Chapter 228: Chapter 176: Bro, Work Hard, Keep Going! Support the Whole Company All by Yourself

"You go on up. I can handle this by myself. With legs as beautiful as yours, if they get bitten by leeches, it’ll affect your dancing later," Li Xiang joked.

Yao Yao was instantly excited. "Brother Xiang, you think my legs are beautiful too?"

Li Xiang took a serious look. Although Yao Yao wasn’t tall, her legs were perfectly straight, like pencils, and fair-skinned. They were indeed quite nice, so he nodded.

"YAY, YAY, YAY! Brother Xiang complimented my beautiful legs!" Yao Yao’s playful, flirty side flared up again.

In truth, she had always hated planting rice seedlings back home. She was the type who was neither good at studying nor at manual labor. For her to be willing to get into the paddy field with Li Xiang this time was quite remarkable.

"Brother Xiang, while you’re down there planting the seedlings, how about I dance on the edge of the field to cheer you on!" Yao Yao suggested.

"Why don’t you start a livestream?" Li Xiang said.

Yao Yao was very into it, performing a comical "Rice Planting Dance." She wore a bamboo hat and had a white towel for wiping sweat draped around her neck. It had to be said, she danced with all her heart. Though she was useless at actual farm work, her dancing was absolutely top-notch.

Seeing the positive reaction in the livestream, Li Xiang made a call and had Zhao Xueqing and Lei Xiaohui come over to dance as well.

The scene in the livestream then became this: Li Xiang silently planting rice seedlings alone in the distance, serving as a backdrop for three great beauties performing the Rice Planting Dance while selling tea and wine.

Li Xiang mulled it over. ’I wonder when I should "give the three of them a dose" and teach them a Breathing Technique.’

’But I’m worried they might leak the secret.’

He was starting to understand Cao Cao a little. It was said that after conquering a city, Cao Cao would always take the wives of the enemy leaders and generals for himself.

Some analysts argue that it wasn’t that Boss Cao had a thing for married women, but that it was for political reasons. After the Cao Army conquered a territory, they would eventually leave. So, how could they ensure their rule remained stable?

The best method was through "marriage alliances"—taking those widows into his harem. Because these widows had been married to local leaders and generals, they were all of considerable status. Their own families were the local gentry and powerful clans, who held prominent positions, controlled vast resources, and had widespread connections and influence in the area.

Of course, there were other benefits to taking in widows. For instance, loyalty. They had lost their husbands, and despite their prominent family backgrounds, their status would surely be low if they returned home, making them vulnerable to bullying. Being taken in by Cao Cao was like finding a safe harbor, and Cao Cao was far more powerful than their former husbands.

With this connection, the widows’ maternal families would also seize the opportunity to align themselves with Cao Cao.

Furthermore, widows were good for childbearing. This was especially true for those who had given birth before, as subsequent pregnancies were less likely to result in difficult labor. In that era, a difficult birth was often fatal—the kind that resulted in one death leading to two.

In ancient times, young unmarried maidens would marry and have children at thirteen or fourteen, before their bodies had even fully developed. How could they not have difficult births? In contrast, a young woman in her late teens or early twenties was naturally a much "better value" and also at the most charming and graceful stage of her life.

What? A woman in her thirties or forties? In ancient times, that was grandmother-level.

Taking widows into the harem could be done quietly. Taking a young maiden, however, often required a certain degree of ceremony. As for the daughters of commoners, they weren’t even qualified to be Cao Cao’s concubines; they had no chance at all. They would probably have to pull strings just to become a servant girl.

Besides, having accumulated experience, widows were more gentle and better at taking care of people.

Of course, Li Xiang couldn’t possibly imitate Cao Cao. He decided he would wait and see, observing the character of the three women for a while longer before finding a suitable opportunity. ’Besides, the Apocalypse is still a long way off.’

「After a spring rain」

Li Xiang took the three women up the mountain to forage for mushrooms and film videos.

