Chapter 36
Chapter 36: Offering a Plan
Lord Zhu's reassuring words greatly pleased Yu Wan. As long as there were no external obstacles, she was certain that she could run the restaurant successfully.
She knew that the restaurant was currently very popular and that many people were watching her. Those people might be secretly spying on her or being wary of her for various reasons.
Having witnessed the events at Fumanju before, she now has to think more deeply. For example, Zuixianlou, which had always been a rival of Fumanju in the county, became the dominant player after Fumanju went bankrupt and must have made a lot of money.
Now that she wants to open a restaurant in the county town, it is very likely to infringe on the other party's interests.
Perhaps the other party isn't as despicable as the owner of Fumanju, after all, Zuixianlou has a decent reputation after observing for so long.
But she didn't want to make plans without certainty. She wanted to anticipate the worst-case scenario so that she wouldn't be caught off guard if it actually happened.
"Thank you, sir."
"It's nothing, it's nothing," Lord Zhu suddenly remembered something, slapped his forehead, exclaimed "Oh dear!" and apologized repeatedly.
"I'm so sorry, how could I forget something so important?" With that, she returned to her desk and began searching through a pile of official documents.
Yu Wan was puzzled. "My lord, what's wrong?"
After searching for a long time without finding it, Lord Zhu returned to his previous seat and sat down, smiling broadly.
"Didn't Boss Qian of Fumanju confess his guilt? His property will be confiscated, and a portion of his assets will be used to pay wages. However, no one is willing to take over his property so far, so the money hasn't been paid out yet. As a victim, you should receive some compensation. I was just about to ask for your opinion the other day. How about we compensate you with the original Fumanju? I've been so busy lately that I forgot about such an important matter. I'm so sorry."
Yu Wan didn't expect such an unexpected gain. These days, she had been working hard to earn money and saving money to save up for her savings. She never thought that she wouldn't need to buy a shop this time.
"I came to the county town today and passed by the Fumanju Restaurant. I glanced at it and it was indeed quite nice. If it were in Anding, that restaurant would be worth at least a thousand taels of silver. I made a profit. Don't worry, sir, after I take over, I can pay the wages that Boss Qian owes."
Lord Zhu laughed and said, "Then it's settled. The documents have been prepared long ago. You can sign and acknowledge receipt now. Wait a moment, I'll look for them again."
"My lord, there's no rush." Yu Wan had a good impression of this county magistrate. Although he was very anxious and wanted to get an answer from her, he remained calm.
Lord Zhu looked puzzled. "Oh? What's wrong? What else do you want? Just say it, and I'll do everything I can to help you. You're a victim; you almost lost your life and were framed. You deserve the compensation you're entitled to."
Yu Wan felt reassured. She had received all the promises she had made, and she believed that Lord Zhu would not suddenly go back on his word. To show her sincerity, she should also offer something in return.
She knew that Lord Zhu didn't trust her much, and at this moment she was just trying anything as a last resort.
She smiled faintly, "Let's talk about what worries you first."
“Alright, alright,” Lord Zhu said hastily, “Tell me about it.”
Yu Wan then said, "Although we are located on the frontier, the soil here is very good and the area is vast. Spring planting season is coming soon. As long as there are no natural disasters this year, the harvest will not be a problem."
Lord Zhu pondered for a moment and said, “Don’t underestimate our county just because it doesn’t have a large population. In previous years, the land was never left uncultivated. It’s just that there are too few men now, and the labor force is really insufficient. Another problem is that there are too few people who know how to farm. There are only orphans and widows left. Many fields are cultivated in a mixed way, and the harvest is not high at the end of the year. Only the public fields, the fertile fields of the local gentry and wealthy people are managed by specialists, and the yield is much better. I have been trying to improve this problem, but it is indeed too difficult.”
Yu Wan smiled and said, "The only solution to this problem is to mobilize everyone, regardless of age or gender, to work harder and earn more. Everyone can receive rewards, such as wages, goods, or a share of the year's harvest. We can also post notices so that if people from other places want to get this benefit, they can come and participate. Nowadays, many people can't even afford to eat, so there will definitely be many people willing to do this kind of work that allows them to eat their fill."
Lord Zhu looked troubled: "But this won't be easy to do. We have to consider the costs; it will require at least a lot of silver..."
