Zhou Changhe and his wife stood in the crowd with pale faces, unable to lift their heads. Seeing their son lying there crying, they wished they could dig a hole and hide in it.
"We can't just let this go!"
Wang Fugui glanced at Dazhu and, as soon as he finished speaking, slammed the corner of the table so hard that dust fell off. "Dazhu, you have to pay for the damage from the fire! And one more thing, from now on, you are not allowed to even go up to the foot of the mountain!"
"Village Chief...can we discuss this?"
Zhou Changhe forced out an awkward laugh, afraid that the sound would reach the ears of those around him, "Dazhu is still young, his brain got hot-headed..."
"discuss?"
Chen Changyuan's voice was harsh, his brows etched with coldness: "If we hadn't discovered it early, the entire mountain would have turned to ash! How would the villagers survive then? Would they starve?"
He spoke with gritted teeth, his anger leaving the people around him speechless.
The villagers also made accusations, and everyone was staring at him, as if they wanted to skin the Zhou kid alive.
No matter what Zhou Changhe and Wang Cuifen thought, they kept their mouths shut and dared not say a word to defend their son.
At this moment, Chen Changyuan suddenly stared at Wang Fugui and said, "Village Chief, why don't you take this opportunity to change the use of the land in the back mountain?"
Wang Fugui frowned and looked at him, then raised his eyebrows: "Hmm? How do you change it?"
"The forest on the back mountain has burned down. Why don't you let me take it over?"
Chen Changyuan said it openly and clearly, "I will grow medicinal herbs! In three years, we will double the income of Shandai."
Wang Fugui's eyes flashed at this, as if he had fixed his sight on a target. "That sounds like a good idea. But the contract fee is 5,000 yuan a year, and 30% of the profits go to the village. Can you afford it?"
"Village chief, you're asking for 5,000 yuan a year, and you want to split it into 30%. Isn't that a bit too much?"
Chen Changyuan lowered his voice, but his tone did not yield.
Wang Fugui grinned, his tone revealing a fake smile: "What? You think it's too expensive? It's natural that the property in the village has a price."
Chen Changyuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Village Chief, I still have to sign a contract with you for the breeding farm tomorrow! You're also aware of the money they send you every year. If I continue to be pressured too much by the back mountain, I'm afraid it won't be justified, right?"
Wang Fugui's expression twitched visibly.
Chen Changyuan opened his mouth to speak, then calmly continued, "Another thing, the mountain behind is in such a state, how much will it cost to repair it? Without a good price, who would be willing to invest in it?"
The villagers nodded as they listened to this; the public opinion of the masses cannot be simply controlled by ropes.
After several rounds of conversation, Wang Fugui's face was full of confusion, and a few beads of cold sweat dripped into his sleeves from his palms.
Wang Fugui stared at Chen Changyuan with gritted teeth, secretly cursing this kid for being so ignorant.
But now that everyone was watching, he couldn't lose his temper. He could only suppress his anger and force a smile: "Changyuan, what do you mean by that? I've never received any benefits."
Chen Changyuan sneered and was about to expose Wang Fugui's lies, but suddenly thought of something and changed the subject: "Village Chief, please don't misunderstand me. I just feel that the development of our village cannot do without your leadership. If you can give us a more favorable contract for the back mountain, I can also contribute more, and we can build the village together."
Wang Fugui narrowed his eyes and looked at Chen Changyuan suspiciously, wondering what this kid was up to.
At this moment, Lao Yuantou suddenly interrupted and said, "Changyuan, didn't you say you wanted to go up the mountain to pick ginseng to treat your mother's illness? There are plenty of wild ginseng in the back mountain!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience was in an uproar.
Wild ginseng?
That is a priceless treasure!
Chen Changyuan pretended to be surprised.
"Uncle Yuan, are you telling the truth? Is there really wild ginseng in the back mountain?"
The old man patted his chest and assured: "Of course not! I saw it with my own eyes when I went hunting in the mountains a few years ago. It's just that the place is very remote and not many people know about it."
When Wang Fugui heard this, his eyes widened.
He hurriedly asked, "Uncle Yuan, where is the ginseng? Should our village organize people to dig it up?"
Old Yuantou shook his head and said, "I can't remember the exact location. Besides, wild ginseng can't be dug casually. It takes professionals to do it."
At this moment, a villager suddenly shouted, "If you ask me, why not let Changyuan take over the back mountain? He knows about medicinal herbs and has hunting experience. He will definitely be able to take good care of the forest."
"Yes, yes!"
Other villagers echoed, "Changyuan is a promising young man in our village. It's absolutely right to let him take over the contract!"
Wang Fugui saw that the situation was not good and quickly said, "This...this needs to be carefully considered. The back mountain is the property of our entire village, we can't..."
"village head,"
Chen Changyuan interrupted Wang Fugui and said, "I know you're thinking about the whole village. How about this? I'll give the village 180 yuan in contract fees every year. Is that okay with you?"
Wang Fugui wanted to bargain, but the surrounding villagers had already started to make a fuss.
He had no choice but to bite his teeth and agree: "Okay, one hundred and eighty. But you have to pay first..."
"village head,"
Chen Changyuan interrupted him again. "You know, I'm short on cash right now. So, let's sign a contract. I'll use the profits from the medicinal herbs to distribute as dividends at the end of the year. Is that okay with you?" With the villagers watching, Chen Changyuan and Wang Fugui signed the contract for the back hills. Although Wang Fugui was reluctant, he forced a smile as he signed the contract in front of everyone. "Village chief, it's settled. I'll use the profits from the medicinal herbs to distribute as dividends at the end of the year. You can make the arrangements."
Wang Fugui nodded through gritted teeth, "Okay, I'll do as you say. But in the long run, you have to manage it well, or you won't be able to even take out the dividends when the time comes."
Chen Changyuan narrowed his eyes and replied calmly, "Don't worry, Village Chief. I, Chen Changyuan, always keep my word."
After signing the contract, Chen Changyuan couldn't wait to rush home to tell his mother the good news.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw Fang Suxia mending clothes. Her face was pale and she looked very haggard.
"Mom, I'm back."
Chen Changyuan said softly, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart.
Fang Suxia raised her head and forced a smile. "Changyuan, you're back. How about going hunting in the mountains today?"
Chen Changyuan sat down next to his mother and said excitedly, "Mom, I didn't go hunting today. I have good news for you!"
Seeing the joy on her son's face, Fang Suxia couldn't help but perk up. "What good news?"
"I just signed a contract with the village chief and contracted the back mountain!"
Chen Changyuan said excitedly, "From now on, our family will have a stable source of income!"
"Mom, don't worry. The village chief and I have agreed to share profits from the medicinal herbs at the end of the year. We don't have to pay upfront, we just need to run the business well."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
