Gourd Farm Chapter 72
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 72: Office Embarrassments
"Old Zhang, let's get serious. Can this plot of land really make money? I'm really uncertain about it."
Uncle Yang had found out that Yang Feng managed to lease fifty mu of land . He thought to himself, if he doesn't make money, that kid is even smarter than a monkey, being able to lease so much at once.
If he doesn't lease it, someone else will make a fortune, and he'll be green with envy. But if he does lease it, he doesn't have the guts, unless he hears a guarantee that he'll definitely make money.
"Old Yang, I can't guarantee that. Whether it makes money or not depends on how you plan it."
After hearing what the village chief said, Uncle Zhang's mind was filled with uncertainty.
But when he thought about his previous profit from growing tomatoes in this shed, he made over ten thousand.
In the past, when he grew wheat, the best he could make in a season was a few thousand, and that was relying on the weather.
Thinking of this, he calculated that he had more than two hundred thousand in savings.
"Bang!"
Uncle Yang slammed the table, gritted his teeth, and decided to lease thirty mu of land.
Everyone in the room was startled by Uncle Yang's sudden outburst, and Yang Meng trembled in the back.
The village chief was drinking water and was so startled by the sudden noise that he spilled it all over his pants.
"What's gotten into you, Old Yang?"
The village chief stood up, stroked his beard, and scolded with glaring eyes.
Uncle Zhang realized what he had done and got excited, slapping the table, which unexpectedly angered everyone in the room.
Especially the village chief, who happened to be wearing light-colored pants today. The water spillage made it particularly noticeable.
"Snicker."
Initially feeling embarrassed, Uncle Yang couldn't help but burst into laughter when he saw the village chief's wet crotch.
Yang Meng wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. His face turned red and purple from trying to hold it in, and finally, he couldn't take it anymore and ran outside.
As soon as he stepped outside, he heard a burst of sharp laughter coming from the corridor.
The village chief had a stern face and didn't say a word to Uncle Zhang. He slammed the door and happened to see Yang Meng laughing foolishly.
"As the leader goes, so do the followers."
After the village chief left, Uncle Zhang glanced at Liu Wan'er beside him and awkwardly chuckled, "Old Zhang can't even crack a joke."
With that, he opened the door and walked out on his own. Meanwhile, Yang Meng was clutching his stomach, squatting on the corridor floor.
"What's so funny? Get up quickly and stop embarrassing yourself here."
Uncle Yang wanted to laugh too, but seeing his son in such a state, he seemed to have forgotten what happened earlier.
Yang Meng stood up and adjusted himself, asking, "Father, you're not really planning to lease the land, are you?"
Uncle Yang crossed his hands behind his back and replied, "Not leasing the land? I have nothing better to do than to come here and chat with people."
Seeing that his Father was determined to lease the land, Yang Meng deflated like a punctured balloon. It seemed like the difficult days were just beginning.
The father and son waited in the corridor for a while, and the village chief came back after changing his pants, staggering as he approached.
"Why are you still here?"
As soon as they entered the village office, the village chief saw Yang Meng and his father still standing there. He had a dark expression on his face as he asked, "Why are you still here?"
Uncle Yang stepped forward as the village chief approached, taking small steps. "Old Zhang, why are you still holding a grudge over such a small matter?"
"I don't have time to argue with you. Come with me to lease the land."
All this back and forth in the early morning had wasted time. In the afternoon, there were still a few people to meet and discuss land leasing with.
"Have you thought it through? Once you make this decision, there's no turning back."
Uncle Yang came over and listened as the village chief repeated himself. He was about to sign the contract when the village chief reminded him once again.
"Don't worry, I've thought it through."
Uncle Yang did have ambitions. At his age, he still dared to take risks, which was quite rare.
With a few strokes, the names on the contract were signed, and the village chief stamped each page with his seal.
"Yang Meng, your dad is really going all out for this. You better work hard."
When Yang Meng saw his Father signing the contract, his heart sank halfway. It seemed like his future with online gaming was coming to an end.
Yang Meng gritted his teeth, and the words came out of his mouth one by one, "Yes, I will definitely work hard."
"This child was speaking smoothly just now, why does he have a slight stutter now?"
As soon as Uncle Yang arrived home, he dragged down a large box from the top of the wardrobe and rummaged through it for a while. He held a small red passbook in his hand.
"Dad, are you really going to withdraw the money?"
Yang Meng looked at the passbook in his father’s hand. It was the money they had been saving for a long time.
Uncle Yang had no choice now. This money was meant for his son's marriage, and he wouldn't touch it unless there was no other option.
With a determined look, Uncle Yang stuffed the passbook into his pocket.
"Hurry up and ride the bike, come with me to the bank. We can't let the child be at the mercy of the wolf."
As the engine roared, the father and son rode their motorcycle towards the town.
In the greenhouse, Aunt Hua and her family were picking the ripe tomatoes. However, there were still many unripe ones that had fallen, which worried Aunt Hua.
"Old man, are you really not going to take a look at the land leasing?"
Aunt Hua put down the tomatoes in her hand. "I've seen several families in the village preparing to lease the land for large-scale farming."
Uncle Hua sat down and lit a cigarette. "You all think you know everything, just like you've seen someone making money. Mark my words, there will be many who end up in losses."
"Dad, I can't just stay here and work this one acre of land with you and mom. I've been back for a while now."
"Old man, our son makes a valid point. Why don't we lease a smaller portion of land first and test the waters?"
Aunt Hua persuaded from the side, and Hua Wuque became even more anxious. He couldn't understand why his Father insisted on being stubborn. It was pointless to reason with him.
As Uncle Hua smoked, blowing out clouds of smoke, he furrowed his brow. He had thought about it all night. Even with his son's return, relying solely on this one greenhouse wouldn't be enough.
However, the family didn't have much savings, and if they ended up losing money, how would his son afford to get married?
Uncle Hua looked at his son, full of enthusiasm, and couldn't bear to crush his spirit.
He flicked the cigarette butt away. "Do you really want to lease the land?"
Aunt Hua felt uncertain upon hearing the seriousness in her husband's question.
"Dad, let me tell you something. Whether you agree or not, I'm going to lease the land."
Hua Wuque remembered how Yang Feng had leased fifty acres of land all by himself, and his passion burned like fire within him.
"Alright, how about we start with leasing ten acres of land and see how it goes?"
"Old man, you finally came around."
Seeing his father's agreement, Hua Wuque threw his gloves aside.
"Dad, I'll go to the village office to gather some information."
Aunt Hua and the old couple watched their son's receding figure and smiled at each other.
Seeing their son so willing to work, they were already content, regardless of whether they would make money or not.
Xia Ying held a shovel and weeded inside Greenhouse No. 3.
"Yang Feng, aren't you worried about leasing such a large amount of land all at once?"
Yang Feng, sweating profusely, smiled. "What's there to be worried about? It's all the same crop."
Xia Ying looked earnestly at this young man who was around the same age as her. She felt a mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity.
She used to think she was already working hard enough, but compared to Yang Feng in front of her, she realized she still had a long way to go.