Era: Seven money-losing girls? They're trying to trick me into having a daughter again!

Upon hearing Fang Wei's words, Village Chief Zhou and the villagers outside the courtyard couldn't help but look at Wu Shaoli and the girls beside her.

Well, what this person said seems to make a little bit of a point.

Fang Wei's family was the poorest in Laotang Village.

Fang Wei is a gambling addict. All he does every day is gamble. When he wins money, he goes out and messes around with other women. When he loses money, he goes home and takes it out on his wife and children.

Wu Shaoli's situation was even worse; she had to raise seven children on her own, and the mother and her daughters were so thin they were practically like dry firewood.

If it weren't for the help from some kind-hearted villagers, all seven children in the Fang family might not have survived.

Moreover, Fang Wei made a very good point.

Every household in Laotang Village has climbed all the mountains. Even now, some people are still digging for wild vegetables on the mountains.

But indeed, no one has ever encountered such a wonderful thing as wild Ganoderma lucidum.

Could it be that Heaven took pity on Wu Shaoli and her daughters and deliberately allowed Fang Wei to dig up wild Ganoderma lucidum?

"God is really unfair."

Someone muttered under their breath, "This gambler, who rarely goes up the mountain, only once or twice, actually dug up such a good treasure. Aren't they afraid he'll gamble it all away?"

Some people have the same idea, but they just don't say it out loud.

"Uncle Sun,"

Fang Wei then looked at Uncle Sun and raised his voice, "When has our village ever properly collected or distributed anything from the mountains of Laotang Village?"

"Since it has never been collected or distributed, the wild Ganoderma lucidum grows in the wilderness; whoever digs it up keeps it. Isn't that just common sense?"

Village Chief Zhou gave Xu Rui a look, the meaning of which was clear: You called me here, so now you'd better say something!

Xu Rui suppressed his anger; this matter absolutely could not be left like this!

If he leaves Laotang Village in a sorry state, he will never have the face to come back here to find Wu Shaoli again!

"Alright, Fang Wei, you've got a pretty sharp tongue lately."

Xu Rui's tone suddenly changed, and he looked at Fang Wei and said, "But what you said earlier is right. Everyone on the mountain uses the things, and the law doesn't punish everyone, so it's not a big deal."

"If I insist on holding onto this issue, it will make me seem unreasonable."

Zhou Mao visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

His wife is safe now!

"However, you have seven children to raise, it's not good for you to just wander around the village all the time."

Xu Rui changed the subject, using Wu Shaoli and her daughters as an excuse, and continued, "It seems your money-making skills are all on the mountain, not at the gambling table?"

Fang Wei watched him quietly, wondering what other tricks he could come up with.

Wu Shaoli, holding her daughters who were clinging to her legs, didn't understand why Xu Rui suddenly brought them up to talk.

"You're lucky this time. You dug up a wild Ganoderma lucidum and got more than seventy yuan."

Xu Rui said slowly.

"But this money won't last long for your family of nine. Once it's all gone, you definitely won't be lucky enough to find another wild Ganoderma lucidum. How will you survive then?"

"Since you like going into the mountains, let me give you a suggestion."

He straightened his collar and said with a smile, "The county is currently promoting the household contract responsibility system, encouraging farmers to contract collective land and forests."

"This is a good policy from the country, and of course our Laotang Village should actively respond to it."

Fang Wei's expression remained unchanged, but he already guessed what this bastard was about to say.

To be honest, ever since he learned yesterday that there was a large area of ​​wild gastrodia elata in the forest farm behind the mountain, he has been hesitant about whether or not to do it.

"I remember there's an old forest farm behind Laotang Village, you should know about it, right?"

Xu Rui indeed said what Fang Wei was thinking.

"That old forest area should be over 200 acres, but it has been abandoned for who knows how many years."

"I think since you were able to dig up wild Ganoderma lucidum in the mountains, maybe your fortune lies in the mountains. Wouldn't it be perfect for you to contract this old forest?"

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Zhou's expression changed first.

The abandoned old forest farm behind the mountain was a notorious, godforsaken place in the village!

The village tried planting fruit trees there before, but they all died after a batch was planted, so they simply left the area to lie fallow!

If Fang Wei really takes over that run-down place, he'll probably be squeezed dry of the few dozen yuan he just earned.

After contracting the land, you still need to invest manpower and resources to renovate it. If you spend the money but the crops don't grow, isn't that just throwing money into the water?

More importantly, when winter comes, Fang Wei will be penniless and unable to afford even food. His entire family of nine will starve to death!

"Director Xu, your suggestion... isn't quite right."

Although Village Chief Zhou also had some reservations about Fang Wei, he still felt that Xu Rui's move was too vicious.

Furthermore, he did not want anyone in the village to starve to death while he was still in office!

"What's wrong?"

Xu Rui raised an eyebrow and said with a forced smile, "Village Chief Zhou, do you disagree with the county's directives? The household contract responsibility system is a national initiative; don't you support it?"

"..."

A flash of anger crossed Village Chief Zhou's face as he said in a low voice, "Fang Wei's family doesn't have the money for this contract!"

"Even if you emptied his house, he'd probably only have a few dozen yuan left from selling wild Ganoderma lucidum!"

"Officer Xu has pointed out a clear path."

Zhou Wei looked at Fang Wei and said with a sinister smile, "Fang Wei, that old forest farm may still be barren now, but as long as you're willing to put in the hard work, it might turn into a gold mine someday."

"Shut up!"

Village Chief Zhou shouted angrily, "Who gave you the right to speak here?!"

When Zhou Wei was suddenly scolded, he could only shut his mouth in embarrassment.

"this……"

Uncle Sun glanced at Wu Shaoli and her daughter, and said in a low voice, "Nothing grows on that land. Isn't this just throwing people into a fire pit?"

"What kind of talk is that?!"

Xu Rui frowned, looking at Uncle Sun with displeasure. "Fang Wei is young, capable, and energetic. Contracting the collective's mountain forest to lead the way to prosperity is a good thing. How can you call it a pit of fire?!"

Ideally, Fang Wei should be swindled out of everything in one go, so that he will have a chance to be with Wu Shaoli!

Uncle Sun shrank back and stopped talking.

Wu Shaoli stood by the threshold, her face turning pale again.

Of course she knows what it means to contract a forest farm! Xu Rui is practically driving her man to his death!

Two hundred acres of wasteland, how much money would they have to fill in there?!

The forty-odd yuan that Fang Wei had left over from selling Ganoderma lucidum wasn't even enough to cover the contract fee, let alone subsequent expenses.

If the money runs out and we can't afford food, won't our seven daughters starve to death?!

"Fang Wei!"

Wu Shaoli pushed her daughters' hands away, walked quickly to Fang Wei's side, reached out and grabbed him, shaking her head pleadingly.

We can't agree to this!