The village head was stunned by this windfall, because according to Meng Zhao, even after deducting 20% gross profit, the profit was still very considerable.
He was shocked that Meng Zhao would actually hand over such a money-making method to the village.
She goes to the county to sell boxed lunches and is willing to buy vegetables from the village, which has already increased everyone's income quite a bit. Now she's even giving the village such a big business, which makes him a little suspicious of her motives.
Why did you do that?
Meng Zhao naturally wouldn't tell the village head about his ulterior motives, but instead made it sound more respectable.
“Our family consists of an orphan and a widow. The village has helped us a lot. When my father-in-law passed away unexpectedly, it was thanks to your guidance that the funeral was able to be completed smoothly. My second brother was able to continue his studies thanks to the help of the clan. I got this opportunity by chance, so naturally I want to give back to the village and do my part. This is what I, as a daughter-in-law of the Shen family, should do.”
Meng Zhao's words sounded righteous and awe-inspiring, which made him seem somewhat petty.
The clan often discusses how to improve the lives of the villagers, but people are inherently selfish. If someone has a way to make money, they keep it to themselves, worried that it will affect them if they reveal it.
Many people in the clan were unhappy about helping Shen Qinghe, feeling that he was being biased and wasting the village's food.
It wasn't that he was biased; he genuinely wanted the village and its people to prosper. If Shen Qinghe passed the exam and became an official, wouldn't the entire village benefit?
Shen Qinghe is currently observing mourning for his parents and cannot participate in the imperial examinations. He was deeply moved that Qing'an's wife would say such a thing.
The old man clasped his hands together and said excitedly, "Good, good, you are indeed a worthy person of Shenjia Village. I thank you on behalf of the villagers. I will definitely lead everyone to do a good job."
Seeing that the matter was settled, Meng Zhao hurriedly discussed other matters with the old man.
Her biggest uncertainty right now is the supply of potatoes, since once the contract is signed, she will need to ensure a stable monthly supply.
If there is a shortage of raw materials or a sudden price increase, making it impossible to supply goods normally, the penalty for breach of contract would be more than she could pay, even if she emptied her savings.
"It takes five pounds of potatoes to make one pound of starch. For the first three months, we need to deliver three thousand pounds of starch each month, and two thousand pounds each month thereafter. Are we confident in our ability to produce the raw materials?"
The village head was in charge of collecting taxes in the village. He knew best how many acres of land each household had and what they planted.
"Potatoes are not a staple food, and our village doesn't grow many. Even if we collect them all, we probably won't be able to complete this first batch. We'll still have to buy them from other villages."
“The three or four villages nearby are in similar situations to us. If we add these villages to the mix, we can guarantee delivery within the first three months.”
“The land in Xiaogang Village and Xuejia Village is dry, and many families grow potatoes. If we need to buy potatoes again, we will still have to buy them from there.”
Meng Zhao was a little worried. "Starch is a product that sells at a low profit margin. If we buy too much, it might drive up the price of potatoes. If the price of potatoes is too high, we won't make much profit."
The village head pondered for a moment, "We can stop buying potatoes from nearby for now. I'll take some people to a few more distant villages and collect some from each one. That way, it shouldn't be too noticeable."
Meng Zhao nodded. "What's your relationship like with the village heads of those villages?"
"We don't have much interaction, but our relationship is alright."
Meng Zhao then took out the contract with Chunfenglou, "How about this, based on this contract, we can plan in advance which village we need to buy potatoes from each month and how much, and sign a contract with them accordingly. This way we can guarantee a stable price and supply."
“Okay, these potatoes are cheap, and most people are willing to sell them for some money. As long as we are willing to buy them, they will definitely be willing to sell.”
"Okay, then after I sign the contract and receive the deposit, Village Chief, you can call the other clan elders and we can draft the contract together."
The participation of other clan elders was something the two had just agreed upon. Although she trusted the village head quite a bit, such a large sum of money could easily make people waver, and it wouldn't do without supervision.
"Okay, okay, okay." He was even more anxious than Meng Zhao now. If he could help the villagers find work, Meng Zhao would be the benefactor of the whole village.
After chatting for a while, Meng Zhao hurried back. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Shen Qingyu and Shen Qingze feeding the chickens and ducks. They had a lot of leftover food, and the chickens and ducks were quite plump.
"Qingze, Qingyu, where did Mother go?"
"Mother went to the river to wash clothes."
Meng Zhao nodded, intending to pick up her clothes and wash them by the river, but finding them not on the rack, she guessed that Gu Shi had taken them.
Shenjia Village is built against the mountain, and a small river runs through the village to the southwest. On weekdays, everyone keeps each other company and gets up early to wash clothes by the river.
When Meng Zhao arrived, only Gu Shi was by the river. She stepped forward.
"Mom, didn't I tell you? I can wash my own clothes."
Madam Gu smiled and said, "Summer clothes aren't thick, and this is just something I did casually, so you don't need to get involved."
Seeing Gu Shi engrossed in washing clothes, she said, "Mother, haven't you been back to your parents' home for a long time? The day after tomorrow is a day off, so why don't we take a day off and go visit Grandmother together?"
Madam Gu looked up suddenly, her face full of surprise, "Great! It has been a long time since I've been back. Qingze and Qingyu probably don't even remember the way anymore."
Then Meng Zhao told Gu about the business he had discussed with Chunfenglou and the plans to cooperate with the village.
He also told her that he had another purpose for going there: to find a helper.
She's usually quite busy, and once the starch factory opens, she might not be able to be there all the time, so she needs to find someone she can trust to keep an eye on things for her.
If Meng Zhao were to say who she trusted most, it would be her parents, but they both had their own lives to do and couldn't help her.
Secondly, there's her cousin Xiaoping, but he's a bit too young. It would be better for her to find someone older so the two of them could be together.
So Meng Zhao turned her attention to Gu's maternal family. She wasn't worried about Xiaoping's side, as she could make the decision herself, but she still needed to ask Gu's family for their thoughts before she could find out.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
