The barren mountains contracted by Shen Yao were, in a sense, owned. Although many villagers had their own plots of land and the mountain forests had been left untended for some time, they still had owners.
This was unlike the unmanaged state of truly barren mountains, so hiring people to clear them was much quicker. The most important factor was that at least the original paths were still usable.
There was no need to be like the Shen family, whose land was a complete wasteland with no paths at all, requiring them to forge their own.
After the villagers finished clearing the barren mountains, Shen Yao’s medicinal seedlings and seeds, stored in her spatial dimension, were also nearly ready.
With everything prepared, the next step was naturally sowing.
The medicinal seedlings and seeds provided did require payment, and the prices were not excessively high, being similar to ordinary medicinal seedlings and seeds sold elsewhere.
However, given the large area being planted and the fact that the seeds and seedlings were inherently more expensive than common varieties, many villagers expressed that they couldn't afford the full amount upfront.
The Shen family didn't insist on immediate payment. But recognizing that there were some particularly impoverished villagers, the Shen family devised a solution.
They would allow the villagers to use the harvested medicinal herbs to offset the cost of their seeds.
This decision by the Shen family left the villagers incredulous. Even those who had previously held a grudge against them couldn't help but fall silent upon witnessing the Shen family's actions.
After all, such behavior from the Shen family was almost akin to giving money away.
Therefore, even though many villagers had some money on hand, upon hearing of this alternative, they all chose to wait until the medicinal herbs were harvested and sold, using the proceeds to cover the seed costs.
The Shen family wasn't worried about them defaulting, as everything was contractually bound. Moreover, they currently had sufficient funds and weren't in desperate need of the money.
However, this benevolent offer was a one-time arrangement. Once the medicinal herbs were harvested, payment would be required before providing seeds.
Even with this single opportunity, the villagers were overjoyed, as it essentially represented an investment with no risk.
Although the risk was minimal, the cost of hiring laborers still needed to be borne by themselves.
Anyone in the vicinity who had previously worked for others was a prime candidate for hiring. Many possessed experience, which naturally led to fewer mistakes during the planting of medicinal herbs.
At times like these, the Shen family became the busiest in the entire village, constantly being called to one place and then another.
They were incessantly asked if the method of planting the herbs was correct, if the planting depth was right, or even if the correct herbs were being planted.
Even Shen Yao, who intended to be idle, couldn't escape this, having to accompany them on their rounds of inspection.
However, it was precisely because of this that the village now appeared so much better than before.
Previously, because everyone had neglected the mountain forests, the only descriptor that could be applied was "lush green," with almost no other terms of praise.
But things were different now. Having been specifically tidied by hired hands, the mountain forests in this area looked exceptionally neat.
The villagers had also considered planting fruit trees, following the example of others. However, they couldn't, as Shen Yao had informed them much earlier that the fruit trees the Shen family planted were obtained through connections at the agricultural research institute.
They were rare and hard-won. If everyone in their village wanted to obtain fruit trees from her, the chances were slim, and distributed evenly, each household would only receive a few trees, making it less worthwhile.
However, they heeded the Shen family's advice and also planted some common fruit trees in their region.
Even if they couldn't fetch the exorbitant prices like the Shen family, as long as they managed them diligently and potential buyers saw such a large expanse of orchards, they would still be willing to make purchases.
This represented another stream of unexpected income. Since management was required anyway, planting more fruit trees could lead to additional revenue, so why not?
The villagers' progress in planting medicinal herbs proceeded in an orderly fashion. Shen Yao also received a message from Mo Chen.
Upon reading the message, Shen Yao suddenly remembered that she and Mo Chen hadn't seen each other for nearly a month.
While they video chatted daily, what was seen on a phone screen was naturally not as substantial as seeing someone in person.
After seeing the message, Shen Yao decided she would embark on her "journey to find her husband" once more.
The Shen family was not surprised by Shen Yao's decision and enthusiastically helped her pack her luggage.
Observing her parents' eagerness, Shen Yao felt a pang of confusion. "Mom, Dad, why are you so enthusiastic this time?"
If she recalled correctly, her parents hadn't exhibited this attitude the last time she mentioned taking the two little ones to find Mo Chen.
"What do you mean enthusiastic? Although they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, Mo Chen always comes to find you. It's only natural for you to go find him once or twice," Shen's mother said to Shen Yao.
In reality, that wasn't the most important reason.
The most significant factor was that Shen Yao had been extremely busy lately. Even during video calls with Mo Chen, they were brief, exchanging only a few words before hanging up.
She no longer mentioned Mo Chen frequently as she used to. Several times, she had wondered if she and Mo Chen had had an argument.
Now, hearing her daughter say she was going to find Mo Chen confirmed that their relationship was not strained, so of course, she had to support it!
It wasn't that she was belittling her own daughter, but even though her daughter was wealthy and attractive, finding a man better than Mo Chen would be truly difficult!
At the very least, among everyone she knew, she hadn't encountered anyone who doted on his girlfriend more than Mo Chen.
Even the men in her own family couldn't compare to him.
Shen Yao: "So, Mom, you don't think we argued, do you?"
Shen Yao found it both amusing and exasperating. She wasn't the type to be overly affectionate, nor did she pick fights without reason.
So, she wondered, what reason could possibly exist for her to argue with Mo Chen?
At least, as of now, Shen Yao couldn't think of any.
The luggage was packed very quickly. Shen's father and mother even packed several boxes of local specialties for Shen Yao to take with her.
After refusing twice, Shen Yao realized she couldn't change their minds and consequently compromised.
Indeed, the items her parents had packed were quite difficult to purchase in Kyoto, as their home-grown vegetables were not always readily available.
Since she didn't have to worry about it herself, she let them have their way.