C20 Making a Promissory Note

Yun Buhui was completely transparent with her; there was no need for secrecy. The concept of Ecosystem Breeding wasn't a spontaneous idea of his own. Long ago, a health scientist had already published a paper on the subject. Yet, despite the passage of time, very few have truly embraced Ecosystem Breeding.

Thus, it was inconsequential if others were aware of his plans. The execution would still depend on individual effort. It's important to realize that in the process of implementation, one might encounter a myriad of issues. Success is only achieved when all these challenges are overcome, and one still manages to emerge with a smile. With this mindset, Yun Buhui was neither concerned about competition nor did he fear it. Moreover, he was confident that in the next decade or so, Ecosystem Breeding would flourish and become widespread.

"Chickens raised on grasshoppers? That's quite intriguing. So, you're primarily interested in chicken farming on that barren mountain?" Suqiu inquired with a hint of curiosity.

"At the moment, I haven't mastered chicken farming, so I'm planning to start with pigs. Of course, I'll include some chickens as well, but the specifics will require ongoing exploration throughout the breeding process," he explained.

"I find your so-called Ecosystem Breeding rather fascinating. It seems genuinely interesting. How much would it cost to lease a barren mountain?"

"I've looked into this before. Since most of the mountains near our home are rocky and lack any mineral veins or resources, they should be relatively inexpensive. The lease for a barren mountain is typically a minimum of a thirty-year contract. For the barren mountain behind our house, the annual cost should be around 5,000 yuan."

"However, the government does offer subsidies for leasing barren mountains, so 100,000 yuan should suffice."

Upon hearing this, Suqiu was somewhat astonished. She had previously offered to give him 100,000 yuan for the project, but Yun Buhui had declined. Now, he was proactively seeking a loan of 100,000 yuan from her. This piqued her interest in Yun Buhui even more, as she sensed that her sworn brother truly had a unique approach, especially when he was so earnest.

"Absolutely, if that's what you want to do, you have my full support. It's only 100,000 yuan. I'd even lend you 300,000 yuan if you needed it!"

Upon hearing this, Yun Buhui quickly gestured with his hands, "Ms. Su, please don't lend me so much. If I can't pay it back, I'll be beside myself with worry. I don't need 100,000 yuan; an initial investment of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan should suffice. I can figure out how to come up with the rest on my own."

Mr. Buhui, you're being too formal. I'm not worried about the thirty-five thousand. Let's start with one hundred thousand. If that's not enough, just let me know—you're not allowed to refuse."

Suqiu's face was a picture of sincerity, yet Yun Buhui remained resolute, shaking his head. "If you truly see me as your brother, then please just lend me fifty thousand this time. I promise to pay it back within the next six months."

With that, Yun Buhui grabbed a pen and paper nearby and decisively wrote out an IOU. Suqiu, upon witnessing this, furrowed her brow and questioned, "Since you call me 'sister,' do we really need to put IOUs between us?"

"Ms. Su, family is family, but money is money. It's a matter of principle. Even between father and son, an IOU is necessary when money changes hands."

Observing Yun Buhui's earnestness, a slight smile formed on Suqiu's lips. She was growing increasingly fond of his principled nature.

Shortly after Suqiu handed him the fifty thousand yuan, Yun Buhui carefully tucked it away and prepared to take his leave. "Ms. Su, I need to head back. There's a whole household waiting for me, and I can't keep them waiting!" With a chuckle and a shrug, he made for the door, but Suqiu held him back.

"Mr. Buhui, are you heading back to the hospital or to your own place?"

"Home, of course. There's so much to take care of there."

"And how do you plan on getting back?" Suqiu asked, her tone serious, which struck Yun Buhui as odd.

"How else? I'll take the bus, naturally." Yun Buhui's nonchalant response elicited a laugh from Suqiu.

"I've never heard of a bus service that runs past eight o'clock at night."

Yun Buhui was taken aback when he realized the time. He quickly checked his phone and discovered it was already 8:20 PM.

"Ms. Su, I really must be going now." Having said that, Yun Buhui prepared to head downstairs. Suqiu, somewhat at a loss for words, called out after him, "Mr. Buhui, there's no need to rush. I can drive you home. How else do you plan to get there? You're not planning on running all the way, are you?"

Hearing this, Yun Buhui halted, scratching his head awkwardly.

