diskusbooks Chapter 120
Chapter 120
Wasn't there chili pepper seeds in that packet? If Li Xiaonuan remembered correctly, Wei Yu had two large bags of chili pepper seeds, enough for the whole village to plant.
Thinking this way, Li Xiaonuan realized she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She would lead the entire village to prosperity, thus reducing the level of hatred towards them. Then, she would give special treatment to those who had been kind to her family.
Just thinking about it made Li Xiaonuan incredibly happy. Once she established good relationships with the villagers, all those messy things wouldn't happen anymore. It was so annoying to always be bothered by people over trivial matters.
The thought of chili seeds reminded Li Xiaonuan that it was still chili planting season, and it was feasible to plant a crop of chilies before the season was over. Otherwise, if everything had to wait until next year, it would be too late.
To sow seeds, you need land and seeds. The packet of seeds at home is only enough for our own planting. So, she still needs to find a way to get more seeds from Wei Yu. Also, she needs to discuss this matter with the villagers; otherwise, what results can be achieved if she's just enthusiastic about it all on her own?
To prevent the villagers from causing trouble when she builds her grand estate in the future, Li Xiaonuan truly has no choice but to lead everyone onto the road to wealth. Otherwise, if those awful people team up to disrupt things, it will be quite a headache.
Thinking this, Li Xiaonuan went back to her room and wrote down several proposals. That evening, she told her whole family about it. The Su family generally didn't have any objections to Li Xiaonuan's decisions. Li's father would also patiently listen to her explanations.
The Xiao Yang brothers had even less to say. After all, they had their own paths to follow. Xiao Yang, having stopped studying for several years, still yearned for the imperial examinations deep down. As for Xiao Gang, he had already joined a family of imperial physicians, so his options were much wider.
The old lady was the one who objected.
“I disagree. Why should we share such a good opportunity to make money with those heartless people? Xiaonuan, if you have this idea, why don’t you help your uncles? If you ask me, you should just help those families who have helped us before.”
Li Xiaonuan helplessly advised, "Grandma, actually, chili peppers are only useful in the last few years. Once they're widely planted, they won't be worth much anymore. Wouldn't it be better if we used these two years to win over the whole village and build good relationships? Then, they wouldn't have the nerve to cause trouble for our family or speak ill of us. Envy is contagious, so we need to cure it first, so that everyone doesn't get sick and we don't end up in an even worse situation."
The old lady remained stern, reluctantly saying, "I don't care. Those heartless people, no matter how well you feed them, it won't matter. As long as our family continues to live better than them, they'll turn around and bite you. These days, everyone's sense of shame has been wasted. Who would appreciate your little favors?"
It has to be said that the old lady was right. Li Xiaonuan was speechless for a moment. Xiao Yang listened quietly for a long time, and seeing that Li Xiaonuan had nothing to say, he interjected: "Nanny, those people who have no conscience are a minority. If our family can really lead the whole village to prosperity, in the end, the majority of people will speak up for us. So, it's not a loss for us to do this."
Father Li also advised, "Mother, let's just do it this way for now. If those people really don't appreciate it, we can just not take them next time we have the chance. Besides, most of the families in the village are still very reliable."
Because everyone was trying to persuade the old lady, she couldn't firmly object: "I'm not going to get involved in this matter anymore. I hope you won't regret it in the future. I have one request, and that is that you must not forget Xiaonuan's uncles and her aunt's family."
Li Xiaonuan chuckled and said, "Grandma, they are all my closest relatives. If there are any benefits, I will definitely take them first."
Xiao Yang added, "Yes, Grandma, if we don't help our own family, won't people laugh at us? Then who will believe us? Nobody will want to work with us."
Father Li nodded and said, "Mother, let's decide on this matter. Tomorrow, Xiaogang and I will go to the village head to get some ideas. After all, the planting season is almost over, so we need to hurry. Mother, you should talk to the families you're interested in first, so they can have a better understanding. Mother, I'd also appreciate it if you could also go and let the clan chief and the others know about it."
The old lady turned her head awkwardly, snorted coldly, and muttered, "So it turns out I'm involved too. I thought you didn't need me to get involved."
Li Xiaonuan and the others looked at each other and smiled, finding the old lady's awkwardness surprisingly adorable.
After agreeing on leading the entire village to grow chili peppers, Li Xiaonuan pointed out a few drawbacks: "Chili peppers are a foreign crop, and many people may not be willing to accept them. So, this year we'll only let those who are willing to follow suit plant them first. Once they bear fruit and are promoted and applied, and there's a market for them, those people will see the results and naturally be willing to plant them."
At this point, Father Li asked curiously, "Xiao Nuan, what are those chili peppers? You said they're a kind of seasoning, so not many people use them. Who are we going to sell all these to?"
Li Xiaonuan wasn't worried at all. New things always require an acceptance period. Recalling her past life, she knew chili peppers had a wide range of uses, so she wasn't in a hurry. If chili peppers didn't sell, she could just store them. She could open a Sichuan restaurant or hot pot restaurant, and she was sure they would become widespread quickly.
"Dad, trust me, it'll be alright. If those chilies don't sell, just dry them and keep them. We'll open a restaurant, and we'll have a market soon."
The old lady complained again: "Why open a restaurant? Who in our family can cook? Didn't you say you wanted Xiaoyang to study? Then don't let him become a businesswoman. Otherwise, he might cause trouble someday."
Xiao Yang disagreed: "Grandma, nobody looks down on businessmen these days. Besides, quite a few family members of government officials are in business. So Grandma, why don't you let my sister open a restaurant? I always feel she can make it big."
The old lady looked displeased: "I don't care anymore. Whatever you say is right, and whatever I say is wrong."
Father Li quickly comforted her, "Mom, look at what you're saying. We all know you said that because you want what's best for us. But, the world is different now than before. We have to try it first to see if it works."
As he left school, he said, "Grandma, your reminder is right. So, I'm thinking, could we turn our village into a paradise? When that happens, every household in our village will be a restaurant, and let's see how those old scholars will find fault with us."
The old lady suddenly became interested and asked, "Oh~ tell me, how would you build that Shangri-La?"
Li Xiaonuan thought for a moment and said, "This is just a rough idea, I don't know if it will work. I need to sort things out and come up with a complete plan. I'll tell you about it then."