He had thought about these things, but putting them into practice was too difficult.
Yu Wan said, "If you want money to pay wages, I am unable to do so for the time being, but my restaurant can provide one free meal every day. I believe many people will be willing to accept this exchange method, which can reduce some of the pressure on adults."
"What?" Lord Zhu exclaimed in surprise. "Madam Yu, this is no small sum. Can your restaurant afford such an expense? Our county had a population of 50,000 at its peak, but now it's probably down to only 20,000. If this were to be implemented, it would be impossible for a single restaurant to support them, even if they only provided one meal a day."
Yu Wan could certainly do it; don't forget she has a gourmet system, and the more tasks she completes, the more rewards she receives.
"Don't worry, sir, of course I won't let myself suffer losses. That's why I want that back mountain, and I'll also grow crops myself, which will greatly reduce costs. At the same time, I'm confident that I can make the restaurant bigger and stronger. At the end of the year, in addition to paying taxes, I will also set aside a sum of money to help you complete your task. By then, we'll have grain and money, and the people won't have to go hungry. They'll be able to make ends meet, and everyone's life will be better than it is now."
Lord Zhu remained silent for a long time.
This sounds like a complete fantasy. If a county could undergo such a dramatic transformation within a year, that would be truly miraculous.
His gaze was scrutinizing as he stared at the girl's face.
Why are you so certain that you can do it?
Yu Wan smiled and retorted, "How will you know the outcome if you don't try? Are you just going to lie down and wait to die because you can't see any hope?"
Lord Zhu frowned deeply: "From what I understand, the people of this county are honest and simple, and most are willing to cooperate, but..."
He pondered for a moment, seemingly deliberating repeatedly, before finally speaking again.
"I still don't understand how you can bear such a lot of pressure? You only make a few hundred taels of silver a day at the restaurant in town, you should calculate it carefully."
Yu Wan said confidently, "Even if I didn't mention these things today, you should have already thought of this plan. After all, the land can't be left uncultivated; someone has to farm it. So I'm just providing assistance. If you were 30% confident when you formulated the plan before, with my involvement, it will increase by at least 60%, because I can also provide advanced agricultural technology!"
Her food system rewards her with ingredients, seeds, and agricultural information, but she's still short of experience points to unlock them. Once she opens her restaurant in the county town, the rewards will be hers.
Therefore, she was determined to open a restaurant in the county town.
Lord Zhu seemed dazed and doubtful of her words, yet he had no choice but to place his hopes on the goal she mentioned.
"So...so, what's the first step we need to take?"
Yu Wan spent an hour explaining the plan. At first, Lord Zhu listened attentively, but eventually felt that there was too much information, so he simply took out paper and pen to take notes while listening.
He was increasingly shocked as he listened. The planting techniques the girl was talking about completely overturned his understanding, such as drip irrigation, grafting, pest and disease control, and soil improvement.
Yu Wan hadn't explained the specifics of how to implement it yet, but he was already quite alarmed.
"Madam Yu, where did you learn all these things?"
I've heard these technical terms from Yu Wan since I was a child, but I have limited understanding of the specific details, and they have nothing to do with the system.
"Sir, my family is from a farming background. My father and brother both know this, so I learned it from them. I will compile a booklet and hand it to you in ten days."
Lord Zhu nodded, believing her words, and his heart was filled with even greater anticipation.
"Okay, I'll wait for your good news. If this works out, you'll not only save me, but also all the people in our county. Of course, if it doesn't work out, I won't hold you responsible, don't worry."
Yu Wan stood up and smiled, "Anyway, I'm confident, don't you, sir?"
Lord Zhu had absolutely no confidence, but seeing how determined she was, he was also inspired.
"Like you said, whether it succeeds or not, let's do it first and see what happens. At least we tried."
He finally found Fu Manju's document among a pile of papers, immediately had Yu Wan sign it, and then told her to go find Jin Yifei.
“Now that Afei is helping me with some official business, I’ll have him take you to the Jiageku to collect the house and land deeds.”
When the two came out of the study, they found that Jin Yifei was already waiting outside the door, but the two boys were nowhere to be seen.
After giving some instructions, Lord Zhu returned to his study to handle official business.
Yu Wan scanned the area, but still couldn't see anyone.
"Young Master Jin, where did those two go?"
