The Lucky Heiress - Chapter 147
Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Going to Government City for
Business__i
Translator: 549690339
Her complexion was fair, her eyes bright and clear.
In a daze, Wei Mingting’s mind drifted uncontrollably to the memories of his daughter, vividly recalling her playful, adorable, and lively demeanor when she was a child.
Before him, he seemed to see a sweet-smiling little girl running toward him, repeatedly shouting, “Daddy!.”
Wanwan was also sweet and adorable when she was little, but she was always timid around him, with a soft voice that trembled when calling him “Daddy”.
If it were Ruoruo, she wouldn’t be afraid of him and would boldly act spoiled in his presence.
Regrettably, fate is cruel, and he had missed all of this.
“Father?” Wei Ruo noticed that Wei Mingting was lost in thought.
Wei Mingting snapped back to reality, realizing his outburst of emotion.
“Ruoruo, I don’t know how I can ever thank you,” Wei Mingting said, warmth filling his heart.
“Father, you don’t need to thank me for this. Xie Ying and I didn’t send these medicinal herbs solely for your sake, but also for the entire army and the people of Xingshan,” Wei Ruo replied.
Whether it’s for General Wei Mingting or someone else, as long as they weren’t vile individuals, Wei Ruo and Xie Ying would still have delivered these medicinal herbs today.
“Regardless, the Anti-Japanese Army owes you and Miss Xie a favor. The injured soldiers owe you a favor, and I owe you a favor,” Wei Mingting said solemnly.
“Father, let’s talk about these things after the war is over. I know you are busy so I won’t disturb you anymore. Xie Ying and I will bring the rest of the herbs ’ after we finish preparing them,” Wei Ruo said.
“Alright, be careful on your way back.”
Wei Mingting advised, then reluctantly watched Wei Ruo leave his camp.
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After delivering the medicinal herbs to the Anti-Japanese Army, Wei Ruo didn’t continue to oversee the affairs of Xingshan County, but instead set off for Government City with Madam Yuan.
Upon arriving at Government City, Wei Ruo, under the arrangements of
Madam Yuan, took up residence in Tianqin Garden.
Once here, Wei Ruo felt relieved, no need to tread on eggshells like she had at Military Prefecture.
The morning after settling in, Wei Ruo, accompanied by Xiumei, went to the village.
Wei Ruo met Xu Zhushan and the manager of the village estate.
The manager was a man in his forties, with a surname, Yu. He had a rather gaunt physique, thin-faced, but he seemed to be an honest and decent sort of fellow.
For the few days since Uncle Xu had arrived, Manager Yu, taking advantage of Uncle Xu’s kindness, didn’t withhold anything from him, assisting him with matters in a respectful manner. This behavior gave a glimpse of the manager’s character.
During this time, Xu Zhushan had already taken measure of the village and had matters in order.
Wei Ruo called the two men over and inquired about the situation with the surrounding lands.
She then instructed, “That’s how it is, you guys go find out for me. If there are lands for sale or mortgaged nearby, we will buy them.”
“Miss, are you planning to buy up large amounts of land?” Manager Yu asked somewhat taken aback.
Yes, acquire land.” Wei Ruo responded firmly.
“But Miss, due to the recent unfavorable weather, the grain production in all areas has fallen short. I’m afraid it’s… not appropriate to acquire land under these circumstances,” Manager Yu reminded.
“No problem, as long as the price is right, we will buy it,” Wei Ruo said, fully aware of these concerns, but had already decided her course of action.
At the moment when grain production is dropping, land prices will decrease. Wei Ruo plans to seize this opportunity to invest in more land to expand her assets.
Wei Ruo had one hundred taels of gold at her disposal, providing her with adequate capital for her land acquisitions.
As for the labor issue… “Miss, once the land is purchased, we’ll undoubtedly need more labor,” Manager Yu asked again.
Currently, they only had enough workers for their village. More land would mean they would have to hire more labor.
“Hire the impoverished peasants and refugees,” Wei Ruo commanded.
“Hire impoverished peasants and refugees?” The manager was taken aback.
Hiring impoverished peasants could be reasonable, but hiring refugees seemed a bit unusual.
Having taken a moment to consider, Manager Yu advised, “Miss, the refugees are transient and it’s hard to get a clear understanding of them. They can be difficult to manage and easily stir up trouble…”
“I know this move will require more effort and pose higher risks than only hiring local residents we’re familiar with. But I’m willing to give it a try,” Wei Ruo asserted.
Of course, Wei Ruo had given this a lot of thought before deciding. She is willing to take on this challenge, even if managing it may prove to be more difficult and there might be some errors. She doesn’t want to deny all the refugees because she fears trouble.
Because such individuals are the most vulnerable and are in desperate need of livelihood.
Alright then, I’ll go and arrange everything right away,” Manager Yu immediately got to work.
Together with Xiumei, Wei Ruo gave the village estate yet another inspection with Xu Zhushan. The soil in the lands that Madam Yuan had given to them was indeed better than averageland. The soil has been cultivated and was ready for planting the new wheat species that Wei Ruo had brought.
However, many of the long-term workers on the farm had reservations about planting wheat at this time of the year, and felt that it likely wouldn’t grow well.
Despite their skepticism, they still dutifully complied with the instructions given by the supervisors and did their work.
Wei Ruo didn’t mind their doubts, understanding that it was indeed past the usual wheat planting season and it was natural for them to be concerned about the success of the crop. All she required was that they performed their assigned duties satisfactorily.
Having handled everything that needed to be arranged at the village estate over the next two days, Wei Ruo, accompanied by Xiumei, headed out for a stroll on the city streets.
Although it seemed like a leisurely stroll, Wei Ruo was actually scouting for suitable shop spaces.
Opening a store in Government City as an out-of-towner without any backing could be challenging, even if she had the money, but with Madam Yuan’s support, she was relieved of this worry.
Although they were remote from the seat of the emperor and beyond the observation of Military Prefecture, Wei Ruo wore her veil out of an abundance of caution.
Wei Ruo, a woman of an ancestral family, showing interest in farming might be acceptable, yet taking the initiative to open a shop in the city would seem utterly out-of-place.
After two days of scouting, Wei Ruo finally settled for two adjacent shops near the Zuixian Residence.
The price of the shops was far from low. Still, Wei Ruo believed the location was perfect and justified the price.
Wei Ruo loved money, but as long as a purchase was worthy she would spare no expense. To her, you can’t make a fur coat without killing a few bears.
Wei Ruo’s intention was to open a branch of Four Treasure House in one of the shops.
The Four Treasures of the Study were likely to sell better in areas where scholar-gentry and numerous students gathered. Therefore, Government City was sure to be a better choice compared to the county city.
However, with this approach, she now had to think about how to expand her paper mill.
The other three of the Four Treasures of the Study were not produced in her own factory but procured from other commercial businesses. There was ample stock of these; only paper was produced in her own mill, and the production was limited.
So all along, paper was sold in limited quantities at the Four Treasure House, and it was usually bundled with other products, aiming to increase sales volume..
