Exiled to Lingnan, the Crown Prince's wife raises children, cultivates the land, and leads the

"The sugar mill has been vandalized. Now is our chance to strike. You can think carefully about how you plan to negotiate profit sharing with the people at the sugar mill."

Marquis Zhongyong spoke up, looking at Cheng Qiqi, and said, "We've reached an agreement, so let's talk to them."

"Father, you said before that the Kong family, who were the sugar mill's backers, have fallen. What happened? Are you sure it won't implicate us?"

Cheng Qiqi didn't answer but asked a question instead.

"Won't."

Marquis Zhongyong said with certainty, "The Kong family are wealthy landowners, local gentry who made their fortune by reselling grain at high prices. In their early years, they owned thousands of acres of fertile land. From Linzhuang in the east of the city to Fengli in the west, all the fields you see belong to the Kong family."

"It's said that even stray dogs could eat the scraps of meat thrown out of his kitchen with grease and grime."

"Over the years, their appetites have grown bigger and bigger. Last year, during the flood, he colluded with the government to sell moldy rice, which killed people. However, the matter was covered up."

"During the drought this summer, when the people had no rice to eat, the Kong family maliciously raised the price of grain, and many people died in Lingnan that summer."

Marquis Zhongyong remained silent for a moment before saying, "The previous magistrate was sentenced to beheading, and this Kong family..."

"They're going to be purged!"

Cheng Qiqi understood immediately. Remembering that the current magistrate had been saved by the young master, she said, "Father, since the magistrate was able to protect the sugar mill, then cooperating with it is essential. However, why is the village head here?"

The Marquis of Zhongyong looked at Cheng Qiqi with admiration in his eyes and said, "Naturally, she wants a share of the pie. Over the years, the villagers have been growing and selling sugarcane, but the sugar mills have been controlled by the Kong family and the Leng family."

Cheng Qiqi's eyes flashed, and she said, "Father, I have an idea."

yard.

"Girl, don't worry. They're more worried about the sugar factory than you are about the accident."

Zhao Hei sat on the stone bench with a cold face. The Jin family hadn't been in the village for long, whether it was selling pickled cabbage porridge or running a sugar shop...

Jin Jiajun, the heir of the King of Hell, it seems that even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

"Sister-in-law Leng, since the Jin family has agreed, they will definitely agree as well."

Zhuang Lizheng's eyes were dark. Ever since he sent them to stay at the foot of the mountain, he had been waiting for this opportunity, and now it had finally come.

"I apologize for neglecting you three. Please come in and have some tea."

The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery stood at the door to greet them. His tall stature and the imposing presence he exuded, even in coarse linen clothes, made him stand out from the crowd.

Cheng Qiqi and Liu Suyi poured tea.

The old woman said impatiently, "As long as you can save the sugar mill, I'm willing to give up 30% of the profits."

Once the sugar mill is completely destroyed by the Kong family, the Leng family will be left with nothing but an empty sugar mill.

"Grandma Leng, don't worry. I think we can discuss the 30% profit issue again."

As soon as Cheng Qiqi spoke, the old woman's face instantly darkened: "Thirty percent of the profits from the sugar mill is already quite a lot. You're only responsible for boiling the sugar; everything else needs to be done by us. You're taking advantage of our vulnerability and trying to make exorbitant demands?"

The old woman reluctantly gave up 30% of the profits; that was already her bottom line!

"Grandma Leng has misunderstood."

Cheng Qiqi smiled, not at all annoyed by Granny Leng's anger: "I have an idea. Sugarcane is grown by the whole village. I was thinking, could we let the villagers get a share too?"

Old Lady Leng's face darkened. The Leng family had worked hard all their lives, at most hiring some villagers to do work and earn money. How could they possibly let the villagers... take a share of the profits?

The village head's eyes lit up; this princess consort is quick-witted!

"The Crown Princess."

Before Zhuang Lizheng could speak, Cheng Qiqi interrupted, "Zhuang Lizheng, I am a prisoner now and do not deserve this title. Just call me Cheng Qiqi."

"On behalf of the villagers, thank you first."

Zhuang Lizheng stood up, grateful regardless of whether the matter succeeded or not.

There was not a trace of contempt in his words. He said, "If our village can really join the sugar mill, then the people of the village will be very fortunate."

Old Lady Leng's eyes swept over them like knives. Their Leng family had guarded the sugar mill their whole lives, how could he want to take advantage of their misfortune?

Don't even think about it!

Zhuang Li was ignoring the old woman's gaze.

"You can go back and think about this. As for the sugar mill, we won't stand idly by either."

Marquis Zhongyong spoke directly, saying that the sugar mill might be their first step in gaining a foothold in the village.

The Leng family left together with Zhao Hei.

The village head looked at the dilapidated house and said, "Although you have repaired the roof, it is still a simple wooden house. In a couple of days, I will ask everyone to help you put up stone roofs. Then, you won't have to worry about drafts when it rains or the wind blows."

"You have quite a few women in your family. The New Year is just around the corner, and it's the dead of winter, so they can't get cold."

Zhuang Lizheng patted Zhongyong Hou on the shoulder and then left happily.

Marquis Zhongyong: "..."

"Ha, if you're really worried about drafts, we'll have considered that when we came."

Liu Suyi immediately saw through Zhuang Li's plan. She turned to him and asked, "Qiqi, are you really going to take the whole village to the sugar mill?"

"Mother, although we received less money, the whole village is the sugar mill's support, and we are its support as well."

Cheng Qiqi smiled and said, "The Leng family thought that with the Kong family as their backer, they could be worry-free. But when their sugar mill was vandalized, not a single person in the village stepped in to protect it!"

"What if everyone in the village gets a share?"

Cheng Qiqi raised an eyebrow: "Then the village will be a united front, and those who want to vandalize the sugar mill won't even be able to get their hands on the door!"

Mountains crumble, people run away; only by uniting them can her sugar shop be as stable as an iron barrel!

"Qiqi, you're absolutely right."

After a moment's thought, Liu Suyi looked at Cheng Qiqi with admiration in her eyes and said, "Qiqi, you really don't seem like a child who grew up in the countryside at all!"

"Perhaps, because you've traveled to many places?"

Cheng Qiqi mumbled, changing the subject, "I still have to pay for Sister Rong's food and buy another 500 catties of mustard greens."

As soon as Cheng Qiqi came out, she paid Ah Rong's sister-in-law and received a yard full of cabbages. She immediately started washing and drying mustard greens.

Neither Gao Shenglan nor Jin Qing asked.

Lin Huilan wanted to ask but dared not.

Cheng Qiqi naturally wouldn't say it on her own initiative. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Marquis Zhongyong seemed to be instructing Chongshan on something. The corners of her lips curled up slightly. She had to admit that her father-in-law was quite good!

She can focus on running the sugar mill; won't the money just keep flowing into her bowl?

In the evening, Jin Yanzhi and Jin Lizhi returned, carrying a large vat on their cart, their smiles mirroring their own. They had sold a lot of pickled cabbage again today.

"Sister-in-law, at noon, I listened to you and took the pickled cabbage packets to the porridge shop to sell. They tried the pickled cabbage and were actually willing to buy from us!"

Jin Yanzhi said excitedly, "Although it only sells for one hundred coins per small vat, I believe that with such delicious pickled cabbage made by my sister-in-law, they will definitely keep ordering from us!"