The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

“My son brought it back, said it was a gift from the county magistrate. It’s surprisingly sweet, you should try it.” Zhuang Jingye held out the sliced melon toward Zhuang Qingning.

“Thank you, Uncle Chief.” Zhuang Qingning took it, but only set it aside for now, and placed the sack she was carrying beside her. “I’ll get straight to the point, Uncle Chief. I came to discuss something with you.”

“It’s quite important.”

Hearing Zhuang Qingning mention an important matter, Zhuang Jingye’s laid- back demeanor became serious, even straightening his posture a bit. He put the melon aside and asked, “What’s it about?”

“These bean seeds.” Zhuang Qingning untied the sack and took out a handful of seeds for Zhuang Jingye to examine. “Uncle Chief, take a look. How do these bean seeds look?”

Zhuang Jingye scrutinized the seeds closely, even weighing them in his hand. “They seem pretty good. Large, round grains. But the key is their yield.”

“The yield is about 20% higher than regular beans.” Zhuang Qingning explained, “And these beans, you can taste one, the flavor is better than regular beans, very fragrant. When making tofu, the flavor is better, and the yield of tofu is also larger.”

“Your meaning is…” Zhuang Jingye, fan in hand, paused mid-sentence.

“I observed that many people in our village plan to plant more beans this autumn due to my tofu shop. Coincidentally, I have some of these bean seeds. I was thinking, why not have everyone in the village plant these high-quality beans?”

“Firstly, these beans have a higher yield. Secondly, tofu made from these beans tastes better. I’m also considering my own convenience, to make tastier tofu.”

“However, I don’t have the time to explain this to everyone individually. Others might not believe me, thinking I’m up to something. So, I wanted to discuss this with Uncle Chief first.”

“As the village chief, people will certainly believe what you say, and we can work this out.”

Zhuang Qingning smiled, “Once these beans are planted, their high yield will help every family earn more. In turn, I can acquire high-quality beans for making tofu. It can be considered a win-win situation.”

“Uncle Chief, what do you think?”

“It sounds like a good idea…”

Zhuang Jingye stroked his chin.

Higher yield means more money for the common people, and better quality beans for Zhuang Qingning’s tofu. That implies her tofu will also be better, improving her business. If her tofu shop expands in the future, the entire village could become more prosperous.

It seems to be a very good idea, both benefiting the common people financially and improving his own reputation. It’s a win-win, not bad, not bad at all.

But…

“However, how much are these beans?” Zhuang Jingye asked, “If they are too expensive, I’m afraid it won’t work.”

“They’re not expensive, the same price as regular beans. If some people are short of cash right now, they can plant first and pay later. Borrow one catty of seed and repay with two catties of beans.” Zhuang Qingning smiled and replied.

“That sounds fine…” Zhuang Jingye nodded in approval.

After a moment of silence, he reluctantly said, “But, it might be a bit tricky.”

“Uncle Chief, are you worried that people are content with their current beans and don’t want to try something new?” Zhuang Qingning asked with a smile.

“Yes.”

Zhuang Jingye nodded vigorously, “Every household uses their own bean seeds. If you suddenly ask them to use something new, they might be apprehensive. A lot of people are reluctant to spend money and may fear that although your bean seeds look good, they might not yield as expected.”

“After all, it concerns an entire season’s harvest. No one dares to take that risk. They would prefer to play it safe and avoid making any progress.”

“And if you’re this generous, people may have more doubts. They may wonder if there are any issues with your seeds, and would be even more hesitant to try.”

“But having said that, my family can give these seeds a try. You can rest assured, Miss Ning.”

The beans look good. No need to pay now, and can give face to Zhuang Qingning by trying them. It’s just a season’s harvest. How bad could it get?

His family does not lack money from this season’s beans.

As for other families… that might be difficult.

Zhuang Qingning’s thoughts are good, but in practice, it might not work out the same way.

“I understand Uncle Chief’s meaning, but I feel that we can do it like this…” Zhuang Qingning suggested in a lower voice.

“This…” Listening to Zhuang Qingning’s words, Zhuang Jingye’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and he slapped his thigh, “Good idea!”

“Why didn’t I think of this? As the saying goes, hearing is unreliable, seeing is believing. People always trust what they see for themselves.”

Zhuang Jingye’s face lit up with a big smile as he spoke.

“To be frank, I know your character and judgement are reliable, and I believe what you say. You said the beans are good, so I naturally think they’re good. But that’s just how I feel. There’s no problem using it for myself. But if you want me to persuade others, and I haven’t tried it myself, I might be a bit unsure. My words may lack conviction.”

“Your suggestion reassures me, and when others see it for themselves, they’ll know what choice to make.”

“Not bad, not bad. It’s really a good idea.”

To put it simply, Zhuang Jingye didn’t know whether this thing was good or not, but because it was her who brought them, he was willing to give it a try. As for other families, he couldn’t guarantee anything.

Zhuang Qingning chuckled, “Thank you for having such faith in me, Uncle Chief.”

After all, it’s a new thing. To try it without a second thought, irrespective of his motives, was a huge sign of respect. Zhuang Qingning was extremely content with this.

“Oh, what’s there to thank, isn’t this just as it should be?” Zhuang Jingye scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “In the beginning I was really worried about you messing things up, afraid you would cause trouble. But maybe that was just because we hadn’t spent much time together. Now that we’ve spent more time together, I can see that you are capable and have creative ideas.”

“As the old saying goes, time reveals a person’s heart.”

“That’s true.” Zhuang Qingning barely contained her smile.

Seeing that Zhuang Qingning didn’t mention anything of the past, Zhuang Jingye felt that she didn’t care about it. The more he saw of Zhuang Qingning, the more he found her delightful.

This girl has a promising future.

It’s just a pity she’s a girl. If she was a boy, our relationship could have lasted longer.