Early the next morning, Li Xiaobao wandered all over the hills of Kao Mountain Village, mainly to check out which vacant fields in the village were in good locations to contract first. As for those in less desirable locations, he'd deal with them later.
Li Xiaobao knew that although he now had the Five Elemental Space treasure, he was just starting out in business. Not to mention anything else, he hadn't even figured out how to get the money he'd mentioned to his father for contracting the vacant land.
"Aha! Got it." Sitting on a large rock at the top of the hill, Li Xiaobao slapped his forehead as an idea suddenly came to him.
When the Sun began to set in the afternoon, Li Xiaobao slowly made his way home.
"You rascal, where have you been? Out of sight all day long, do you know we can't keep up with the work in the fields?" Li Detian was about to give Li Xiaobao a smack as he spoke.
Seeing the trouble, Li Xiaobao dodged Li Detian's slap with a swift move and chuckled, "Of course, I went to do something big; you don't need to worry about it."
"You? Doing something big?" There's an old saying, 'no one knows a son better than his father.' With a single action, Li Detian could tell what Li Xiaobao was up to, and he would never believe Li Xiaobao's tall tales.
"Alright, Dad, let's eat. I think Xiaobao looks like someone who would do something big," Zhou Cuihua said while bringing out the dishes from the kitchen. Within minutes, four simple country dishes were laid out on the table.
Looking at the four delectable country dishes on the table made Li Xiaobao suddenly feel hungry. He had just sat down when a voice came from the door, "Is Li Xiaobao home?"
"Who is it?" Li Xiaobao, already feeling a bit depressed from Li Detian's scolding, perked up at the sound and quickly shouted, "I'm home!"
"It's Little Ling, ah. Have you had your meal? Come on over and sit." Seeing Zhang Ling come in, the happiest of all was definitely Li Xiaobao's mother, Luo Guiying.
Zhang Ling was naturally pretty, and there wasn't a soul within ten miles who didn't know it. Besides, she was the first junior college graduate from Kao Mountain Village, a symbol of education and culture.
Luo Guiying took Zhang Ling's hand, looking at her more and more fondly before even letting her speak, pulling her over to the table.
"Auntie, I've come to discuss something with Xiaobao," Zhang Ling said, a bit embarrassed by Luo Guiying's enthusiasm, smiling awkwardly.
"Oh, looking for Xiaobao? Alright, you two chat." Saying this, Luo Guiying gave Li Xiaobao a knowing look, signaling them to talk in the room.
"So, what brings you to see me?" Li Xiaobao led Zhang Ling into the room, grinning cheekily at her.
Today, Zhang Ling wore a beige floral mini-skirt and a pair of flip-flops.
"Li Xiaobao, I came to tell you that you'd best forget about what happened yesterday," Zhang Ling said, her face turning serious as she slapped a wristwatch heavily on the table. "This is to compensate you for the watch that got ruined when you fell into the water. From now on, we're even, and you better stop bothering me!"
After speaking, she turned around and walked toward the door.
When Zhang Ling came out, she saw Auntie Luo Guiying looking frantically at something, and she could tell that Luo Guiying must have eavesdropped on her conversation with Li Xiaobao.
Thinking this, Zhang Ling's face flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly ran out of Li Xiaobao's house, lowering her head.
"Xiaobao, tell your mother the truth. What was that matter from yesterday afternoon that Zhang Ling was talking about? Forget it," Luo Guiying insisted, having truly heard Zhang Ling tell Li Xiaobao to forget about something from the previous afternoon.
"What matter?" Li Xiaobao looked helplessly at the watch on the table, not understanding what Zhang Ling meant.
Yet at this moment, Li Xiaobao was somewhat grateful to Little Erhei; if it weren't for him, Zhang Ling would never have compensated him with a watch.
Instantly, Li Xiaobao sensed there was still a possibility between him and Zhang Ling.
"Ow, you little rascal, won't you be honest even with your mother? I saw how Zhang Ling was behaving, and I knew for sure you two had something going on. Out with it, what exactly happened?" Luo Guiying looked sternly at Li Xiaobao.
"Oh, that? It's just that Zhang Ling likes me," Li Xiaobao replied and began eating, glancing at Zhou Cuihua guiltily while eating.
The incident from yesterday afternoon had been witnessed by Zhou Cuihua. Li Xiaobao didn't dare let his father find out; if he did, he would whip him to death.
According to his father, that would be considered hooliganism.
But seeing Zhou Cuihua's expression, which seemed totally normal, Li Xiaobao finally relaxed, knowing she would keep his secret.
"Really? What's the status between you two now?" Luo Guiying truly hoped something was brewing between Li Xiaobao and Zhang Ling. If Zhang Ling could become their daughter-in-law, it would bring honor to the Li family's ancestors.
"It's just that status," replied Li Xiaobao, suddenly deflated by Luo Guiying's probing. He had just wanted to show off, but in reality, nothing had happened yet.
"No, I think Zhang Ling is a fine girl. After dinner, I'm going to talk to Old Zhang's Family about this." Luo Guihua was now convinced that Zhang Ling liked her Xiaobao; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought a watch to him.
"Enough already, just eat your meal. With the way Old Zhang's Family is, do you think they would let their precious daughter come to our house?" Li Detian, who had been silent, shook his head while eating his meal.
Having lived in the village for decades, Li Detian knew all too well the temperaments of Zhang Shan and his wife.
"You stubborn old man, what era are you living in? Nowadays it's all about love and choice. As long as Xiaobao and Zhang Ling agree, that's what matters," Luo Guiying argued, and despite Li Detian's strong objections, she still went to the Zhang family after dinner, all for the sake of Li Xiaobao's affair.