Transmigrated as A Farm Girl Making Her Family Rich-Chapter 112 - 111: Calling
Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Calling
Hongji heard Housekeeper Tang say that he wanted to buy their family’s honey at ten times the market rate, but where was the honey?
His heart was a mix of joy and worry. Selling the honey would definitely affect his daughter.
Yet, he was also losing a good opportunity to make money. Who wouldn’t want to earn money?
Especially since he was a person who had not saved even one cent, he needed money even more.
People often say that a gentleman obtains his wealth righteously, and though he was but a peasant and hardly a gentleman, he knew that this was not money he should earn.
Nor could he let anyone else know more about his younger daughter’s secret, so he could only resort to lying.
...
“Housekeeper Tang, the honey really isn’t ours. It belongs to a friend who doesn’t want to reveal any information to others. He gave me just a little, and I hadn’t expected that my daughter would give the honey to your young master. The next time my friend sends honey, I will sell it to you and give the money to my friend.”
“Ha ha, that’s wonderful. Small boss, could you arrange a meeting with your friend so we could buy all the honey from him as well?”
“Housekeeper Tang, let me ask my friend when I’m free. For now, shall we listen to what others are saying outside?”
Outside the village chief’s yard, by now the villagers nearby, summoned by the chief’s gong, had gathered there first, inquiring what the matter was.
“Folks, no need to rush. Let’s wait till everyone is here; I’d prefer not to repeat myself too many times.”
The village chief had stopped ringing the gong and asked everyone else to wait when questioned.
The villagers gathered there began discussing and gossiping among themselves, wondering what was so important for the village chief to call them.
Some sharp-eyed individuals noticed the trio of Hongji and his daughters in the village chief’s yard, along with Housekeeper Tang from the wealthy family whom they recognized.
“Hongji is at the village chief’s house. Could it be that the chief is announcing his apprenticeship?”
“It might be more than just that! Housekeeper Tang brought a lot of valuable wood today. Could they be looking for craftsmen in our village?”
“Pfft, the only carpenters in our village are Hongji and his sons. I think they have other business with the village chief. For apprenticeships, simply mentioning it would have many people wanting to sign up at his house; no need for the village chief’s involvement.”
“You analyzed it well. I once asked Hongji if he was taking apprentices. My boy wanted to learn carving at his house, but he was turned down. Our boy tried to learn secretly at his place, but couldn’t master it without proper guidance from a master.”
“Ha ha, your boy is so clueless, yet he wanted to steal skills? My boy is much smarter, and even he couldn’t learn it.”
As these people debated and gossiped, they also engaged in one-upmanship and gossip, forming groups of three, and as they spoke louder and louder, the only sound people heard was a buzzing, like at a busy market.
The village chief watched the discussions with a mysterious smile, aware that those who wanted to register still needed to do so at his place.
Completing this deal would not only bring him silver but would also allow his son to enter a factory as an apprentice.
The village chief knew that achieving such a feat would enhance his reputation in ten miles and eight villages. If their village prospered, could the neighboring circles dare to trouble them over water rights again?
He even fantasized about holding his head high in front of relatives and friends, rather than being deemed useless by his father-in-law at his wife’s parental home, despite being a poor village chief.
The village chief, while influential in the village, didn’t earn much from his official stipend. He usually supported his family by farming, and his village office was merely a part-time job, not a full-time career.
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He, much like the villagers, had to work the land and wasn’t much stronger than the villagers. Most importantly, when it came to speaking up, the rich men in the village had more influence than he did.
The so-called “money talks” echoed silently in the village chief’s mind; if he had money, he too would buy more land, believing that growing more crops was fundamental for farmers.
“Village chief, aside from those who went out to work, almost all the elders, children, and adults in our village are here,” someone said.
The village chief’s doorway was surrounded by villagers, with several hundred gathered, forming a dense crowd that was indistinguishable in the daylight.
Those who were taller stood at the front, blocking the view for the shorter ones.
The village chief knew the population of the village well—over 900 people. Now, during the farming off-season, those who were capable and had ideas were out finding work.
“Good, if there are villagers who aren’t here during the day, please inform your families tonight. We’ll have another meeting tomorrow morning. If everything is approved, tomorrow I will proceed with Housekeeper Tang to handle this matter.”
Everyone was unaware of what the village chief was referring to.
“Village chief, you need to tell us what this is about,” someone demanded.
“It’s like this, Housekeeper Tang, who is from the wealthiest Tang Family in the county, plans to buy the wasteland at the entrance of the village to build a factory. Whoever has opened up wasteland at the end of the village, please step forward,” he announced.
“So it was about announcing the purchase of wasteland at the village entrance! But why call together everyone in the village? This doesn’t concern us all!”
Discussion began again among the people, those not involved in the land deal watched the village committee with envy.
Those who had opened land at the village end came forward, each one happy about the prospect of selling their land. The plots were only good for growing a little, and the location near the entrance was not ideal as a foundation.
Moreover, the site was dotted with graves belonging to the Ye family ancestors.
Among the people, there were dissenters; some felt that since the land was naturally good, they wouldn’t sell unless the offer was higher.
“Village chief, you haven’t mentioned the price? Just asking us to sell the land isn’t enough,” someone argued.
“Everyone, please be patient. Let me explain things one by one. The price for the wasteland is market-driven. Additionally, Housekeeper Tang mentioned a reasonable top-up. Don’t think that selling your land will only benefit you personally. Having someone build a factory in our village could be an opportunity for everyone,” he explained.
“Village chief, tell us, how can our village benefit? They get money from selling land, but what about the rest of us?” those who hadn’t opened land at the village entrance were envious.
“There are indeed benefits. For instance, those who are skilled as masons, or even the unskilled who might work as laborers. When the factory is being built, workers will be hired. Once the factory is established, it might take on apprentices, laborers—all villagers might benefit. Don’t drop the ball at a crucial moment.
Housekeeper Tang said if the land at the village end is not available, he will go to the neighboring village to buy land. Then, whether hiring apprentices or masons, they will look to the people of that village,” he continued.
Upon hearing there was work to be had, a villager with bright eyes said to those with wasteland at the village end:
“Make sure you understand, if we don’t sell the land to them, all those benefits will go to another village. Don’t stand by envying others’ fortune later.”
“Exactly! We always compete with them for water rights; how can we let them have the benefits?” another added.
The villagers were buzzing with conversation, looking to the village chief for answers, growing angrier as they spoke. Among the three neighboring villages, only one was notably unfriendly, regularly fighting over water rights, and its people would say not to marry a girl from Bushen Village.
