The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 486 - 457: Busy in March, Request _1

Chapter 486: Chapter 457: Busy in March, Request _1

On the third day of the third month, the peach blossoms in Peach Blossom Garden bloomed.

Petal by petal, the pink blossoms under the sunlight revealed a charming color, resembling the cheeks of a young girl, dainty and delightful.

Wang Shuping made peach blossom honey and also brewed Peach Blossom Wine, storing them away to be enjoyed in the autumn.

The alcohol content was low, suitable for women to drink, invigorating the muscles and blood, and beneficial for beauty and complexion.

The tasks of the animal husbandry team were temporarily handed over to the likes of Professor Wang, Professor Gu, and others.

He Tiantian and Aunt Liu were all called away to plant peach trees. Now, the peach trees were of utmost priority in the work of Qijia Village, and there could be no slightest neglect.

While Qijia Village was busily transplanting peach trees, Director Yang led several assistants to continue excavating the ancient tomb. The project had been halted earlier due to the cold weather freezing the ground, preventing work from progressing.

As spring warmed and flowers blossomed, it was also their time to commence work.

"Comrade He, our excavation of the ancient tomb is very close to your Peach Orchard, and we may need you to transplant these peach trees elsewhere," Director Yang said, making a point of speaking to He Jingyu in advance.

Moving people would stir things up; moving trees would potentially kill them.

Though his presence would prevent the trees from dying, it would nonetheless affect this year’s peach yield.

"Director Yang, it’s not that we’re unwilling to support your work. How about this? You start from the robber hole, and if there is an ancient tomb beneath the Peach Orchard, we will move to another location. If not, we’ll stay put. After all, these trees are four years old and at a crucial stage for blooming and bearing fruit. We can’t act rashly," He Jingyu said. The treasures underneath belonged to the nation, but the crops above were the villagers’ livelihood and his hard work, which couldn’t be wasted so carelessly.

Seeing that He Jingyu was not a unreasonable person—he had articulated that he wouldn’t move the trees unless there was an ancient tomb underneath—Director Yang understood.

"Thank you, Comrade He," Director Yang said with a smile, "We will need the local community’s cooperation for our future work."

"Of course," He Jingyu said, his smile amiable.

Once Director Yang left to commence excavation work nearby, He Jingyu went down to the village to find Village Chief Qi and convey Director Yang’s intentions.

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Qi’s face took on an unpleasant expression. To put it bluntly, what was buried in the ground was national property, which had nothing to do with Qijia Village, but the plants grown on it related to their income!

"I’ve been informed about this matter, and I will coordinate with Director Yang privately, ensuring he doesn’t dig around the Peach Orchard," Village Chief Qi said. "I’ll be frank with you, after last year’s peaches were sent out, they received much praise. When I attended a meeting in the county this year, County Chief Niu specifically mentioned this to me and urged me to ensure this year’s peach supply."

"Ha, looks like the leaders have taken a liking to them," He Jingyu said. "If we transplant the peach trees, it will definitely affect the production of the peaches."

"Exactly," Village Chief Qi replied. "There’s an old saying in the countryside: Move people and they’ll recover; move trees and they’ll die. These trees absolutely cannot be moved. Even if there is something underneath, let them dig from elsewhere. Don’t worry about this—I’ll handle it. You and your wife just focus on the demanding task of planting the peach trees."

"Understood, don’t worry. The climate this year is favorable, and the survival rate of the saplings is very high," He Jingyu said confidently, believing that this year’s yield could increase by fifty percent.

Village Chief Qi was overjoyed. With He Jingyu, an expert in the field, providing such assurance, he could be completely at ease.

Later, Village Chief Qi talked with Director Yang and after some negotiation and testing, it was found that the soil layer beneath the Peach Orchard did not have the distinctive rammed earth of tombs, so the Peach Orchard was safe for the time being. However, news from Professor Yang indicated that there must be a large tomb not far from the robbery hole.

"Village Chief Qi, we have limited manpower and need the support of Qijia Village in labor and materials," Director Yang, who could directly request assistance from He Jingyu, did not dare to make bold demands with Village Chief Qi. A great dragon cannot oppress a local snake. For the excavation work, relying solely on their few hands was not enough; they had to conscript people from Qijia Village.

Village Chief Qi, upon hearing this, looked troubled and replied, "Director Yang, it’s not that we’re unwilling to help, but look, it’s springtime. After planting the peach trees, we need to start spring plowing. Only after the spring plowing can I allocate manpower to assist you."

Although Director Yang understood the importance of spring plowing, he worried about delays and hoped to excavate the large tomb as soon as possible.

"How about this, Village Chief Qi? I don’t need many, just help me find ten strong men to assist with the work. We have funds and can offer subsidies," Director Yang proposed. "No need for more, just ten men for now. After the spring plowing, we can increase the manpower."

Without enough endurance, they simply could not proceed.

After some hesitation, Village Chief Qi nodded: "Well, I’ll go and ask around to see if anyone is willing to come over."

"That would be greatly appreciated, Village Chief Qi," said Director Yang politely, knowing that local influence outweighed county-level authority and that he couldn’t afford to offend Village Chief Qi.

After Village Chief Qi left, a female assistant beside them, Yang Huihui, who was Director Yang’s distant niece, muttered softly, "Uncle, you’re so courteous to these small officials over such trivial matters. Why bother?"

"You’re still young and don’t understand the ways of the world," Director Yang shook his head and said, "As they say, it’s easy to deal with Yama Raja, but Little Ghosts are troublesome. If we were to show bad attitude, and Village Chief Qi said he couldn’t spare manpower due to the plowing or had no volunteers, our city authority wouldn’t mean we could borrow even one person from Qijia Village."

"If we can’t borrow from Qijia Village, we can ask other villages," Yang Huihui said discontentedly. "We offer subsidies; it’s not for free."

"It’s not that other villages aren’t an option, but our work is confidential. The items we uncover are worth an enormous fortune. It’s best to recruit helpers nearby. In case of theft, we can ensure the scope of the investigation is minimal and find the culprits in the shortest time," Director Yang explained. "You have much to learn. Don’t be in a hurry. Observe more, say less."

"Understood, Uncle," Yang Huihui responded, even though she harbored contempt, she didn’t dare to contradict her uncle.

She had just finished high school and only got the museum job through connections. Her backer was her uncle, whom she couldn’t afford to offend.

In her spare time, He Tiantian would come to cook for He Jingyu.

Now, He Jingyu spent almost all day in the Peach Orchard and had no time to go home for meals.

His mother, Wang Shuping, was also very busy, so He Tiantian usually prepared meals at home, ate with Third Grandma Qi, then brought the dishes up to cook some soup and vegetables for her dad, which went well with flatbread and tasted good.

It was only with delicious food that He Jingyu and Wang Shuping could replenish their strength quickly after hard work and embark on the next phase of tasks.