The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 89 Joining

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The primary school in Zhengjia Village was originally a warehouse for the Zhengjia Village brigade. It was a large 300-square-meter building with a history of about 40 years and looked quite dilapidated.

However, the students' desks and chairs were brand new. After all, there weren't many children in Zhengjia Village, only about seventy or eighty in total, with no more than forty of them being school-age children. Each family could chip in a little money to cover the cost of the desks and chairs.

"Kids, your Uncle Yang knows you're all exhausted from school, so he came to me and offered to provide you with two bottles of goat milk every day to supplement your nutrition so you can get top marks in your studies. Ah... quickly thank your Uncle Yang."

Zheng Dabao was talking to the children, with Yang Ming and Wang Li beside him. At their feet was a large box of beautifully packaged goat milk.

"Thank you, Uncle Yang..." the children said in unison, sitting neatly on the stools.

"Uncle Da Bao, when you talk to the kids... when you talk to the children, it's best to speak Mandarin..." Wang Li whispered a reminder from the side.

"It's been so many years, it can't be changed. From now on, we'll have to rely on Teacher Wang to send the kids... to get them all out of this poor mountain village," Zheng Dabao said with a smile.

"Uncle Dabao, I will. I always know that I am a people's teacher," Wang Li said solemnly.

"Teacher Wang, we feel at ease leaving the children in your care..." Zheng Dabao nodded solemnly.

"Hehe, Teacher Wang, you should also take care of your health. We've prepared some goat milk for you too..." Yang Ming said with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Yang," Wang Li said with a smile.

"Don't mention it. I have Dazhuang bring it to you every day before class..." Yang Ming said with a smile.

After seeing Zheng Dabao and Yang Ming off, Wang Li clapped her hands and said, "Wang Pingping, Zheng Bao'er, you two come up here and distribute the goat milk to everyone."

"Yes, teacher..." The two little girls got up from their seats, went forward to open the packaging box, and distributed goat milk to their classmates.

"It seems that Yang Ming is indeed quite wealthy..." Wang Lixiu frowned.

Jingle Bell……

As Wang Li was thinking, her phone suddenly rang. She quickly left the classroom to answer the call. "What? They want to send a teacher here? We only have 33 children… Fine, fine, you're the leader, I have no objection…"

Wang Li hung up the phone in a huff, her face looking rather grim. This small mountain village was a promising place where success could easily be achieved, and she was planning to work hard there. But then, another teacher was sent from above, completely disrupting her plans.

Jingle Bell……

Wang Li's phone rang again. She looked at the number and saw it was the same leader.

"Is there anything else?... It's not that I'm being difficult, but I have no problem with assigning someone to my place. It'll give me a break. So what else is there to say? You're a man, and I'm a woman. If we talk too much, people will gossip... What did you say? A PE teacher? And a woman at that?... So, you want me to be the principal?... You said it yourself! As long as ten of my students get full marks on their final exams, you'll allocate funds to build a school... What? You also want to equip my place with a computer lab... You don't have any ulterior motives towards me, do you?... Yes, yes, I know I was being petty, okay?... Okay, okay, don't worry, I definitely won't bully her..."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Li smiled broadly, looked up at the sky, and for the first time felt that the sky was so blue.

When Yang Ming returned home, Wei Qingqing and Aunt Liu were huddled together on their kang (heated brick bed) doing chores. Beside them were two boxes of goat milk, and the TV was on. They didn't know what was playing, but they wanted to create a lively atmosphere.

"Heh, you two are working together? Aunt Liu, aren't you undermining our confidence?" Yang Ming climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), sat down next to Wei Qingqing, and casually picked up the remote control, turning on a news channel.

"What do you mean?" Wei Qingqing rolled her eyes. "As if I'm incredibly stupid compared to Aunt Liu."

"Yang Ming, you know what, I really don't know how to knit. But based on that alone, Qingqing is just as good," said Aunt Liu, speaking a fair word.

"Listen to this..." Wei Qingqing glanced at Yang Ming triumphantly, "Sister Liu spoke the truth."

"Hehehe..." Yang Ming put a quilt over his feet and lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) to watch TV.

"Yang Ming, you said you want to start agritourism in our village. Tell me your ideas quickly so I can think them through and not be speechless during the election," said Aunt Liu.

"It's hard to say. That was just something I came up with on the spur of the moment. It's too seasonal. I think if everyone planted fruit trees, everyone could get rich quickly," Yang Ming said.

