Reborn in '77, I have a job panel!

Chapter 69. Can that brat be a team leader?

Grandpa Wang, leaning on his cane, asked slowly, "Chengzi, are you serious? Don't let them stop harvesting after a couple of days, leaving us with a pile of rotten produce at home."

Qian Cheng looked at him and said seriously, "Uncle Wang, don't worry, I'm not doing this business for just a day or two, I plan to do it year after year. As long as you collect well, I will keep buying. If I can't sell it all, it's on me. Even if I lose money, it's on me. I will never let anyone suffer a loss."

"Grandpa Wang nodded and didn't ask any more questions."

Aunt Li asked again, "Chengzi, are you sure you can sell all this stuff you've bought? Don't let it become a burden."

Qian Cheng smiled and said, "Auntie, I've already arranged the sales channels. The mine canteen needs dozens of kilograms a day, and I'm also trying to reach out to the factories in the county. City people love wild vegetables, so I'm not worried about selling them."

Hearing him say that made everyone feel more at ease.

Some people have started to do the math.

"The tender shoots of the prickly ash cost 15 cents. If you pick 10 catties a day, that's 1.5 yuan. That's 45 yuan a month."

"Dandelions are easy to pick; twenty catties a day yields two pieces."

"This is much better than farming."

"That's right, you only earn a few dollars a year farming."

The discussion grew increasingly lively.

He glanced into the crowd and saw his teacher's wife, Deng Jingshu, smiling and nodding at him.

Captain Li spoke up again: "Alright, alright, stop arguing. The matter has been clarified. Go back to your work and don't waste time."

The crowd gradually dispersed.

But the group didn't go far; they huddled together in twos and threes, still discussing the matter.

"That kid Chengzi is really capable."

"That's right, one against six, and he can even do a side hustle."

"They're smarter than us."

"From now on, we'll benefit too, and we can make money by picking wild vegetables."

"I just don't know how long we can keep this up."

"They said they've been doing this for years, and the team leader even spoke up for them, so they should be reliable."

Aunt Li pulled the person next to her and said, "I'll go up the mountain tomorrow to see if the tender shoots of the prickly ash have sprouted yet."

"What's the rush? It's still early, a few more days."

""

"What's the rush? Let's scout it out first."

Zhang Changtian and Deng Jingshu walked back.

On the way, Deng Jingshu said with a smile, "Chengzi is really something. He wasn't nervous at all in front of so many people."

Zhang Changtian grunted in response and didn't say anything more.

Deng Jingshu glanced at him: "Aren't you going to say a few words of praise?"

'

Zhang Changtian said in a muffled voice, "What's there to praise? It's still early. We'll have to see if it can be done."

""

Deng Jingshu laughed: "You old man, you're so stubborn."

Zhang Changtian ignored her and walked forward with his hands behind his back.

But deep down, he was actually quite satisfied.

When Qian Cheng returned home, Hou Yufen was waiting for him.

"How is it?"

"That's good." Qian Cheng sat down. "Everyone is willing."

Hou Yufen breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

Qian Cheng took a sip of water and said, "Mom, when the wild vegetables come out in a few days, I might be too busy to manage them all. You'll have to keep an eye on them for me then."

Hou Yufen nodded: "Okay, if I don't help you, who will?"

Qian Cheng thought for a moment and said, "We still need to find a few people to help with weighing and bookkeeping. We'll discuss it with the team leader and find some reliable people from the team."

That afternoon, the news that Qian Cheng had set up a sideline production group for the production team spread like wildfire throughout the village.

After the meeting at the village entrance, everyone dispersed, and then gathered in twos and threes to continue chatting.

Some squatted against the wall, some stood at the intersection, and some walked and talked.

"Have you heard? The second son of the Qian family has become a group leader."

"How could I not have heard? I heard it right at the village entrance."

"They said it was 15 cents a pound of tender shoots, which is much higher than the supply and marketing cooperative."

"If he really dares to offer such a price, won't he go bankrupt?"

"What loss? They have connections; they sell to the mines."

"That's true. Those miners have money but nowhere to spend it."

"From now on, we can also benefit from this; we can go up the mountain to pick some wild vegetables and exchange them for money."

The discussion spread from the east end of the village to the west end; every household was talking about it.

Qian Gaofei had just returned from the mine.

He's been exhausted these past few days.

Ever since I owed Sun Xinghua thirty yuan and wrote her an IOU, she's been making trouble for me every few days.

Today they'll block the doorway, tomorrow they'll block the road, and the day after tomorrow they'll come to the door and yell at us.

Forced into a corner, Qian Gaofei had no choice but to work in the mine.

Working in the mines is no joke.

Qian Gaofei has been hanging around in the village for years, finding farming too tiring, let alone going down into the mines.

But the wages at the mine are high; you can earn more than two yuan a day, which adds up to more than sixty yuan a month.

He calculated that if he didn't go to the mine and just relied on farming, he would have to pay back the thirty yuan for a year.

I gritted my teeth and went.

But when I got there, I realized that this money was really hard to earn.

Going down into the coal mine is black, dirty, and exhausting. After a day's work, your bones feel like they're falling apart.

He had worked in the fields his whole life, but he still felt he couldn't take it anymore.

He'd only been working there for about ten days, and he'd already lost a lot of weight.

The flesh on his face has disappeared, his eye sockets have sunken, and he no longer walks with the same arrogant air as before.

He returned from the mine and walked home along the village road.

When I got to the village entrance, I saw a group of people still standing there chatting.

He had intended to go around them, but upon hearing their conversation, he stopped in his tracks.

"Qian Cheng is really capable now."

"That's right. Back then, it was one person taking on six, and now he's even a team leader."

"Maybe our village will depend on him from now on."

Qian Gaofei frowned, leaned closer, and asked, "What are you talking about? What team leader?"

Several people turned to look at him. Everyone knew about the falling out between Qian Gaofei and Qian Cheng some time ago, and they all looked at Qian Gaofei with a strange expression.

After all, it's his own uncle; instead of helping his own family, he took the money and helped outsiders.

In the countryside, this is simply unacceptable, and many people would secretly curse Qian Gaofei, saying he's a real scoundrel.

Someone blurted out, "Don't you know? The brigade set up a sideline production group, with Qian Cheng as the group leader. They'll be collecting wild vegetables, and the price will be 20 percent higher than at the supply and marketing cooperative."

Qian Gaofei was stunned for a moment: "Qian Cheng?"

"Yes, it's him."

Qian Gaofei opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Someone nearby muttered quietly, "Isn't he Qian Cheng's uncle? He took money from an outsider and helped the outsider persuade his own nephew to forgive him. He's a real scoundrel!"

'

"Shh, keep your voice down."

'

'

The group ignored him and continued their conversation.

Qian Gaofei stood there for a while, then turned and walked home.

His mind was in a mess the whole way.

Qian Cheng, that brat, became a team leader?

Starting a side hustle? Gathering wild vegetables?

What gives him the right?

What skills could a mere boy, still wet behind the ears, possibly have?

He remembered that day at Qian Cheng's house, when Qian Cheng pointed his finger at him and cursed him, and Qian Lu kicked him out.

He was seething with hatred at that time, thinking that he would get his revenge sooner or later.

But now, he's become a team leader, while he's still doing hard labor in the mine.

When Liu Fang got home, she was cooking in the outer room.

Seeing him come in, she greeted him, "You're back? Wash your face, dinner will be ready soon."

Qian Gaofei didn't say a word and plopped down on the kang (a heated brick bed).