Not long after the two left, Old Man Zhu and his wife arrived. They were covered in mud, clearly having just come from the fields.
Seeing this, Xu Han didn't mince words and got straight to the point, saying, "I suppose you've all heard about what's been going on at home lately."
We currently own a lot of land, but all the land at the foot of the mountain has been leased to the villagers there.
The land we need to manage is mainly on the mountain.
A new year, a new beginning. We didn't have much land before, so I kept telling you to reclaim more land. But recently I've thought about it and decided to put a large-scale reclamation on hold for now.
Right now, the most important thing is to raise more chickens and to continue expanding the orchard.
We will continue to make canned fruit and fruit wine in the future. Fruit has become an essential part of our family's life, so it's better to grow more of it.
This spring, Old Zhu, you should take people to continue planting more fruit trees. Remember to plant more, because small fruit trees won't bear fruit in a few years.
When our orchard expands and the fruit trees grow taller, we won't need to buy fruit anymore when we make canned fruit and wine, and we won't have to worry about not being able to buy it or the fruit farmers raising prices.
You don't need to worry about not having enough land to plant. The surrounding hills all belong to our family. You can plant whatever you want.
You can also plant some nut trees and other similar trees, and sell them in your local produce shop later; that should earn you some money.
As for clearing land to grow crops, there's no rush. Let's clear the land first and then do it slowly later.
Before Old Man Zhu could reply, Xu Han looked at Granny Zhou and continued, "The weather is getting warmer these days. We should hatch more chickens, ducks and geese to raise after spring. We didn't raise enough last year."
This year I plan to use chickens, ducks, and geese to start some other businesses, the more the better.
If you're worried about not being able to manage them all, you can find someone to help you manage them.
Also, these livestock are prone to disease, so you'd better keep them separate and in multiple pens. That way, even if there's a plague or something, they won't all be wiped out.
The elderly couple nodded as they listened to Xu Han's words, their smiles growing ever wider.
He thought to himself, "It seems the master intends to entrust these two matters to the couple. They value them. I must do a good job from now on."
They never imagined that one day in their lives they would be so valued by the Lord's family.
In the past, this would have been something we wouldn't have dared to even dream of. In this era, just surviving was a feat; how could we possibly hope for such a day?
Because they had suffered hardships in the past, they cherished this hard-won good life even more than others.
Although they are still slaves, apart from their daily work, they do not feel any sense of being exploited or tormented.
At least they're living like human beings now, no longer just machines that only do work.
They even feel that their lives are much better than those of ordinary people.
Not only can they eat their fill, but they also get meat from time to time, and they never lack clothes for any season.
They also receive a monthly allowance, and there are holiday gifts and vacations during festivals. Such treatment is simply the envy of everyone.
If there are still those who are ungrateful, they are absolutely heartless and ungrateful.
It was precisely because of the generous treatment Xu Han offered that everyone became increasingly loyal in just a few months. They discussed these things in private, but Xu Han was unaware of it.
After Xu Han finished explaining her questions and plans, she asked, "Is there anything else you don't understand? If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."
Old Zhu thought for a moment and said, "Madam, can I understand this to mean that we should plant as many fruit trees as we can, and raise as many chickens as we can, within our capabilities?"
Xu Han nodded. "Yes, that's right. But when you're planting fruit trees, you should also pay attention to the varieties. Which ones can be used for canning, which ones can be used for making wine, and there should be a certain quantity of all the fruit trees. You can't plant them blindly."
Seeing that Zhu Qiang didn't quite understand, she explained again, "We didn't plant many of the ones we don't need, and there's so much of the stuff we can't even throw away."
"Yes, Madam, I understand. Starting tomorrow, I will lead people to clear the hilltop so that it will be easier to plant fruit trees in the spring."
"Okay, go and do it. By the way, find some time to compile a list of the varieties and quantities of fruit trees you have at home and give it to me."
You strong laborers also need to help with things like chicken coops.
The tasks I assign you aren't meant to be done by any one person specifically. People in the mountains are all one family; we all work together.
Upon hearing this, the two nodded in agreement.
Xu Han added, "If you need money, just ask Juxiang for it. You can come to me with any needs or difficulties you may have."
Zhu Qiang cupped his hands in greeting. "Yes, Madam. I will send you the number of fruit trees later."
"No rush, you can do it whenever you have time. We don't have many fruit trees at home right now, so we don't need to plant any extra ones."
I just hadn't asked about the orchard in so long, it was just a casual question.
After she finished speaking, she didn't say anything more, and waved her hand to let the two of them leave.
Over the course of an afternoon, Xu Han explained all the things she had been thinking about and planning recently.
Now everything is done by subordinates. I only need to set goals and give action plans. As for the process and results, others will take care of them.
It has to be said that this feeling is really great. Xu Han sighed in her heart, "So this is what it feels like to be in a position of power."
However, being in a position of power isn't easy. The most basic requirement for someone in a position of power is to think long-term, have a keen eye, be good at spotting business opportunities, and plan ahead—in short, to think things through...
After seeing them all off, it was getting late. Xu Han rubbed her aching back and got up to go to the courtyard.
It's still winter, and the courtyard is bare and empty, which is really unsightly.
She's been staying home every day for the past few days and hasn't gone out much. Except for when she first came back and went around to different places, she hasn't gone out much otherwise.
Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to go outside and check on the crops in the fields near her home, as well as the chickens, ducks, geese, and orchards.
We can't just listen to reports from our subordinates; we also need to understand the situation ourselves and take a look.
This also prevents subordinates from deceiving their superiors and engaging in superficial work.
Fortunately, after going around in circles, everything was moving in a positive direction. Xu Han became more and more satisfied, and her mood improved as a result.
She was watching the fish in the pond when she heard Lu Chuan calling her from afar.
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