After time travel, share a space with your modern family.

Chapter 56 The Patriarchs Hold a Meeting

After a heated discussion, everyone finally reached a consensus: each household would elect a representative to participate in this work. These people would be responsible for patrolling the village according to the duty roster. Considering the large area of ​​the village, the number of people on duty each time was set at six, and each shift lasted four hours.

No training is required on the day of duty, but those who do participate in training must train for three hours each day, half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon, specifically at Chen Shi (7-9 AM) and Shen Shi (3-5 PM). In addition, each person is entitled to two days of leave per month.

As for wages, each person will receive four hundred coins per month, of which the village will pay one hundred coins and Ruan Mumu will bear the remaining three hundred coins.

At this moment, Tian Qingfeng raised a question: "Mumu, isn't four hundred coins a bit too much? After all, everyone lives here, eats at home, and can help with farm work after training."

Ruan Mumu explained, “Uncle Qingfeng, don’t underestimate this job. Although it’s short, it requires a high level of concentration and is very energy-consuming. Moreover, it’s not just physical labor. As for the funding, don’t worry, I will find some ways to increase the village’s income later.”

After a pause, Ruan Mumu continued, "In addition, we need to purchase a batch of weapons and equipment, such as knives and swords, to ensure safety. At the same time, we also need to establish a reward system, where anyone who performs exceptionally well can receive additional rewards."

The village chief suddenly said, "There are three families in the village with special circumstances. The men in their families are either disabled or have joined the army, leaving only the elderly, women, and children at home. The children are only about ten years old, and one of them even has a girl..."

Hearing this, Ruan Mumu frowned and quickly asked, "Grandpa Village Chief, this time we're accepting applications regardless of gender. Children over eight years old are welcome to participate. Children under thirteen won't be assigned to duties, they'll only participate in training. You mentioned earlier that there aren't any able-bodied men in your household. Grandpa Village Chief, how about this? These three households are exempt from duty, and I'll personally provide an additional subsidy of one hundred coins per month. Other family members who want to come work for me are also welcome, and I'll pay them extra wages."

The village chief and Tian Qingfeng looked at each other in surprise at the young girl in front of them, thinking: How could such a young child come up with such a thoughtful plan? Even Qiao Tinghao praised her for her actions.

"Mumu, have you discussed this major decision with your mother? Will she agree to it? And if your plan is implemented, there will be a large expense every month..." Tian Qingfeng asked worriedly.

Ruan Mumu smiled and replied, "Uncle Qingfeng, don't worry. I've already discussed this with my mother, and she didn't object. Besides, I've already calculated the expenses, so there's no need to worry about funding."

Standing to the side, Qiao Tinghao was secretly amazed. This little girl was incredibly bold! These words came out so effortlessly, without any thought whatsoever. Just moments ago, she was merely suggesting forming a patrol team, and in the blink of an eye, they were already taking action. There was no time for discussion at all.

Seeing that Ruan Mumu did not hesitate, the village chief assumed that she must have thought it through carefully, so he said, "Okay, it's settled then."

Ruan Mumu reached into her sleeve pocket—actually, she pulled out two sheets of A4 paper and a ballpoint pen—and said, “Grandpa Village Chief, let’s draft an agreement first. We’ll meet at your house tomorrow morning at 1:00 AM. We’ll invite the other clan leaders from the village to discuss this matter, and then hold a mobilization meeting tomorrow night. Do you think that’s acceptable?”

Ruan Mumu handed the paper and pen to Qiao Tinghao, who was standing next to her: "Third Brother, didn't you say you can read? Do you think you can use this to help us write down the agreement?"

Qiao Tinghao silently took the paper and pen, placed the paper on the table near the candle, and began to write.

However, although his handwriting is sharp and skillful, he doesn't know how to write in ancient characters, so he can only use modern simplified characters for now.

The village chief and Tian Qingfeng were more interested in the paper and pen that Ruan Mumu had taken out! They had never seen such clean white paper, or a pen that could write without ink. The two of them stared quietly at the pen in Qiao Tinghao's hand, their attention completely drawn to it, and they even forgot to respond to Ruan Mumu's words.

