Looking at her hypocritical expression, and then glancing at the wives whose emotions had clearly been stirred up, Jiang Li ran her tongue over her canine tooth. Instead of getting angry, she smiled.
She let out a breath and looked at Xiao Ya calmly.
“Comrade Xiao Ya, you keep saying you’re doing this for my good and for the reputation of our unit. Then let me ask you—if I really can find a water source and solve this drought, wouldn’t that also bring honor to our unit?”
Meeting Jiang Li’s open gaze, Xiao Ya suddenly felt uneasy.
Her lips twitched as she forced out a smile.
“Th-that would definitely be a good thing, but the chances are just too small. It’s been so many years, everyone—”
“Small doesn’t mean impossible, does it?”
Interrupting her directly, Jiang Li no longer bothered looking at her and instead turned to the other wives.
Her tone softened, carrying full sincerity.
“Sisters, I know I’ve just arrived and you don’t know me well. I also understand you’re worried this won’t work. But I have my own basis and judgment—I wouldn’t act recklessly.”
“This isn’t about reputation—it’s about lives.”
“Mr. Liu is an expert. Since he has agreed to conduct the survey, it means he recognizes my judgment to some extent.”
“And even if, in the end, we really don’t find water, I will take full responsibility alone. I will never implicate the unit or my husband’s reputation.”
She stopped there, giving them time to think, then looked at Xiao Ya again.
Suddenly, she smiled and changed the subject.
“Comrade Xiao Ya, I just remembered—before worrying about other people’s matters, shouldn’t you fulfill our earlier bet?”
“Take a look at the radishes in my yard—they sprouted long ago and are growing quite well now.”
Hearing this, the wives who had been deep in thought were momentarily stunned.
They suddenly recalled how Xiao Ya had questioned whether Jiang Li could farm…
Xiao Ya had originally come to watch the show, but now the fire had turned onto herself.
Her face turned pale as she stammered,
“I—I was…”
“You were what?”
Jiang Li looked at her leisurely, not giving her a chance to evade.
“Since we’re all here, why don’t we go take a look?”
“If the radishes are growing well, shouldn’t you honor the bet?”
At this point, whether Xiao Ya wanted to or not no longer mattered. Even the older wives’ curiosity had been stirred—they all nodded eagerly.
“Yes, yes! Let’s go take a look! Let’s see how Comrade Jiang’s vegetables are doing!”
In this place, whether due to poor soil or climate, crops rarely grew well—out of ten plants, it was good if two or three survived.
And Jiang Li’s had grown?
They practically dragged Xiao Ya to the small yard. There, on the newly turned plot, the radishes had already grown into a lush green patch.
Jiang Li walked past them, crouched down, and gently parted the leaves, revealing that the roots underneath had already thickened.
“Oh my, it’s only been a few days! They’ve already formed small radishes! This is growing so well!”
“My goodness, sister, you really know how to farm! That’s impressive!”
The wives exclaimed one after another, their gazes toward Jiang Li now completely different from before.
As for Xiao Ya, seeing the thriving radishes, she had no way to deny it.
No matter how unwilling she was, she still took out five yuan from her pocket and tossed it into Jiang Li’s arms.
“I’m not someone who can’t accept losing! Here’s the money—I admit defeat!”
Jiang Li took the money, folded it neatly, and placed it in her pocket.
Her eyes lifted slightly, not hiding her victory at all.
At that moment, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from behind.
Everyone turned to look and saw Wang Xuelian striding over.
She first glanced at Xiao Ya, frowned, then turned to the other wives and sighed.
“Sisters, what are you all doing here in such confusion?”
“You say you care about Commander Si and are afraid he’ll be deceived, but shouldn’t you at least ask things clearly? Jiang Li is not the same person as the girl who called before and cursed him! She’s a decent, upright girl, someone Commander Si is going to build a life with!”
“Just look at this vegetable plot and how the yard is arranged—does she look like someone who acts recklessly?”
“Don’t just believe rumors! Otherwise, we’ll end up with internal conflict in our compound and become a laughingstock.”
Wang Xuelian’s words were firm and resounding. The previously aggressive wives, after being told off and seeing the evidence before them, finally came to their senses.
Seeing the embarrassment and guilt on their faces, Jiang Li sighed inwardly.
She knew that this clarification alone was far from enough.
If she wanted to truly establish herself here and get along well with everyone, she had to build good relationships.
The best way was to turn opposition into cooperation.
She first looked at Wang Xuelian and nodded gratefully, then turned to the wives, her tone calm and composed.
“Sisters, I understand your concerns and your fear that I might cause trouble for everyone or the unit. But I truly act based on reason and evidence—I don’t act without cause.”
“As for the well, I made my judgment based on textbook knowledge and on-site observation. Mr. Liu also agreed before we decided to try.”
Seeing them fidgeting, unsure of what to say, Jiang Li shifted her gaze to the radish patch and changed the topic.
“Actually, just like these vegetables—why do my seeds grow so quickly?”
“To be honest, it’s because I learned some techniques while working at the seed station and specially selected and cultivated them. That’s why my seeds are more drought-resistant and yield better harvests than ordinary ones.”
She crouched again beside the rows of radishes, gently brushing the leaves, her expression softening.
“I’ve noticed that many families here want to grow vegetables, but the weather is harsh and the seeds aren’t good.”
“If you trust me, after I harvest this batch of radishes and get seeds—or if I have other vegetable seeds—I can share them with you to try.”
“If you need them.”
Her words had an immediate effect.
These wives were in the same situation as Wang Xuelian.
During drought, vegetables at the supply cooperative were extremely expensive—no family could afford to eat them every day.
Being able to grow fresh vegetables themselves would be a great blessing.
And Jiang Li offering to share her methods was like help in a time of need.
The leading wife, Sister Zhang, immediately smiled, her eyes showing some guilt.
“Jiang Li, what a mess we made—we were really confused.”
“With such generosity, I truly admire you.”
“We’re straightforward people. Sometimes we speak before thinking—don’t take it to heart.”
“Exactly! If anyone dares to speak badly about you again, I’ll be the first to object!”