Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

Chapter 310 News from the Border

Zhou Liufei got married and lived a sweet and wonderful life, which also improved Grandma Yu's complexion.

Every time Grandma Yu came to the Li family for a chat, she would beam with joy and say, "Oh my, this has finally relieved me of a worry. Now I'm just waiting to hold my great-grandson!"

Judging from its color, Li Xiaonuan could sense that Grandma Fish was in high spirits.

It was as if a life in despair had been given a glimmer of hope, and was once again filled with hope and vitality.

After getting married, Zhou Liufei was very diligent. She not only took good care of her own land and the land of her mother-in-law's family, but also took advantage of her free time to go hunting in the mountains.

Of course, as the brother-in-law, the second young master of Chu naturally had to follow him around and learn the skills of these farmers.

Furthermore, Chu Xun'er also lowered her status, put on coarse cloth clothes, and followed Granny Yu in and out.

She would either deliver meals to Zhou Liufeng and the Second Young Master Chu in the fields, or help with planting in the fields.

In short, the spring planting season has come to a lively and bustling end.

During this time, Chu Xun'er and Li Xiaonuan met twice. But each time, Chu Xun'er remained indifferent, merely offering a polite greeting before leaving.

But Li Xiaonuan could tell from Chu Xun'er's expression, which couldn't hide anything, that Chu Xun'er was genuinely calm, and it wasn't for any other reason.

Perhaps it was the change in her status that made her grow up.

Now, Li Xiaonuan is the one who's high and mighty. So Chu Xun'er understood and didn't try to curry favor or pester her.

It seems that this upheaval has affected not only the political situation, but also people's hearts.

Back then, Chu Xun'er was such a spoiled and domineering person, but now she is willing to be a hardworking peasant woman.

Spring planting has ended, but construction in Zhoucun continues.

Li Xiaonuan thought to herself, if some people like to hear the sound of rain hitting banana leaves, then they should naturally plant some banana trees in the village.

Of course, bananas should also be planted. Banana plants are relatively short, so they can be planted near eaves and houses.

But banana trees are different. Banana trees are much taller and stronger, so they need to be planted further away from the house. Otherwise, if a strong wind blows the tree down and damages the house.

Because the banana trees are tall and straight with large, lush green leaves, the villagers unanimously decided to plant a row of banana trees on both sides of the road from the village entrance to the main road.

As for under the banana tree, other flowers and plants can be planted.

Hibiscus is the most common flower in the area. Therefore, the villagers planted hibiscus under the banana trees. Among the hibiscus, they scattered kapok trees.

Li Xiaonuan loves kapok trees the most, especially when they bloom every spring. The fiery red kapok flowers are always a rare sight.

Along the narrow path from the village entrance to each household, villagers have planted fruits such as peaches, plums, pears, oranges, and pomelos.

Of all the trees, the jackfruit tree is the one that Li Xiaonuan likes the most.

Li Xiaonuan loves jackfruit, especially the fruit. Cooked jackfruit has a sweet, powdery flavor that rivals chestnuts.

As for the large lake in the village, weeping willows and grape trees were planted around it.

Rose apple is a fruit tree variety whose flowers and fruits are both delicious. Every spring, rose apple trees bloom with velvety flowers. Children climb the trees, pick the flowers, and then eat the pollen- and nectar-laden blossoms in one bite.

Rose apple blossoms are fragrant, sweet, and crisp, making them a favorite among children.

Of course, the children won't miss out when the grapes ripen.

However, rose apples are prone to insect infestation, so it's best to break them open before eating to check for any worms inside.

Besides rose apples and weeping willows, other fruit trees are planted along the lake shore.

Longan, lychee, pomegranate and mango trees, among others, filled the open space along the lake shore.

As for the area near the River God Temple, Earth God Temple, and Mountain God Temple in Jiuzhou Village, Li Xiaonuan had ginkgo trees planted there.

Ginkgo tree is its common name; it also has a very beautiful name: silver apricot tree.

Because the three temples are arranged in a triangular shape around the old Zhoucun village, the ginkgo trees surround the entire village.

Next, we'll look at the area surrounding the village—the places where the fields meet the forests. Li Xiaonuan's suggestion is to plant fruit trees there.

Plant some of all the fruit trees that are suitable for growing in this area.

Of course, it would be best to plant them separately by variety, in individual plots.

As for those barren slopes and hills, since the land is infertile and cannot grow crops or trees, the villagers planted wildflowers and grasses with strong vitality on them.

Of course, it was impossible to find so many tree species all at once. Therefore, the construction of Zhoucun was still in its infancy.

However, the villagers' enthusiasm for construction remains very high.

Because Li Xiaonuan's proposal also included a project that would benefit the people.

That is, to lay down walkways in various scenic areas. They can be made of wood or stone.

This project will allow tourists to walk on mud-free roads, and also prevent villagers from having to wade through mud and water when it rains.

So, after the spring planting, the villagers planted the few fruit trees they had collected and then began to build bridges and pave roads.

As for building a bridge, that was something Li Xiaonuan hadn't thought of. After all, the stream from the village to the Yong River wasn't wide or deep, and the villagers usually preferred to wade across it.

With everyone working together, it took more than two months to finally create the basic structure of the village roads.

Soon, it will be May. The two magnolia trees in Lijia Garden have begun to bloom one after another.

Li Xiaonuan spends several hours every day standing in front of the magnolia tree to admire the flowers.

Of course, it was others who said she was admiring the flowers. Only Li Xiaonuan herself knew that she was actually admiring the people.

Li Xiaonuan eventually learned that the two trees were sent by Wei Yu using the name of Prince Jing.

Wei Yu has been in the Northwest for nearly half a year since last October. However, he hasn't sent her a single message during this time.

In March, Li Xiaonuan couldn't help but write to Princess Qingning to inquire about Wei Yu's whereabouts.

However, Princess Qingning's reply was not very clear either.

Basically, Wei Yu is doing well at the border, but he's just tied up and won't be able to come back for a while.

As for what the old Taoist priest had said about Wei Yu facing a great calamity, Li Xiaonuan wrote to ask about it three or five times, but the little princess didn't reveal a single word.

Originally, Li Xiaonuan thought that she was heartless and would never have any feelings for any man.

However, as Wei Yu failed to send her any news for a long time this time, Li Xiaonuan began to worry about both sides.

Especially a few days ago, when some merchants from the Northwest came to the city and advised the city's residents to prepare for evacuation, Li Xiaonuan became even more worried.

Regardless of whether the talk of merchants is alarmist, the recent frequent troop deployments by the imperial court, coupled with the addition of many new tax items to various regions, indicate that the war situation there is far from optimistic.

In particular, many people who fled from the northwest have now gathered outside the city.

Li Xiaonuan personally asked an old man and learned that their village had been affected by Qi Song's army, which burned it down overnight. They had no choice but to flee here.

“Girl, when we escaped here, the enemy had already captured many prefectures and counties. I heard that an official was seriously wounded by the enemy and is still missing, his fate unknown.”

At that time, the old man was grateful that Li Xiaonuan didn't mind his dirtiness and even gave him food, so he told her all this.