No matter what happened behind the scenes, Director Liu would still greet Qu Mingli as usual when they met, even casually asking where he was headed.
Qu Mingli answered truthfully, "The mushrooms at Jinchuan Forest Farm are ready. I'm going to check on them." Then he asked Director Liu, "Do you want to come along?"
On such a scorching day, under the blazing sun, who would believe he was just going to inspect mushrooms?
It would make more sense if something had gone wrong with the mushrooms, forcing him to rush over for an emergency...
If the sun weren’t so intense, Director Liu might have gone just to see what the fuss was about. But in this heat? No thanks.
Director Liu chuckled, "You should’ve told me earlier. I don’t have time—got a pile of work waiting."
With that, he went back inside, pretending to flip through documents while enjoying the cross breeze in his office.
Qu Mingli hadn’t expected Director Liu to join him, nor anyone else at the bureau. The heat was unbearable, and no one had much faith in the mushroom cultivation project anyway.
So he went alone, skipping the bureau’s motorcycle truck and the direct train to Jinchuan.
Instead, he took another route, getting off at Wangshan Forest Farm and walking along the newly built road to Jinchuan. Since the road had just been completed, he’d only walked it once with the bureau staff, and with so many people around, he hadn’t inspected it thoroughly. This was a good chance to check for any repairs needed.
Unexpectedly, Secretary Lang learned of his plans and arranged for a bicycle to be waiting at Wangshan Forest Farm. "I haven’t walked this road much myself. Let me give you a ride today."
"I’m younger—I’ll ride you," Qu Mingli said, taking the bike. Then he asked, "Your forest farm has bicycles now?"
Secretary Lang hesitated, watching as Qu Mingli swung his leg over the seat. "Maybe you should ride, and I’ll walk alongside?"
"Hop on," Qu Mingli patted the rear seat. "No one around here knows me. No need for formalities."
Seeing his insistence, Secretary Lang climbed on. Walking back would take too long and delay things.
Still feeling a bit awkward, Secretary Lang picked up the earlier topic. "We didn’t have bicycles before—no use for them. But now that the road’s built, I managed to get one. Figured it’d come in handy eventually."
Qu Mingli pedaled forward, nodding in agreement. "Exactly. More roads will be built, and life will keep improving."
"That’s all thanks to you, Secretary Qu. You pushed for retrofitting tractors, building roads, and even let our forest farm grow mushrooms."
Though it sounded like flattery, Secretary Lang meant it sincerely—Qu Mingli was a man who got things done.
Qu Mingli just laughed. "Credit goes to Qi Fang and Yan Xue at your forest farm. Without their skills, who’d retrofit the tractors? Who’d grow the mushrooms?"
As they rode, they inspected the road. With bulldozers and excavators, the construction had been swift and solid.
Potholes were filled, uneven stretches leveled. Along the way, they passed a few villagers foraging for mushrooms and herbs, who remarked how much easier the road made their trips.
"People from the forest farm used this path to go up the mountain before, but it was just a rough trail, hard to walk," Secretary Lang explained.
Qu Mingli nodded. "Then building it was the right call. We should speed up road construction for the other forest farms too."
As they neared Jinchuan Forest Farm, Secretary Lang dismounted, not wanting to trouble Qu Mingli further. Qu Mingli got off too, and they walked the rest of the way together.
They headed straight for the riverside, where a long brick wall soon came into view.
"How many acres does this cover?" Qu Mingli asked.
Secretary Lang answered honestly, "The cultivation rooms and offices don’t take up much space. Most of it’s for the mushroom beds. Once planted, they yield for three years. We’ll expand next year."
Remembering Director Liu’s earlier skepticism, he added, "Comrade Yan Xue’s trial batch from last year yielded even more than this year’s new planting."
Qu Mingli said nothing more. They wheeled the bike inside, where workers were busy drying and packing mushrooms.
Secretary Lang had done his homework. "Yan Xue’s drying process is quite meticulous. You’ll see in a moment."
