That morning, ...
Chen Xuan washed up early and went to the elderly man next door to ask for a few books. The old man was the village bachelor, over sixty and without a wife. Whenever there was a wedding or funeral in the village, people usually asked him to handle the arrangements, so he had many Taoist ritual implements.
"Senior Fuxi... This is what the River Diagram and Luo Script look like. Although much of them has been lost, you can at least take a look. There's also the I Ching, the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, the Tao Te Ching... All the classics that have been passed down through the ages are here..."
Chen Xuan handed him a large stack of books.
Fuxi had originally been brooding over the term "charlatan." But when he saw the huge stack of classics, merely glancing at them made his breathing grow heavier, because every one of them contained the true words of the Great Dao.
With spiritual energy exhausted and the world in the Age of Dharma's End, the path of cultivation had vanished. Later generations had been left holding golden bowls while begging for food. It was unimaginable waste.
"These are truly supreme words of truth. Once I comprehend them, I'll break through again in the future. After returning to the Primordial World, I dare say I'll make another breakthrough." Fuxi's hands trembled as he accepted the stack of books.
He was definitely going to become a charlatan, famous throughout the later generations...
"Great God Nuwa... Sister Houtu... I should go work in the fields. I rented a hundred mu, but was only given a little over forty. We're still negotiating with the town over the rest. Let's go change the way the land is planted."
Chen Xuan looked toward the two women, full of anticipation. After all, who else throughout history could plow the fields alongside the Primordial Goddess?
"Dream on..." Great God Nuwa snorted without mercy.
"Come, come... Girls, have some breakfast together. We can go to the fields afterward. Don't overwork yourselves, and it wouldn't be good to get tanned." Mom Chen came out carrying a pot of plain rice porridge and some pickles.
Houtu took a bite with some pickles and chili sauce. Her eyes lit up. "Good stuff..."
"Eat up!" Nuwa had already grown accustomed to it after eating a few bites.
"Don't rush. I called some villagers over to help. They'll be here soon." Mom Chen grinned from ear to ear.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they took hoes, sickles, and other tools and went outside. From far away, they saw a group of people heading up the mountain. It was the new village chief, Chen Wang, leading a group of villagers to clear the wasteland.
"Well, well... Isn't this the richest man in Chen Family Village? Ten million in hand, renting a hundred mu, all just to farm in the countryside. He really thinks he's something."
Village Chief Chen Wang sneered, stealing a glance at Great God Nuwa and Houtu. The two goddesses were breathtakingly beautiful. Why was this guy so lucky with women?
"Heh... Some people leave home without checking the almanac and run into dogs barking." Chen Xuan sneered.
"What are you so pleased with, Chen Xuan? Whether I'm a dog or not... everyone knows. The villagers are all willing to plant sugar tangerines, Emperor tangerines, Mashui tangerines, and raise chickens and ducks with me... Only I, the village chief, can lead everyone to prosperity." Village Chief Chen Wang was extremely smug. He turned to the villagers behind him and showed off.
"That's right... You're a heartless rich bastard. Even if we let our fields go to waste, we'd never rent them to you."
"What a treacherous ingrate. You tried to swindle us over the watermelons, and now you're trying to use our land to swindle us again. You're an unfilial son of the Chen family. You should be kicked out of the clan records..."
"You were such a good child when you were young, always giving way to others. Whenever something happened, everyone helped you. But the older you got, the meaner you became. You harm the village's interests and keep all the wealth for yourself. You're nothing but an ingrate..."
"We shouldn't have taken your eggs, sent you local specialties, or given you a few cents to attend university back then. You're an ungrateful wretch..."
Behind Chen Wang, a group of villagers—about fifty or sixty people—cursed and grumbled. Every one of them was furious, as though they had forgotten how they had betrayed their principles for profit that day.
Whoever gave them benefits was their good person...
Chen Xuan sighed. Once you became rich, you had to keep your wealth hidden to live in peace. The moment you succeeded, all kinds of demons and monsters would come crawling out.
Just as he was about to retort, a group of people came down the road from the other direction. They advanced in a mighty formation. Though they were only about half as numerous as Chen Wang's group, every one of them stepped forward without hesitation.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Back then, would you have given eggs or those few coins if the old village chief hadn't begged you and promised you'd definitely be repaid?"
