"Hmph..."
"Our Chen Family used to be a prominent clan. Many great officials and important figures came from it throughout the generations. We have always respected our clan rules and absolutely could not commit crimes..."
Old Village Chief Chen Wei was extremely dignified. He berated Chen Xuan loudly, showing not the slightest leniency because of Chen Xuan's achievements.
In many villages, the village chief and clan head were one and the same. In ancient times, the clan head held the power to decide a person's life or death—a true local emperor.
"Old Village Chief... hear me out." Chen Xuan was on the verge of tears.
"Uh... Don't think that making money means you can lose your conscience. I, Chen Wei, may be poor, but at least I have a kind heart. If you don't give me an explanation, you'll kneel in the ancestral hall and accept your punishment..."
The old village chief showed him no mercy. Even with three beautiful women present, he did not hold back at all. This concerned the reputation of the entire clan, so it had to be upheld.
"Old Village Chief... my vegetables are health-preserving products. Once you eat them, you'll definitely understand that they're worth the price. Besides, I'm selling them cheaply... If I didn't, other people wouldn't need to grow vegetables, and too many people would lose their livelihoods..."
Chen Xuan only had to imagine what would happen once his vegetables entered the market. They would be enough to sweep away all the competition, making it unnecessary for anyone else to grow them.
"So what? You're still exploiting people..." Old Village Chief Chen Wei rebuked him without the slightest courtesy.
"Old Village Chief, how about this? Five years from now, I'll definitely bring the price down and promote them nationwide. How about it?" Chen Xuan shook his head, yet felt gratified. This was an elder with a strong sense of responsibility.
"Hm... I'm watching you. The moment you lose your conscience, you can wait to be expelled from the Chen Family." Old Village Chief Chen Wei spoke with an air of righteousness.
"Fine, fine, fine... I bought some good liquor. You must come over for dinner." Chen Xuan smiled and spoke with great respect.
Chen Xuan was also curious. If he brought Great God Nuwa and Houtu to the ancestral hall and stood before the memorial tablets of their ancestors, would the place explode on the spot?
"Chen Xuan... are you really planning to promote them nationwide in the future? That would truly be an immeasurable merit." Town Chief Ye Shuiyan looked expectant. Whether for her political achievements or for the people and the nation, she felt it was her unavoidable responsibility.
"I'm growing vegetables not to make money..." Chen Xuan shook his head.
"Then what for?" Zhou Yanhong was extremely curious. She stared straight at him with her big eyes.
"Because the world is about to change..." Chen Xuan mysteriously raised his head.
He had acted as a thief in the primordial world and stolen some treasures back. He planned to restore spiritual energy through cultivation, allowing everyone to undergo a bodily purification through growing vegetables. Perhaps one day, the Age of Cultivation would be restored.
At that time, they could glimpse the mysteries of heaven and earth: why the Age of Dharma's End had arrived, why spiritual energy had withered, and where the gods and demons of old had gone...
Most importantly, if Spiritual Energy Revival did not happen soon, Earth's cultivation would truly become extinct. Relying on science to forge an entirely new path would take who knew how many years...
"You're being so mysterious. It definitely isn't anything good. Hmph..." Zhou Yanhong gave an arrogant snort.
"Let's go! This is my first time coming to Chen Family Village. It really is different. The air seems fresher, and my whole body feels much more at ease. All my troubles have vanished..."
Town Chief Ye Shuiyan got out of the car and walked along the village path. She seemed much happier, as though she had a pair of invisible wings that could carry her soaring into the sky at any moment.
"I feel the difference too. It clearly wasn't like this last time. No wonder you can grow such extraordinary watermelons." Zhou Yanhong spread her arms and took a deep breath.
"I love this place so much. Can I have a plot of land? Could I move here in the future?" Jiang Xian'er's eyes shone. She truly liked it.
"Many people from Chen Family Village work outside now. Only three or four hundred remain in the village. In the future, I'll develop tourism, farm stays, Temple Fairs... You'd better get ready early."
Chen Xuan gave them an introduction, making all three women's hearts stir. They wished they could immediately approve the plans and get to work. Before long, they arrived at the front door.
Upon entering the courtyard, they immediately saw two breathtakingly beautiful women holding potato chips and Happy Fat House Water, reclining in lounge chairs and gesturing animatedly as they watched Journey to the West...
"Sis... this stupid monkey is so dumb! He got played like a monkey—oh! He is a monkey to begin with. Do you think Patriarch Bodhi is that bastard? We could beat him up..."
Houtu was furious. She downed a bottle of Happy Fat House Water in one go, then let out a satisfied burp, savoring the aftertaste.
"Hehe... When the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king. We'd definitely beat him up. But that Treasure Seeking Rat transformed into Tathagata—he certainly looks impressive..." Great God Nuwa drank a can of Happy Fat House Water and kept eating french fries.
Beside the two women lay a huge pile of snacks, fruit, and roasted meat. They were happily watching the television drama, completely unconcerned about the people outside.
"I'm back!" Chen Xuan called out.
