On the way back to the town government office, Nan Sheng was still curious—how had the town head suddenly developed such a magnanimous attitude? Before his injury, he had been locked in a fierce rivalry with Secretary Ma.
Du Tang smiled without answering. Before the official transfer order came down, he couldn’t disclose anything to anyone.
By the time the experts arrived at Xiaoling Village to survey the geology, half a month had already passed. Under the prolonged heatwave, the entire Huaishan County had practically turned into a furnace.
The most urgent task for every village now was to water the crops morning and night, hoping to save the last of their harvest. Water sources were rapidly dwindling due to the scorching heat and overuse.
Hosting the experts was supposed to be Xiaoling Village’s responsibility, but Secretary Ma insisted on personally accompanying Peng Clerk and Nan Sheng to meet them.
The heat was unbearable, and Nan Sheng felt utterly drained by the time they arrived.
The expert team consisted of six people. Village Head Lu Guang, a rough-and-tumble man, was so nervous meeting the experts that he didn’t know where to put his hands. In the end, Nan Sheng and Peng Clerk took charge of the reception.
Old He, the lead expert, had other assignments, so the team could only stay in Huaishan Town for a week. However, the drought made their work much harder, and even his students didn’t know where to begin.
The turning point came when a villager brought wild hawthorns and dried plums picked from the mountains.
Old He and his team tasted them, and their eyes lit up—the dried fruits were surprisingly sweet, even without added sugar!
While drought could intensify the sweetness of fruit, even accounting for that, it was clear that Xiaoling Village was exceptionally suited for fruit cultivation.
Old He selected some existing plum and pear trees to preserve and also recommended transplanting apple saplings.
He then led his students up the mountain, dividing the planting areas according to the trees’ needs. He made an agreement with Secretary Ma: once the saplings arrived, he would return to oversee the process personally.
When Xiaoling Village learned that the town leadership was providing them with a way to prosper, everyone was thrilled. They even volunteered to build fences on the mountain.
Nan Sheng advised Village Head Lu that excessive tree-cutting would harm the mountain’s water retention and suggested waiting until after the autumn harvest to prepare the orchard.
Village Head Lu treated her words as gospel and followed them without question.
Zhong Min’s family also benefited, their status in the village rising noticeably. They were even appointed as team leaders, specifically in charge of orchard affairs.
Nan Sheng spent her days following the experts around, and the slight fairness she had managed to regain in her complexion quickly darkened again. When she saw herself in the mirror at home, she felt like the sky was falling!
Her face looked harder to salvage than the crops—like it couldn’t absorb a single drop of water…
That evening, Sizhe made mung bean porridge, and Nan Sheng prepared a side of pickled vegetables. In such sweltering heat, something light and refreshing was just right.
The family had grown accustomed to chatting during meals—otherwise, with Nan Sheng often away, they wouldn’t know what was happening in the village.
"Mom, Uncle Qi brought over rice, flour, and a lot of meat today. He said Uncle Xiao Yi sent him. If he brings more in the future, can I still accept it?"
Nan Sheng covered her face. Since she hadn’t been going to the black market lately, Xiao Yi had taken to sending supplies directly to their home.
At this rate, the stockpile in their cabinets would last them a lifetime.
Sizhe added, "Grandma Zhang next door saw it and asked if we didn’t have enough food at home."
Nan Sheng thought about it and decided the misunderstanding wasn’t so bad after all.
From now on, Little Si could deliver half a bag of rice and flour every month. If anyone asked, they would just say that both Nan Sheng and Lin Han’s salaries were spent on food.
As for where the previous purchases went?
Obviously, they were sent to help her parents’ family!
Sizhe nodded in agreement—this was the way to handle it from now on. His mother really thought of everything.
Lin Xue had been staying at the old family home all this time, and Nan Sheng and the two children hadn’t visited the elderly couple either, keeping to themselves behind closed doors.
It was worth mentioning that she and the children had sent three letters to Lin Han, but there hadn’t been a single reply. He was probably away on a mission.
What Nan Sheng didn’t know was that every trivial detail she wrote about had been seen by Lin Han’s direct superior, Commander Ye.
Back when Lin Han left for his mission, he had promised that if anything changed at home, he would be notified immediately. Any letters from Huaishan Town were to be delivered directly to him.
A few days ago, Commander Ye had even joked with his wife about it, saying Lin Han’s new wife was quite formidable—she had barely been married into the family before convincing her husband to cut ties with his sister’s household.
Speaking of which, those rascals who went for the military drills should be back by now.
Speak of the devil—at that very moment, Lin Han was standing outside Commander Ye’s office, knocking on the door.
"Report!"
"Come in!"
Lin Han hadn’t even had time to wash up after returning. He reported to Commander Ye first, standing tall and firm, showing no signs of injury.
When Commander Ye saw it was Lin Han, his grin stretched wide, and he even stood up to give him a playful punch.
"Good job, kid! You didn’t let me down. Our division wouldn’t have placed in the top three without you!"
Lin Han had performed exceptionally well in the military exercises. Before he even returned, calls had been pouring in from other units trying to poach him—all of which Commander Ye angrily dismissed. This was his soldier, after all!
"Yes, sir!" Lin Han saluted.
One second passed…
Two seconds…
Commander Ye was speechless. Seriously?
Shouldn’t the proper response be something like, "It’s all thanks to your leadership, Commander. I’ll keep working hard!"?
Suppressing his exasperation, he nudged Lin Han along. "Lin Han, don’t you have anything else to say? About your personal achievements, or the team’s performance…?"
The hint couldn’t be more obvious. Lin Han wasn’t completely hopeless, so he delivered a stiff, perfunctory compliment.
"It’s all thanks to your guidance, Commander. I’ll continue striving to lead our team to even greater success!"
Though robotic and forced, Commander Ye still felt a flicker of satisfaction. At least there was progress, right?
He turned and pulled an envelope from his desk drawer, handing it to Lin Han.
"Take a few days to rest after your injury. Since you’ve earned us such a big win, I went ahead and got the family quarters approved for you.
Whenever you’re ready, go back and bring your wife and kids here. That should stop her from stirring up trouble at home!"
Lin Han had just been promoted to battalion commander, so another rank increase wasn’t possible. The rewards had to come in the form of bonuses and living arrangements.
Only officers at the battalion level or higher could apply for family relocation, and with limited housing in the military compound, those without connections could wait three to five years before getting approved.
Thanks to their outstanding performance in the drills, Division Commander had publicly praised Commander Ye during the meeting, which had greatly boosted his reputation. Knowing how much Lin Han cared about his family, Commander Ye pulled some strings and secured him a three-bedroom unit—plenty of space for a family of four.
Hearing this, Lin Han's eyes immediately lit up, his voice brimming with excitement. He had long dreamed of a cozy life with a wife and children by his side.
"Thank you, Commander Ye!"
Though just four words, Commander Ye could clearly sense the joy in Lin Han's heart. It made all the effort worthwhile—persuading the higher-ups to secure housing for him.
After returning to the barracks, Lin Han took a shower first. Bruises covered his bare back, and his left arm still ached, unable to bear much weight. It had been dislocated before and needed a few more days to heal.
Once cleaned up, he eagerly tore open the letter from home.
He needed to know how his family was faring through the drought…
