Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 87 Kneeling Down to Beg for the First Slot (15)
"Uncle Luo, tomorrow morning, I will have the butler go to the village to buy the land. We’re offering ten silver pieces per acre. As for the crops that are already in the fields, they will still belong to the individuals, and only after the harvest will we take back the land. Then we’ll measure any remaining wasteland, and I’ll buy it all, including the mountains and ponds," Feng Xuxu said, pausing to sip her tea and moisten her throat before continuing, "Uncle Luo, after you get back, categorize the women and girls in the village into four age groups: zero to twenty, twenty to forty, forty to sixty, sixty to the oldest age. I want to make a similar count of the men on my side."
"Ah, alright, I’ll get right on it," Clan Leader Luo said excitedly, ready to rush back and conduct the census.
"Uncle Luo, wait a moment, I haven’t finished speaking yet!" Feng Xuxu called out, stopping Luo Jiabao as he was leaving.
"Uncle Luo, once the count is complete, we will formally sign the contracts. After that, I’ll arrange for the villagers to start working in the morning. As for the women, they will temporarily learn some skills. Once they become proficient, I’ll have other plans for them. Regarding your houses, I won’t demolish them for now. I’ll make plans after I’ve developed a unified plan," she added.
"Yes, yes, we will follow Miss’s instructions. If there’s nothing else, I will go back now. I need to share this good news with everyone," Luo Jiabao said cheerfully as he walked away with the Clan Leader.
As soon as Luo Jiabao stepped out of the hall, Feng Tiemu, the Clan Leader of the Feng Family, stood up and eagerly communicated what he had been holding back, "Feng Xuxu, is what you just said true? Buying the land, employing the villagers, teaching the women skills, and building new houses?" His eyes wide with disbelief, even though he had heard it before, he needed to confirm it once more. He moved forward, urgently trying to grab Feng Xuxu’s arm but was blocked by Yingsu guarding her side.
"How dare you! This is our Miss, you should not presume to approach so brusquely," Yingsu declared sternly, drawing her sword and sweeping an intense gaze towards the Clan Leader. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Feng Xuxu took hold of Yingsu’s hand, "Yingsu, put away your sword. We’re all villagers here, what are you doing?"
Yingsu, heeding her words and noticing the Clan Leader trembling, sheathed her sword, stepped back, and bowed her head.
The Clan Leader then realized that the young girl from the great Dahong family was no longer to be taken lightly. Standing off to the side, he wiped the sweat from his brow with a lingering sense of trepidation.
"Clan Leader, everything you heard just now is true. I’ve already cooperated with Luo Family Village. As for the purpose of your visit today, I’m aware of it as well. I will repeat what I have said before, please return to your village for now. I will seek out Uncle Tiemu once I have made my decisions," she reassured.
Feng Tiemu stepped forward to support the Clan Leader, his heart heavy with emotion as he braved putting his dignity aside to say, "Xuxu, this time it was the villagers themselves who came to me, asking me to lead them here to apologize to you. After the last incident, they’ve all realized their mistake. Please give them another chance." After conveying his heartfelt words, he too stood aside, his head bowed low.
Seeing Feng Tiemu speak so earnestly, Feng Xuxu decided to make her position clear to avoid any future issues.
"Uncle Tiemu, Clan Leader, please take a seat," Feng Xuxu instructed as she settled back into her own chair. She then proceeded, "Uncle Tiemu, let me be clear about something today. Given our past experiences, I’m afraid to rely on the people of Feng Village. They’re too easily swayed by a few provocative words. If one day they’re tempted by silver and betray my estate, where would that leave me? How can I dare employ the people of Feng Village?"
Feng Tiemu sat listening quietly, acknowledging that Feng Xuxu’s concerns were valid; no one could guarantee the future. He then rose dejectedly to take his leave.
"Wait a moment, Uncle Tiemu, I haven’t finished. If you can prove that you will remain loyal to the estate and not harm its interests in the future, then I will treat the people of Feng Village the same as I do those from Luo Family Village. After all, I too am from Feng Village."
