allonlinenovel In Chapter 170, the village head made a decision.
In Chapter 170, the village head made a decision.
The village head smiled and said, "It's like this. A distant nephew of mine grew turmeric for two seasons and sent me some. He said that turmeric is a medicinal herb that can treat injuries and told me to keep it in case of need. I figured I don't need it usually. Since it's a medicinal herb, I brought it to the shopkeeper to take a look and see what price he can give me. I can sell it and make some money."
Planted for two seasons?
Shopkeeper Feng immediately guessed that his distant nephew was Lin Qingchuan, who had previously come to sell turmeric.
Since they are relatives of Lin Qingchuan, it's not appropriate to offer two different prices, lest they accuse him of dishonesty when they meet.
So, Manager Feng smirked and said, "I know your nephew. He's the only one in the whole Qinghe Town who grows turmeric. Oh... no, this season he also brought a brother to grow it. I gave them 1.91 wen. You can ask them. Your bag doesn't have much, so I won't cheat you. How about I give you the same price?"
Good heavens, is it really one coin for nine taels of silver?
Qingchuan and Shuisheng were right!
The village head was so shocked he almost jumped up, but to maintain his usual composure, he had to suppress his excitement and nodded, saying, "Wow, so this turmeric is so valuable! It looks so much like ginger, yet the price is worlds apart. It's really rare. It would be a shame to sell such a precious turmeric."
When Manager Feng heard that the other party was reluctant to sell, the smile on his face vanished instantly.
The village head and his sons had already discussed it on the way here. This bag of turmeric was left at their house by Lin Qingchuan. They were just taking it to ask about the price, and of course they couldn't keep it for themselves and sell it. So the eldest son, Shen Che, immediately cooperated with his father.
"Dad, turmeric is so expensive, why don't we take it home and use it as seed to plant in the fields? We can sell it after the harvest, wouldn't we make more?"
The village headman's eyes widened, and he sighed, "Yes, if we take them home and plant them, we can sell even more next year. Or, Father, could you shamelessly ask him for some more seeds and plant more?"
"Yes, yes, let's hurry up and go to Qingchuan's house to borrow seeds."
When Manager Feng heard that they wanted to take the plants back to grow for another season before selling them, he was no longer angry and a smile returned to his face.
"Gentlemen, when you go back and plant turmeric, don't forget to come and sell it at my Feng's Pharmacy when you have a good harvest. I'll buy as much as you have, is that alright?"
“Alright, if Manager Feng is willing to take as many as you want, that would be perfect.”
The village head and his sons walked out of Feng's Pharmacy happily, and then went to two other pharmacies to inquire. Sure enough, just as Qingchuan had said, one of the other two pharmacies had a lower price than Feng's, and the other had a higher price, but they did not have the capacity to buy in large quantities.
The father and his sons returned to the village with turmeric in their pockets. After dinner, they couldn't wait to go to Shuisheng's house to express their willingness to grow turmeric.
The next day.
After finishing breakfast, Shuisheng went to Lin Qingchuan's house in town.
Liu was sitting in the courtyard making new shoes for her two daughters when she saw Shuisheng enter the courtyard and stood up to greet him.
"Shuisheng, why are you here so early? Have you had breakfast yet?"
Shuisheng immediately said, "Sister-in-law, you're pregnant, don't get up. I've already had breakfast and came to talk to Brother Qingchuan about the turmeric."
Lin Qingchuan returned carrying an old hen and a basket of vegetables, and was slightly taken aback to see that Shuisheng had already arrived.
"Shuisheng, you're here so early. Why aren't you at home waiting for news from the village head?"
Shuisheng smiled as if he had found a bag of silver, his lips curving upwards involuntarily. He excitedly said, "Brother Qingchuan, you don't know, the village head came to my house to find me after dinner yesterday. He made up his mind, he's willing to grow turmeric, he really is!"
Lin Qingchuan was stunned for a moment, then immediately put the old hen and vegetable basket on the ground, and gave Shuisheng a big hug. He was so happy and excited that he didn't know what to do.
