Chapter 598 Sons Are Still Better

Chapter 598: A Son Is Still Better

Jiang Yu shot him a sidelong glance. "You give me too much credit. This isn't my area of expertise—I’m just offering a suggestion."

He Youfu chuckled heartily. "You’re the one underestimating yourself."

Among all the young people who had left Nanhe Village, none could compare to Jiang Yu.

With her status, just standing there was convincing enough.

Jiang Yu nodded. "If this works out, I’ll donate a thousand yuan as startup funds for this *collective sideline*."

He Youfu’s spirits lifted. "Good! If this sideline takes off and generates income for the collective, you’ll definitely get your share!"

By all rights, Jiang Yu’s household registration had already been transferred out—Nanhe Village wasn’t her responsibility anymore.

The fact that He Youfu even considered giving her a share meant he saw her as one of their own.

"I’ll go call everyone now."

With that, he picked up a megaphone and went door to door to round up the villagers.

Only after he left did Liu Junmei give Jiang Yu a disapproving look.

"Why are you getting involved in this? Don’t think I’m being cynical, but even if this collective sideline does make money, they might not genuinely thank you."

The people of Nanhe Village all had their own hidden agendas.

Every family was like that, only caring about their own backyard.

Jiang Yu smiled. "I’m not looking for their gratitude. Never mind long-term benefits—just think of my brother. Isn’t he still a Nanhe villager?"

She might not benefit, but Jiang Ye could at least get a share.

Upon hearing the news, the villagers flooded into the threshing yard to wait.

Fortunately, the weather was still cool, so no one minded the wait.

When they saw Jiang Yu arrive, many came up to chat with her.

"The captain even called you back? Must be important news he’s announcing."

Jiang Yu smiled. "Wait till Uncle He gets here, then you’ll find out."

Once most people had gathered, He Youfu finally stepped onto the platform.

He was a smooth talker. First, he updated everyone on the village’s recent situation, sympathizing with the villagers’ hardships and hitting home with them.

"Yeah, after handing over the state grain quotas every year, there’s barely any left for ourselves."

"Life really is tough, but whose family isn’t struggling? It’s hard for everyone."

"Every year we hope for a decent year-end share, but lately, there’s been next to nothing."

"..."

As the crowd murmured, He Youfu continued, "It’s precisely because I’ve considered Nanhe Village’s difficulties that I’ve decided to start a collective sideline to pad our coffers."

"Captain, what kind of collective sideline?"

He Youfu said, "There's a large stretch of riverbank below our village—perfect for raising ducks! And we can fence off an area on the mountain behind us to raise chickens and rabbits!"

This idea didn’t spark much enthusiasm.

"Can this really make money?"

"Remember how that big village to the west tried some sideline business and ended up losing a lot of money?"

"Raising a few chickens and ducks at home is easy, but raising too many can lead to diseases."

"Yeah, what if they get sick? Then all our effort would be wasted."

He Youfu responded, "How do we know we can't do it if we don’t even try? Experience comes step by step—practice makes perfect! Our country has only been around for so many years, and we’ve gotten this far by trial and error. Haven’t we managed just fine?"

"Folks, if we want a better life, we can’t be afraid or back down! If we haven’t even tried yet and are already thinking about failure, is that the spirit of hardworking, capable, brave, and wise workers and peasants like us?"

"Come on, this attitude won’t get us anywhere! Jiang Yu has said that if the village really starts this collective sideline business, she’ll lead by example and donate a thousand yuan as startup funds to encourage our village’s project! With such support from our youth, we can’t let her down!"

At this, the crowd buzzed with surprise.

A thousand yuan!

How many years would it take to save up a thousand yuan?!

"If we lose the money, will the village have to pay her back?" Auntie Du glanced at Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu gave a faint smile. "This thousand yuan is my personal donation to Nanhe Village. If the money is lost, I will never ask for it back under any pretext. If you don’t believe me, I can sign an agreement with the village."

The opportunity was right in front of them. She wanted to see how far Nanhe Village could go.

She had made her stance clear—the choice was now up to the villagers.

He Youfu then called for a vote.

1 for yes, 2 for no.

Jiang Yu didn’t participate, watching as everyone discussed.

In the end, over two-thirds voted in favor.

A good start was half the battle, and He Youfu felt encouraged.

"Good! Then I’ll write up the request right away. Let’s roll up our sleeves and dig in—no slacking off! Once the profits roll in, we’ll build new houses, find wives for our sons, and every family’s pot will be full!"

Wang Meili, standing in the crowd, scowled and muttered, "Has Jiang Yu lost her senses? Instead of giving that money to her parents, she’s donating it to the village for some business."

Jiang Yonghua glared at her. "Save it for home. Keep quiet."

Wang Meili squeezed through the crowd, spotted Jiang Yu, and immediately called out, "Jiang Yu!"

Jiang Yu turned to look at her, then ignored her and kept walking.

Wang Meili ran up and cut her off.

"What’s with the attitude? I called you—didn’t you hear me?"

Jiang Yu replied coldly, "I heard you. I’ve got nothing to say to you. Do I need to spell it out?"

Wang Meili retorted, "...If you can donate a thousand yuan to the village, surely you can fork over a thousand for your brother’s wedding."

Jiang Yu raised her eyebrows, "Get out of my way."

Wang Meili shouted angrily, "I told you to give me the money! Are you deaf?"

Jiang Yu chuckled, "You're just figuring this out now? When have I ever obeyed you?"

Wang Meili was furious and stomped her feet.

"We're broke. If you don’t give any, how will your brother get married? I know he did wrong before, but it’s been so long. Haven't you gotten over it by now?"

Jiang Yu glared coldly, "Whether he marries or not is none of my damn business. Now move!"

Auntie Du pulled Wang Meili aside and shot Jiang Yu a reproachful look.

"What a waste it was to raise a daughter like you! No wonder people say daughters are a financial burden. Look at mine—don't even get me started about them."

Even her favorite, Wang Pandi, was just as ungrateful.

If only she'd had a son to back her up, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.

"Instead of begging her, you’d better focus on planning for Jiang Hao. At least he’s a son—he’ll stay by your side and support you in your old age."

Wang Meili thought it made sense and exclaimed, "Boys are definitely better. The ones I gave birth to are no different. The eldest and second daughters got married and act like they have no family left. The youngest lives in the city and doesn't even acknowledge her parents. Only Hao is thoughtful and knows how to be filial."

Jiang Yu sneered, "You dote on him the most, so of course he’s filial to you. You never cared for me—you're lucky I'm even willing to consider supporting you in old age. Just cling to your precious son for the rest of your life and never let go, so you won’t wreck some other girl's life."