Yes, Madam Prime Minister

At noon, the whole family sat together at a long table for lunch. The father, as the head of the family, was in the absolute seat of honor. To his left were her eldest brother and his wife, followed by her second brother. To his right were her mother, then her, and then her younger sister.

The eldest brother is 24 years old, has been married for several years, has a son and a daughter, and is the heir to the farm.

My second brother is twenty years old and not married yet. He has no chance of inheriting the family business and doesn't have a proper job. He gets scolded by his father in public every few days.

But he didn't dare to talk back, since he still needed his family to provide for his food, clothing, and other expenses.

This time, he got scolded again.

After a moment of silence, the second brother suddenly spoke up, "Chloe, how about you introduce me to a job?"

Chloe scoffed, "Ha, me, a maid, introducing a job to you, young master?"

Despite being met with cold words, the second brother didn't seem to care at all. Instead, he said with a grin, "You're not just any ordinary maid. You're the maid of that Secretary-General. It's said that although he's quite lecherous, he's actually quite nice to women. If you mention it to him, a small job shouldn't be a big deal for him."

Chloe was furious when she heard this. It was clearly an accusation that she had sold her body to Ronan. Just as she was about to speak, she heard two clanging sounds.

Chloe's father tapped his plate with his knife. "Shut up."

The second son immediately lowered his head like a wilted cabbage and began to gnaw on his bread.

The lunch ended in a chilly atmosphere.

After the meal, the father called Chloe directly to his room.

“Chloe, ignore that good-for-nothing,” her father said to Chloe, taking out a money pouch. “Here are twenty silver dragons. You can always use them to build good relationships with others.”

"Mm." Chloe nodded softly.

Although her father remained serious and rigid, Chloe sensed a significant change. In the past, even if her second brother bullied her, her father would not speak up for her directly, nor would he give her money.

The father began, “Your great-grandfather, grandfather, and I, three generations, have built this ranch, vineyard, and the land we just sold. But this is the limit. It’s almost impossible to rise any higher because we don’t have connections in government. In fact, things might even get worse. In the past, I hoped you would marry a good man, preferably an official, so that we could maintain our family farm as much as possible. But now you’ve embarked on a better path.”

“But he was able to let his two maids into the city hall because he raised them himself. How could I possibly do that?”

Chloe said that she initially felt this approach was completely unreliable, but her father wanted her to go, so she dared not disobey.

“Ha, hoping to become his maid and then a civil servant is the idea of ​​a fool,” Chloe’s father said. “He wants to promote high-yield wheat and soybeans. The seeds are from the Haidi people. Soybeans can not only be pressed for oil, but the soybean meal can also be used as animal feed. If you can get even a small share, it will be a great convenience for the family. What’s more, he has recently been having the Haidi people conduct closed-door experiments on the cultivation of a special crop.”

“I see.” Chloe nodded, then suddenly realized something was wrong. “Wait, a closed-loop experiment to grow some kind of crop?”

She knew nothing about this, and her father didn't have any friends in official positions, so how did he know?

“That’s right, almost all the farmers know,” Chloe’s father replied. Almost all the farmers in Newsea City knew that Ronan was planning a new cash crop.

“Then I’ll go ask Elena,” Chloe said. She didn’t dare go to Alice, who always had a fierce face. On the contrary, Elena was very easy to talk to.

“Don’t do anything unnecessary,” Chloe’s father said. “I sold that land at a low price. If the Secretary General is willing to reveal anything, you will naturally know. If he is not willing, your inquiries will only cause trouble.”

“But if he’s unwilling to reveal it, then our land is…” Chloe said with some worry.

“That’s perfectly normal; what I did was gambling,” Chloe’s father said. “Let’s not talk about that now. How are you doing at his house?”

"It's fine. His house is small, not luxuriously decorated, and not much furnishing. There's not much work to do. There are also few people. Besides the two maids, there's no one else. There's no butler, no coachman, and the chef is someone from a nearby restaurant who comes on a rotating basis. The gardener only comes every few days, so there's no need to deal with anyone else."

