Chapter 45: The Minority Obeys the Majority

Xiao Jie was confident as he spoke bluntly, “Miss Jing Xi, we’re only here to notify the leaders of Fucha Village. Whether they agree or not, they have to accept it.”

That was truly domineering.

Could it really be that Long Yue Zhi had managed to control the lifeline of Fucha Village just by acquiring some land for Di Huan cultivation?

She didn’t think so.

“Then, how do you know I would agree?”

Xiao Jie glanced at Jing Xi. “One hundred yuan per month as wages. If you perform well, there’s a chance for an increase.”

Jing Xi clenched her hands. “…”

That was really hard to refuse. Even if she worked two jobs in shifts, she wouldn’t be able to earn a hundred yuan.

Even the money she made from selling pickled vegetables in winter only added up to a little over a hundred yuan, and that had already sold out.

Lately, she had been wondering what she could do next to continue earning money.

“Alright, let me think about it.”

Seeing her hesitation, Xiao Jie continued, “In addition to the hundred yuan salary, there’s a ten-yuan food allowance and a ten-yuan transportation allowance, making it a total of 120 yuan per month.”

“…”

Jing Xi’s heart pounded with excitement.

In this era, the average salary was around 30 to 40 yuan. The higher end might be 50 to 60 yuan, but that was mostly for factory workers.

For her, this salary was equivalent to an average wage of 5,000 yuan in the future. Yet she was about to receive 12,000 yuan, plus an additional 2,000 yuan in food and travel allowances.

She looked up and saw two people approaching from the street—Xie Aiguo and Wu Jun. Behind them were more than ten others, including two village elders with significant influence and major Di Huan farmers like Zhang Qiang and Liu Jianchang.

All of them were key figures in Di Huan cultivation.

Jing Xi remained silent. The offer was indeed difficult to refuse.

Noticing her wavering, Xiao Jie, brimming with confidence, sweetened the deal even further. “There’s also a 30-yuan quarterly bonus…”

The final straw that broke the camel’s back.

Jing Xi could no longer refuse. She looked up and said, “No problem, deal! But I have conditions too—we’ll discuss them later!”

Xiao Jie smiled, and Liang Chen smirked as well. As expected, Fourth Master had a way with people.

Fourth Master had predicted this—this girl had an eye for money and wasn’t afraid of sudden windfalls.

If she didn’t agree, they just had to offer more money.

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Fucha Village Committee Meeting Room

Xie Aiguo sat at the head of the table. Xiao Jie and Liang Chen sat on one side, while the other villagers were scattered around.

Jing Xi sat behind Liang Chen, her head lowered.

Everyone was curious—why was this girl here?

But then they remembered that when Jing Xi had helped find Liu Chun, the Long family had played a role.

Had she really established a connection with the Long family?

So, the rumors weren’t false.

This was also Jing Xi’s first time attending a meeting full of men.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous, but more than that, she was curious.

Once everyone was seated, Xie Aiguo spoke, “Being able to continue our trade with the Long family is our honor. Mr. Xiao, what’s this year’s plan?”

Xiao Jie pulled out a notebook. “This year’s demand is estimated at 50,000 jin of Di Huan, roughly the same as the past two years. Last year, there was a significant shortage, so we substituted it with radishes. Surprisingly, the public loved it.

Therefore, this year, we also need about 20,000 jin of white radish.

We surveyed several nearby villages, and not many people are planting white radishes. If the villagers of Fucha Village are interested, we can provide seeds and experts.

If no one wants to grow them, we’ll look elsewhere for suppliers.”

After he finished speaking, he looked at the crowd.

Xie Aiguo saw no immediate objections. “What do you all think?”

After a moment of silence, someone raised a hand.

“I have a question—how will the cost of the radish seeds be handled?”

Xiao Jie responded, “It will be deducted from the final settlement at the end of the year. We will inform you of the seed price in advance.”

“Alright.”

Then, another person raised their hand. “Will we still be getting the advance security deposit for the village this year? After what happened last time…”

Wu Jun’s expression darkened slightly. Everyone knew that the only reason Wu Dazhuang had been in charge of the money last year was because of his connections.

