Chapter 305 - 303: Fertilize the Land

Chapter 305: Chapter 303: Fertilize the Land

Yun Lie Ting and his subordinates emerged from the shadows and stood before the stone table.

On the table, the bowl of chicken soup was still steaming gently. Golden droplets of fat floated on the surface, its savory aroma tantalizing.

The three steamed buns were snow-white and fluffy. They looked soft, chewy, and sweet—a world apart from the dry wild fruits and cold, raw beast meat he was used to gnawing on.

His two subordinates were already so ravenous their Adam’s apples bobbed nonstop. Saliva nearly dripped onto their collars, but they didn’t dare make a move, staring expectantly at Yun Lie Ting.

Yun Lie Ting stood frozen in place, his fingertips curling slightly.

A place deep in his heart, long since frozen over, seemed to be slowly melting from the steam. A mixture of sourness and a strange fluttering intertwined and spread through him like a dense web.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the roiling emotions in his chest. He slowly reached out, his fingertips touching one of the steamed buns.

It was soft.

And warm.

Completely different from the hard, cold world he had imagined.

Hesitantly, he broke off a small piece and placed it in his mouth.

The soft fragrance of wheat melted on his tongue. It was impossibly gentle, not coarse or bitter in the slightest. It was a delicacy he had never tasted before.

Seeing that Your Majesty had started eating, the subordinates at his side could no longer hold back. They carefully picked up the remaining steamed buns and began to chew.

The moment it entered their mouths, both men’s eyes widened.

"Your Majesty, this... this is too delicious!"

"So soft, so fragrant, and there’s even a hint of sweetness..."

The two subordinates were so moved their eyes grew hot. In all their lives, they had never eaten anything this good.

Yun Lie Ting, of course, understood how they felt.

Because he felt the same way.

He swallowed the piece of steamed bun in his mouth. ’It’s really good. So, so good.’

As the two subordinates chewed, they looked at the steaming soup.

"Your Majesty, hurry and try the chicken soup!"

"Yes, see what it tastes like!"

Listening to them, Yun Lie Ting picked up the bowl of chicken soup and took a sip.

The scalding, savory chicken soup slid down his throat. Warmth spread through his limbs and bones, and the flavor exploded on his tongue...

It was so good he was speechless!

’That woman... just how does she make food this delicious?’

「Meanwhile, on Bright Mountain.」

Shen Yue walked along, holding the hands of several children, with Mu Silin, Gu Fangqi, and Huang Ziyue following behind her.

The entirety of Bright Mountain was already packed with the people of Barbaric City—old and young, men and women, all waiting in eager anticipation.

The moment that gentle yet dazzling figure appeared, the entire mountainside erupted in cheers like a roaring tsunami:

"Benefactor A Yue!"

"Benefactor A Yue is here!"

"We’ve been waiting for you for so long!"

The people’s eyes were filled with reverence and gratitude.

In recent days, as more and more of the new-style houses were built in the city, many of them had already moved into new homes.

They were now living happy lives, sheltered from the wind and rain, and had enjoyed several nights of peaceful sleep.

They all knew it was Benefactor A Yue who had given them safe, warm homes. It was she who had given this barbaric land a chance and the hope to grow anew.

Shen Yue smiled faintly and raised a hand, signaling for the crowd to be quiet.

She took out the pre-sorted seeds one by one. As she opened the linen sacks, plump seeds of all colors rolled out.

"Today, we will plant hope here."

Her voice was gentle, yet it carried clearly to everyone’s ears.

"I will tell you what each of these seeds is, how to plant them, and when to water them!"

The people immediately cheered.

With that, she stood before the crowd and began to explain the methods of cultivation in detail.

When to sow, how to water, how to loosen the soil—she explained everything in a simple and easy-to-understand way. The people listened intently, afraid to miss a single word.

After she finished speaking, she crouched down, personally pushed aside the soft soil, gently placed a round radish seed inside, and then carefully covered it with earth.

"This is the first one, planted for peace and prosperity in Barbaric City’s winter!"

Immediately after, she sowed spinach, tatsoi, bok choy, chive sprouts...

Each seed that fell into the soil also fell into the hearts of everyone present.

The six men stood quietly by her side, listening to her explanation and watching her sow the seeds.

One shielded her from the wind, another helped her cover the seeds with soil, and another handed her the seeds, their eyes filled with nothing but doting affection and protectiveness for her.

Meanwhile, the little tykes clutched seeds in their hands, already raring to go. They were just waiting for Shen Yue’s signal to plant their very first seed.

Just then, Shen Yue finished her explanation and announced to the crowd:

"Alright, everyone come and get a portion of seeds from me now. Today, together, we will plant the fruits of hope on Bright Mountain!"

The people rushed over like a crazed mob, receiving their seeds from the hands of Huang Ziyue and the others.

The six little tykes eagerly planted the seeds they had ready in their hands.

Sunlight spilled over Bright Mountain, over Shen Yue’s gentle profile, and over the land where seeds had just been sown.

New hope was quietly taking root and sprouting in this once-desolate land.

「Meanwhile, in a certain courtyard in the city at the foot of the mountain.」

The two subordinates had already eaten every last crumb of the steamed buns and even licked the soup bowl clean until it shone. They stood to the side, not daring to breathe too loudly.

They could tell that their Majesty’s heart was now a complete and utter mess.

Yun Lie Ting finished the steamed buns and the chicken soup. Then, imitating the way he’d seen Huang Ziyue and Bai Chaosi do it, he started washing the bowl.

After all, he was the one who ate from it.

So he washed it several times, not stopping until both bowls were sparkling clean!

He was deathly afraid that if he didn’t wash them well, he wouldn’t get to eat such delicious food next time!

He was also subconsciously afraid of being outdone by those other men!

So, after he finished everything and finally worked up the courage to go to Bright Mountain to find Shen Yue...

He saw another scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.

The countless reclaimed fields on Bright Mountain were filled with people.

Everyone was personally digging into the earth with their hands, burying seeds.

Yun Lie Ting was shaken by the scene, and he stopped in his tracks.

His gaze locked firmly onto the slender, gentle figure in the center of the crowd.

The sight of Shen Yue, her eyes lowered as she buried a seed, was like a beam of warm light, striking straight into the heart that had just been warmed by chicken soup and steamed buns.

It made his originally tense jawline soften unconsciously.

He clenched his fists. For the first time in his life, he felt so anxious and helpless!

He wanted to walk up to her, to say a word of thanks, to tell her that the soup and those steamed buns were the most delicious things he had eaten in his entire life.

He even wanted to take the initiative to pick up a farm tool, to contribute, and to plant that so-called hope alongside the common people.

Just as Yun Lie Ting took a deep breath, braced himself completely, and took a step toward Shen Yue—

A clear and somewhat assertive voice cut through the clamor of the crowd and landed directly in his ears.

"Hey you, Yun Lie Ting, right? There’s another plot of land that needs fertilizing. You can do it!"

Yun Lie Ting: "..."

The entire Bright Mountain fell silent for an instant.

The people all turned their heads, their gazes landing in unison on this noble-looking stranger who exuded a cold aura.

Mu Silin, Gu Fangqi, and the others standing guard by Shen Yue’s side raised their eyebrows, an imperceptible hint of amusement flashing in their eyes as they crossed their arms to watch the show.