Chapter 72

Half Mountain Village was bustling for a while but finally settled down. The two hot springs and the surrounding mountains blocked the cold northwestern wind. As the hot springs flowed continuously, the valley where Half Mountain Village was located remained warm like spring. The daytime temperature was around ten degrees Celsius and was still rising. Even at the coldest time of night, the temperature remained above five degrees. Grass could be seen sprouting everywhere in the village, and the poplar and willow trees, which had withered, began to bud.

The villagers started preparing to plant fresh vegetables in their courtyards. Being able to grow vegetables in the dead of winter without a greenhouse was a great joy for everyone. A greenhouse costs tens of thousands of yuan, and not everyone had the courage and resources like Wang Yong. Now, they could try planting a little in their courtyards. If it really grew, the family could earn about ten thousand yuan just from growing vegetables this winter. After all, every household had a small plot of land, at least an acre or so. If they planted vegetables on all of it, they could catch the high prices during the Spring Festival.

Early in the morning, Wang Yong went up the mountain to take a look. Since there was a hot spring on his family's mountain, the orchard was close by, and many fruit trees had started to bud and grow again. Wang Yong yawned; he had chatted with Yuan Yuan until midnight. If his godmother hadn't come in to remind him that the light was still on, they wouldn't have known when to stop. After not seeing each other for over ten days, they both felt like it had been a long time. They couldn't wait to be by each other's side and share their feelings.

The area around the hot spring on the mountain was shrouded in white mist, with a temperature of about fifteen to sixteen degrees Celsius. The grass was green, and wildflowers dotted the landscape. Many birds strolled on the grass, looking for food, leisurely and carefree. Grasshoppers jumping out of the grass attracted the attention of some hungry birds. Suddenly, a gray shadow darted down from the sky, grabbing a sparrow that was looking for insects. It was a sparrow hawk, small in size but quite fierce.

This little guy was about the size of a pigeon and specialized in eating small birds like sparrows. Sometimes, when it was very hungry, it would even attack larger birds like magpies and finches. Wang Yong had once caught one and tied it to a rope to play with Wang Han. However, as soon as Wang Han got close, it scratched his hand, leaving several bloody marks. This guy had a hawk's temperament, wild and unruly.

Wang Yong walked around the mountain, but there was nothing unusual. The farm was being watched by a restless aunt and uncle. Wang Yong had already agreed with the villagers to use the seeds from the greenhouses for planting. In the future, he would provide seeds to the villagers, which would be a benefit for the people of Half Mountain Village. Don't underestimate this; the super vegetables from Half Mountain Village were already famous in Beijing, and they were in high demand.

However, Wang Yong wasn't sure if the seeds would still grow into super vegetables without the spiritual spring water. But he was certain that outside of Half Mountain Village, even with the seeds, they wouldn't grow into super vegetables. This was proven by the fat guy a few days ago. Since Xiao Qiao's pregnancy had made her appetite very poor, she couldn't eat anything. After eating the vegetables from Wang Yong, her appetite improved significantly, much to the delight of the fat guy and Xiao Qiao's family. So, the fat guy built a small greenhouse in his parents' yard and got many seeds from Wang Yong. To make his wife eat the super vegetables as soon as possible, he dug up half of Wang Yong's leeks and planted them in his greenhouse. The first batch was good, but the second batch was no different from ordinary leeks. From then on, Wang Yong understood that without the spiritual spring water, it was impossible to grow super vegetables.

Just as he got home and greeted his godmother, Wang Yong's phone rang. Wang Qian? What could this girl want now?

"Hello! Wang Qian? Missing your brother?"

"Missing your head! You're in big trouble!"

"Hey! Don't scare me, your brother has been timid since childhood!"

"Oh, stop it. Check the internet quickly. Your super vegetables are all over the web. Search for 'super vegetables,' and you'll see." Hearing Wang Qian's urgent tone, Wang Yong had a bad feeling.

He hung up and rushed to his brother Wang Liang's room. He turned on the computer and searched for "super vegetables" as Wang Qian suggested. Immediately, a series of information appeared. Wang Yong clicked on one randomly.

