Seeing Xu Man's adoring gaze, Cheng Xiaofan smiled slightly, too lazy to explain further to the enchantress. He let her interpret it as she pleased.
"Beauty, hurry up and film, lest you miss the exciting scenes!" he said.
Xu Man immediately replied, "Okay, I'm heading over now."
As she ran off, she didn't forget to glance back and blow Cheng Xiaofan a kiss.
Cheng Xiaofan watched, shaking his head helplessly. He could tell this beautiful Ms. Xu hadn't forgotten him in her heart.
In the blink of an eye, tourists from all over the mountains gathered at the place where the stage was set up.
At precisely nine o'clock, vehicles drove up to the foot of the terraced mountain by Nanshan Lake. The car doors opened, and the mayor of Jinbao Town, Zhou Fendou, along with District Chief Mei Haoran and provincial department leaders, alighted from the cars one after another. Bai Yiling, Mei Xueyun, Luo Changsheng, and others formed a line, shaking hands with the arriving guests. Cheng Fugui and Miao Xiuhua were also called over by Luo Changsheng and introduced to the leaders as Cheng Xiaofan's parents. Cheng Xiaofan's current achievements were attributed to the upbringing by his parents.
Cheng Fugui and Miao Xiuhua were truly basking in glory today. Even provincial leaders held their hands, shaking them repeatedly. Besides taking photos with the elder couple, they also discreetly inquired about their parenting secrets. Although Cheng Xiaofan was far away, his Dragon Eye's clairvoyance allowed him to hear their conversations as soon as he focused on anyone present.
Subsequently, Bai Yiling was brought to the front by Luo Changsheng. It was said that half of a man's success is due to a woman, and Cheng Xiaofan's success was inseparable from Bai Yiling's support. Since Cheng Xiaofan himself was not present today, Luo Changsheng had to present his family members one by one, with reporters busily following behind with their cameras.
Then, the leaders took turns to give speeches. After the ceremony, the leaders took photos with the monkeys. Each monkey wore a red sash inscribed with the words: "The Most Powerful Monkey Star Team."
"Jeeeee-"
Er Huang, remembering Cheng Xiaofan's instructions, led over a hundred monkeys to the work site. The leaders and tourists followed the monkeys in a vast procession. The trained monkeys, upon reaching their designated spots, immediately divided into two groups. The first group, without being instructed by the two spirit eagles, picked up their sickles, bent down, cradled the rice with one arm, and began harvesting with swift strokes of the other.
Indeed, these monkeys were remarkably agile. In a short while, they had advanced several terraces up the mountain. The second group of monkeys brought forward several collection buckets. They picked up the harvested rice lying on the ground, and with leaps and bounds, they hopped to the buckets, swinging the rice in. To everyone's astonishment, not a single grain of rice was spilled outside the buckets.
"Wow, how magical!"
"These monkeys are like spirits!"
"I finally believe they are descendants of the Monkey King!"
"I'm speechless, how were these monkeys trained?"
"Oh my goodness, I threw a few bananas at them just now, and they didn't even glance at them. Their discipline is incredible!"
The tourists erupted in excitement, marveling at the scene before them. Mei Haoran's gaze scanned the surroundings, and he asked Luo Changsheng, "Old Luo, where is Cheng Xiaofan? Didn't he say he was coming?"
"Why isn't he here?"
Luo Changsheng also looked around and said, "This little rascal is a typical runaway. Who knows where he's slipped off to now!"
At this very moment, Cheng Xiaofan was sitting in a pavilion at the top of the terraced mountain, his legs crossed, sipping a pot of Golden Tea he had brought with him.
"Shennong Da Ren, you're living quite a leisurely life!" Just then, a familiar voice sounded behind Cheng Xiaofan.
Without even turning his head, he smiled and said, "Tudi Ye, your boldness is growing. You've come from the back mountain in broad daylight?"
The Tudi Ye hurried to Cheng Xiaofan's front and bowed deeply, a smile on his face. "Bamboo Creek Village's Nanshan Lake is so lively today. I just wanted to come and soak up some of the atmosphere!"
Cheng Xiaofan looked up at the Tudi Ye and was taken aback. This old man was becoming quite fashionable! He wore a greyish-blue casual outfit, paired with round-toed cloth shoes, and a string of black bodhi seed bracelets on his wrist. With his white hair and youthful complexion, he exuded an air of immortality.
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled and said, "Where did you steal this casual outfit from?"
The Tudi Shen immediately replied, "Shennong Da Ren, you mustn't speak so carelessly! I bought this at a clothing store in Jinbao Town with Huaxia coins."
Cheng Xiaofan asked curiously, "Where did you get the Huaxia coins?"
The Tudi Shen said, "I often pick wild fruits from the primeval forest and sell them in town, accumulating some money! This is all money I earned through labor. I've even used this money to buy clothes for those two fox spirits!"
"Tudi Ye," Cheng Xiaofan said, utterly shocked, "Three days apart, and you've made me see you in a new light! I never expected you to learn how to make money!"
"Sit down quickly and let's talk!" The Tudi Ye immediately sat on a stone stool opposite Cheng Xiaofan.
Cheng Xiaofan took out a cigarette and offered it to the Tudi Ye, "Here, have a smoke!"
"Thank you, Shennong Da Ren!" The Tudi Ye accepted the cigarette without any pretense, asked Cheng Xiaofan for a lighter, lit it, and took a very skillful puff.
"Ah, what kind of cigarette is this? It smells so good!" he exclaimed involuntarily.
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled and said, "This is a cigarette filtered by spiritual energy, so of course, it smells good."
"It seems Tudi Ye has learned to smoke after spending some time in the human world!"
The Tudi Ye nodded repeatedly and said, "Just being a Tudi Ye is too lonely. Sometimes, it's really nice to enjoy the life of an ordinary person!"
Cheng Xiaofan burst into laughter. "Tudi Ye, stop beating around the bush. I suspect you didn't just pop up here out of the blue to soak up the atmosphere?"
"Tell me, what do you need me for?"
Upon hearing this, the Tudi Ye actually blushed. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then swallowed it back.
Cheng Xiaofan asked curiously, "Tudi Ye, this is the first time I've seen you blush. Did you do something unspeakable that you're afraid to tell me?"
"Replying to Shennong Da Ren," the Tudi Ye finally gathered his courage and said, "This humble deity wishes to invite you for a wedding feast!"
"What, a wedding feast?" Cheng Xiaofan could hardly believe his ears. "Tudi Ye, quickly tell me, what wedding feast is this?"
The Tudi Ye's old face turned so red it looked like it would bleed. He stammered for a long time and then said, "I'm getting married!"
"..." What? This Tudi Ye is getting married? For Cheng Xiaofan, this news was incredibly unexpected. The Tudi Ye of Bamboo Creek Village was actually getting married! To be honest, if this had happened in the old days, it would have been a major event that shook the entire Bamboo Creek Village. The whole village would have come to offer congratulations, and even if they were poor, they would have pooled their resources to hold a grand wedding ceremony for the Tudi Ye.