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“Yeah, I have something to discuss with you after I have a meal,” Wang Jinhe said, already having a plan in mind regarding the cotton she planted last year.
“Alright.”
Wang Jinhe quickly finished her meal and then went to see the children. After playing with them for a while, she began to discuss the matter with Su Yu.
“I plan to establish a school,” Wang Jinhe shared her idea with Su Yu.
“A school? What made you think of that all of a sudden?” Su Yu inquired.
“I was considering the cotton matter. Last year, I had someone help me make a spinning machine and a loom, and we produced several pieces of cotton fabric and a few cotton quilts.”
“Is it the fabric used for the inner clothing? It’s very comfortable, and I really like wearing it,” Su Yu remarked.
“Yes, after I get the flower planting side sorted out, I plan to go to other places and have them help me grow cotton. Even without the spiritual spring water, it’s fine, but I’ve also acquired a lot of seeds to increase the yield. Later, I plan to promote pure cotton quilts, fabrics, and the like,” Wang Jinhe had already thought through these matters when she planted cotton last year.
“What does this have to do with establishing a school?” Su Yu asked.
“It’s related. The school will be divided into a boys’ school and a girls’ school. In the girls’ school, they will learn to read and write, as well as learn about defense and weaving, among other things. When the cotton is ready, they can come and help me. This is like an early investment. As for the boys, in addition to reading and writing, they will also be taught some woodworking and similar skills, so they can help us with work in the future,” Wang Jinhe explained. They needed a lot of manpower, and it was not practical to buy it every time. It was better to establish a school and train people themselves.
Wang Jinhe’s idea was excellent, and Su Yu was also seriously considering the matter to determine its feasibility.
“This does make sense. But are you sure they will come to help us after they finish their studies?” Su Yu asked Wang Jinhe.
Wang Jinhe chuckled and shook her head. “That’s not important to me. Besides, how much confidence do you have in our own family?”
The benefits of their family were always good for the family members.
“Moreover, I will naturally have them sign a contract. I will provide them with the opportunity to learn a skill, and it’s only fair for them to help me for a few years after they have finished learning. You have to give up something to get something. I believe they won’t refuse,” Wang Jinhe said with great confidence.
Su Yu chuckled softly. She was right; those people would indeed not refuse. Not only would they not refuse, they would be very happy. After all, such opportunities were rare, especially for women. Having a skill that could earn money was crucial for them, and it would elevate their status in their future husbands’ families. This was the norm for the common people.
“It seems like you have everything figured out,” Su Yu remarked.
“Of course,” Wang Jinhe replied.
“Have you decided where to build it?” Su Yu inquired.
“I’ll consider that after I have everything prepared. After visiting two more villages tomorrow, I’ll go find Uncle Wang. He’s good at building houses,” Wang Jinhe expressed her fondness for the person who had built their house several times.
Su Yu was well aware of the person who had built their house several times and knew that he was indeed good at it, so he agreed with a nod. “Alright.”
The next morning, Wang Jinhe set out with Chen Jinnian again. Today, they were going to three villages, which were a bit farther away from their current location.
The three villages visited today were particularly peculiar. One village had a lot of young men, while the other had a majority of women. However, despite this, the two villages had a long-standing feud. The villagers couldn’t stand each other and frequent quarrels were common. The third village, caught in the middle, also suffered as a result.
“Uncle, are there really such peculiar villages?” Wang Jinhe asked in surprise.
Suppressing a smile, Xie Kui nodded. “Yes, that’s right. But the two villages don’t have a deep-seated hatred. They just have minor conflicts. The reason for this is that the village chiefs of the two villages refuse to acknowledge each other. If there’s an opportunity, the two villages could reconcile and resolve many issues, including those related to singlehood.”
Just thinking about the situation in the two villages made Xie Kui unable to help but chuckle.
“One village has many girls, and the other has many young men. Wouldn’t it be great if the two villages could come together? It’s ridiculous,” Wang Jinhe said indignantly.
Xie Kui burst into laughter. They had the same thoughts, but the villagers were simply unwilling.
The three villages were adjacent to each other, so Xie Kui didn’t have Wang Jinhe running around. Instead, he took her to the house of the village chief of Yuanhe Village and called the village chiefs of the other two villages to come over.
On the way there, the two village chiefs almost got into a fight and nearly injured Xie Kui.
Xie Kui looked displeased and scolded them, “What are you two doing? I came here today to help you make money. If you’re not in a hurry to earn money, I’ll find someone else. Sort out your quarrel before we talk.”
The two bickering individuals finally quieted down and looked at Xie Kui. “Has the county Princess arranged something for us?”
“Should you two continue arguing for a while?” Xie Kui was no longer in a hurry and raised an eyebrow at the two.
The two individuals coughed awkwardly and said, “We won’t argue anymore. We’re done.”
Satisfied, Xie Kui nodded. “That’s more like it.”
“The county Princess wants your help to grow flowers. After they are grown, she will come to collect them, and she will also build a workshop where each family can send one person in the future,” Xie Kui explained the matter briefly.
“Thank you for thinking of us,” the two expressed their gratitude.
“Don’t talk so much. You two have been bickering for so many years. Now, there are so many young men and women in the village who need to be engaged. Is it appropriate for you to continue like this? Isn’t this like breaking up a loving couple? You can’t do such an unethical thing. Clearly, you have a good relationship, but you insist on making it seem like you have a blood feud. It’s disgraceful,” Xie Kui said indignantly.
They didn’t want to say anything more to them.
Hearing this, the two felt even more embarrassed. They had indeed delayed the marriages of the villagers.
“We understand. We won’t do this in the future,” they promised.
“Don’t worry. You won’t have time to argue in the future,” Xie Kui said.
After arriving at Yuanhe Village, the three of them went directly to the village chief’s house.
Once everyone was present, Wang Jinhe explained the matter.
After listening, the three village chiefs all nodded. “County Princess, rest assured. We will definitely handle this matter properly.”
“Alright, after this season’s harvest, we will start the flower planting. Let Uncle Wang know in advance, and he will inform me. I will provide you with the flower seeds at that time,” Wang Jinhe said.
“If your village has any unused sandy areas or hillsides, you can sell them to me. I will use them to grow something else,” Wang Jinhe added.
“That’s not a problem.” However, they needed to measure the land to determine how much they could sell to Wang Jinhe.
“In that case, we will take our leave.” After discussing the matter, Wang Jinhe prepared to leave. She still needed to handle the cotton matter in the other villages.