The Domineering Cultivator Farmer

Chapter 9: Taking Over Sanfengzhai

It had always been Fang Zhong’s wish to help the villagers lead a better life, but the village had no special local products or famous tourist attractions. Relying solely on farming offered little income, so the young people had left in droves to find work elsewhere, and now the village was nearly deserted. “Uncle, I can guarantee that the herbal baths I prepare will be incredibly effective. Once we get the ball rolling, there’ll be a steady stream of people coming for treatment. Plus, our village is completely unpolluted—the air is fresh, the forests are well-preserved, and with birds singing and flowers blooming everywhere, we should be able to attract tourists to come and enjoy themselves—fishing, picking wild berries, and taking in the scenery. Then the village can earn some money by hosting these visitors.” Fang Yun had been thinking about this for quite some time. The scenery in the village was truly beautiful: a small river, like a white ribbon, encircled most of the village; houses were faintly visible beneath the trees; and in the distance, rolling hills were densely forested, their lush greenery a delight to the eye. When it was time to cook, wisps of smoke rose from here and there, making the scene look just like a landscape painting. When people grow tired of the city’s concrete jungle and have had enough of car exhaust, coming to this tranquil mountain village to breathe in the fresh air, relax, and take the whole family on a spring outing—fishing, hiking, and sampling some simple farmhouse dishes—will surely make them fall in love with this place. Of course, the first step is to build its reputation—otherwise, even the most beautiful scenery is wasted if no one knows about it. That’s why Fang Yun decided to build a health resort. Those who can afford to come for recuperation are mostly the wealthy and powerful; as long as their health is restored, they’ll spread the word and put the village on the map. “Then Sanfeng Village is all yours—no need to worry about the money,” Fang Zhong declared, sealing the deal. “Uncle, that won’t do. I absolutely need the money—after all, the mountain belongs to the village collectively. Besides, I plan to lease it for fifty years.” Fang Zhongyi realized he had a point—what if the business took off and someone got jealous or started spreading rumors? “All right, then. One thousand a year—just put up fifty thousand,” “Uncle, that won’t do. Ten thousand a year—I’ll go sign the contract at the village office right now.” A thousand a year was practically giving it away for free, and Fang Yun refused under any circumstances to take advantage of the village. After much back-and-forth, Fang Zhong finally agreed to Fang Yun’s price. Fang Yun accompanied Fang Zhong to the village committee, where they handed over the money and signed the contract. Before they even made it back home, word had already spread throughout the village. The villagers were buzzing with speculation, all hoping that Fang Yun would successfully attract tourists. After all, everyone wanted to earn a little extra money to make life a bit better. Hearing the villagers’ chatter, although Fang Yun was confident in his plan, he still felt a great deal of pressure and secretly resolved to make this a success. The next day, Fang Yun got up early to climb up to Sanfengzhai and make a proper plan. As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw Little Yeyue, his little bottom sticking up in the air, digging for cicadas under the willow tree by the pond. “Uncle, where are you going? Yeyue wants to come too,” the little one said, clinging to Fang Yun the moment he saw him getting ready to leave. “Uncle isn’t going to play. Uncle is going up the mountain to take a look. Why don’t you stay home and play, Yeyue?” “No, no! Yeyue wants to go up the mountain too. Please take me with you, Uncle,” the little one insisted, refusing to let go. “All right, all right, Uncle will take you. You little pest,” Fang Yun said, feeling exasperated as he tapped Yeyue’s little nose. The mountain trail was about 1. 