TFS – Chapter 72 A Proposal

Wang Ying slapped his stepson lightly on the back, speaking begrudgingly, “Passing the exam just means spending more silver. Once you get to the county, everything costs money—food, lodging, and it’s all more expensive than here in town. Look at Zhao Family’s third son; even after passing the scholar exam, what good has it brought him?”

Tang Chunming chuckled silently to himself. He was beginning to understand his stepmother better—his words said one thing, but his heart hoped Ah Rong would excel. Still, he couldn’t resist teasing him: “How can you say it hasn’t brought any benefits? Zhao Laosan may have a few setbacks, but let’s not forget that scholars don’t need to kneel before officials and get fifty mu of tax-exempt fertile land. For ordinary farming families, that’s a privilege they wouldn’t dare to dream of.” In this ancient era, having academic achievements was far more practical and valuable than modern diplomas.

Carrying Ah Sen in his arms, Wang Ying turned and walked away, unwilling to argue further with his stepson. He thought to herself, When Ah Sen grows up, this stepson will finally understand my feelings. It would be great if Ah Rong’s studies paid off. But if he ended up like his father, all the effort and silver spent over the years would be for nothing. Worse, if he became as bookish as his father—always clutching a book and unable to even do farm work—he would truly despair.

No matter how much Wang Ying fretted, by nightfall, Li Feng had returned from the county with Tang Chunrong in tow. From the beaming smile on Tang Chunrong’s face, it was clear he had passed the exam. Now, they just needed to pack his things and send him to the county academy to study.

That night, as the family sat down for dinner, Tang Chunrong picked up his rice bowl and noticed his mother looking worried again. They had discussed this matter before, but no consensus had been reached. He spoke up: “Mother, why don’t we buy a servant for the household? Otherwise, with just you at home, I won’t feel at ease studying in the county.”

“So capable now, huh? Just got into the county and already talking about buying servants!” Wang Ying snapped, his temper flaring. “You brat, didn’t I raise you by myself? Silver doesn’t grow on trees, you know!” In his eyes, his son was just like his father, ignorant of how hard it was to make ends meet and prone to extravagance.

Although Tang Chunming was also uneasy about buying a servant, he had to admit his younger brother had a point. Leaving Wang Ying alone in Zhenshan Village didn’t sit well with him either. Asking him to move in with him was out of the question—Wang Ying would never agree. In this era, only households with no men would consider living with their married sons or ge’ers. Otherwise, it would bring gossip about the men’s filial piety, something Wang Ying was unwilling to risk tarnishing Ah Rong’s reputation over.

“Mother,” Tang Chunming said bluntly, “I think Ah Rong is right. Leaving you alone in Zhenshan Village isn’t just a worry for him—it’s a worry for me too. So, let’s settle this: we either buy a servant, hire help, or you move in with me. Take your pick.” Compared to hiring help, buying a servant felt more reliable. After all, how could you guarantee a hired worker wouldn’t betray you someday for money? Even Teng Yu’s household mostly employed people under selling contracts.

Wang Ying felt so frustrated he wanted to slam the table. Listen to this stepson’s tone!he thought. The people in Zhenshan Village say he’s filial and considerate, but living peacefully with him? Impossible. At the table, Elder He and Li Feng tried to stifle their laughter as mother and stepson exchanged barbs. Tang Chunrong frowned. Couldn’t his brother and mother have a proper conversation for once? Only little Ah Lin was the most well-behaved. Hearing the three choices Wang Ying was given, he looked around, then shouted, “Let Grandma move in! I’ll keep him company.”

See? Little Ah Lin was the most thoughtful and sweet. Wang Ying patted his head, saying, “Good boy,” before resuming his meal. Meanwhile, Tang Chunming laughed inwardly and made another suggestion: “How about this—let Ah Rong handle buying a servant. The silver for the purchase will come from me and Ah Feng, as our gift to Mother.”

“Exactly! Whatever Ming Ge’er says, I agree with,” Li Feng quickly added, firmly backing him up.

