Chapter 134

Xi Junjie held Zhenzhen’s hand, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself in a lush forest. “Your ability is amazing,” he marveled again. “If we travel in the future, we could visit several places in a single day.”

Zhenzhen’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “And we can leave whenever we want—super convenient.”

Xi Junjie looked around. Towering red pines blocked out the sky, letting only tiny patches of piercing blue show through the canopy. Underfoot was a thick layer of pine needles, and all around them grew wild berries of various colors. Apart from the crisp birdsong, it was utterly silent.

It was his first time in such a primeval forest, and Xi Junjie was awed. He touched a tree thicker than his own body and asked, “Are we deep in the forest?”

“Yes,” Zhenzhen nodded after checking their location. “Although this virgin red pine forest is shrinking year by year, no one has ever set foot in this particular spot.” She picked a handful of “girl berries” and handed them to him. “Try some of our wild berries.”

Any fruit that Zhenzhen picked was perfectly ripe and sweet. Xi Junjie peeled off the dry yellow skin to reveal a lantern-like golden berry. When he bit into it, sweet juice mixed with seeds filled his mouth—it was a fascinating texture.

“Delicious!” he said, peeling another one and popping it into Zhenzhen’s mouth.

Zhenzhen pulled out a small basin from her space and walked to a nearby blueberry bush. She lightly touched it, and the berries instantly became plump and ripe. “When I was a kid, I loved eating the mountain blueberries. Let’s pick more to take back for Watermelon and Grape.”

Xi Junjie tried one and found it far tastier than any blueberry he’d had abroad. He popped a few into Zhenzhen’s mouth and asked with his mouth full, “How do we explain bringing blueberries home?”

Zhenzhen glanced at him, hands still busy. “Dummy, just say we ran into someone selling them at the market.”

Xi Junjie couldn’t help but laugh. “Now that you mention it, you used to bring home delicious things all the time—either saying someone gave them to you or you bought them on the street. Oh! And those lively seafood every winter—did you fish them yourself at the coast? I always wondered. Even a special train shipment couldn’t keep seafood alive all the way to the Imperial Capital.”

Zhenzhen burst out laughing. “Fishing and catching seafood on the sea is so much fun. I’ll take you next time we have time.”

Xi Junjie imagined the scene and looked forward to it. “If we visit one place a day, maybe we really could travel the whole world someday.”

Zhenzhen nodded thoughtfully. “That kind of life sounds amazing. Once you quit your job, we can travel the world together.”

They quickly filled a basin with blueberries and stowed it in Zhenzhen’s space. Then she took out a basket to collect mushrooms. “There are all kinds of mushrooms in the mountains. The ones you like for chicken stew are hazel mushrooms. Those round ones over there are lion’s mane.”

Zhenzhen had picked mushrooms since she was little, but Xi Junjie, raised with elite education, had never done it before. The two of them sang as they picked all the mushrooms in sight. Since the area was seldom visited and rarely saw sunlight, the mushrooms were fat and thick.

Their basket grew heavier with a variety of mushrooms when Xi Junjie suddenly spotted a parasol-shaped plant on a tree. He called out excitedly, “Honey, look—lingzhi!”

Zhenzhen came over and saw it was only palm-sized—not very big by forest standards. She plucked it and handed it to him. “You can take a few more home to brew tea for Grandma.”

Xi Junjie placed it in the mushroom basket and looked around. “Do you have any of those huge lingzhi with characters on them, like the one you gave Grandma?”

Zhenzhen’s eyes sparkled. “Sure. Follow me.”

She scanned the area with her mind and soon found a fist-sized lingzhi about ten meters away. Xi Junjie examined it and asked, puzzled, “Nothing special about this one. It’s not even as big as the one I just found.”

Zhenzhen said nothing, just smiled. She set down the mushroom basket and pulled out the mold she had used years ago. She fitted it over the lingzhi, and after half a minute, removed it. The once small mushroom was now the size of a washbasin, with the character “longevity” clearly etched on its surface.

