Gourd Farm Chapter 70
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 70: Signing the Contract
Xia Ying entered the room holding the contract and approached her mother's bed. "Mom, when was this delivered?"
"Oh, not long after you left this morning. They said it's a land lease contract and then left it here," her mother replied.
Her younger brother followed her into the room, saying, "Sis, things are looking up now. No more weeding or spraying pesticides."
During the busy farming seasons in the past, Xia Ying would drag her younger brother out to the fields. They would either weed or spray pesticides, enduring the scorching sun that could peel off several layers of skin after a whole season of work.
Now with this contract, they didn't have to cultivate the land, yet they could still earn money. If it weren't for their mother stopping him earlier, her brother would have signed the contract without hesitation.
Hearing her irresponsible brother's words, Xia Ying narrowed her eyes and scolded, "And you have the nerve to say that! Every farming season, you conveniently disappear, only to become active when it's time to pick watermelons."
Seeing his older sister's expression change, the young man couldn't help but shrink his neck.
"I was busy those days, and besides, what can't be handled when you're around?"
"You little rascal, I bet when your sister goes out in the future, you'll starve to death."
Before the young man could finish his sentence, the elderly woman on the bed couldn't help but scold him.
"It's too early for that. Besides, even if my sister goes out, it's not like she doesn't work. Didn't I give you two hundred yuan yesterday?" he retorted.
The young man, who had been timid, gained some confidence at the thought of the two hundred yuan his sister had given him yesterday.
Xia Ying didn't say a word. She went up and grabbed the young man's ear firmly.
"You still have the nerve to say that? Wasn't that two hundred yuan for you to give to Mom for her medicine?"
"What? Xia Ying, that two hundred yuan was from you?" the elderly woman asked, puzzled.
"Yes, because I had to leave for work early yesterday, and I saw that you were still asleep, so I gave the money to him," Xia Ying explained, pointing at the young man in front of her.
"If I don't teach you a lesson, you little rascal, you dare to deceive me? You said you were distributing flyers for two days and finally managed to save up two hundred yuan. You even made me happy for a while," the elderly woman scolded angrily.
Realizing the gravity of the situation and that his lie had been exposed, the young man lost his earlier confidence and immediately lowered his head, admitting his mistake.
"Mom, please don't get angry so quickly. I just made a mistake. Look at this, what is it?" he said, trying to defuse the tension.
Before the young man could finish his sentence, he pulled out two crumpled one-hundred-yuan bills from his pocket.
Seeing the money, the elderly woman immediately changed the direction of her raised hand and took the money, afraid it might disappear if she hesitated.
"That's more like it. Dare to tell lies again next time, and I'll make sure you regret it," she warned sternly.
In fact, the young man had intended to hand over the money yesterday, but he didn't expect his older sister to give him two hundred yuan early in the morning.
He had the idea to save his own money and keep the cash he earned from distributing flyers. However, his plan was discovered within a day.
Xia Ying looked at her mischievous brother, who, despite his playful demeanor, was quite sensible at times.
He usually used the money he earned to buy their mother's medicine. He was efficient when it came to work, but he tended to play around and hadn't yet secured a stable job.
"Xia Ying, do you think this land leasing deal is reliable?" the elderly woman asked, putting away the money and turning to Xia Ying.
Xia Ying furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure about this, but in the village where I work, they are also implementing land leasing. Our boss was called there today; they discussed how much land to lease."
"Oh, if it's reliable, then just lease it out. It will allow you to focus on your job, and those few acres of land don't earn much in a year anyway," her mother suggested.
"Mom, your decision is very wise after all this time," the young man praised, unable to hold back his excitement upon hearing his mother's agreement to lease the land. If the land was indeed leased, it meant his days of hardship would be over.
"Get lost! I know exactly what you're thinking. Let me tell you, if you don't find a job this month, don't bother coming back," his mother warned sternly.
Xia Ying rolled her eyes. "You said it. Without earning much money, relying on your measly two hundred yuan a month, we'd all be left with nothing to eat."
"Big sis, can't you talk to our boss and help me get a job there too?" he asked eagerly.
"Don't worry, when our boss starts leasing the land, if the scale gets bigger, there might be a chance to hire more people. I'll talk to him when the time comes," Xia Ying reassured him.
"That's great! I really don't want to work at the factory anymore. It's so boring and monotonous, and the salary is low," the young man complained, feeling uncomfortable at the mere thought of the electronics factory.
"But let me tell you, if you really get the job, if you dare to slack off and work inconsistently, I'll deal with you," Xia Ying warned her carefree brother, genuinely concerned.
Upon hearing that there was a chance, the young man immediately perked up, ready to seize the opportunity.
"Big sis, don't worry. Once I'm there, I'll definitely work hard and be efficient," he assured confidently.
...
At this moment, Yang Feng was scratching his head, his pen spinning in his hand, leaving chaotic scribbles on the paper in front of him. If he leased fifty acres, he wouldn't be able to develop all of it immediately; just the greenhouse framework alone would cost tens of thousands.
But if he didn't lease that much now and the operation expanded later, they might face trouble finding available land. The annual rent for fifty acres was twenty-five thousand yuan, and with the village head's assistance, he wasn't too concerned about the rent anymore after realizing this.
"Let's do it."
As the saying goes, "A man is not rich without windfall gains, and a horse does not grow fat without night fodder."
Yang Feng was now full of enthusiasm. Just the thought of having his own fifty-acre farm in the future made him eager to rush to the village chief's office right now and sign the contract.
...
"Knock, knock, knock."
Early in the morning after breakfast, Yang Feng arrived at the village office and knocked on the village chief's door.
"Who's there so early? Come in," the village chief called out.
He had probably just arrived himself; he was using a toothpick to clean his teeth after his breakfast.
"Well, Xiao Feng, what brings you here so early?" The village chief observed Yang Feng's urgency and was certain that something important was happening.
Taking a seat, Yang Feng said, "I've thought it over all night. I've come to sign the contract now."
The village chief scrutinized Yang Feng. He could tell that Yang Feng wasn't joking.
"Didn't I ask you to take a couple of days to think it over? You've made up your mind overnight?" he inquired.
"Yes, I have," Yang Feng replied decisively.
Seeing Yang Feng's determination, the village chief didn't say much more. He appreciated this quality in young people; they needed to be bold and decisive.
