All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Bai Jiaxuan glanced at everyone, then looked away and cleared his throat before speaking.

"The first thing I want to talk about is that next spring, I will distribute some herb seeds to everyone. I will provide the seeds and also guide you on how to plant them..."

Before Bai Jiaxuan could finish speaking, a voice from below the stage interrupted him.

"Jiaxuan, who are you trying to fool? Why should we plant some medicinal herbs with you when we can just grow our own perfectly good crops?"

Bai Jiaxuan saw that it was Lu Zilin again. This guy couldn't stand Bai Jiaxuan being more powerful than him and liked to cause trouble for no reason.

Bai Jiaxuan was too lazy to argue with this guy, so he shouted down.

"White Dog, Lu Laosi, you two come up here!"

Upon hearing Bai Jiaxuan's shout, the two honest-looking men hesitated for a moment, then stepped out of the crowd and approached Bai Jiaxuan, all under the watchful eyes of the others.

Bai Jiaxuan then pointed at the two of them and shouted down.

"This year I planted twenty mu of medicinal herbs, Bai Gou'er planted one mu with me, and Lu Laosi planted eight fen. Bai Gou'er sold his one mu of medicinal herbs for twenty-two silver dollars, and Lu Laosi sold his eight fen for eighteen dollars. Ask yourselves, how much can you sell one mu of wheat or corn for?"

Bai Jiaxuan's words caused an uproar among the crowd, who all pushed forward, asking each other if it was true.

Bai Gou'er and his companion were surprised that Bai Jiaxuan had revealed this secret. They hadn't expected the profits from planting herbs to be so high, and they had planned to plant them on all their land after the spring. However, Bai Jiaxuan's direct revelation shattered their dreams of getting rich on their own.

The two gave Bai Jiaxuan a resentful look, but were then forced by the crowd to nod and admit it.

Bai Jiaxuan had actually considered whether to give them such a high price. He had initially planned to give them less, but after thinking about it, he felt that it wouldn't hurt to give them more to boost everyone's enthusiasm in the previous years, so that everyone could get through the difficulties as soon as possible.

Bai Jiaxuan knew why they were so excited. The price of wheat outside was around four to five silver dollars per dan (shi), but in those days, wheat production was pitifully low. The harvest from one mu (mu) of land was only five or six silver dollars, not including seeds and grain tax, not to mention labor costs.

To put it simply, these days, a farmer might only earn one or two dollars from planting an acre of land. Most farmers only have three to five acres of land, and the whole family works hard all year round to earn just three to five dollars.

Farmers truly suffered. This was only because, in the early years of the Republic of China, grain and land prices were relatively stable. A decade or so later, farming became almost unprofitable, and nobody wanted to buy land anymore; everyone avoided it. As for the reasons…

Because of the continuous warfare and the numerous and complex taxes levied by local warlords and the Republic of China government, farming was unprofitable. Even after a year of hard work, the income wasn't enough to cover taxes, so who would want to buy land and farm?

Now, one acre of medicinal herbs can sell for twenty-two silver dollars, which is almost five times the profit from growing wheat. Moreover, growing medicinal herbs is not difficult to manage. This is an unimaginable shock.

This is like if you normally earn 4,000 a month, and one day someone tells you that the cleaning lady who mops your office every day earns 20,000 a month, and she only works eight hours a day, while you work from nine to ten and your income is only one-fifth of hers. The jealousy and envy you feel is exactly what those villagers feel right now.

The crowd chattered excitedly, their expressions agitated and eager. Just as they were about to surround Bai Jiaxuan, he shouted loudly.

"Everyone, be quiet and listen to me!"

After everyone quieted down a bit, Bai Jiaxuan spoke this time.

"I've already made arrangements with the owner; from now on, I'll be responsible for planting and purchasing medicinal herbs in the village every year."

As the clan chief, I can't keep this opportunity to make money to myself, which is why I've decided to have everyone in the village follow my lead in planting it. However, the boss is very strict about quality, so you must plant it according to my requirements. Anyone who disobeys will regret it!

Bai Jiaxuan's words caused everyone to exchange bewildered glances, and their excitement gradually subsided. Everyone looked at Bai Jiaxuan expectantly, waiting for his instructions.

Seeing that everyone was excited, Bai Jiaxuan nodded in satisfaction and continued to shout.

"Alright, regarding the first issue of herb cultivation, I'll allocate the planting quota to each household after I buy the seeds in the spring. Now let's talk about the second issue!"

"The second thing is to solve the problem of famine. This year our village is having a hard time. Many families are eating tree bark to survive. As the clan chief, I feel heartbroken to see everyone going hungry, so I must find a way to solve this problem!"

