"Girl, you came at the right time. You can talk to them yourself. These people don't believe it!" The village chief's voice was filled with helplessness and expectation.
Xu Qinghe said slowly, "Grandpa Village Chief, it's okay. We won't force anyone who doesn't believe us. Whether you can seize the opportunity depends entirely on your own thoughts. Tomorrow morning, when the first rays of sunlight hit the earth, the supply and marketing cooperative's car will arrive as promised."
Her voice was clear and pleasant. "The village chief and I have already finalized the deal. The price offered by the supply and marketing cooperative is fair, the same as if we were purchasing directly from the factory. Regardless of the volume, we'll get ten cents per kilogram. All the produce will be collected in the village, and the rest will belong to each of us. This opportunity has been brought to your doorstep. If you'd like to participate, please contact me to sign up. Later, I'll visit everyone's garden one by one. Since this is our first collaboration, we must demonstrate our utmost sincerity and dedication. We can't let substandard quality become a stumbling block to our cooperation."
Zhang Xiaocui's father, a dark-skinned man with calloused hands, was the first to step forward. "My family's happy to participate! Our vegetable garden is as vast as a small forest. How could we ever eat it all? Any pocket money would be fantastic!"
During these days, Xu Qinghe's frequent visits established a deep trust between the Zhang family and her. The Zhang family knew that this little girl was not only meticulous, but also prudent and reliable in her work.
With Zhang Xiaocui’s father’s statement, more people were encouraged and responded.
Xu Qinghe's sharp eyes caught a few people who were originally whispering about her and raised their hands. She said in a calm but firm tone, "I may not be very kind-hearted. I don't welcome those who have a grudge against me or who criticize me behind my back to join me."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was a commotion in the crowd, and many villagers thought that Xu Qinghe's approach was too harsh.
"Everyone says this is a matter for the whole village. Why should a little girl like you decide this? The village chief hasn't even spoken yet!"
Doubts followed one after another. Upon hearing this, Xu Qinghe curled his lips into a cold smile and countered, "Because I personally negotiated this cooperation, I naturally have the right and responsibility to decide who is more suitable to participate. Strength and sincerity are both indispensable."
Facing some people's cynicism, Xu Qinghe simply smiled softly and said confidently, "Please rest assured, if Fengtai Village alone isn't enough to meet the needs of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, I can consider joining forces with surrounding villages to jointly make this project a success. This will not only ensure a stable supply chain for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, but will also earn the gratitude of neighboring villages. Most importantly, the friendly relationship between Fengtai Village and the Supply and Marketing Cooperative will remain intact."
Although this plan has not yet been discussed in detail with the village chief, Xu Qinghe believes that with the village chief's wisdom and foresight, he will fully support it.
Sure enough, when the village chief heard that the problem of vegetable sales could be solved, his original worries disappeared instantly. He seemed to have a vision of being proud in front of other villages in the future, and he was very excited.
However, the villagers' attitudes towards this were mixed. Some scoffed at Xu Qinghe's idea: "You don't help your own family, but you want to help outsiders. Isn't this just betraying yourself?"
Facing the villagers' criticism, the village chief straightened his back and spoke in a steady and powerful voice: "Yes, Qinghe will be in charge of this matter. She facilitated this cooperation. I hope everyone can understand that if we want to live a better life together, we should unite and treat Qinghe with more respect and understanding. We can't be greedy and want to swallow an elephant. We must see the big picture and be reasonable!"
The village chief's words were powerful and put a temporary end to the turmoil.
Under the village chief's sharp gaze, the noise and whispers in the crowd quickly dissipated.
His eyes made the villagers who were whispering in private feel guilty and lower their heads, fearing that their little thoughts would be exposed.
The village chief knew clearly in his mind that anyone who wanted to take advantage of others by hitchhiking would have to be carefully considered by him.
However, the village chief's wisdom lies in his sense of proportion. He knows that killing everyone with one blow is not the best strategy.
In his words, he cleverly left room for maneuver, giving those who talked about Xu Qinghe behind his back a chance to correct themselves, and implying that as long as Xu Qinghe was willing, they might still be able to participate in the village's development.
After all, while providing aid to outsiders, one must not discourage the enthusiasm of one's own people. This is the village chief's delicate balancing act. It is both a warning and a protection for Xu Qinghe, suggesting that she should restrain herself appropriately and not cut off her own retreat because of a momentary impulse.
Xu Qinghe is clear-headed and does not want to make enemies unless the other party goes too far.
In her opinion, it is always a good thing that people are willing to correct their mistakes and improve their attitudes. It will help her to implement her future plans and avoid being branded as "overconfident".
There were many smart villagers among them who understood the hidden meaning of the village chief. Some of the shameless ones immediately apologized to Xu Qinghe and tried to save the situation.
An auntie smiled awkwardly and said, "Qinghe, I'm just quick-witted. I didn't mean anything else. Don't take my previous words to heart. I'll send you some fresh eggs tonight, and we can reconcile now, okay?"
What followed was more apologies, with everyone saying that their previous remarks were purely unintentional, and asking Lord Xu Qinghe to forgive their mistakes and to let them know if they needed anything in the future.
Driven by such an atmosphere, Xu Qinghe's popularity has been improved invisibly.
Su Qifen was mixed in the crowd, her face pale. She had originally expected that she would become the focus of everyone's attention, but she never expected the situation to change so rapidly, catching her off guard.
She sneered disdainfully, "It's just a small achievement achieved through the village chief's connections. Is it necessary to show off like this?"
Although the voice was not loud, it was particularly clear in the tacit silence of the people around, and every word fell into Xu Qinghe's ears accurately.
Xu Qinghe stood tall and straight with a determined look in her eyes. Su Qifen's action just provided her with an opportunity to deal with the problem of the eldest branch of the Yin family.
"Showing off? If you think this is easy, you might as well try it yourself." Xu Qinghe's tone was a little provocative, and he did not hide his position at all, and invisibly pushed the eldest branch of the Yin family out of the game.
Then, she suddenly changed the subject and pointed directly at Su Qifen: "Since you are so confident, I won't consider the job of the eldest wife. With your skills, supporting a family should be easy, right?"
Su Qifen was stunned when these words came out. She obviously did not expect Xu Qinghe to be so ruthless and publicly announce the exclusion of the first wife.
Xie Di, who was standing aside, was originally immersed in the beautiful fantasy of gaining benefits through family relationships. At this moment, because of Su Qifen's reckless behavior, the eldest branch of the Yin family lost this opportunity. The dissatisfaction and anger in her heart were almost beyond words.
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