In Yang Ming's mind, planting fruit trees was not a difficult task. He could just shout it out and call on the villagers. He would provide the seedlings himself, and if they didn't have a guaranteed minimum, he could give them the seedlings first and they could pay him back when they made money. The villagers could see the tangible benefits of this.

"Planting fruit trees? It's fine for one or two families, but it's unlikely that the whole village will plant them," said Aunt Liu.

"Why is that impossible? Let Uncle Dabao do some persuasion..." Yang Ming said.

"In the minds of farmers, farmers are just farmers who grow crops. If you ask them to grow fruit trees, they will never agree. But the farm stays and resorts you mentioned are more reliable," said Aunt Liu, tracing a line on her scalp with a needle.

"You mean we can only find a way through side hustles?" Wei Qingqing said.

"Yes! Farming is the foundation of a farmer's livelihood. Only when people have food in their hands can they feel confident. So, it's unrealistic to ask everyone to give up farming and switch to fruit trees," said Aunt Liu.

"I didn't say that everyone should give up farming, did I?" Yang Ming said.

"It's different. You only make money by planting fruit trees on a large scale. But if you want to grow fruit trees on a large scale, you have to take up farmland. How can you farm then? Are you going to rent out mountains?" Aunt Liu said.

If one or two families occupy Gongshan, it's fine, but if the whole village goes and causes trouble, then the higher-ups will intervene.

"If you put it that way, this really is a problem. We'll have to figure out a solution for the agritourism business..." Yang Ming said.

"Sister Liu, do you know how Wang Duo wants to run for office?" Wei Qingqing asked.

"Speaking of which, Wang Duo and Yang Ming probably have similar ideas because they are both college students. He also thought of planting fruit trees." Aunt Liu gave Yang Ming a deep look.

"Are they also growing fruit trees?" Yang Ming sat up from the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Yes, what he thought of was planting fruit trees," said Aunt Liu.

"Then we can't plant fruit trees, lest we clash with him. What kind of gimmick should we use?" Yang Ming frowned.

"I think farm stays are great." Aunt Liu always thinks about farm stays.

"Agritourism is seasonal; it only makes money in spring and autumn. In spring, the flowers bloom, so there's something to see; in autumn, the fruits ripen, so there's something to eat..." Yang Ming said.

"What about summer and winter?" Aunt Liu asked.

"What's so fun about summer and winter?" Yang Ming asked, puzzled.

"We can escape the summer heat and huddle on the kang (heated brick bed) in the winter. In December and January, we can also carry out some activities with rural characteristics," said Aunt Liu.

"Sister Liu's suggestion is good," Wei Qingqing stopped what she was doing. "I think it's feasible. Farmhouse tourism is all about making money from city people."

"Okay, I'll search for information about agritainment venues for you online later," Yang Ming said.

"In the countryside, most houses are large, and most families have one empty room. Let's clean up this room and leave it for the tourists to stay in. As for food, drink, and other necessities, we'll distribute them together," said Aunt Liu.

"How so?" Wei Qingqing asked.

"I think if we set up an organization like the old brigade, where every household has food and drink, the accountant would keep track and manage it all. If any of our tourists want to eat something, they would just write a note, go to the accountant to get it, and then it would be distributed at the end of the month," said Aunt Liu.

"Theoretically it's possible, but practically it's impossible. The same food can have good or bad versions with different prices. If it's managed uniformly, it's easy for disputes to arise, and it's also troublesome. Whoever wants to eat something should just go to each place and pay directly," Yang Ming said.

"That's fine, we can discuss the distribution of supplies together," said Aunt Liu.

"Also, to attract tourists, we need to set up a few attractions, but we can't make them too obviously man-made. For example, if you want to fish, you can build a few fishing platforms along the river. If that's too obvious, you can build a bridge over the river, which will make it easier for everyone to cross the river and also allow tourists to fish," Wei Qingqing said.

"That's good. We can also harness livestock and take tourists to the market. I believe rural markets are quite attractive," Yang Ming said.

"Yang Mingqing, how much food and drink can your family provide?" Aunt Liu asked.

"We can sell milk, goat milk, fresh fish, chestnuts, persimmons, dates, peaches, apples, pears, grapes, and um! Once the vegetables in our greenhouses are all grown, you can also buy off-season vegetables from us in winter," Yang Ming said.

"We won't be opening our backyard, but we can divert a section of the hot spring. At most, we'll just have to slow down the flow of the hot spring a little. However, if it flows outside, the water temperature might drop slightly," Wei Qingqing said.

"That's great! With a hot spring, our village will be even more attractive to tourists. It doesn't matter if the water temperature is a little low, as long as it's a hot spring," said Aunt Liu happily.

