A Smartphone Bridging Three Worlds/C22 The Strong Love of a Father
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A Smartphone Bridging Three Worlds/C22 The Strong Love of a Father
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C22 The Strong Love of a Father

Upon hearing the lengthy explanation, Yun Buhui quickly offered an apologetic smile. "Mr. Soong, you see, I'm not foolish. I have my reasons for taking on the barren mountain. Rest assured, I won't let you down!"

The Mr. Soong that Yun Buhui referred to was actually Soong Qingfeng, a high school classmate of Yun Buhui's father. Over the years, they had maintained a close relationship. Soong Qingfeng had frequently visited the Yun family, always bringing rice and other foodstuffs with him.

Yet, as the saying goes, you can help someone in a crisis but not necessarily out of poverty. With Yun Buhui's parents in poor health, eradicating their financial struggles was no easy task. Yun Buhui was deeply grateful to Mr. Soong, but the debt his family owed was so substantial that his father eventually felt too ashamed to ask for more help.

"Kid, cut the nonsense," Mr. Soong chided. "I can't fathom why you and your father are so fixated on that mountain. And one barren mountain isn't enough for you? Now you want to take on another? What are you up to? You haven't even developed Taste Word Mountain, and now you're eyeing the mountain behind it? What, do you have money to burn?"

Yun Buhui's face turned bitter at the remark. "Please, Mr. Soong, don't jump to conclusions. I would like to contract Taste Word Mountain, but it's much larger than the back mountain. Plus, its location is prime. The cost to lease it would be astronomical—I simply can't afford it!" After saying this, Yun Buhui shrugged helplessly. He was well aware that Taste Word Mountain was far superior to the one behind his house, but the price was beyond his reach.

Soong Qingfeng gave Yun Buhui a curious look. "Don't tell me you're unaware that Taste Word Mountain belongs to your family?"

At that, Yun Buhui's mouth twitched slightly. "Mr. Soong, you've got it wrong. Taste Word Mountain belongs to all of us, not just to me personally."

"Ah, I have no idea what Yun Jie is up to. It's getting late, and he still hasn't informed you. Your father was once tasked with road construction by the village. Tragically, something unforeseen happened, but the village did provide him with compensation. Yet, he said that even if he used that money for treatment, his legs would never fully heal. He worried about what he'd leave behind for you if any misfortune struck, aside from being a father with a disability."

"That's why your father didn't hesitate to take on the contract for Taste Word Mountain on your family's land. The contract was for fifty years, and it's been over a decade now. Still, there's more than thirty years remaining. However, after you left school, he began to regret it, not wanting to pass the mountain on to you. He didn't want you to be tied down to the countryside; he wanted you to venture out and carve out your own destiny."

"But you're headstrong, unwilling to leave your elders behind and strike out on your own. I had assumed he would've discussed the Taste Word Mountain with you by now, but to my surprise, the old man is still holding back, waiting and watching."

After Soong Qingfeng finished, Yun Buhui was suddenly overwhelmed with shock and emotion. He could sense the profound love of a father. He hadn't realized his father had harbored these thoughts for over a decade. Deep down, he knew his father always wanted him to venture out into the world and make a name for himself. His father believed that with Buhui's smarts and talent, he could still achieve great success one day, even with just a high school education.

"Mr. Soong, I can't thank you enough. If I hadn't come to see you and talk about all this today, I would've remained in the dark about the whole situation."

Hearing this, Soong Qingfeng let out a sigh, "Ah, two years ago, your father confided in me. He noticed you daydreaming about those mountains and knew you were considering taking them on. He didn't approve, yet he instructed me to tell you everything if you ever came to me with the intention of contracting the barren land. If you hadn't approached me, he would have preferred to keep it all to himself. Oh, and about the contract for the mountain you took on – your father mentioned you'd know where it's kept."

Upon hearing Mr. Soong's words, Yun Buhui was startled, a sudden realization dawning on him. His university acceptance letter had always been hidden in a secret spot. Now, with Mr. Soong's reminder, it dawned on him—could his father have placed the contract with the acceptance letter?

After parting ways with Soong Qingfeng, Buhui hurried back home. Without delay, he opened his secret little box and, sure enough, found his university acceptance letter still securely in place. Beneath it, to his surprise, was a contract for a barren mountain. Opening it, he saw the name Yun Jie written as the contractor.

