Chapter 170: Chapter 169 Another Plan Chapter 170: Chapter 169 Another Plan At the family dinner table, Hongji ate in silence. The excitement of the morning had finally come to an end amidst various states of tension.
He felt that as a farmer, he had never known such honor, and all the burgeoning renown of their family was the result of their collective effort.
Mrs. Li, as a farmwife, was quite nervous. Hosting so many noblewomen, she, who had once served in another’s household, was a farmwife of lower status before these wealthy ladies.
Today, to host the guests as the mistress of the house was an experience in social graces she had never imagined. She was elated to be so highly regarded by the guests from wealthy families.
“Ah… Hongji, the next time we have so many guests, we should charge them for the things they take home,”
Mrs. Lai always remembered how they had hosted so many guests today without making a penny, not even receiving any gifts in return.
“Mother… today was a bit special. In the future, if they aren’t our own relatives, there shouldn’t be as many guests, right?”
Hongji spoke with some uncertainty, the adage that fame brings visitors to your door ringing especially true for those drawn by renowned delicacies.
“But our family relations aren’t few, and we’ve spent quite a sum buying land and hiring people to cultivate it. We can’t afford to make a losing deal,” Hongji’s father joined in.
“Father, our vegetables are grown so well, and the fruits are both tasty and plentiful. We shouldn’t be at a loss…”
Hongji actually hadn’t come up with a better plan yet. Visitors from neighboring communities, particularly those from wealthy families, didn’t take away anything worth much money.
“Dad, if we have groups like today’s in the future, we could charge a little entrance fee. It’s up to them how much they take home, but if they come with carts like today, we could weigh their haul and sell it to them at a wholesale price,”
Ye Shiqi, listening to her family’s conversation, came up with this idea.
“Right, that’s a good idea.” Hongji was the first to agree, followed by nods from the whole family.
“Dad, we could buy more land around our estate to dig fish ponds and then entertain those who come to visit. They could fish and take the fish with them, but they would have to pay an entrance fee,”
Ye Shiqi thought of today’s visitors; their village had become famous. If their family did not buy the land themselves, others might purchase land near their estate.
“More land…” Mrs. Lai was the first to consider objecting. Why buy more land when one can just save the money?
“Don’t interject, they say ‘long hair but short on sense’, and it’s true. We are farmers; what else should we do with money if not buy land?” Hongji’s father glared at his wife.
“Father is right. Let’s try planting rice and vegetables. It’s already been successful, so we should buy more land around our estate. It would make management easier,”
Hongji thought of how they had acquired many new things over the past one or two years, like building a large house and buying land and hills for the estate, but they had made their investment back in just over a year and even had some savings.
He felt that keeping money idle was less appealing than following landlords’ examples by purchasing more land. If their family could produce high yields of crops, buying more land was inevitable.
Mrs. Li quietly supported from the sidelines.
The other girls in the family had no particular thoughts on the matter; after all, the family now hired workers, and they no longer had to toil as hard as before.
“Big brother, don’t just focus on buying land. I’m about to get married, and you can’t forget to provide me with a generous dowry,”
Ye Shuzhen didn’t care how her family became wealthy; what mattered most to her was her dowry, which she now knew was very important.
“Hongji, have you prepared your sister’s dowry?” Mrs. Lai was too shrewd. They had saved a fair amount of money these past two years but still expected her son to provide for her daughter’s dowry.
“Mother, the dowry for my third sister has already been commissioned.”
Hongji didn’t have much aversion to his youngest sister; with her marriage approaching, it wouldn’t be long before his own daughter’s turn would come.
Times have changed, and now that he had the ability, of course he wanted to provide his sister with a respectable dowry.
“Big brother, I want custom gold and silver jewelry for my dowry. I want to marry in style,”
Ye Shuzhen made another request.
“That depends on how much gift money the groom’s family gives. If they give too little, even if we make up the difference, it’s only going to be for your possessions. Don’t be so foolish to give it to the groom’s family,”
Hongji added, knowing his wife wouldn’t want to offend the family. The unpleasant truths could only be spoken by him.
“Understood, big brother,” Ye Shuzhen replied. In the past year or so, she had grown older and seemed to have become a bit more sensible, learning to heed the advice of her family.
In the past, Ye Shuzhen had looked down on her elder brother, but in the course of that year, she didn’t dare maintain such thoughts. Her big brother had become the main provider for their family.
Mrs. Li always played the role of the gentle and kind daughter-in-law. During conversations, she didn’t offer suggestions but always kindly fed her youngest son, ensuring he and she herself were well-fed.
After having his fill, Hongji drank a cup of tea and came up with an idea. He entered his room to unlock and take out the silver and silver notes, intending to find the village chief.
Just then, someone who led a horse into their home arrived.
Hongji realized that this man was his future brother-in-law.
As a sudden visitor entered the house and the family members, who had just finished lunch and retreated to their rooms to cool off, their attention was drawn by this visitor.
The maid who had gone into the room came out to pour tea for the visitor.
Ye Shuzhen, who saw the people in the courtyard from her bedroom window, also followed and came out.
The Ye family’s house was built in a quadrangle style with a large courtyard in the middle, containing a well and fruited trees.
When someone entered the courtyard, those living inside could all see the visitor from the doorways or windows.
Hongji led the visitor into the living room. With this house, unlike the old small room before, there was now a proper place to entertain guests.
Ye Shuzhen also entered the living room and sat down next to her fiancé.
After the maid served tea and left, the man took a sip from his teacup and, under Hongji’s expectant gaze and with Ye Shuzhen sitting by waiting, revealed the purpose of his visit.
“Big brother, I’m here on orders. This is the silver that two visiting groups today d to you, big brother. It can be said to be the silver for the fruit they bought,”
The man placed a bag of silver on the table.
“Oh, so they didn’t just eat for free,” Mrs. Lai and Hongji’s father also followed into the living room and sat down.
“Big brother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, this time’s tour groups gained a lot from their visit here. Congratulations! The reputation of big brother’s estate has spread far and wide,”
The man’s congratulations were sincere. As a relative from outside and future family by marriage, their prosperity could bring many benefits to his own family.
It would also mean greater trust from the head of the family for him and his father, making it easier for them to work and earn money.
“Hehe, I never really expected that they would give money, but since they have, I might as well accept it, right?” Upon seeing his mother, Hongji, quick to claim the silver, swiftly scooped up the money.