Cotton Sea sets new regulations
"You can also open a shop."
Shen Yan's smile had barely spread when she clearly added, "Monopoly? No way."
"no?!"
Shen Yan's smile froze instantly, and she bristled, "Why not?! Ling Zhan! This cotton is the best in the world! How can we sell it at a high price without a monopoly? How can we make big money? Are we supposed to keep it the same price as those coarse linen cloth? Wouldn't we be losing a lot of money?! How will we recoup the costs of our workshops and shops?!"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, pointing haphazardly at the vast expanse of white cotton, as if it were already a mountain of gold in his pocket.
Ling Zhan's eyes were icy cold as he took a step forward. The invisible pressure forced Shen Yan to subconsciously take a small step back. "Cotton varieties are not unique."
Her voice was firm and unwavering: "Next year, everyone can plant it."
"How will we recoup the investment in those workshops and shops?!" Shen Yan demanded, her neck stiff with resentment.
"The workshop can collect cotton, process it, and sell cloth." Ling Zhan's gaze swept over the breathless villagers and Li Qingshan around him. "The pricing is fair and beneficial to the people. The capital is readily available."
"You want to sell seeds? Don't you need a shop to sell seeds?!" Shen Yan practically shouted.
"We can use the official residence we got in town after the exchange." Ling Zhan had already made his arrangements, and his response was concise and clear.
She looked again at Li Qingshan and the villagers who looked bewildered or thoughtful, her voice carrying clearly across the field: "'Kaoshan cotton' is a brand that can be promoted. It relies on its high quality and reasonable price, not on monopolistic practices. No matter how cheap cotton cloth is, the poorest families still can't afford it. High-yield cotton varieties, on the other hand, can benefit the villagers, and that is the fundamental principle."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Shen Yan and Su Wan. "Excessive profits and monopolies, cutting off people's livelihoods, will inevitably backfire. It's not a long-term solution."
"Cutting off one's path in life"?
"Backlash"?
Shen Yan felt a surge of anger rush to his head! His meticulously conceived blueprint for the "Golden Mountain Empire" had been shattered by Ling Zhan's few casual words! The immense disappointment and anger at being rejected caused him to completely lose his mind.
"You...you're insane?!"
Shen Yan pointed at Ling Zhan, then fiercely at the cotton field, her fingers trembling. "Sell the seeds?! At a fair price?! What's the point of all the hard work we put into growing them?! To benefit someone else?! This cotton field is mine... in my name! I'm the owner! I make the decisions! I don't agree to sell the seeds! I want a monopoly! I want to sell them at a high price!"
In desperation, he actually used his identity as the "head of household" as his last trump card and weapon!
"Bang--!"
A dull thud!
Everyone only felt a blur before their eyes, and didn't even see how Ling Zhan moved!
Shen Yan felt as if his lower abdomen had been struck hard by a battering ram, his internal organs instantly shifting! The excruciating pain made his vision go black, and he flew backward like a broken stalk of wheat, his back arched, and crashed heavily into the soft soil of the paddy field with a "thud," kicking up a cloud of dust!
"Ugh—!"
He curled up, wincing in pain, his screams becoming distorted.
All that remained were painful gasps; he couldn't catch his breath for a long time, and his mouth tasted of earth.
Ling Zhan slowly withdrew his leg, as if he were merely brushing away a speck of dust from the edge of his boot.
She looked down at the disheveled Shen Yan.
His voice was as cold as the winter wind: "A name is just paper. Rules are iron. If you break the rules again, get out."
The entire room fell silent!
Only the heavy, suppressed, intermittent gasps echoed in the wind.
The villagers gazed in awe at Ling Zhan's lean yet seemingly imbued with the strength of a mountain. Li Qingshan's eyes were filled with intense shock and admiration! This was true devotion to his hometown! A visionary perspective! Unfettered by petty self-interest!
Compared to the sullen and disgusting, the superiority is immediately apparent!
Su Wan's face turned ashen! She looked at Shen Yan writhing in pain in the mud, and then at Ling Zhan's unshakeable figure, and the grand blueprint of the "Xueyun Cotton Commercial Empire" in her heart collapsed instantly!
Monopoly hopeless, seeds flowing out...
The "core" that she relied on to showcase her talents and prove her worth seemed to have been ruthlessly stripped away by Ling Zhan!
Overwhelmed with disappointment, she dug her nails deep into her palms.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her turbulent emotions, and quickly walked to Shen Yan's side. She knelt down, took out her clean silk handkerchief, and gently and tenderly wiped the dirt from his face and neck. Her voice was choked with emotion: "Young Master Shen...please stop...our benefactor has her reasons...we...we'll follow her arrangements..."
