Are you planning to go to the county office?
Qi Fang glanced at Yan Xue but said nothing.
Yan Xue wore a thoughtful expression, not rushing to answer.
Qu Mingli wasn’t in a hurry either. “No rush. I still have two months before my transfer. You both can take your time to think it over.”
He raised his wine cup and took a small sip. “Even if I’m no longer the top leader at the county office, I’ll still be mainly responsible for several departments. I want to keep promoting the mushroom cultivation project. Guangchengshui is just one town, and there’s still plenty of room to grow.”
Given the current situation, selling outside the province is out of the question for now. But even within the province, the market can’t be fully supplied by just one town like Chengshui.
Qu Mingli was never one to leave things half-done. “But if Yan Xue goes to the county office, he’ll have to start all over again.”
Yan Xue had been managing the forestry farm for over two years and had finally put Jinchuan and the other logging sites on the right track. Qu Mingli worried that Yan Xue might be reluctant to give it all up.
That’s why he asked the two of them to take their time considering the offer. “Honestly, I think it’s a shame for you to stay at the forestry farm. It’s rare to see such talented young people like you.”
“You flatter us,” Yan Xue smiled, then grew serious. “Don’t worry, we’ll think it through carefully.”
These two young men always had their own ideas when it came to work. Qu Mingli didn’t push further and raised his cup toward them.
Yan Xue and Qi Fang raised theirs in return, and the topic was set aside for the moment. Yan Xue then brought up the matter of Director Liu. “I wonder if you’re aware of this.”
“Is he trying to mess with the mushroom cultivation base again?” Qu Mingli frowned, his expression revealing a complicated mix of feelings.
Director Liu had been stirring things up lately, cozying up to people everywhere as if he was about to regain power. Qu Mingli had kept his distance.
He suspected Director Liu was scheming, but didn’t expect him to be so bold as to target the cultivation base. Qu Mingli shook his head. “That old Liu.”
He won’t even make good use of what’s already there, but insists on causing trouble.
Qu Mingli looked at the two young men across the table. “Don’t worry about him. I’ve got other plans for that side of things. You don’t need to get involved.”
This was clearly aimed at Director Liu. Yan Xue and Qi Fang didn’t say anything more.
The rest of the meal was filled with casual conversation. Yan Xue learned that Qu Mingli already had two children, the younger one now in school.
“If it weren’t for your sister-in-law’s job being hard to transfer, I would’ve brought them over. Last time I went home, I almost didn’t recognize myself.”
Qu Mingli also asked about Yan Xue and Qi Fang’s youngest child. Hearing that the little one was already walking, he sighed, “Time really flies.”
The meal ended, and Qi Fang’s face inevitably flushed all the way down to his neck. Qu Mingli couldn’t help but ask, “Is everything okay with you, Qi?”
“It’s nothing. He just gets flushed when he drinks,” Yan Xue said. They’d been married over three years now, and she was used to it.
At first, she used to worry a bit, but then she realized he was a good man. That only made him more confident, so she stopped fussing over it.
Sure enough, as soon as they stepped out of Qu Mingli’s place, Qi Fang seriously grabbed her hand and pressed it against his cheek. “Wife, touch my face. Doesn’t it feel a little warm?”
Not only was he arrogant, but his peach blossom eyes also drooped as he looked at her, the corners tinged with a hint of peach blossom color—simply tempting one to commit a crime.
Yan Xue couldn’t help but lightly tap his face. “We’re still outside; stop pretending to be drunk.”
Qi Fang didn’t mind at all. He brushed the spot she had just tapped with the back of his hand. “Then I’ll get drunk when we get back.” His peach blossom eyes still fixed on her.
She had no idea who was the one with the stubborn mouth like a duck at first, or who was the cold and indifferent one in the beginning.
Yan Xue decided to change the subject. “What do you think about what Secretary Qu mentioned just now?”
“Depends on whether you want to go.” Qi Fang handed the choice directly to Yan Xue.
If Yan Xue didn’t want to go, then she wouldn’t. At worst, she could continue to be seconded whenever there was something to do. After all, it was the same wherever he was.
He said this calmly, clearly without a trace of emotion, so Yan Xue just glanced at him and said, “Then let’s go.”
If she could take one step further, Yan Xue wasn’t about to bind herself to a forest farm, afraid to do anything or unwilling to try.
