Chapter 171 Business Secrets
The second brother also carried Cricket, "You've been gone for almost ten days now, and Mother misses you every day. Why don't you go and pay your respects to her? Oh, Dad is here too, and he seems to have something to ask you. He was planning to send the housekeeper to Ye County to look for you today!"
"Daddy wants to talk to me about something?" Wang Sanniang laughed happily. "That's really strange!"
"Now you are a well-known figure in Lan County. You are almost overshadowing Daddy. Daddy must like you very much, right?"
"Why, brother is jealous of his sister?"
"I dare not, I dare not."
Wang Sanniang smiled sweetly, "Then I'll go pay my respects to my father and mother first."
After she left, the eldest brother of the Wang family said, "Our third sister is incredible. Looking at her current posture, she really has the aura of a female general."
The second brother teased the cricket, "I'm afraid that if we're prosperous now, we'll suffer disasters in the future."
Before Wang Sanniang had time to wash and change her clothes, she was dragged by the maid to see her mother. Unexpectedly, her father was also there. Seeing her covered in mud, the two of them were quite disgusted: "You little girl, where have you been going crazy again? Why are you acting like a wild boy now?"
The maids brought water for washing hands. Wang Sanniang was scolded, but she didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "Mother, you don't know, Ye County is in ruins. That Li Datou is really a scoundrel. As soon as he entered the city, he burned, killed, and looted. The villages under Ye County were all looted, and many people starved to death in their homes. When we went there, we not only had to divide the land and register it, but we also had to collect the bodies. It was all wasteland over there, and there were hardly any people to be seen. It was really miserable!"
Mrs. Wang's eyelids twitched as she listened, and she kept chanting "Amitabha." But Wang Sanniang seemed oblivious and continued, "The disaster in Jinzhou last year was truly severe. The imperial court's relief efforts were slow, and with the war going on in Qianzhou, life for the common people was even more difficult. When we went there, it was common to find corpses of people who had died of freezing and starvation by the roadside. It's true that when a country prospers, the people suffer; when it declines, the people suffer."
Mrs. Wang clutched her chest. Seeing Wang Sanniang's light words, she said, "My son, aren't you afraid?"
"Why not? At first I was so scared I couldn't sleep at night, but later I got used to it. Letting these people rest in peace is also a meritorious deed. It's a good thing, I'm not afraid."
Wang Yin looked at his daughter, who had been transformed, and felt dazed. Is this still the Wang Sanniang who had to ride in a sedan chair every few steps?
Look at this child, his hair is so greasy that it is almost tangled, his body smells bad, and his clothes are patched, probably because they were caught by thorns when he went to the fields.
Wang Sanniang saw her father staring at her intently, and then asked, "Dad, my brother said you had something to talk to me about?"
Wang Yin came back to his senses and coughed softly.
Only at this moment did he realize that his idea was inappropriate. When did he actually think of asking about the important matters in Wang Sanniang's family?
In the Wang family, there is no time for women to interfere in business!
However, Wang Yin, hearing Wang Sanniang's clear and logical speech, wanted to test her a little, so he asked tentatively, "I have some business matters to ask you. You are familiar with the situation in Ye County. Has the city lord given any information on how to deal with the shops and untended farmland there?"
Mrs. Wang's eyebrows twitched slightly.
As a woman who had lived in the rear house for a long time, she naturally knew that Wang Yin was asking Wang Sanniang for advice.
She almost subconsciously looked at Wang Yin, then realized her loss of composure and immediately returned to her previous humble attitude.
"There won't be any untended farmland in Ye County. Lan County's population is growing rapidly, and there are still 30,000 to 40,000 refugees in the Demonstration Village. There simply won't be enough farmland. As for the shops, they're all ownerless now. I suspect the city lord will confiscate them and then auction them off. Father can then participate in the first round of auctions, and the price should be lower than the market price."
Wang Yin touched his chin, thoughtfully.
"But I think if you want to make some money now, you should stock up on some wood. The first thing the refugees need when they settle down is to build houses. Have you calculated how much wood these 30,000 or 40,000 refugees will need? Also, if you have the means, get some farm tools. Even if they can't afford to buy them, they'll have to rent them. The rent alone will be enormous."