But Qu Mingli’s attention was drawn to Xu Wanchang, sitting in a wheelchair with both legs missing, and Guo Chang’an, who was carefully inspecting the drying mushrooms.
Disabled people were a rare sight in Chengshui—both before and after his arrival. Not because there were few, but because they rarely ventured outside.
Yet here, at Yan Xue’s pilot site, two were not just present but clearly employed. It was unexpected.
Before he could ask, Yan Xue emerged, greeting them warmly. "Secretary Qu, Secretary Lang."
The petite woman wore a simple, practical short-sleeved shirt and trousers, the hem loose enough to conceal her slightly rounded belly.
Qu Mingli shifted his focus, smiling. "Impressive work. You’ve harvested quite a bit."
"Dried mushrooms aren’t heavy. Looks like a lot, but it’s not," Yan Xue said, leading them inside. "Everyone, take a break. Secretary Qu and Secretary Lang from the town bureau are here to inspect."
She emphasized, "This is Secretary Qu. Without his support, our pilot site wouldn’t exist."
The workers immediately paused, some applauding, others offering greetings.
"I’m just here to observe. Please carry on," Qu Mingli said, raising a hand.
Still, he noticed one girl in the crowd who remained silent, only reacting when nudged by someone as Yan Xue began speaking.
So there were more than two disabled workers here. He glanced at Yan Xue again. "Secretary Lang mentioned your drying process is quite specialized."
"It is." Yan Xue pointed to the nearby drying racks, explaining each step in detail.
Qu Mingli listened attentively, nodding as they moved from the front yard’s drying area to the mushroom beds in the back.
Yan Xue didn’t go alone, calling Guo Chang’an over. "Bring the logbook. Explain the beds to Secretary Qu."
She introduced him, "This is Guo Chang’an, our site’s record keeper. He’s always been interested in fungal cultivation and helped me a lot last year. During the flood, he and his mother acted quickly to save our cultures."
So this one was a technical role too. Qu Mingli’s expression turned earnest as he extended his left hand for a handshake, accommodating Guo Chang’an’s condition.
Guo Chang’an, unfazed, retrieved the logbook from the office, then followed them to the backyard on his crutches.
Since the pilot program was established, the workload had increased, and Yan Xue could no longer observe as frequently as before. It was now up to him to keep records. "The ear cultivation area is currently divided into two zones. The eastern section uses spawn retained from the fungus strains cultivated by Technician Yan last year, while the western section uses last year's wild fungus."
Qu Mingli was immediately intrigued. "Which side is growing better and yielding higher output?"
"At the moment, the second-generation spawn is performing better with higher yields. Technician Yan plans to retain the spawn again this year and divide the area into three zones next year to test the third-generation strains."
Yan Xue hadn’t just successfully cultivated the fungus—she had also prioritized technological updates and strain optimization from the very beginning, a level of foresight uncommon among most people.
Qu Mingli couldn’t help but glance at Yan Xue again, finding the young woman remarkably impressive. Like Qi Fang, she seemed somewhat underutilized in her current position.
His own efforts—modifying machinery, repairing roads, and promoting fungus cultivation—were driven by a genuine desire to make a tangible impact, to justify his role.
Yet, when the task fell into Yan Xue’s hands, she not only executed it flawlessly but also extended care to those most in need.
This left such an impression that, after leaving the pilot site, he couldn’t resist telling her, "I’m glad I chose you to lead this pilot program. You’ve done exceptionally well."
Yan Xue, ever humble, replied, "It’s the collective effort. Everyone is capable and willing to work toward the same goal. I couldn’t manage such a large operation alone."
Her words were diplomatic, her actions effective—she even acknowledged Secretary Lang’s support for the pilot, leaving the man beaming with pride.
But Qu Mingli’s thoughts lingered on the disabled employees in Yan Xue’s pilot program, a matter he pondered all the way back to the bureau.
Guo Chang'an was one thing—he’d been injured during logging, and the bureau had assigned him work, but he preferred working under Yan Xue and had transferred accordingly.