I don't know if they've caused any trouble. It's one thing for them to play around at home, but if they cause a ruckus at the county magistrate's house, they might get arrested as troublemakers.
“I didn’t see her when I got back. I guess she went to rest somewhere,” Jin Yifei said with sharp eyes. Seeing her worried expression, he comforted her, “Don’t worry, she should be fine. I’ll take you to get your things first.”
Yu Wan nodded, deciding to focus on her business first and let the two guys do whatever they wanted.
As Jin Yifei led the way, he explained that this was Lord Zhu's inner residence, and the Jiageku was an important department for managing various documents and materials, so it was a bit further to the main hall.
"Thank you for leading the way, young master. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to find it in a while," Yu Wan said.
"No need to be so polite," Jin Yifei said with a smile. "My cousin heard you were here and wants to meet you. I wonder if you're free? If not, that's alright, I'll go back and tell her."
Yu Wan remembered that Zhu Zhifeng had helped her and felt she should meet her.
"I'm looking forward to seeing her."
After collecting the house and land deeds and other documents, he bumped into Zhu Zhifeng as soon as he stepped out the door.
"Miss Zhu, how have you been lately?" Yu Wan greeted her with a smile.
Zhu Zhifeng, dressed in red, rushed towards her like a ball of fire, and warmly took her hand.
"Awan, I've finally found you!" She was overjoyed. "I heard my father sent someone to invite you, so I was thinking of waiting for you to come so I could play with you for a while. I've been waiting for so long!"
She chattered on and on, then took Yu Wan's hand and started walking, seemingly heading somewhere unsure of where.
Jin Yifei wanted to say something, but in the end he just smiled, shook his head, and silently followed.
Yu Wan smiled and said, "Miss Zhu, I heard that you even borrowed the storytelling stage at Zuixianlou to help me clear my name to everyone. I was too busy to thank you privately that day when you went to the restaurant. How about I treat you to a meal at a restaurant today?"
I've almost finished what I needed to do today, and I still have plenty of time left, so I can definitely relax a bit.
Zhu Zhifeng pouted, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction and a hint of coquetry, "We've known each other for so long, so please don't call me Miss Zhu anymore, okay? Just call me Afeng. I consider you a friend, and I hope you won't treat me like some rich heiress. Friendships have nothing to do with status; we should treat each other as equals!"
Her eyes were sincere and clear, and you could tell that she was the kind of girl who had been well protected and probably hadn't suffered much hardship growing up.
Yu Wan smiled and said, "Okay, Feng."
Jin Yifei seized the opportunity to interject, "Then could you please stop calling me Young Master Jin all the time? Could I call you A-Wan instead?"
Yu Wan has a modern mindset and doesn't feel inferior to others. Calling them "Miss" and "Young Master" is just a matter of following local customs and showing politeness and respect.
Therefore, these details are not of much concern.
“Of course,” she replied with a smile.
Zhu Zhifeng clapped her hands excitedly, "That's great! Then we should see each other often and play together!"
Jin Yifei poured cold water on her enthusiasm, saying, "You're always thinking about having fun. Awan has a lot of things to do, so don't keep bothering her."
Zhu Zhifeng looked disappointed, but quickly cheered up again. "Never mind, Awan, do you have time today? You don't usually come to the county town, how about I take you out for a stroll?"
The coldest season is over, and the weather is great today, perfect for sightseeing.
"Okay," Yu Wan replied with a smile.
The three men were chatting and laughing as they were about to leave the government office when two young men returned from somewhere.
He Jing approached Yu Wan with a cold face, glancing at Jin Yifei beside him out of the corner of his eye.
Are you alright?
"Yeah, it's nothing," Yu Wan asked. "Where did you guys go?"
The two exchanged a glance.
Xue Xiujun leaned closer and explained, "Boss lady, didn't you say you wanted to buy a shop? We'll go and scout it out for you. We've already driven around the whole county. Now just tell us which location you want to buy, and we'll take you to see it."
Yu Wan was very pleased. These two looked young and were always fighting at home, but they did serious things outside.
She hadn't told them; she had originally planned to do it herself.
Zhu Zhifeng was overjoyed upon hearing this, and hugged her arm, shouting excitedly.
"So you're opening a restaurant in the county town? That's great! It's so close, I can eat there every day!"
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