Chapter 124 First Step in Hometown Renovation

Chapter 124: The First Step in Hometown Transformation

After helping the school staff move and inventory the order, Jiang Yingxue arrived in front of the Stone Rabbit.

Construction had already started on the land in front of the Stone Rabbit. This plot covered an area of over 10,000 square meters, about the size of an elementary school playground.

Apart from the Jiang family's original land, the rest was bought by Jiang Yingxue.

After settling on the design in her head, she felt that buying land from just three households wasn't enough.

The surrounding houses were old and dilapidated. Coupled with the high price she was paying, before she even mentioned wanting to buy more properties, several villagers from nearby approached her. She treated them equally, purchasing their land for 500,000 yuan per plot.

This way, the area of the land in front of the Stone Rabbit was now big enough for her plan to build a small commercial center in the village.

Xiao Yang and Xiao Feng were also supervising the construction, in addition to cooking.

Hu Yuchun's Nanhe Village road repair project had also gotten underway. Everything was moving in a good direction.

Jiang Yingxue wandered aimlessly along the rural paths, occasionally kicking roadside litter into trash cans. As she walked, she reached the village committee building.

After a moment's thought, she knocked on the door of the village committee office, carrying a bamboo basket.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

"Come in," a calm and steady middle-aged male voice came from inside.

Jiang Yingxue pushed the door open and entered, greeting, "Secretary Zhiqiang."

Village Party Secretary Jiang Zhiqiang's face lit up with a bright smile. "Ah, it's Ying Xue. Please, have a seat. What brings you to see me?"

Jiang Yingxue sat down and directly placed the bamboo basket on the table. "Secretary Zhiqiang, what do you think about the development of agriculture in our village?"

Farming is at the mercy of the weather. There hasn't been much progress in recent years, and compared to other villages, we don't have an edge. What you grow, everyone else grows too. The soil is the same, so the yield and taste are similar—nothing distinctive.

Jiang Zhiqiang said, "Ying Xue, feel free to speak your mind."

Jiang Yingxue got straight to the point. "I want all the farmers in the village to grow nutritious crops, like grains and vegetables, and turn our village into the 'Hometown of Nutritious Crops.'"

Jiang Zhiqiang knew Jiang Yingxue's capabilities. The vegetables at his home now were all bought directly from Lu Caiyun's family. He had also tasted the nutritious food from her Xuehe stall, and it lived up to its reputation.

Moreover, he knew Jiang Yingxue planned to build a small commercial center in Nanhe Village, and even Boss Hu, who was repairing the village roads for free, was because of her.

He had no doubts about the nutritious crops Jiang Yingxue mentioned and was tremendously excited. "Ying Xue, are you saying..."

Jiang Yingxue gestured for Jiang Zhiqiang to look at the items in the basket. "Secretary Zhiqiang, these are seeds for nutritious crops. Nanhe Village is where I was born and raised, and I also hope the people here can live and work in peace, leading happy lives."

"If all the farmers in the village plant these nutritious crops, it can not only improve their daily diet but also their livelihoods."

"Mature, high-quality crops can be sold at town or city markets, hotels, etc., or buyers can come to collect them..." Jiang Yingxue painted a bright picture for Jiang Zhiqiang of the village's future after planting nutritious crops.

Most villagers are farmers, skilled in agriculture. Planting these crops would be a natural fit for them.

Jiang Zhiqiang approved of this promising blueprint. "Ying Xue, how do you plan to sell these seeds?"

Jiang Yingxue said, "I'm not selling them. The first batch of crop seeds will be given to the villagers for free."

"But Secretary Zhiqiang, you also know that free things risk being taken for granted. So, I'm only giving away the first batch. If villagers sell or discard these seeds, they'll have to pay to buy more later. You know my family's seeds aren't cheap."

Jiang Zhiqiang pondered for a moment. "People not valuing them is a real problem. But don't worry, I will work with the village chief to manage this major project concerning nutritious crops. Ying Xue, you are the pride of Nanhe Village!"

He planned to first arrange for a group of villagers to plant the nutritious crops. After they saw the harvest and reaped the benefits, it would be promoted to the entire village. Then, they wouldn't have to worry about other villagers lacking enthusiasm.

"Do you have any other requests for our village?"

Thinking of the ever-present litter on the roads, Jiang Yingxue said, "I hope the village can have more trash cans, and also raise the general standards of the villagers."

Jiang Zhiqiang smiled. "More trash cans are no problem. Raising general standards can be addressed through more publicity and setting up classes."

"Well, ever since we learned you were building a commercial center in the village, the village chief and I have discussed this. We people of Nanhe Village can't let outsiders look down on us in the future. We especially can't let a few bad apples embarrass the entire village, leading people to criticize the villagers' behavior around the center."

Jiang Yingxue said, "Good, then I'll leave it in your hands, Secretary." Before leaving, she handed Secretary Jiang a bank card containing 1 million yuan, explaining that 20% was compensation for him, the village chief, and other village officials, while the remaining money was for village construction.

She planned to live and open a shop in Nanhe Village. The villagers were simple, kind-hearted folks, and she didn't mind giving them a hand to improve their lives.

After Jiang Yingxue left, Jiang Zhiqiang immediately headed to the village chief's house. He and the village chief convened an emergency meeting with other village cadres.

*

Time flew by, and over half a month passed.

The workers at the construction site had visibly filled out, thanks to Xiao Yang and Xiao Feng's increasingly skilled cooking and the delicious, nutritious ingredients from the Jiang family meals.

Xiao Yang and Xiao Feng not only cooked for the construction workers at their own site but also for the road repair crew. The two monster cultivators, who were passionate about cooking, would every so often catch low-level monsters from the Monster Beast Forest to supplement the workers' diets.

The difference was that the road repair workers' meals required payment, but this money was covered by Hu Yuchun.

Hu Yuchun often came to Nanhe Village for dinner in the evenings, frequently praising Xiao Yang and Xiao Feng, the two thin-skinned youngsters, until their tails practically wagged.

Because the food was good, the workers became more diligent and energetic in their work. Cutting corners was out of the question.

*

After completing his handover, Lu Taifeng officially left his job.

Without notifying the Jiang family, he planned to start working at the Xuehe stall tomorrow.

Dong Laiyin said to Lu Taifeng, "Taifeng, remember, when you ask them about the brewing method for Jiao Horn Wine, don't be too direct. Be a bit roundabout, you know?"

Lu Taifeng said, "What if Aunt and Cousin don't tell me?"