"Selling tender corn?" Zhang Jun was taken aback.
He had only ever eaten tender corn as a gift, or picked directly from a farmer's field; he had never actually bought it at the market.
Farmers cherish their grain and would never bear to harvest crops that haven't yet grown.
Jiang Zhi's heart skipped a beat when she saw his expression: No way! Nobody's selling them at the market?
I had preconceived notions and was used to bringing my modern approach to eating, which emphasizes taste and enjoyment, here.
Modern supermarkets and markets offer a dazzling array of goods; if you can imagine it, they can make it. Tender corn, tender soybeans, tender peas, and tender broad beans—all are available for their fresh, delicious flavor.
People these days are still thinking about how to fill their stomachs, not how to make food taste good.
Even if it's tender corn grown at home, you have to sneak around and hide it when you want to eat it.
If I were to take these corns to the market myself, I would definitely be scolded for being a spendthrift who eats without leaving any seeds. I can't possibly explain to each and every one of them that there will be another crop.
However, this thought only flashed through her mind for a moment, because Zhang Juntou's fondness for this food gave her confidence.
To be honest, no one can resist the temptation of delicious food; all they need is a reason and a way to enjoy it.
Upon hearing that Jiang Zhi was going to sell all the corn as green grain and then use the money to buy ready-made grain, Zhang Juntou nodded repeatedly: "That's a good idea. One ear of corn for one pound of grain. Rich people want to eat something rare, so there will definitely be people who will buy this tender corn."
"Hey! Aren't you afraid people will call you a glutton and a scoundrel?"
Selling green grains will get you scolded.
Jiang Zhi raised her head: "I'm not afraid. I'll sell them at a high price and then use the money to buy more grain. That's robbing the rich to help the poor! Even if I'm a thief, I'll be a chivalrous one!"
Zhang Juntou: "...!"
It's clearly making money, but they're calling it robbing the rich—how reasonable!
Because the warehouse was not yet completed, still located in the thatched shed under that lush tree, Jiang Zhi urgently convened a meeting.
Knowing that the village chief really wanted to sell tender corn, Xu Genyou and Tian Gui didn't object anymore. This was something they had discussed when they were farming, and they also needed to free up land for the second summer crop.
Given Jiang Zhi's current prestige, the two naturally agreed, though they looked pained.
Xu Gensheng and Wu Yang remained silent, but the straw mats beneath them seemed to have thorns, making them restless.
Wu Yang hesitated, while Xu Gensheng kept his mouth tightly shut, swallowing all his words.
Jiang Zhi had said that after this batch of green grain was sold, the debt for their previous help with tilling and planting would be settled.
Li Laoshi had said before the New Year that labor could be exchanged for grain, which Jiang Zhi agreed to. Later, the digging of irrigation ditches on thirty mu of land was also done in exchange for labor.
Now that the green grains are sold, each household can get dozens of kilograms of grain, which is enough to have a full meal.
Even the most argumentative person knows who's in charge, so you can't just say anything and anger the village chief.
Wu Yang, needless to say, closely followed in Er Rui's footsteps.
Li Laoshi was not at the meeting place at this time.
He was guarding the edge of the field; the corn was almost ready to eat, and it was hard to guarantee that no one would hear the news and sneak off to steal a few ears to take home.
The boss said that we should not tempt others casually, let alone test them, because no one can withstand a test.
Now, anyone who tries to steal something can't escape his notice.
His only regret was that Peppa Pig wasn't here. If that stingy wild boar were here, let's see who would dare to take a single step over here.
Errui and Xiaoman were also not there; they were delivering corn to Zhang Juntou's place and also wanted to borrow some transportation.
Xujia Village is 60 li away from Pingchuan County, which is neither far nor near.
However, Zhang Juntou's mule cart had already gone into the city to purchase supplies and was not at the camp, so Xu Errui only borrowed two hand-pushed "chicken carts".
When Jiang Zhi saw the two wooden wheelbarrows, she was also troubled: "What should we do?"
