Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 189. Grateful

The matter of a few families earning Silver last winter is no secret, especially since their children often boast in front of others about eating fresh vegetables. The important thing is that relieving themselves is no longer uncomfortable, and the kids at home haven’t stopped clamoring for their parents to plant some.

The reason for not planting last year was that it was close to the end of the year, and time was certainly too late. In less than a month, the fields would be ready for sowing. Additionally, it required too much charcoal, a fact these families didn’t hide at all. Thinking it through, it just didn’t seem worthwhile, so it was abandoned.

But now there’s enough time, and it’s the village chief himself who suggested it. It would be foolish not to plant.

Moreover, compared to the Silver earned, the cost of charcoal is almost negligible. In fact, they’ve already done the math in their hearts and know they can earn much more Silver.

Over half of the villagers raised their hands.

Hua Man observed with delight.

"Very good. Actually, even though we use a lot of charcoal, we also suffer less during the winter. Besides, if we grit our teeth, we can afford it. A pound costs only two or three coins, and a winter would need, at most, three thousand pounds."

"That’s true, but that’s not a small amount of Silver either; it would cost several taels of Silver." Someone started to feel the pinch even before they began.

Though life isn’t easy, every family could scrape together those few taels of Silver. But for some, it really is all of their savings. It’s natural to feel a pinch suddenly.

"Initial investment is a given, but I can assure you that you’ll earn more than you invest. If you don’t believe it, just ask the Meng family."

"Right, right, what Hua Man says is true," said Meng Lao Tian, the husband of Mrs. Lin, joining the conversation.

"During the New Year period, we really didn’t earn a small amount. Especially in the days leading up to the New Year, the price of vegetables could go as high as a hundred coins a pound."

"Wow, is that true?" Upon hearing this, someone gasped with excitement.

They had always known the Meng family earned Silver but didn’t expect the price to be so high. At such high prices, no matter how you calculate it, you could earn Silver, reigniting the interest of those who were hesitating.

"Is there any doubt?" Meng Lao Tian cast a glance.

The crowd erupted into a flurry of discussions again.

"But if we all plant, will we still be able to sell at such high prices?" Hua Da couldn’t help but voice his concerns, not to discourage everyone but because it was indeed a possibility. Hua Village had two hundred households, making it one of the larger villages around. The town wasn’t that big, so if fresh vegetables flooded the market, wouldn’t the price drop?

This was indeed an issue, and the discussion grew louder. Everyone looked at Hua Man, hoping the village chief had a plan.

"Village chief... Hua Da is right. If there’s too much of something, it won’t sell for a good price. Will we still be able to make money then?"

"Yes, exactly?" Those with tight budgets couldn’t help but nod.

It’s not that they’re overly cautious or lack courage; life is simply tough, and they have to consider things more thoroughly.

If they ended up investing the Silver and couldn’t earn any, how would they get by in the future?

Hua Man calmly shook the tobacco pipe in his hand and smiled, "Rest assured, since I’m willing to guarantee you’ll make Silver, I naturally have a plan. You can bring all the vegetables you grow to me, either sell them directly to me or have me sell them for you. I can’t guarantee a price of a hundred coins, but dozens of coins are possible. Then we can have Cheng Tian take them to the city to sell."

Hua Man had already considered this long ago. Others might find it impossible, but his granddaughter had a car. Once fitted with the snow chains she mentioned, it was indeed feasible to drive to the city.

"Village chief, is what you’re saying true?" Everyone got excited again.

With this plan, there was nothing to worry about. This way, they didn’t need to sell their grains. In these times, who wouldn’t want more grains at home? Unless they had to, who would want to sell fine grains to buy rough grains that only filled their stomach?

For a moment, everyone was eagerly gazing at the village chief.

Hua Man nodded assuredly. Even if his own son couldn’t take them to the city, he was prepared to buy them all. His granddaughter had ample space, so there was no worry about not having a place to store them. At worst, he could pause planting in the garden.

Yet, he couldn’t just leave the villagers to fend for themselves. After being the village chief for so many years, he had formed an attachment to his village and its people. Moreover, in difficult times, unity is necessary to survive. During the great drought, if it wasn’t for the village’s unity, they would’ve long been looted by other villages or refugees.

It was precisely because they were strong that so many people sought refuge with them. Otherwise, how could such a remote place have such a large village with so many people?

Hua Man thought more widely, which is why he encouraged everyone to plant winter vegetables. Only by ensuring everyone has extra money at hand can they conserve their resources, which is the most fundamental reason.

Seeing this, everyone became even more excited.

"But village chief, what if we don’t have Silver to buy charcoal?" Amid the excitement, someone raised this concern. When everyone looked, it turned out to be the family of Liu Lazybones from the village.

The name says it all. Due to his laziness, over time, the name was forgotten, and everyone simply called him Liu Lazybones.

Not only is he lazy, but the wife he married is lazy too. Fortunately, their kids aren’t too lazy and can barely make ends meet, but there’s truly not much spare money.

Nonetheless, his words echoed the thoughts of some in the village, who now watched Hua Man alongside Liu Lazybones.

This was indeed a concern that Hua Man had considered.

"If you truly have no Silver, I do have a method, though I’m not sure if it’ll work."

"Village chief, what’s the method? As long as there’s hope, we don’t mind hard work."

They didn’t mind hard work; making money was their motivation.

"During my younger days, when I traveled far and wide, I inadvertently learned a method for making charcoal. I don’t know if it works, but if you don’t mind the trouble, you can give it a try. If it works, you’ll save a lot of Silver."

This statement stirred up excitement again.

"Village chief, is what you said true?"

"Of course, but you’ll need to experiment. After all, I’ve never actually made charcoal, so I’m not sure if it’s right."

"Right! The village chief must be right. When the time comes, we’ll do it together. Even if there are mistakes, by putting our heads together, we might figure it out," shouted the young folks in the village, who were the most excited and quick-witted.

"That’s right," the elders nodded. As long as everyone had the will, what couldn’t be accomplished? freёwebnoѵel.com

Materials are inanimate, but humans are adaptable. Methods are figured out through trial and error. As long as the direction is known, there’s nothing to worry about.

If it succeeds, each household can save a significant amount of Silver, and there’s no shortage of wood behind the village.

"Good, I knew there’re no cowards in Hua Village. At that time, I’ll join you in making charcoal. If we unite our efforts, we’ll surely succeed. Even if it doesn’t work out, families who really can’t afford it can borrow from me. No matter what, I’ll make sure you have Silver to buy charcoal, and I won’t let any family fall behind. Of course, once you’ve earned Silver, you must be willing to repay the loan, or else I wouldn’t dare lend, right?"

Saying this, Hua Man added a half-serious, half-joking comment, bringing on a wave of laughter from everyone, though their eyes were full of gratitude.

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