What truly concerned Qu Mingli were the other two, especially the young woman who never spoke, clearly hearing-impaired.
Reportedly, she was a family member of a forestry bureau employee. With thousands of such dependents in the town, she was far from the only one in need—yet she was the only fortunate one to receive such support.
Qu Mingli felt the bureau urgently needed more units like Yan Xue’s, willing to employ disabled individuals. But having been in his position for less than a year, he couldn’t simply enact changes at will.
These thoughts weighed on him, casting a shadow over his expression. Director Liu, misreading the situation, assumed his own suspicions were correct.
In high spirits, Director Liu deliberately probed, "So, how’s the fungus yield at Jinchuan Forestry Farm? Doing well?"
Qu Mingli had little patience for those who let personal grudges interfere with work. After witnessing Yan Xue’s competence and kindness, his disdain for Director Liu only deepened.
Yan Xue’s pilot was small, with fewer than five formal employees, yet she managed to support three disabled individuals. What had Director Liu accomplished in his position?
For once, Qu Mingli set aside his usual mild demeanor and replied bluntly, "It’s going very well. I’ve already instructed them to arrange pricing with the county commerce bureau."
He then gestured toward his office door. "Was there anything else, Director Liu?"—making it clear he had no interest in further conversation.
Director Liu, assuming Qu Mingli’s mood stemmed from setbacks, took no offense. "Nothing else. I should get back to work too."
As for the pricing arrangement with the county commerce bureau, Director Liu dismissed it without a second thought.
In this era of planned economies, goods couldn’t enter the market directly—they were subject to state allocation. Resources like timber from forestry farms were directly managed by the state, while other products, such as ginseng from cultivated plots, fell under the commerce bureau’s jurisdiction and required pricing approval before sale.
Since the pilot program belonged to the forestry farm as a subordinate unit, its fungus output couldn’t be treated as a private sideline. It had to go through the commerce bureau first.
As the person in charge and the most socially adept among the formal employees, Yan Xue was the obvious choice for the task. But when she mentioned it at home, Second Old Lady’s gaze immediately dropped to her belly, worry evident.
"It’s fine for me to go," Yan Xue reassured the elderly woman with a smile. "I’m almost five months along—the most stable stage."
But no amount of stability could offset the lack of seating on the bus, not to mention the near-accident last time. The old woman hesitated, holding back her concerns.
Qi Fang, just back from the repair yard and washing up in the courtyard, frowned at the news.
Yet, after a glance at Yan Xue’s slightly rounded face—a change brought on by her pregnancy—he relented. "Go ahead. I’ll go with her."
Without waiting for her refusal, he stepped out and returned shortly, announcing everything was arranged.
Yan Xue assumed he meant matters at the repair yard. But the next day, upon arriving in Chengshui and waiting for the long-distance bus to the county, someone tapped on the window. "Qi Fang! Over here!"
She turned to see a young man in his twenties and assumed Qi Fang had run into an acquaintance.
But the young man, once he had their attention, immediately turned to the bus attendant. "There’s a pregnant woman boarding. I saved her a seat."
It was for her? Yan Xue instinctively looked at Qi Fang, who was already guiding her toward the bus.
Passengers, usually annoyed by seat-saving, held their tongues upon hearing it was for a pregnant woman.
The young man yielded his seat once Qi Fang helped Yan Xue aboard, eyeing her curiously. "This your wife? She looks familiar."
"The lead reciter from last year’s variety show," Qi Fang said, handing him the pre-prepared fare. "Thanks."
The man shoved his own ticket into Qi Fang’s hand. "No big deal. Just teach me more next time you’re around."
Yan Xue added her thanks as the man disembarked, then looked up at Qi Fang standing beside her. "You arranged this yesterday?"
Qi Fang shielded her seat from the aisle traffic with his body. "Mhm. A former colleague from the repair shop."
He explained the man’s identity but not how he’d managed to contact him the day before.
In the county, he’d already scouted the commerce bureau’s location. They alighted at the nearest stop and headed straight there.