Wang Sanniang spoke freely, unconcernedly spilling out what others considered top-secret business secrets. She completely ignored her father's look of astonishment and continued, "If you really want to make a quick buck, you should talk to the city lord about buying up all the wasteland along the river. There's no shortage of people in the model village. Buying a plot of land first gives you a head start, whether you want to build houses, open an inn, or even a restaurant. But our army is very strict, otherwise I'd just do it myself. Even if I don't have any capital, I can just set up a stall and sell some simple meals every day. With that first pot of gold, I can do anything else."
"It's not that simple. The refugees are dirt poor, and there's free porridge provided by the land reclamation team. Who would come to you to buy food?"
Wang Sanniang smiled and said, "Dad, you don't know this. Refugees aren't necessarily poor. Some of them are fleeing war and have ended up here. Some of them are actually wealthy. Last time we counted them, there were dozens of scholars among them. How could they not have family assets? They have money now, but they can't spend it!"
Wang Yin looked quite shocked, but he hid it well.
He was secretly surprised at the far-sightedness of Wang Sannian's words. In just a few words, he provided many business opportunities, all of which were ways to make money.
What excited him most was the land over there.
As Wang Sanniang said, if you can buy a piece of land, what can't you do in the future?
There are about 30 to 40,000 people over there. Maybe once it develops, it will become the next Lan County!
The more Wang Yin looked at his daughter, the more satisfied he became. He didn't even care that she was dirty and looked nothing like a girl.
"What you said does make some sense. I'll observe it a little more."
"Dad, don't hesitate. The Demonstration Village is changing every day. If you don't believe me, go and see it in a few days. You'll see people coming and going there, even bustling with activity than Lan County. This opportunity to make money is fleeting, so you'd better seize it!" Wang Sanniang washed her face, the water in the basin turning pitch black, but she didn't care. "I'll show you another way. We in Lan County are short of agricultural supplies right now. If you can get some ironware, livestock, farm tools, etc., take these things to the city lord and negotiate terms. Who knows, if he's happy, he might give you all the land over there!"
Wang Yin remained expressionless, but he actually took note of it.
This is all first-hand news!
Mrs. Wang knew this, and she grew increasingly proud of her daughter, yet also felt distressed. "Look at you, running all over the mountain now. You must be exhausted, right? The City Lord is truly a scoundrel, sending you to Ye County to divide the land, and you've been gone for ten days or half a month. Now that you've finally come back, you should at least rest for a few days, right?"
"How can that be! The demonstration village is still short of manpower. I just came back to change clothes and rest for a night before I have to go out again."
Mrs. Wang saw Sanniang's face full of excitement when she talked about these things, without any sign of fatigue. She was so much happier than when she was confined to the backyard. She was both moved and envious, "Why are you so anxious——"
Wang Yin interrupted her, "You're being too soft-hearted. Sanniang is now an instructor for the female soldiers. If you can say so, she's half a county lieutenant. The city lord entrusted so many things to her because he trusts her and values her. What do you, a woman, know?! Since your daughter has official duties, why don't you quickly pack her some clean clothes and some food and take them away with her!"
"Half a county lieutenant?" Madam Wang feigned surprise. "Master, is that really the case?"
Wang Yin said impatiently, "Of course! She also has a hundred female soldiers under her command. The daughters of the Liu and Gu families are now all under Sanniang's command. It is said that the city lord will also select some people from the 30,000 or 40,000 refugees to join the army. If you calculate it this way, she has more people under her command than the county lieutenant!"
Mrs. Wang showed a delighted expression appropriately, but she thought to herself: He often complains verbally that Sanniang's military service has brought shame to the Wang family, but secretly he investigates everything clearly. How can he not be happy that he can trample the Liu and Gu families under his feet?
Humph, now you know it, her daughter is more capable than her aunt's daughter!
Wang Sanniang said cautiously, "Father, please don't mention this again. They are all my comrades, my friends in arms, no matter what kind of subordinates they are. The city lord said that comrades in arms are one family, and soldiers and civilians are one family. You must never say these words to others."
"Yes, yes."
Faced with the cautious Wang Sanniang, Wang Yin naturally became more and more satisfied.
It is better to be safe than sorry.
"My daughter, I have something to ask you." Mrs. Wang looked at Wang Yin's face while pulling her daughter to a secluded place. Wang Yin naturally thought that the mother and daughter had something private to say, so she didn't take it to heart.
