"Boss Ye, you think too highly of me. There are still some rumors going around, saying that because I'm so young and a woman, I can't be a good village head. Once I do a good job and achieve something, then you can praise me. It's too early now, as I haven't accomplished anything yet. The piglets will take some time to grow, and it's not yet time to sell them, so everything is still uncertain."
"I believe you can succeed. Go ahead boldly, and don't underestimate yourself. You have great potential, especially since you're still young."
Liu Lanying was usually quite serious. Because she was too young, she wore glasses and put on a stern expression to give people the impression of being older. In reality, she was just a girl in her early twenties who had been sheltered in school and was quite innocent.
Hearing Ye Tiancheng say this, Liu Lanying suddenly smiled. She looked quite pretty when she smiled.
"Boss Ye, don't say that, it makes you sound like you're eighty years old. I'm not lying to you. You look like you're in your early twenties, and you look quite young. This is definitely not flattery, and I wouldn't do such a thing."
"Alright, as long as you understand. Actually, I'm not even twenty-five yet. I just have a bit of a mature demeanor for my age. It's unavoidable; I have to make myself more trustworthy to make money. I believe you understand this, we're the same kind of people."
As they discussed this, they developed a sense of mutual appreciation. It was indeed difficult for people in their early twenties. When others see you're young, they tend to think you're not capable and might make mistakes.
"Then we must represent people in their twenties even more, and we must do things beautifully, without giving others any room for criticism. Otherwise, it will tarnish the reputation of young people in their twenties."
Ye Tiancheng smiled again. "Actually, if you were to represent people in their twenties, it would be quite normal. I used to look more like someone in their twenties too, but lately, I really can't handle it. I feel like I'm losing my hair because of work. So, outwardly, I look more like I'm in my thirties, and no one calls me young anymore. When people criticize me, they usually say I'm rustic and look like a farmer."
What Ye Tiancheng said was the honest truth, and it made people laugh uncontrollably. Since arriving here and meeting him, Liu Lanying had lost count of how many times she had laughed. She had been a bit hesitant to come, thinking that a big entrepreneur like him would be aloof and difficult to communicate with. She never expected him to be so approachable; it was truly remarkable.
"Then you don't need to worry. You're just too tired lately. After all, if you're young, you just need to rest properly. You've been recuperating well these past few days, and I think you look much better. You've lost some weight, though. Fortunately, I brought you some nutritional supplements. They're by the door. Remember to drink them later."
"Thank you."
After Ye Tiancheng said this, he was about to go to sleep, but then he heard Liu Lanying reminding him to take good care of himself.
Suddenly, a strong surge of true qi flowed through his body, making him feel warm and tingly all over, with a sense of lightness. Ye Tiancheng knew that his true qi was likely replenishing rapidly. He sat up abruptly, feeling incredibly hungry. If there were a pig in front of him right now, Ye Tiancheng felt he could bite it to death and eat it.
"I'm so hungry."
As Ye Tiancheng uttered this exclamation, Liu Lanying happened to be at the door and hadn't left yet. Hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, she quickly turned back and asked him with concern.
"Are you feeling very hungry?"
"I am indeed hungry. I even called out just now. I apologize if I embarrassed you."
Ye Tiancheng's apologetic look made Liu Lanying laugh even more.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? That's perfectly normal. Don't be discouraged, everything can be solved. It's just cooking a meal, and I'm very good at cooking."
"I'm saying I'm really too hungry. I don't think I can wait for you to cook; I'll starve to death."
"I bought you a lot of nutritional supplements that can be directly mixed with water. Let me prepare a few cups for you first. You can eat those to tide you over while I quickly cook you some noodles. I'm fast at cooking noodles."
Hearing this, Liu Lanying knew that he came from a rural background. It's said that children from poor families mature early, learning to cook and support their families from a young age. Therefore, household chores were nothing to Liu Lanying.
"That would be too much trouble for you. I'm really out of strength right now. It's not that I'm lazy and want you to do this for me, I'm just genuinely starving."
After Ye Tiancheng spoke, Liu Lanying didn't waste any more time. She quickly found some water and prepared the nutritional supplements she had brought. Once mixed, they looked like a thick paste, not unappetizing.
Ye Tiancheng was so hungry that he would eat anything, even pig slop. Since these were nutritional supplements and good for his health, Ye Tiancheng didn't hesitate and immediately consumed all the prepared nutritional supplements.
Just as the water was boiling, she turned around and saw that the two large cups of nutritional supplements she had prepared for him were gone. Normally, these would be enough to fill someone up, but Ye Tiancheng seemed to have eaten them all without even a trace left, making her feel very surprised.
