Chapter 41

The old village committee's gatehouse had already been built, and the walls had been reinforced. Although it wasn't as solid as a fortress, it was not easy to climb over from the outside.

Even so, Wang Xiaoqiang still stood guard over the corn, and Liu Juyi continued to bring him meals tirelessly, which had almost become the only joy in her life.

The season had already turned to late summer, and the weather was gradually getting colder. The evening dress that Wang Xiaoqiang had bought for Liu Juyi was just right to wear, but the dress was so elegant and grand that Liu Juyi had never dared to put it on.

This made Wang Xiaoqiang regretful, but since she was his sister-in-law, he felt awkward about advising her. One evening, Liu Juyi arrived later than usual, delivering the meal when it was already dark, which made Wang Xiaoqiang very worried about her. However, Wang Xiaoqiang soon noticed that Liu Juyi had put on the evening dress and the crystal sandals. Evening dresses are naturally more beautiful when worn at night. Under the light, Wang Xiaoqiang found that Liu Juyi looked even more dignified and beautiful in this outfit, with her slender waist accentuated, her two white, delicate arms, and a pair of lively, tender legs. She looked charming but not vulgar, beautiful but not seductive, which made Wang Xiaoqiang unable to take his eyes off her.

Liu Juyi was not only beautiful but also a good cook. Tonight, she made three-ingredient dumplings. Wang Xiaoqiang praised them while eating, and Liu Juyi, as usual, watched him devour the food, listened to his compliments, and smiled happily.

The small room was filled with a peaceful and warm atmosphere.

Since the last time they went to the city, Wang Xiaoqiang had become much more relaxed in front of Liu Juyi. He not only dared to look at her directly but also secretly observed her. His eyes often lingered on her prominent areas.

Liu Juyi noticed but only smiled without saying anything.

Women are meant to be appreciated, and no woman wants to admire herself alone.

After finishing the dumplings, Wang Xiaoqiang looked at his sister-in-law, who was clearing the table, and encouraged her, "Tsk, tsk, this dress really suits you. You should wear it every day..."

"Alright, stop being silly!" Liu Juyi glanced at Wang Xiaoqiang coquettishly and said, "You spent three thousand yuan on this dress. If I don't wear it, it would be a waste..."

"Big Sister, when I make a lot of money, I'll go to the provincial capital to buy you clothes... hehe..." Wang Xiaoqiang wiped his mouth.

Liu Juyi felt a surge of sweetness in her heart, but a Mona Lisa-like smile appeared on her lips as she said softly, "Xiaoqiang, I heard that your brother is contracting projects in Guangzhou..."

Wang Xiaoqiang felt a wave of shame, ashamed for his brother. Liu Juyi's words were clear: her husband still hadn't called her. Wang Xiaoqiang didn't know how to respond, but then his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was his brother.

Wang Xiaoqiang subconsciously glanced at Liu Juyi and then answered the call. He never treated his sister-in-law as an outsider, so he didn't hide anything from her.

"Hey, Brother... What's up?" Wang Xiaoqiang's voice was tinged with indignation, thinking to himself, "At least call your wife."

"Xiaoqiang, what are you doing now?" Wang Dali's voice was very different from before, sounding quite arrogant.

"Uh, just finished eating."

"I mean, what are you doing at home now?" Wang Dali's tone was somewhat condescending.

"Managing the contracted land," Wang Xiaoqiang replied coldly.

"Tsk, you bookworm, you know nothing about farming. How can you manage the land?" Wang Dali's voice was full of disdain and contempt.

"Brother, stop worrying about me and care more about your wife. How long has it been since you last called her?" Wang Xiaoqiang said indignantly.

As he spoke, Wang Xiaoqiang subconsciously glanced at Liu Juyi, who looked pale and resentful.

"Tsk, mind your own business." Wang Dali's voice was impatient. "I'm asking, how are Mom and Dad?"

"They're fine!" Wang Xiaoqiang's tone softened, thinking that at least his brother still showed some filial piety.

"Uh, that's good..." Wang Dali said confidently. "By the way, I'm contracting projects in Guangzhou now. If you want to come out and work, come find me. You can help me supervise the work and manage the accounts. It won't be too tiring for you."

"I'm not going," Wang Xiaoqiang said decisively but then added earnestly, "Brother, you should call your wife more often..."

Before Wang Xiaoqiang could finish, Wang Dali had already hung up. Wang Xiaoqiang threw his phone on the bed, feeling guilty as he looked at Liu Juyi.

"Big Sister, are you okay?" Wang Xiaoqiang asked, seeing that Liu Juyi was looking down, her expression dazed and her face pale.

