Farm Tough Girl

Chapter 37 - 37 038 Buying a Barren Mountain_1

?Chapter 37: Chapter 038 Buying a Barren Mountain_1 Chapter 37: Chapter 038 Buying a Barren Mountain_1 “Do you know about old Mr. Wu’s family at the east end of the village?”

Muniang thought for a moment, then nodded, “Are they the village’s only rich family?”

“Last year, Old Mr. Wu passed away, and his good-for-nothing son inherited the family business. That kid, wasting his time on eating, drinking, and gambling, has squandered a good part of the family savings in just one year. I’m only telling you this because I see you’re sincere. I reckon in just another six months or so, he will start to eye the good farmland his family owns. If you’re not in a hurry, just wait a bit longer,” said the village head.

Muniang’s eyes widened, surprised that she could hear such insider information. She nodded in a daze, “Thank you.”

“What’s there to thank? We’re all from the same village. Now that you have money in hand, you must not squander it. It would be good to start a business or just live a good life with your husband. You’re really fortunate; after suffering so much for your whole life, you’ve finally made it through,” the village head said with a smile.

Then, he glanced at Er Liang beside Muniang, thinking to himself that when Muniang married such a simpleton, many in the village had mocked them outright or snickered behind their backs. Who would have predicted the unpredictable ways of the world? The foolish man had his fool’s luck – he had managed to bag a tiger. Now that Muniang’s family came into money, many in the village were secretly lamenting their lack of such good fortune, wishing they had married such a man.

“By the way, what exactly are you planning to do with the land? Grow rice?”

“No, I want to try growing some new things. You’ll know when the time comes,” Muniang said with a mysterious smile.

The village head naturally could not comprehend her plan. Suddenly, Muniang thought of the barren hill behind their home and had a spark of inspiration, “Village head, I want to buy that barren hill on the west side of our village.”

“What?” the village head was taken aback, “Girl, what do you want that hill for? The villagers don’t go up there, and the wild fruits are too tart and unpleasant to eat; you can’t make money off them!”

Muniang waved her hand dismissively, “Don’t worry, I have a way to make it profitable!”

She planned to plant some grafted fruit trees on the barren hill, then dig a fishpond. When the time was right, she could raise poultry and start a pasture – the uses were many. When the money started rolling in, and if what the village head said was true, and the Wu family’s spendthrift was about to sell their land, she would plant some hybrid fruits and vegetables in the fields.

Once the barren hill was developed, she could expand into tourism, setting up a rural retreat for wealthy families’ sons and daughters, which would also be profitable.

At this thought, Muniang’s eyes shone with excitement.

Unable to dissuade her and seeing Muniang’s determination, the village head realized it was beyond his power to stop her and gave up.

“Then tomorrow, I will go to the County Government Office to file a case. Once the land deed is in hand, we can talk further.”

Muniang considered this and nodded.

She was contemplating whether she should build a house first, as their current home was too dilapidated. However, considering that building a house would take at least a couple of months and it was springtime now, any delay would mean missing the planting season, forcing them to wait until the next year. Therefore, she decided to put off building the house for the time being.

For the first time, Muniang felt that having few family members was truly troublesome.

Early the next morning, Qiao Dazhi came to Muniang’s house, but to his frustration, none of the family members were home! Furious, his beard bristled – he had stayed up all night worrying about how to discuss the money matter with them, and now, there was no one at home!

Mrs. Lin had a relapse of her illness, and Muniang dared not take it lightly. So, she decided to take Madam Liu to see the doctor at the Accumulated Benevolence Hall in Tea Flower Town, known for exceptional medical skills and famed throughout the town.

Early in the morning, they borrowed a bullock cart from Mrs. Du and headed to town together.

Mrs. Lin’s face was lit up with a smile as she said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been out, and this time I can finally get some fresh air. The scenery along the way is truly beautiful.”

“Spring, after all, is always pleasant. Mother, don’t worry. Next year, once we develop that barren hill, I’ll build a grand manor there with all kinds of scenery, and then you can enjoy your later years in peace.”

“I’m already enjoying my later years now. In my life, I never dared to dream that I could live like this. Cough, cough.”

Muniang quickly patted Mrs. Lin’s back, “Mother, you should refrain from talking now. It’s warm now, but there’s a strong wind and you’ve been ill, so it’s better for you to rest.”

After about half an hour, Muniang entered the city. This trip to the city, she also planned to visit the restaurant where she sold the vegetable dishes last time. Counting the days, it had been more than a month. She presumed that the candied series of dishes she provided last time should have shown results by now, and it was time to sell another dish idea.

When they arrived at Accumulated Benevolence Hall, Er Liang carried Mrs. Lin inside and requested a doctor for a diagnosis, which was largely consistent with Doctor Chen’s from Tupo Village, except that the medicine prescribed was much more expensive. Muniang didn’t hesitate when it came to financial calculations in other matters, but she didn’t skimp at all in this area, and directly let the doctor prescribe the medicine, no matter the cost.

This one visit for the illness used up three silver coins. Mrs. Lin, seeing this, felt a pinch, “Muniang, the medicine that Doctor Chen prescribes is also quite effective. Let’s not be so extravagant.”

Muniang simply went to fetch the medicines, helped Mrs. Lin onto the ox cart, and said with a smile, “Don’t worry. It’s just three silver coins; it won’t bankrupt us.”

Er Liang drove the ox cart to Dongxing Building, but just as they reached the entrance, a sharp-eyed servant boy spotted Muniang and jubilantly ran inside to summon the shopkeeper.

In no time, the shopkeeper himself came running out, grinning ear to ear at Muniang, “Oh my, my little lady, why have you just arrived now? I’ve been waiting painfully for a month. You left in such a hurry last time and didn’t leave an address; how would I know where to find you?”

Mrs. Lin was befuddled, “Muniang, are you familiar with this gentleman?”

Muniang smiled, “Mother, he is the shopkeeper of this restaurant.”

“Oh, I see,” Mrs. Lin still didn’t understand why the shopkeeper was so enthusiastic about Muniang.

“Young lady, have you come this time to continue discussing cooperation? Why don’t we sign a long-term cooperation agreement?”

“Let’s not rush the cooperation matter. May I trouble the shopkeeper to help find a comfortable empty room for my mother? She is not very well.”

“No problem at all! Zhang San! Come and prepare a superior room for this lady; put the room charge on my tab!” The shopkeeper immediately commanded.

Muniang could tell from the shopkeeper’s behavior that the candied series from last time must have sold very well, and it seemed she could make a tidy profit this time.

After settling Mrs. Lin, Muniang went with Er Liang to talk business with the shopkeeper.

“The candied series of desserts you provided last time were indeed popular. Many customers came specifically for them. To be honest, our Dongxing Building has branches nationwide, and half a month ago, I personally presented your idea to our boss. He immediately distributed it to all our branches around the country. This past month, our profits at Dongxing Building have increased significantly!”

“That’s good to hear. I live in a remote area, so naturally, I’m unaware of the market outside.”

The shopkeeper, excited, slapped his thigh, “I’ve been waiting for you here for a month. If you hadn’t shown up, I would have sent people to look for you!”

“There have been many matters at home that needed attention, so I’ve been delayed. Please accept my apologies.” Muniang’s apology sounded sincere, but in reality, she had calculated to whet his appetite.