Xi Junjie was stunned speechless. He knew his wife had abilities, but this was on another level. Watching him gape, Zhenzhen patted the enormous lingzhi and smugly asked, “What other pattern do you want?”

Xi Junjie laughed helplessly. “I thought it was some once-in-a-millennium wonder, but the truth is brutal. You better take it down before someone finds it and it ends up in the news.” He looked at the thick, sturdy stalk and tried to shake it with his good arm, but it didn’t budge. “How do we take it down? Use an axe?”

Zhenzhen motioned for him to step back. She stepped forward, gripped the lingzhi with both hands, and gave it a gentle twist. The massive mushroom detached from the tree just like that. Xi Junjie swallowed and instinctively touched his neck. He flashed a bright grin. “Wife, from now on, if you say east, I’ll never go west. If you say eat fish, I won’t touch chicken.”

Zhenzhen laughed and patted his back. “Sweet talker. Scared of my strength now, huh?” Xi Junjie pretended to tremble, hugging himself. “Oh no, I’m terrified! One wrong move and you might snap my neck.” Zhenzhen laughed and threw a handful of mushrooms in his face.

After horsing around for a while, they washed their hands in her space. When they came back out, they were in a new location. This time, Xi Junjie froze at the sight of a Siberian tiger glaring at him. Truly frightened, he whispered in the lowest voice he could manage, “Honey… let’s go back in… pick another spot.”

Zhenzhen held his arm and laughed so hard her eyes closed into crescents. “Honestly, you’re braver than my fourth brother. He peed his pants the first time he saw Dahuang. Though back then, Dahuang was in his prime—way more energetic than now.”

“Dahuang?” Xi Junjie couldn’t believe the majestic king of the forest had a name more casual than a pet dog’s. He looked at the tiger with sympathy and asked, “Is its name really Dahuang?”

Zhenzhen let go of his arm and, to Xi Junjie’s horror, casually strolled up to the tiger and rubbed its head. She laughed, “I’ve known him since I was little. I wasn’t good at naming back then, and he was all yellow, so I named him Dahuang. He and our Li Mingzhong were good friends.”

Dahuang snorted dismissively, as if to say, “Who’s friends with that cowardly dog?”

Zhenzhen laughed and patted his big head. “Such a tsundere. Saying you’re not friends with my Li Mingzhong, then why do you lie by his grave every day?”

Only then did Xi Junjie notice a dirt mound nearby with a wooden marker that read “Grave of Li Mingzhong,” clearly written in Zhenzhen’s handwriting.

“So this is where you buried Li Mingzhong.” Xi Junjie stepped up and pulled weeds from the grave. “Grandma and Mom were whispering about it but didn’t dare ask—worried it would make you sad.”

“I’m not sad anymore.” Zhenzhen smiled as she petted Dahuang. “A few days after Li Mingzhong passed, I saw his spirit. He told me he’d be reincarnated as a human in his next life. And as for Dahuang, Li Mingzhong said he’d get to be human, too, once he got old.”

Dahuang perked up, rubbing his big head against Zhenzhen with bright eyes, as if asking, “Really?”

Watching the tiger act like a giant housecat, Xi Junjie wasn’t as scared anymore. He approached and cautiously petted its head. Dahuang, smelling Zhenzhen’s scent on him, lowered his head obediently, letting him rub it all over.

She took a few plucked hens out of her storage space and placed them beside Da Huang. Zhenzhen explained to Xi Junjie, “Da Huang’s gotten old and isn’t as agile when hunting anymore, so I bring him food from time to time.”

Da Huang didn’t seem as excited about the fat chickens as before. Instead, he kept nuzzling Zhenzhen’s hand and whining incessantly.

“It looks like he’s trying to say something.” Xi Junjie looked at Da Huang and asked Zhenzhen, “Can you understand him?”