“But we can’t just leave like this; we need to prepare more first.” She curved her brows and smiled.
The man beside her understood instantly. “Make another proposal for Secretary Qu?”
“Yeah.” Yan Xue didn’t deny it. “Actually, even if Secretary Qu hadn’t mentioned transferring to the county, that proposal should have been submitted in a couple of years anyway.”
She realized that in her previous life, she had been shackled by trivial matters. She actually quite liked working on her career; this life, without any constraints, she just kept wanting to try to do bigger things.
It was like planting a tree—always hoping the tree would grow taller, flourish more under her care, and provide shade for more people.
Yan Xue’s voice was clear, her eyes bright. When she talked about these things, her smile was even more radiant and dazzling than when they first met.
It was as if since she started the pilot project, the original precious pearl had turned into a luminous pearl, shining even in the dark.
Qi Fang watched her and couldn’t help but reach out to stroke her soft hair. “Then let’s do it.”
Though the plan wasn’t finished yet, this young couple returned home only to be immediately shunned by their little bundle of energy because of the faint smell of alcohol on them.
It really was just a little—by the time they took the little train back, several hours had passed, yet the little one still sniffed it out.
He called “Mama” as he ran toward Yan Xue, then immediately wrinkled his little nose and dodged backward. After hiding for a bit, he couldn’t resist coming closer again, only to dodge once more.
Finally, he tugged Yan Xue’s hand and dragged her toward the washbasin rack, pointing at the basin. “Wash.”
This toddler, barely walking, was cleaner than anyone, clearly inheriting his father’s habit of never neglecting personal hygiene even when working in the mountains.
Yan Xue glanced at the man and saw him watching them with a thoughtful expression. “Looks like we can drink a little more tonight.”
He was planning to use the smell of alcohol to drive the little one away so they wouldn’t be disturbed. Yan Xue couldn’t help but laugh.
Before the inoculation of the strains began, Yan Xue finished writing the proposal and personally went to town to hand it over to Qu Mingli.
Since this involved the entire county, it wouldn’t be appropriate for Secretary Lang to discuss it anymore; she had to come in person.
When Qu Mingli received the materials, he was somewhat surprised. “Are you planning to separate the cultivation of the fungal strains and establish an independent unit for it?”
“Yes.” Yan Xue had actually been thinking about this for a while. “The cultivation of the fungal strains and the farming of wood ear mushrooms are two completely different challenges. There’s no need to lump them together.”
The simplest and most efficient method is always an assembly line approach—specialists handling specialized tasks to maximize expertise.
In her previous life, the suppliers for her shop were very clear-cut: those who farmed wood ear mushrooms focused solely on that, while the fungal strains were cultivated by dedicated institutions. The division of labor was clear.
“Last year, I observed other forestry farms and found that, as long as the instructions are clear enough, growing wood ear mushrooms doesn’t require much expertise. Even temporary workers with simple training can manage it. But cultivating fungal strains is a different story—there are many complexities, and you have to select the best from the best.”
Yan Xue flipped to the back of the proposal, where a table was attached. “Here’s a comparison of growth rates and yields for different fungal strains over the past few years. We’ve already reached the fourth generation.”
Over the past two years, the bureau had mostly received expense reports, so they weren’t really aware that the Jinchuan Forestry Farm’s pilot project had come this far. Qu Mingli took a closer look.
The table was very clear. It showed the performance of different fungal strains at various growth stages at a glance. Even if Qu Mingli wasn’t an expert, he could tell the differences.
In the first year’s data, the second-generation strains clearly outperformed the wild strains, both in growth speed and yield. The third generation did reasonably well, but by the fourth generation this year, the growth rate had noticeably slowed, and the strains’ resistance to contaminating fungi had declined somewhat.
“I discussed this with Guo Chang'an,” Yan Xue explained, “and we think it’s similar to crop seeds—there’s some degradation happening. We plan to run the experiment for another year to see how the data changes.”
This was truly a highly technical matter. It required dedicated specialists. Most people could barely manage to cultivate fungal strains, let alone select the best among them.
Separating the fungal strain cultivation means the forestry farm would only be responsible for planting and harvesting, which is much less complicated. Most of the forestry farms involved last year performed very well under this model.
Besides, Yan Xue had only submitted this proposal after Qu Mingli mentioned he was being transferred to the county office. Qu Mingli looked at her and asked, “Did you ever consider setting up the cultivation center in Chengshui?”
