Xia Guifang burst into laughter and said, "Little Bao has long since grown tired of snacks, so of course using candy to coax him won't work. Go pick some apples from the orchard for him to eat!"

"He, he can eat apples?" Even Wang Xiaoqiang was surprised. In his mind, a five-month-old child would still be swaddled, drinking milk, and he had never heard of one eating snacks and fruit.

"This child rarely drinks milk; he just likes to eat snacks. However, he doesn't seem to get diarrhea..." said Xia Guifang, who actually felt it quite strange herself. Little Bao had always been in good health since he was born, never falling sick. One must know that newborn infants are the most difficult to raise, often falling ill if not cared for meticulously.

"Alright, I'll go pick some apples from the orchard!" Wang Xiaoqiang turned and started to walk outside. Let alone apples that cost several dozens of yuan per kilogram, he would be willing to give his son those priced at hundreds of thousands, or even millions per kilogram. His understanding and approach to raising a child weren't sophisticated; as a small-time farmer, he just knew how to cherish. He cherished using the mentality and methods of a newly rich individual.

But before he had even reached the door, Xia Sanwa had already come in with a basket full of apples.

The apples in the basket were both large and round, shimmering with a red glow, exuding irresistible fragrance, of excellent variety and appearance, and very attractive on sale; one could tell at a glance that they were from the orchard.

"Little Qiang, I picked some apples for Little Bao to eat. You don't mind, do you?" Xia Sanwa asked tentatively.

Ever since Xia Guifang had warned him last time, Xia Sanwa no longer dared to sneak apples from the orchard. Although he had stopped stealing them, seeing those tempting apples every day was incredibly itching to him. It was said that smoking and drinking could be addicting, but now eating apples had become addictive too.

Although Xia Sanwa usually didn't dare to pick them, now he dared, because his grandson had been born, giving him an excuse to play the family card.

"Mind? I was just about to go pick some..." Wang Xiaoqiang replied. "Since you've picked them, it saves me a trip..."

"Ha-ha, actually, Little Qiang, I picked the apples because I saw you had come back. I wouldn't dare on normal days..." admitted Xia Sanwa honestly.

"No problem, if you want to eat them in the future, you can pick them, just make sure no one sees you. It could affect the discipline..."

"No, no, I wouldn't dare. I wouldn't dare even if you beat me," Xia Sanwa quickly agreed, and both of them went back to the villa's living room.

Xia Sanwa then picked up an apple from the basket and, with a smile on his face, handed it to his daughter to give to Little Bao, "Here you go, good baby. Grandpa has picked an apple for you..."

"Dad, how could you pluck apples again without permission..." Xia Guifang's expression darkened as she glanced reprovingly at her father.

The little fellow seemed to know that the apple was delicious; with chubby hands, he reached out, snatched the apple from his grandpa's hand, took a bite, and began to chew heartily.

"I picked it for Little Bao!" stated Xia Sanwa weakly.

"Little Fang, let it go. Apples aren't really worth that much," Wang Xiaoqiang said reassuringly. He had become a vegetable tycoon in the United States, with annual profits reaching tens of billions. His various businesses in China had become less significant, not to mention a small orchard.

"Dad, it's okay for you to pick them, but don't let anyone see you do it, or it might affect the company's discipline," Xia Guifang reminded her father again.

"I know, I know..." Xia Sanwa acknowledged, his eyes fixed on his grandson eating the apple, his throat bobbing, swallowing saliva. When Little Bao had bitten through half of the apple, Xia Sanwa snatched the remaining half from Little Bao's hand and then fetched another one from the basket for him, "It's hard to bite now, let Grandpa get you a new one."

Little Bao took it and began to chomp on the new one like a little tiger, appearing more like a two-year-old child rather than his actual age.

Xia Sanwa glanced at his daughter and Wang Xiaoqiang and noticed that her attention was on Little Bao. He quietly put the half-eaten apple Little Bao left into his mouth, bit down hard, then chewed vigorously while keeping his lips tight.

That evening, Xia Guifang fed Little Bao his milk and lulled him to sleep. The little guy, having eaten quite a few apples during the day, wasn't very hungry and only symbolically nursed a couple of times before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

After having a child, Xia Guifang was aware of the importance of exercise, and her figure had now fully recovered. Unlike her teenage years, however, she was now even more voluptuous, with smooth and rounded features. She radiated the allure and charm of maturity…

The next day, Wang Xiaoqiang went up to Mantou Mountain and fetched two boxes of Wild Mountain Eggs. Then he loaded several dozen pounds of vegetables from the Vegetable Base. He also bought two boxes of Luzhou Laojiao from Aunt Big Mouth and brought everything to the village Party Secretary Liu Mingshan's home. Liu Mingshan was taken aback by the honor of the gift. The villagers didn't know how big Wang Xiaoqiang's business was, but Liu Mingshan was well aware. He often read newspapers and watched television, keeping up with major domestic and international events. The news that Wang Xiaoqiang was developing the vegetable industry in the United States had long been reported, and of course, Liu Mingshan knew about it.