After carefully returning these important documents to their hiding place and locking the box, Buhui sat there, lost in thought, unsure whether to cry or laugh. His deepest wish had been fulfilled in an instant. He had always believed his deception about failing the university entrance exam would remain a secret from his parents. But now, it struck him that they might have known all along, leaving him to grapple with the pain and helplessness alone.

Shaking off his momentary despondency, Buhui stood up with determination. He resolved to clear away all negative emotions and silently vowed, "I will show my parents that even if their son chose not to attend university, he will still be their pride—forever." With a firm clench of his fist and a final check of the locks, Buhui strode out, heading directly to Taste Word Mountain for a personal inspection.

It was only then that Buhui truly understood why his father had abruptly brought up Taste Word Mountain. The final piece of the puzzle lay there. The mountain featured three peaks—one in the front and two behind, each separated by a uniform distance. From a distance, the peaks formed a pattern resembling the Chinese character for "taste." A large, fertile tract of land lay in the center where the mountains met. However, since the land was protected from cultivation, no one had farmed there.

Most people were aware that Taste Word Mountain had already been claimed, so it was unlikely that anyone would casually venture onto another person's mountain to farm. Circling the entire Taste Word Mountain would probably span a few dozen kilometers. Yun Buhui had initially considered building a wall around it, but he quickly realized that such an endeavor was financially out of reach. The cost was simply too prohibitive.

Yun Buhui also pondered the idea of free-ranging poultry on the mountain. However, upon reflection, he doubted his ability to ensure their safety. There was the risk of theft, and even without that concern, it was optimistic to expect animals like pigs or chickens to remain on the mountain. They were living creatures, after all, and if they were to escape, the loss could be significant.

After some deliberation, Yun Buhui decided to start by developing the smallest of the three mountains at the forefront of Taste Word Mountain. If he could erect a wooden fence at its base, given an ample supply of lumber, he estimated that the work could be completed in ten days to two weeks. This would allow him to begin raising chickens or pigs in the area.

Yet, what truly occupied his thoughts was his father's claim that hsiuyen jade could be found on the mountain. Motivated by this, Yun Buhui roamed Taste Word Mountain, eager to uncover some quality hsiuyen jade. Despite his lengthy search, he found no trace of the precious stone. Just as he was about to abandon his quest, a few wild rabbits darted by, igniting a playful chase. He pursued them gleefully for a while, but the rabbits proved too swift and soon vanished. Yun Buhui, despite being at Grade Two of the Vortex Stage, couldn't help but sigh at being outpaced by the rabbits. It was a humbling experience.

He spotted a large rock ahead and decided to rest there. As he casually slapped the stone, a wave of astonishment washed over him the moment his hand made contact. Standing abruptly, Yun Buhui scrutinized the green stone, which was obscured by a layer of dust. Once he had cleared it away, the stone's extraordinary nature was revealed. He examined it closely, feeling an overwhelming urge to burst into laughter at his discovery.

Yun Buhui was stunned to discover that what he had initially thought was a mere piece of green stone was actually a nearly one-meter-long hsiuyen jade ore!

Though the hsiuyen jade's quality seemed mediocre, it didn't matter to him. With his purifying ability, he could enhance it. Confident that the purified jade would yield impressive results, Yun Buhui wasted no time. He bent down, hoisted the heavy stone onto his back, and made his way home. Once there, he swiftly cut the stone, discarding the ordinary green parts and keeping only the jade. Inside the ore, he found two pieces of hsiuyen jade—one the size of his palm and the other as small as an egg. The smaller piece, to his delight, was of exceptional quality.

Yun Buhui set aside the two pieces of hsiuyen jade, reminding himself of the day's unfinished tasks. His attention was abruptly drawn to the pigsty by the loud squeals. He quickly prepared some porridge and filled the trough, not forgetting to add a drop of the essential Spirit Liquid.

Over time, the small bottle had accumulated nearly half its volume in Spirit Liquid. Yun Buhui was careful not to waste any, knowing its importance for his Ecosystem Breeding efforts. The ten piglets were thriving, each robust and endearing, with coats that gleamed with health. Remarkably, they seemed to have grown almost a hand's breadth in size since just a few days prior.

The sow, too, sported a lustrous coat, and her stature appeared significantly larger than before. Yun Buhui gazed at the small jade bottle in his hand, his eyes twinkling with anticipation.

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