Not until the rabbit appears do we release the hawk. Xu Weiguo knew his friend well, so even when it was time for dinner, he remained unmoved when the Shen family invited him to eat.
Finally, Sun Yue couldn't withstand Xu Weiguo's gaze and followed the Shen family back to the farmhouse restaurant.
Although dinner time had passed, the restaurant still retained the aroma of lingering food, making the stomachs of those already hungry rumble even louder.
Shen Huaimin returned to the kitchen, and with the chefs, quickly served a table full of dishes.
Fortunately, their farmhouse was considerate. Fearing that guests might not always fill a table, they specially built two giant round tables.
The first dishes served were meat, which Shen Huaimin and the others had the kitchen prepare long in advance.
In the south, there's an old saying about treating guests: "No banquet is complete without chicken." Thus, chicken was the first dish served.
Poached chicken, glazed duck, steamed pork belly, braised fish, stuffed lotus root with pork...
After all these were served, vegetables were then presented. Cucumbers picked from the backyard were made into a cold cucumber salad, eggplant and beans were stir-fried into braised eggplant with beans, and tomatoes and other vegetables were also served.
A table laden with dishes, a total of 18 items, plus two soups, all characteristic southern soups.
Two of the chefs in the kitchen were elderly. At their age, they enjoyed watching the news and recognized Xu Weiguo and his companions immediately.
They were all leaders!
Being able to cook a meal for a leader was something they could boast about for a lifetime!
Therefore, they put in 120,000% of their effort into the dishes they prepared, making each one a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
Even Xu Weiguo and his companions, who were accustomed to eating from large pots in the army, couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful presentation.
Xu Weiguo, having the highest rank among them, was the first to pick up his chopsticks. As soon as he served himself, everyone couldn't wait any longer and reached for their preferred dishes.
As soon as the food touched their mouths, everyone began eating heartily. At this moment, who was the leader and who was the subordinate was completely disregarded.
All 18 dishes were cleared, and even the soup was used to soak into the rice.
Ten or so people, 18 dishes, each portion generously served, and they were all devoured completely!
After the meal, Sun Yue expressed his desire to visit the greenhouses and the newly developed barren mountains.
Xu Weiguo and his companions also had no intention of leaving now, as they had new ideas.
So, the group set off again in a grand procession to other locations.
This time, Shen Yao did not go along, only Shen's father, Shen Huaimin, and Shen Huaijin accompanied them.
Upon returning home, Shen Yao was handed a small cake by Mo Xuan. "Mother, you must be hungry. Here, have something to eat."
Shen Yao took the small cake and scanned Mo Xuan with her gaze. "Alright, tell me, what's on your mind?"
Mo Xuan chuckled twice and then said, "Mother, can you change my name for me?"
Mo Xuan was on the verge of a breakdown with the name Zhao Tiezhu.
That sickly kid, wherever he learned his current identity information, now called him Zhao Tiezhu whenever he saw him!
Shen Yao: ...
So, you came all this way just for this?
"Okay, after things settle down, I'll take you to your place of registered residence to change your name and migrate your household registration here."
Mo Xuan couldn't remain an undocumented person forever.
Moreover, Mo Xuan's registered age was only 21, slightly younger than herself. She felt that life should have a complete experience.
Therefore, Shen Yao had already looked up some university admission requirements online and decided that Mo Xuan would start school in September.
Now, Mo Xuan's time spent transforming back into a snake was becoming increasingly less. With another Dragon Bone Grass, he should be able to completely control this situation.
Mo Xuan was unaware of Shen Yao's plan, but he was very happy to hear that Shen Yao would change his name.
As evening approached, Xu Weiguo, Sun Yue, and the others returned.
There was no time to prepare a meal for them, so the group gathered in the Shen family's living room, stating they needed to discuss matters.
It turned out that the results from the instruments Sun Yue brought to test the Shen family's land and crops were out.
"We have tested the land here and found that it is suitable for growing all kinds of plants. Most importantly, it can increase the efficacy of plants like ingredients and medicinal herbs by more than tenfold. Therefore, we would like to request that you sell us everything you have planted," Sun Yue said, looking at Shen Yao.
"The value of those crops is simply too high, especially those of medicinal herbs."
Clearly, they had discovered the Shen family's situation and knew that the person in charge was this young girl, Shen Yao.
Shen Yao simply smiled upon hearing this and did not respond.
Xu Weiguo continued, "Can you prioritize providing the crops and medicinal herbs you grow to our troops?"
Shen Yao replied, "Medicinal herbs can be prioritized for you, but other things might not be possible."
Shen Yao was being straightforward.
"For the orchard on the back mountain, I have already partnered with the Zhou family in H City for the fruits. Therefore, a portion of the fruits must go to them.
Additionally, our farmhouse also needs them. So, after accounting for all of this, we can only spare some of the excess to distribute to you."
Zhou Yanan's family owned department stores, and she had returned to help manage the family business.
She was currently in charge of the large chain supermarkets within the department stores. A few days ago, she mentioned that she would help purchase the vegetables from Shen Yao's greenhouses once they matured.
Shen Yao knew then that Zhou Yanan was worried that no one would buy the produce from their greenhouses, so she was offering her help.
Shen Yao smiled and agreed, asking her to help resolve the sales channels, to which Zhou Yanan readily agreed.
Sun Yue, hearing this and having been preempted by his friend, quickly added, "We want some too!"
Xu Weiguo: "Your research institute only has a few people; they can't eat that much. Look at us; our troops have to go procure supplies every two days. With so many people to feed, we can consume it all!"
"What are you talking about, you bumpkin? Who says our research institute can't eat it? Our institute is no less than your troops! I don't care, we must have a share!"
"What do you know? The more our troops buy, the more Shen's brother can eat. Think about it, after leaving home, what do you miss the most if not home-cooked meals?"
Sun Yue's face darkened upon hearing this, and thus, Xu Weiguo and Sun Yue began to argue.
The Shen family listened, dumbfounded. So, their visit had also solved the sales issues for their vegetables and medicinal herbs?
In the end, Shen Yao decided to provide Sun Yue with supplies once a week, with each delivery being two trucks' worth. The troops, due to their larger numbers, would receive supplies twice a week, also two trucks' worth each time.
Although Sun Yue was not satisfied, he had no choice, as he didn't have any "hostages" in his possession!