"Actually, if you wrap the pipes with an insulation layer, the water temperature won't drop much at all," Yang Ming said.

"That would be even better..." Aunt Liu said with a smile.

"However, how much is the entrance fee for this hot spring?" Yang Ming asked with a smile.

"Alright, alright, we won't take advantage of you. You can keep the ticket money yourself..." Aunt Liu rolled her eyes.

"Of course we have to keep it. It comes from our hot spring pool. Someone had better be smart and not stick their stinking claws out too far." Wei Qingqing still remembered the grudge from yesterday when she was tied up by Aunt Liu.

"Wei Qingqing, do you believe I'll prick you with a needle?" Aunt Liu rolled her eyes at Wei Qingqing.

"You have a needle? I have a skewer too, much longer than your needle. Let's see who pricks whom first." Wei Qingqing was not to be outdone.

"You two... you're really crazy..." Seeing the two women start to act wildly as they talked, Yang Ming immediately moved away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

"The phone's ringing, the phone's ringing..."

Suddenly, Yang Ming's cell phone rang.

Yang Ming picked up his phone and saw the caller ID read "Old Pervert." He immediately knew who it was—the old man he and Wei Qingqing had encountered at Pigeon Nest Park in Beidaihe. Yang Ming quickly answered, "Feed?"

"Hey kid, where's your pigeon? Why haven't you brought it to me yet?" The old man across from them had a loud voice, which Wei Qingqing and Aunt Liu could hear clearly.

"Uh...you old pervert...no, no, sir, let me tell you, our family only has meat pigeons right now. The baby pigeons will have to wait," Yang Ming said.

"Old pervert? Why is that called?" Aunt Liu asked, looking surprised.

When Wei Qingqing heard the old man's voice on the phone, her face turned red, and she pulled the blanket over herself.

"Kid, wasn't that woman you were talking to just now your wife?" the old man asked warily. "You little brat, are you out of your mind? Daring to mess with other women?"

"Do you remember the little girl we brought? That's our goddaughter, and this is her mother, her biological mother," Yang Ming said.

"So that's how it is? I'm warning you, don't get involved in any improper relationships with women, or you'll never be able to condense your golden core in your entire life, and in serious cases, your life will be in danger." The old man breathed a sigh of relief.

"Golden Core? You've been reading too many fantasy novels, haven't you?" Yang Ming's eyes widened.

"You don't know anything! This old man has already condensed his Golden Core..." The old man was not polite at all.

"You're a Golden Core expert? Can you fly and disappear into the earth?" Yang Ming found it incredible.

"Forget all those ridiculous fantasy novels. Who told you that condensing a golden core would allow you to fly and disappear into the earth? This old man can't even climb over a three-meter-high wall. If I were to fight a strong man one-on-one, I would definitely be the one getting beaten up. A golden core is just condensed essence, energy, and spirit, something that can prolong your life. It's not as mysterious as it's written in the novels."

"Uh... is there really such a thing as a Golden Elixir in this world?" Yang Ming felt that the world was going a bit crazy.

"Nonsense, of course it's possible. If you cultivate Qigong to its peak, you can condense a golden core and prolong your life. But don't even think about flying or teleporting. Let's be realistic. Qigong is science, and fantasy is just that..."

"But the one you gave me wasn't a qigong book, was it?" Yang Ming scratched his head.

"You don't know anything," the old man said dismissively. "You should know that a living organism's growth period is five to six times its lifespan. A person's growth period is 24 years, so how many years should their lifespan be? 120 to 144 years old. How many people have you seen live to that age?"

"Since ancient times, seventy years has been a rare age, and those who live past one hundred are even fewer."

"That's right, so tell me, why is that?" the old man coaxed.

"You should tell me."

"The difference between humans and wild animals is that wild animals only mate during their mating season, while humans do not have this restriction. As long as they are in the mood, they can have sex. Therefore, through those filthy affairs, people exhaust their vital energy, and their lifespan is naturally shortened," the old man said.

"Please continue."

"You know that mating produces offspring, right?"

"Yes! I learned about physiology when I was in school." Yang Ming blushed slightly.

"Through mating, people can create a new life. This new life is vibrant and full of life energy, and its lifespan is naturally much longer than that of middle-aged and elderly people who have already depleted their life energy. What does this mean? It means that people can generate life energy through mating. Some predecessors, through this discovery, wondered if a special method could be used to generate life energy through mating, but instead of using this life energy to create a new life, it could be used to replenish the life energy consumed by the body. Would this achieve the goal of longevity or even immortality? Therefore, people became enthusiastic about mating, not for procreation, but for longevity. Unfortunately, many people did not use the correct method of mating for sustenance, and not only did they not achieve the goal of longevity, but they also greatly shortened their lifespan, and people's estrus cycle became disordered as a result." The old man spoke eloquently.

