After waiting a few days, when Luo Song brought people to collect the vegetables, the people of Hua Village held their Silver, each with a cheerful smile, feeling even more grateful to the village chief in their hearts.
With everyone’s spirits high, they continued to plant and sell vegetables simultaneously, and ti moved on to the eve of the New Year.
Hua Village had sold countless batches of vegetables by now. Once people learned there was soone who ca specifically to collect vegetables from Hua Village at high prices, many chose to co, even from faraway places, despite the difficult roads.
In short, these days every household in Hua Village was tired but joyful, especially when they saw the Silver increase day by day; the feeling was indescribable.
On the twenty-first of the twelfth lunar month, Luo Song’s convoy ca again, but this was also the last ti for the year.
Everyone was actually quite grateful to this young man, as in just two or three months, they earned a considerable amount of Silver.
So, after selling off the last batch of vegetables at ho, enthusiastic aunts would bring homade food, such as boiled duck eggs, chicken eggs, homade glutinous rice cakes, pastries, and even gifts of chickens and ducks, all to express their gratitude.
Of course, the gratitude towards the village chief’s family went without saying; the village chief was indispensable.
With such overwhelming enthusiasm, even though Luo Song stated that he would not accept gifts, the villagers were too enthusiastic, directly placing the items at the Hua household. Finally, after Uncle Hua and Grandpa Hua’s persuasion, he accepted them, feeling warm inside at that mont.
After having a hot and delicious al at the Hua household, Luo Song prepared to depart with his people without even taking a nap.
"Uncle Hua, Grandpa Hua, you don’t have to see off." Watching as Uncle Hua and Hua Yunao had already escorted them to the road’s entrance, Luo Song quickly spoke, feeling warm inside as he looked at this family.
Each visit made him feel the warmth he longed for, especially since the food greatly suited his taste. If it weren’t for the nurous matters in the county city, he wouldn’t want to leave and wished to stay at his friend’s house for a few days.
What a pity...
"It’s snowing, so be careful on the road, and don’t let the horses run too fast." Old Hua had a fondness for this young man, especially since he helped everyone earn a good amount of Silver. For this alone, Old Hua found it hard not to like him and earnestly gave his advice.
In response, Luo Song smiled with bright eyes, "Thank you, Grandpa Hua, I understand. Grandpa Hua, Grandma Hua, please take care of yourselves too."
"Mm, mm," Old Hua nodded, looking at the snowflakes dancing in the sky, his brows furrowing involuntarily. Pressing his lips together, he finally spoke.
"Luo Song, perhaps Grandpa Hua is being too sensitive, but I still want to remind you. The weather has been sowhat abnormal since the sumr solstice this year, so it would be wise to make so preparations."
These words left Luo Song montarily stunned.
To be honest, he hadn’t noticed the erratic weather this year, as his entire focus was on business, leaving him no energy to worry about other things.
After hearing Grandpa Hua’s words, Luo Song suddenly recalled that his grandfather seed to have said sothing similar during the sumr, but he had been too busy to pay attention to it.
Upon hearing Grandpa Hua’s words, Luo Song inexplicably felt a jolt in his heart. The persistent high temperatures in sumr followed by sudden cold in winter were indeed unusual.
Consistently low temperatures ant a reduction in next year’s grain harvest was inevitable, and with this thought, Luo Song’s eyes darkened slightly.
"Thank you, Grandpa Hua, for the reminder. I know it now," Luo Song said, his smile slightly restrained and his expression serious.
Seeing that Luo Song had taken it to heart, Old Hua nodded and said no more.
The Luo family was well-known for being wealthy in Shanggu Town, and even if a disaster ca, their lives probably wouldn’t be too poor.
"With that, I bid farewell," Luo Song nodded to the Hua family, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone, finally pausing a mont longer on Hua Jin, the little girl who had grown a lot taller over the year, then gave a slight smile and turned to board the wagon.
Waving goodbye to the God of Wealth, everyone then returned to the joy of the approaching New Year, beginning preparations for the upcoming festivities.
It must be said that with all the earned Silver, this year’s New Year was the best Hua Village had ever had.
Every household was willing to buy several pounds of at, so pastries, candy, and even the fine grains from Xiliang they were usually reluctant to eat, all prepared to celebrate the New Year heartily.
Especially on the twenty-sixth of the twelfth month, when they shared the Silver Coin earned from selling charcoal, everyone was so happy they couldn’t keep their mouths closed, so excited that they couldn’t sleep at night.
After months of hard work, besides enough charcoal for each household’s own use, the charcoal sold brought in more than ten taels of Silver Coin for every family.
This was truly an unexpected delight, sothing they never dared to dream of, matching several years of inco, let alone the even greater Silver Coin earned from the vegetables.
Even if a small family harvested only twenty or thirty jin per batch and sold five to six or even seven to eight batches a month, they earned a considerable amount over two months. They not only had money for a dowry and building a house next year but also had so left over.
So, in the days before the New Year, the Hua family was bustling with visitors almost every mont.
All ca to express their gratitude, none coming empty-handed, bringing at, chickens, ducks, fish, eggs, or fine grains.
Seeing the villagers who understood gratitude, Old Hua’s heart truly felt warm.
To be recognized, rembered, and appreciated, how could he not be happy? It made all his efforts for the village worthwhile.
As long as the villagers’ sincerity was there, he was happy, firmly refusing to accept gifts.
According to Old Hua, having just earned so Silver, they shouldn’t spend it recklessly. It should be used wisely, and besides, everyone was tired these days and needed to go ho and rest adequately.
Thus, under the village chief’s authority, the gifts went back the sa way they ca, and Old Hua earned another wave of gratitude and respect from the village.
Watching her grandfather, Hua Jin was also full of admiration. Throughout history, there may be few village chiefs like her grandfather who always considered the villagers’ needs.
Seeing her grandfather and father working so hard these past few days made Hua Jin’s heart ache, but there was little she could do to help. All she could do was make delicious food with her grandma and mother to reward them when they returned ho.
Having made the food, naturally, she made more. Coaxed by her, they stored a lot of tasty dishes and, more importantly, a large number of stead buns and dumplings.
Occasionally offering massages, she quickly revitalized the exhausted pair, while at the sa ti making them lant the family’s sons all the more.
The innocent trio of Hua Yunao brothers had no idea the occasional disapproving glances from their father and grandfather were due to their sister, thinking instead that they had done sothing wrong to make them unhappy.
In this busy atmosphere, the New Year arrived. When the sound of firecrackers rose and fell in Hua Village, the old year was bid farewell and a new year began.
With Hua Jin’s concerns, although the weather didn’t warm as gradually as in previous years, it returned to normal by the ti of the Spring Festival.
So everyone beca busy again, sowing vegetable seeds anew in the ho gardens, and under the village chief’s leadership, they started reclaiming land at the foot of Qinggu Mountain again.
Every family mobilized their idle labor force, with nearly every family reclaiming several acres of land, and everyone kept their mouths tightly sealed.
Even though it was wasteland, reclamation wasn’t permissible without registering with the authorities and paying certain Silver Coin fees.
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