Chapter 48.1

Xiao Sheng explained that, in the past, Dawang Village had merged with Chengjia Village. However, now that land was being allocated to households, multiple disputes had arisen regarding communal property. Currently, the village committee was composed entirely of people from Chengjia Village, all with the surname Cheng, leaving the original residents of Dawang Village at a disadvantage.

In the past, when work points were recorded during the collective farming era, it was already unfair. Now, as the land was being reallocated, the village committee rigged the lottery to give the best plots to those with the surname Cheng, nearly causing a brawl in the village.

Previously, the former village leaders of Dawang Village had jointly petitioned the township and county, requesting to split the village, so that Dawang Village would remain Dawang Village and Chengjia Village would revert to being Chengjia Village. There had been days of arguments about where to draw the boundary line, and today, under the witness of the township officials, the village division was finally formalized.

Jiang Ruan asked Qin Ao, “Now that the village has been divided, can we look into leasing land from the new Dawang Village?”

Qin Ao considered it feasible. “Let’s wait and see. Once the division is complete, we can approach the new Dawang Village committee before anyone else beats us to it.”

With the township officials as witnesses, Dawang Village was split into two natural villages, New Dawang Village and Chengjia Village. Chengjia Village took the best farmland, leaving the scraps of mountain forest and barren land for New Dawang Village. Public assets and community buildings were also mostly given to New Dawang, but they were in poor condition.

Despite these setbacks, the villagers of New Dawang were determined to split from the Cheng family’s domination and were resolute about the village division.

New Dawang Village established a village committee. The village chief was an elder respected for his high moral standing, while Zhou Chengzhong, a veteran who had been discharged due to injuries, took up the role of village party secretary.

Jiang Ruan proposed to Zhou Chengzhong her interest in leasing the hills of New Dawang Village. The area was promising, with lakes, streams, and wild mushrooms, though these products were undervalued. The village had so little income from them that it wasn’t worth much when divided among all the villagers, which was why Chengjia Village preferred to take the prime farmland instead of the mountain.

Zhou Chengzhong, whose arm Jiang Ruan had treated, was grateful, but the matter of leasing land had to be decided collectively.

He called the village chief, the accountant, and the heads of the six production teams to the dilapidated village office and discussed the land lease proposal.

The New Dawang Village had no collective income, so the possibility of leasing the land was seen as a timely opportunity. After a discussion, Zhou Chengzhong conveyed the village’s collective decision: they could sign a 30-year lease agreement, but the first payment would cover the first ten years at a rate of 600 yuan per year, totaling 6,000 yuan.

Six thousand yuan could buy a small house in the city—investing it in leasing a mountain in the countryside seemed almost foolish. How many years would it take to recoup that cost?

Qin Ao tried to persuade Jiang Ruan, “Why don’t we check other villages first?”

The New Dawang Village office was desperate for funds, and Zhou Chengzhong, hoping to secure the lease, did his best to explain. “We’re not trying to extort you. This mountain is valuable. There’s a lake where you could raise ducks, and it has a lot of fish. In a couple of months, it’ll be fishing season. Next spring, the mountain will yield wild vegetables, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots—these are all profitable, and they’ll belong to you.”

“Paying for ten years upfront is still too much.” The money they had, combined, only amounted to a little over 4,000 yuan, far from enough.

Zhou Chengzhong clarified, “Our village is really struggling. We don’t even have enough to buy seeds and fertilizer for next year. We need the money upfront to make advance purchases and lend to the farmers. The ten-year payment guarantees that the lease price won’t increase for at least the first decade.”

After doing some mental math, Jiang Ruan realized he had a point. She said, “Alright, it’s settled then. I’ll draft the contract and come back with the money in five days. Let’s first sign an agreement stating that for the next five days, Dawang Village won’t lease the land to anyone else. Otherwise, there will be a penalty of three times the deposit.”

Zhou Chengzhong promised, “Don’t worry. I’ll be here waiting for you in five days to finalize the lease.”

On the way back to the city, Qin Ao wore a worried expression. “We’re still short 2,000 yuan. Where are we going to get it? We only have five days—how can we earn that much in such a short time?”

Jiang Ruan replied, “Let’s make a trip to Pengcheng to buy goods and sell them.”

…

When Xun Li heard that Jiang Ruan was heading to Pengcheng, he approached her with a request to help escort a shipment of white cashmere. The shipment was valuable, and he was concerned about potential trouble on the way, but he couldn’t personally make the trip. Therefore, he asked Jiang Ruan to accompany the cargo.

Xun Li emphasized that the purchase price for the white cashmere was already 5.5 yuan per kilogram, and this shipment weighed 1,500 kilograms, valued at over 16,000 yuan. If they safely delivered the goods to Pengcheng, they could make a profit of 6,000 yuan. This was Xun Li’s first foray into the cashmere business with his partners, and securing this deal without any issues was crucial for future collaborations.

Although the profits were tempting, the journey was not safe. However, with Jiang Ruan accompanying them, Qin Ao wasn’t worried about danger. They would save on travel expenses and earn an extra 300 yuan, so Jiang Ruan agreed.

She was curious, though. “What could be more important than this business?”

