Chapter 67: Rainbow Praises

"Alright then, since I’m not damaging any prime farmland, I’ll trouble you officials to mind your own business," said Zeng Xiaofan with a casual wave of his hand. Jin Youcai and the others felt as if they’d been granted amnesty, eager to make their escape.

Mayor Lin Chunhua let out a hearty laugh and said, "Mr. Zeng, you truly are the diligent young man of our community! But look, it’s getting late, and the midday sun is fierce. You’d best take a break. How about this—I’ll arrange lunch for you at Victory Farmstead today. Let us properly apologize to you. What do you say?"

Zeng Xiaofan glanced toward Li Bixian and saw her flushed cheeks and beads of sweat—clearly, the heat was unbearable.

"Alright, we’ll rest, but there’s no need for a meal. We’ll just head home for lunch ourselves. Just don’t cause us any more trouble."

"Please, do us the honor. Otherwise, I’ll truly feel guilty," Lin Chunhua pleaded. "I promise it won’t take much of your time. I’ll arrange it right away. The owner of Victory Farmstead is a good friend of ours—there’s plenty of local fare and wild delicacies. Your wife might even enjoy them," he said, smiling sincerely.

Long accustomed to the ways of officialdom, Lin Chunhua needed only a glance to discern the special bond between Li Bixian and Zeng Xiaofan. Whether or not they were husband and wife, the term "sister-in-law" would not be mistaken.

Sure enough, Li Bixian blushed and smiled shyly, biting her lips. "Sister-in-law? Mayor, you’re mistaken. Xiaofan and I are just siblings. I’m not his wife."

Lin Chunhua slapped his forehead in exaggerated embarrassment. "Oh dear! What a blunder! Forgive me, I just thought you two looked so well-matched—such a perfect pair! Anyone would think you’re married. My apologies for the mistake, please don’t mind me."

Though he apologized, every word Lin Chunhua spoke praised how well Li Bixian and Zeng Xiaofan suited each other. Li Bixian, listening, felt her heart melt, her voice softening with affection.

"There’s no such thing as a married look, Mayor, you’re joking," she said gently. "Xiaofan, since the mayor is so sincere, why not go along?"

Zeng Xiaofan smiled, not fooled by Lin Chunhua’s little schemes, but the mayor’s words were pleasant enough, and he found himself warming to him.

Jin Youcai, muddy from work, felt sour but could only stew in silence.

"Do you want to go, Sister Xian?" Zeng Xiaofan asked. "Alright, if you’d like, I’ll take you."

"No, no, I won’t go. You men can have your chat—I’m just a country girl, I wouldn’t know what to say. Besides, look at me, covered in mud. I need to wash up."

"It’s fine, sister-in-law—oh, I mean, miss! We can take you home first to freshen up, then pick you up for the farmstead."

"No, really, I won’t go," Li Bixian insisted, shy yet resolute. Clearly, she disliked such gatherings.

Seeing this, Zeng Xiaofan waved his hand decisively. "Forget it, Mayor Lin."

"Please don’t…" Mayor Lin tried to persuade him, but at that moment, Zeng Xiaofan’s phone rang again.

He glanced at his phone—it was a call from Fan Bing. Smiling, he stepped aside to answer.

"Well, Xiaofan, did you resolve the issue?" Fan Bing inquired.

"It’s sorted out… All thanks to you, Sister Bing. If I’d handled it myself, I’d probably have ended up fighting and offending a lot of people. But you made one call, and now even the mayor wants to treat me to lunch. You’re amazing!"

Fan Bing laughed, "Oh, come now, no need to flatter me. I’m not nearly as impressive as you—with your medical skills, your mystical arts, and even your…"

She abruptly coughed, realizing she nearly misspoke.

"Anyway… dealing with people isn’t always about fists. You need them for deterrence, but it’s best to be flexible. This world runs on interests. If you handle those relationships well, things go much smoother."

"You’re right, Sister Bing. I’ll learn from you," Zeng Xiaofan replied with a smile.

Fan Bing laughed modestly, "Oh, what’s there to learn? I’m just talking nonsense. By the way, which farmstead did the mayor arrange? I’ll come find you later, and then we’ll go see the county magistrate’s wife for her illness."

"He said Victory Farmstead, but I didn’t agree to go. I don’t like those kinds of events, so I told him not to bother."

Fan Bing frowned slightly, pondering before continuing, "Xiaofan, listen to your sister—better to attend this luncheon. Since you want to build your business in the countryside, you’ll be dealing with these township officials a lot. Their positions may be small, but as the saying goes—‘in shallow ponds, the turtles abound.’ They spend their lives scheming in these local posts, and their minds are full of tricks. It’s best to form good relationships when you can. It’ll help your business, and while we can handle their antics, constantly dealing with small troubles wastes energy. Don’t you think?"

Zeng Xiaofan had thought little of it—he was a free spirit, not one for social niceties. But Fan Bing’s reasoning struck home. He realized that relying solely on force wasn’t the wisest approach. To go further and develop better, he needed to learn from her.

With that, Zeng Xiaofan nodded sincerely. "Sister Bing, you truly are a wonderful teacher. From now on, I’ll call you Teacher Fan."

"Oh, here we go again with the flattery," she teased.

"Huh? Is Sister Bing’s behind rainbow-colored? No matter, I love to flatter," Zeng Xiaofan joked.

Fan Bing, unable to help herself, imagined the scene and blushed fiercely. "You naughty boy! What nonsense are you saying? Honestly!"