stingy landlady

Chapter 191 Leading the Villagers to Prosperity (1)

In the evening, the old man and the village chief came to Dazhu's house.

"Dazhu! Your dad told me you'll be harvesting vegetables and melons in the future? He wants the people in our village to grow early cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, and so on!"

So many people in our village grow vegetables, what if you can't sell them all?

Dazhu was completely confused, so Guizhi explained:

"Dad! I've taken the bok choy from our western lowland to the county town to sell! My second aunt's family also grows a lot, so I asked Ping An to help her family sell their vegetables as well."

I was thinking that people in our village could also grow early cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables! We have a horse-drawn carriage, so it's convenient to go anywhere! We also grow these, but we can't grow that many.

The villagers will plant together, and I'll send people back to collect the vegetables and take them to the county town to sell!

"You're sick, and I didn't want you to worry. That's why I went to my grandpa to ask the village chief."

Guizhi then looked at the village chief:

"Grandpa Village Chief! It's just planting vegetables earlier! Even if I don't harvest them, there are still people in the village who grow vegetables, it's just a matter of whether it's earlier or later."

If someone else grows early cucumbers or other vegetables at the same time as us, and they harvest early too, I'll buy them. Then I'll take them to the county town to sell.

If everyone plants vegetables at around the same time as other villages, then just keep them for your own consumption!

The village chief understood.

"Guizhi! You want to help the villagers earn some money! Alas! Our village is too poor!"

Dazhu! Your family are all good people! They have a conscience, everyone in the village knows that!

I heard that many of your pigs were sick. Have they all been cured?

Guizhi realized with a start that she hadn't delivered the pork to the village chief.

"Grandpa Village Chief! My dad got sick because the pigs were sick, and he got a fever from it! He's only just gotten a little better!"

Grandpa Village Chief! We slaughtered all the sick pigs to prevent them from infecting the healthy ones. And to avoid upsetting you, Grandpa Village Chief, we had the farmhands divide up the meat from the sick pigs!

"We'll invite Grandpa Village Chief for drinks when we slaughter and fatten the pig!"

The village chief chuckled and agreed.

"Guizhi! This diseased pork doesn't taste good, and Grandpa Village Chief doesn't want it! But it's still meat, so the villagers don't mind."

You guys have a conscience! Even if you took them to town or sold them cheaply in the village, you could still make a lot of money! Everyone would still say you're great!

Besides, you've already given them away! I'm close to you all, so let me tell this child something: A small favor is appreciated, but an excessive one breeds resentment; it's not scarcity that's worrisome, but inequality!

Next time you do a good deed, think twice before you act!

The old man and Dazhu nodded in agreement with what the village chief had said.

The old man asked worriedly:

"The children are young and haven't thought that far ahead! Village chief! Has something happened in the village?"

The village chief laughed after hearing the old man's words:

"Brother! There are many people in the village, and they may say all sorts of things! Don't worry! I'm just reminding you because the kids are all doing well."

Guizhi thought for a moment and said:

"Grandpa Village Chief! We've planted quite a few plum and apple trees, and they've grown so tall! I reckon they'll be flowering and bearing fruit next year!"

I'll pick them and sell them for money! If anyone in the village has spare land and wants to plant fruit trees, but doesn't know where to sell the fruit, I can buy them all! I'll arrange a cart to take my fruit to other places to sell!

The village chief smiled like a little fox:

"Guizhi! Aren't you afraid that if everyone grows the same thing as you, you won't get a good price?"

"Grandpa Village Chief! You need to talk to the villagers about this first, and make sure they keep their mouths shut! Don't reveal the way to make money before you've even made any!"

When more people start growing vegetables and fruit trees, the prices will be low, and nobody will make any money!

Grandpa Village Chief! My pigsty will be finished in a few days, and then we'll start growing sweet potato seedlings. People in the south also call them yams. They can be eaten raw or cooked! We're used to boiling or steaming them, though!

If Grandpa Village Chief has any land he wants to plant, he can come over and get some seedlings to plant!

Once we've planted more and found it suitable for our crop, we'll gradually get everyone in the village to plant it! This sweet potato yield is quite good!

If anyone is having a really tough time, Grandpa Village Chief can bring them to my house to get some seedlings to plant! Then they can eat the sweet potato leaves, and the sweet potatoes that grow in the field can be eaten as a meal!

We can sell them for money later! This sweet potato is a rare commodity here! Let's plant it in our village for a few years first, earn some money, and then the villagers will gradually become rich.

Then we won't care about the pigs from our sick ones anymore! Hehe!

The village chief stroked his beard and said:

"Great! Guizhi is so generous! Brother Wang! Dazhu! Guizhi is so magnanimous, you don't have any objections, right? Don't come back after I leave, you can't hit or scold her!"

The old man chuckled sheepishly.

"Village Chief! I brought you here so that we could all make money together! If Dazhu's family becomes rich, they'll stand out from the crowd!"

If all the hardworking people in our village could earn some money, life would be better! Then no one would keep eyeing Dazhu's meager possessions anymore!

Da Zhu also expressed his opinion:

"Uncle Village Chief! Guizhi's suggestion is excellent, I support it! However, I'll still need to trouble you, Uncle Village Chief, to communicate with the villagers!"

The village chief was pleased and patted the large pillar with his hand:

"Dazhu! This is a good thing! Everyone in the village is happy to make money with us! If anyone complains again, kick them out of the village!"

Otherwise, we won't buy their vegetables, and we won't let them grow those sweet potatoes! Then those gossipy people won't dare say anything bad about your family!

After the old man finished discussing the important matter with the village chief, he asked Guizhi:

"Guizhi! Your fourth aunt has asked you when seven people will be able to start working! I heard you're quite anxious about it, aren't you?"

Guizhi pondered for a moment and said:

"Have Ping An drive the carriage to take my fourth aunt and the others tomorrow morning! I can't leave my house for the time being, so I'll write a letter and have Ping An give it to my aunt Xu!"

She'll take care of it!

The village chief asked:

"Guizhi! I've heard you've been recruiting women to do needlework. Are you recruiting again this time?"

Guizhi nodded, and said with a hint of regret:

"Yes! Grandpa Village Chief! I was planning to find ten more people, but we're in a hurry! My fourth aunt found seven people, so with her, that makes eight. We're still short two people."

"That's perfect! I have two, one is my second son's daughter, who's fourteen this year. We're looking for someone to marry her!"

This granddaughter is spoiled rotten. I heard that other girls her age can earn their own money. She's making a huge fuss about earning her own dowry!

And then there's my poor second daughter! Her husband was licked by a bear while he was up in the mountains, leaving her and my grandson behind, crying and wailing all day long!

If she could earn money to support herself and her child, we could help out a bit more. Life would be easier!

The old man asked, puzzled:

"Village chief! If your daughter goes to work, what will happen to the child? The child is quite young, how old is he?"