As they entered the bureau, someone carrying a large wooden barrel brushed past, nearly bumping into Yan Xue. Qi Fang blocked it with his hand, leaving a red mark on his skin.
His frown deepened. "Can’t you see there’s a pregnant woman here?"
The man acted as if he hadn’t heard, walking on—until Qi Fang yanked his arm. "I said, can’t you see there’s a pregnant woman?"
Forced to stop, the man set down the barrel, irritation in his voice. "If she’s pregnant, why bring her here? Can’t she stay home?"
The misunderstanding wasn’t entirely his fault. Few women held jobs in those days, let alone handled affairs at the commerce bureau. And with Qi Fang carrying the storage basket, it was easy to assume.
But Qi Fang’s expression turned icy. "Since when can’t a pregnant woman handle business? The Chairman himself said women hold up half the sky. Are you saying he was wrong?"
This was still an era where one had to study the leaders' quotations, so the man didn't dare argue and could only back down. "Fine, I wasn’t paying attention earlier, alright?"
It was as much of an apology as the two were going to get. He picked up the wooden barrel from the ground and walked off, muttering under his breath, "So damn fussy."
Qi Fang’s expression remained dark, but Yan Xue grabbed his wrist to check. "Is your hand okay?"
"It’s fine." He withdrew his hand dismissively, then lowered his gaze to ask her, "Are you alright?"
"With you shielding me, how could anything happen? He was still a good distance away from me."
Only then did Qi Fang’s expression soften. He knocked on the nearest office door to ask where they should go for pricing.
Unexpectedly, when they entered, the same man who had been carrying the barrel was there, telling someone, "Ran into some guy earlier who came to handle business—brought a pregnant woman with him."
No sooner had he spoken than Yan Xue walked in, stepping ahead of Qi Fang. With a smile, she asked, "Excuse me, is this where we get pricing done?"
The barrel-carrier froze mid-sentence, and the others in the room shifted uncomfortably. Someone quickly asked, "Which unit are you from?"
"Hello." Yan Xue first pulled out the necessary paperwork from her bag. "I’m from the Jinchuan Forestry Station, under the Chengshui Forestry Bureau."
Her introduction stunned the room. No one had expected her to be the one handling official business, especially since the bureau’s timber wasn’t under their jurisdiction, and it wasn’t yet the season for ginseng.
Local ginseng was typically harvested in mid-September. After digging it up, it had to be washed, dried, and only then brought to the county’s Commerce Bureau for pricing and sale.
Still, the bureau staff took the documents and examined them, their surprise growing. "The Jinchuan Mushroom Cultivation Base?"
"Yes, we’re the newly established mushroom cultivation base under the Chengshui Forestry Bureau this year," Yan Xue explained. "But we’re still in the trial phase, so this is our first time coming for pricing."
That was enough to shock everyone. Cultivated mushrooms? Could mushrooms even be grown artificially?
Initially, only one person had been assigned to assist her, but now the others all turned to look. Someone asked, "You actually succeeded in growing them?"
"We did, otherwise I wouldn’t be here for pricing." Yan Xue smiled and turned to see Qi Fang already unstrapping the basket from his back and placing it beside her.
She pulled out neatly wrapped packages of mushrooms from the basket, handing a large bundle to each person. "These are from this year’s harvest. Feel free to take a look."
Several people immediately opened the packages. The dried mushrooms inside looked even better than what they usually saw in the markets.
This posed a problem. Since cultivated mushrooms had never existed before, no one knew how to price them.
The staff member helping Yan Xue simply asked her directly, "What price did your base set?"
Yan Xue was prepared. She pulled out a pre-written price list. "We planned to set the retail price at 3.60 yuan per jin, wholesale at 3.35."
At the time, the state had strict regulations against profiteering, requiring the difference between retail and wholesale prices to stay within 10%.
Yan Xue explained further, "Wild mushrooms in Chengshui’s small markets sell for 3.80 yuan per jin, probably even higher in the county. First, our trial yield this year isn’t very high. Second, if we set prices too low, it would hurt the income of local foragers."