"I'm fine," Liu Juyi looked up and forced a smile. "Xiaoqiang, you rest. I'm going back."

"I'll see you off," Wang Xiaoqiang said firmly.

"No need, Xiaoqiang. It's not that dark, and there's a moon," Liu Juyi said.

"That won't do. What if you encounter a bad person? I must see you off," Wang Xiaoqiang said without hesitation.

Liu Juyi felt a lump in her throat and didn't refuse. She walked ahead, and Wang Xiaoqiang followed, wanting to comfort her but not knowing how to start. Under the soft moonlight, Liu Juyi in her evening dress looked ethereal. Halfway through the walk, Wang Xiaoqiang stopped and said, "Big Sister, do you find it boring at home?"

Liu Juyi also stopped, unsure what Wang Xiaoqiang was going to say. She looked at him in surprise and shook her head.

"If you find it boring, you can go to my brother's place..." Wang Xiaoqiang hesitated, feeling that his words were too abrupt. This wasn't his business, but he really felt that his sister-in-law was too lonely. Other couples lived together, but his brother and sister-in-law were separated and had no contact for a long time.

Liu Juyi shook her head sadly, "Xiaoqiang, can't you see? My relationship with your brother is over."

Liu Juyi's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Wang Xiaoqiang, making him feel icy cold. If it was true, not only would Liu Juyi be unable to accept it, but he himself couldn't either. The impact on her would be too great.

"Big Sister, it's not that bad. Couples often have disagreements..."

"Xiaoqiang, don't mention this again," Liu Juyi said. "You are in the prime of your career. I don't want you to be distracted by our problems... Xiaoqiang, remember, your happiness is my happiness."

Wang Xiaoqiang's heart trembled at her words, and he stared at Liu Juyi. She lowered her head and ran home.

Wang Xiaoqiang followed her, feeling lost.

After a severe drought, there must be a flood, as farmers often say. This year, the saying came true. After the yuzhu (Chinese yam) seedlings emerged, a rare heavy rain fell, pouring down continuously with no sign of stopping.

Droughted fields could be irrigated, but if they were flooded, there was nothing that could be done. Yuzhu (Chinese yam) doesn't need much water, and if it was flooded, it could either affect the growth of the seedlings or even drown them.

After three days of rain, the sky finally cleared slightly. The three days of rain had filled the fields with water, and everyone went out to drain the fields. The fields near the eighteen-mile river were easier to drain, but Wang Xiaoqiang's forty acres were far from the river, making drainage very difficult.

In everyone's eyes, Wang Xiaoqiang's forty acres of yuzhu (Chinese yam) were completely ruined. This day, when Wang Xiaoqiang went to check the fields, everyone he met said something sarcastic:

"Xiaoqiang, going to drain the fields? No rush, the yams haven't had enough to drink yet..."

"Tsk, I'm not in a hurry," Wang Xiaoqiang said, deliberately slowing down his pace.

"Xiaoqiang, I heard it's going to rain again in a few days, and it will be a rare heavy rain... I'm glad I only contracted ten acres this season... hehe..." Huang Chunsheng, who was draining the fields, saw Wang Xiaoqiang and laughed smugly.

"Let it rain as much as it wants, it won't affect my wealth and prosperity!" Wang Xiaoqiang said calmly.

Wang Xiaoqiang walked to the edge of his yuzhu (Chinese yam) field and looked out. The field was a vast expanse of water, with the yam seedlings completely submerged. Seeing this, Wang Xiaoqiang felt very anxious and his mind raced, thinking of solutions.

"Metal overcomes wood, wood overcomes earth, earth overcomes water... earth overcomes water, got it!" Wang Xiaoqiang muttered to himself, crouching by the edge of the field. He extended his right hand and inserted it into the water, and five streams of earth-colored spiritual energy flowed from his fingertips into the water, spreading rapidly and covering the forty acres of the field in an instant, forming a layer of earth-colored film in the water, which absorbed the rainwater like a sponge.

In about five minutes, the water in the field, which was ankle-deep, was completely absorbed into the earth-colored film, which then spread evenly on the ground, like a thin layer of fertilizer.

This was the state of earth-type spiritual energy after absorbing water, now presented as fertilizer, which was a hundred times more effective than ordinary fertilizer. It not only contained what plants needed but also concentrated water elements, which would release automatically to irrigate the yams during drought.

Of course, this earth-colored film was formed by earth-type spiritual energy, and only Wang Xiaoqiang could see it.

Removing the water hazard, having "fertilizer," and having water, this was a triple benefit!

Seeing the scene before him, Wang Xiaoqiang smiled happily. At this moment, he suddenly felt very tired, and with the spread of fatigue, an unprecedented hunger and thirst overwhelmed him.