In the night, like nothing had happened, He Teng woke up before dawn as expected, and He Zhilan also got up with him. When He Teng went to wash up, she went into the kitchen to make him breakfast. Since their food supplies were limited, she could only make a bowl of noodles. She thought, she would buy more ingredients during the day. After all, the kitchen was fully equipped. The next time He Teng was home, she could cook and eat with him.
As she watched He Zhilan get up early like a little wife, preparing breakfast for her husband - once he was done washing up, she served him the hot noodles, urging him to eat before heading out. For a moment, He Teng was a bit distracted. Her smiling face as she served the noodles seemed to strike his heart violently. It then imprinted her smiling face deeply into his mind, lingering for quite a while.
He Zhilan only returned to her bedroom to continue sleeping after He Teng left. She got up at around eight to look for Jennifer downstairs.
Jennifer had gotten up earlier than He Zhilan. By this time, she had already been to the research institute and back, holding the soil analysis report in her hands.
"The results show that the soil quality of both places is similar. Taking into account the local climate, I think it’s quite suitable for a plantation. The question now is which location Miss He would prefer." Jennifer handed the report to He Zhilan.
"No need, you can review it. I don’t understand such technical things." He Zhilan didn’t accept it, shaking her head. She trusted Jennifer. She then said, "Please contact Mr. Orz and his wife first to send over appropriate seeds. I will make a decision on the location as soon as possible. You do not have any tasks for the next two days, so you can have some fun and resume work later. I hope you enjoy your time."
Having assigned tasks to Jennifer, He Zhilan took the opportunity to visit a nearby vegetable market to buy some fresh produce. The kitchen at her place had a reasonably sized refrigerator, good enough to store these meat and other ingredients.
After shopping, He Zhilan went directly to the government office building to discuss matters with Xing Ye. Xing Ye had also received the soil report and knew that He Zhilan would be seeking him out, so he didn’t go out that morning.
When he saw He Zhilan, Xing Ye invited her into his office and asked, "Have you made your decision?"
"Yes, I have. I will lease the land and hire local farmers to cultivate it. If the plantation has potential for development in the future, this will help with its management," explained He Zhilan. "I just need to pay rent about 30 percent lower than the local yield per acre. Plus, paying wages to hire them, I believe they will agree. After all, this can be money they didn’t have to do anything for, which can offset their hard work in the year’s harvest. Furthermore, they can use the rest of the year to earn more money. This arrangement is beneficial for them."
"That’s a good idea. It facilitates management as you mentioned, especially if the brand grows in the future. That’s when management becomes crucial. Regarding lease contracts, I’ll arrange a lawyer for you to provide the most advantageous advice and facilitate the agreement with the village chief," Xing Ye responded, nodding his head. He admired the efficiency and determination with which He Zhilan operated. He believed that those who wish to accomplish great things must be willing to take risks, bear pressure, and act decisively.