When Zhao An returned to his lodgings, he was greeted by a fair-skinned woman followed by a girl of about four or five years old; she must be the family's daughter-in-law.
Wang Mei approached him with a smile, "You must be Teacher Zhao. Thank you for your hard work. I'm Wang Mei."
Zhao An extended his hand to shake hers, smiling as he said, "Hello, please call me by my name, Zhao An.
The air in these mountains is so fresh, and it's gotten so much colder at night."
"Yes, Teacher. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything in the future; I'll definitely do my best."
Wang Mei was a very simple rural woman. The fact that a teacher could stay at her home, and not for free but with payment, was enough to impress her.
Only mutual benefit was real; holding a title only meant eating and drinking, at most, but nothing else.
"I will. Oh, wait a minute."
Zhao An took some cookies and candy from the room and handed them over. "Give these to the children; I can't eat that much by myself."
"Oh dear, this is unacceptable!"
Wang Mei exclaimed, pushing him away...
Looking at Zhao An's smile, she couldn't help but feel her heart pounding.
Pang Wanjing, who had just walked in, was a little suspicious when she saw this scene. "What's wrong?"
She thought the new teacher was trying to seduce her daughter-in-law?
Wang Mei proactively explained, "The teacher wants to give us these cookies and candy; this is unacceptable."
"Oh.
I see. Teacher, we really can't accept your things; it's too much, too valuable."
Pang Wanjing also smiled; as long as it wasn't about seducing her daughter-in-law, that was fine.
"Haha, food is meant to be eaten. It's no fun eating alone, let's share.
There will be plenty more later. Oh, and here's another five hundred. My aunt will wash my clothes for me from now on.
Tomorrow I plan to look around the village and beyond. This place has beautiful mountains and rivers, and you two pretty women are here too. It's a really good place. Maybe I can find some ways to make money and get rich."
Zhao An stuffed five hundred yuan into Pang Wanjing's hand, presenting a prospect they couldn't refuse.
"Really, teacher, you're not lying to me!"
Pang Wanjing was truly terrified of poverty; this place was really too poor.
Even farming was just enough to make ends meet; there was nothing that could earn money.
"Really."
Zhao An chatted with them for a while longer before returning to his bed to read. He took out a piece of white paper and began drawing a map. If the villagers saw it, they would immediately recognize it as a map of the area near Xiahe Village; even the roads were clearly depicted. It was a veritable living map!
After some time…
Zhao An looked up and saw Pang Wanjing carrying a quilt in. From this angle, she appeared quite voluptuous, with full breasts and a large bottom that swayed sexily with every step.
Seemingly noticing Zhao An's confusion, Pang Wanjing smiled slightly. "It's cold in the mountains at night; an extra quilt will make things much warmer."
"Oh, I'm strong, I'm not afraid."
Zhao An patted his chest, the sound of his solid muscles echoing, and even flexed his muscles.
Pang Wanjing covered her mouth and giggled, the few crow's feet at the corners of her eyes adding to her mature allure.
Women who do manual labor in the countryside don't have the same fair skin as city women, but their wheat-colored skin has a healthy glow.
"Teacher, you're young, that's why you need to be careful."
Zhao An laughed and took out some wine. "Auntie, would you like a drink with me?
If you're free, let's chat."
Seeing Zhao An's smile, Pang Wanjing hesitated slightly before agreeing; she had nothing else to do that evening.
"Okay, but I don't drink."
She blushed slightly after saying this, actually because her family was poor and couldn't afford wine.
"Haha, it's alright, life will get better in the future.
I can assure you, the scenery here is beautiful, it's just lacking one thing."
Zhao An poured himself a glass of wine and sat on the kang (heated brick bed).
This kind of earthen kang is really quite comfortable.
When it gets cold, you can burn firewood underneath to warm up, but it's a lot of work.
"Really? Teacher, you're not lying to me!"
Pang Wanjing genuinely longed for her family to be wealthy. Who wouldn't want to live in a cement house and enjoy a better life?
But without money, the village couldn't develop at all, and making money had become a luxury.
Moreover, things here were extremely expensive, transportation was inconvenient, and buying things required crossing mountains and valleys—it was truly inconvenient.
Zhao An picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and took out some cooked food to eat with his drink.
"Of course it's true.
It just needs a little time.
After class, I'll walk around the village and get a feel for the situation.
The village's population distribution, age groups, labor force size, land distribution, and suitable crops all need to be considered."
A happy smile bloomed on Pang Wanjing's mature face. She had never doubted whether Zhao An was lying.
Just because he was her teacher, she unconditionally believed him.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, teacher!"
"Haha, I'll need Auntie's help too.
Auntie, actually, I've taken a look and have some ideas.
It's just that I'm new here, and I still need to adjust.
There are many relationships to cultivate, and various aspects to consider, so it won't be quick.
By the way, Auntie, do you only have one son?"
After revealing a little secret, giving the other woman some hope, Zhao An changed the subject.
Pang Wanjing was intrigued and wanted to know Zhao An's thoughts, but he changed the subject!
"I also have a daughter, who married and moved to the other side of the village. She's not doing very well there either."
Her face darkened slightly after she finished speaking. The village is only so big; families are scattered here and there, so they don't see each other often.
"A son and a daughter, that's good. Having both a son and a daughter is wonderful.
Auntie, are you alone now?"
Zhao An handed Pang Wanjing something to eat, chatting amiably with a smile.
Pang Wanjing nodded sadly. "My husband passed away seven years ago from illness. Seven years have passed in the blink of an eye. Time flies."
Zhao An's thoughts, however, were filthy. "Seven years?
That means she hasn't had her dick inside her cunt for seven years?
I wonder if it's still that tight!"