Chloe replied.

Ronan's house was really small; the courtyard was a little over 100 square meters, and the main house, with two floors, was less than 300 square meters in total, much smaller than hers. Needless to say, Ronan lived alone.

“Besides, he’s a very kind person,” Chloe continued. “He’s even going to teach me magic.”

Instantly, Chloe's father's beard bristled with shock. Ronan was actually going to teach his daughter magic?

He had considered sending his daughter to a magic academy in the past, but ultimately gave up. Money was one factor, but the main reason was that he was just an ordinary person, not someone who could speak up locally, and completely clueless about the outside world.

"Really?" Chloe's father asked, somewhat flustered, as he could hardly believe it.

“Really.” Chloe nodded.

At the same time, in a house in the former city of Kale, a man couldn't believe his daughter's words. "Lutas, did I hear that right? You said he's going to teach you magic?"

“Yes,” Lutas replied affirmatively.

Chapter 120 Family, Marriage, and Work

Lutas's father smiled, a very bright smile, "Great, our family may be about to produce a magician."

He was a tailor, a very famous tailor in White Star City; Ronan even had a garment made by him.

Although he wasn't highly educated, his years of making clothes for the upper class had given him considerable insight. He knew that after becoming a magician, income was secondary. After all, many junior magicians worked for the police force and their income wasn't necessarily higher than his, a famous tailor. However, their social status and future potential were far greater than those with the same income.

As for becoming a full-fledged mage, Lutas's father dared not even dream of it. After all, his daughter was hardly talented. The only reason she was able to attend a girls' school was because a female client wanted someone to keep her company. Moreover, starting to learn magic at that age was already too old. If she could become a junior mage at the age of twenty, he would have to thank his lucky stars.

"What are you saying, so happy?" At that moment, Lutas's mother's voice suddenly appeared.

“My dear, listen to me, our daughter is going to learn magic…” Lutas’s father said excitedly.

However, after hearing the news, Lutas's mother did not show any excitement. Instead, she had a cold face and said, "What's the use of becoming a novice mage? A girl should be thinking about how to marry a good husband."

“Darling, you can’t say that…” Lutas’s father was interrupted abruptly by his mother before he could finish speaking.

“If I don’t say it this way, how can I say it?” the mother retorted.

Lutas was already used to this.

My father was my maternal grandfather's apprentice. Because he was handsome, hardworking and capable, he married my mother and inherited the clothing store. Later, he made a name for himself.

“Darling, even if our daughter is beautiful, that Secretary General would never marry her.”

"That's what Lutas's father said."

Lutas nodded silently. Actually, she had initially held a sliver of expectation, after all, she had always been the most beautiful one in the area. However, after meeting Elena, she extinguished that expectation herself. Compared to that blonde beauty whose figure and face were the envy of everyone, she was far inferior.

“I don’t know? That guy is destined to marry a noblewoman,” Lutas’s mother said. “But our daughter works as a maid in his house, so it shouldn’t be a problem for her to know a few wealthy businessmen, right? Even becoming his mistress would be a good choice.”

“I don’t want to.” Lutas was displeased upon hearing this.

Lutas's mother sneered, "My good daughter, do you think you can marry a young and handsome young master? Don't dream. At most, you can marry a middle-aged rich businessman who has lost his wife. Can you accept that? In comparison, that Secretary General is famously handsome and is also a full-fledged mage who can maintain his youth and vitality."

"Can't I marry an ordinary person?" Lutas retorted, somewhat annoyed.

Lutas's mother laughed, "Heh, Chris's not bad looking, he could easily be a teacher, but you ignored him, didn't you?"

"I'm going back." Rutas, whose words had been ruthlessly exposed by his mother, picked up his luggage and left.

Lutas's father tried to persuade her to stay, but was glared at by her mother.

