Chapter 63

At this moment, murmurs had already started among the villagers, with some whispering to each other.

But more than that, there was an overwhelming sense of enthusiasm, and many directly shouted, “Yes!”

“Village Chief, just tell us what needs to be done!”

“If you need manpower, we have plenty. Just give us the order!”

“……”

The success of the matsutake mushroom business was a clear example right in front of them.

Good products were never hard to sell.

Everyone understood this principle.

Cha Chengye raised his hands slightly to calm the crowd, and the commotion gradually settled down.

With a relaxed smile, he spoke,

“Since there are no objections, I hereby announce the official establishment of the ‘Cha Family Village Tea Factory’ preparatory committee.”

“After the meeting, those whose names I call should stay behind for a short discussion to arrange tasks.”

“Cha Qingyang, Cha Yongchuan… Cha Zhiqiang, Shen Yunbao, Wang Dali…”

After reading the list, Cha Chengye set the paper aside and solemnly continued,

“As for the startup funds for these two projects, let me be transparent with everyone.”

“In the past two years, thanks to the centralized sales of matsutake mushrooms, caterpillar fungus, and other agricultural and dried goods, our village collective account has managed to save up some funds. If that is still not enough, the village committee will seek a loan from the county.”

Thinking back to the past few years, Cha Chengye couldn’t help but sigh:

“A few years ago, our Cha Family Village poured all its manpower, resources, and finances into breaking through the mountain roads and finally bringing electricity into the village.”

“It’s only in the last two years that our lives have started to improve.”

Then, his tone became firm,

“But this time, everyone can rest assured—we now have confidence and leverage to negotiate with higher-ups and the banks.”

“We will not let everyone go back to square one.”

“So, those who can contribute their efforts should do so. Those who can provide labor should step up. Believe me, our future is bright and full of promise.”

“Don’t you all agree?”

“Yes!!!”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

The thunderous shouts and applause echoed from the village activity center.

At that moment—

It was as if everyone had returned to those days when they bled, sweated, and even lost brothers while fighting to carve out a road through the mountains.

They all understood: to become prosperous, one must first build roads; to sustain wealth, investment was necessary.

There was no such thing as a free lunch. Every gain required an initial sacrifice.

For generations, the Cha Family Village upheld the spirit of unity—brothers fighting side by side, fathers and sons going into battle together.

When faced with major challenges, they had never backed down.

As long as they stood united, no difficulty could defeat them.

No obstacle was insurmountable!

The applause continued for a long time…

In one corner, Jiang Tiantian sat quietly, observing everything with teary eyes.

It was as if she could see through these villagers and into the eyes of their ancestors.

A family’s prosperity did not depend on how much wealth was left for future generations but on the spiritual legacy passed down—one that inspired generations to keep striving forward.

Cha Chengye smiled as he took in the scene.

When their family returned to the village in low spirits and decided to settle down here, they never regretted it.

Because this land and its people had never once let them down.

Cha Chengye raised his hand to quiet the crowd again.

Once the room settled, he smiled and said,

“For the final part of this meeting, I want to publicly recognize someone in front of the entire village.”

“This person not only solved a major problem by finding a suitable hot spring pipeline for the village but also convinced the supplier to donate all the materials for free, saving us a significant amount of money.”

“She even provided suggestions on how to establish the tea factory and market our tea products.”

“So tell me, shouldn’t we thank her?”

When did the village have someone this capable?

“Who is she?”

Many villagers, unaware of the details, began whispering to one another.

However, a small portion of them already started shouting, “Yes!”

“Alright then, to express our gratitude for her contributions to Cha Family Village, let’s invite her up to say a few words.”

After speaking, Cha Chengye gestured toward Jiang Tiantian, signaling for her to come on stage.

Jiang Tiantian covered her forehead with her hand, both amused and helpless.

Dad, aren’t you being a bit too dramatic?

“She’s shy! Everyone, give her some encouragement!”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

A loud round of applause filled the air again.

Many villagers turned their heads toward where Cha Chengye was signaling.

Jiang Tiantian had no choice but to lower her hand, stand up, and dust off her clothes.

Then, she confidently walked onto the stage.

Cha Chengye motioned her over. “Tiantian, come say a few words.”

After speaking, he handed her the microphone.

Jiang Tiantian took it and faced the crowd, looking at both familiar and unfamiliar faces.

With a smile, she asked, “Do you all know who I am?”

“Isn’t this Jiuzhang’s wife?”

“Yes, we know her.”

“She’s from Jiuzhang’s family.”

“That’s Tiantian!”

“……”

The villagers responded enthusiastically.

Jiang Tiantian laughed. “Looks like I haven’t done too badly—within just a week, the entire village knows me.”

“Hahaha…”

The villagers chuckled knowingly.

“So tell me, wasn’t what the Village Chief just did a little unnecessary?”

She turned to Cha Chengye with a teasing smile.

“Dad, your speech just now felt too formal.”

“Aren’t I already a part of Cha Family Village?”

She then turned back to the crowd and asked loudly, “Am I part of the village?”

Laughter erupted again. “Yes!”

Jiang Tiantian continued, “Since I’m a part of this village, offering advice and helping where I can is only natural, right?”

“I barely did anything, and yet you’re making such a big deal out of it. If I do even more in the future, how will you thank me then?”

She joked playfully,

“If we keep treating each other like outsiders, won’t that discourage my enthusiasm for selfless contributions?”

“Hahahaha!”

Another wave of laughter spread through the crowd. Many villagers hadn’t expected Jiuzhang’s new wife to be so humorous and lively.

Cha Chengye took the microphone back and addressed the villagers again,

“Although Comrade Jiang Tiantian has only been part of Cha Family Village for a short time, we cannot deny her contributions.”

“Since she arrived, she first came up with the idea of training dogs to find matsutake mushrooms. Over the past few days, our mushroom harvests have increased, haven’t they?”

“And remember our plan to build a hot spring facility last year? Why was it put on hold?”

“Because we searched all over the country but couldn’t find suitable pipelines. Yet, as soon as she arrived, she not only found the perfect ones but got them for free! And the quality is dozens of times better than what we originally considered.”

“As for the tea factory proposal, we’ll discuss that later. But for now, I have one more announcement.”

Cha Chengye walked to a table covered with a red cloth.

“Does anyone know what’s under this?”

“No idea…”

Cha Chengye waved toward Jiang Tiantian.

“Tiantian, come and unveil it.”