The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

Shen Cao didn't know if he would ever return to Stone Village. It wasn't their hometown; it was just a place they had to stay when they were in trouble.

Fearing the village chief would press for answers, she quickly changed the subject, saying, "Village chief, you've misunderstood. We intend to hand over this house and land to you for you to dispose of as you see fit."

"If you don't mind, it would be even better if you accepted it."

"If you don't want it, then keep it for someone who needs it in the future."

The village chief felt a little sad after hearing his words. He knew how difficult things were for the Shen family, but he still had to support his family and could only do his part.

The Shen family not only didn't blame him, but also treated him with such courtesy, which made him feel guilty.

"Alright," the village chief had no choice but to agree.

Shen Cao looked at the simple and kind village chief in front of her. Stone Village was very poor as a whole. Even the village chief was wearing patched clothes, and his wife and children were covered in patches.

She had the idea of ​​helping the village chief and asked, "Uncle Village Chief, now that the busy farming season is over, I saw dried bamboo shoots for sale when I went to the county town before."

“I saw a large bamboo forest by the river in our village. I picked a lot of bamboo shoots there before.”

“I inquired about dried bamboo shoots before. A pound of dried bamboo shoots costs at least one coin, and some better ones can cost two coins a pound.”

“It just so happens that I’m planning to open a restaurant in the future. The busy farming season is over recently, so you can make some dried bamboo shoots. I’ll find someone to come to the village to collect them.”

The village chief was overjoyed to hear Shen Cao's words. He had never heard of bamboo shoots being edible or even sold for money.

He had tried it before, but the bamboo shoots were bitter and astringent, and not tasty at all.

"Shen family's eldest daughter, are you sure that thing can make money?" The village chief asked, somewhat incredulous.

"I'm sure. As long as you have it, I guarantee I can make money selling it." Shen Cao replied confidently. At worst, he would just buy it all himself. There are many kinds of food that can be made from bamboo shoots, and because bamboo symbolizes nobility and integrity, many scholars highly recommend eating bamboo shoots.

The village chief's suspicions were not without merit; after all, unprocessed bamboo shoots are bitter and astringent if eaten directly.

"Uncle Village Chief, before drying these bamboo shoots, you need to blanch them in hot water." Shen Cao described the method of making bamboo shoots to the village chief in detail until the village chief memorized it completely.

The village chief looked at the girl in front of him, who was a year younger than his eldest son. She was clearly a clever girl, and the Shen family's current predicament was largely due to her.

She used to think that she might have the opportunity to become in-laws with the Shen family, but now she sees that her son is not good enough for them at all.

This girl will probably only get better and better in the future.

Shen Cao thought about the climate of Stone Village, which was very similar to Sichuan Province in his previous life. Such a climate was very suitable for the growth of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns.

However, few people eat these spicy and stimulating foods nowadays, so there are very few places where they are grown.

She took out the chili seeds and Sichuan pepper seeds that she had bought by chance in the county town.

“Uncle Village Chief, I have some seeds here. You can plant them in my field. Once they are ripe, I will send someone to harvest them.”

The village chief looked at the unfamiliar seeds with some confusion, "What kind of seeds are these?"

"Chili peppers and Sichuan pepper seeds."

"I can't really describe it, but it's basically a kind of seasoning."

"To be honest, Uncle Village Chief, I'm planning to open a restaurant in the county town and I urgently need these things. Once they're ready, you can come to the county town to find me, and I'll send someone to collect them."

“These things are much more profitable than growing grain. If you’re not comfortable with that, you can plant them in my family’s fields first.”

"If you still don't believe me, I can sign a contract with you, and you'll definitely make money then."

Shen Cao looked at the village chief with a serious expression, afraid that he would disagree.

Actually, Shen Cao could have had someone else do this, but she wanted to help the village chief. Rather than letting others benefit from it, she thought it better to use it to help people she knew.

The village chief looked at Shen Cao with some excitement. He had a premonition that this was his chance, his chance to change himself and change Stone Village.

As the village chief, he wanted Stone Village to get better and better more than anyone else.

However, in such a poor and remote place, there are very few ways to make money. The ancestors of Stone Village have been making a living by farming.

Growing crops can indeed guarantee a meal, but at the end of the year, after keeping enough food and seeds, the remaining grain can't be sold for much money. Year after year, Stone Village becomes poorer and poorer.

He wanted to help the villagers make money, but the villagers wouldn't listen to him at all.

He knew the reason: he himself was struggling financially, and he wanted to persuade everyone to work with him to make money. Not only did others not believe him, but even he himself didn't believe it.

As the village chief, he had virtually no authority, so when he spoke up for the Shen family today, no one listened to him.

He was a failure as village chief; he failed to manage his villagers well.

Even when he saw the village chief of the neighboring village, he couldn't lift his head. None of the village chiefs in the surrounding villages were as lacking in prestige as him.

The neighboring village of Shishui, because it is located right next to the sea, has its village chief leading the villagers to go out to sea to fish and make money. From small wooden boats to large fishing boats, Shishui Village has become increasingly wealthy. On the other hand, Shitou Village, which is separated from Shishui Village by a mountain, has nothing. It is impossible for them to even fish. All they have is a piece of land that they have more than Shishui Village.

As he listened to Shen Cao's words, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. If he could make money through dried bamboo shoots, others in the village would surely follow suit after seeing how he did it.

Their village may not have much else, but it has plenty of bamboo forests. The bamboo forest by the river is just a small part; there are vast stretches of bamboo forests in the mountains. If they were really worth one coin per pound, how much money would that be?

He was excited just thinking about it. And then there was Shen Cao's mention of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Although he had never heard of these things before, Shen Cao said they could make money, so they definitely could.

Shen Cao is a capable child who has led the Shen family from poverty to being able to travel to the county town.

Moreover, the people she knew were all extraordinary individuals, like Young Master Shen.

When he heard that Shen Cao wanted to sign a contract with him, he waved his hand and said, "Little girl Shen, Uncle Shi trusts you. There's no need for a contract."

"It's this kind of thing. Uncle Shi has never grown it before and doesn't know how."

Shen Cao thought about it and realized that it was indeed not easy to plant this for the first time.

"Here's what we'll do. I'll have my older brother write down some planting instructions tonight, and I'll send them to you first thing tomorrow morning. Just follow the instructions and plant it. If you encounter any problems later, feel free to come to the county town to find me."

Upon hearing this, the village chief happily agreed.

He'll definitely plant them carefully; he's counting on them to establish his authority and manage these ignorant villagers properly in the future.

Shen Cao was unaware of the village chief's intentions, but when she returned to Stone Village, she truly felt the changes in the village—but that's a story for another time.