Looking at Qiao Tinghao's handwriting, Ruan Mumu couldn't help but think to herself, "What would other people think if they saw these simplified characters?" She imagined the confusion and bewilderment that others might feel when they saw these characters, and couldn't help but laugh.

However, she seemed to have forgotten that she herself did not understand traditional Chinese characters. She guessed that this kid had no memories of the original owner when he transmigrated here.

Qiao Tinghao, of course, didn't notice Ruan Mumu's reaction; he focused intently on continuing to write the agreement. He felt that this agreement would be a crucial step in changing the village's fate and one of the keys to realizing her plan.

Ruan Mumu's question went unanswered, so she raised her voice again and repeated what she had to say about the meeting.

The two then realized what was happening. The village chief quickly put on his reading glasses, while Tian Qingfeng took a deep breath.

Then the village chief asked quietly, "Mumu, the pen and paper you took out are so special! I already thought the reading glasses you gave me were special enough, but I didn't expect you to have such extraordinary things in your possession!"

"Shh..." Ruan Mumu made a shushing gesture. "Grandpa Village Chief, these things of mine are hard-earned. I usually don't want to use them. Please keep it a secret!"

The village chief and Tian Qingfeng nodded solemnly, indicating their understanding. They knew that the items Ruan Mumu possessed were extraordinary, and that she rarely showed them to others; therefore, they would respect her wishes and keep the secret.

“Grandpa Village Chief, since you agree with my suggestion, let’s do it as I said tomorrow! As for informing the clan chief and the others, I’ll probably have to trouble Uncle Qingfeng.” Ruan Mumu finished speaking and looked at Tian Qingfeng.

Tian Qingfeng quickly replied, "Okay, no problem, I'll go out and inform them in a bit."

“Then we’ll head back first. I’ll have my third brother rewrite the agreement later, and I’ll come back early tomorrow morning.” Ruan Mumu said as she stood up, and Qiao Tinghao stood up as well.

The two bid farewell to the village chief and embarked on their journey home.

"Girl, I'm curious how you got the paper and pen. Can you tell me what's going on?" Qiao Tinghao asked quietly as he followed Ruan Mumu.

Ruan Mumu chuckled and said, "Brother, besides letting me know you're from the Five-Starred Red Flag country, what else have you told me? You're always asking unnecessary questions."

After listening, Qiao Tinghao fell silent for a moment, as if what the girl said was true.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Ruan Mumu stopped talking, and the two walked home in silence.

The next day at dawn, Ruan Mumu handed over the task of buying groceries to Ruan Xiaojun, and she and Qiao Tinghao prepared to arrive at the village chief's house.

When the two entered the village chief's house, they saw that the village chief and the clan chief were already seated, seemingly waiting for them to appear!

"Mumu, you've finally arrived. Is this your family's third brother, whom you just found?" Chief Jin asked with a smile as the two walked in.

Ruan Mumu said jokingly, "Yeah! Look, who would believe he's not my third brother? If anyone says he isn't, my grandfather would probably be turning in his grave and come out to argue with him." Ruan Mumu pushed Qiao Tinghao in front of everyone so they could see him more closely.

Everyone burst into laughter at Ruan Mumu's words.

Ruan Mumu pulled Qiao Tinghao to take two stools and sit down near the table, then asked, "Grandpa Village Chief, is everyone here?"

The village chief smiled and nodded.

Ruan Mumu quietly reached into her sleeve pocket and pressed the button on the recorder. She cleared her throat and said, "Grandpa Village Chief, Grandpa Clan Chiefs, you are all the pillars of our village. The stability and development of our village cannot be separated from your correct guidance, and naturally, we also rely on your leadership..."

Ruan Mumu repeated the decision she had discussed with the village chief and Tian Qingfeng the night before, and then Qiao Tinghao read the written agreement aloud.

As soon as Qiao Tinghao finished speaking, the village chief hurriedly spoke up: "Brothers, you see, every move Mumu makes is for our village. If we can implement the agreement as written, what are your opinions? Give me a straight answer! Those who agree, please raise your hands."