In those days, no one cared whether something was wild or cultivated—food was food, and cheaper options always won out.
"The collection stations only pay around 3.10 to 3.20, right?" The barrel-carrier who had nearly bumped into Yan Xue earlier chimed in.
Their unit produced beer, priced at just about 0.20 yuan per jin. The entire barrel he’d carried in wasn’t worth as much as Yan Xue’s few packages of mushrooms.
But everyone knew the mushrooms collected by the stations couldn’t match this quality. Usually, only those from remote areas, unable to sell directly in markets, resorted to the stations.
Besides, if her prices were lower than the stations’, why bother coming here at all? She might as well have gone straight to them.
Unable to decide, the group eventually called in the bureau’s leadership to discuss.
Even the Commerce Bureau’s director was baffled. Since when had Chengshui’s forestry stations quietly started cultivating mushrooms?
After much deliberation, considering all factors, they settled on a retail price of 3.50 yuan and a wholesale price of 3.27.
Slightly lower than what Yan Xue had sold for last year, but last year’s volume had been small. With the station’s larger yield this year, higher prices wouldn’t sell well. Besides, Yan Xue’s real target hadn’t been 3.60—she’d thrown it out as a test, and the result was better than expected.
Once the prices were finalized and stamped with the official seal, these trial mushrooms were now officially recognized, free to be sold anywhere without issue.
Before leaving, Yan Xue left all the mushroom packages behind, ensuring everyone in the office—including the director—would get a share.
Outside the Commerce Bureau, she glanced at Qi Fang beside her. "How are we getting back? Don’t tell me you’ve already arranged for seats again?"
Qi Fang checked his watch. "We have time. Let’s eat first, then catch the bus at the starting station."
He really had everything planned. Yan Xue couldn’t help but laugh. "Maybe you should quit being ‘Little Qi the Driver’ and become my ‘Secretary Qi’ instead."
To her surprise, he actually considered it seriously, meeting her eyes as he asked, "For life?"
Clearly remembering their earlier conversation, Yan Xue answered just as seriously, "Not for life, but..." She blinked. "You could be my personal secretary."
The last part was murmured, like a soft brush grazing Qi Fang’s heart.
His gaze darkened instantly. "Do you remember you’re already four months along?"
His eyes were intense, his words even more so, making Yan Xue instinctively cradle her belly—her protective talisman.
Still, holding back for over three months was impressive restraint for a man who insisted on sleeping wrapped around her every night, even if he started the night apart.
Yan Xue put on a stern face. "We’re in public, Little Qi. Behave."
"Not ‘Secretary Qi’?" He switched places with her, guiding her to the inner side of the sidewalk, and repeated her earlier words. "Personal secretary."
But personal secretaries didn’t get personal in public. Yan Xue nearly retorted but thought better of provoking a man who’d been abstinent for three months.
After their meal, they boarded the bus at the starting station and easily secured two seats—until a woman with a child boarded, and Qi Fang gave up his spot, standing all the way back to Chengshui.
Fortunately, it wasn’t the New Year rush, so finding seats on the small train back to the forestry station wasn’t hard. Tall enough to scan the car, Qi Fang quickly spotted two free seats on opposite sides of the aisle.
He settled Yan Xue into one, then turned toward the other—only to lock eyes with a familiar, slightly puffy face.
The person sitting beside Yan Xue had had their back to them until now. As Qi Fang finally got a clear look, he recognized the man’s regular features marred by swollen eyelids: Qi Fang, whom they hadn’t seen in nearly a year.
Qi Fang’s movements halted instantly, the warmth in his peach-blossom eyes cooling into something darker.
Seriously? It's been almost a year—why is this guy popping up again now?
And to make things worse, he’s sitting right next to Yan Xue, while I’m stuck on the other side of the aisle…
Qi Fang: My wife’s already seated—no way she’s moving. Qi Fang, you’re the one who needs to get up!