"Oh! Go cook already! I want something delicious..." Houtu spoke casually.
"I'm making Dongpo Pork today. I want to see whether it tastes good. Huh... there are guests at home, and it's Boss Zhou." Nuwa lazily glanced at the three women and reacted with casual surprise.
The two breathtakingly beautiful immortals, with the bearing of goddesses, stunned the three women. They were already beauties of the mortal world, admired, coveted, and desired by countless people. Obtaining even one of them would have been worth burning incense to the gods...
Compared with the two goddesses, they were utterly defeated in appearance, bearing, and composure...
"They're both...?" This was the first time Town Chief Ye Shuiyan had felt inferior. No wonder that bastard Chen Xuan had been so indifferent toward her.
"My name is Feng Xi..." Nuwa replied calmly.
"My name is Wu Ping Xin..." Houtu also answered casually.
The three women looked at one another, utterly speechless at how casual they were. Was this the aloofness of goddesses? They were even more curious about what relationship they had with Chen Xuan.
Creak...
The front gate was pushed open again. A handsome man with an otherworldly bearing and an air of refined scholarship stepped in leisurely. After setting down a table, he looked toward the two women inside and frowned.
"Haha... Brother... don't be angry. We'll clean up right away." Great God Nuwa shuddered all over. The person she feared most was none other than Fuxi, and she hurriedly smiled apologetically.
"You two could at least act like proper ladies. Look at this mess. This afternoon, you'll go farming with Chen Xuan. If you slack off again, don't blame your brother for being harsh." Fuxi snorted. This was simply outrageous. He had gone out to set up a fortune-telling stall.
"Got it..." Houtu answered lazily.
Fuxi wore a bitter smile. Coming to the later age had truly exhausted him. Why had two fine goddesses become shut-ins? They claimed they were watching Journey to the West and plotting the calamity, but clearly they were just slacking off and enjoying life...
The three women looked at the tall, handsome, elegantly dressed, and distinguished Fuxi before them. For no apparent reason, they felt a sense of inferiority...
"Hello... my name is Feng. I'm a friend of Chen Xuan's. If you don't mind, shall I tell your fortunes?" Fuxi smiled and took the initiative. He had set up a street stall that day, but so many people refused to believe him that he was deeply frustrated.
"Handsome guy... are you really a fortune-teller?" Zhou Yanhong plucked up her courage. She had never been timid before, but this was the first time she felt shy.
"I set up my stall at the entrance of the large temple in the neighboring village. Unfortunately, none of the village aunties believe me..." Fuxi sighed. He was a genuine grandmaster of fortune-telling.
"I'll give it a try..." Jiang Xian'er was thrilled and immediately volunteered.
"Haha..." Fuxi laughed heartily. "All right... You can write a character, have your bones read, give me your Eight Characters, have your face read, or have your palm read. Anything works..."
"That amazing?" Jiang Xian'er exclaimed. She immediately extended her fair hand. "Then read my palm..."
Fuxi glanced at it and understood everything. "You come from a single-parent family and are quite wealthy. This trip is an experience meant to prove to your family that you can succeed..."
Jiang Xian'er's eyes widened...
"He got it right?" Town Chief Ye Shuiyan was shocked. She did not know Jiang Xian'er's identity, so this naturally astonished her.
Zhou Yanhong nodded and immediately leaned over. "What about me?"
Fuxi smiled. "You originally had a fate filled with misfortune. Your family fortune would collapse, and you would die during a trip. But you encountered a benefactor, and your fate changed from then on..."
"This..." Zhou Yanhong glanced at Chen Xuan. It was indeed true. According to the original course of events, Meilin Grand Hotel would have schemed against her, and she would ultimately have been forced out after everything was settled.
Chen Xuan watched everything and gave Fuxi a thumbs-up. If Fuxi had been an ordinary person, this fortune-telling skill alone would have let him thrive, perhaps even earning him the support of some rich woman...
Sure enough, no matter the circumstances, if you truly had talent, you could make your way in the world with ease.
"Chen Xuan... you bastard, get out here!" Suddenly, an angry roar rang out from the gate.
"Yeah... get out here..."
"Chen Xuan... you've ruined the market. Get out here, or we'll smash your gate!"
"Come out and explain yourself! Why are you raising the labor wages? What are we supposed to do now?"
A group of people shouted at the gate. Looking closely, they turned out to be the new village chief, Chen Wang, along with the bosses from the other villages. They all had their own farms and had hired many farmers to work.
"What's going on?" Chen Xuan was in the kitchen. He came out with an annoyed look on his face.
"You bastard, just because you have a little money, you think you're great? Why are you paying the villagers a hundred yuan a day? We all agreed on seventy yuan a day, without food or lodging. Aren't you ruining the market? How are the rest of us supposed to pay our workers..."
A fishpond owner cursed furiously.
Chen Xuan smiled...
These days, when an employer raised the workers' wages, the workers did not cause trouble. Instead, the bosses did...
Wasn't this completely turning the world upside down?
Before you continue