Chapter 64
Gu Daniu just went to get something from the house. Gu Chen looked around and followed him out: "I'm going to the vegetable garden to pick some green onions."
She followed a few steps to catch up with Granny Song: "How much is the betrothal gift from the Song family?"
Granny Song knew she was a stepmother and had inquired about the Gu family. After all, it was necessary to inquire about the family background when getting married. Although she looked down on Gu Chenshi, she also knew that if this marriage was to go through, she would probably have to look after Gu Chenshi. So she raised her finger and said, "For the betrothal gift alone, we are willing to give twenty taels."
Gu Chen's cheek twitched. How should I put it? She had a slightly complicated feeling. Twenty taels of silver was indeed a lot of money. It could buy a small courtyard in town. If she were her old self, she would definitely be greatly surprised. But now, she is no longer the same person she used to be.
Although she didn't manage the family's accounts, she had heard from Gu Daniu that Su Ji Dim Sum in the county alone could give Gu Xinxin three taels of silver a day. In ten days, wouldn't that be thirty taels?
In comparison, what is twenty taels of silver?
Gu Chen turned and left. If they wanted Gu Xinxin, they had to offer a price that matched her. Otherwise, once Gu Xinxin got married, the workshop might not make any money in the future. Who would sell an old hen that laid golden eggs for a tael of silver?
Granny Song had never expected Mrs. Gu Chen to react like this. She was stunned for a moment. She turned to look at Shopkeeper Song, who frowned and said after a moment, "It seems that the Gu family's workshop is indeed quite profitable."
If she hadn't made any money, Gu Chen wouldn't have reacted this way. She was a stepmother. A stepmother should be greedy for money. If even the stepmother looked down on twenty taels, it meant she had more. If she had that much, how much would Gu Xinxin have to earn to not treat the twenty taels as a big deal and throw it to the stepmother?
Granny Song said, "Do you really want to marry your son to this girl? I don't think she's a kind person."
He has a bad temper and is straightforward. He also has his own ideas. Shopkeeper Song's son has no other major problems except that he is lustful and likes to go to the brothel in the county town.
If the girl from the Gu family can't tolerate it, the couple will probably fight.
Shopkeeper Song said, "Let me think about it. I originally thought that although she is a country girl, she is still quite capable. My family makes pastries. If she can understand the business, there will be someone to manage our shop in the future."
You must be able to handle kitchen matters.
But I didn't expect that this girl was so smart.
He didn't really want someone with big decisions to make. There were three sons in the family. If the eldest son's wife had all the decisions to make, wouldn't the two younger ones have to depend on the eldest son's wife's mood to have a good life?
How unfair.
Gu Xinxin had no idea what the two people were talking about outside. She looked at Chen Shi with a half-smile: "Where's Xiaocong?"
Gu Chen hesitated, "I think it's okay not to use shallots. They're still tender, so it's better to keep them for a while. They'll be delicious in winter. By the way, if you don't like the Song family, then if there's someone who's comparable to the Song family, would you marry her?"
Gu Xinxin frowned: "Didn't I tell you? I have no plans to get married for the time being. If I want to get married, I will tell you, don't meddle in other people's business."
Gu Chen smiled apologetically: "Isn't this also for your own good? If you don't get married, people will gossip about you."
"It's none of your business." Gu Xinxin said angrily, waving her hands at her. "If anyone says that to your face, just say you're my stepmother and can't control my affairs. But don't let me know you're gossiping about me outside or saying bad things about me. Otherwise... I'll have the final say on how much betrothal gifts Gu Wenshu gets and how much dowry Gu Qiuhe gets."
Mrs. Gu Chen's face didn't look very good, but Gu Xinxin had already lifted the curtain and entered the room.
Gu Chen had no choice but to curse in her heart and not say anything out loud, otherwise if Accountant Li heard it, he might look down on Gu Qiuhe.
Accountant Li was also a little tempted. Seeing Gu Xinxin return to the house, he quietly asked Gu Qiuhe: "How old is your eldest sister?" He also has a son who is not married yet. Who knows, maybe the two of them will fall in love with each other?
Although he did not have the same wealth as the Song family, his son was a scholar and had already passed the examination for a student and would soon be able to take the examination for a scholar.
Studying is the most expensive thing, otherwise he wouldn't be working as a teacher at his age. But at his age...how many more years can he live? What if he fails the exam once, twice, or three times?
Moreover, the imperial examination is not just about taking the exam for the scholar, there are also exams for the juren, the jinshi, and then seeking an official position. Which one doesn't cost money?
Although his son did not pass the exam, Gu Xinxin is still just the owner of a small workshop.
Gu Xinxin didn’t know what Li the accountant was thinking. She only knew that the village chief’s wife came in the afternoon.
The village head's wife, Gu Xinxin, should call her "Auntie." She hurriedly went to fetch a kettle to make tea for the other person and asked, "Auntie, how come you have time to come here?"
The village chief's wife smiled and said, "Your uncle asked me to tell you something. He went to the village head and asked. Our village has a total of 500 acres of good farmland, 400 acres of medium-quality farmland, 300 acres of low-quality farmland, and 600 acres of paddy fields."
Upper, middle and lower are based on the fertility of the field.
The land needs to be tended to, and there are rules for this: what to plant in the first half of the year, what to plant in the second half of the year, and what to plant next year—you can't plant the same thing two years in a row, otherwise the soil's fertility will decrease. For example, potatoes need to be planted every other year. If you must plant every year, you need to ensure that the soil has sufficient fertility.
After years of such care, the soil will become docile, fertile, and the crops will be abundant.
But some fields have just been reclaimed and are not fertile enough, so they are called inferior fields.
The village chief's point was that not all the land could be used to grow sugarcane. Otherwise, if natural disasters or man-made disasters hit, the entire village of two hundred or so households wouldn't be left without food, right? If they were to buy food, it might even drive up food prices. Therefore, only 40% of the land could be used to grow sugarcane.
The village chief didn't have much experience in growing sugarcane, so he planned to let Gu Xinxin arrange it herself, depending on whether she needed high-quality or low-quality fields. In addition, although she said she would definitely purchase the land, did this kind of thing still need to be put on paper?
Moreover, how to get the sugarcane seeds? Should the villagers figure it out themselves, or should Gu Xinxin arrange it?
Gu Xinxin smiled and said, "I'll find the seeds. It's better to put this on paper. The villagers are worried that I won't buy them when the time comes, and I'm also worried that they'll sell them to others without my knowledge. If we sign a contract, everyone can rest assured."
As for what kind of land is needed, of course the best quality is best, so that the sugarcane can grow well and the sugar content can be increased.
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