C16 Juicy Sweet Peach

Gazing into Lee Xiaona's innocent eyes, Shen Yong felt an overwhelming urge to sweep her off her feet.

At a loss for words in response to her question, Shen Yong chose to remain silent.

To distract himself, he shut his eyes, avoiding the sight of Lee Xiaona's eyes, which so resembled Su Yaner's. He crossed his arms over his Dantian and silently recited the Seven-star Qi Refining Spell, entering a state of semi-meditation to calm his inner turmoil.

It was this that finally quelled the agitation in his heart.

Noticing Shen Yong's silence, Lee Xiaona seemed to recognize her own impulsiveness and stopped pressing the issue, instead steering the conversation elsewhere.

Throughout the night, it was Lee Xiaona who chattered away, with Shen Yong offering only half-hearted responses.

At some point, they both drifted off to sleep, embracing each other as they visited the realm of dreams.

In his dream, Shen Yong was once again with Su Yaner, lying close in his arms, their bond as tight as ever.

"Hehehehe!"

The rooster's crowing at the break of dawn startled Shen Yong awake.

He felt something warm and soft pressing down on him.

Opening his eyes, he found Lee Xiaona sprawled on top of him, their faces just inches apart.

"Xiaona! Get up, quick!"

Shen Yong urged her, gently pushing her aside.

Lee Xiaona ran her fingers through her hair and blinked her groggy eyes open, asking, "Mr. Shen Yong! What time is it?"

"The sun's up! You should head home before your dad finds out—he won't be happy," Shen Yong advised.

"What? It's morning already? Oh no! How did I end up sleeping in your arms all night?"

In a panic, Lee Xiaona checked herself to ensure Shen Yong hadn't taken advantage of her.

Finding her nightgown and safety shorts still properly in place, she breathed a sigh of relief, realizing they had simply shared a platonic sleepover like in their childhood days. "Thank goodness nothing happened! I'd never forgive you otherwise!"

"I'm not that kind of guy," Shen Yong replied with a frown. "It's still early. You should get home now."

"Mm! Okay then!"

Lee Xiaona sprang up from the bed, using her hand as an impromptu comb to straighten her long hair. She tugged her nightgown down from under her arms and bit her lower lip. "Mr. Shen Yong, you're so cool to the touch. It's really comfortable to cuddle with you in the summer! But come winter, that won't be so pleasant!"

With that, she slipped into her adorable slippers and tiptoed away.

Shen Yong remained seated on the bed, lost in thought for a moment before recalling the ten peach trees on the mountain that had been treated with Early Ripened Spiritual Liquid.

He washed his face and headed up the mountain.

The sight that greeted Shen Yong on the mountain was beyond his wildest expectations.

The peaches on those ten trees had undergone a complete transformation overnight.

What were mere tennis ball-sized, green-skinned peaches the day before had grown large and round, their colors vivid, bejeweled with dewdrops of the early morning, looking irresistibly succulent.

The mere sight of them was enough to make one's mouth water.

Without hesitation, Shen Yong picked one and took a bite.

The texture, the flavor, it was out of this world!

Sweeter than honey, fresher than any seafood!

"Whoosh—! This is unbelievably tasty!"

Shen Yong slurped the juice, exclaiming with a leap, "Incredible! This is damn incredible! Today, these will take the Cloud River County fruit market by storm! With their abundant juice and sweetness, I'll name them Juicy Sweet Peaches!"

Nothing lifts the spirits quite like good fortune!

Shen Yong harvested two more Juicy Sweet Peaches and raced back home, eager to share the news with Shen Wanshan and Xie Yun, and to have them sample the peaches. They too couldn't stop singing their praises.

Naturally, Shen Yong insisted that the Early Ripened Spiritual Liquid was a military secret formula, not to be disclosed.

Shen Wanshan and Xie Yun agreed, committed to keeping the secret.

Yet, the journey from Mountain Peach Village to the nearest county, Cloud River, spanned a challenging 50 to 60 miles of mountainous terrain.

Despite the calendar showing the 2000s, Mountain Peach Village, nestled deep within the mountains and cut off from the world, was only just catching up to the living standards of the 1990s.

Mountain Peach Village had seen its share of poverty alleviation workers, but with such poor infrastructure, their efforts were often in vain.

The swiftest means of travel in the village was the oxcart, though only a select few families owned one.

Shen Yong's family used to have an oxcart, but after a recent family crisis, his mother, Xie Yun, sold the oxen in a tough decision.

"Dad! Mom! You go ahead and pick the peaches. I'll head over to Uncle Kun's place to borrow their cart!" Shen Yong called out as he left the house, adding, "Just focus on picking those Juicy Sweet Peaches! I'll haul them down the mountain when I return. Please, don't try to carry them down yourselves!"

Shen Wanshan and Xie Yun nodded in agreement, their smiles beaming with pride at their son's thoughtfulness.

Upon arriving at Lee Kun's home, Shen Yong found Lee Kun and Lee Xiaona having breakfast in the kitchen, the door ajar.

They chatted and ate, oblivious to Shen Yong's presence.

He was about to speak up when he overheard Lee Kun mention his name, so he paused to listen.

"Xiaona, you're not getting any younger. I've told you what needs to be said. From now on, keep your distance from Shen Yong. Better to avoid him altogether—you never know if his foolishness might resurface," Lee Kun advised, spearing a wild vegetable with his chopsticks.

"Understood! If I run into Mr. Shen Yong in the village, I'll stay out of sight. Happy now?" Lee Xiaona responded.

"Ah, you're still not getting it, are you? I'm not telling you to avoid Shen Yong. You've graduated from college; you should be looking for a job in the big city. Why come back to this godforsaken place? I don't expect you to land some high-flying job. What's crucial is finding a boyfriend who has a big city registration, owns a house and a car, and has a stable career. Marry him, and you'll have made it," Lee Kun explained with a mix of frustration and hope.

Lee Kun spoke up.

"Dad, are you trying to kick me out?"

Lee Xiaona slammed her chopsticks down, her voice heated with frustration. "Dad! I can follow your advice on anything but this! I didn't go to college just to end up marrying some city slicker! I went to find ways to enrich our village! If I can successfully cultivate my hybrid medicinal herbs, they could lift our village out of poverty and help us achieve a decent standard of living!"

"You and your ideas!" Lee Kun retorted. "Have all those books made you lose your common sense? I know our village's situation far better than you do! And what's this about growing hybrid medicinal herbs? You think it's as simple as hybrid rice? Give it up! If it were feasible, others would have done it by now. Why would it be left up to you?"

Pulling an envelope from his pocket, he placed it on the table with a sense of finality. "This is all the money I have left. Take it and go find a job in the city today! No more dawdling at home!"

"I'm not going anywhere!"

Tears brimming in her eyes, Lee Xiaona leaped up from her stool and spun around to dash out of the kitchen.

But she collided with Shen Yong, who was unexpectedly standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Shen Yong! What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

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