“That doesn’t seem right,” Tang Chunrong said, feeling embarrassed. He didn’t want to let his brother and brother-in-law foot the bill—they had already helped him and his mother so much.

“Fine, fine, let’s just buy one. I’ll go pick someone myself and pay for it with my own silver. You all focus on your own work,” Wang Ying finally conceded. He could bet that if he refused again, his stepson would probably bring someone over and drop them off at his house. Rather than letting it come to that, it was better to agree now and pick someone himself—a person he found satisfactory would be much easier to work with in the long run.

Once the decision was made, Li Feng sent Wang Ying and his son back to Zhenshan Village the following day. By the time Li Feng returned two days later to escort Tang Chunrong to the county, the Tang household already had two new members—a middle-aged couple in their forties or fifties. They appeared to be honest and hardworking, busily tending to chores in the courtyard. Li Feng, still cautious, asked them some questions to confirm their reliability. With their indenture contracts in hand, he felt reassured. This arrangement gave both Tang Chunming and Tang Chunrong peace of mind about leaving Wang Ying alone at home.

After returning, Li Feng reported the situation to Tang Chunming and even asked if they needed to buy help for their own household. Without hesitation, Tang Chunming declined. He disliked having outsiders living in his home, and besides, there was no shortage of labor. The workers they hired for the hillside farm had always been sufficient. Even if things got busier in the future, they could simply hire temporary help. His household’s circumstances were different from Wang Ying’s, after all. Elder He shared the same sentiment, having grown used to handling everything himself during their years in the north. They didn’t see the need to hire someone to follow them around.

In the blink of an eye, Tang Chunming realized he had been in this world for a year. The changes he had experienced were far beyond anything he could have imagined when he first arrived. Looking back, he was impressed with himself. Whether it was standing up to the Zhao family to establish his own household or secretly selling vegetables in the county, every step had been risky, yet he had managed to navigate it all. Sometimes, he felt like giving himself a pat on the back.

Spring had returned, bringing warmth and renewal. Overnight, the spring breeze had turned the fields green. The wheat seedlings were thriving, and the villagers spread the word excitedly. Their crops were turning green earlier than those in neighboring villages, prompting everyone to get busy in their fields.

Li Feng had already prepared for the season. He plowed the fields in their courtyard and planted vegetables. Over the winter, both the town and county markets had run out of fresh produce. Teng Yu’s people had sent word urging Tang Chunming to plant vegetables as quickly as possible. During the winter, the restaurants had to rely on other suppliers for greens, which upset many regular customers. They eagerly awaited the return of their usual supply.

Not only had the household’s courtyard been put to use, but more farmland had been reclaimed in the hillside area as well. Li Feng, unwilling to overwork Jingfeng like a draft animal, had purchased an actual ox shortly after the New Year. The ox was kept in the hillside area, where a few families took turns using it.

By now, the villagers were keeping a close eye on the activities of Li Feng’s household. When they noticed the household’s busy preparations, some villagers grew bold enough to inquire. They wanted to know if seedlings would be available for purchase this year, just like last year. They didn’t mind spending money—they just wanted access to the same quality seedlings.

Tang Chunming understood their reasoning. Last year, families like Zhang Xiu’s and Wang Mo’s had joined him in supplying vegetables to the restaurants, and even Sixth Uncle had earned significantly more by selling vegetables in town. Seeing this, it was only natural for the other villagers to want to follow suit this year.

This raised a problem: once every household started growing the same vegetables, they wouldn’t be as valuable as they were the previous year. When supply increases, prices naturally drop. In this era of underdeveloped transportation, the vegetables could only be sold locally—mainly in the nearby town. But how many households were there in the town? Instead of supply not meeting demand, it would become a case of oversupply.

After discussing it with Li Feng, Tang Chunming decided to invite the village head over to discuss how to address the issue of selling the produce after planting.

The village head hadn’t initially considered this problem. In his view, having everyone grow vegetables was a good thing. However, when he heard the concerns raised by Tang Chunming, he was taken aback and quickly asked, “So, does this mean we shouldn’t all rush to grow vegetables?” If everyone planted vegetables and they couldn’t be sold, or if the price didn’t match what Sixth Uncle’s family earned last year, it could turn a good thing into a bad one, with everyone blaming Tang Chunming. The village head was determined to prevent that from happening, as it would discourage Tang Chunming.