"Ms. Su, I appreciate the offer, but my home is up in the mountains; I'm afraid your car won't make it. If you could just drop me off at the junction that leads to my place, that would be great." Yun Buhui was convinced that the sedan wouldn't be able to handle the rugged hill he needed to cross to get home.

"Is that so? There's a place my car can't handle? I've got to see this for myself." But when Suqiu took Yun Buhui to her vehicle, he was taken aback by what he saw. He couldn't help but shudder slightly before turning to Suqiu, "Ms. Su, you're incredible! I've never seen someone who appears so delicate driving a rugged, typically masculine vehicle like a Hummer."

Yun Buhui was at a loss. Who would have guessed that Suqiu's choice of vehicle wasn't a sports car, but a Hummer?

"Mr. Buhui, I'm not fond of that comment. Who says Hummers are exclusively for men to drive?"

Challenged by her question, Yun Buhui could only offer a sheepish grin and wave his hands in a gesture of surrender. It wasn't until he was seated in the Hummer that he understood why Suqiu chose to drive it. She handled the powerful vehicle with such ease, accelerating so quickly that in the blink of an eye, they had vanished from sight.

However, Yun Buhui also noticed that, along with the Hummer, the trash can that had been beside the vehicle had mysteriously disappeared as well.

"Oh my god!"

Yun Buhui vowed never to ride in Ms. Su's car again; he simply couldn't find any way to compliment her driving. Moreover, Yun Buhui thought there were far too few surveillance cameras on the road. With Suqiu's driving style and speed, how had she not been caught on camera? But he later discovered that Suqiu's speed was incredibly fast on roads without surveillance. Yet, in areas with cameras, she drove at an excruciatingly slow pace.

Yun Buhui had his suspicions about the electronic dog in Suqiu's car. It alerted the driver to upcoming surveillance from a distance, which seemed like a clear opportunity for cheating. Without the device's warnings, drivers would surely not risk driving so fast, for fear of hefty fines.

The journey felt like a whirlwind to Yun Buhui, heart-racing and electrifying. In under twenty minutes, he realized they had reached the turnoff for Huang Family Shop. He marveled at the thought that, had he taken the bus, it would have taken at least an hour and a half to get there. Suqiu, on the other hand, had made it in less than twenty minutes—a testament to her breakneck speed. And that was with the Hummer's frequent stops at red lights; without them, they might have arrived even faster.

Following Yun Buhui's directions, the Hummer soon approached the hill ahead. Initially, Yun Buhui had intended for Suqiu to head back, but she seemed unfazed by the dreadful condition of the mountain road. Driving up the hill, she felt as though she was cruising on flat terrain.

"This mountain road is subpar. Isn't there a single rock to drive over? When I drive elsewhere, there are plenty of rocks—it's much more thrilling," Suqiu mused aloud as she drove. Yun Buhui's heart nearly leapt out of his chest upon hearing her words.

"In the past, there was no road here; we had to traverse the mountain. My father, when he was younger, led the villagers to carve out a path. They had only made it this far when a rock tumbled down the mountain and crushed his leg. Most of the stones from the road were removed back then, leaving behind mostly soil."

"After that incident, any stone spotted on the road by the villagers was promptly removed. Now, despite being in the hills, stones are a rare sight."

Upon hearing this, Suqiu took another long look at Yun Buhui. She recognized that despite his youth, Yun Buhui had a firm grasp on his principles and how to conduct himself, undoubtedly a reflection of his upbringing and family values. One couldn't help but wonder, considering the era he lived in, if a man who led his villagers to carve a path through the mountains was just an ordinary person. Such an exceptional father would naturally raise an even more exceptional son, making all that had transpired seem perfectly logical. In that moment, Suqiu found herself wanting to spend a night in this place, to immerse herself in its natural and unpretentious essence.

As the headlights illuminated the path ahead, the small village came into full view. Shortly after, Suqiu pulled up and parked in front of Yun Buhui's house. Yun Buhui was the first to step out of the car, stretching languidly. It had been a long and exhausting day. But before he could move on to his next action, a chilly voice sounded from behind him.

"Yun Buhui, you've finally decided to return?"

Yun Buhui, still in the midst of stretching, was startled by the unexpected and icy tone that came from behind him.

He quickly realized who the speaker was, though he was puzzled by her presence. Why was she here?

The person was none other than his former fiancée, Chu Piaoling. An ice queen in every sense, her beauty was undeniable, but her demeanor was as cold as an iceberg. She carried herself with a perpetual frown, as if the whole world was indebted to her.