Tan You, Xu Liang, and Shen Yu went up the mountain again with a few teenagers. Although going into the mountains was a rare opportunity, Shen Xiaochuan and Shen Le refused to miss out on the chance to see Ji Li dance in person.

One of the two teenage boys carried Tan You’s backpack while the other held her water bottle, serving her as attentively as if she were the Empress Dowager.

Shen Yu said jealously, "I’m a grown man standing right here. Can’t you two see me?"

Shen Le replied, "We see you all the time. But we only just met Sister Ali this year, and we haven’t gotten to spend much time with her."

Tan You smiled and ruffled Shen Le’s hair. "That’s true. The last time I was here, Lele wasn’t even born yet."

Shen Xiaochuan hugged Tan You’s water bottle and hopped along. "Sister Ali, did all of our village’s wild mountain delicacies really sell out?"

"Mm-hmm," Tan You smiled. "Didn’t everyone follow Fifth Uncle into town to help out? Once the payment clears, I’ll distribute it to everyone. It’s still being processed by the third-party platform right now."

"Oh, no rush then," Shen Xiaochuan said with a blink. "My grandma cried when Fifth Uncle announced the news this morning. She dried so many mushrooms; she would have been heartbroken if they didn’t sell."

"There was no way they wouldn’t sell." Tan You smiled, too. "It’s just that those wholesale buyers are too unscrupulous."

Shen Le added, "They’re too greedy."

Tan You nodded. "You’re right about that. But I probably offended some people this time. Still, so be it. It’s not like they’re particularly powerful."

Xu Liang asked, "So what kind of person do you consider powerful?"

Tan You pointed upward. "People like that. As for these wholesalers, even if they wanted to cause trouble for me, I doubt they could really do anything, right?"

Shen Xiaochuan said, "I wouldn’t be so sure. I think you need to be careful, Sister Ali. My grandpa says those kinds of people play dirty."

Tan You’s internal radar went up. "Alright, once I’m done shooting this video, I’ll try to keep a low profile. But the village can’t go on like this. It’s not always safe to go into the mountains; we need a stable source of income."

Shen Le said, "My grandpa has thought a lot about it. Our area produces a lot of tea, but we aren’t known for any famous varieties, so we can’t build a brand. For years, the village’s tea has mostly been sold to wholesalers, and people barely make any money from it all year."

’A tea plantation?’ The idea sparked in Tan You’s mind. ’If we were really going to set up a proper tea business, the initial investment would be huge. But I don’t have any money. It’s just wishful thinking.’

’Besides, I don’t even know how to roast or process tea. And from the sound of it, Shen Le is talking about the village’s collective tea groves.’

"What does your grandfather have in mind?" Tan You was always direct. Shen Le’s words clearly had a purpose; she could see that the teenage boy was quite sharp.

"My grandpa was wondering... if it’s not too much trouble, Sister Ali, could you help our village find a way forward? Our parents have all left to find work, and they only come home a few times a year. It’s too hard on my grandparents."

Tan You felt a headache coming on. "Let me think about it. The work for the tea gardens doesn’t start until next year, right? This year’s harvest season is already over, isn’t it?"

She had never worked with tea herself, but she had completed several missions and understood a thing or two about social customs. At business functions, besides liquor, the most common gift was tea—especially spring tea.

Shen Le explained, "Actually, tea can be harvested all year round, but spring tea is definitely the best. Summer tea is the worst, and autumn tea is second only to spring tea. As for winter tea, harvesting it damages the tea trees."

Tan You caught on. "You’re saying we can still harvest a batch of autumn tea this year?"

Shen Le’s face lit up. "That would be for the best. It would bring some income into the village."

Tan You said, "Let me think it over. When is autumn tea usually harvested?"

Shen Xiaochuan piped up, "From around the Autumnal Equinox to the Cold Dew. Basically, from September 15th to October 15th."

Tan You narrowed her eyes slightly. "Osmanthus should be blooming this time of year, right? I’ve seen a lot of osmanthus trees around here. They seem to be the red-blossom variety, too?"

"They’re blooming now." Shen Le nodded. "Why do you ask, Sister Ali?"

Tan You thought for a moment. "I have my own ideas. Let’s focus on the video for now. Even if I want to do something, all the prep work has to be done first. We can’t go into a battle unprepared."

Xu Liang had been listening and understood everything perfectly. "So, you came back to lead a rural revitalization project? That doesn’t really fit the image I have of you."

Tan You found that amusing. "And what image is that supposed to be?"

"Poetry and faraway places, I suppose. When I see you, I think of tranquil days and quiet years," Xu Liang said offhandedly. In any case, he felt that Ji Li gave off an impression that was too ethereal, too distant.

Tan You chuckled. "I’m just a normal person. That whole ’poetry and faraway places’ thing... that’s just everyone’s idealized fantasy of life. I prefer the warmth of the mortal world. Only when you have that can you even begin to think about poetry and faraway places."

Since Tan You hadn’t shut the idea down completely, Shen Le felt relieved. At least now he had something to report back to his grandpa. ’If our tea sells well, Mom and Dad will probably come back home, right?’

At this thought, Shen Le couldn’t help but sigh. ’It would be great if Sister Ali could stay in the village forever.’

Shen Xiaochuan said, "You think too much. With someone like Sister Ali, it all depends on whether she wants to stay. No one can make her stay if she doesn’t."

Shen Le said, "I need to go back and tell Grandpa. We can’t let anyone in the village bully a newcomer."

"Bully her?" Shen Xiaochuan scoffed. "As long as Sister Ali can help the village find a way forward, believe me, if anyone dared to give her trouble, the other villagers would be the first ones to knock their block off."

"You have a point," Shen Le nodded. "But we should still have Grandpa go talk to every household."

Shen Xiaochuan plucked a blade of grass. "You just worry too much."

He hugged Tan You’s water bottle. "My Sister Ali is so pretty. I’m going to find a girlfriend who can dance in the future, too."

Shen Le sneered, "Shallow."

Just as Tan You finished a run-through of her dance, Shen Xiaochuan started tattling, "Sister Ali, Shen Le called me shallow!"

Shen Le wasn’t flustered. "He’s the one who said he wants to find a girlfriend who can dance. If that’s not shallow, what is? You should judge people by their character, not by things like that."

Tan You didn’t get involved in the two boys’ squabbling. They were always bickering, yet they were clearly the best of friends.

The group stayed on the mountain until just after three before heading down. This time, they didn’t go to the old family house but headed straight for town. Uncle Shen’s home was a whirlwind of activity. Children sat to the side, handwriting shipping labels. Aunts and other women were busy packing boxes, while the owners of the town’s courier stations were busy hauling everything away, truckload by truckload.

Fifth Uncle stood with his hands clasped behind his back. When Shen Le came in, the boy gave him a slight nod. Fifth Uncle let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. He was much more farsighted than the other villagers. The wild mountain delicacies were a one-time deal; for the village to have a future, it needed a steady source of income.

Tan You, of course, noticed the meaningful glance between them. She lowered her gaze and smiled faintly. ’Life isn’t easy for anyone,’ she thought. ’There’s no need for me to get hung up on this.’