Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 45: Roars Like a Tiger, Walks Like a Cat

"What are you in such a hurry for, let me finish," Zhang Hui finally got everything out just before Auntie Hui’s sanity snapped.

"You old man, why didn’t you say it all at once, keeping everyone on tenterhooks?" Auntie Hui complained as she looked at Uncle Hui.

The news that the seedlings in Feng Guang’s fields had "died" spread like wildfire, whose origin no one knew—going from one to ten, ten to a hundred.

As soon as Santian heard this, he immediately ran to tell his father, Feng Youcai, "Dad, I just got the news, that bitch Feng Xuxu is going to get what’s coming to her."

As soon as Feng Youcai heard it had something to do with Feng Xuxu, he perked right up, "What happened?"

"Dad, remember the high-yield rice Feng Xuxu researched? A few families in the village followed her lead and planted it, and guess what."

"Well? Spit it out, will you?"

"Everyone who planted the high-yield rice ended up with all of the seedlings dead. Hahaha."

"Hahaha. Heaven finally sees the truth, let’s go. Let’s visit your eldest uncle’s house; we should ’comfort’ them, shouldn’t we?"

Feng Youcai hummed a little tune as he leisurely walked toward the eldest brother’s house in the village.

"Xuxu, you better hurry back home, there’s a huge commotion," Zhang Jiaojiao hurried to Nameless Mountain, pulling Feng Xuxu, who was there overseeing the construction, down the mountain, and spoke of the situation back home as they walked.

"I got it, Sister Jiaojiao, let’s hurry back then," the two of them dashed all the way back from Nameless Mountain.

Feng Xuxu hadn’t even entered the courtyard when she heard a noisy tumult inside, with voices in a baffling clamor. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, all fingers pointed at Feng Xuxu, someone grabbing her, another shoving her, eyes glaring, all questioning her.

The fire on Feng Xuxu’s forehead went straight up in a line, and with a deep breath, she shouted, "Shut up!"

Seeing the stunned aunts staring, Feng Xuxu stood on a stool, her eyes coldly sweeping over the crowd, the corners of her mouth slightly lifted in a mocking smile, "Aunts, coming en masse to my Feng Xuxu’s place today, what exactly has happened to make everyone rip off their masks and cause such a scene at Uncle Hui’s house?"

"Feng Xuxu, we didn’t want to, you know, we’re farmers, reliant on the crops in the fields for our livelihood. Now all the crops are dead, how are we supposed to live?" Feng Da’s wife, Madame Feng Luo, began to cry out her grievances to Feng Xuxu.

"Yes, Feng Xuxu, in the beginning, it was my father-in-law who supported you, who insisted we plant them. We had no choice but to oblige, and now look at the mess, our entire family is about to starve to death," Feng Gang’s wife, Madame Feng Zhao, also expressed her dissatisfaction.

"Who said all of your seedlings were dead?" Feng Xuxu raised her finely arched eyebrows, asking everyone in doubt.

The group of women looked at each other, pointing fingers in circles.

Feng Xuxu narrowed her eyes, she had already made it clear to Uncle Feng Guang in the morning, so why were there still so many people coming to her? It seemed someone was deliberately making things difficult for her, not wanting her to have an easy time. That person was like a venomous snake, biting you unexpectedly and leaving you no room to guard against it.

"I’ll say it again here in the crowd, the yellowing of the seedlings in the field is a normal phenomenon, and they will turn green again in no more than two days. Everyone, please be at ease. If the rice in the field does die, then I will compensate everyone according to the market price of rice," she declared.

Feng Da’s wife smiled awkwardly. "Well, we are just worried. You know how it is with our family; the old and the young are all looking to be fed. We really had no choice."

"Right, since things are clear now, we’ll be heading back. There’s still a lot of work to be done at home." Feng Zhao’s eyes shifted, thinking that with her elder sister-in-law’s words as an excuse, she could slip away unnoticed. Her husband didn’t know she had come here, and if he found out she had caused a scene, she would surely get a beating when she went back home.

Feng Luo totally agreed with her sister-in-law Feng Zhao, nodding incessantly at her side.

The women who had come together were in agreement with the two sisters-in-law and gave various reasons for leaving. Feng Xuxu had given them reassurance, and there was no need to linger anymore. If their father at home found out, scolding would be the least of her worries.

Feng Xuxu watched as everyone left with smiles on their faces, no longer looking as fierce as when they had arrived. She felt helpless inside. Her original intention was to help the villagers live a prosperous life, but as she looked back, one thing after another had happened, going beyond her original intention. Was she really meddling unnecessarily?

But seeing them toiling from dawn to dusk in the fields, barely making enough to feed themselves, how could she not help them? It would be against the pledge she had made when she studied agriculture. Now, looking back at the past, there might have been some arrangement in the grand scheme of things. How else could she have traveled to ancient times? It was unscientific.

If she could take over all these lands, then she would be the one calling the shots, and none of these troubles would arise. Thinking of this, Feng Xuxu’s eyes lit up. Yes, this was a good idea, why hadn’t she thought of it before? In this way, she could buy their land, hire them to farm it, and they would no longer go hungry. Moreover, she could start an embroidery workshop in the village, teach the young girls and women Hunan embroidery for free, buy back the embroidery products, and pay them by the piece. There were many suitable activities for women, and even the elderly could do some work within their capacity. In this way, everyone would be able to effectively manage their own time and earn more silver. It would be mutually beneficial.

After mulling it over, Feng Xuxu slapped her forehead in realization of her own silliness for not having thought of this sooner. Ideals are plump, but reality is lean; without silver, authority, or reputation. To succeed in all this, she must manage the high-yield rice well, show everyone hope, and then she could achieve twice the results with half the effort.

With a goal came motivation. She cheered herself up, preparing for the upcoming planting of a thousand acres of vegetables, determined to build her reputation.

"Xuxu, don’t be angry, they are just like that. Come on, let’s go back to the house," Jiaojiao noticed the changing expressions on Feng Xuxu’s face, but unsure how to comfort her, she looked at Feng Xuxu worriedly.

"Sister Jiaojiao, I’m fine, don’t worry about me." Feng Xuxu gave Jiaojiao a reassuring look.

"Aow..." Xiaobai called out with a tiger’s growl and sauntered over to Feng Xuxu’s feet with a cat’s gait. Feng Xuxu grabbed Xiaobai and held him in her arms, stroking his soft, fluffy white fur.

"Xuxu, this white cat you found in the mountain is really strange. It sounds like a tiger and is not like an ordinary house cat at all," said Jiaojiao, seeing Xiaobai comfortably squinting his eyes in Feng Xuxu’s embrace and could not help but reach out to pet Xiaobai’s fluffy head.

"Aow..." Feeling someone approaching, Xiaobai instantly puffed up his fur and growled at Jiaojiao, his nostrils steaming and his eyes unblinkingly fixed on her.

"Ah! Xuxu, it’s fierce. Be careful it doesn’t bite you," Jiaojiao said, patting her chest with lingering fear. Xiaobai relaxed his fur, rolled his eyes at Jiaojiao’s words - how could these inferior creatures compare to me, a Divine Beast, ignorant mortals, he thought.

"Heavens, it can even roll its eyes."