Transmigrated as A Farm Girl Making Her Family Rich-Chapter 176 - 175 Family Arrangements
Chapter 176: Chapter 175 Family Arrangements
Chapter 176 -175 Family Arrangements
Madam Meng’s idea was brought up during a lunch when the entire family was present, including the two elders of the family.
“Mother, I plan to plant fruit trees on that mountain, so where is the need to plant other trees? Aren’t there trees on the mountain now? If it were about planting trees, they wouldn’t require any management. By cutting down the trees on the mountain to plant fruit trees, we can also earn money from selling the wood.”
Meng Zhaojun felt even more that things like trees could simply be grown by scattering some seeds on the mountain, not to mention paying people to cut the grass, which was simply a waste of money. Poor people used firewood for cooking anyway, so permitting them to go up the mountain to gather grass would save a portion of the labor costs.
She mentioned all these points to her family, especially her mother, who was currently devising the strategy, in hopes of persuading her to save on labor costs while also planting fruit trees.
Madam Meng, in reality, didn’t truly understand how to manage personnel or such large-scale projects, and for a moment, she had no idea what to do.
While she had intended to give advice to her daughter, in the end, her daughter had outmaneuvered her, causing her to glance at her husband.
Although County Magistrate Meng was born a farmer and used to be a mere bookworm, ignorant about the experiences of farmers, he had been studying certain managerial skills after becoming a government official, and while he had ideas, he merely arranged for others to carry them out. The real execution had always been in the hands of his subordinates.
“What our granddaughter says about trees growing from scattered seeds is feasible. We could scatter some seeds in the fields, and after half a year, when the saplings have grown a bit, we can transplant them to the mountain.”
As grandparents who were once farmers themselves, when her husband used to farm, she had also assisted him. She understood what farmers knew, and at this moment, the couple shared the same thoughts and decided to offer advice to the younger generation.
“As for letting the peasants cut the grass to save on last year’s grass-cutting expenses, this method may work. However, if we intend to plant fruit trees, and we don’t have experienced personnel in this regard, we won’t be able to plant them properly.”
The Old Master also offered his suggestion, worried that his daughter-in-law and granddaughter had no experience, and that the money invested might go down the drain—money his son had worked so hard to earn.
The words spoken by the elderly couple were supported by County Magistrate Meng, for after all, his parents had been farmers and did have some experience.
There’s an old saying, “Every trade has its secrets.” Not understanding something makes it difficult to accomplish. By the time you’ve learned, you’ve already paid the price in what you’ve invested, and a lot of money has been wasted.
“Yes, daughter, before we decide to do anything, we have to consider everything carefully. Those purchased rice fields can be planted with rice first; there’s no need to plant fruit or vegetables right away.”
“Mother, if we only plant rice, we could buy land anywhere. If we’re buying mountains to plant trees on, why spend so much money on those fields? We might as well buy some cheap land.”
“We are purchasing fields and mountains near the Ye Manor so we can follow their example, cultivate the same way they do, and master the knowledge they’ve brought in regarding landscape and farming.”
Madam Meng, after hearing her daughter’s words, felt that there was some reasoning to it, yet also that her daughter was trying to imitate others, which she felt was not a sound approach.
Therefore, she gestured decisively, deciding that they should plant rice first in the newly acquired lands, and to ponder over planting fruit trees or larger trees later, and to wait until they had experienced personnel to manage the estate.
Meng Zhaojun, after listening to her mother, also saw the sense in it. After all, building an estate like the Ye Manor, including houses and other constructions, was not something that could be accomplished in a short span of time.
Thus, she gestured casually, deciding to let her mother proceed with her arrangements and managing the tasks.
When Meng Zhaojun chose to step back from the matter, Madam Meng breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want her daughter to pursue a course of action out of spite, for there was no need to waste money out of stubbornness.
Madam Meng always harbored the idea of planting trees, but she intended to plant not just ordinary trees like pines or fir, which were the easiest to cultivate. She was thinking of planting more valuable trees like pear blossoms or agarwood.
Though she harbored such ideas, they could not be realized all at once. She felt that whether planting trees or fruit trees, how to plant them would have to wait until her husband returned and assessed the situation.
For instance, even if her husband had completed the assessment, she would not want her daughter to be concerned with an estate in this mountainous region, for their truest expanse of sky lay in the Capital.
Meng Zhaojun later learned from the housekeeper that they had started planting rice on the land bought in July.
As for those mountains they bought, her mother had the housekeeper issue an order: if anyone wanted to mow the grass there, the villagers were free to take away the grass harvested from the mountains.
Meng Zhaojun also had people inquire what crops the Tang Family or the Ye family had planted on the land they bought.
Ever since Lady Meng had bought land in Bushen Village, Housekeeper Meng was rushing to the village daily. Even wearing a straw hat in the heat of summer, he had turned quite tanned but also more robust.
“The mountains that the Tang Family bought are not yet cultivated. Like Madam ordered, villagers who cut grass can take the weeds away for free. As for their land, they have planted rice. Meanwhile, the small mountain that the Ye family bought is still quiet.”
“However, before the Ye family made their purchase, there were crops grown on that small mountain. It’s possible they might reclaim it after the previous owner harvests. It’s rather odd that the Ye family hasn’t started planting anything on their land yet.”
After hearing what Housekeeper Meng said, Meng Zhaojun felt somewhat baffled; she had no clue what the Ye family was up to with their cryptic actions. She could only instruct Housekeeper Meng to stay vigilant and observe what the Ye family was actually doing.
“Yes, Lady, I will pay attention. I pass by every day and always give it a glance.”
“By the way, what about the other people who bought land in Bushen Village? Any news from them?”
Meng Zhaojun then recalled the housekeeper mentioning that some others had bought land on another side of the village.
“No movement from them either. Since it is time to plant rice, the absence of activity might mean they are not planting rice.”
Housekeeper Meng speculated that the person establishing the estate might be planting fruit trees or vegetables, waiting until after the rice was planted and the farmers were free to hire labor for planting vegetables.
After all, planting cereals is about timing, just like those wealthy magnates who first plant cereal crops and then proceed with planting other agricultural products.
Meng Zhaojun, too, had initially been acting impulsively. She did not wish to visit Bushen Village again, as both of her visits were made for Tang Shunyan.
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At this time, Tang Shunyan was on leave, spending each day at Tang Mansion. She came up with an idea to use her brother’s name, and the siblings would visit Tang Mansion together.
Every time her sister asked him to accompany her to Tang Mansion, County Magistrate Meng knew he had little in common with Tang Shunyan, who was much younger than him.
Yet as an accommodating brother, he followed his sister’s wish. When they met Tang Shunyan, the siblings would compare their talents with him. As a man, he also competed in martial arts with Tang Shunyan.
What he had not expected was that despite Tang Shunyan’s young age, he was better at martial arts by a notch. However, when it came to calligraphy or understanding literature, Tang Shunyan was bested by him, which boosted his confidence a little.
After all, he was two years older. If he were to lose to this youngster in all aspects, he would lose face.