“Yes, he’s asking if he really can be reincarnated as a human,” Zhenzhen said with a smile as she patted Da Huang’s head. “Yes, but only if you don’t starve yourself to death first.” Da Huang let out a few more whines, and Zhenzhen nodded. “Alright, I got it. Now eat up, we’re heading back.”

Da Huang looked at Zhenzhen with a hint of reluctance in his eyes. She gently stroked his now dull fur. “I’ll come visit you more often.”

Da Huang nodded humanlike, picked up a chicken in his mouth, and lay down beside Li Mingzhong’s grave to gnaw on it. Zhenzhen took Xi Junjie’s hand, passed through the space, and returned home.

Looking at the messy bed, Xi Junjie could still feel the lingering sensation of stroking Da Huang’s fur. He sighed, “That was amazing, like a myth. No—more amazing than a myth. Even Sun Wukong has to somersault to travel thousands of miles, but you just blink and you’re there.”

Zhenzhen tilted her chin up proudly. “That’s because I outrank him. My grandma always said I was a reincarnated immortal.”

Xi Junjie nodded. “I never used to believe in this stuff, but you’ve completely reshaped my worldview. But…” He pulled Zhenzhen onto his lap. “If you really are a reincarnated immortal, does that mean I won’t be able to find you after we die?”

“No worries, I’ll come find you.” Zhenzhen wrapped her arms around Xi Junjie’s neck and kissed him on the lips. “After all, it’s hard to find a second man as handsome as you. I’ll cling to you for life after life.”

Xi Junjie chuckled and hugged her tighter, just about to deepen the kiss when a knock came from outside. “Zhenzhen, Junjie, are you awake? Watermelon and Grape are hungry.”

“We’re up!” Zhenzhen shouted back, then gave Xi Junjie a big smooch before getting up to open the door. Wang Sufen and Grandma Li stood at the door with a baby stroller. Seeing Zhenzhen open the door, Wang Sufen asked, “How’s Junjie? Feeling better?”

Xi Junjie quickly stepped out. “Nothing serious, just a few scrapes.”

Zhenzhen went to wash her hands and came out with a plate of fresh blueberries. “I bought these yesterday and completely forgot about them.”

“Oh my, these blueberries are huge.” Grandma Li popped one in her mouth. “Tastes just like the ones from our mountain. Delicious.”

Watermelon got anxious seeing his great-great-grandmother eating in front of him. He babbled and reached out to grab one. Grandma Li placed a handkerchief on his clothes and gave him a berry. Zhenzhen picked up Grape and went to breastfeed her.

Grape, being a girl, had a much smaller appetite than Watermelon. She was full after a short while. Zhenzhen brought her back and placed her in Wang Sufen’s arms, then reached for Watermelon. It was his first time tasting blueberries, and the sweet-sour flavor had him completely captivated—even forgetting to nurse. Zhenzhen tried twice to pick him up but he dodged her both times. Grape, watching her brother enjoy the fruit, reached out and yelled toward the plate. Zhenzhen cradled her in her arms, bibbed her up, and gave her one too.

Wang Sufen, watching the couple play with their kids, said to Zhenzhen, “Since Junjie’s at home resting, you should stay with him more instead of running around at the company all day. How much money is enough anyway?”

“It’s not just about money. Building something gives me a sense of accomplishment.” Zhenzhen held Grape in her arms and gave her another fresh blueberry. “I’ll try to stay home more these next few days, but I have to attend an auction the day after tomorrow. If we miss that piece of land, we’ll lose a key opportunity to establish ourselves.”

Xi Junjie knew how crucial that land was for Zhenzhen’s real estate company, so he chimed in, “It’s really not a big deal for me. I was just talking to Zhenzhen earlier—once she secures that land, we’re thinking of going out every day and finally enjoying ourselves a bit. We haven’t really had any fun since getting married.”

Wang Sufen laughed, “Exactly! You two really need a proper break. Don’t worry about the kids—we’ll watch them. Just have Zhenzhen leave some milk in the morning.”

