Le Tong’s suggestion for Zhang Yi to buy all the newspapers was just a joke.
Zhang Yi chatted with her for a while, then went out. Le Tong thought he was off to discuss mountain cultivation with his fellow townsn. But by noon, while playing ball with Wenwen in the yard, she saw Zhang Yi return, pushing his bicycle, with a big bundle of newspapers tied to the back seat!
"Bro, you really went and bought them?!"
Le Tong was both amused and exasperated by Zhang Yi’s actions. anwhile, Zhang Yi had already pushed the bicycle into the shed, locked it, and pulled down the big bundle of newspapers.
"There are only three or four newspaper stands here. I went around and bought them all."
Le Tong went over to help, reaching out her hand. "How much did it cost? I’ll pay you."
Zhang Yi looked up and glared at her, "If you ntion money again, I’ll call the numbers on the newspapers..."
Le Tong laughed and didn’t ntion money again, her heart filled with warmth like the sunshine in the courtyard.
Zhang Yi and his wife are genuine people. Their concern for Le Tong cos from heartfelt sincerity. Living with them, Le Tong doesn’t need to think too much, and during this stay, she has found herself becoming more simple and happy.
No longer does she have to be constantly worried about making mistakes and irritating Ji Rui, as she did at the Ji Family. Nor does she have to be anxious, fearing President Ji might misunderstand her.
"Bro, tomorrow I’ll go up the mountain with you all to have a look."
Whereas before, Le Tong was rely interested in investing a bit of money, now she wanted to be part of it.
Zhang Yi looked at her in surprise, "Tongtong, do you want to join us?"
Zhang Yi initially thought Le Tong only intended to invest and not be involved in any practical matters. But her question seed to indicate a change of heart.
"Yeah, I’ll go check it out first. If I can’t do it, I won’t force myself. Don’t worry, I won’t be a burden to everyone."
Le Tong had a lot of confidence in herself. Having gone through so much while caring for her sick mother for years, many challenges seed trivial to her now. The idea of setting up a business in this small town had rapidly grown in her mind.
Zhang Yi didn’t know about Le Tong’s past and certainly wasn’t aware of the pains and burdens she had carried alone. Though he hesitated, fearing she might not endure the hardships, he ultimately couldn’t refuse her.
"Alright, if the weather’s good tomorrow, you can co up the mountain with to take a look."
It’s hard to tell if the townspeople simply weren’t interested in outside affairs, or because Zhang Yi brought back those unsold newspapers. Either way, the whole day, no one inquired about Le Tong. Wandering with Wenwen, neighbors greeted her warmly as usual, without any suspicion or gossip.
At last, Le Tong’s anxious heart settled peacefully back to the ground.
Early the next morning, unlike her recent lazy habits, Le Tong got up, washed, dressed warmly, and had breakfast with Zhang Yi before heading out.
The weather had been clear these days. Though cold in the mountains, there was no snow, and Le Tong quickly followed Zhang Yi and a few n along the mountain paths.
Zhang Yi, worried Le Tong might not keep up, deliberately stayed at the back, occasionally giving her a hand.
"The people at town hall responded; it’s a two-year contract, with a rent of two hundred thousand."
The middle-aged man walking ahead, whom everyone called Brother Wang, shared the news while they walked.
There were four of them in total, including Zhang Yi.
"So, it’s fifty thousand each?" asked another man called Brother Zhang.
Zhang Yi glanced back at Le Tong, then spoke to the three n in front, "Tongtong said she wants to join in as well. What do you all think?"
Initially, Le Tong had planned to invest in Zhang Yi’s na. She knew Zhang Yi didn’t have much cash on hand. Investing her money without planning to take part in operational matters, leaving managent to Zhang Yi, and splitting profits with him.
But now she had changed her mind after living here; she increasingly felt that everything about this place, the environnt, and the people relaxed her. Her mindset here was more peaceful and content than ever before.
Brother Wang and the others didn’t think twice, "Great, we were worried that after paying rent, we wouldn’t have money left to buy seeds and saplings. If Tongtong joins in, we’ve secured money for seeds."
These n, like Zhang Yi, had been working hard in big cities, saving modest amounts, wanting to start small businesses in their hotowns, which was certainly better than working far away.
Now considering Le Tong a partner, she naturally shared her plans and operational ideas.
The n initially listened casually but later, hearing how logically she spoke, sat down in a mountain cave halfway up to hear more about her ideas.
"I don’t know about cultivation techniques or managing people, so I’ll leave that to you gentlen. I can handle financial matters and also arrange sales and distribution."
Le Tong’s words gained the n’s strong approval, and they all nodded.
"That’s excellent! We were wondering where to find soone to help manage the accounts."
These n’s wives back ho weren’t well-educated and would easily ss up the accounts, so Le Tong lifting this burden was a big help to them.
"For sales, we planned to contact soone to buy once crops were near mature."
Le Tong shook her head, "That’s too passive. We need to understand market demands first, then plant accordingly. How about we diversify our planting? So crops could be harvested in months, others annually. For fruits or food, we could open a direct online store, packaging and selling directly. This drastically cuts distribution costs, allowing us to earn more."
The n found Le Tong’s points reasonable, leading to previously settled plans being reconsidered for group discussion and research.
The five of them kept talking in the mountain cave, unaware that it was already noon. They brought out pre-prepared food, continuing their conversation while eating.
As the n chatted, topics drifted to family matters, which didn’t interest Le Tong much, so she stepped out for fresh air and to enjoy the view.
Unbeknownst to her, Zhang Yi had also co out, standing beside her. "Tongtong, are you planning to settle here?" he asked.
Looking at the vast mountains before her, Le Tong nodded, "Yes, that’s what I’m planning!"
[Update: Goodnight, ladies!]
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