Chapter 5: Can you do it? Do it?

Village Chief Hua felt that whenever he saw Ji Ling lately, trouble was sure to follow.

True to form, just as work ended and everyone had returned their farm tools, Ji Ling locked the door and limped her way over to the chief's house.

"Lass Ling, why are you here at this hour?" The chief stood under a large tree, slurping down a bowl of thin porridge.

"Chief, I’ve been in my position for a while now, and I’ve come to give you a report," Ji Ling said, flashing a smile that revealed her white teeth as she waved a sheet of paper.

"What kind of work?" The chief was confused. Wasn't she just a scorekeeper? Had those people failed to return their tools properly? Or had they broken them? In the brief moment it took to process this, the chief’s imagination began to run wild.

"No, that’s not it. I’ve spent this time carefully organizing the tools in the storage shed—tracking their frequency of use, location, and wear and tear. Combined with my own field observations, I’ve discovered that the harvest we get from the sandy patch in the northwest is far less than the effort we put in."

At the mention of that northwest field, the chief felt a headache coming on and reached to scratch his head, but remembering how little hair he had left, he dropped his hand, and his porridge suddenly lost its appeal.

"But what else can we do? If we don't grow grain in the sandy soil, what are we going to eat?" The chief sighed.

"I heard that Red Flag Village raises quite a lot of livestock, and they need fodder. We could grow grass to sell to them, and then use the money to buy grain for everyone."

The chief listened, thinking it sounded like a fantasy. Just as he was about to voice his opinion, Ji Ling continued, "Not just any grass. I’ve researched it; we can plant alkali grass. It grows well in dry areas and provides excellent green fodder. It’s fragrant, palatable, and serves as high-quality feed for livestock, plus it stores well."

"If the livestock in Wang Village eat our grass and grow better than before, the business will be a success. We might even be able to buy some of their livestock back for the holidays. Most importantly, it will provide a subsidy for the villagers. After all, everyone is so poor that they can barely afford anything. Chief, don't you agree?"

Village Chief Hua felt like he was being talked into a corner by Ji Ling, but he managed to steady himself. "I—I’ll consider it. This involves our food supply; it’s not a game."

"Chief, how about I take a few people to reclaim some land on the northwest side? We can do it after our regular shifts. It won't interfere with our field work, and we can see if my plan is feasible. If it works, the benefits will be great; if not, we haven't lost anything."

Shen Yi stepped out from the shadows. He had been following Ji Ling from a distance because it was dark and he was worried about her safety. Although they had already confessed their feelings to each other, he didn't want her to face criticism on his account. However, now that he knew her plan was unlikely to be approved by the timid and cautious chief, he couldn't help but step out to support her.

Ji Ling smiled and glanced at Shen Yi. The two of them stood silently, looking at the chief.

Under their gaze, the chief stiffened and took a defensive gulp of porridge, nearly choking. "Since you want to reclaim new land, go ahead. But I’m warning you, don't let it interfere with your regular work! Otherwise, I’ll deduct your work points."

"Understood," Shen Yi nodded. The few of them weren't assigned good land anyway, and the northwest side was nearby, so it was convenient.

After bidding the chief farewell, Ji Ling and Shen Yi walked side by side under the dim moonlight and stars.

"Thank you for just now," Ji Ling said, turning to look up at him. Under the moonlight, the fierceness Shen Yi showed during the day had faded, replaced by a handsome gentleness.

"It’s nothing. You’re planning to raise livestock?" Shen Yi looked at her with burning intensity. Her eyes twinkled like stars; this girl he had long admired always brought him unexpected surprises.

"Yes. I want to live a life where I can eat what I want and do what I want, so I have to work hard first," Ji Ling replied, half-jokingly. "Of course, my happy life must include you."

Shen Yi stumbled, nearly losing his footing. He covered his mouth with his fist and coughed. "Cough, cough... don't, don't talk nonsense. You can't just say things like that."

"Can't say it? Then... can we do it?" Ji Ling looked at him with amusement.

Shen Yi’s brain short-circuited. *Do it? Do... what?*

After teasing him, Ji Ling left him standing there, red-faced and bewildered, while she sauntered off with her hands on her hips.