Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 455: Planning

All credit to original author: Yi Yi Lan Xi

Lian Fang Zhou had told her family about the plans for the new house but hadn’t mentioned it to Qin Feng and Su Zi Ji.
The two of them quickly congratulated her.

“Don’t worry, Miss!” Qin Fend assured her.
“Fortunately, the cotton has been collected and put into storage.
I can handle a few other miscellaneous, trivial matters.

“Thank you for your hard work!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled.
Miscellaneous things were the most troublesome and time consuming.
Lian Fang Zhou understood this, which is why she planned on hiring another person to take care of the oil mill.

After discussing these matters properly, Lian Fang Zhou mentioned the matter of starting the sale of cotton seeds tomorrow as there were some matters that needed to be arranged in advance.

“Sister, are we really going to start building the new house?” Lian Ze asked dumbly after sending Steward Qin and Steward Su away.

His sister smiled.
“Of course it’s true, don’t you want to?”

“Yes!” Lian Ze grinned, “I, I feel like I’m in a dream!”

“You can rest assured,” she told him, “it’s not a dream!” The two siblings shared a look and laughed.

~

The next morning, Lian Fang Zhou went to Zhang Li Zheng’s house to talk about cotton seeds.

This was the matter that everyone was the most concerned about and Zhang Li Zheng immediately invited Lian Fang Zhou to speak.
Even Madam Niu opened her ears to listen.

Borrowing the name of the Su family made things a lot easier for Lian Fang Zhou.
She asked Zhang Li Zheng to provide information about the land ownership of each household in the village and told him that the amount sold would correspond to the amount of land owned.
People could buy seeds but not more than fifty mu worth.

Seeds cost one tael of silver per catty and each family could enjoy the beneficial treatment of receiving the seeds first and waiting to pay back the silver after the autumn harvest.

This was very generous and Zhang Li Zheng was naturally very pleased.
He thanked the Su family and Lian Fang Zhou on the behalf of the village over and over again.

He was not a fool and knew that without Lian Fang Zhou, the Su family would not give the village such a discount for no reason.

Originally, many people were worried about the cost of buying seeds.
Although a tael of silver per catty was cheaper than others, it was not affordable for everyone.
Being able to pay after the harvest was a lot easier to do!

As soon as the news spread, the entire village was boiling, running to tell each other.
It was even more lively than New Years!

 The courtyard was set up and everyone queued to buy seeds.

Even people in the nearby villages and towns were able to benefit.
The only requirement to buy was to bring a land deed that was at least one year old.
Current purchases did not count.

As for those who wanted to buy from further away, they could only pay upfront.

If the landowners and outsiders wanted to buy, they could not exceed one thousand mu of land.
They also had to own the land, it could not be owned on credit.

Of course, there were many people growing cotton in Yuhe county and others sold seeds as well.
It was just that only Lian Fang Zhou’s family had resulted in such a good harvest.
Naturally, her seeds were the best in the eyes of everyone.

Therefore, many outsiders came to buy, even as far as from Shuangliu county.
Fortunately, Lian Fang Zhou had already made arrangements so she would not stop on any toes and everyone was happy with the results.

As soon as the door on the side of the compound opened, the crowd rushed up to buy.
A long table was set up with the land information provided by Zhang Li Zheng, laid out so everything was clear at a glance.

This made some people who originally had some small calculations, like Madam Qiao, secretly disappointed.
But thinking about it, the Su family was not made of fools.
How could they ignore the obvious loopholes and let people take advantage of them?

Thinking about the fortune they would make next year, most of the crowd were happy and grateful.

Madam Gu, the gossipy woman who had refused to apologize to Lian Fang Zhou and admit her mistake, didn’t come, but her husband, Uncle Mai went.

Wang Da, who was in charge of checking the roster, looked it over and said to Uncle Mai: “Your family’s name has been crossed out, so I can’t sell to you.
Sorry! Next!”

A snicker erupted in the crowd.

Uncle Mai was an honest man and was originally too embarrassed to come but he had been scolded by Madam Gu.

Hearing Wang Da say this, his face immediately flushed red and he stammered: “Why, how is it crossed out? No one in my family has come to buy!”

Wang Da glanced at him and smiled: “You don’t look like a muddleheaded person, why are you saying such stupid words? Don’t you know why it was crossed out?”

The snickers turned into giggles.
Who knew who it was that started to laugh loudly and called out: “Uncle Mai, in this world how can there be such a situation? Talking behind other’s backs and calling them worthless, then turning around and coming to take advantage!”

The crowd agreed: “This is true! Only when people are fools!”

“Uncle Mai, get out of the way! We still have to buy, don’t delay others!”

The cotton seeds were very valuable.
They would only be at ease when they could hold them in their hands.

Uncle Mai couldn’t stand it anymore.
Pursing his lips, he turned away from the crowd to go home.

Not long after, Madam Gu rushed in like a gust of wind.
Before anyone noticed her, she was already pushing people aside and rushing up to Wang Da.
“Aren’t we from Dafang Village? Why aren’t you selling it, I have to buy it today!”

Everyone stared at her in silence.

Madam Gu was notoriously savage and would say anything she liked.
Even if someone wanted to speak up for Lian Fang Zhou, they would not dare to say it easily.

Wang Da smiled and said calmly: “It’s useless for you to make trouble with me.
I am not in charge of this matter.
This matter—”

“This is the consequences of your own actions, what do you mean by trying to run around wild?” Lian Fang Zhou asked coldly, stepping out from behind.

Everyone gave way immediately, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Miss, you came just in time!” Wang Da hurriedly greeted her.

Lian Fang Zhou nodded at him and looked at Madam Gu: “I made it clear that my cotton seeds are not to be sold to you.
As for why, you know in your heart and everyone knows too.
Do you still want me to say it?”

Madam Gu couldn’t deny that she had said those words.
At that time, out of envy and jealousy, she had wanted to block Lian Fang Zhou’s success and had deliberately said such things in front of many people.

However, she had always been used to being domineering and of course she wouldn’t be defeated so easily.
She didn’t even blush.

“I just spoke the truth, did I say it wrong?” Madam Gu said loudly to Lian Fang Zhou.
“You are not benevolent! You are selfish and stingy!”

Lian Fang Zhou was not angry, nor was she in a hurry.
Not even moving her eyebrows, she said lightly: “Your mouth is on your face, what you say cannot be controlled by others.
But you still have to pay for your own words.
Am I being rude? Am I being selfish and stingy? It is not for you to decide! The cotton seeds are mind, not yours and I won’t sell them to you, so what?”

“You!” Madam Gu was speechless.
She had never felt this powerless before.

She felt that she had always been a very domineering and unreasonable person but at this moment, she suddenly felt that Lian Fang Zhou was even more unreasonable than her! And even more domineering!