The Prime Minister’s Little Wife

Chapter 33: Determined to Succeed

Xu Zhizhi looked at the crowd gathered around. Almost everyone in the village was here. This was the perfect opportunity for a persuasive speech.

“Fellow villagers, aunties, food is the foundation of life. Grain production is the cornerstone of our village’s development, the lifeblood of our survival.”

“Although our village has plenty of land, the soil quality is poor. Nothing grows well here, making it unsuitable for most crops.”

“That’s why we’ve always struggled to have enough to eat and wear.”

“The heavens couldn’t bear to see this, so they gave me two types of seeds to try. If they grow well, there will be more.”

“I’ve already tested half an acre of sweet potatoes, and they’re growing well. That’s why I’ve asked everyone to plant them.”

“I believe everyone has planted them by now. Please be patient.”

“Water them for the first few days, and pull out any weeds. Once the vines cover the ground, you won’t need to do much. In three months, we’ll have a harvest.”

“Sweet potato leaves can also be used as vegetables or cooked into porridge.”

“This winter, I believe no one in our village will go hungry.”

“This has given us hope and a taste of the benefits the gods have brought us.”

“From now on, to ensure no one goes hungry, we must continue to develop and experiment with new seeds.”

“So, expanding and trying different seeds is the trend of the future.”

“You can’t expect to get whatever you want immediately. That’s neither scientific nor moral. Please don’t be too impatient.”

“We must never act like Grandma Wang, causing trouble and offending the gods. That’s unacceptable.”

“I will continue to introduce better grain varieties. Once they’ve been tested and proven suitable, I’ll ask the village chief to notify everyone.”

“Originally, I planned to teach everyone how to grow bean sprouts after a successful trial in a month.”

“Bean sprouts can’t be stored. Once they’re ready, they must be eaten immediately. If everyone grows them, they won’t sell, and that would be such a waste.”

“Sweet potatoes are different. They can be stored in a cellar for half a year without spoiling. You can eat them slowly or make them into different dishes.”

From the moment Xu Zhizhi started speaking until she finished, the crowd remained silent, listening intently.

So that’s how it is!

The villagers finally understood.

The village chief, moved by Xu Zhizhi’s speech, said excitedly, “Everyone, kneel and thank the gods!”

After the villagers finished bowing, the chief sternly criticized the Wang family. If they offended the gods and caused the village to go hungry, the Wang family would be driven out of the village.

Huh? The village chief was really bold. Wasn’t the Wang family supposed to have powerful officials? Could the chief really drive out a family with such connections? He was truly impressive!

Xu Daniu and Xiaowu quickly walked over to their sister, each holding one of her hands.

Xu Dahu, along with Wang Daya and his younger siblings, also gathered around, asking if she was hurt.

Xu Zhizhi happily told them she wasn’t injured.

She pointed to the donkey cart and said to her siblings, “This is our new cart. I’ll take you all to town sometime.”

Then she led her siblings home.

The crowd erupted in chatter, all criticizing Old Lady Wang and her sons.

Old Man Wang shouted at his sons to drag the old woman home.

Seeing that the main characters had left, the crowd dispersed and went home for dinner.

Back at home, Old Man Wang scolded, “You foolish woman! You’ve completely embarrassed me!”

Old Lady Wang, who was usually domineering in front of her sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren, was meek in front of her husband.

She muttered, “Their bean sprouts are so profitable. I was just trying to help the family.”

Old Man Wang roared, “Why did you provoke Zhizhi? Didn’t I tell you not to mess with her?”

Wang Eldest Son asked, “Mother, is it true about the bean sprouts?”

The other sons also looked at their mother. They had been working at the Xu family’s place and hadn’t heard about this profitable venture!

Old Man Wang was even angrier. “Do you think you can mess with that? She’s protected by the gods!”

“Remember this: if anyone causes trouble again, they’re out of this family!”

Old Lady Wang and her sons didn’t dare to speak.

Wang Shishi and Qingzi, hiding in the west room, broke into a cold sweat upon hearing Old Man Wang’s shouts.

Wang Shishi had also been watching the commotion. At first, she was delighted to see Wang Third Son chasing Xu Zhizhi, thinking they would surely get the bean sprout method. She had left early, confident of success.

She had promised the manager of Xiangman Garden in town that she would get the bean sprout method.

When Wang Shishi first came to Qili Village, she couldn’t get used to the local food.

She often went to town to eat, alternating between Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and Xiangman Garden. Over time, she became familiar with the managers.

The manager of Xiangman Garden had asked her if she knew which family in Qili Village sold a certain type of bean sprout.

She had sent Qingzi to investigate, but after several days, they had no leads.

Later, while eating at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, she had coaxed a waiter into revealing that it was the Xu family from Qili Village.

She had told Old Lady Wang, who had indeed noticed that Xu Dahu and Xu Daniu went to town every day but didn’t know what they were doing.

Old Lady Wang, hearing how profitable it was, wanted the method but didn’t dare to steal it.

Wang Shishi had come up with today’s scheme to extort the method from Xu Zhizhi.

Who knew Old Lady Wang’s plan would backfire so badly?

Qingzi, seeing her mistress worried, suggested, “Why not have Wang Daya marry into the Xu family quickly? Once she learns how to grow bean sprouts, she can come back and teach us.”

Wang Shishi thought about it and agreed. She was determined to get the bean sprout method.

If they had stayed to hear Xu Zhizhi say she would teach the whole village in a month, their current scheming would have been pointless. Would they have been furious?

Meanwhile, Second Uncle and Third Uncle came to the Xu family home, worried that their bean sprout business, which had only just started, would be taken away.

Xu Zhizhi reassured them, “Second Uncle, Third Uncle, don’t worry. I’ve already sold the method to Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. In half a month, they’ll grow their own. They’ll only buy beans, not bean sprouts. Whether we teach everyone or not doesn’t matter.”

She added, “We’ll have other ways to make money later. Don’t worry.”

“Besides, my family is preparing to build a house. You can help supervise the construction and buy materials. There’s plenty of work, and I’ll pay you.”

After dinner, Second Uncle and Third Uncle discussed with Father Xu how to build the house.

They finally decided to follow Xu Zhizhi’s suggestion and build a quadrangle house on the large plot of land at the foot of the mountain.

Xu Zhizhi gave Xu Dahu money to order blue bricks, while Third Uncle went to order tiles and find a construction master.

Second Uncle was in charge of hiring workers to dig the foundation and cut trees for beams.

The cousins and aunts were responsible for cooking. For now, everything was arranged.

(End of Chapter)