?40: Chapter 40 Means of Getting Rich 40: Chapter 40 Means of Getting Rich The heap of troubles happening in the village was like a tangled ball of yarn, and Liu Hun had finally grabbed onto the thread—poverty!

    Leading the entire village out of poverty had always been Liu Hun’s plan.

    He thought, if he didn’t use his Qi Force to heal people and lead the villagers to prosperity, then what use was it?

    Anyway, that was what he thought, so that’s what he would do.

    Liu Hun was as straightforward as slicing radishes on a doorstep; he summoned everyone neatly and directly—no mess, no fuss, gathering all of them at the temple—a bunch of women.

    “I called everyone here today to discuss something with you all,” Liu Hun said, looking at these young wives and widows.

    Most of the strong laborers from the village had left, and the old men and women practically hated him, so this group of women was all he could count on.

    “Hun, what’s the matter?

    Just say it.

    Look at you being all serious, like you’re running for village chief,” Qin Yue blurted out in her usual straightforward manner.

    Liu Hun nodded and said, “Everyone knows that I rented Qin Yue’s vegetable plot recently and it yielded quite well.

    You all saw that clearly, and it wasn’t just some show.

    So, I have a plan now.

    You give me the lands you leave fallow or can’t manage, and I’ll plant vegetables.

    The yield will be split fifty-fifty.

    What do you all think?”

    “Oh, that sounds great!

    You have no idea how I drooled over Qin Yue’s cabbages.

    My land is itching to be used.

    Hun, feel free to plant there,” Bai Lianhua said with a shaky laugh, truly hoping to earn a few hundred like Qin Yue.

    “Look at you all excited!

    What nonsense!

    Where is it itching?

    Open up, let me scratch it for you.

    I’ll surely stop it from itching,” Qin Yue laughed playfully, reaching out to tickle Bai Lian’s armpits, and the two burst into laughter together.

    Cheng Rurong, who had been saved by Liu Hun, naturally supported his idea but asked worriedly, “Hun, seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers all cost money.

    Have you calculated how much it would be for Qin Yue’s acre, my two parts, and Bai Lian’s acre?”

    After Cheng Rurong spoke, everyone around nodded their heads in agreement, while Du Yueling, sitting to the side, was also pondering this issue.

    After thinking about it for a while, she felt that Liu Hun’s idea was too strong-willed with low feasibility, though she kept silent.

    However, she did enjoy the atmosphere of these village women joking and laughing together.

    Liu Hun laughed heartily and said, “This is a piece of cake, like Zhang Fei eating bean sprouts!

    I have over a thousand yuan in hand, enough to buy seeds.

    As long as you agree, you won’t have to spend a penny.

    How about that?” He was confident now as he had more capital to buy seeds, allowing him to rent and plant more fields without the need for pesticides and fertilizers.

    “I still think it won’t work!” Fen Ran frowned worriedly and said, “Hun, don’t push yourself too hard.

    Money aside, you’re not made of iron.

    You can manage an acre or two, but any more will exhaust you.”

    What Fen Ran said was exactly what Du Yueling was concerned about, the main reason she felt this plan couldn’t work.

    She wanted to see how this so-called “capable person” planned to deal with it, so she tilted her head to look at Liu Hun.

    Liu Hun wasn’t aware of Du Yueling and was fully focused on this matter.

    After hearing Fen Ran, he spoke, “Sister Yue, don’t worry about this.

    Aren’t you all here as well?

    The vegetable fields only need to be tilled, sown, and sprayed with medicine.

    Just keep an eye on them to prevent the chickens from pecking and the pigs from rooting; it’ll grow vigorously without any of us having to toil over it.”

    “Hun, stop trying to fool us.

    Even though we’re all women, we’ve all hoed the land and know what it takes,” Fen Ran advised Liu Hun, knowing his desire to achieve something big but feeling this plan was stirring up trouble unnecessarily.

    Liu Hun smiled again and said, “Sister Yue, I’m really not just pretending.

    If you don’t believe me, ask Sister Qin Yue how much pesticide and fertilizer I used on her vegetable plot, and if I was there every day?”

    Qin Yue crossed her legs with a shoe dangling from her toe, her face full of smiles as she said, “I would have loved him to come every day, but it wasn’t necessary.

    Honestly, I really didn’t use fertilizer or anything.

    I barely took care of it, yet it grew so well.”

    “What’s your special method?”

    As soon as this sweet and soft voice rang out, all the women turned to look at Du Yueling.

    It was her who had asked the question.

    Liu Hun hadn’t expected Du Yueling to hit the point with just one question.

    That was exactly what he intended to explain, “I’ve concocted a medicinal broth.

    This broth can heal human ailments and improve crop yields.

    However, it’s no miracle pill, just something to help with the vegetables.

    That’s why I dared to gather everyone to discuss this matter.”

    “Oh!

    So that’s it.

    Then it’s settled!

    Hun won’t get exhausted, and it won’t cost much.

    This good deal can’t just be for Qin Yue alone.