“Did you ever consider promoting artificial cultivation of wood ear mushrooms only in Chengshui?” Yan Xue smiled and shot back, instantly making Qu Mingli laugh.
Of course, Qu Mingli had never thought about promoting it only in Chengshui. Even if he didn’t do it, someone else would eventually. It was better for him to take the lead.
To promote it beyond Chengshui, the center had to be at least in the county seat. The county had better transportation, and having it only in Chengshui wouldn’t be much different from setting it up at Jinchuan Forestry Farm.
“You’re such a thinker—I don’t even know if you’re more suited to research or to leadership,” Qu Mingli couldn’t help but say.
“You could always appoint a leader for me,” Yan Xue said seriously, not joking at all. “Secretary Qu, I hope this cultivation center can be pure and focused, so I can dedicate myself fully to the technical work.”
The success of the pilot project at Jin Chuan Forestry Farm owed a great deal to Secretary Lang’s trust in her. Acting Director Ning stayed out of her way, and neither of them interfered recklessly, giving her the greatest freedom to operate.
Qu Mingli understood this well. “I’ll do my best to help you fight for it,” he said. Then he added, “Try to get the people under you transferred over as well.”
Keeping the original team intact made it easier to get things up and running smoothly. And if the county really wanted to send someone in, it would be easier to handle.
After all, Qu Mingli wasn’t the top official at the county level. The cultivation center wasn’t directly under the county either, and with Secretary Lang backing her from above, she had strong support.
Yan Xue nodded in understanding. She and Qu Mingli then discussed some details about the mushroom spore cultivation center before she took her leave.
How Qu Mingli would present the case to the county was his business, but since he had dared to ask her to go, she trusted he could make it happen.
Back at Jin Chuan, Yan Xue immediately began preparing for this year’s mushroom spore inoculation, as well as the shipment of spores to six other forestry farms.
They had already trained last year, so this time there was no need to host visitors from other farms. The spores were simply packed in jars, ready to be shipped out by horse-drawn carts or small trains.
Just looking at the quantity made the forestry workers gape in amazement. The profits must be huge—Jin Chuan had truly lifted all the forestry farms in Chengshui.
Now, whenever they went out and mentioned they were from Jin Chuan Forestry Farm, people were eager to ask about the pilot project and about Technician Yan. It was quite a source of pride.
The only surprise was that just as the spores were being inoculated, Director Liu suddenly showed up from town, saying he came to inspect the work.
It was unexpected—this pilot project had been going strong for two years, yet it was his first visit, and he came alone.
Yan Xue could tell from his demeanor that he wasn’t really here to inspect or get involved. Instead, he offered words of encouragement to everyone, especially Guo Chang’an.
However, he seemed oblivious to Guo Chang’an’s discomfort. He extended his right hand, but when Guo raised his hand, it became clear something was wrong, leaving Director Liu a bit embarrassed.
Later, Guo Chang’an told Yan Xue, “He asked me if I knew how to cultivate the spores. I said not really, and he encouraged me to work hard and learn more skills.”
“He asked me too,” Zhou Wenhui said. “He was trying to find out how much money we made last year and mentioned I’m about to get a permanent position.”
“Director Liu mentioned the permanent position to you as well?” Lang Yue’e was surprised. Apparently, he had said the same to her just now.
There had been no permanent positions available for the pilot project these past two years, mainly because the forestry farm didn’t have any. But since they operated on a self-sustaining basis, whether they got permanent status or not didn’t make much difference.
The biggest difference was that if the pilot project were to shut down, permanent staff would be reassigned by the bureau, while temporary workers wouldn’t. But the pilot was doing so well—why worry?
Director Liu suddenly promising so much was unusual. Everyone couldn’t help but glance at Yan Xue, who just smiled and said, “It’s nothing.”
Seeing their lingering doubts, she added softly, “Secretary Qu and I anticipated this long ago. Secretary Qu has already made arrangements.”
Everyone kept their thoughts to themselves—after all, the pilot project was Yan Xue’s hard work, and no one wanted to see it disrupted.
Before long, the fungal strains were fully inoculated. By the end of the month, all the newly inoculated logs were moved to the mushroom yard for incubation, filling up the last available space there.
