It turned out that Li Xiangping knew Yan Qingqing wanted to finish building the peony garden and rose garden as soon as possible, but the flowers in Old Zhang's yard alone were not enough.
Old Zhang said that he had an old acquaintance who also liked to grow flowers and plants, but because his family was not doing well, he had always wanted to sell the flowers he grew.
Li Xiangping seized the opportunity and spent thirty taels of silver to buy back many more roses and peonies.
It's impossible to plant flowers on all thirty acres at once. At present, it would be good if a few acres could be planted. Moreover, Yan Qingqing also plans to plant some other things so that this place can become a tourist destination all year round.
Li Xiangping then said to Yan Qingqing, "Besides these flowers, those pavilions were also built according to the blueprints designed by Mother."
"It will be completed here in about two weeks at most."
Yan Qingqing nodded upon hearing this. Since the progress was so fast, she could start preparing as well.
Yan Qingqing returned home and went straight to Li Xiangkang's study. She picked up a brush, thought for a moment, and wrote on it: "The peony in the courtyard is charming but lacks elegance, the lotus on the pond is pure but lacks passion. Only the peony is truly the national beauty, its blooming season stirs the capital."
Liu Yuxi's poem "Appreciating Peonies" is a timeless masterpiece and would be perfect for promotional purposes.
However, there weren't many poems about roses. Yan Qingqing racked her brains before coming up with one, and then wrote it down in one stroke.
As the first rays of dawn illuminate the dew-laden air, its fragrance lingers, a refined and elegant fragrance that transcends the mundane.
Her graceful figure captivated butterflies, her alluring beauty enchanted bees.
Its sharp thorns point outwards, while its rich fragrance is shared with the grass.
With confidence and composure, I will not ask any more questions; I will wait for you, my devoted love, until old age.
Roses are a symbol of love, so maybe we can sell some roses to lovers sometime.
Yan Qingqing was provoked again after her trip to the prefectural city, and upon returning, she was determined to make money.
Not that was enough, Yan Qingqing made up two more stories, one of which was about Wu Zetian banishing Peony to Luoyang.
Legend has it that Empress Wu Zetian, one snowy night, went out for a stroll and, after getting drunk, wrote an edict: "Tomorrow I will tour the imperial garden; urgently inform spring of this. Flowers must bloom overnight, lest the morning breeze blow them away."
All flowers obeyed this command and dared not disobey, except for the peony, which defied the order. In her great anger, Empress Wu Zetian banished the peony to Luoyang.
Upon arriving in Luoyang, the peonies bloomed instantly, displaying unparalleled beauty.
Later, the peony achieved enlightenment and joined the ranks of immortals.
Of course, Yan Qingqing made a slight change, replacing Luoyang with Canghe Village.
Yan Qingqing also wrote a story about roses. Since roses are a symbol of love, and this is also her main theme, she wrote a story about Nuwa creating humans and how roses were used to express love for future generations.
After finishing writing all of this, Yan Qingqing rubbed her sore wrists, but looking at the several pages of writing, she felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Meanwhile, Li Kaishan in Canghe Village was also busy. He convened a meeting with everyone in the village, asking each household to send at least one representative, and everyone who could come should come.
When the villagers of Canghe Village saw Li Kaishan holding such a grand meeting, they knew that something important was about to be announced, so they didn't dare to delay and gathered at the meeting place at the village entrance.
Canghe Village already has a large population, and some families brought several members to this meeting, making it seem particularly impressive.
Seeing that most of the people had arrived, Li Kaishan asked his grandson to invite Yan Qingqing.
Yan Qingqing knew that the villagers had all gathered, so she changed her clothes and rushed over. Since she was the one who brought this up, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing, neither morally nor logically.
Standing on the rock in front, Li Kaishan saw Yan Qingqing walking over from afar. He immediately felt reassured and banged his broken gong to signal everyone to be quiet.
The villagers of Canghe Village also know the rules; the previously chaotic crowd immediately quieted down upon hearing the sound of the gong.
Li Kaishan spoke with a booming voice and full of confidence: "I have gathered everyone here today because there is something important I need to discuss with you."
There's a great opportunity to make a fortune right now, I wonder if anyone wants it?
Yan Qingqing looked at Li Kaishan and chuckled to herself, thinking, "This old man is actually keeping me in suspense."
After Li Kaishan finished speaking, a chorus of responses rang out. Several older people even urged him, "Stop keeping us in suspense! Everyone's waiting."
Li Kaishan touched his nose and then recounted how Yan Qingqing had signed a large contract in the prefectural city and her plans for the village's future.
After hearing about this, the villagers of Canghe Village started discussing it animatedly. Some said that Yan Qingqing's family was hiring again, and they wondered if they would have a chance this time.
Some people said that it would be good to work at the inn once it was built, while others said that since they are good at cooking, they could cook and sell their dishes.
Opinions varied, but the majority supported the decision. Even Chen Damei, who usually disagreed with Yan Qingqing, did not voice any objections.
Li Kaishan was somewhat surprised that things went so smoothly. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to explain things clearly to the villagers, so he specially invited Yan Qingqing over.
Of course, there were also families who were short of money. They were extremely anxious, knowing that following Yan Qingqing would surely make them rich, but they really couldn't come up with those three taels of silver.
So someone suggested, "Village chief, we really don't have that much silver. Could we take less?"
Li Kaishan replied with a smile, "Of course, I've discussed it with Xiang Ping's mother. Considering the special circumstances of some of our villagers' families, we can reduce the amount they have to contribute."
But when it comes to dividends, the amount will be less.
Then someone else asked, "If I invest more money, will I get a larger share of the profits later?"
Li Kaishan nodded again and said, "That's natural. Xiang Pingniang said that the dividends will be based on the proportion of today's investment."
Although I don't really understand what the ratio means, it basically means the more you invest, the more you win; the less you invest, the less you win.
However, let me make it clear from the start: business involves both profits and losses. This is entirely voluntary; no one is forced to participate. You have one day to consider it. Once you've made up your mind, you can bring the money to my house. This fundraising period lasts three days. Latecomers will not be accepted.”
With Yan Qingqing backing him up, Li Kaishan spoke with great confidence and then dismissed the meeting.
Yan Qingqing was also planning to go home when Li Kaishan rubbed his hands together and walked up to her, asking in a low voice, "How was what Uncle said just now? Was there anything wrong with it?"
Yan Qingqing smiled and gave Li Kaishan a thumbs up, then said, "Uncle Village Chief is really amazing!"
Li Kaishan finally felt relieved after hearing this. Despite his confident demeanor, he was actually quite nervous inside.
He was naturally happy to have gained Yan Qingqing's approval.
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