As soon as the village chief finished speaking, he took the lead in raising his hand, and everyone present raised their hands in unison.

"I'm definitely the first to agree to something this good. Mu Mu is truly the pride of our Ruan family!" the Ruan clan chief said loudly, beaming with pride.

"Thank you for your trust, grandfathers. It would be a lie to say I had no ulterior motives in doing this. I have many development plans that I need the help of everyone in the village! Moreover, protecting our home is everyone's responsibility in the village. It's just that everyone's life is not easy, so I felt that I should take out this money to maintain it." Ruan Mumu stood up and delivered her speech with a strong voice. Her words instantly ignited a sense of collective honor among everyone present.

"Girl, what are your development plans? Why don't you tell us now?" Chief Yang suggested.

Ruan Mumu quickly replied, "Grandpa Yang, I discussed it with Grandpa Village Chief last night. I also plan to buy the mountain next to my house to grow medicinal herbs. Doctor Liu and I have already signed an agreement. We will open a medicine pill workshop together. We will need a lot of common herbs. If anyone is interested in growing herbs with me, you can register here to get seeds. The herbs you grow will be sold to me first, and the seed money will be deducted from the herb sales. If you don't want to grow herbs, my family also needs people to grow herbs. You can sign up to work at my house, but the number of people needed is limited..."

“Mumu, my family will sign up first to grow medicinal herbs with you, but what if we don’t know how to grow them?” Chief Ruan signed up first, and then raised a question.

“Grandpa Clan Chief, don’t worry, we will arrange for someone to impart their experience,” Ruan Mumu replied.

"Mumu, we have a large family but little land. Would it be feasible for two people from our family to sign up to work at your house?" Chief Jin asked.

“Brother Jin, Mu Mu just said that there are limited spots. How about we limit it so that each family can only have one person sign up?” Chief Yang also spoke up.

Seeing everyone's enthusiastic discussion, Ruan Mumu quickly added, "I'm also opening a pharmaceutical factory at the foot of the mountain that produces commonly used medicines. I'll need a lot of people then. If any of your relatives or friends are interested, they can come for an interview. Those who pass the interview can work at my factory. In addition, I'm opening several large clinics, which will also require a considerable number of staff..."

Upon hearing so much news, everyone reacted as if a bomb had exploded, causing an uproar.

Everyone was loudly talking about how many relatives they could come, or how their relatives' children would definitely want to come. It was as if these old men had become young again, their voices even louder than those of the young people, instantly drowning out Ruan Mumu's voice.

Ruan Mumu looked helplessly at these old guys who were more energetic than children, then shrugged at Qiao Tinghao, indicating that she had no choice.

"Stop..." Qiao Tinghao shouted as he saw Ruan Mumu's somewhat amused and exasperated expression.

Everyone finally calmed down after Qiao Tinghao's shouts.

After everyone calmed down, Ruan Mumu continued, "Grandpas, please don't get excited. Our pharmaceutical factory still has some positions that require literate people to fill, so you can keep an eye out for them. Those who can read will be given priority in the recruitment process."

Upon hearing this request, everyone suddenly fell silent again.

How many people in a farming family are literate? Those who can read a few words have mostly gone to the town or county to find work. Who would still want to come to this poor, remote place to work?

"Of course, I have another idea that I hope everyone will support. I plan to build a school next to the pharmaceutical factory, which will accept both men and women. Everyone can choose a skill to learn, and they will live and eat at the school. The school will cover all food and lodging, and tuition will be free. There will be an exam every six months. Those who pass the exam will have to work at my pharmaceutical factory or clinic for three years. Anyone who breaks the contract will have to compensate me five times the training cost. I wonder what everyone thinks?" Ruan Mumu dropped another bombshell.

"Wow! This is such a bargain!"

"I'd like to sign up all my grandchildren!"

"I want my son and daughter-in-law to have them!"

"Is there an age limit? I'm thinking of signing up..."

The last sentence successfully made everyone laugh.

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