Daling Village is not a big village in Jing'an County. It was originally a small village with only about 20 households. However, because Liang Shuyan was rewarded by the emperor, the wasteland that no one wanted suddenly became highly sought after.

The land on the back hill was rented out for farming. Since the road and school were built in Daling Village, the value of these wastelands has increased again. Sure enough, two more people came to rent the land.

Li Zheng stood on the drying ground and said seriously, "We no longer rent out the wasteland in Daling Village. We can consider selling it, but we won't rent it."

Liang Shuyan hesitated for a moment and said, "If we sell the wasteland, these people can do whatever they want, wouldn't that cause chaos? If we make good use of this wasteland, it would be a way to give back to the villagers of Daling Village."

The man said somewhat embarrassedly, "What's going on? I came here with the rent money because I heard it was available for rent. Now you want me to come up with so much money all at once? I really can't afford it!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Shuyan quickly stepped forward and said, "Well then, Lizheng, since they've come all this way to our Daling Village, why don't we rent it to them?"

Tea Lady's prestige in the village is well-known, and Li Zheng naturally knows this. He will listen to Liang Shuyan's opinions!

So he took a piece of paper, wrote down a contract on the spot, and handed it to the man!

The man said, word by word, "Lizheng, I want to plant some cotton, just to give it a try!"

Li Zheng nodded. It would be nice if cotton could be grown on the back mountain, but no one had ever seen it before, so it probably wouldn't be an easy task!

Liang Shuyan knew very well that if cotton could be grown in this dynasty, it would be good. At least everyone could wear warm cotton-padded coats. Why not?

"This is a good idea. If we can produce enough cotton in winter, it will ensure that the people of Jing'an County don't freeze, and it will also guarantee everyone's income. Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

Liang Shuyan's words filled the man with confidence, and he thanked her and left!

After listening to Liang Shuyan's analysis, Li Zheng suddenly understood, and his confusion and doubts disappeared.

His eyes widened, his face filled with surprise and admiration. Looking at Liang Shuyan, he said excitedly, "Auntie, you are such a wise woman! How come I didn't think of that? You're right, that wasteland shouldn't be sold, it should only be rented out. That way, we can firmly grasp the right to the profits in our own hands."

Liang Shuyan smiled and nodded, her eyes filled with determination and wisdom.

Under her influence, Li Zheng seemed to see a brand new future, full of infinite possibilities and hope.

The two of them sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), facing the back mountain outside the window, already having new plans and expectations in their hearts.

Now that Su Ling has arrived in Daling Village, the only way to allow Su Ling to leave is to temporarily halt the construction of the village road!

Construction in the village has come to a halt, and the workers have all taken a break. They are now gathered at the school gate, discussing something.

Upon seeing Lizheng, the foreman walked over and said with a smile, "Lizheng, why did the streets in this village suddenly come to a standstill?"

"There are special circumstances now, so we'll have to wait and see!"

Li Zheng smiled slightly, not answering directly, but instead looking up at the sky. Sunlight streamed through the clouds, bathing the village in a golden hue. The once bustling construction scenes along the streets had vanished, leaving only flags fluttering gently in the wind and traces of lime that hadn't completely faded.

“Look at the sky,” Li Zheng said, pointing to the sky. “Dark clouds are gathering, and it’s likely to rain heavily. We can’t risk making the workers work in the rain.”

The foreman followed Li Zheng's gesture and looked in the direction indicated, his brow furrowed. He could feel the dampness in the air and the distant rumble of thunder.

"And what happens after this heavy rain?" the foreman asked, a vague unease creeping into his heart.

Li Zheng couldn't explain it clearly for a while, and emphasized with some difficulty: "I'm afraid we can't be sure right now, because some things have happened in the village and we need to stop the work. I will naturally notify everyone in advance when it is time to resume work. For now, I hope everyone will go back as soon as possible!"

A commotion arose in the crowd, and a man who seemed to be in charge said, "If this happens, all of us will be stuck at home with no income. What are we going to do?"

While Li Zheng was in a dilemma, he looked at Liang Shuyan with a pleading look. Liang Shuyan had her own ideas. She walked into the crowd and slowly said, "You all know who has come to the village. I believe that most of us are from Daling Village. We can't afford to offend this great deity. If we offend the Crown Prince, he might be beheaded or even have our entire family executed in his anger. Do you think that's appropriate? I understand your feelings. Don't worry, we will give each of you 5 taels of silver as compensation for lost work time. Alternatively, you can sign here with Li Zheng, we will settle your wages, and you can leave directly. But I want to make one thing clear: we will not accept any work from Daling Village in the future. If you've thought it through, come here and sign."

A few people whispered among themselves: "Isn't this too risky? Where will we work in the future? Apart from the higher wages in Daling Village, the jobs in town are all hard work and only pay a little bit."

The crowd began to split into two groups. One group consisted of those who had taken five taels of silver, who left satisfied with their money. The other group comprised those who had decided to sign the agreement. They read the agreement carefully, word by word, as if each word weighed a ton.

One of the middle-aged men, surnamed Li, was a stonemason. He put down the agreement, stared at the silver in front of him, his hands trembling slightly. His wife stood beside him, gently holding his hand, her eyes filled with worry.

"Sign it?" she asked softly.

Li the stonemason took a deep breath and nodded. He picked up a pen, carefully signed his name on the paper, and then pressed his red fingerprint on it.

Li the stonemason's hands trembled slightly as he looked at the silver in front of him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He knew that signing the agreement meant he would lose something, but he also knew that if he didn't sign, he and his family would not be able to continue living.

His wife held his hand tightly, her eyes filled with worry.

She knew how difficult this decision must be for Li the stonemason. She asked softly, "Sign it?"

Li the stonemason took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He nodded, then picked up a pen and carefully signed his name on the paper. His hand trembled slightly as he signed, but he wrote his name firmly.