She looked up at Ling Zhan with tears welling up in her eyes, then quickly lowered them again.
"As long as it's for the good of the villagers and can help my sister... what does it matter if we suffer a little loss..."
Xuan Chenzi had already shrunk to the back of the crowd, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, muttering to himself, "Boundless...that...Heavenly Venerable...May you have boundless blessings...Harmony brings wealth...Harmony brings wealth..." He had finally understood that this female fiend's decision allowed no room for doubt or bargaining.
Ling Zhan ignored them.
She turned to Li Qingshan and gave clear instructions: "The cotton seed shop will be run by my family, and the official residence will serve as the shop. You will assist in the establishment and management of the workshop. The rules are the same as above—buying cotton, processing it, and selling cloth, with fair pricing and no deception of the young or old. When hiring workers, priority will be given to poor households in this village and nearby areas."
"Yes! Don't worry, Madam Ling! I will do my best!"
Li Qingshan stood up straight, his voice loud and clear, full of enthusiasm.
She then looked at Su Wan, who was supporting Shen Yan and looking meek and submissive: "Su Wan." She addressed her by her name directly, without any emotion.
Su Wan trembled slightly, raised her head, and tried her best to remain docile: "Please give your orders, sister."
"You'll be in charge of grading, weaving, dyeing and fixing techniques, shop management, and overall accounting," Ling Zhan's gaze was calm yet penetrating. "Wages will be three times the market price. You'll receive 15% of the workshop and shop's net profits."
This treatment far exceeded Su Wan's expectations. It was both an acknowledgment of her abilities and a subtle form of reassurance and constraint—firmly binding her to the "backer" ship, sharing benefits and risks.
A complex light flashed quickly in Su Wan's eyes, but it eventually turned into a deeper gentleness. She gave a graceful bow and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. I will certainly not fail you, Sister."
15% of the profits!
This was far more generous than she had expected for a "senior manager" position! It was enough to make up for some of the regret of losing the "monopoly profits".
She held onto Chen Yan's hand, unconsciously tightening her grip a little.
Just then, a steady voice rang out: "Well said! Heroine Ling has the well-being of all people in her heart and lofty aspirations! Truly, she is a woman who is no less capable than any man!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that County Magistrate Chen Qinian had arrived at some point, accompanied by two constables. He stood outside the crowd and witnessed the second half of the event. He straightened his official robes, pushed through the crowd, walked up to Ling Zhan, and solemnly bowed!
"Heroine Ling is not driven by personal gain, but only by the well-being of her fellow villagers! Opening a cotton seed shop to benefit all people is a great act of benevolence! Setting fair prices to stabilize the market is a great act of righteousness!" Magistrate Chen's voice was loud and clear, filled with heartfelt praise. "As an official governing this region, I know firsthand how difficult life is for the people. Heroine Ling's actions have relieved the people's worries about keeping warm and opened up a source of prosperity for this region! It is a great fortune for Kaoshan Village to have a heroine like her! It is an even greater blessing for our county to have a heroine like her! The county government will certainly provide full support for the cotton seed shop and workshop! We will facilitate the handling of documents, introductions, and even the circulation of some grain and seeds from the official granary! I will take this as a model and report it to the prefectural government!"
A dignified seventh-rank county magistrate performing such a grand ceremony in public for a woman, and bestowing upon her the highest praise of "great benevolence and righteousness" and "a model woman"! This was unprecedented in the entire county!
The villagers were initially shocked, but then burst into enthusiastic cheers and applause!
The way they looked at Ling Zhan was filled with heartfelt respect and gratitude!
Li Qingshan was so excited that his face turned completely red.
Ling Zhan nodded slightly to Magistrate Chen in response, showing no sign of being flattered.
“You can still make money even without a monopoly,” she murmured to herself, as if stating a simple fact.
The voice was soft, yet carried an unwavering certainty.
The group finally returned to the courtyard in Kaoshan Village.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, a wave of heat, a mixture of the aroma of food and the noise of children, hits you.
Several long tables had already been set up in the courtyard, and more than twenty younger children, like birds returning to their nests, rushed over with cheers, calling out "Mom!" "Brother Tiger!" "Sister Da Niu!"... Aunt Wang, Uncle Li, and several other familiar neighbors also followed behind with smiles to help.
The table was already set with bowls and chopsticks, and in the middle, several large hanging pots were simmering fragrant meat and vegetables. Steam rose from the steamer, and freshly steamed multigrain buns emitted an enticing wheat aroma. Since the house was built, Shen Yan had taken it upon himself to hire several quick-witted and reasonably skilled women from the village, such as Aunt Wang, to take turns coming to his house to prepare three meals a day, paying them some wages and providing them with one meal a day.