5 meters wide, paved with interlocking stone slabs. Dense trees lined both sides, and the weeds grew so tall that if Yeyue were to duck into them, not even his head would be visible. Along the way, birds chirped cheerfully, and every now and then they’d spot a few squirrels leaping among the trees, causing Yeyue to squeal with delight. When they reached the spring, Fang Yun crouched down and cupped a handful of water. It was ice-cold and just as sweet as ever—not a bit changed. A few rows of single-story houses stood by the spring—left behind by bandits long ago. Built with large, rectangular stones, they were still in perfect condition and incredibly sturdy. This worked out well for Fang Yun; with just a little renovation, they’d be ready to move into. Standing on the mountaintop and looking out over the distance, the entire village lay spread out before him. At that moment, the villagers were preparing breakfast; amid the wispy炊烟, the houses with their upturned eaves seemed shrouded in mist, looking almost otherworldly. Fang Yun was deeply captivated by the scene. Qiaotou Village lies at the junction of two mountain ranges. The forested area behind the village belongs entirely to the villagers. The forest covers a vast expanse, but beyond two mountains, no one dares to venture in—the trees there are so dense that there’s simply no path to follow. Wild boars are often spotted there, and in the past, a wild ox even ran out of the mountains and into the village—though the villagers drove it back into the mountains with the sound of gongs and drums. According to local mountain lore, when wild beasts enter the village, it means the spirits of their ancestors have returned to visit everyone. After wandering around the mountains for a while, Fang Yun took Yeyue back down the mountain to have breakfast at home. “Dad, I took a look up on the mountain—there’s quite a bit of work to be done. See if you can find a few people to help,” Fang Yun said to Fang Changsheng after they got home. “No problem. It’s not the busy farming season right now, so there should be plenty of people with free time.” After breakfast, Fang Changsheng took several villagers he’d recruited and headed up the mountain to help with the cleanup. They repainted the walls with white lime. Some wild trees growing haphazardly on the mountaintop also needed to be cut down, while Fang Yun prepared to clear the mountain of snakes, insects, rodents, and ants. It would take at least a few days to get all this done. Over the past few days, Fang Yun had diverted a considerable amount of spring water into the reservoir, onto the mountain, and even into the pond by the small river at the village entrance. The spring water greatly enhanced the growth of both plants and animals. Fang Yun thought that if there were more fish and shrimp in the water in the future, it might attract some waterbirds that feed on fish. With the trees growing better, the village would look even more beautiful, and visitors in the future could enjoy themselves even more. However, Fang Yun had underestimated the power of the spring water. In less than half a month, the number of fish in the water had noticeably increased; standing on the bridge, one could see schools of fish swimming freely back and forth in the water. The lotus leaves in the pond had nearly doubled in size, and one lotus flower after another was blooming in a race to be the first. When a gentle breeze blew by, a refreshing fragrance filled the air. The scales on the red carp shone even more brightly, a dazzling red, and they seemed to have gained a touch of liveliness compared to before; every time they spotted Fang Yun, they would swim over to play with him. What left Fang Yun most speechless was that the dead tree by the bridge—which had once been struck by lightning, leaving only a hollowed-out stump—had actually sprouted new buds. Moreover, it was growing rapidly; in just half a month, the new branches had already reached half a meter in length. This prompted quite a few elderly grandmothers to set up an incense altar beneath the tree and burn incense daily, insisting that their ancestors had manifested. Fang Yun watched this scene, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Half a month later, the mountain was finally tidied up. Fang Yun fenced off the mountain spring pool, added some water from his spatial realm, and threw in some medicinal herbs he’d gathered from the mountain, inviting everyone to soak in it. Instantly, the fatigue of the past few days vanished, and they felt ten times more energetic. Everyone’s confidence in the medicinal bath Fang Yun had described soared, and they eagerly awaited tourists coming here for treatment. “I’m planning to take a trip to the provincial capital after dinner,” Fang Yun told his dad during the meal. “To the provincial capital? Is there something you need to do?” his mother asked, a touch of concern in her voice. “Nothing much—I just need to buy some supplies. There are certain things you can only find there,” Fang Yun hurried to explain. He planned to go to the provincial capital to buy some jade so he could set up a spirit-gathering array on the mountain and at home. “Be careful, stay safe, and come back soon,” his mom urged. “Okay, I’ll be back soon,” Fang Yun said. After finishing his meal, he got in his car and set off for the provincial capital.