"I missed you all so much," Yang Mengchen cooed.

The Wu family's faces were brimming with smiles, their hearts as sweet as if they had drunk honeyed water.

"Jiujiu, your grandfather still hasn't thanked you for the threshing machine you had sent last time," Old Master Wu chuckled. "In the past, it would take at least three days to harvest the rice, but with that threshing machine, we finished in just one day. That machine is truly wonderful."

Ever since witnessing the amazing utility of the threshing machine, everyone in the village envied his good fortune, having such a clever and filial granddaughter who would send him all sorts of good things.

He was very happy. After the rice harvest was done, he lent the threshing machine to families he was on good terms with. A threshing machine costs thirty taels of silver, and even renting it for a day costs a hundred wen money, thus these families were immensely grateful to him.

Yang Mengchen playfully said, "It's not really my achievement. It was my uncle and the workers who figured it out. If grandfather wants to thank someone, thank my husband."

"Chaowen is capable, but Jiujiu is even more so. You both are good children!" Old Master Wu's face bloomed into a wide smile.

The rest also nodded and smiled in agreement.

"By the way, Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt," Yang Mengchen spoke gently, "I'm planning to transform Donglin Street in town into a commercial strip. The construction work started yesterday, but I'm too busy to supervise it myself. Only Sixth Brother and Brother Siyuan from our village are there, and they are somewhat stretched thin. Therefore, I'd like to ask Cousin Lixin to go help out.

I wonder if Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt would agree?"

From her observations, Cousin Lixin, Wu Lixin, was interested in business. If cultivated properly, he could become an important assistant to Sixth Brother in the future.

And she trusted Cousin Lixin's character and conduct.

"It just so happens that Lixin is free, and he will go find Chenghong after lunch," Old Master Wu agreed without a second thought.

They followed Jiujiu's arrangements, now only making some marinated dishes. Besides supplying to Drunken Immortal Tavern, they also sold from door to door. Their family had many mouths to feed, so even without Lixin, they could cope.

The other elders also nodded their consent.

Joy was written all over Wu Lixin's face, unstoppable. Initially, when he heard that Chenghong was learning business at Drunken Immortal Tavern, he was incredibly jealous, for he also liked commerce. He never expected that now he would also have the opportunity to learn, and naturally, he was over the moon.

Yang Mengchen smiled and said, "Then I will have to trouble you, Cousin Lixin. Don't worry, Cousins Yuhao and Ziyi will also be there, and I will come by every two or three days to take a look and teach you the ways of business. Later on, as Sixth Brother's business expands, he will need trustworthy people to manage the stewards and accountants, and our cousins' status will make them think twice;

For now, I only ask that you do more, observe more, listen more, learn more—and speak less. Whether you can stand on your own two feet in the future depends on how hard you work."

"Cousin, rest assured, I will definitely study hard!" Wu Lixin, already interested in commerce, believed that with focused learning, he could certainly do well. The key was to be dedicated. Trusting his cousin's words, he felt a surge of ambition light up within him.

Yang Mengchen turned toward the other three cousins: "Cousin Licheng, Cousin Lizhen, and Cousin Lishan, don't think I'm playing favorites. Old Hai told me that Cousins Licheng and Lizhen are quite scholarly and has plans to cultivate you both;

Cousin Lishan, continue to train in martial arts with Second Brother, and perhaps you could become a general on the battlefield in the future;

And for our female cousins, don't feel disappointed either. The academy will offer various technical training programs, and once you have acquired skills and literacy, you will certainly earn respect in your marital homes."

"We will definitely not let down Cousin's best intentions!" Wu Licheng and his brothers said in unison, their voices firm and strong.

Upon hearing Yang Mengchen mention their future husbands' homes, the girls all looked down, their faces blushing like blooming roses.

The Wu family elders were both moved and grateful.

People came one after another, bringing gifts of home-grown fruits and vegetables. They handed their offerings to the Wu family and left without even entering the courtyard. They treated Yang Mengchen with a natural, gentle demeanor, their eyes devoid of any deliberate fawning.

After lunch, Yang Mengchen had her uncle and cousins call for the Village Chief, Lizheng, Clan Leader, and several Elders.

Unsure of why Yang Mengchen had summoned them, they felt a bit uneasy. After all, even though the Ninth Sister Yang before them was as smiling as ever, the increasingly noble aura she exuded made them look up to her involuntarily, even feeling a sense of awe.

Especially the Village Chief and Lizheng, they were practically on pins and needles.

Not to mention that Madam Wu Chen was notoriously fierce and had already warned them not to trouble Ninth Sister Yang. Just recently, the County Magistrate himself had cautioned all village chiefs and Lizhengs that anyone who dared to bother Ninth Sister Yang like Xiong Wang, the former Lizheng of Huangsha Village, would not be spared by the Magistrate.

Hearing about Xiong Lizheng's fate, naturally, none dared to transgress knowingly.

Seeing their nervousness, Yang Mengchen, with a smile, said, "It's presumptuous of me to call upon all you grandfathers and uncles, but it is to share some good news."

The men looked at Yang Mengchen with surprise and delight.

They all knew about the tofu factory being built in Stone Village, offering high wages and job opportunities once completed. Could it be that Ninth Sister Yang had also convinced the Prince to build a factory in their villages?

"As you've guessed, the Prince plans not only to build a meat processing plant in your villages but also to establish a breeding farm," Yang Mengchen confirmed with a nod. "Moreover, I will spend money to buy piglets, lambs, and chicks for the villagers to raise. Those willing to raise them will sign a contract with me.

Once the livestock is grown, it must be sold to the meat processing plant, and the costs I've advanced will be deducted first. Once the factory is built, jobs will be offered in the village, and the wages will be made known to everyone then;

Secondly, I've noticed there is plenty of wild fruit on the hills. When ripe, you can group up to harvest and deliver them to my house. I will pay two wen money more per jin than the market price. If you have surplus chickpeas, soybeans, and the like, feel free to deliver those as well, at prices consistent with Stone Village;

Additionally, once my family's academy is built, village children can attend school there. Workers' children will be exempt from Shuxiu fees, other children will only be charged ten wen money per month;

Whether as a helper or a contracted worker, the sole condition is that one must be diligent and honest, and must not divulge any factory secrets, or be held accountable according to the contract."

The men stood up excitedly: "Thank you! Thank you, Ninth Sister Yang!"

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