Xiao Jie glanced at him briefly before answering, “Yes, the security deposit will be given, but we’re adding a condition this time.”

All eyes turned to Xiao Jie.

“This time, we will appoint a separate representative to manage the security deposit—someone the Long family trusts: Miss Jingxi.”

As soon as Xiao Jie finished speaking, murmurs spread through the crowd.

“Handing that much money to a young girl? Can she handle it?”

“Yeah, what if she loses the money?”

“I don’t think this is right. If she can manage the funds, then why can’t my son?”

The room buzzed with discussion, but Xiao Jie and Liang Chen remained unfazed.

Jingxi wasn’t surprised to hear their skepticism.

From the fact that this meeting was attended solely by men, it was clear that women in Fucha Village had little say in decision-making.

Even though many of these old men had never received formal education and could barely recognize a few characters, they still looked down on women.

Especially when it came to handling money.

In every household, it was the men who made the decisions and controlled the finances.

Entrusting a young woman with such a large sum of money? No one would feel at ease.

Besides, Jingxi had no parents, no relatives at all. What if she took the money and ran?

Xie Aiguo cleared his throat, signaling for silence.

Xiao Jie smiled. “It seems everyone has a lot of concerns.”

Xie Aiguo chuckled awkwardly. “Mr. Xiao, it’s just that people aren’t used to this idea. But I am curious—why is Mr. Long so confident in letting a young girl like Jingxi manage the money?”

Xiao Jie took a sip of tea before responding, “Village Chief Xie, the Long family’s business empire spans industries so numerous they can’t even be counted on two hands. Do you know who manages the Long family’s finances and accounting?”

Of course, Xie Aiguo didn’t know.

“It’s a woman—a young woman, only two years older than Miss Jingxi.”

“Now, let me ask Accountant Wu a question—do you think handling money is an easy job? Take your village accounts, for example. Are they easy to manage?”

Wu Jun hadn’t expected Xiao Jie to call on him. The moment their eyes met, he felt a chill—Xiao Jie’s sharp gaze was practically an interrogation!

Wu Jun didn’t dare say “yes,” but he also couldn’t lie. So he answered truthfully, “No, managing money is difficult!”

Xiao Jie stood up. “When it comes to meticulousness and patience, men can’t compare to women. When it comes to self-discipline, men also fall short. Women generally don’t gamble or visit brothels, and they tend to have more financial restraint. They can withstand bribery, favoritism, and social pressures. I won’t say this applies to all women, but the majority—would you say I’m wrong?”

“Think carefully. The women in your own households—don’t most of them avoid smoking and drinking? Let alone gambling. Most of them dedicate themselves entirely to their families.”

Silence filled the room.

“Another key reason Mr. Long chose Miss Jingxi is because she is a person of integrity. Not to mention the good deeds she has done recently and her solid reputation in the village.”

As soon as Xiao Jie finished speaking, an old man in the corner stood up and loudly questioned, “A solid reputation? Then what about her and Zhang Qiang?”

Jingxi clenched her fists.

Before she could respond, Xiao Jie gave her a reassuring look.

Meanwhile, Zhang Qiang, who had been trying to keep a low profile in the crowd, shot a glare at the old man who had called him out and mouthed a string of curses.

Shameless old fool!

Xiao Jie remained silent, but Liang Chen, who had hardly spoken all this time, finally spoke up. “People always say women love to gossip and talk behind others’ backs. But are you the same? Do you just blindly believe rumors and spew nonsense like a gossiping old woman?”

The old man was left speechless, his mouth opening and closing without any retort. After a moment, he sat back down, face flushed.

Xie Aiguo shot him a warning look.

His expression soured, but Jingxi felt a surge of relief.

Liang Chen added, “Let’s not waste time. Miss Jingxi is the Long family’s appointed representative—no one can change that. Unless, of course, you all decide not to farm this land. In that case, we’ll take our business elsewhere. But if you want to continue working with the Long family, you must accept their terms.”

“That said, we are not making a unilateral decision here. You can vote. There are thirteen of you in this room. Vote, and the minority will follow the majority’s decision.”