Some of these mushrooms were kept for his own family to eat, some were given to his maternal grandparents and Little Aunt, and the excess was sold via livestream.

He also purchased mushrooms year-round. Anyone from the surrounding villages willing to sell could bring them to him.

He had Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui help spread the word about his purchasing. Then, when he went to town for meetings and spoke with other village party secretaries, Li Xiang would also mention it as a small advertisement. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The reason he bought them directly instead of helping the villagers sell them was that his business was now established with guaranteed sales. Buying and then reselling was more efficient, and the villagers could get their money faster.

Li Xiang offered a fair price, and payment was immediate, so the folks from the surrounding countryside were all very happy to sell to him.

With a plentiful supply and guaranteed sales, he was "raking in a fortune."

After watching Li Xiang’s latest mushroom-picking video, an old fan couldn’t help but comment, "Brother Xiang is really different now. He used to pick them all by himself, looking so pitiful and poor it broke your heart. Now he’s out ’foraging in the wild’ with beauties."

When Li Xiang started developing that scenic spot, his initial intention was to create a cover for building a Shelter. It also served as an office space and provided a more suitable setting for livestreaming products like tea and red wine.

He hadn’t actually had much confidence in the offline business, but to his surprise, it turned out to be quite profitable after he started. Moreover, it also provided a number of jobs for the local community.

Now, their indoor livestreams were mainly held in the lobbies of the National Tea House and the National Style Tavern. The environment was quite elegant and fitting. Often, there was even an "atmosphere squad" participating—the tourists who came to spend money.

And if any little girls or boys were willing to come up and perform, they would also be given a chance to show off their talents.

Kids these days, especially those from the city, are enrolled in so many extracurricular classes. Who doesn’t have a talent or two up their sleeve?

As for outdoor locations, there were plenty. For example, in the scenic area’s gardens, under the flowering trees, in front of the "ancient tomb," in Li Xiang’s backyard, his front yard, and at the foot of Panda Mountain.

When they streamed live from the base of Panda Mountain, Tuantuan would sometimes appear on camera from a few meters away, doing a somersault or acting cute. At times like these, Li Xiang would zoom in, letting the fans get a good look.

Li Xiang would also tirelessly explain to everyone that this was a wild giant panda that had wandered over on its own. He’d add that it was now "officially on the books"; the relevant provincial departments had filed a record, assigned it a number, and created a special file for it.

He had to explain. What if the platform misunderstood and banned his channel? That would be a huge loss. Besides, some anti-fans love to report people, doing things that harm others without benefiting themselves.

Lei Xiaohui finally got her driver’s license. Li Xiang told her to practice well, as the important task of driving would be handed over to her in the future. They had three cars, and if Li Xiang didn’t need one, the three women could drive them to and from work every day, with gas expenses reimbursed.

It was considered a work benefit for the manager level.

At some good companies, middle management and above receive a car allowance. Of course, only those with private cars can claim it. The monthly fuel subsidy ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand yuan, depending on their rank.

Li Xiang didn’t give a car allowance; instead, he provided the cars directly and reimbursed fuel expenses based on actual costs.

Now, Lei Jiaming was envious every day that his sister’s salary was higher than his, and she even had a car to drive.

The rapeseed in the backyard was ready for harvest. In the morning, Li Xiang was working alone with a sickle while the three women filmed and cheered him on from the side.

Rapeseed harvesting has to be done while avoiding the high temperatures of noon to minimize losses.

After cutting them down, Li Xiang placed the rapeseed plants directly in the field to dry. He arranged them in small piles with the stalks facing up and the seed pods facing down to facilitate ventilation and drying.

Yao Yao cheered, "WOO-HOO!" jumping up and waving her arms. "Brother Xiang, go for it! Keep it up! One man working to support the whole company!"

"PFFT~" Zhao Xueqing and Lei Xiaohui both burst out laughing.