Meng Dashan realized that now was not the time to argue about right and wrong. They were on someone else's turf, and even if they were in the right, they would likely not gain the upper hand if a fight broke out. Besides, he couldn't let his daughter be in danger.
So, Meng Dashan and Gu Changwu exchanged a glance, rushed forward, and each grabbed one of the man's arms, rendering him unable to move.
Xu Ping opened the door, and the mule cart was tied to the door. Gu Yun stepped forward, loosened the reins, and sat in the driver's seat.
Meng Zhao and the others didn't dare to delay and quickly got into the car. By this time, they could already hear the noisy shouts coming from the street. Meng Zhao hurriedly called out, "Dad, Second Uncle, get in the car quickly."
Meng Dashan and Gu Changwu used some force to press the old man to the ground. After letting go, they ran towards the car. The old man was still unwilling to give up and struggled to reach out his hand, trying to grab Meng Dashan's leg. However, Meng Dashan was a tall man of 1.8 meters. If it weren't for the concern that he might hurt the old man and cause trouble, one punch from him would probably kill him. How could he let him hold him back?
The two nimbly jumped onto the carriage. Gu Yun raised his whip and lashed the mule's rump hard. Meng Zhao quickly grabbed Shen Yun while holding onto the handrail.
The mule cart kicked up a trail of dust on the rugged road. Sitting on the cart, Meng Zhao looked back with lingering fear and could still see the villagers coming out with their farm tools.
Just then, he got up and ran out of the courtyard, shouting, "Stop, stop! Twenty taels, twenty taels will do!"
Meng Zhao naturally wouldn't listen to him and stop the car.
After finally getting the mule cart out of the village, the group remained on edge, fearing that the mule cart would catch up.
"Sister Meng Zhao, I was so scared just now! What would we have done if they had chased after us?" Shen Yun had been too frightened to speak until now, and only now did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Meng Zhao hugged her and comforted her, "It's okay. Luckily we reacted quickly and got out. This is a lesson we learned. We were too naive. It seems we can't negotiate the land purchase ourselves."
"Zhaozhao, should we still buy this land?" This land is the best among the several places Gu Changwu picked out. It's large and has clean water. It would be a real pity to miss it.
Meng Zhao shook his head slightly. "Although we are here to open a workshop, not to get married, and we can't control other people's character, we will inevitably have to deal with people no matter what business we do in the future. The village head can also represent the folk customs of the village. That person just now went back on his word and made trouble. If we open the workshop there, who knows how many troubles we will encounter when dealing with him in the future."
She had originally thought that there were many young and middle-aged people in the village, which would make it easier for her to recruit workers in the future, but now it seems that's not necessarily the case.
Building a workshop is a troublesome matter and takes a lot of time. Meng Zhao and his team dared not delay. After leaving Shagang Village, they went to several other places without stopping.
However, along the way, they simply looked at the land without discussing prices. Even when villagers asked them curiously, they only said they were there to see the scenery.
When they arrived at their last destination, Meng Zhao was already quite tired. Gu Changwu explained, "This mountain is named Niutou Mountain because it consists of two connected peaks that resemble a bull's head. The Lianhe River we saw earlier also flows through this village, but the flow is much smaller. There is another stream in this village that comes down from Niutou Mountain, and there is enough water for it."
Since there is enough water, Gu Changwu must have brought Meng Zhao here at the end for another reason. "However, I don't know what's wrong with the land around Niutou Mountain. Nothing grows well. Gradually, fewer and fewer people are living in the surrounding villages, especially young people. Those who can leave have all left."
Meng Zhao found it strange. Logically speaking, places with water should have decent soil quality, so why couldn't anything grow there? When he arrived, he discovered that not only was the soil unsuitable for planting, but even the cow's head was bald.
It was almost the end of March, and the trees in other places were already green, but Niu Tou still looked like it was winter, which was quite unusual. So after looking at the land, Meng Zhao dragged her tired body and still asked Gu Changwu to take her up the mountain to take a look.
The mountain was covered with weeds, so Meng Zhao took a stick and used it as a walking stick while tapping and exploring the surroundings.
Sure enough, many grayish-white stones were seen in various places on the mountain. Combined with the locals' constant talk that no crops could be grown, could it be that Niutou Mountain is a limestone mine?
She wasn't sure, but she picked up a lot of stones from the mountain and went back to the inn. She borrowed some vinegar from the kitchen, put a drop on the stone, and sure enough, it started to bubble. If you listened closely, you could hear a hissing sound. It was indeed limestone.
Although limestone isn't particularly valuable, it's a primary material for building houses and a key raw material for making cement. The fact that such a large mine remained undiscovered is like finding a treasure.
But Meng Zhao wasn't blinded by happiness. As a small business owner, she knew what she could and couldn't do before she had the ability to protect herself.
However, although it can't be done there, the mountain can be bought in advance and kept in reserve.
The next morning, the group got up early and went to the brokerage firm in the county.
As soon as they entered, a sharp-eyed shop assistant greeted them with a beaming smile. "Gentlemen, what do you need? Whether it's buying or selling land, shops, or finding some capable hands, our shop has it all. Would you like me to introduce you to something?"
Meng Zhao didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "I've found two plots of land in the surrounding villages that I'd like to ask you to inquire about whether it's possible to buy them."
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper was slightly taken aback. It was rare to see someone who had already chosen a location but didn't go directly to the owner instead of coming to the brokerage. However, he thought it was a fool not to make money, so he patted his chest and said, "Which land are you talking about? As long as you want to buy it, I will definitely get it for you."
But after Meng Zhao finished describing the location, the shopkeeper hesitated again. "What you're looking at are all unwanted wastelands, and that Niutou Mountain is so barren that even trees don't survive. Why would you buy this place? Why don't you take a look at the plots of land I have here? They're guaranteed to be fertile fields with harvests every year. Or take a look at these shops; they're all prime locations."
Meng Zhao refused, only asking for the two pieces. Seeing that she didn't recognize the value, the shopkeeper could only say helplessly, "Alright, I'll go ask for you. But let me make it clear beforehand, you still have to pay the delivery fee whether it works or not, and if it works, you still have to pay the commission."
Meng Zhao nodded. They should talk it out themselves; otherwise, it would be a loss if something unexpected happened.
These brokers all have connections and influence in the local area, so it's much more convenient to just send them directly. This saves trouble, but you'll definitely have to pay something in return, and money is naturally indispensable.
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