Moreover, many streamers from all walks of life were weighing in on the matter. Lawyers analyzed it from a legal perspective, for instance, while relationship gurus dissected the emotional aspects.

But at least Tan You hadn’t come across any comments that made her blood boil. That was a relief. In any case, public opinion was on her side. Netizens had dug up evidence that Ji Li had indeed been treated poorly after her parents passed away.

Everything dies down eventually. A new story would inevitably eclipse Tan You’s time in the spotlight, and her life finally returned to normal. She still went into the mountains whenever she had time, either to film videos or to learn how to roast tea with Uncle Qiao.

Although she didn’t know much about tea culture herself, she thought about her future intermediate-level missions. ’What if I end up in ancient times? The ancients revered tea culture. Learning a little more now might come in handy later, right?’

These days, the mountain-climbing group consisted of Tan You, Xu Liang, and two uncles from the village. The younger boys had all gone back to school, even though they had tearfully protested.

As far as they were concerned, building a business with Sister Ali was far more interesting than going to school. Unfortunately, Tan You didn’t approve of them focusing entirely on business at their age. The best years of their youth should be spent studying hard and building a foundation for themselves. A career could always come later.

In the predawn hours, lights flickered on in nearly every house in the village. Soon, people emerged, carrying flashlights. The beams of light formed a long, snaking dragon that stretched all the way to the end of the village.

Xu Liang piloted his drone to capture an aerial shot of the scene. ’If this gets edited into a video, it’ll look incredible.’

Tan You, Uncle Shen, and his wife each held a flashlight. Shen Xiaochuan’s grandfather walked at the very front. "Everyone, stay close to me," he called out. "Don’t go sticking your hands out randomly. The forest is dense. Be careful not to startle any snakes..."

Shen Xiaochuan’s grandfather was an old hunter from the same generation as Fifth Uncle, so Tan You called him Seventh Uncle.

After saying a few more words, Seventh Uncle raised his flashlight and led the way into the mountains. Their destination today was a few old tea trees deep inside. They wouldn’t have needed to leave so early, but the mountain path was treacherous, and the autumn tea had to be picked within a certain time frame. They had no choice but to set out before dawn.

Fifth Uncle murmured to Tan You, "I’ve made a rough estimate. Even though we can harvest the autumn tea several times, I don’t want to pick too much. Next year’s spring tea is the main event. If we harvest too aggressively now, it’ll affect next year’s yield."

Tan You smiled. "I was thinking the same thing. This first wave of autumn tea is just a warm-up for next year’s spring tea. I understand what you mean."

Tan You didn’t consider herself particularly farsighted, but she was good at listening to advice, and she thought Fifth Uncle was quite brilliant. He always had a plan before doing anything and was able to see the big picture.

And he knew how to seize an opportunity. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

For example, when Tan You went viral, Fifth Uncle immediately seized the opportunity to use her popularity to promote the village’s tea gardens. In fact, he could have skipped harvesting autumn tea altogether, but he did it anyway. And why?

It was a chance to test the waters, and also a way to facilitate the first collaboration between the villagers and Tan You. If any problems arose, they could be discovered and dealt with now, saving them from scrambling in a panic when the spring tea harvest began next year.

Tan You hadn’t understood this before, but she was slowly starting to piece it together. No wonder people always said you had to get out and see the world. ’Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles, and traveling ten thousand miles is not as good as meeting countless people.’ Now, Tan You truly understood.

Fifth Uncle asked, "You’ve been spending a lot of time with Old Qiao these days. How many varieties are you planning to make with this autumn tea?"

Tan You replied, "Uncle Qiao thinks we can make several types, but I personally disagree. If we have too many varieties, it’ll be hard for our products to stand out. I think three types at most is enough."

"Young people are more drawn to viral products. Uncle Qiao and I discussed it and decided to make an Osmanthus Black Tea. That will be our main online product."

"Then we’ll make an oolong tea and a white tea," Tan You said briefly. "Our main focus still needs to be on next year’s spring tea. That’s what we need to put the most effort into."

Fifth Uncle nodded. "That’s what I think, too. That’s why I don’t plan on harvesting this batch of autumn tea too aggressively."

Tan You said, "Exactly. Actually, if you think about it, we have a lot of things here. I saw a lotus root pond at the foot of the mountain. We could make some lotus root powder next year."

"After the autumn tea season, everyone will be going up the mountain for the autumn harvest. We could put out a mixed nut gift box then..."

Fifth Uncle’s wife wiped sweat from her brow. "You educated folk really have sharp minds. How is it that everything we see lying around here can be turned into money in your eyes?"

Fifth Uncle said, "If you gave Ali a foxtail weed, she could probably sell it for the price of a flower."

Tan You laughed. "No, no, I’m not that capable. It’s because our local products are good, and people recognize quality. It’s not easy to find authentic, unprocessed food these days. When the weather gets warmer next year, people could also raise some free-range poultry in the forest. We could ship them out using a cold chain."

"But what does everyone think about mushroom cultivation?"

Fifth Uncle’s wife spoke candidly, "Of course we want to do it, but we don’t know how..."

Tan You said, "I’ll ask around then. If we can turn this place into a mushroom cultivation base, life won’t be so hard for everyone in the future."

She wasn’t trying to take on everything herself. It was just that seeing these elderly villagers reminded her of her own grandparents, and she felt a sense of kinship with their plight. Helping out when you have the ability to do so isn’t being a saint; it’s a social responsibility everyone shares.

Autumn mornings were inevitably chilly, especially in the mountains, but even the cold couldn’t dampen everyone’s spirits. They talked and laughed along the way, and the winding, rugged mountain path seemed less difficult to walk.

Xu Liang quietly walked up beside Tan You. Watching the villagers ahead, he was filled with a strange sense of emotion. "Your arrival has changed so much."

"You’re giving me too much credit," Tan You said lightly. "They wanted to change, too. It just so happened that I was the one to come along. Anyone with the same intentions would have brought about the same result."

Xu Liang shook his head. "No, that’s not right. Even if someone else had come, they couldn’t have replicated your success. First, you’d need someone as buzz-worthy as you. Think about it: a difficult upbringing, a beautiful face, a perfect figure, and a good moral compass. For all of that to come together in one person—do you think that happens easily?"

Tan You thought for a moment. "Perhaps you’re right. I am one-of-a-kind."

Xu Liang said, "Yes, you are. Watching them, I feel this genuine, heartfelt emotion."

"So you’ve been sticking around just to see how far everyone will go?" Tan You voiced the thoughts he was keeping to himself. Knowing his personality, he would usually get tired of a place after just half a month.