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“If there is any unused land or sloped areas in your area, you can sell them to me. Those with less land at home can help me tend to the cotton fields, and I will pay you for your work. Later, you can discuss with the villagers and register how much each household wants to plant. After that, I will provide you with seedlings. In the first year, I’m concerned that the germination rate of the cotton seeds you plant might not be high,” Wang Jinhe said. Initially, she had planned to provide them with seeds and let them plant on their own, but considering that they were all new to this, she decided to help them with the seedlings.
“Thank you, county Princess,” the village chiefs expressed their joy.
They truly didn’t understand cotton, so having the county Princess help them with the seedlings was even better.
“No need to be polite. After we finish discussing the important matters, I will head back. Once you have registered the personnel, send the information to Uncle Xie. I may not be at home later, as I will be busy with the rice fields. After you give the information to Uncle Xie, he will pass it on to me,” Wang Jinhe said. She considered that it was a critical period for high-yield crops, and she needed to keep an eye on them at all times.
“Understood.”
“County Princess, can you save some of your high-yield rice seeds for us this year?”
“Of course.”
The village chiefs were all very happy to hear this. They had secured benefits for the villagers.
“In that case, I will head back now.”
One of the eldest village chiefs said, “County Princess, why don’t you have a meal here before you leave?”
“I can’t. My husband and children are waiting for me at home. If I eat here, wouldn’t they be waiting in vain?” Wang Jinhe politely declined, smiling.
This wasn’t a lie. Su Yu and Xiao Bao would indeed be waiting for her to have dinner together.
Upon hearing this, the village chiefs didn’t insist any further.
“In that case, we won’t keep you, county Princess.”
“Please, take care.”
After seeing off Wang Jinhe, the village chiefs were very excited. “It’s finally our village’s turn.”
“Everyone, hurry back and gather the villagers to explain the situation. We need to start preparing for planting soon.”
“Yes, let’s go quickly.”
The remaining village chiefs promptly instructed their sons, who were waiting outside, to gather all the villagers.
“Dad, why are you gathering the villagers?”
“It’s good news. You’ll find out soon. Hurry and go.”
“Yes.”
The villagers were quickly gathered, and although their clothes were old and patched, they were all very clean.
“Village chief, did you call us here for something today?”
“Indeed, it’s a huge event for our village. Today, our county Princess came. She’s the county Princess who helps Xie Family Village and Hululu Village make money.”
As soon as they heard this, everyone started discussing. “Village chief, did the county Princess come with some instructions?”
Ever since they started growing high-yield rice, they had been very grateful to the county Princess. Now, upon hearing that she had come, they all thought she must have something for them to do and began asking questions.
“The county Princess wants to grow cotton, a crop that is only found in the north. But who is our county Princess? She already grew it last year and knows how to do it. This year, she wants to expand the planting and thought of us. She said she can help us with the seedlings and send someone to teach us how to grow it. Once it’s ready for harvest, she will purchase our cotton at market prices,” the village chief explained.
Everyone was excited. “We will all follow the county Princess to grow cotton.”
“Yes.”
“In that case, everyone should come to my house today to register how much they want to plant. Besides, the county Princess also wants to buy the unused land from our village and the neighboring villages. She said that if there are extra family members or those who can’t participate in planting, they can help out in her cotton fields and will be paid daily wages.”
The villagers below were so excited that they were almost in tears. Could they also earn money?
“I think the county Princess has bigger plans for the future. Following the county Princess is definitely the right choice. After earning money for a couple of years, we can send our children to school. We don’t expect them to pass the imperial examination and become officials, but at least they can read and won’t be deceived. Unlike us, who can only eke out a living from the fields,” the village chief said, feeling a bit bitter as he thought about the children in the village.
The villagers in the village also started to wipe away tears. Yes, earning money would provide a future for their children, and they wouldn’t be looked down upon or have trouble finding spouses.
In recent years, the children in the village had been rejected multiple times, all because their village was poor.
“In the future, we must be careful when finding spouses for our children. We won’t accept those who have looked down on us in the past,” the village chief added. They also held grudges. After all, their village’s children had been bullied for nothing.
“Tomorrow, I will go to Xie Family Village with the village chiefs of the other villages. I will take a few people to see how well they are doing. This way, everyone will be more motivated when we return,” the village chief said.
“I want to go, village chief,” a boy around ten years old stood up and said. He wanted to earn money and make those who had looked down on his parents regret their actions.
Seeing the boy, the village chief felt a pang of pity and ultimately agreed. “Alright, Zixun, come with me.”
“Zixun, when you come back, can you tell us how good the village where the county Princess is located is?” a girl of about ten years old looked at Lin Zixun expectantly and asked.
“Okay.”
Lin Zixun’s parents looked at their son with some heartache. “Zixun, you…”
“Mom, I will earn a lot of money with the county Princess and give you and dad a good life. I will find a very good daughter-in-law to take care of you. I want that family to know that without them, our family will live a better life,” he said.
“We believe in you.”
Indeed, their son had been wronged in the matter of marriage.
“Mom, except for the rice fields, our family will use all the land to grow cotton,” Lin Zixun had already figured out what to do.
“Brother, I support you,” Lin Zixun’s seven-year-old brother and sister ran up to him and encouraged him.
He reached out and rubbed their heads. “Ziqian, don’t worry. Next year, I will definitely send you to the academy and buy nice clothes for Ziran.”
“I believe in you, brother,” Lin Ziqian looked at his brother with trust in his eyes.
His brother was very capable and could learn anything quickly.
Looking up at his brother, Lin Ziran said, “Buy delicious food and nice clothes for Grandpa and Grandma.”
“Okay.”
The village chief walked up to Lin Zixun and patted his shoulder. “Zixun, you are the smartest child in our village. You can learn anything quickly, and you will make your family’s life better.”
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go to Xie Family Village,” Lin Zixun said gratefully.
He was grateful to the village chief. When that family had come to humiliate him, it was the village chief who had rallied the villagers to support him, sparing him from further embarrassment. At that time, he had vowed to repay the people in the village in the future.
“Your parents want you to go to school, learn to read and write. Today, you can help me register the land that everyone wants to plant. Tomorrow, I will take you to Xie Family Village,” the village chief said to him.