn around to avoid being discovered. Also… I’ve said it before, don’t call me Your Highness until we reach Southern Xinjiang.”

His voice didn't sound like he was scolding anyone at all, but the driver was startled and quickly apologized to him.

"I'm sorry, it was my oversight. I'll never call you that again... I'm sorry!"

Duan Fufeng made a gesture as if nothing was wrong, then looked down and saw Wutong. He asked her, "We're going back soon, are you happy?"

Should Amu be happy or unhappy?

Wutong couldn't fathom the thoughts of someone she'd never met, and no matter how she answered, it wouldn't be a good answer, so she simply remained silent.

Duan Fufeng frowned slightly, raised his hand to stroke her hair, just as he had comforted her when she was in a bad mood.

"Don't do that. You know I hate seeing that kind of expression on your face. Smile."

Wutong pursed her lips and looked at him. He removed her veil and said in a commanding tone, "Smile."

Wutong could only force a smile. He stared at it for two or three seconds, then raised his hand to press his forehead, leaned heavily against the back of the chair, and stopped moving, as if he had fallen asleep.

When Wutong heard the words "Prince," she was overjoyed and certain that he was Duan Fufeng.

However, his attitude towards this "Amu" was so strange that she didn't want to reveal her identity easily.

To be honest, or to wait and see?

After thinking it over all the way, Wutong chose the latter.

Under the guise of doing business, the group drove east. After traveling two or three hundred miles from Phoenix City, they turned back towards Southern Xinjiang. Along the way, to conceal their identities, they even actually bought and sold goods. By the time they reached a town on the edge of Southern Xinjiang, they had earned over 100,000 yuan and had a truckload of goods.

The area where the two places meet is mountainous. As the car drove along the winding mountain road at a steady speed, Wutong noticed that the environment here was much better than that in the Central Plains.

Although the trees in the mountains are not as lush as they used to be, they are still verdant, and occasionally a flock of birds flies from the forest into the air, filling the whole scene with vibrant life.

When Wutong saw this, it was like seeing paradise.

It seems that the changes in the Central Plains are due to Mount Hao, while the Southern Frontier is far from Mount Hao and therefore has not been affected.

As long as the fire on Haoshan Mountain is extinguished and the iron-forging sites are shut down, that land will surely be able to repair itself and return to its original state.

The convoy traversed the mountains, resupplying at a town in southern Xinjiang at the foot of the mountains. The town was home to about a thousand families who had farmed and lived there for generations.

They had heard about the changes in the Central Plains, but had never seen them with their own eyes. Upon learning that they were merchants who had been to the Central Plains, many people surrounded them in the inn, asking them all sorts of questions.

Duan Fufeng went upstairs early in the morning, leaving the guards to deal with them.

Wutong hid in the corridor, peeking down through the railing.

Their clean faces, tidy clothes, and the peanuts and melon seeds they carried as snacks made her feel happy and grateful that such a pure land still existed in the world.

However, the Pure Land also has its drawbacks. When cars and guns were just becoming popular in the Central Plains, Duan Fufeng ordered the blockade of trade routes between the Southern Frontier and the Central Plains. Unless one had a document personally issued by him, no one was allowed to travel between the two places without authorization.

This meant that southern Xinjiang remained unpolluted, but it also made it much less developed than the Central Plains. Southern Xinjiang had limited iron ore reserves, making it impossible to produce ironware on a large scale like the Central Plains; iron pots and hoes remained the most common household items.

As for fuel, it was only produced in the Central Plains. Before heading into the mountains, they sold all their goods and exchanged them for oil drums, which they then piled up in their vehicles to prepare for the rest of the journey and their next trip.

People in southern Xinjiang still rely on horses for transportation because it is difficult to buy vehicles and fuel.

Wutong didn't know which life was better in the hearts of the people in the two places. If she had to choose, she would definitely choose the southern border region.

It wasn't just because she genuinely enjoyed this peaceful and comfortable life, but also because she knew that only in this way could she live a long life.

Normal life should be a steady, gradual process, not like fireworks—a grand, spectacular celebration that quickly fades and turns to ashes.

After the supplies were replenished, the convoy set off again, heading towards its final destination, Lingyun Mansion.

With the help of a car, the journey that used to take more than half a month was shortened to just a few days, and soon the city walls of Lingyun Prefecture came into view.

When Wutong first visited Lingyun Prefecture ten years ago, she was awestruck by its towering walls. But after seeing Phoenix City, all other city walls pale in comparison.

At the foot of the city wall, there were not only people queuing to enter the city, but also a group of people waiting outside, as if they were waiting for someone.

At first, Wutong could only see a row of figures, and couldn't make out anything except the color of their clothes. But as the car drove in, she immediately recognized the person in the lead as Li Deming.

Li Deming must have come to welcome Duan Fufeng, but she hadn't seen Duan Fufeng write any letters or anything along the way.

Thinking of this, she subconsciously glanced at Duan Fufeng. Duan Fufeng said, "Before setting off, I made an appointment with them to return today."

I see……

Wutong nodded in sudden realization, then couldn't help but wonder, if they hadn't found her that day, hadn't found this "Amu," would they have returned according to the planned itinerary? Or would they have extended their time to wait for her?

While he was deep in thought, Li Deming had already led his men over and bowed in front of the vehicle.

"Welcome back to the city, Your Highness."

Duan Fufeng nodded, had someone open the car door, and got out.

Wutong also got out of the car, while looking at Li Deming and the people around him.

Her relationship with Li Deming was quite complicated; they weren't exactly friends because their personalities clashed, and Li Deming disliked her unconventional personality the most.

They weren't enemies, and had even fought side by side, so they could trust each other.

In general, it was Duan Fufeng who brought them together, and they managed to appreciate each other to some extent.

In my memory, Li Deming was always taciturn and conventional. After so long apart, he had a few strands of white hair, making him look several years older in an instant.

He must have been very worried during the time Duan Fufeng disappeared. Southern Xinjiang and Duan Fufeng were everything in his life. In order to better complete his work, he even gave up marriage and having children, putting all his energy into the palace.

If Duan Fufeng were interested in selecting a model worker from among his subordinates, it would undoubtedly be Li Deming.

Wutong glanced at him a few times, then shifted her gaze to the back. When she saw the person standing to Li Deming's right rear, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but feel excited.

It's a mountain!