"Exactly. You're nothing but a mob of shameless wretches. Little Xuanzi gave you a chance back then, but you didn't know how to value it. Now you're biting back..."
"You're nothing but a bunch of leeches. You wanted to cling to someone else and suck their blood, but only ended up getting yourselves dirty..."
These villagers had rented their land to Chen Xuan, so they had to come and support him. The entire village had split in half: most supported Chen Wang, while a minority supported Chen Xuan.
The people behind Chen Wang were precisely those who had gone to Chen Xuan's home with hoes, sickles, cleavers, shoulder poles, and other tools, forcing him to tear up the contract. Naturally, they were being stubborn and refused to rent their land to Chen Xuan.
That day, Chen Xuan had announced that past grievances would be forgiven. As long as they rented their land to him, everyone could prosper together and contribute to the village. Only a few particularly vicious households had refused to rent...
Now that Chen Wang had deceived them, they refused to lease their land and followed Chen Wang to clear the mountain slopes for planting sugar tangerines...
"Chen Xuan... Stop inciting the villagers, you troublemaker. Since you think you're so capable, why don't we make a bet?" Chen Wang said confidently.
"Make a bet? Are you out of your mind? I'm already a king... Why would I bet with a noob like you?" Chen Xuan sneered. Aside from the Primordial treasures, I've got tens of millions in assets. Why would I gamble with a clown like you? I must be bored.
"Heh... Don't you dare?" Chen Wang used provocation.
"This is a clown's trick. I wouldn't have played it even in elementary school. What the hell would I bet with you for?" Chen Xuan looked at him as if he were a clown. Why not turn the tables instead?
"You..." Chen Wang had yet to make his three bold moves as the new village chief, and he was already being humiliated to death. How could he accept that? He roared, "Dare to bet... If I lose, all the farmland can be leased out, including my position as village chief and the fifty mu of sugar tangerines in my hands. I'll transfer everything to you at cost."
"However, if you lose... get out of Chen Family Village and never come back again. How about that?"
Chen Wang was solemn and full of confidence. As one of the few major agricultural growers in the village, his annual income from sugar tangerines was enough to make him wildly arrogant.
He controlled the county's supply and distribution channels, possessed advanced planting techniques, and had the village chief's position and connections with the officials. Handling a little Chen Xuan would be child's play...
Chen Xuan smiled...
The fish had taken the bait...
"Fine... You blindly confident fool. Since the bet is on, let's write up a contract and have the old village chief take it to the town's Industry and Information Technology Bureau." Chen Xuan did not trust him. Only a contract could be reliable.
"Fine... I'll draft it tomorrow and let you see what developing the countryside is really about. Reading for two years doesn't mean you understand farm work." Chen Wang snorted and led a group of villagers toward the mountain land.
Planting sugar tangerines, Mashui tangerines, and Emperor tangerines on the mountain, and even raising chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep nearby—this was the greatest advantage of developing the countryside...
Chen Wang had the connections. Everything could be solved...
"Are these really people? Why are they all so awful, always looking for trouble?" As a true ancient person—a genuine primitive—Houtu wore a look of utter shock.
"People's hearts change. We also became complicated through calamity after calamity, eventually reaching Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotion, seeing all living beings as ants..." Nuwa smiled faintly.
"Impossible... Our Wu clan is absolutely a people with affection and loyalty." Houtu was utterly convinced.
"Enough. The valley ahead has already been contracted to me. We'll begin transforming it here." Chen Xuan interrupted them and looked toward a valley of at least forty mu.
Mountains surrounded it on all sides, and lush greenery spread everywhere. From time to time, the cries of large birds echoed from the depths of the mountains, while a murmuring stream flowed nearby. Transportation was extremely inconvenient, and no one wanted to invest here. Only a fool like Chen Xuan would do it.
The town was afraid Chen Xuan would change his mind, so it quickly contracted the land out and signed the agreement. The remaining fields required the cooperation of other villages...
"Great God Nuwa... How do you think we should arrange things? Spiritual Energy Revival will begin here..."
Chen Xuan looked over the valley. Would it really be suitable for planting Dragon Tooth Rice?
"It can work... Take out the Immortal Pond first. With the nourishment of spiritual water, we can probably plant a little Dragon Tooth Rice. The other areas can be used for other crops..."
Nuwa glanced around and began making arrangements.
Chen Xuan handed the Universe Bag to Nuwa...
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