“Planting is fine,” Li Feng, now the household head, explained as he discussed the matter with the village head. Of course, these ideas came from Tang Chunming. While Li Feng had some life experience, he couldn’t compare to someone like Chunming, who came from a world with advanced networks and broader knowledge. With a bit of guidance from Chunming, his thoughts became much clearer. “But we need to sort out the sales channels first. If everyone grows vegetables and only sells them in the town, the oversupply will drive prices down. If the vegetables end up selling for less than last year, Chunming might as well not sell seedlings in the first place.

“So, Chunming and I think the village should organize a group to transport the vegetables to the county or neighboring towns for sale. We’ll agree on set prices beforehand—vegetables can only be sold at or above that price, not below. As long as we establish good sales channels, there’s no need to worry about not making money. Of course, if some households don’t want to participate, we’ll provide them with fewer seedlings, just enough for their own consumption. We can’t let those who slack off drag down everyone else.”

The village head puffed on his pipe for a while, mulling over the proposal. He understood that Li Feng’s suggestion was the right approach, but no one had ever done this before. Generations of villagers had earned their livelihoods from farming; asking them to step outside their comfort zone and try something new would undoubtedly feel strange and difficult. Still, after some thought, he resolved to move forward. To make money, people needed to change their way of thinking. Those unwilling to adapt could continue living in poverty. He couldn’t let Li Feng and Tang Chunming do all the work while others sat back and reaped the rewards—it would only foster dependency and laziness in the village.

“Li Feng, what you’re saying makes sense. I’ll gather everyone to discuss this and see who’s willing to take on this responsibility. Naturally, those who step up will be paid extra for their work,” the village head said. With that, he prepared to leave. Seeing that the vegetables in Li Feng’s fields were already planted, he guessed that other villagers, upon noticing, would soon become anxious to start planting themselves. It was important to act quickly.

“Uncle, wait, there’s one more thing I need to discuss,” Li Feng called out to the village head.

“What is it?” The village head turned back, eager to wrap things up quickly. When it came to important matters, he was impatient to get things done without delay.

“Uncle, please sit. This isn’t something that can be explained in just a few words, and it’s another good opportunity for Ping Shan Village.”

Another good opportunity? The village head immediately returned and sat down, his curiosity piqued. He listened intently, feeling reassured that helping Li Feng and Tang Chunming had been the right choice. These two were genuinely kind-hearted, thinking not just of their own gains but also about benefiting the entire village.

“Uncle, what do you think of the wine we make at home? Do you think it could sell well?” Tang Chunming asked, sitting beside Li Feng with a smile.

The village head’s eyes widened in surprise, as if insulted by the mere question. “Uncle has drunk plenty of wine in his life. Although I’m just a small village head and can’t afford much, I’ve hosted officials and shared drinks with them. Let me tell you, even those expensive wines costing one or two silver taels can’t compare to what you brew at home. Why? Are you planning to sell it? What does this have to do with Ping Shan Village?”

Li Feng glanced at Chunming with a smile before responding, “The wine is made from sorghum, and between us, we only have a few acres of land. Even that can’t all be used for growing sorghum. So, we were thinking, could you ask around to see if other villagers are willing to grow it? Also, making wine is hard work. When you gather everyone to discuss the vegetables, could you also ask if anyone is interested in working together to set up a winery? If they are, we can discuss how to proceed.”

“Really?!” The village head’s voice trembled with excitement. Then, he hesitated, his tone becoming more cautious. “But this is your family’s recipe. How can you just share it like that?” He quickly composed himself, waving his hands in refusal. “No, this won’t do. That recipe is your family’s treasure, something to pass down to your children. The villagers can’t take advantage of that. If we’re going to make wine, let’s do it this way: after everyone grows the sorghum, they can bring it to your house. You can shut the door and brew the wine yourselves.”