"Photos and truth, I personally tasted the super vegetables." The author of this post went to a hotel in Beijing with some friends yesterday. The waiter recommended their specialty dish, which was made from super vegetables. They claimed that eating these vegetables regularly could extend one's lifespan. We were stunned when we heard the price. To be honest, I have some capital and occasionally go to Tan Family Cuisine in Beijing. But even with my wealth, the price of these super vegetables made me tremble! Eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan per serving! My goodness, are these vegetables for immortals? The waiter made it sound so magical that we decided to try it. Damn! The taste was the best I've ever had in my life. Unfortunately, the portion was too small, and it was gone in one bite per person!

This was a post by a rich second generation, and it wasn't unusual. Most of the comments were curses, but later, they turned into skepticism and ridicule about the super vegetables.

Netizen Engineer said: "I've heard that someone has grown a magical vegetable containing an unknown substance. This substance can increase cell activity and accelerate cell division and reproduction. In this sense, it can indeed extend one's lifespan."

Netizen Cat Who Loves Vegetables: "Are you serious? There's such a thing?"

Netizen Supreme Being 3: "What the engineer said is true. I've heard this before. It's said that the Chinese Academy of Sciences tested it, and when the results came out, the scientists wanted to report it to the central government and keep it secret. Unfortunately, some powerful second generations found out. They were about to seize it by force, but the grower had even stronger backing, so they had to back off."

Netizen Baby Loves Fish: "How do you know so much?"

Netizen Supreme Being 3: "I heard it from a friend of a second generation. Exclusive revelation: The grower is a powerful university graduate who returned to his hometown to become a farmer."

Netizen Beauty: "No way! Such a powerful second generation? With such a strong background, why not become an official and go to the countryside to be a farmer?"

Hotel Waiter: "Exclusive disclosure: The super vegetables come from a small village in Port City. I don't know the exact location, but I know the vegetables were brought by a chef from the hotel. The chef's name is Gao Wei."

Netizen Baby Loves Fish: "Is this true?"

Hotel Waiter: "Absolutely true!"

Netizen Supreme Being 3: "Brothers and sisters, let's find Gao Wei and the small village to eat the longevity vegetables!"

Netizen Baby Loves Fish: "Support the above!"

Netizen Beauty: "Follow up!"

Wang Yong knew he couldn't avoid it. The power of netizens was even more formidable than the CIA!

"Hello? Wang Yong, it's Yuan Yuan." Yuan Yuan's sweet and gentle voice calmed Wang Yong's anxious heart.

"Yuan Yuan, it's me. Did you see the news online?"

"Yes! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, at least for now. Who knows what will happen later?"

"Hehe, you're famous now! How great! Some people want to be famous but can't be."

"I'd rather not be famous. Haven't you heard the saying, 'People fear fame, pigs fear fat'? Being famous isn't a good thing for us ordinary people."

"Are you still an ordinary person? You drive a car worth millions, have a wealthy godmother, and a powerful uncle. Are you still an ordinary person?"

Wang Yong was stunned. He was no longer the unsuccessful college graduate from the countryside. He had a magical artifact and an alien high-tech brain, wealth, and power. What was there to fear? Why couldn't he shake off the mindset of a small farmer? Damn it, what was there to fear? If they provoked him, he could buy an alien warship through Little Light and destroy them! With this thought, Wang Yong finally calmed down. No matter what happened, he would remain steadfast.

The next day, many outsiders started to arrive in Half Mountain Village. There were tourists, journalists, hotel buyers, and wealthy people who wanted to buy super vegetables... All kinds of people with various purposes flooded into Half Mountain Village like a tide.

Wang Yong had already informed his uncle and held a village meeting to explain the situation. So, the villagers were not surprised by the arrival of these people. They went about their business as usual. All the vehicles were prohibited from entering Half Mountain Village and had to park in a specially prepared parking lot outside the village. Most people knew about Wang Yong's background and cooperated by parking their cars in the designated area and walking into the village.

As soon as they passed the mountain pass and entered Half Mountain Village, everyone was amazed by the scene. The village was surrounded by mountains and enveloped in a thin mist, like a fairyland. Outside, the cold wind was howling, but as soon as they entered the village, they felt a warm breeze.

The temperature was at least ten degrees higher, or even more, than outside. Unlike the barren and desolate landscape outside, the village was lush and green. The grass, trees, and vegetables were all green. In the cold winter of the north, the villagers of Half Mountain Village were growing various green vegetables in their courtyards without greenhouses. This was indeed a magical village, no wonder it could grow super vegetables with special substances.