    My fallow land needs to be worked too!” said Bai Lian, joking again with Qin Yue.

    The matter was thus decided amid the women’s laughter.

    After sending them off, back in the temple, Du Yueling began, “Liu Hun, since you have this ability, why don’t you lease more land for yourself and make a fortune?”

    Liu Hun gave a somewhat silly smile and said to Du Yueling, “Who doesn’t want money, right?

    But what’s the point of one person living well while everyone in the village is struggling?”

    Du Yueling smiled gently, like a breeze passing through an herb garden, leaving a faint fragrance.

    Her eyes carried a unique glow as she looked at Liu Hun and said, “Just one acre of cabbage from Qin Yue’s land can earn over a thousand.

    Considering market and natural factors, even if an acre yields eight hundred, with all those plots combined, the seasonal vegetable income would be tens of thousands.

    What do you plan to do with that money?”

    Although Liu Hun didn’t understand some of what Du Yueling said, when it came to his vision and plans for the future, he spoke like the Yellow River bursting its banks, “Look, in our village...”

    The two kept one asking, the other answering, unaware as the sun slowly set, stretching their shadows on the temple wall until they merged.

    The next day, when Liu Hun finished breakfast, the temple gate was abuzz.

    “Auntie, aren’t you just causing trouble for Hun?

    We can’t behave like this!”

    “Mom, this thing is not as simple as you think!

    Just go back, don’t meddle here.”

    “I respectfully call you mom, but don’t rely on your age and act entitled.

    I won’t let Hun agree to this, so stop creating a fuss.”

    “...”

    Liu Hun glanced at the temple gate, and what he saw was the whole village of young widows, wives, and old women gathered, with Qin Yue and others busy pushing their aunts and mothers away, chattering like sparrows, leaving him puzzled like a monk from the Tang dynasty.

    “Everyone, stop making a fuss!

    Quiet down!

    The kids need to study!

    If anything, let’s go outside the temple to talk,” Liu Hun instructed, moving the noisy group of women a bit away from the temple, as their racket could make it impossible for Du Yueling to teach.

    “What’s the matter?

    You can speak now,” Liu Hun asked the women around him.

    Qin Yue’s mother-in-law, Grandmother Hao, smiled with her face creased and asked, “Hun, I heard you plan to plant all unused vegetable plots in our village.

    Is it true?”

    “Mom!

    This is Hun’s business, what does it have to do with you?

    Stop meddling here,” Qin Yue said, displeased, glancing at Grandmother Hao.

    Liu Hun waved his hand and said to Qin Yue, “Let Aunt Cuihua speak first.

    Aunt Cuihua, I do plan to plant the fallow vegetable plots in the village.

    The grain fields are leased by individual households and can only be cultivated with grain, so I won’t interfere, right?”

    Grandmother Hao chuckled slyly as if she had picked up a few cents and said to Liu Hun, “Hun, since you’ve got this plan, Qin Yue’s vegetable plot is a plot, and the one in my backyard is also a plot.

    You should plant both.”

    “Just stop!

    Hun isn’t made of iron, you think he can just plant everything?

    You’re here because you’re eyeing the money, right?” Fen Ran looked unhappily at the surrounding old women, annoyed at how they often caused trouble for Liu Hun, but eagerly came for profit with fake smiles.

    “Oh my, who was here worrying unnecessarily?

    Turns out it’s the village chief’s wife.

    You are well off and unbothered, but we are not the same.

    At this age, we don’t even have burial savings.

    We’ve got to think of something,” Wang Da Jiao climbed the ladder of conversation, making Fen Ran fume with anger.

    Auntie Jin, Bai Lian’s aunt, bounced out at this time, having long forgotten being locked in with an undressed Rascal Chen and drawing pointing fingers.

    She jumped in to ask Liu Hun, “Hun, you’re helping these young women but not helping us, won’t you be laughed at if word gets out?”

    “Aunt Chen, you really do forget the pain once the wound heals.

    You weren’t afraid of being laughed at fooling around with Little Coward Song.

    We’re doing things openly, so what do we have to fear?” Qin Yue, hands on her hips, shot back at Aunt Jin, absolutely fed up with these old women.

    Seeing things were about to get heated, Liu Hun quickly intervened and said, “We’re all family here, a feast before dawn with no outsiders.

    I, Liu Hun, want to help everyone prosper together.

    But, I’m not made of iron, am I?

    Initially, I didn’t plan to include all the fallow land in the village.

    But more or less, it makes little difference.

    I’ll take on everyone’s land here!

    However,” Liu Hun said, sweeping his gaze over the old women before continuing, “from your harvest, I’ll take seventy percent and leave you thirty percent.

    Don’t ask me why; nod and we’ll put it in writing.

    If not, let’s just drop it.”

    These old women hadn’t expected Liu Hun to take such a big cut, but after a little secret discussion, they realized even ten percent was free money.

    Although it didn’t sit well compared to the young wives and widows, they weren’t stupid.

    They all nodded in agreement.