Settlement

"Auntie, Uncle Liu, have some hot tea to calm your nerves. You've been busy outside all day, you must be tired."

As soon as the tea was poured, a clear and pure herbal fragrance spread across the table. Unlike the bitter and smoky smell of aged tea leaves in ordinary teahouses, it had a refreshing and sweet aroma like a mountain spring.

Old Liu had been busy all afternoon and was feeling a bit thirsty. He picked up the rough earthenware cup, blew on the scalding steam, and then tilted his head back to take a big gulp.

The moment the tea slid down his tongue and down his throat, Old Liu's body jerked violently, his eyes widened instantly, and he held the tea in his mouth for three seconds before finally swallowing it.

"Gulp."

Old Liu raised his hand to wipe his chin, staring at the rough earthenware teacup in his hand, his face full of disbelief:

"Boss Lin... what... what kind of tea is this?!"

Old Liu smacked his lips, looking somewhat dazed.

"Just now, my mouth was still lingering with the thick layer of pork fat from the large chunks of pork belly and the smoky aroma of pickled cabbage, but after this sip of hot tea, the greasiness was instantly washed away!"

"My mouth watered as if I had a piece of rock candy in my mouth, my throat felt incredibly moist, and even the air coming out of my nose smelled sweet!"

Aunt Wang also picked up her cup and took a small sip.

The old lady is getting on in years and has a weak stomach; she is most afraid of drinking tea, which can upset her stomach and cause acid reflux.

But the warm tea slid down my throat and into my stomach without any astringency or irritation.

Instead, it felt like a warm, soothing current was spreading through my stomach, completely easing the heavy feeling of fullness from overeating, leaving me feeling incredibly comfortable and at ease.

"Excellent tea... truly a rare find."

Grandma Wang held her teacup, looked down at the clear, pale golden tea, and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:

"This old lady has never drunk any expensive tea in her life, but after taking one sip, even her mind felt clear."

"Xiao Fan, even a cup of hot tea that you casually pour out of your shop would be sold as a prized possession in a high-end restaurant."

Su Xiaoxiao sat to the side sipping her tea and smiled as she replied:

"Auntie, this is Yunwu white tea that Brother Lin brewed himself. It's not something we usually serve in the shop. I saw that you two caught a chill outside today, so I specially brewed it for you to warm up."

Old Liu held the teacup with both hands, drinking it down to the last drop, not even letting a trace of the tea's aroma linger at the bottom. Leaning back on the bench, he shook his head and sighed repeatedly.

"I'm completely convinced. From the food to the hot soup, and even this cup of tea he casually poured, Boss Lin's cooking skills are truly exceptional. All this chores was totally worth it, absolutely worth it!"

The four people sat around the table drinking hot tea, and the atmosphere in the room was warm and peaceful.

After playing with the orange cat Xiajiao on the carpet, Xiao Tuantuan walked over on her short legs and leaned against Lin Fan's knee, yawning with her little head bobbing up and down.

Aunt Wang glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that the hands pointed to 6:30 in the evening. She put down her teacup, brushed the crumbs off her clothes, stood up, and put on her cotton-padded coat.

"Xiao Fan, Xiao Xiao, it's completely dark now, so Auntie and Old Liu are going back to the neighbor's yard."

Old Liu also stood up and tucked his copper pipe back into his waistband:

"Yes, get some rest. If there's any more random trouble in the back alley tomorrow, just shout over the wall, and this old man will be there in a heartbeat!"

"Take care, Auntie. Take care, Uncle Liu. Watch out for the black ice on the steps." Lin Fan picked up Tuantuan and got up to see them off.

After seeing off the two old neighbors, Lin Fan slammed the cast iron bolt on the back door shut.

The lobby fell silent.

The air conditioner was blowing warm air, and the large chandelier overhead was half turned off, leaving only a ring of warm yellow spotlights.

Su Xiaoxiao took the three teacups from the table back to the sink, rinsed them clean, wiped the bar counter dry, and walked over to say in a low voice:

"Brother Lin, let me take Tuantuan upstairs to wash up and go to bed. The little girl's eyelids are almost closed."

"Go ahead." Lin Fan handed the half-asleep Tuantuan to Su Xiaoxiao.

The little girl rubbed her eyes, softly mumbled "Goodnight, Daddy," and hugged Su Xiaoxiao's neck as they went upstairs.

The orange cat, Shrimp Dumpling, also wagged its tail and followed behind with small, quick steps upstairs.

The lobby was completely empty, with only the soft ticking of the second hand on the wall clock.

Lin Fan turned around, walked through the corridor, and stepped into the small storeroom at the back, locking the door tightly behind him.

With a slight thought, Lin Fan's figure silently disappeared from the warehouse and appeared in the Spirit Field Farm.

A gentle breeze blew through the farm, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass.

The pond surface shimmered, and hundreds of plump blackfish swam slowly in the deep water.

In the distance, the black soil is dark, shiny, and fertile, with rows of crops growing neatly.

Feeling the spiritual energy of the farm made Lin Fan's mind even clearer.

From the moment Da Peng stirred up trouble online in the early morning, leading people to block the door and throw eggs, to Su Xiaoxiao angrily stopping the violence.

From Zhao San'er's recantation and admission of wrongdoing at the police station, to distributing hot soup noodles for free to neighbors and delivery riders at the street-facing window...

He originally thought that the best option in the face of online slander and noise was to shut himself away and observe from the sidelines.

But today's big fire and the delivery of hundreds of bowls of sour soup made him realize a more solid truth.

No matter how vicious the rumors are, they are ultimately just rumors spread through a screen.

As long as the ingredients in the pot are genuine, it's far more convincing than spending countless words arguing online.

As I was pondering this, a pale blue, semi-transparent light screen suddenly appeared and unfolded in mid-air before me.

A series of crisp, mechanical system notifications rang in my mind:

[Ding! Special emergency side quest for people's livelihood [Warmth in the Snow - Don't Let It Down] has been successfully completed!]

[Task Evaluation: Warming the cold winter with delicious food and calming the anger with compassion. 226 meals were served amidst the severe cold and snow, exceeding the target for providing relief to the needy, and achieving a 100% positive feedback rate from the public!]

[Basic task reward has been issued: 60000 System Shop Points! (Current total points balance: 260000)]

[Core ecological rewards have been activated: The ecological area of ​​Lingtian Farm has doubled!]

[Workshop efficiency rewards activated: Tiangong Deep Processing Workshop's overall operational efficiency increased by 300%!]

As the notification tone faded, a slight, low hum emanated from the entire farm space.

The black soil beneath our feet seemed to be pushed outwards and extended by an invisible force.

The once neat farmland, which was only a dozen acres in size, was rapidly expanding outwards towards the surrounding white mist at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The fertile, loose black soil surged and doubled in size, reaching a vast area of ​​nearly thirty acres.

The pond not far away also shook violently.

What was originally a clear pond of only two acres in size has been rapidly expanded into a small pond with a depth of four or five meters and an area of ​​nearly six acres.

The bluestones and aquatic plants at the bottom of the pond are clearly visible, and the water from the Lingquan Well gushes out from the spring, with ripples on the surface.

Hundreds of blackfish from Lingquan swim freely in the wide, deep waters, splashing their tails and creating clear, crisp sprays.