Tantai Zhou held her hand and smiled, "Old Master Cheng has already petitioned the Emperor, wanting to retire in Daba Village. The day after the Empress Dowager's investiture ceremony, Old Madam Cheng set off for Nanling with her servants."

"Huh?" Qiao Jingjing asked in surprise, "What about Lord Tang?"

Tantai Zhou smiled and said, "Lord Tang, he also plans to stay. He feels that life in Daba Village is simple and comfortable, much more so than facing those official documents all day in the capital. Moreover, he has discussed with Lord Cheng about opening another course in the village school to teach the village children his craft."

Qiao Jingjing's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, saying, "This is great news! Not all the children in the village are good at studying. If they learn a skill, they might all have a bright future. But what about the capital? Will the Emperor allow them to stay?"

Tantai Zhou tapped her nose and said, "I'm here. After Lord Cheng submitted his memorial, I also told Father about the situation here. Father also felt that they could play a greater role by staying here, so he approved it. Moreover, the high-yield grain seeds and technology have been successfully developed, so they can be considered to have completed their mission."

Qiao Jingjing smiled and said, "That's great. With them in the village, things will definitely get better and better in the future."

Tantai Zhou pulled her into his arms, saying, "With you here, Daba Village will only get better and better." They then smiled at each other.

To verify the high-yield grain varieties and ensure that the technology was not leaked, Emperor Xuanjing sent Cheng Baiqian and Tang Tianbao to Daba Village, where they stayed for more than a year.

For the past year or so, the two officials have been living a very comfortable life. Not only do they eat well and sleep soundly, but more importantly, there is no backstabbing or intrigue of officialdom here, and they don't need to be wary of anyone.

Daba Village has four distinct seasons, and Qiao Jingjing's workshop business was not greatly affected, with merchants coming and going in an endless stream.

Although Qiao Jingjing does not allow villagers to get involved in the workshop business, she does not object to villagers using the traffic generated by the workshop to do some small business.

Some set up tea stalls by the roadside, others gave directions at crossroads, and some clever ones even formed oxcart teams to provide transportation for merchant caravans that were short of manpower.

Today, Daba Village presents a thriving scene every day.

Therefore, including the escort team, these dozens of people from Beijing in Daba Village never considered going back. They seemed quite content and didn't want to leave.

Qiao Jingjing teleported back to Daba Village and stood at the village entrance, where she saw a convoy of cars approaching from a distance.

It's obvious they're here to buy goods from the workshop.

She ignored it; Zhao Wu and the others had handled things well, so she didn't need to worry. She turned and walked straight home.

"Is it Jingjing? It really is Jingjing."

"Wow, the village chief looks so good now."

Qiao Jingjing greeted the villagers with a smile and continued walking home.

Passing by the residence of Grand Secretary Cheng, we saw Madam Cheng sitting in the courtyard drinking tea.

"Madam, when did you arrive?" Qiao Jingjing asked in surprise.

Madam Cheng stood up, took her hand, and smiled broadly: "I only arrived this morning. This village is even better than I imagined. The air is fresh, and the people are kind. No wonder the old man is reluctant to leave."

Qiao Jingjing poured a cup of tea and sat down to chat with the old lady.

"Madam, please rest. I just got back and haven't gone home yet. Please come to my house for dinner later."

Madam Cheng smiled kindly and said, "Alright, things are different here than in the capital. This old woman won't follow those rules anymore. You should go back now; your mother will be overjoyed to see you."

Qiao Jingjing curtsied and then got up to leave.

As soon as I stepped outside, I heard a cheerful child's voice: "Big sister! You're back!"

Qiao Jingjing turned around and saw Qiao Shiming rush over like a cannonball and hug her tightly.

"Sister, it really is you. I didn't believe Lang when he said he saw you."

"Sister, how long has it been since you came back? Don't you miss Mingming at all?" She looked up at Qiao Jingjing and pouted, feeling wronged.

Qiao Jingjing smiled and ruffled his hair. "How could your older sister not miss Mingming? That's why I come back to see you whenever I have free time."

Xiao Ming has changed a lot in the past year or so. Not only has he grown taller, but his temperament has also changed since he was taught by Grand Secretary Cheng from time to time.

With the family's living conditions improving and their clothing greatly improved compared to the past, they don't look like rural children at first glance.

Qiao Shiming held her hand, his eyes sparkling, "Sister, let me tell you, I've learned so many things recently, and Lord Cheng even praised me for being smart."

Qiao Jingjing touched his face. "My Mingming has always been smart. By the way, where's your brother Lang? When did you become so close to him?"

Qiao Shiming pointed into the distance and said, "Brother Lang is waiting for me to shoot arrows over there."

Not far away, Qiao Lang was still holding his bow in a shooting posture. When he saw Qiao Jingjing return, he put down his bow, walked over, and whispered, "Sister."

Looking at Qiao Shilang's tanned face, Qiao Jingjing felt a surge of relief. She didn't know what had changed him, but at least there was still hope for this child.

"Lang-ge'er, thank you for taking care of Mingming."

Qiao Shilang scratched his head, his eyes filled with disbelief. He thought his elder sister would never forgive him for his past actions, but for some reason, her words made his eyes sting with tears.

He pretended to wipe his sweat and said nonchalantly, "It's not hard work, sister. Mingming and I are brothers. The teacher said that I am the elder brother, so it is only right for me to take care of him."

Qiao Jingjing smiled and nodded, then asked, "How's your archery learning going lately?"

Qiao Shilang straightened his back and said earnestly, "Sister, I practice diligently every day, and my archery accuracy is much better than before."

Qiao Shiming chimed in, "Yeah, sister, Lang is amazing. I've been studying hard for him too."

"Great, you're all wonderful. By the way, Mingming, where's Mom? Is she home?"

Qiao Shiming shook his head, "Mother is busy, sister, wait for me, I'll go call her back. I can run really fast." After saying that, he grabbed Qiao Shilang and ran off.

Qiao Jingjing had no choice but to go home first.

Before long, Lin appeared hurriedly at her doorstep, her voice preceding her arrival.

"My sweet little girl, where are you?"

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