Chapter 185
"Ha, so you're saying you have a unique way of making money?"
Village Chief Fu seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, his face blatantly sarcastic.
"Do you know that the surrounding villages and Tianshan Town all belong to the Tianshan Sect? Do you think the Celestial Venerable would approve of your money-making methods? Do you think the Tianshan Sect is short of your money?"
After saying that, Village Chief Fu got up without even looking at Fan Xiaoxiao.
"If I were to say that the money earned from that craft is equal to the annual rent that your Ginkgo Village pays to the Tianshan Sect, what would it be like?"
Village Chief Fu paused, turning his head slightly. Fan Xiaoxiao raised her chin, looking directly into his eyes, and added, "My Fan family's monthly income is equivalent to your Ginkgo Village's annual harvest. And yet, you still think the Tianshan Sect looks down on my way of making money?"
"Can January's harvest equal the entire year's harvest of my Ginkgo Village?"
Village Chief Fu turned and walked back to Fan Xiaoxiao. He narrowed his long, thin eyes and looked down at her.
"Stop talking nonsense. My Ginkgo Village is a well-known wealthy village for miles around. The amount of grain we grow and the furniture we make each year is several times that of other villages. Tell me, can your monthly harvest be equivalent to my Ginkgo Village's annual income?"
Fan Xiaoxiao curled her lips into a smile, stood up, and dusted the dirt off her clothes.
“Since Chief Fu doesn’t really believe what I’m saying, there’s no point in continuing. Let’s get back to work. Oh dear, it’s getting dark. I need to go prepare dinner for everyone.”
After saying that, Fan Xiaoxiao waved to the villagers who were cutting down trees, and called on everyone to stay and eat rabbit and wolf meat.
The villagers over there looked much better when they heard there would be meat for dinner that night. Seeing her about to leave, Village Chief Fu, who had initially dismissed the idea, muttered, "I think your method is just a lie."
"I wouldn't lie to you. What good would it do me to lie to you? Oh well, it's a pity. The Celestial Venerable originally wanted you all to build houses for me so I could lead you all to get rich, but since you, Village Chief Fu, aren't interested, there's no point in me saying more. I'll wait until the houses are finished and then look for other villages to visit."
After speaking, Fan Xiaoxiao picked up the teapot and turned to walk towards the camp. But after hearing what she said, Village Chief Fu was no longer able to stand still.
He glanced up at the villagers who were working diligently over there. Most of the people who came today were his nephews and nieces. And despite the size of Ginkgo Village, there were quite a few villagers who didn't submit to his authority. If it weren't for the fact that the elder was his cousin, he probably would have been eliminated by the other families who were eyeing the position of village chief long ago.
Thinking of this, Village Chief Fu steeled his heart. He quickly followed behind Fan Xiaoxiao, his face contorted, and forced an awkward smile at her.
“Young lady of the Fan family, what you say is absurd. How can you ignore the water nearby and go looking for the river in the far reaches? Tell us, and if there is anything our Ginkgo Village can do to help, we will certainly do our part.”
Besides, you're now a member of our Ginkgo Village, no matter what. Look how hard everyone's been working to help you build your house; they know we're honest and kind people. That's the kind of people you can trust.
When Village Chief Fu said this, he felt his face burning with embarrassment. But when he thought of Fan Xiaoxiao saying that she could earn in a month what the entire Ginkgo Village earned in a year, he felt that losing face like this was nothing.
Fan Xiaoxiao was forced to stop by him, and she tilted her head slightly to stare at the village chief for a while.
The latter felt a little uneasy under her gaze and even took a step back without making a sound.
Fan Xiaoxiao grinned as she watched his movements: "You really want to hear my method for making money?"
Village Chief Fu gritted his teeth and nodded: "I want to hear it."
Fan Xiaoxiao's expression suddenly changed, and she stopped smiling: "If you want to hear it, you'd better show me some sincerity first, Village Chief."
"Sincerity? What sincerity?"
Village Chief Fu didn't understand what Fan Xiaoxiao meant, but since Fan Xiaoxiao was in the lead now, he could only patiently press her for an explanation.
What kind of sincerity do you want?
Fan Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow at Village Chief Fu: "What happened here today, and what we said, is a secret. If any third party finds out, this business deal will be completely void. And if you really want to make money together, then we must draw up a written agreement. I will write the agreement, and you will sign and affix your fingerprint. Do you agree?"
"...I, I promise."
Seeing that Village Chief Fu nodded in agreement despite his apparent reluctance, Fan Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction: "In that case, please stay for dinner tonight, Village Chief Fu."
Village Chief Fu was taken aback. He hadn't expected Fan Xiaoxiao to not tell him directly how to make money, but instead beat around the bush. Just as he was about to get angry, Fan Xiaoxiao smiled meaningfully and added, "By tonight, you'll know exactly what business the Celestial Venerable wants us to do."
After saying that, Fan Xiaoxiao stopped looking at the village chief's reaction, humming a little tune as she carried the plate away.
As the sun was about to set, everyone finally stopped what they were doing. Uncle Wang and the villagers from Ginkgo Village who had come to help returned to the camp. From afar, they could smell a rich fragrance wafting through the forest.
Tiger Three twitched his nose, and his stomach rumbled.
"What is this smell? I've never smelled it before."
Xiao Bao skipped and hopped towards the camp, his two short legs moving quickly ahead.
"Auntie's grilling skewers! They're so delicious! Hurry, hurry!"
Barbecue skewers? The burly men from Ginkgo Village had never heard of this name before. When Village Chief Fu led them to Fan Xiaoxiao's vicinity, they saw her constantly turning skewers of food over the charcoal fire.
The meat skewers were slightly charred and glistening with oil. Large drops of oil dripped from the tips of the skewers onto the charcoal fire with a soft sizzling sound, followed by the smoky aroma of fruitwood mixed with the scent of oil.
The men of Ginkgo Village had worked most of the day and were starving. The smell of this food was unbearable; their stomachs rumbled loudly.
Fan Xiaoxiao smiled at everyone and sat down in front of the fire, inviting them to sit down and eat. The main dish was cold noodles that she had asked the Fan family to make, topped with a sauce made from dogwood and wild vegetables, which was fresh, fragrant, and slightly spicy. Paired with the aroma of grilled skewers, each bite was bursting with juice.
"Delicious! My goodness! I've never eaten anything so delicious before!"
"Yes! Yes! It's so delicious!"
"My goodness! It's so delicious!"
"Oh dear! Xiao Bao's meat!"
"Baby! This is for you! Eat up, eat up!"
"Thank you, Uncle."
During dinner, everyone in Ginkgo Village was so engrossed in their food that they barely had time to exchange a few words. At one point, a man ate Xiao Bao's meat skewer, making the man feel a little embarrassed, so he handed Xiao Bao his other clean skewer.
Later, when everyone was about half full, they slowed down. Only the village chief, after quickly finishing his meal, got up and walked to Fan Xiaoxiao's side, asking, "Young lady of the Fan family, is this the business you wanted to do?"
Fan Xiaoxiao sat in front of the fire and looked up, the firelight casting flickering shadows on her face: "Yes."
"But that's not entirely true."
(End of this chapter)
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