From then on, as long as they cleared out the logs that had been fully colonized and completely rotted after three years and replanted new ones, the pilot site could maintain its maximum wood ear mushroom yield year after year.
It was around this time that Qu Mingli’s transfer order hadn’t come through yet, but two other orders had already arrived. The first was transferring Qi Fang to the county machinery factory.
Qi Fang hadn’t stayed long at the small repair shop—everyone at Jinchuan Forest Farm knew that—but everyone had assumed he’d be transferred to the town’s repair shop. No one expected it would be the county machinery factory.
This was quite a leap. When the news broke, everyone was stunned. Judging by the tone of the transfer order, he was going there as an engineer.
Although engineers at the county machinery factory were sometimes still called “Master,” like Master Hong, who was called that before he was promoted to engineer, the “masters” at the county machinery factory were quite different from those at the town repair shop.
The town repair shop didn’t have the capability for independent development and didn’t even have an engineer position.
Little Master Qi really made it big—he was even becoming an engineer now…
No, no, from now on we can’t call him Little Master Qi anymore; he has to be Engineer Qi.
No matter the rank of the engineer, everyone at the forest farm knew that just being an engineer was impressive, and for Qi Fang to be directly assigned to the county as an engineer was downright remarkable.
However, the other transfer order unsettled everyone: the county was planning to establish a dedicated cultivation center for wood ear mushroom strains and wanted to transfer Technician Yan Xue there.
The Jinchuan Forest Farm couldn’t do without Technician Yan. If Yan Xue left, what would happen to the pilot project? What about the livelihoods of so many people?
That very day, some employees paced anxiously outside the office, waiting for Yan Xue to come to work, hoping to ask her not to leave.
Others sought out Lang Yue’e, Guo Chang'an, and Zhou Wenhui. Some even approached Secretary Lang’s wife, pleading with her to ensure Yan Xue stayed.
When the news spread, even Lang Yue’e and Guo Chang'an’s expressions grew serious, though they kept it to themselves.
Yan Xue understood the situation clearly and immediately called a meeting with a few key people.
“Secretary Qu’s intention is that I can take the original team with me. Is anyone willing to come with me to the county?”
Everyone was a bit surprised. Zhou Wenhui even asked outright, “Can Yue’e and I come along too?”
Yan Xue and Guo Chang'an were official staff members, while Zhou Wenhui and Lang Yue’e were not. Unexpectedly, Yan Xue nodded, “Yes, all of you can come.”
But she also made it clear, “The county will assign other staff to manage the cultivation center. I’ll only be the deputy there, so many things might not be as convenient as here.”
After all, setting up the cultivation center required investment. Yan Xue was still a newcomer in the county, so the county government wouldn’t hand over full responsibility to her.
Guo Chang'an had been silent until now, but hearing Yan Xue’s words, he spoke firmly, “I’ll go with you.”
Lang Yue'e glanced at Guo Chang'an but didn’t rush to respond. Instead, she turned to Yan Xue and asked, “When do you think you’ll be leaving?”
“Probably not so soon,” Yan Xue replied. “This year is mainly about selecting the site and building the cultivation center so it can be operational next year.”
“Then we can’t leave until the mushroom harvest here is finished,” Lang Yue'e mused. “That means at least one person has to stay behind to oversee the pilot project.”
The four of them were the core members. If they all left at once, who would be responsible for the pilot here? It was impossible to entrust it temporarily to someone else without feeling uneasy.
Yan Xue nodded. “We do need someone to stay, at least to train a reliable person to take over the pilot. Only then can the rest of us be reassigned.”
“Then maybe I should stay?” Zhou Wenhui hesitated before speaking up. “I’m married, and you, Yue’e, aren’t. It’s easier for me to stay here.”
It was indeed a matter worth considering, but Yan Xue clearly saw that Zhou’s eyes dropped when she said this.
This young woman had actually worked very hard these past two years—serious about her job, meticulous with the accounts, and diligent with other tasks. She was the type who couldn’t sit still.
The Liu family treated her well from the start. Seeing her abilities, they showed not just appreciation but also respect, which boosted her confidence even more.
So when she heard about the chance to be transferred to the county, her eyes lit up for a moment—but for various reasons, they dimmed again just as quickly.
“You should go back and talk it over with Weiguo,” Yan Xue said gently. “This is only a temporary arrangement. If possible, I hope all of you can come and continue to help me.”