Xi Junjie and Zhenzhen exchanged a look, both looking forward to that kind of carefree life.
—

Soon, the day of the land auction arrived. Zhenzhen arrived early at the venue with Mingbei and picked a front-row seat. As time passed, more and more people arrived, and the auction hall quickly filled up.

This was the first state-owned land use rights auction in the Imperial Capital. The land spanned 9,300 square meters, designated for residential use with a 70-year lease term. Whether in the future or the present, the location was considered prime real estate.

Finally, it was time. After introducing the basic details of the land, the host announced the starting price: “The bidding starts at 1.8 million yuan, with increments of 50,000 yuan per bid.”

A buzz swept through the room. Everyone expected the price to be high, but many had hoped to snag a bargain. Still, no one had anticipated a starting price over a million. There was no time to hesitate though—someone quickly placed the first bid. Young and impulsive, Mingbei raised his paddle first, followed by other companies eager to buy.

“Two million!”

…

“Two point eight million!”

…

“Three point two million!”

…

The bids climbed rapidly, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heated. When the price reached 4.5 million, Mingbei’s hand was sweaty from gripping the paddle. Zhenzhen had already walked them through the budget analysis, and the current price was still below their cap, but that didn’t ease his nerves. Over four million yuan—Mingbei doubted he’d ever see that kind of money in his life.

“Five million!”

One company finally pushed the price higher. Zhenzhen glanced at Mingbei and, seeing his hesitation, directly grabbed the paddle from him. “Five point one million!”

Mingbei almost dropped to his knees before his sister. The price was already so high that even a 50,000 yuan increase made others hesitate, and she just bumped it up by 100,000 without blinking.

Sure enough, many potential bidders backed off after her bold move. As time ticked down, the company that had called out five million raised its paddle one last time. “Five point one five million!”

Zhenzhen responded immediately, “Five point two million!”

Five point two million! The whole room looked around in shock. No one had expected the very first auction for land use rights to reach such a sky-high price. One by one, competitors gave up. As the host began the final countdown, the hall went silent. The auctioneer’s hammer finally fell under Zhenzhen’s expectant gaze. Mingzhen Real Estate won the 9,000+ square meter land for 5.2 million yuan.

Most of the attendees were heads of construction or real estate companies. Some knew Li Mingzhen personally; others only knew her reputation for donating cultural relics. But now, with her company winning the land auction, many came over to congratulate her—after all, it never hurts to build connections.

Zhenzhen greeted each well-wisher and then took Mingbei to sign the contract with the Land and Resources Bureau. According to the agreement, Mingzhen Real Estate needed to pay the full amount within ten days. If it had been another company, the bureau might’ve been worried, but when they heard Li Mingzhen’s name, even Director Gao of the bureau came over to shake her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you—this is the first time we’ve met.”

Zhenzhen smiled. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other a lot more in the future. There’ll be more and more of these auctions.”

As the crowd dispersed, Director Gao kindly expressed concern. “With such a high price, are you sure you won’t take a loss?”

Zhenzhen paused only briefly before replying with a smile, “We’re going to build a model residential community—set a new standard for neighborhoods in the Imperial Capital. We won’t lose money.”

“Well then, good luck to you.” Director Gao shook hands with her again and left the venue with the signed documents. Mingbei approached, his legs still trembling, and asked in disbelief, “Did we really buy it? Five point two million?”

Zhenzhen looked at his sweat-drenched face and said helplessly, “This is just the beginning, and you’re already this scared?”

“Five million two hundred thousand! It still feels like a dream!” Mingbei shook his head and sighed. “Sis, listen to your brother—you may be rich, but you can’t throw money around like this. Over five million, that’s enough for me to earn over several lifetimes.”

Zhenzhen hooked her arm around Mingbei’s shoulder and sincerely offered advice: “Once our residential complex is built, buy three of the best units. In twenty years, not to mention five million, you could easily make fifty million.”