"Mr. Ye, I know men can eat a lot, but I've never truly witnessed a man's appetite before. Today, I've seen it. Wait for me, I'll prepare two more cups for you."
Ye Tiancheng lay there, feeling weak all over. The two cups of nutritional supplements he had just consumed were now circulating rapidly within him, seeming to merge with his true qi. It appeared that these nutritional supplements had indeed provided a large amount of nourishment. Liu Lanying's timely arrival with them was a stroke of luck, helping Ye Tiancheng.
Soon, two more cups of nutritional supplements were prepared, and Ye Tiancheng continued to eat them ravenously, just as before. Liu Lanying watched him, dumbfounded, but didn't dare to say anything too impolite.
"How are you feeling now? If you can hold on, please wait for the noodles. If you can't, I'll prepare two more cups for you."
Liu Lanying had realized that Ye Tiancheng's current state was like a hungry ghost reincarnated. He had been shocked earlier, but now he was too stunned to speak.
"No need. I think I have a little strength now. I can do it myself. You can cook the noodles for me, and make them a generous portion."
Ye Tiancheng finally had enough strength to get up from the sofa. He then finished preparing and drinking the last two bottles of nutritional supplements from the box. As he finished, the aroma of cooking noodles filled the room.
It was Liu Lanying's specialty, with tomatoes and eggs mixed in, creating a very pleasant smell.
"It smells so good. It seems your cooking skills are excellent, and the noodles will surely be delicious."
"You'll know when you taste them. This is the first time I've cooked so much noodles. I feel like it's enough for a family of ten."
"It might not be enough for me alone."
Ye Tiancheng had already refined these foods into his own energy using his true qi. He thought that he should have listened to Xiao Pang. Perhaps if he had received some glucose, Ye Tiancheng could have woken up earlier, instead of waiting until his own true qi recovered before slowly waking up.
"This is delicious! I've never had such delicious tomato and egg noodles."
The last time he was tricked by Su Muxian, he had developed a bit of a phobia towards tomatoes. But after eating these tomato and egg noodles today, he felt instantly healed, with no trace of fear remaining.
"Thank you for cooking these noodles for me. You mentioned wanting me to take a look over there. Now that I have the strength, let's go. Work is more important, and I can't be lazy. You've been so diligent; if I were to be lazy, it would make me seem very ungrateful."
Ye Tiancheng decided to accompany Liu Lanying to the pig farm. She had specifically come to ask for his help, and Ye Tiancheng couldn't just eat and then renege on his promise; that would make him seem truly despicable.
"Alright, then let's go together."
Before they left, Liu Lanying tidied up the house meticulously. Both the kitchen and the living room were spotless, which was one of the things people found very likable about her.
"We've finished viewing the pig farm, and it meets my expectations perfectly. I have no objections."
As Ye Tiancheng was about to leave, Liu Lanying made another request. "Ye Tiancheng, I actually think you're a good person. Could you do me another favor? I'm about to participate in my school defense, and after that, I'll receive my graduation certificate."
"You can be a village official without having received your graduation certificate?"
"I was recommended, so obtaining my graduation certificate is not a problem. After the defense, I have a competition to participate in, and I'm not very confident about it. Could you come and watch with me?"
"Certainly, what kind of competition is it?"
"It's an art exhibition. Actually, painting is more of a personal hobby for me, and I learned it later. I'm not very skilled, it mainly relies on creativity. I'm not sure if I can win any awards, but if I do, I can receive some prize money."
"Then it seems to be quite important to you. I'll go with you."
First, Ye Tiancheng accompanied Liu Lanying to her defense. Liu Lanying was already late, which greatly displeased her supervisor, and she ultimately received a low score. Fortunately, she passed.
Next, they went to the painting competition. The host seemed quite professional. After stepping onto the stage, he began a series of official speeches, which made Ye Tiancheng drowsy. He then introduced the competition details, discussing the concepts behind the twelve shortlisted artworks. After that, he announced the five award-winning pieces, including first, second, and third prizes, as well as two excellence awards. The prize money for these awards varied.
When the topic of money was mentioned, Ye Tiancheng finally regained consciousness. Otherwise, he would have remained asleep and wouldn't have heard what anyone was saying.
When the first prize was announced, he heard it was worth one hundred thousand yuan. Ye Tiancheng's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected this painting competition to be so lucrative, with a prize of one hundred thousand yuan for a casual competition. If he could win this hundred thousand yuan, it would be about a year's salary for some people, which was quite good.
The second prize was fifty thousand yuan, the third prize was ten thousand yuan, and the excellence awards were five thousand yuan each.