After the house was built, the family grew larger, and their needs remained the same.
This job continued and became a "good job" that many women in the village envied.
Shen Yan pushed aside the crowd surrounding Ling Zhan and the children, his gaze sweeping over Ling Zhan like a searchlight.
The spiritual energy that had nourished her for months atop the mountain softened her otherwise somewhat hard features, giving her skin a healthy honey-colored glow. The warm, translucent, and antique-style white jade hairpin in her hair added an air of otherworldly elegance.
This change caused a fleeting glint in Shen Yan's eyes, but then, thinking of his disheveled state by the cotton field, the humiliation of being kicked in public, and the complete shattering of his "golden mountain dream," the anger and grievances that had just been suppressed suddenly surged up again.
He crossed his arms, plopped down in the main seat, deliberately making a loud noise, and spoke with a stern face and a sarcastic tone:
"Hey! Boss Ling! You spent the whole summer in this blessed land of immortals, and now you can't even speak properly anymore? Your ability to kick people has certainly improved!"
The noisy courtyard fell silent instantly. The children's smiles froze on their faces, and the neighbors looked at each other, speechless with fear.
Tiger, Bean Sprout, and the others had just put down their bulging bags when they heard this, their bodies stiffened, and they looked at Ling Zhan with worry.
Little Stone, clutching a package of oiled paper, called out timidly, "Dad..."
Shen Yan deliberately ignored her youngest son, slamming her fingers heavily on the table. Her voice rose, filled with pent-up resentment: "What? You took the kids out to play all summer, and now you can't even speak a human word? Or do you think I, Shen Yan, should shoulder all the burdens of this family?! You won't listen to a single dissenting opinion. The cotton bolls exploded and no one cared. I've been overseeing the repairs of that run-down shop in town every day. I'm the one who feeds dozens of mouths three times a day! Ling Zhan!"
He slammed his hand on the table, making the dishes clang loudly. "You'd better explain yourself in front of Aunt Wang, Uncle Li, and the kids! You're quick to resort to violence, aren't you?! Nobody gets any food until you give me an explanation! You'll all go hungry!"
The last sentence was almost shouted out.
The courtyard was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.
The children were so frightened they dared not breathe; the younger ones even started to pout.
Aunt Wang and Uncle Li exchanged a helpless glance.
He wanted to offer some advice, but was silenced by Shen Yan's unprecedentedly firm attitude.
Su Wan stood at the kitchen doorway, holding a bowl of freshly heated soup, looking around with worry, caught in a dilemma.
Xuan Chenzi stroked his beard, his old eyes darting between Ling Zhan and Shen Yan, a glint of shrewdness in them—
It seems they are weighing the value of this turmoil.
Ling Zhan stood quietly in the center of the crowd, his travel-worn clothes still covered with bits of grass from the mountains.
Her face was expressionless. Her gaze calmly swept over the mountain of cracked cotton bolls piled up in the yard, waiting to be dealt with; over the newly repaired, sturdy yard walls and roof; over the steaming, obviously elaborate meal on the long table; and finally, it settled on Chen Yan's face, which was flushed red with anger, grievance, and a barely perceptible "seeking attention."
Having spent several months atop the mountain, immersed in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, her current tranquility carries an indescribable weight and clarity.
She did not argue, did not explain, and did not even show the slightest anger at being publicly reprimanded.
Amidst the astonished, bewildered, and even somewhat spectator-like gazes of everyone, she stepped forward and walked straight up to Shen Yan, so close that they could almost feel each other's breath.
Shen Yan stood up involuntarily, his stiff neck tilted back slightly, his breath rising to his throat, and his legs, which had been so aggressive just moments before, began to tremble uncontrollably—he thought Ling Zhan was about to attack again.
However, Ling Zhan simply stood still, his gaze calmly meeting Ling Zhan's slightly widened eyes, which were filled with surprise and doubt.
"It was my fault."
The sound was not loud, but it was as clear as a mountain stream dripping into a cold pool, hitting everyone's ears.
There were no ups and downs, no explanations, only the calm statement of facts.
"I shouldn't have laid a hand on you, and I shouldn't have ignored your hard work and made you suffer."
She nodded slightly, her gaze still open and honest. "This mistake must be admitted. May we serve the meal?"
boom--!
Like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
Everyone in the courtyard, including the furious Shen Yan himself, was completely dumbfounded!
My mind went completely blank!
Shen Yan stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, as if he were seeing this person for the first time!
Ling Zhan, who was always right, always tough, and would rather fight than back down... admitted his mistake?