“You’re just trying to talk me into it,” Mingbei chuckled, amused. “Who would spend tens of millions on an old house? You’d have to be crazy.”

Zhenzhen smiled and nudged Mingbei out of the conference hall. “Alright, let’s go discuss the construction of the new complex.”

Mingbei and a few of his classmates were all top students from the architecture department of Huaguo University, with many years of experience working at a design institute in the Imperial Capital. They were highly capable. Zhenzhen, on the other hand, had seen all kinds of housing in the future. Unlike the current housing that prioritized practicality, future housing focused more on comfort and lifestyle upgrades. So Zhenzhen proposed ideas like south-north ventilation, separate wet and dry bathroom areas, good lighting, high ceilings, and features for the entire complex like landscaping, fire safety, children’s playgrounds, and elderly activity zones. Looking at the group of enthusiastic young people, Zhenzhen said seriously, “The first residential complex by Mingzhen Real Estate should target high-end users and lead the housing trends in the Imperial Capital.” Her words sparked inspiration in the designers. Within half a month, the design and planning drawings for the complex were completed.

Time is money. Once the blueprints and plans passed approval, Mingbei and the others immediately led the construction team to begin work. The once-bustling office was quiet again, with only a few administrative staff remaining. Zhenzhen stretched lazily, told her assistant to call her home if anything urgent came up, and happily went home to drag Xi Junjie along for a vacation.

This time, Zhenzhen directly took the yacht out of her space and brought Xi Junjie aboard. The yacht drifted freely with the waves along the coast. Xi Junjie excitedly picked up a fishing rod to start fishing.

Watching the fishing rod remain still for a long time, Zhenzhen looked at him skeptically. “Are we really going to eat seafood for lunch?”

Xi Junjie looked a bit confused too as he stared at the unmoving rod. “I prepared the sea fishing rod and bait just like you said. Why isn’t it working? How about you give it a try?”

Zhenzhen eyed him suspiciously. The moment she took the rod from Xi Junjie, not even a minute passed before it suddenly dipped downward. Xi Junjie immediately perked up. “See? I told you the bait I prepared was good.”

Zhenzhen reeled in a big fish and handed the rod back to Xi Junjie. “You keep fishing. I’ll go make fish congee.” She placed the sea fish on the cutting board, skinned and deboned it, then added the tender fillets into the boiling porridge and sprinkled in some salt. The congee enveloped the fish, and after a minute it began to bubble up again. Just as it was about to boil over, she turned off the heat and served two bowls of fresh, tender fish congee on the dining table.

Due to his injury, Xi Junjie couldn’t eat too much seafood, so Zhenzhen brought out a lot of her stored food: sliced roast duck, vibrant greens, soft tofu, and a savory braised meatball dish that made one’s appetite soar.

After filling the table with dishes, Zhenzhen saw Xi Junjie still squatting by the fishing rod, unmoving. “You still haven’t caught anything?”

Xi Junjie gave a sheepish smile. “Maybe there’s not much seafood in this area.”

Zhenzhen gave him a glance, picked up a net from the side, and tossed it into the water. Without even waiting, she pulled it up again. When the net emerged, it held a huge lobster as long as an adult’s arm. Xi Junjie, frustrated and embarrassed, threw down the fishing rod. “These things are really out to bully people.”

Zhenzhen laughed and placed the net at his feet. “Let’s keep it in the space for now. Once your injury heals, we’ll eat it.”

Xi Junjie gave up his seafood battle, slowly poured red wine into a glass, picked one up and handed it to Zhenzhen. “I think this is the most romantic date we’ve had.”

Zhenzhen clinked glasses with him and smiled. “We’ll have lots more dates like this in the future.”

Xi Junjie took a sip of wine and suddenly remembered something that had always made him curious. “I remember back then you bought two-thirds of Lafite’s 1982 vintage stock. What was that for?”

Zhenzhen smiled. “I planned to keep it as your drinking water.”