Liu Juyi finished speaking, nimbly packed up the bowls and chopsticks, and then placed them into a basket, carrying it out the door. The old yellow dog, which had been lying on the ground, stood up and followed her out. But it was called back by Wang Xiaoqiang.

The old yellow dog had been raised by Wang Xiaoqiang, so it naturally obeyed him.

Wang Xiaoqiang stood on the second floor of the old village committee building, leaning against the railing and looking out, watching as his sister-in-law Liu Juyi walked away until her graceful figure entered the village, at which point he withdrew his gaze.

The old yellow dog had already returned to the house and lay down on the ground again.

Nowadays, the old yellow dog was less and less fond of moving, lying down all day. Aside from barking twice when strangers came to the house, it was silent and breathless most of the time, just like an elderly man on the brink of death.

Wang Xiaoqiang returned to the house and, seeing the decaying state of the old yellow dog, squatted down in front of it and stroked its body. The old yellow dog licked Wang Xiaoqiang's hand, then closed its eyes, contentedly squinting.

Wang Xiaoqiang felt both irritated and amused, thinking to himself, I wanted you to guard the food, not to sleep all day.

However, upon further thought, he realized that the old yellow dog indeed had aged and was no longer up to the task.

Wang Xiaoqiang stared at the old yellow dog and, as he petted it, suddenly, his fingertips emitted five streams of green aura. With the back-and-forth stroke of his hand, he continuously injected Wood Element Spiritual Qi into the old yellow dog's body.

The dog's body involuntarily began to tremble, and then, after emitting a low sound of satisfaction, half a minute later, Wang Xiaoqiang's hand had swept over the dog's body, and he then withdrew his hand.

The old yellow dog suddenly opened its eyes, those dim old eyes now shining with a bright light. It then scrambled to its feet as if it had become much younger all at once, its movements very agile, its body looking very robust. With a shake of its head, a ring of fur around its neck stood up, displaying a bit of majesty and fierceness.

Then, without needing Wang Xiaoqiang's command, the dog walked out of the house by itself. With a leap, it jumped onto the stairway, and with another bound, it was already down on the ground floor. Then, it began patrolling the old village committee courtyard back and forth, ears pricked, eyes shining fiercely, radiating deep vigilance.

It not only became younger but also seemed to sense its master's thoughts.

Wang Xiaoqiang looked at the old yellow dog, feeling surprised and joyful. He had only meant to infuse the dog with some vitality by injecting Wood Element Spiritual Qi, since he had raised it for nearly eight years and had grown attached to it.

But he had not expected the dog to rejuvenate like this, not only becoming spirited but also seeming to understand his thoughts and starting to patrol on its own.

As the sun set behind the mountains and the sky gradually darkened, Wang Xiaoqiang watched the old yellow dog patrol the courtyard in the dim twilight like a loyal sentinel. He smiled happily and confidently went back to the house to sleep soundly.

Throughout the night, the old yellow dog's bark, resounding with vitality, echoed across the wilderness.

Under the watch of the old yellow dog, there had been no theft over the past week.

Wang Xiaoqiang's sesame and soybeans were sold one after the other. While he had planted less of them compared to corn, the sales prices were quite good. He made over thirty-two thousand yuan in total. Roughly calculating, the money he paid for the land lease had come back to him.

His funds had recovered to eighty thousand yuan. Wang Xiaoqiang deposited this eighty thousand yuan into his Agricultural Bank credit card, which he could withdraw at any time.

After selling the sesame and soybeans, all the crops in the fields were gradually harvested. With the harvesting of these two agricultural products, their prices also fell, except for corn, whose relatively poor yield kept its price on the rise.

This situation completely matched Wang Xiaoqiang's earlier analysis, and as a result, he became even less in a hurry to sell the corn.

However, with the arrival of the autumn sowing season, he became busy again. For the forty acres he had contracted, he needed to plan well. After several days of consideration, Wang Xiaoqiang decided to plant the entire forty acres with Jade Bamboo Yams.

Jade Bamboo Yams are of the finest quality among yams, even better than the Iron Stick Yam variety, named for their long, straight, bamboo-like shape and their color, which resembles the simple elegance of ancient white jade; hence the name Jade Bamboo Yam.

The price of Jade Bamboo Yams has always been high because, in the entire Huaxia Nation, they are only suitable for cultivation in Huagui County, and within this vast county, only the soil in the area around Green Mountain Town belonging to Sanmiao Village is appropriate for planting Jade Bamboo Yams.

Another important point is that after a field is planted with Jade Bamboo Yams once, the essence of the soil greatly diminishes, and one must wait three years before it can be planted with them again. During these three years, the only option is to plant other crops, but even so, the yield of any other crops is bound to be poor.

As a result, Jade Bamboo Yams are destined to be rare, which is why their price has always been high and continues to rise.

At present, the price of Jade Bamboo Yams has soared to more than eighty yuan per half kilogram.

Although Jade Bamboo Yams are pricey, the nearby villagers are still reluctant to grow them. The reason is that the yield of Jade Bamboo Yams is not high and, given the local climate, it takes two years to harvest a season's worth, and then the land must remain fallow for another three years; so it amounts to one harvest every five years.

A harvest every five years – it's not just Jade Bamboo Yams, people wouldn't be willing to plant even the more precious ginseng. But some people do plant them on a small patch of land. It is exceptionally rare to see them planted extensively.

When Wang Xiaoqiang shared his idea with his father, Wang Kuishan, he immediately expressed opposition, saying, "Little Qiang, are you crazy? If you plant all forty acres with Jade Bamboo Yams, which yield only once every two years, can you guarantee favorable weather and no pests in these two years…"

"Dad, I've already decided. This afternoon I'm going to the county town to select the best seeds. Can you keep watch at the Old Village Committee Courtyard for me for a day…"

The gate tower of the Old Village Committee Courtyard had not yet been built, and a large amount of corn was stored there. It had to be watched over every day.

"Alright," Wang Kuishan, seeing his son was determined, sighed deeply and said, "You go ahead, I'll keep watch there."

Seeing that his father agreed, Wang Xiaoqiang also spoke to his sister-in-law, Liu Juyi, telling her she didn't need to bring food over that day.

When Liu Juyi heard that Wang Xiaoqiang was going to the county town to buy seeds, she was a little surprised but also pleased, saying, "That's perfect. I need to go to the county town to buy some clothes too. Let's go together!"

Wang Xiaoqiang had not expected Liu Juyi to also go to the county town, and to go with him no less, which made him feel slightly uncomfortable, but he had no choice but to agree to go together.

Liu Juyi tidied up a bit before following Wang Xiaoqiang out. She wore a pink sweatshirt and, for the first time, put on a white floral skirt that barely covered her knees, revealing a pair of charming white legs.

Clothes make the man just as gold makes the Buddha. Although she was only slightly made up, her demeanor was completely different. Her face, already pretty, took on a noble air, transforming her from a simple beauty into a young lady of a distinguished family. Along the way, she attracted the attention of people young and old throughout the village.

Yet Wang Xiaoqiang dared not look at Liu Juyi. He was afraid of letting his gaze linger and not being able to shift it away. He also did not dare to walk shoulder to shoulder with her, deliberately maintaining a certain distance, mainly for fear of gossip. Liu Juyi, understanding the situation, did not walk alongside her brother-in-law but kept a two-step distance behind him.

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