"You mean that thing is a double-edged sword, it doesn't hurt others, but it hurts yourself?" Yang Ming understood somewhat.

"...People are trying to outlive the heavens, so your analogy is quite plausible," the old man said after thinking for a moment.

"Then... sir, will the method you're giving us result in us not being able to have children?" Yang Ming asked somewhat anxiously.

Teng...

Wei Qingqing lifted the blanket, her face pale, and leaned closer, listening intently.

"Of course not..." the old man said firmly. "Although I'm not exactly a good person, I would never do something so despicable as to cause someone to be childless and without descendants."

call……

The young couple breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Moreover, practicing that regularly is also very beneficial for the healthy growth of your child. When you two are healthy, your life energy will be abundant, and the life energy carried by your offspring will also be abundant. Therefore, your child will be healthier and stronger than children from ordinary families," the old man said.

"Is that how it is?" Yang Ming felt that the old man's words made some sense.

"Of course, so in order for you to have a healthy and strong child in the future, you should hurry up and practice. The better the foundation you lay, the healthier your child will be, hehehe..." The old man chuckled wickedly at the end.

"You old lewd man, so shameless..." Wei Qingqing said coquettishly into the phone microphone, her cheeks flushed.

"What? Your wife is right here? Kid, you little rascal, you're really inconsiderate. We're talking like men, how could you let a woman overhear?" the old man roared.

"Don't worry? In my wife's eyes, you're already the worst. How much worse can you get? There's a saying that goes, 'You're rotten from head to toe, with sores on your head and pus oozing from your feet.'" Yang Ming said.

"What? I was helping that girl! You're a flirtatious young man, you're obviously not a peaceful person. I used this method to keep you by her side, and she still... She really took my good intentions for granted." The old man sighed to the sky.

"Alright, alright, you're a good man, okay?" Wei Qingqing rolled her eyes, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.

"Alright, this old man is heartbroken and can't be bothered with your nonsense. Don't you have baby pigeons over there? I don't care if you send them by air express or EMS, just mail them to this old man right now. I'll send you the address in a bit... beep beep..." The old man hung up the phone in a fit of anger.

"Pfft..." The young couple looked at each other and couldn't help but chuckle.

"What...what exactly happened?" Aunt Liu asked, somewhat confused.

"It's nothing, just some old lecher asking us for pigeons..." Yang Ming laughed.

Thump thump thump...

The phone rang twice; it was a short message. Yang Ming opened it and saw an address and a sentence: "Don't make me pay for shipping."

"Go to the county town quickly and find a courier company to mail the pigeons to him," Wei Qingqing said.

"Why mail something? That's too much trouble. Why don't I just have Lao Yang deliver it?" Yang Ming dialed Lao Yang's number and asked him to come and help deliver something.

"I've noticed that you use Lao Yang the most. How much salary do you have to pay him?" Aunt Liu said.

"Yes, honey, I didn't even know how much money you paid to hire Old Yang," Wei Qingqing added.

"The salary isn't much, just 1,500 a month," Yang Ming said with a smile.

"He's both a driver and a helper, and you only pay him 1,500? You're really ripping him off..." said Aunt Liu.

"Whose side are you on? From what you're saying, it sounds like you're not happy that our family spends less money?" Wei Qingqing rolled her eyes at Aunt Liu and started picking a fight. She was still holding a grudge about being tied up yesterday.

"Wei Qingqing, it was wrong of me to tie you up. Didn't you also incite us, mother and daughter, to fight each other? If you cause me any more trouble, I'll get angry with you."

"Are you in such a hurry? Don't ever come to our house again." Wei Qingqing glanced at Aunt Liu sideways.

"Why shouldn't we publish it? We have food and drink to eat, only a fool wouldn't publish it..." Aunt Liu glanced at Wei Qingqing disdainfully.

"Shameless..." Wei Qingqing rolled her eyes.

"Who are you talking about?" Aunt Liu glared at her.

"I'm talking to you..." Wei Qingqing retorted without backing down.

"I'll fight you to the death..."

The two women began to defend themselves again.

"Here we go again..." Yang Ming had a headache and quickly moved away from the two of them.

As evening approached, two vehicles arrived at Zhengjia Village. One was a transport truck driven by Lao Yang, and the other was a Santana with a license plate from the County Education Bureau.

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(End of this chapter)