I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 475: Who is Whose Shield?

Wang Sisi’s eyes curved as she smiled, her voice gentle, "You can’t put it like that. Each place has its own scenery, its own beauty. By the way, our leader mentioned there’s a place selling deep-fried rice cakes that are exceptionally delicious. I’ll go look for it."

"Can you find it yourself? Should we accompany you?"

"There’s no need, no need. You go shopping, and we’ll meet at the entrance of the grocery store."

The girls didn’t insist.

How could a girl from a big city get lost in such a small place?

And they weren’t all headed to the same destination, so they dispersed to take care of their own errands.

Wang Sisi, with a smile on her face, briskly walked towards the direction Qiao Qingyu had mentioned, but she took a detour halfway there.

The problem here was the lack of taxis and rickshaws, and even biking was not an option; it was inconvenient in every way.

She could only rely on her legs for transportation.

Fortunately, the place she was headed to wasn’t far from here. Wang Sisi looked around cautiously, then laughed at herself for being overly careful.

Who would follow her here? She was making a big deal out of nothing. Thus, she confidently stood in front of a courtyard and began knocking on the door. The rhythm of her knocks was peculiar, but with no one around, even if there were, they likely wouldn’t understand.

The door was quickly opened by a nondescript man who stepped aside.

The courtyard looked no different from any other, and so did the inside of the house.

However, it was very clean; the living room had a cement floor, and a middle-aged woman was sitting on the couch, a man beside her.

The woman merely glanced at her indifferently. Wang Sisi’s heart tightened, and she bowed deeply to the woman. Straightening up, she whispered, "Madam, I’ve returned."

Zhi Zi glanced at Wang Sisi with a sharp look and immediately said, "Didn’t I tell you before not to act rashly or treat others as fools? We’re not in a rush. Your job is to get close to her, earn her trust. If you succeed, it’ll be a great accomplishment. Why didn’t you follow my order? You just arrived and already visited her home, even toured her study. What did you see there?"

Her voice was calm, yet each sentence struck Wang Sisi’s heart like a hammer, making her tremble as cold sweat broke out on her back, "Madam, I just wanted to test the current mindset of He Xiuyu and Qiao Qingyu, and whether Qiao Qingyu is truly as reputed or simply successful with He Xiuyu’s help. If that’s the case, she doesn’t warrant our efforts..."

Unfortunately, before Wang Sisi could finish, Zhi Zi slapped her across the face, her voice cold, "Idiot, how dare you question my decisions?"

The slap was crisp, silencing the room instantly. The man remained calm without any reaction, but it left Wang Sisi stunned. Her heart pounded and her hands clenched at her sides, fear and reverence in her eyes as she hurriedly explained, "Madam, I wouldn’t dare to question any of your decisions. I was wrong."

Zhi Zi’s lips curled slightly, then her voice softened. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"You are my most valued student, and in this matter, your every action, as the saying goes in China, can affect everything."

She paced slowly in the room, hands clasped behind her back.

"According to the information obtained and after comprehensive analysis by our specialists, Qiao Qingyu is certainly no simple character. Everyone thinks that all she achieves is with the hidden help of He Xiuyu, but you’re all mistaken. It’s very possible that He Xiuyu is just her shield."

Wang Sisi’s eyes suddenly widened, a bit overwhelmed, she murmured, "Madam, I don’t understand... Why would that be necessary?"

"You don’t need to understand, you just need to remember my words. Stay close to Qiao Qingyu, foster a good relationship with her, observe carefully..."

She stood in front of Wang Sisi, her voice low and pressuring, "Especially, you should watch if there unexpectedly appears something around her you have never seen before, such as flowers, plants, fungi, or even some objects..."

"... Miss, I’ve got it."

Then, with confusion in her eyes, Wang Sisi boldly asked, "Miss, what exactly are you suspecting? Can you tell me? It would help me have a clearer idea."

"You wouldn’t understand even if I told you." At this point, Zhi Zi smiled enigmatically and exchanged glances with the man sitting on the sofa before she finally said to Wang Sisi, "Go back, observe her closely, and do not make any decisions on your own or you know what I am capable of."

Her last words carried a hint of malice.

Wang Sisi’s body shuddered, she gasped slightly, then lowered her head and firmly agreed. After retreating a few steps, she then turned and walked out of the room.

Upon reaching the courtyard, she glanced at the corner, then hurriedly looked away and continued along the predetermined path. After leaving the courtyard, Wang Sisi finally let out a long breath.

Her mind was filled with thoughts about what her mistress had said. To her, the mistress was her god, her religion, the entirety of her life, and her sky, so whatever the mistress said was definitely right.

But how should she observe? Then, clenching her fists, she decided that she would discover any loophole.

...

Lu Ye was preparing to go to Beijing to report on his work but before leaving, he met with Qiao Qingyu to discuss the Agricultural Base and the Barley Grass Seeds. Currently, the demand for Barley Grass Seeds was insatiable; they were needed everywhere, not only in Xichuan but across the entire West City and the surrounding provinces and cities in desert areas.

Thus, his trip to Beijing was not only to report his achievements but also to secure funding. Without money, no matter how grand the plans, they would not unfold.

Qiao Qingyu promised to give priority to provide him with Barley Grass Seeds next year.

With such Barley Grass Seeds, Qiao Qingyu could take half in the light and half in the dark.

On the surface, it would be the seeds cultivated from equipment produced in the base’s heavy workshop, although this cultivation equipment, despite being branded as a replica, was still significantly inferior in certain aspects, such as taking many times longer.

In secret, Qiao Qingyu could extensively cultivate Barley Grass Seeds through the Space Laboratory, with the help of He Xiuyu.

So increasing the supply should be no problem.

Lu Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Qiao Qingyu would support him, he felt much more confident about his upcoming work report.

Qiao Qingyu then said, "I have some advice for you."

Lu Ye’s eyes brightened, and he hurriedly said, "Please, tell me."

Generally, Qiao Qingyu’s advice was very sensible and was almost always adopted.

"I think you should draw two maps." Here, Qiao Qingyu paused, "Mark the Xichuan Desert before planting the Barley Grass in yellow, and then mark the areas that have been greened with green. This way, the contrast will be stark..."

Finally, she smiled, "Though it might sound a bit childish, it’s absolutely clear at a glance."

Lu Ye’s mind was instantly enlightened, and he hurriedly left the scientific research base to go draw the maps.