If you have an idea, you have to try to fight for it. What if it works? You can’t just give up without trying.
After speaking, she looked at the others. “Everyone should think it over. There’s still time. Just give me your final answer before I leave. The county plans to keep promoting artificial mushroom cultivation. Our pilot will eventually fall short of demand.”
The location of Jinchuan Forest Farm determined that it could only serve as an early-stage base. Once the project expands beyond Chengshui, all the early conveniences would turn into inconveniences.
Yan Xue gave everyone plenty of time to consider. There was one person she especially hoped to take with her—and one she hoped would be willing to go.
When the meeting ended, she grabbed paper and pen and went to the back yard mushroom farm to find Gao Daidi, who was diligently watering the mushroom logs.
The core members would decide according to their own wishes. Xu Wanchang, who had mobility issues and a family with children, preferred to stay at the familiar pilot site. Yan Xue only worried about Gao Daidi.
It wasn’t that she was pushing her too hard. This girl had already been adopted by her family. Once the others left, who knew if the new person in charge could keep her in line, or if they’d be willing to help manage her?
At Jinchuan Forest Farm, Yan Xue was methodically making arrangements. Not long after, the office released clear news: Technician Yan would not be leaving in a hurry.
Even if she did leave, she would make sure someone stayed behind to continue overseeing the pilot work here, ensuring its smooth operation. Everyone could rest assured.
The key was to ensure the pilot program ran smoothly. Once everyone heard the pilot could continue and their jobs were secure, their reluctance to let go of Yan Xue eased—though they still felt a twinge of sadness.
Yan Xue wasn’t just any technician; she had been featured in the provincial newspaper. If she left, they’d lose a big talking point, and the Jin Chuan Forestry Farm would no longer hold the status it once did.
More than one person had this concern in mind. Director Liu was even using it to persuade Secretary Lang to do whatever it took to keep her.
But how could they not persuade? It was practically in their hands now, yet Qu Mingli shamelessly transferred everyone away.
Not only that, he set up some kind of mushroom spore cultivation center in the county. From then on, all spores would be cultivated there.
If they wanted to grow mushrooms, they’d have to buy spores from that place. How could they still control the bases below? The lifeline was all in Qu Mingli’s hands.
And it was obvious Qu Mingli did this on purpose—while his own transfer order hadn’t come through yet and he still had authority, he moved the people first, so that once he left, no one would be released.
Just thinking about it made Director Liu’s liver ache with anger. When he spoke to Secretary Lang, his words were especially heartfelt: “Look at what he’s done! Your forestry farm is just getting started, and he’s pulling people away, not even letting you cultivate spores yourselves, forcing you to buy from him.”
He stormed into Secretary Lang’s office, pounding the table in frustration. “I’ve been at the bureau for so many years and never seen someone so shameless—he’s a real piece of work!”
It was clear he was genuinely furious. Previously, he’d only undermined Qu Mingli behind his back or found excuses to oppose him. This was the first time he’d openly cursed him without restraint.
But Secretary Lang barely reacted, which only made Director Liu angrier. “You’ve helped him plenty these past two years, haven’t you? Qi Fang uses him whenever he wants, and if he wants all the forestry farms to grow mushrooms, then all of them must. How has he treated you in return?”
Director Liu looked heartbroken. “He’s dug out your foundation. How are you supposed to carry on with your work now?” In reality, it was as if he himself had been left rootless.
Still, Secretary Lang remained resigned. “The transfer order’s already out. What can I do? If Secretary Qu tells them to go, then they go.”
This drove Director Liu up the wall. Back at his office, he scolded Secretary Lang again, calling him hopeless and saying he’d be dealt with sooner or later.
Days passed anxiously, until Qu Mingli’s transfer order was officially confirmed and the personnel reshuffling at the bureau was settled. Only then did Director Liu understand why Secretary Lang hadn’t been anxious or angry at all.
Qu Mingli, that black-hearted schemer, had somehow gotten cozy with the bureau’s deputy director, who was then promoted to secretary, while Lang Zhongting was promoted to deputy director.
Meanwhile, Secretary Lang had endured humiliation under Qu Mingli for three years, only to find that when the dust settled, he was still stuck as second-in-command…
Director Liu: Today, I have to steal the spotlight from the male lead—I’m just too miserable, sob sob!