At the village entrance, the group was greeted by Yang Haifeng from the Youth Travel Agency. Wang Yong had called him the day before to explain the situation and ask for his help in handling the influx of tourists. By the afternoon, Yang Haifeng had brought almost all his employees to Half Mountain Village. After discussion, it was decided that all tourists would be handled by Yang Haifeng, and the villagers would not directly interact with them. The villagers were busy with their jobs, and the older ones were tending to their vegetable plots and looking after their grandchildren.

After gathering about fifty to sixty people at the village entrance, a female tour guide from the Youth Travel Agency came out with a megaphone. She announced:

"Hello, everyone. I am your tour guide, Xiao Ma. I believe this is your first visit to the beautiful Half Mountain Village. Let me give you a brief introduction. Half Mountain Village has just signed a cooperation agreement with our travel agency. In the future, all those who want to visit Half Mountain Village and taste the delicious super vegetables can register with our branches. Since Half Mountain Village has an exclusive contract with our travel agency, only our tour groups will be allowed to enter. Now, let me take you into the village and introduce the existing attractions and some under construction. Please follow me and don't fall behind."

With that, the tour guide led the group into the village. The first stop was the under-construction greenhouse eco-restaurant. It was said that a hundred-acre greenhouse would be built, and renowned chef Mr. Zhang and his disciples would serve as consultants and head chefs, attracting many food enthusiasts. While Mr. Zhang might not be well-known to the general public, he was a household name among food enthusiasts and chefs.

The next surprise was the hot spring on the construction site. This explained why Half Mountain Village was warm in the cold winter. Not only did the surrounding mountains block the cold wind, but there was a hot spring! When they heard that there was another hot spring on the northern mountain with a temperature of over a hundred degrees, everyone wished they could go up the mountain to see it. However, the tour guide interrupted their thoughts.

"That mountain is privately owned and is not part of the tourist area of Half Mountain Village. However, don't be disappointed. It's said that the owner might open it to tourists in the future."

"Is it the village chief's who grew the super vegetables?" a tourist asked.

"Yes, that's correct. I can confirm that the super vegetables are grown at the foot of that mountain. However, you might be disappointed to know that the current batch of super vegetables is being used to produce seeds. So, you won't be able to taste the delicious and nutritious super vegetables this time," the tour guide explained with a smile.

Hearing this, sighs of disappointment echoed through the crowd. Almost everyone had come for the super vegetables, and not being able to taste them was a huge letdown. Sensing their disappointment, the tour guide's next words excited the group.

"Don't be disappointed. As the first batch of guests to Half Mountain Village, you will receive a special benefit. To thank you, our travel agency, in cooperation with the Half Mountain Village Committee, will invite each of you to try the dishes before the greenhouse eco-restaurant opens. Please leave your contact information before you leave, and we will notify you."

This news brightened the eyes of many, and they eagerly asked when the restaurant would open. The tour guide straightforwardly informed them that the latest opening date would be in August next year. By then, Half Mountain Village would have many new tourist facilities and attractions, such as the opportunity to taste the centuries-old Erguotou liquor.

Next spring, Half Mountain Village would partner with Beijing Jinxing Erguotou to build a liquor factory and a winery funded by a Chinese-French expatriate with a hundred million yuan.

If these visitors were within Wang Yong's expectations, then the news that the vegetables from Half Mountain Village had an excellent effect on congenital heart disease, accidentally revealed by Li Hongjun while taking Xiao Xia for a medical check-up in Beijing, pushed the village and Wang Yong to the peak of fame. In a situation where doctors worldwide had no effective treatment for this disease, this news was like a bomb in the medical community and among patients, with countless people hoping to verify its authenticity.

In the following days, journalists from all over the country, from TV stations, newspapers, and online media, flocked to Half Mountain Village. Wang Yong's home was besieged by them, forcing his godparents to move to their old house in a neighboring village. Wang Yong couldn't go anywhere, and he was about to explode from the annoyance when Yuan Yuan called with a good idea. If he couldn't fight them, he could hide! So, at around three in the morning, Wang Yong drove out of Half Mountain Village. He had wanted Yuan Yuan to go with him to Hainan, but she was too busy with her upcoming transfer to Half Mountain Village and had to apologize to him.

I recommend a new book, "Ten Imperial Thrones" by Xiong Ba Zhulin. If you like this genre, give it a try. It's well-written, but the word count is a bit low, so you can wait for it to be more complete before diving in!

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