After a long while, after Lutas left, Lutas's father looked at his wife, feeling helpless but not daring to get angry, "What are you doing? Our daughter has finally come back for a visit."

“Do the right thing,” Lutas’s mother replied without hesitation. “She should go back now and find a way to take care of the secretary-general’s life. That’s what a competent maid should do. Only then will she have a chance to win the secretary-general’s favor. Maybe one day the secretary-general can cooperate with her.”

"what?"

Lutas's father didn't listen to his wife at all. What could Ronan possibly want to work with him on?

Lutas's mother took out an elastic band. "This is a product from a workshop. Do you think it can be used in clothing? This workshop was established with funding from Southern Doctor Consulting Company."

She wasn't very clear about this Southern Doctor Consulting Company. All she knew was that this so-called consulting company was where Ronan received bribes. Almost everyone who had access to the upper class of the special city knew that some people would give money to this company in the form of consulting fees. It was said that Ronan himself only took a small portion of it, which is why he was the poorest of the original seven secretaries-general of the special city.

No one is willing to learn from him in this regard, nor can they. After all, Ronan can genuinely offer insightful advice that will impress businessmen, something that others simply cannot do.

This consulting firm, besides Ronan himself, also gathers various eccentric and unpopular people from the original seven special cities, and even from Sama City on the left and right, and Pro City.

In addition to providing consulting services to the factory, the company also funded the establishment of some unusual workshops, one of which produced this elastic webbing.

"That's right, this elastic band can be used in women's clothing."

"Lutas's father said excitedly."

The clothing store also makes women's clothing. Of course, he is only responsible for making it. Taking measurements for female customers is the responsibility of female workers. They are female workers, not female apprentices. These days, women don't even have the qualifications to become tailors. Even for some products aimed at women, the person in charge can only be a man.

“It’s more troublesome to invest directly than to find someone to cooperate with. He knows our daughter’s family background. You are the most famous tailor here, so as long as our daughter can win his favor, we can definitely expand our business,” Lutas’s mother said.

“That’s right, that’s right.” Lutas’s father nodded repeatedly, then changed the subject, “Um, you don’t really want your daughter to become someone’s mistress, do you?”

"Let her do whatever she wants. Anyway, it's our son who will inherit the family business and take care of us in our old age," said Lutas's mother. She had never counted on her daughter. Could a daughter be relied on? Only a son could.

“That makes sense.” Lutas’s father nodded. Although he loved his daughter, he shared the same sentiment.

Meanwhile, Lutas returned to Ronan's house, while Chloe planned to stay at her own home for two days before going back.

After returning to Ronan's house and putting down her luggage, Lutas rested for a while before going to the city hall to find Ronan. She had nothing to do at home, so she decided to go and take care of Ronan's needs.

"Is something the matter?" Ronan asked Lutas.

"I wanted to come and take care of everyone." She had originally intended to say take care of Ronan, but upon seeing the group of people, she immediately changed her mind.

“Go back,” Ronan said coldly.

"Secretary-General, your maid meant well."

"That's right."

"This is not a violation of regulations."

Several secretaries said that Ronan had been working overtime continuously, so they had no choice but to work overtime as well. They were exhausted these past few days and couldn't even go home. They were naturally happy to see such a beautiful maid willing to take care of them.

"I'll say it again, get out." Ronan's voice was even sterner.

Lutas had no choice but to turn and leave.

After Lutas left, Ronan looked around and said, "Some of you I know, and some I just met. I hope you all understand that the City Hall does not allow special privileges. Blind man, go and tell the gatekeeper that no non-civil servants are allowed to enter the City Hall from now on."

Chapter 121 Incidentally, on the main topic, let's play the victim a little.

That evening, Ronan returned home, had a simple dinner, and then called Lutas aside.

Lutas was very nervous. She thought Ronan would scold her for going to the city hall, but to her surprise, Ronan didn't mention the daytime incident at all. Instead, he brought over two servings of baked apples and asked her to eat them together.