He chuckled and said, "Hehe, the village head really has an eye for talent. He's already willing to plant turmeric so quickly. Once the village head is willing to plant it, everyone will definitely rush to follow his lead. We can make a profit from the price difference next season."
"Yes, yes, Xiaotang's idea is really good. It was done so easily. We are really lucky."
Knowing her husband and daughter's plans, Liu was immediately pleased to hear that things were going smoothly. She put away her needlework and said happily, "It's a good thing that the village head is willing to plant turmeric. I'll cook you a good meal at noon, so you'll have more energy to go back to the village and get things done after you eat."
Shuisheng hurriedly said, "That won't do, sister-in-law. You're pregnant, how can you cook? Since we're in town, I'll go get some more medicine for my mother. It's still early, we can be home before noon."
After much refusal, Shui Sheng refused to stay for lunch and went home first.
Lin Qingchuan boiled water, plucked the chicken's feathers, removed its internal organs, and cleaned it thoroughly. He chopped off half of the chicken to make chicken soup for his wife at noon to nourish her body, and prepared to take the other half back to Guihua Village so that Shuisheng could make it for his mother to nourish her body. With Aunt Xiangqin in good health and able to take care of herself, Shuisheng could also work with them in business with peace of mind.
Mrs. Liu has always been kind-hearted and fully supports her husband's decision.
Xiaoyu lingered around her father, watching him stew chicken soup, her mouth watering.
At noon, Xiao Jiu drove the carriage with Lin Xiaotang home, and Liu Shi served everyone a small bowl of chicken soup and meat.
Xiao Jiu held the chicken soup, her eyes slightly red, deeply moved.
Since his mother passed away, this was the first time anyone had cared for him like his mother had, making him new clothes, new shoes, and new quilts. The chicken soup was originally meant for Aunt Liu, who was pregnant, to nourish her body, but she served it to everyone else, and even served it to him, a servant.
Seeing that Xiao Jiu's eyes were red and she was holding the bowl and standing there motionless, Liu smiled and said, "Jiu'er, it won't taste good if it gets cold. Everyone, drink it while it's hot."
Xiao Jiu said with a slight sob in her voice, "Yes, thank you, Aunt Liu."
After spending some time together, Lin Xiaotang noticed that Xiao Jiu had something on his mind, but he didn't say anything, and she didn't ask.
Although he seemed thoughtful, he was hardworking, quiet, and had no bad intentions. He also had no intention of running away, and everyone truly treated him like family.
After lunch, Lin Qingchuan called his eldest daughter to prepare to go back to Guihua Village together. Xiao Jiu expressed that she also wanted to go and have a look, but after thinking about it, Lin Qingchuan decided to let Xiao Jiu stay behind.
Most of the villagers are ignorant and foolish. If Xiao Jiu is taken back rashly, people will gossip. He already regards Xiao Jiu as family, so he will not introduce Xiao Jiu as a servant to others.
“Jiu’er, your Aunt Liu is pregnant. She’s taking care of Xiaoyu at home by herself, and I’m a little worried about her. You can stay and help look after the house so I can feel more at ease. After your Aunt Liu gives birth to this baby, I’ll take you back to the village with me, how about that?”
"Yes, I understand, Uncle. Don't worry, you and Xiaotang. I will take good care of the house and look after Aunt Liu and Xiaoyu."
"Oh, Jiu'er is a good child."
Lin Qingchuan took his eldest daughter and drove the carriage back to Guihua Village.
The village head was waiting at Shuisheng's house with his son. When he saw Qingchuan and Xiaotang return, he smiled very happily.
"Qingchuan, you're finally back. I wanted to have a serious talk with you and Shuisheng. I'd like to rent all the fields from both of your families. What do you say?"
Shuisheng and Qingchuan exchanged a glance and said with a smile, "That's great! We're a little worried about other people renting our fields. It's perfect that the village head can rent both of our fields."
The village head blushed and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Qingchuan, Shuisheng, that herbal medicine shop charged you one coin and nine taels. I'd like to buy your turmeric as seeds. What price are you willing to sell it to?"