"Regarding the problem of solving the famine, I now propose two solutions. The first solution is that I have just bought a batch of grain. It's already the New Year, and everyone hasn't had a full meal. I've decided to treat everyone to a full meal. Each household in the village can take one liter of grain back with them. Consider this one liter of grain my New Year's gift to everyone, so that the children in your families can have a full meal!"

Upon hearing these long-awaited words, everyone's eyes lit up with eager anticipation.

Seeing that everyone was already impatient, Bai Jiaxuan quickened his pace and continued shouting.

“A liter of grain won’t last more than a few days. My second solution is that any family in the village that can’t make ends meet can come to my house to borrow grain. This grain is life-saving grain, and I, Bai Jiaxuan, am willing to lend it. As the clan chief, I should lend it too. But before lending the grain, I have one condition to make!”

Bai Jiaxuan paused for a moment, and many people were so excited by the good news of the grain loan that their eyes turned red. They couldn't wait any longer and shouted.

"Chief, we'll agree to whatever conditions you have. Just say the word, and if we say a single bad word about you, we're as good as sons of bitches!"

The others echoed, for in the face of hunger, everything else had to take a backseat. Bai Jiaxuan was now their god, and they would even call him father.

But the human heart is the most unpredictable thing. Once they get through this difficult time, how much of this gratitude will remain? Who can say for sure?

However, Bai Jiaxuan must make everything clear today, and make them understand that he is the leader of the clan, and they must obey his arrangements and commands. Only under his arrangement can Bailuyuan survive this chaotic world!

If Bailuyuan were a disorganized mess, it would be a nightmare to watch, and I'd rather not manage it at all. But since I made a promise to the ancestors of Bailuyuan, I have to manage it well!

He waved his hand, interrupting the crowd's discussion, and then shouted.

"I remember telling you before that I am the clan leader, and I must make the decisions on important clan matters. But in just two months since I left, you have become like this."

I also remember saying that no matter who comes to collect grain, they must get my permission first. If they hold a gun to your throat, we should all unite and drive them away!

Since we were able to successfully complete the agricultural delivery last time, we thought we could do it again after the first time. But what happened?

You are all cowards, afraid of trouble and death. You handed over your family's life-saving food, leaving your own families to go hungry and your children to eat tree bark and grass roots. This is cowardly behavior.

Have you reflected on the fact that things have turned out this way?

Bai Jiaxuan spoke these words with a stern face, and his serious tone stunned everyone. After a long while, everyone turned their attention to the few old men at the front of the crowd.

Although the main reason for this grain requisition was Tian Fuxian's coercion and intimidation, the real culprits were these old guys who instigated and urged it on.

They were the real cowards, afraid of angering the government. That's why they forced everyone to sell their possessions to pay taxes. For them, the best way to survive in this world was for everyone to just endure it and not to go against the government.

But these absurd survival strategies don't work for Bai Jiaxuan. He'd rather starve his own children than not pay grain tax—that's utter nonsense. He can't even feed his own family; why should he pay taxes?

The old men were already extremely dissatisfied with Bai Jiaxuan's words, and now that they heard him pointing the finger at them, they all stood up and reprimanded Bai Jiaxuan.

"Hmph! Bai Jiaxuan, you are the clan leader, but you also have to respect us uncles and elders. What do you mean by what you said today? Explain yourself!"

Bai Jiaxuan showed no expression, coldly glanced at everyone, and then shouted.

"Let me make this clear from the start: if anyone acts on their own initiative again in the future, don't blame me for being ruthless. Got it?"

The group looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

The old men behind him turned pale with anger, pointing at Bai Jiaxuan, trembling and unable to speak.

Seeing that no one reacted, Bai Jiaxuan shouted even louder.

"Did you all hear what I said?!"

Upon hearing this shout, everyone inside the ancestral hall echoed it.

"I heard you clearly!"

An old man behind him was so angry that he lost his mind. He raised his cane and smashed it down on Bai Jiaxuan's head!

Bai Jiaxuan turned around, grabbed his cane with one hand, and then shouted at the old men.

“Uncles and elders, I once swore an oath before the ancestral tablets that as long as I am the clan chief of Bailuyuan, I will protect Bailuyuan and keep it safe and peaceful. If you think I am not suitable to be the clan chief, then convene a village meeting and remove me from office. As long as I am the clan chief, they must listen to me!”

After Bai Jiaxuan finished speaking, he let go of his cane, turned around and left without looking back...!