"The taste is alright, isn't it?" Ronan asked casually.

The apples here are crisp enough, but they're very sour. However, I quite like desserts that are hollowed out, filled with sugar, and then baked.

“It’s delicious,” Lutas replied. Although her family wasn’t poor, she rarely got to taste such a sweet and luxurious delicacy.

"Your father was quite famous as a tailor," Ronan got to the point.

Lutas nodded but didn't speak; she didn't know why Ronan had brought this up.

If they wanted her father to make clothes, that would be fine. But if they asked her for her ideas on clothing coordination, she wouldn't dare say anything. She still remembers Elena's terrifying gaze.

"Does he make underwear?" Ronan asked again.

“Yes, but not many,” Lutas replied.

Even in the city, not many women can afford to wear underwear; they usually just wear a soft cloth slip underneath. As for the countryside, a woman is lucky if she has two long, coarse cloth skirts to wear.

Ronan finished the rest of the baked apple in a few bites. "I might introduce someone to work with your father later."

When the lingerie is finished, we can also take this opportunity to promote the stockings made from the plant fibers produced by the magical plant in that black jar.

These two items are impossible for others to replicate. Making bras and underwear requires tree sap, and that magical plant cannot be grown anywhere else.

The market in Xinhai City is certainly not enough, but the market in the entire south is sufficient, not to mention the large commercial port of Sama City, which can sell to other places.

Vena, needless to say, is a country of merchants and has money.

The Kingdom of Villa was also good, but the mistake was that they fought a bloody war with the local natives in the New World for many years. Magic existed in this world, so the Spanish conquest of the Native Americans by a few hundred men could not be replicated. However, the natives were still powerless against the magic musketeers on the front lines.

So the Kingdom of Villa still made a fortune, bringing back a lot of gold. Moreover, because they invested more manpower and resources, they also helped even more people make a small fortune.

As for the small island nation of Wieland, similar to the UK, it's not that Ronan didn't want to sell goods there, but his location didn't allow it. In the original timeline, New Sea City was roughly located in southern France, near Italy.

“Of course, no problem,” Lutas readily agreed.

"I was just saying, it's not urgent." Ronan stood up. "Alright, I have to go back now."

After saying that, Ronan left.

After working overtime for several days in a row, he planned to take a good shower, get a good night's sleep, and then continue working overtime. This was his main purpose for going home, and telling Lutas about it was just a side thing.

The next morning, Ronan went straight to City Hall to continue his work.

Unexpectedly, I ran into Dinia early in the morning and even called him into my office.

“These past few days, I’ve carefully examined the places where we plan to establish collective farms. Those places are all plains with similar natural conditions and they’re all connected. Why divide them into seventeen independent collective farms? If we merge them into one, the efficiency of using farm tools, livestock, seeds, water, and fertilizer will be much higher, and we won’t need so many managers. Right now, with seventeen farms, each farm needs to be equipped with managers, and each farm also needs to be allocated various tools, which increases the manpower and material resources required.”

Dinia immediately launched into a barrage of questions.

"What did Mrs. Antari say?" Ronan didn't answer directly, but instead asked what Dinia's private secretary had to say.

“She also had her doubts,” Dinya replied.

"Collective farms were indeed designed to concentrate production tools and manpower, and then further divide the work so that the able-bodied laborers could focus on farming without having to worry about anything else, unlike in the past when a farmer's family had to worry about chopping firewood, fetching water, eating, repairing houses, renting oxen and horses, and so on, in addition to farming."

"Theoretically speaking, a single collective farm is indeed more efficient."

“But,” Ronan emphasized, the emphasis always following the “but,” “the farmers’ sphere of activity used to be very small. Apart from the people in their own small village, they didn’t know anyone else. Once they were merged into a large farm, conflicts were inevitable. But that was secondary. The key issue was that if there was only one collective farm, problems would inevitably arise from the practice of eating from the same pot.”