Xun Li gave a wry smile. “There’s something I must do. If I don’t, no amount of money can make up for the regret.”

Jiang Ruan didn’t press further and asked when they would depart.

Xun Li said, “Tonight. It’s short notice, but if you’re not ready, I can ask the driver to wait another day.”

“No need, tonight is fine,” Jiang Ruan replied. “We’ll go back to pack our clothes and daily necessities and meet you soon.”

Qin Ao informed his family about the trip to Pengcheng. His mother was against it until he mentioned that Jiang Ruan was also going.

“With her along, it’ll be safe. Besides, I want to look for those conmen who tricked me last time.”

That was over 1,000 yuan, earned from months of collecting eggs and eels, so his mother didn’t object further.

After Jiang Ruan finished packing, she called Qin Yan and told him about the division of Dawang Village.

“I originally wanted to help your family earn some extra income, but I didn’t expect them to overcharge us. Qin Ao was furious, saying that his grandfather had been good to the village for nothing.”

In the previous life, Qin Ao had been generous to his relatives in his hometown, even setting up a factory in Xiahe Village that provided jobs for the villagers. However, the villagers continually flattered Qin Ao while badmouthing Qin Yan.

It seemed that this time, even trying to lease a hill had resulted in being taken advantage of, which could be a blessing in disguise, once they became successful, those relatives wouldn’t be able to come looking for favors.

Qin Yan warned, “Xun Li won’t give you an easy job. Be cautious on the road.”

Jiang Ruan assured him, “I’m just saving on travel costs, and he needs someone who can fight. It’s mutually beneficial—no one is taking advantage.”

Qin Yan was still worried but knew he couldn’t stop her. It was better to remind her to be careful, so he said, “They won’t come back with an empty truck after delivering the goods. See what they plan to bring back—you might get some good ideas.”

“Yes, that’s what I was thinking too.” Jiang Ruan added, “Brother Qin Yan, do you think Xun Li’s important matter is related to Lu Zaiqiang?”

“It’s possible,” Qin Yan replied. “Lu Sijing has already reported her father and grandfather. Both are now under investigation, and it’s likely that the nanny will soon inform Lu Zaiqiang of this ‘good news.'”

As long as the nanny went to find Lu Zaiqiang, her brother would definitely catch that criminal.

After ending the call, Jiang Ruan waited for Qin Ao, who was saying his emotional goodbyes to Ran Xiaorong. Then they followed the truck loaded with cashmere out of the city.

Meanwhile, Lu’s nanny, filled with excitement, sneaked out in the dark to find Lu Zaiqiang and deliver the good news. “Your son, Lu Qihong, and his father are facing at least seven or eight years in prison. You better run quickly.”

Before the nanny could say more, a group of masked men stormed in and beat Lu Zaiqiang severely, even breaking one of his legs. After a signal from the lookout, the leader was quickly pulled away, indicating that the police were closing in.

The nanny had no idea what was happening, and she was so terrified that she was wailing uncontrollably, only to be met by a squad of fully armed police officers.

…

In the 1980s, roads weren’t as good as they are now. The journey from Jing City to Peng City required two drivers taking turns to drive, and it still took two days to reach the destination. The truck was a five-ton vehicle, and though the cargo space wasn’t completely full, there was still room to lie down for a bit. However, the bumpy ride made it hard for Qin Ao to fall asleep, whereas Jiang Ruan had no trouble eating or sleeping along the way.

The journey wasn’t peaceful. They encountered two smaller groups and one larger group that attempted to collect tolls and even tried to take the goods on the truck, but Jiang Ruan single-handedly took them down.

The two drivers, Old Zhao and Young Zhao, were a father and son duo. They thought Boss Xun had chosen the right person to accompany them, if it hadn’t been for Jiang Ruan, the cargo might not have made it.

Jiang Ruan stayed with them until the delivery was completed. Old Zhao was someone Xun Li trusted, and with his retirement approaching in two years, he was training his son during this time.

Jiang Ruan was eager to learn from Old Zhao, and he generously shared his knowledge. He mentioned that Boss Xun was planning to bring back a truckload of winter clothing, and advised Jiang Ruan to buy some winter wear as well, as it was already getting cold in Jing City.

Jiang Ruan followed Old Zhao and his son as they made their purchases. After a round of shopping, she had a clear understanding of what to buy, and Qin Ao agreed that bringing back clothes to sell was a good idea. They had brought along 4,500 yuan, of which 3,000 yuan was lent to Qin Ao by Qin Yan, and 1,500 yuan belonged to Jiang Ruan.

There were three days left before signing the contract, and Jiang Ruan was in no rush. She told Qin Ao, “Let’s go to the train station and see if we can find the scammers who tricked you last time.”

Qin Ao also wanted to look for them, so he agreed, “Alright, let’s go after lunch.”

After bidding farewell to Old Zhao and Young Zhao, Jiang Ruan asked who would accompany the cargo on the return journey. Old Zhao assured her that someone reliable would be joining them, so there was no need to worry.

At the train station, Jiang Ruan instructed Qin Ao to observe from a distance while she wandered around inside, pretending to be a lost traveler, hoping to lure the predators in.