She has made up her mind that she must prepare an oxcart this time, so that she can plow the fields during the week and pull the cart when she has free time.
Tian Gui said, "It's alright, we'll walk. We'll start in the first half of the night and set off in the second half, so we'll arrive in the county town just as dawn breaks."
This person is also open-minded; he can become a refugee to make a living. A rigid person wouldn't have the brains or the decision-making ability to do so.
I'm planning to travel sixty li overnight to sell the grain.
For these farmers, walking dozens of miles may seem far, but they spend all day in the fields from dawn till dusk, only stopping to eat and sleep. Walking is not a problem for them.
Moreover, this is something that yields quick profits and profits in the blink of an eye, so it's all worth it no matter how tiring it is.
Jiang Zhi thought about it and decided that this was a good idea; they could sell the corn and buy grain.
The news spread quickly throughout the village, and everyone was talking about it. Before the tender corn even hit the streets, it had already sparked a wave of discussion.
However, with the scene of Qin being beaten still fresh in everyone's mind, and the chicks that Village Chief Jiang had sent right in front of them, no one dared to speak loudly. They just muttered a few words furtively and then moved on.
As night fell, aside from Tian Gui, Wu Yang, Er Rui, and Xiao Man, who had been selected to deliver goods to the city and needed to rest, every household in the village arranged for someone to go into the fields to harvest corn.
Li Laoshi was shouting and jumping around inside, while Jiang Zhi didn't go home but personally stayed by the field.
Such a grand scene even drew Zhang Juntou and his men over to "join in the fun" and take a look.
"Sister Jiang, are you going to clear out all those dozens of acres of land?"
Jiang Zhi shook her head: "No, let's try clearing out four or five acres first!"
Although she was full of confidence, she still didn't dare to actually clear thirty acres at once.
If we really can't sell them, it's not a loss if we eat them ourselves.
The tender corn from five mu of land, still in its green husk, was delivered to the muddy ground in the warehouse. Several women quickly picked out the ones that didn't meet the standards. According to Village Chief Jiang's criteria, only half of them were suitable.
They filled the large baskets of the two wheelbarrows with the selected good corn, then cooked a pot of rice.
It was already past midnight. Errui and the others had slept for three hours, eaten their fill, and were full of energy as they pushed their wheelbarrows loaded with corn off into the night.
They selected ten people who were fast on their feet, lit torches, and took water and dry food. They took turns pushing the cart and ran to the county town overnight.
Jiang Zhi did not rest after Errui and Tian Gui left.
The corn harvested from the five mu of land wasn't all sold. After sending some to the county town, some was given to Zhang Juntou and his group.
The remaining substandard items were distributed among the households that came to do the work.
Although it's substandard, it's still edible.
Today, everyone from every household came, and Jiang Zhi distributed five sticks to each household, regardless of how much work they did.
That's the saying, the quantity is the same, but the quality is different.
While working, Li Laoshi would stand by and watch, observing who was working hard and who was slacking off.
When it's time to distribute corn cobs, he naturally follows suit and gets assigned one, two, or three.
Lazy people get only sparse, short, and withered things, while hardworking people get plump and sturdy things.
Jiang Zhi strongly supports Li Laoshi's approach.
People are different. Even when eating from the same pot, there is still a distinction between the top and bottom of the pot.
Some people were dissatisfied and wanted to argue, but Jiang Zhi simply said, "Why don't you know why you're getting less than others? You get what you pay for. If you're not satisfied, don't come back next time."
Village Chief Jiang was the type to turn on you in an instant. Those people had something to hide, and seeing that no one else was saying anything, they could only mutter resentfully, "Why are the kids better than me?"
To Jiang Zhi's surprise, among these people, Li Laoshi gave the two children the best corn.
"Tian Tao, Tian Xiaoquan, what brings you to work?"
Tian Tao'er and a boy a head shorter than her were walking over, each carrying five ears of corn. Although their sweaty hair was still covered with bits of grass, they were all smiling happily.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com