Her Cultivation Diary-Chapter 1857 - 1674: Harmonious Pairing

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Everyone has their own troubles, but on the mountain, there’s only simple joy left.

The children’s screams and laughter echo in the mountains, and after a while, even Song Tan feels a bit dizzy, wondering how those who raise kids manage to keep them under control at home.

Then he looks at Qiaoqiao—well, he’s also a high-energy big kid.

Now he’s in the vegetable field with a group of siblings who haven’t yet graduated elementary school, equally lively and noisy.

Qin Yun has always thought of his daughter as a sweet little princess, and now he explains, "She’s usually so quiet at home..."

Oh, come on.

His own mom rolls her eyes:

Cutting the mosquito net, wearing high heels, smearing lipstick all over the floor acting all wild, while you’re outside playing games with friends!

It’s not that she looks down on her own son, but honestly, without a daughter-in-law, this home wouldn’t hold together!

Her son has all sorts of bad habits; besides being able to make money, he really has no other merits.

Though they’ve seen signs of trouble a few times, the old couple worried themselves sleepless night after night.

Thankfully, now he’s become sensible, hands over all the money, and only keeps two thousand yuan as pocket money each month—

Ah!

Both parents finally let out a deep sigh of relief.

In a stable family, a woman’s mistakes could likely be just spending too much money or running off with it.

But it’s different with men; eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, they could engage in all kinds of vices, and once involved, it’s a bottomless pit.

They’ve been through various dramas over the years, so they truly cherish the days now.

Qin Yun, having faced much criticism, now senses trouble and sees his wife faintly smiling, so he quickly changes the subject:

"Honey, we’re going to Song Tan’s house for lunch, what should we bring?"

His wife starts laughing—genuinely!

Her in-laws are kind to her, her daughter is healthy and happy, she manages the household finances, and although her husband almost strayed down the wrong path, he’s overall not too bad.

Life’s good, and now she’s showing this expression just to keep him in line.

But going to the Song Family for lunch, the proper etiquette mustn’t be neglected.

After all, they are Lun Chuan’s friends, Lun Chuan has been a gracious host, and they too must uphold the courtesy and respect.

Moreover, Qin Yun’s wife knows that when her husband almost lost his head, Lun Chuan scolded him back to his senses with some harsh words. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

When chatting privately with He Kuang’s wife, they both felt this was a truly valuable friendship, which is why they prepared their gifts with such sincerity.

And there’s Yun Feng’s wife—the editor’s family might not be as well-off, but since everyone is coming together, the gifts should be evenly matched, so after much deliberation—

"Don’t worry."

She tells Qin Yun: "I’ve prepared some supplements and jewelry; He Kuang’s family is bringing cigarettes and alcohol, Yun Feng’s family is bringing a hundred books..."

Yun Feng frequently interacts with the copyright department, and has many contacts at the publishers, so he can find some quality books from their stock, which is both affordable and appropriate.

Ultimately, no one would show up empty-handed!

As they chat and laugh, He Kuang looks ahead at the orchard, first examining the leaves, then the light yellow paper bags wrapped around the trees:

"Can these be opened and checked?"

"Sure," Song Tan smiles and says, "After opening, just wrap them back up."

Yun Feng curiously asks, "I’ve seen orchards using these bags nowadays, is there a special reason?"

There are quite a few reasons.

"Firstly, for even coloring, making the fruit look good. Secondly, for pest control, and protection from rain and sun exposure..."

Nowadays, the appearance of fruit is a major factor in its evaluation.

Though the fruit from Lao Song’s family stands out in taste, for Yan Ran and others, it’s still not enough.

If you want something premium, it must be thoroughly premium, instantly recognized as quality goods.

Therefore, tasks like flower thinning, fruit thinning, and bagging in the hills also became a major income source for villagers this year—

It’s really labor-intensive.

Thankfully, last year, Lao Song didn’t expand the operation so much; otherwise, given their debt-ridden situation at that time, they wouldn’t have afforded to hire help.

Yun Feng’s wife points ahead: "I smell a faint citrus scent, is that orange?"

A vast area of lush, short and sturdy trees stands in front, with small, exquisite fruits hanging from them, somewhat resembling oranges or lemons.

Yet the soil seems exceptionally fresh; unlike other orchards where grass sprouts up, only a few tender grass shoots are present here.

This is quite normal, as they were planted not long ago; now that the seedlings have stabilized, they’re entering another growth phase.

Song Tan looks over: "Not oranges, it’s tea tangerines, bought to try making preserved orange peel."

Preserved orange peel?

The elders, knowledgeable about food, grow interested: "I’ve heard the older the peel, the better it gets, right? If stored for a hundred years, could just one piece sell for sky-high prices?"

"No."

Song Tan has consulted with the girls selling preserved orange peel:

"That’s just an online rumor. Actually, when preserved for long periods, most active substances in the peel are gone, not serving any function, and can cause health issues if consumed. There’s a fixed duration limit."

The specific duration still depends on how it’s stored and the quality of the peel itself.

Despite this, everyone feels quite informed.

He Kuang’s wife also sniffs: "I didn’t expect its leaves to have such fragrance."

"Yes."

Song Tan explains: "Tea tangerine, like lemon, has fragrant branches and leaves. Lemon’s scent is gentle, easily detectable up close. Tea tangerines are planted in large numbers here, so the scent is slightly noticeable in the breeze."

But it’s not unpleasant; it could even be said to be pleasant.

Everyone takes a gentle sniff, sensing a smell resembling oranges, though lighter, accompanied by a slight bitterness of orange peels and a hint of cool grassiness...

In summary, no one is particularly knowledgeable about this, so they express it based on feelings, piece by piece.

Song Tan laughs, taking scissors out of the basket:

"Don’t just smell. If you like it, you can cut a few branches to place in your room. This scent can calm the mood, quite suitable for the bedroom."

Glancing toward the direction down the mountain: "It’s a pity the timing isn’t right; if we were later when papayas mature, you could take a couple of papayas home and place them by your bedside. Now that’s aromatic."

Local medicinal papayas, once ripe, turn a bright golden yellow, firm and devoid of moisture, perfect for storage.

They’re not tasty to eat, but exceptionally good for making herbal medicine.

Moreover, their color is beautiful, and as long as they’re pest-free, the aroma at the bedside can last a long time. Just a whiff makes people smile involuntarily, truly sweet.

As these words are spoken, everyone instantly feels regretful: Yes, indeed! Why did we come at such an inappropriate time?

They look over at Lun Chuan—

Initially, they had discussed a bit; it was a shame he stayed in the countryside for a girl he liked.

Yet now it seems, this countryside life is nothing like what they imagined!