Just think, the Vegetables Great King from the United States comes to present you with a gift. What an honor that must be, and how would you feel?!

However, Liu Mingli also knew the timing of Wang Xiaoqiang's visit. First, he praised Wang Xiaoqiang and, without waiting for Xiaoqiang to speak, directly said, "Rest assured, I will take care of your son Little Bao's matter. No one from above will pursue the issue… As for the household registration, I'll secretly add it in."

Wang Xiaoqiang and Xia Guifang had a child out of wedlock, and the child couldn't be registered in the household registration. It wasn't a big deal, but what was worrisome was if the authorities started to investigate. Someone would need to cover for them, and this was where Liu Mingshan came into the picture. It was also the reason Wang Xiaoqiang gave the gifts.

"Alright then, I'll set up a few tables in the village after the New Year to treat the village elders. I hope you, Uncle Liu, will honor us with your presence at that time…"

"Mhm, your uncle will definitely come and have a few drinks," Liu Mingshan said happily, "I will definitely support the event."

Wang Xiaoqiang was not too concerned with the management of the domestic Little Farmer Company anymore, thanks to the efforts of several very professional individuals. The factory was thriving. What required attention were the affairs of several women: Asou Yoshiko, Li Xianghong, and Feng Xiaoyu. Wang Xiaoqiang visited each of them to check in,

Since Feng Xiaoyu's parents were still not coming back for the Spring Festival, Wang Xiaoqiang brought New Year goods and visited her, leading to another scene of the two rolling noodles together. In the cold of deep winter, eating a bowl of steaming hot noodles made one sweat all over, providing a refreshing feeling to both body and spirit.

As always, Asou Yoshiko was meticulous about cleanliness. As soon as Wang Xiaoqiang arrived, she would kneel to switch his shoes to cotton slippers.

In the winter, the hollows of the mountains were full of snow and ice. Wang Xiaoqiang and Li Xianghong did not venture into the small hollows. Instead, the scene moved indoors. Li Xianghong would take the opportunity to report on the Chicken Farm's work. Wang Xiaoqiang was indifferent, as a small chicken farm didn't matter much to him anymore. However, it was pleasant to know that Li Xianghong, who had been appointed as the acting deputy factory manager, was doing a good job. The factory hadn't suffered any significant setbacks and had maintained its profitability,

As the end of the year approached, Wang Xiaoqiang began to prepare the New Year goods. In the past, New Year purchases were about food and clothing, as human life revolves around nothing but "clothing, food, shelter, and transportation."

Now, food and clothing were no longer important. What mattered was "transportation."

Wang Xiaoqiang, finding his old Hummer outdated, decided to replace it with a new vehicle. Since he wasn't often in the country, he didn't go for something too extravagant, opting for BMWs instead—three of them, in fact. One for himself, which Xia Guifang could drive when he was abroad, another for his father Wang Kuishan as a gesture of filial piety, and the last for Xia Sanwa, as compensation for what he owed the Xia Family.

Your daughter has a child with you before marriage – that's already a significant sacrifice. Wang Xiaoqiang was not ungrateful.

Xia Sanwa had long clamored for a car, but even with a year's salary, he could only afford a vehicle worth tens of thousands, and after paying back the betrothal gift to the Guo Family, there wasn't much left. He couldn't get money from his daughter because Xia Guifang refused to give it, fearing he would get into an accident. Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang gift him a BMW, Xia Sanwa was naturally over the moon with joy.

Once Wang Xiaoqiang left, Xia Sanwa couldn't wait to get in the car and fire it up.

Then, Wang Xiaoqiang saw Xia Guifang's Mother running towards the village to call for help. Wang Xiaoqiang asked her to bring people from the village back, and she immediately set off running.

Watching Xia Guifang's Mother disappear into the distance, Wang Xiaoqiang used the Qi Guiding Technique to draw forth Earth Element Spiritual Qi. As the yellow-colored Spirit Qi flowed in, the water in the pond began to boil, bubbling incessantly. The water level gradually receded. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to give your votes and monthly tickets on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

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