Chapter 226

“Candidates for selling rabbits have already been chosen; it’s the same group that went out last time. Do you think the number is sufficient? The village chief and Old Master Fan mentioned that our villagers have no experience in business. Previously, they sold chickens and ducks one or two at a time. Now, with the flood, they fear the rabbits won’t sell and wanted to get your opinion,” Aunt Li explained.

Hu’s mother finally understood why so many women had come together. It was at the village chief’s behest, and they had a task to complete. Gaining the village elders’ approval was no easy feat, especially when they sought the opinion of a housewife. The thought of the village chief and the Fan family elders consulting Qing’er filled her with pride.

Shuiqing didn’t take on the entire responsibility herself but replied modestly in her area of expertise, “I’m not familiar with determining the number of people to send out. It’s best left to the village chief and Old Master Fan. As for selling rabbits, we can draw on our experience from selling rice wine.”

Wang Guifen and Aunt Li looked at her with sparkling eyes.

“Guangning Prefecture hasn’t been hit as hard by the disaster as the southern cities. Those rich and powerful families likely haven’t left. With the floods, food prices have risen, and I imagine meat prices will follow. Poor families can’t afford it, but the wealthy and officials will still demand meat. Rare items like ginseng and bird’s nest might see a decline, but not meat, especially with the shortage of chickens, ducks, and geese due to the disaster. Our meat rabbits can fill that gap.”

Shuiqing felt confident about selling the rabbits. “I think we should target wealthy families. Fan He and Wenhua are familiar with managers of inns and large households in the city from selling rice wine. They can start by approaching these contacts.”

Initially, she had planned to buy back the rabbits for processing and then sell them, which would also profit her family. But there was no rush. The current number of rabbits wasn’t substantial enough for significant profits. Moreover, by having the villagers sell the rabbits initially, they would understand market prices, ensuring they wouldn’t question her pricing later.

Relieved by Shuiqing’s words, Aunt Li sighed in relief. They rarely left the village and had little experience in trade. Selling chickens, ducks, and geese usually happened in Niutou Town, as entering the city required a fee, and unsold goods meant a loss.

“I feel much better hearing this, and your brother is indeed capable! Not only is he strong, but he’s also quick-witted,” Aunt Li praised, naturally assuming it was Wenhua who had found the market for rice wine due to his age.

Shuiqing didn’t correct this assumption. Wenhua would be needed for future procurement and sales, so maintaining his image as a savvy businessman was beneficial.

Wang Guifen also felt reassured.

The older women then prepared to leave, and the young girls reluctantly bid farewell to Ding Jiajia.

On the way back, the group didn’t disperse to their own homes but headed straight to Wang Guifen’s house to find the village chief. They hadn’t forgotten Shuiqing’s mention of building a wall!

Upon seeing the village chief, they found that Uncle Fan was also there. The two elders were having tea and discussing village matters. After the group conveyed Hu Shuiqing’s idea, the old village chief’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

He had always wanted to build a wall around the village, but in the past, it was a struggle just to fill their bellies. Who would be willing to do something that didn’t show immediate results? People’s hearts were not united, and mentioning it was in vain. But times had changed. Hu Shuiqing had suggested something he didn’t dare to propose, something he had always wanted to do!

Uncle Fan pondered for a while before speaking, “In the past, it was not feasible, but now it is. Most of the village, except for a few households, can eat two solid meals a day. Those six or seven families who planted potatoes can eat three full meals even during the off-farming season. They have enough strength to build the wall.”

The old village chief, with a rare hint of excitement in his voice, looked at Uncle Fan, “If you also think it’s feasible, why don’t we discuss it today and start building tomorrow?”

Thinking about the impending wall that would protect the village, making his children and grandchildren safer, Uncle Fan also felt excited, “This matter should be done sooner rather than later. Let’s finalize the plan today!”

Aunt Zhang cheerfully agreed, “Yes, the sooner we build it, the sooner we’ll be at ease.”

Wang Guifen, whose family was in the village, took it seriously and quickly said, “I’ll get the gong to call everyone!”

The sound of the gong quickly brought the villagers to the chief’s house. Li Wen explained the plan to build a wall and asked for everyone’s opinion. Surprisingly, aside from a few who mumbled their discontent, the majority agreed enthusiastically.

Nowadays, their homes were not the straw huts of the past, and they were no longer living in abject poverty. Naturally, they took this matter seriously. The village rule was that the minority obeys the majority, so those few dissenting voices were ignored. Everyone began discussing the height of the wall, how to build it, where to place the front and back gates, and how wide the gates should be.

After much discussion, they decided to leave the previous mud embankments in place, as they could be part of the wall. The village entrance would be the main gate, and the back gate would be next to the Ding family’s house, facilitating their frequent trips to gather herbs.

The main gate would be wide enough for two carts to pass through simultaneously, made of thick tree trunks bound together, sturdy and heavy enough to withstand bandit attacks. The back gate would be narrower, allowing only one cart to pass through, and made similarly. They planned to build watchtowers next to the gates for observation.

The wall itself would be two meters high, surrounding the village entirely, except for the naturally elevated area around Shuiqing’s home, which provided natural protection. The wall would extend only up to Aunt Zhang’s house in that direction.

Fan Jin’s family wouldn’t need to participate in building the village wall, but similarly, if they needed to build any protective structures on their side, village members could decide whether or not to help voluntarily. The sections of the wall would be divided based on the number of people in each household, with larger families taking on longer sections.

To demonstrate fairness and commitment, the village chief’s family volunteered to take the longest and most challenging section, which immediately silenced any objections from Zhang Tuzi and Fan Qian’s families. The entire village was buzzing with activity and excitement.