And in front of so many people?! So decisive and efficient?!
Aunt Wang's melon seeds fell to the ground with a "clatter".
Uncle Li gasped, almost choking on his own saliva.
Su Wan covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Xuan Chenzi's hand, which was stroking his beard, froze completely in mid-air.
The children were completely dumbfounded.
The oil paper package in Xiao Shitou's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and several wild sweet potatoes, covered in fresh soil but smelling delicious, rolled out.
The deathly silence lasted for what felt like an eternity.
"Father! Mother has admitted her mistake!"
Little Stone was the first to react. Like a thawing animal, he cheered and rushed over to hug Ling Zhan's leg tightly. He looked up at Shen Yan, whose face was still frozen in a daze, his big eyes filled with expectation and pleading.
"Is it time to eat, Dad? Little Stone is so hungry!"
Tiger, Bean Sprout, Big Girl, and Daya also seemed to wake up from a daze, and they surrounded them, their voices filled with urgency and advice:
"Father! Mother knows she was wrong!"
"It's so hard working up in the mountains! Mom brought back lots of delicious food!"
"Dad, let's eat! Everyone's starving!"
"Mother even dug up some purple ginseng to make wine for Father!"
Shen Yan looked at Ling Zhan's eyes, which were still calm and still, yet seemed to hold a hint of something indescribable. Then she looked at the children's hungry, green eyes, full of expectation, and at the neighbors' suppressed laughter, their expressions carrying a "you should quit while you're ahead" message...
The resentment and grievances that had been building up for months, like a punctured balloon, deflated completely with a "pop."
Only a bittersweet, yet inexplicably comforting warmth spread from my heart.
The burning pain in the spot where I had been kicked seemed to have miraculously disappeared as well.
His face flushed slightly.
He cleared his throat, but his voice rang out unusually loudly, as if he hadn't been the one slamming the table and yelling at people just now.
"Hey! ...What are you all standing there for?! Let's eat! Let's eat!" He waved his hand with a "forgive and forget" kind of magnanimity. "Tiger and Bean Sprout! What are you standing there for? Put out all the mountain produce, roasted meat, berries, and wild potatoes that your mother brought back! Let Aunt Wang and Uncle Li taste the fresh flavors of our mountains! Miss Su, bring out the soup when it's hotter!"
"Hey! Coming right away!"
Su Wan responded crisply, her worry vanishing instantly, and turned to quickly enter the kitchen.
The stagnant atmosphere instantly became lively and warm!
The children erupted in thunderous cheers, like birds released from their cages, rushing joyfully toward the dining table.
Aunt Wang and Uncle Li also sat down with smiles, patting Shen Yan on the shoulder: "Oh, Shen boy, with Ling Niangzi's words, it's all worth it! What a man!"
"That's right, that's right, Madam Ling is so generous! Young Master Chen, you're so lucky!"
Ling Zhan bent down, picked up the oil paper package that had fallen onto the small stone, carefully patted off the dirt, and handed it back to him. Then, she calmly walked to the empty seat next to Shen Yan and sat down. Shen Yan glanced at her and saw her pick up her chopsticks, scan the table, and steadily pick up the largest piece of roasted, golden-brown, sizzling, oily rock lamb leg, placing it into… the bowl in front of Shen Yan.
The movements were natural and fluid, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Shen Yan gazed at the piece of mutton in the bowl, its aroma enticingly caramelized and still bearing a few strands of tendon. Then he looked at Ling Zhan's serene profile; the setting sun's rays fell perfectly on the warm, white jade hairpin in her hair, casting a soft, restrained glow. The last vestiges of awkwardness and resentment in his heart vanished instantly, like ice meeting the warm sun.
A wide smile involuntarily spread across his face.
He picked up his chopsticks, took a big bite of meat, and mumbled indistinctly as he chewed—
His voice, however, betrayed an undisguised smugness and satisfaction: "...Hmm! That's more like it! At least you have a conscience!"
Xuan Chenzi approached at some point, squinting his old eyes. He looked at Ling Zhan, then at the meat in Shen Yan's bowl, and then at Shen Yan's face, which had instantly brightened. He stroked his beard, chuckled, and shook his head.
"Amitabha! A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold; admitting a mistake opens a new chapter! A kick in the face of a broken heart—this is... an auspicious omen!"
"Just eat, you old man! I can't shut you up!"
Shen Yan laughed and cursed, then grabbed the biggest wild yam from the basket next to him and stuffed it into Xuan Chenzi's hand.
The last golden rays of the setting sun gently enveloped the courtyard, and the aroma of food mingled with the scents of the mountains and fields.
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