Chapter 39

Han Chunming went to the shop early the next morning. The job of making soup seemed easy, but it was actually time-consuming. The soup had to be simmered for more than five hours to be flavorful, and if it was simmered for too long, the nutritional content would be insufficient. He had to be on time for work.

So now he has to get up at three or four in the morning every day, start cooking before five, and open the shop for business before ten in the morning.

Han Chunming is also preparing to teach Taozi step by step. This job is too tiring, and he doesn't want to stay up all night every day.

Actually, he wasn't afraid of others stealing his secret recipe. He would add several special medicinal herbs an hour before each batch was ready.

Without this ingredient, it won't have any effect, and the dosage must be strictly controlled. These herbs are the real essence; others can't buy them, he prepares them all himself.

Of course, if I stop doing this job in the future, I might pass the secret recipe on to Taozi. The reason I'm not passing it on now is because Taozi is still somewhat resistant to this line of work. I'll pass it on to him when he really wants to do this job seriously!

When Han Chunming arrived at the store, Taozi was already busy.

Han Chunming was a little surprised to see Taozi arrive so early, but he didn't ask. Seeing Taozi's worried face, he knew that he must have been scolded at home again. They were all in the same boat, so he didn't say anything and let time prove everything.

Soon everyone got busy. Han Chunming worked for most of the day, and as dawn broke outside, the occasional bicycle bells of those going to work early could be heard on the street.

Just then, Han Chunming heard Meng Xiaoxing's voice from outside. He looked and saw Meng Xiaoxing standing timidly in the shop with a girl with a ponytail. When the girl saw Han Chunming, she quickly called out.

"Brother Wu!"

Han Chunming smiled and nodded.

"Little Jujube, have you had breakfast yet?"

The visitor was Meng Xiaoxing's younger sister, Meng Xiaozao. This girl was very hardworking and could also sing opera. In the original novel, she worked as a nanny for Grandpa Guan for several years and was deeply loved by him.

Meng Xiaozao quickly shook her head, then, as if remembering something, nodded again, afraid that Han Chunming would be unhappy.

Meng Xiaozao rarely visits Han Chunming's house, only once every few years. Naturally, she is not as familiar with Han Chunming as Meng Xiaoxing. She has heard that her sister earns forty yuan a month working there, which is comparable to that of urban workers. Naturally, she is worried that Han Chunming will not want her!

Seeing the child's cautious expression, Han Chunming smiled and said to Meng Xiaoxing.

"Why are you here so early? Did you start traveling in the middle of the night?"

Meng Xiaoxing wasn't as cautious as her sister; she had already figured out Han Chunming's mind and replied with a carefree smile.

“We got up at two o’clock. It’s convenient to have bicycles here. I was just worried that you’d be too busy, Wu Zi. Have you guys had breakfast yet? I’ll go buy you some!”

Han Chunming took two yuan out of his pocket, handed it to Meng Xiaoxing, and then said.

"Buy more, your brother Tao hasn't eaten either, hurry up and buy some to eat before getting back to work!"

Meng Xiaoxing nodded and quickly replied.

"okay!"

After saying that, he turned around and went out, leaving Meng Xiaozao still carrying her luggage. Han Chunming quickly told her to put her luggage in the kitchen and then told her to go and take over Taozi's work.

Meng Xiaoxing bought breakfast. Two yuan was a very good amount of money in those days. Fried dough sticks were only seven cents each. She also bought a lot of soy milk and steamed buns, and still had change.

Seeing such a lavish breakfast, Meng Xiaozhao's face lit up with sweet dimples. After breakfast, everyone quickly got to work. Meng Xiaoxing wiped the table, while Meng Xiaozhao busied herself with preparing the dishes in the kitchen. Everyone worked together with one heart and one mind, creating a lively atmosphere!

Han Chunming was stirring the soup in the earthenware pot with a ladle when he heard a commotion outside the shop. He quickly went to the kitchen and called out.

"Xiao Xing, what's all this noise?"

Hearing the call, Meng Xiaoxing rushed over and answered eagerly.

"Brother Wu, there are lots of elderly people outside waiting to drink the free soup!"

Han Chunming glanced at the time and exclaimed, "Good heavens, it's only a little before eight o'clock! My shop doesn't open until at least 9:30. There's still more than an hour to go!" He quickly called out to Meng Xiaoxing.

"Xiaoxing, quickly tell them not to crowd around yet, we won't open until after 9:30!"

Meng Xiaoxing agreed and quickly ran outside to explain.

Han Chunming shook his head helplessly and returned to the kitchen. Taozi, wearing an apron, was tidying up the bowls for serving soup. Hearing what had just happened, she immediately said irritably.