After Mrs. Wang made sure that no one was around, she said, "Sanniang, I've heard rumors in the city lately... saying..."
Wang Sanniang rarely saw her mother hesitant like this, and knowing the seriousness of the matter, she lowered the curtain and asked, "What did you say?"
Mrs. Wang came closer and lowered her voice, like a thief: "Someone said the city lord is a woman!"
Sanniang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "My God, where did you hear such nonsense? The city lord is a woman? Have you forgotten how the city lord got in and how she killed the Chen family? Have you ever seen a woman so cruel?"
"Alas, but now they're telling you everything. They say that everyone who first followed the City Lord knew it, but the City Lord often wore men's clothing, so people mistook him for a man. Think about it, you've seen the City Lord several times, and have you noticed that he's thin, with fair skin, a small frame, and a gentle voice?"
Wang Sanniang laughed and said, "Mother, our city lord is only fourteen years old soon. He's still a young man. I remember my brother was the same way back then. He was fourteen or fifteen and still hadn't grown much. Please don't believe everything you hear. If the city lord hears about it, he'll probably be unhappy."
"Hey, of course I know this. I'm just saying this to you in private."
Wang Sanniang thought the rumors wouldn't just come from nowhere, so she asked, "Who are spreading these things?"
"Both. I heard Guo'er say it. She said a lot of people in the city knew about it, but they just kept quiet."
Wang Sanniang frowned slightly. She was no longer the innocent and naive girl she used to be. Although the rumor that the city lord was a man was indeed unbelievable, there is no smoke without fire. The rumor spread so quickly. Could there be someone behind the scenes fanning the flames?
"Anyway, that's what I'm telling you. Since you've finally come back, I'll ask the kitchen to make you something you like to eat."
Mrs. Wang was just asking the maids and servants to prepare some good wine and delicious food to welcome Sanniang, but Sanniang had just changed into clean clothes when she saw the servant leading the communications officer from the military camp.
Wang Sanniang recognized this communications officer, who was mainly responsible for conveying Xu Zhenying's orders.
Therefore, when he appeared, Wang Sanniang's heart skipped a beat, and then she quickly stepped forward and gave a standard military salute.
The communications officer glanced at the Wang family and knew that it was a family dinner, but he had to walk out of the room with Wang Sanniang to a secluded place.
"Instructor Wang, the city lord has ordered you to immediately select five female soldiers, ride out of the west city wall with two days' worth of food, and gather under the willow tree over there. This mission is confidential, so depart immediately without delay."
Wang Yin watched the communications officer and Wang Sanniang whispering to each other, and seeing Sanniang's serious expression, he said to the lady beside him, "I'm afraid there's another mission. Go, quickly pack her things."
Mrs. Wang complained sincerely this time, "There's no peace and quiet every day. I finally get home, but I have to leave again before I even have a meal. What's the point?"
As expected, after seeing off the communications officer, Wang Sanniang rode away on horseback without even a moment's delay.
Wang Yin looked at the table full of dishes and fell into deep thought.
What did Sanniang just mention?
Oh, yes, wood, farm tools, seeds, and most importantly, land!
After this series of combined punches, the Wang family's wealth is likely to double again!
Wang Yin even thought that this mountain king was quite good, at least better than when Sun Qingchen was in office. Although Sun Qingchen was a good official, he was still a bit conservative. How could he be as fast-paced as this mountain king in promoting development?
It would be great if Xu Zhenying could stay in Lan County for a long time.
Mrs. Wang packed her clothes and some food and rushed out almost without stopping. But when she looked, she saw that the table was empty. She asked the maid, "Where are the master and the young lady?"
"The lady said she had urgent business and has already left."
"Where's the master?"
"The master just asked the butler to go with him, saying that he wanted to visit some demonstration base."
Mrs. Wang looked at the table full of cold rice and cold dishes and sighed, feeling both angry and helpless. "These two are exactly the same. Humph, they are both busy and don't take me seriously. Who doesn't know how to do business?"
Mrs. Wang recalled what Sanniang had said before she left, and suddenly an idea came to her mind. She smiled and waved to the maid beside her: "Guo'er, do you want to earn some money for cosmetics?"
Guo'er looked at Mrs. Wang in confusion.
Mrs. Wang whispered something to her hurriedly, and Guo'er's eyes became brighter as she listened.
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