VIP Volume Chapter 093: House Rules

Under the guidance of Old Man Tian, more than twenty people marched grandly into the orchard. The weather was mild, so they brought their bedding and settled right there, working by day and enjoying themselves by night.

There was an overwhelming amount of work to be done in the orchard, and the most urgent task was to swiftly improve the soil structure. The previous contractor had been much too eager for quick results, knowing nothing of proper orchard cultivation. He had relentlessly plowed, fertilized, sprayed chemicals, and forced production, severely damaging the soil’s microbial structure and leaving the fruit trees half dead.

Old Man Tian ordered the purchase of vast quantities of earthworms and forced a group of young men to collect cow, donkey, and horse manure every day—every type of manure was wanted, and human waste was even better. This was his first plan for transforming the orchard.

As this plan was being implemented, Old Man Tian launched his second plan: grafting fruit trees. The orchards in the village only grew Golden Delicious and Starking apples. Such varieties, while not entirely unmarketable, had a limited appeal and could no longer meet market demand. Old Man Tian sourced the most popular Fuji varieties from outside and began grafting them onto the existing trees. This was only the beginning, as flavor improvement would be a long process, but the prospects were far more hopeful than before.

The subsequent plans could wait for now; with Old Man Tian as chief advisor guarding the orchard, Ye Xiaoxuan could rest easy. The old man was true to his word, having accepted Ye Xiaoxuan’s money and now devoting himself fully, living in the orchard with the young men every day, commanding the work by day and teaching them martial arts by night.

Old Man Tian’s reputation as one of the Eight Heroes of the Reed Marsh was well earned; before joining the army, he had already been a martial arts master. Though he never reached the level of Martial King—choosing instead a quiet, natural life—he never transformed his blood or condensed his qi, but retained the hallmark bulging temples of a martial guardian.

This did not mean his skills had declined; on the contrary, even those who had just entered the Martial King realm could not best him in a fight. His cultivation might not have advanced, but his experience and mental state were beyond the reach of ordinary men.

With generous profits and the promise that their own skills could improve, Ironhead and his brothers pledged themselves to the orchard—some hardly returned home once a week.

The village’s chickens and ducks, however, suffered. One family lost a bird today, another lost one tomorrow. There was nowhere to find evidence—not even a bone remained, likely buried in the soil for compost. If it was confirmed that these fellows had taken them, Ye Xiaoxuan never denied it, paying whatever compensation was due, though he never told his brothers about this.

They were all young men, and craving some meat was hardly a big deal!

By nightfall, the orchard became the liveliest place in the entire village. For nearly a month, laughter and merriment filled every evening. It attracted idle villagers, who came to join the fun. Since it was by the village edge and didn’t disturb anyone, Ye Xiaoxuan let them be.

He had more important things to do each night—picking up Jia Ran after work.

The recent alliance matters had scattered his attention, making his feelings for Yu’er less intense. Not so in the first days after his return, when he missed her so much he couldn’t sleep! And now, with Jia Ran’s company, Ye Xiaoxuan, having experienced intimacy between man and woman, found it increasingly hard to restrain himself around Jia Ran. He kept reminding himself of their relationship boundaries, but secretly wished to be glued to her day and night.

This contradictory feeling was mutual; yet neither dared cross the line, both caught up in the dangerous thrill of testing boundaries.

Tonight, the sky was gloomy. The past days had been stiflingly hot; a heavy rain was surely imminent.

Jia Ran pushed her bicycle, with Ye Xiaoxuan at her side. They walked slowly back from outside the village, greeting students heading home from evening study sessions along the way.

For days, the two had walked home like this, enjoying the breeze and chatting. It seemed they had endless things to say, though in truth, not many words were spoken. Both simply cherished the feeling of strolling together.

At the doorstep, Ye Xiaoxuan took the bicycle and said to Jia Ran, “Put the bike away and let’s go find Little Green for some fun. With this weather, not enjoying the breeze would be a shame!”

Jia Ran nodded, “Alright! I have something to discuss with you, so wait a moment. Here, take this back first. Show it to everyone tomorrow!” She handed Ye Xiaoxuan a stack of papers from the basket on her bike.

It was too dark to see what they were. Ye Xiaoxuan asked, “What are these?”

Jia Ran replied with a hum, “It’s the Alliance Code! Put it away for now, I’ll explain later.”

Ye Xiaoxuan nodded, placed the papers in his room, and waited for Jia Ran to come out. Together, they headed toward the earth cliffs.

It seemed Little Green could smell Ye Xiaoxuan from afar; as soon as they reached the lake’s edge, the turtle scurried up from the water, affectionately bumping their feet with its head.

They knew this was Little Green’s way of showing affection and both laughed as they settled onto its back. Little Green carried them into the lake, swimming aimlessly onward.

Near the Reed Village, the lake was bordered by ancient woods and distant mountain ranges, creating swirling winds that were incredibly refreshing.

Ye Xiaoxuan lay comfortably on the turtle’s back and asked Jia Ran, “What’s the purpose of the Alliance Code?”

Jia Ran brushed aside her wind-blown hair and spoke softly, “Every country has its laws, every family its rules. Now that you’ve set up the alliance, you must take responsibility for your brothers. Without rules, everything falls apart. These men are wild by nature; without firm regulations, you’ll become increasingly passive.”

Ye Xiaoxuan chuckled, “Is that really necessary? Aren’t we just stealing chickens and petty things? I’ve done plenty myself! We’re just hooligans—if we get caught, we pay up, that’s all!”

Jia Ran shook her head. Though not angry, her tone was more serious than ever. “Little Third, don’t forget the ideals you once told me. You aim to be a super hooligan, not just a petty thief.”

Ye Xiaoxuan scratched his stubbly head, “Is there a difference?”

Jia Ran looked at him, “Do you know what a super hooligan is? What does it really mean to be a hooligan?”

Ye Xiaoxuan opened his mouth, wanting to reply, but realized his answer couldn’t even convince himself.

Jia Ran spoke solemnly, “Since you told me your ultimate goal, I’ve been pondering this question: what is a true hooligan?”

Is it just petty theft, fighting, and loafing around? Maybe—but that’s certainly not the super hooligan you aspire to be.”