Rebirth of a Farmer's Dad

Although Luo Feng was reluctant to discuss these matters with the villagers, he knew that if the issue wasn't resolved quickly, it might affect his entire plan. It was early October, the perfect time to harvest fruit. If they missed this window, they wouldn't be able to sell the jam before the New Year. Making dried fruit and jam also takes time. Furthermore, the New Year was when everyone had the most money and was most willing to spend it. If they missed this window, selling their produce would be difficult. Only by seizing this time difference could they make money; otherwise, all their work would be for nothing.

In this way, the villagers were determined to get through this hurdle; without their cooperation, they couldn't accomplish anything.

Luo Feng was naturally not foolish enough to explain to them himself; that would only make things worse. The fact that the villagers had all come to his house today meant that someone with malicious intent was secretly instigating things. Although he didn't know who this person was, he could sense that they existed, and there might be more than one.

To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Luo Feng wisely summoned the people he had discussed matters with the previous night. They were all elders in the village, and their words carried weight, unlike his own insignificant status. Moreover, he seemed to have made too much money lately, and various rumors about him had surfaced in the village—all sorts of things. Although he couldn't find specific sources, Luo Feng was certain that the villagers were simply jealous and had fabricated these stories.

While it's true that a person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear, going it alone in this situation is clearly not a wise move. Therefore, it's only natural that Luo Feng would bring along the village chief and a few others to take the blame.

Then Luo Feng explained the whole situation to the villagers again. To alleviate their concerns, he specifically explained in detail the subsequent distribution of benefits. Luo Feng thought to himself that everyone should be satisfied now.

"Fengzi, it's not that we don't believe you, but we've never done this before. How can we expect everyone to believe you with your eloquent words?"

"This is the matter. Everyone is unsure about it, and you have to give us an explanation."

"How about we put it in writing? We can't let everyone work for nothing. To be honest, we still have a lot of things to do."

These words nearly made Luo Feng spit out blood. He was furious; in his eyes, this group of people were utterly hopeless. He had only meant well by helping them earn some extra money, and now he was being forced to sign a contract. What did this mean? They were doing business together, but they seemed to want to keep all the losses for themselves and split all the profits. Their little scheme was incredibly clever; there was no denying it.

Luo Feng glanced at the village chief, gesturing for him to come out and say a few words. But the village chief completely ignored Luo Feng's pleading look, standing there silently. The other old men, like the village chief, remained indifferent, their eyes downcast.

Seeing that no one was helping him, Luo Feng got really angry. Did they all think he was a fool?

"Everyone, I know what you're all thinking. It's normal to be unsure if it's your first time doing this kind of business. But what's with forcing me to sign a written agreement? Business is about making and losing money. If this business fails, am I supposed to pay you out of my own pocket? If that's the case, I'd rather not do this business at all. I'm not short of money anyway. As for the ancestral hall repair, I'll give you what you're entitled to according to your contributions. You can figure out the rest yourselves." Luo Feng couldn't take it anymore. He was living a slightly better life than everyone else, but he had earned it all himself. Why should he donate it all for free, and why should everyone assume that he should donate as a matter of course?

Luo Feng had no intention of saying anything more to these ignorant villagers. Fine, he'd go back to the county tomorrow; let whoever wanted to deal with it do so, he certainly wouldn't.

"Fengzi, what are you saying? That's not what everyone meant!" The idea of ​​building the ancestral hall was proposed by the village chief, and he naturally couldn't just watch it fall through. Otherwise, aside from anything else, it would be a huge blow to his prestige.

"I don't care what you mean. Let me tell you, I'm not stupid. I've given the villagers a lot of face by coming back this time, but is this how you bully people?" Luo Feng angrily pointed at the village chief's nose and cursed.

“None of us have ever done this kind of business before, so we’re all a bit unsure. Besides, we were just a little impatient and wanted to get to the bottom of things, which is why we said those hurtful things. Don’t take it seriously.” The village chief didn’t retaliate after being scolded; he continued to try to persuade Luo Feng, hoping he would change his mind.

"I'm not going to continue this business. It's too much trouble for me, and in the end, everyone will blame me." Luo Feng said, turning around and going back into the house.

"No, everyone was a bit too hasty in their words just now. I apologize to you. Please don't take it to heart. Besides, we're all from the same village, we see each other all the time, it's not worth ruining our relationship over such a small matter." The village chief still hadn't given up, and kept trying to persuade him. The other elderly people were the same, afraid that Luo Feng would change his mind.

"It was you who said there was a shortfall in the village's ancestral hall repair, so I came up with this idea. Now you're worried about your own interests, just because you don't trust me, Luo Feng. Since you don't trust me, I won't get involved anymore. But for the sake of the village, I'll tell you exactly how things should be done, and then you can choose a trustworthy person to do the work. Whether this succeeds or fails, don't blame me, Luo Feng." The villagers' actions completely disheartened Luo Feng, so he decided to withdraw entirely from village affairs. In the current situation, getting involved might not be a good thing; he might end up with nothing but trouble.

As for the specific plan, Luo Feng had already thought it through. Writing down what was in his mind was obviously not difficult; he could simply provide them with a written plan later. Whether it would succeed or not was up to their fate. In any case, he had no intention of getting involved and didn't want to enter this mess again. He would just take his daughter and live his own quiet life far away from them.

However, Luo Feng had his own agenda. In his view, it would be a miracle if these illiterate old farmers in the village could actually make this business work. They would inevitably need his help eventually. But then they would be begging him for favors, and begging someone to do something is a completely different thing from eagerly helping someone. With such a huge opportunity, it would be a miracle if Luo Feng didn't take advantage of it.

"You all just wait and see. I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget. I'll skin you alive, or I'll change my name!" Luo Feng thought fiercely. But honestly, these ungrateful wretches really needed a good beating. They were so arrogant and thought they were so clever. Just wait, they'd be left with nothing but regrets.