At this time, Ma Defu and Juanzi rode into the field.
"Defu'er," Li Shuihua greeted him generously after seeing him again. She had gotten rid of the knot in her heart.
"Shui Hua'er, why are you here?" Ma Defu was a little surprised when he saw Shui Hua'er.
"Follow the man," Shui Hua'er said with a smile, "Defu'er, this is the man Yongfu'er. Yongfu'er, this is my classmate Ma Defu."
"Hello, Comrade Ma, I've heard Shui Hua'er mention you a long time ago." Xiang Nan stepped forward and greeted with a smile.
"Hello, Comrade An, I've heard your name a lot lately." Ma Defu also said with a smile.
"A little nickname is not worth mentioning." Xiang Nan waved his hand and smiled.
"Comrade Ma, did you bring this tractor?" Ma Defu asked.
"Yes. E's father and E's father-in-law are old, and it's too difficult to open up wasteland. So I hired two tractors to help them prepare the land, which also saves them from getting tired." Xiang Nan said with a smile.
"You are so filial." Ma Defu said with a smile, "Comrade An, how much did you pay for this tractor?"
"Twenty per acre," Xiang Nan introduced.
Ma Defu nodded, "Comrade An, let me discuss something with you and let them prepare the land for us, okay?"
"Of course, whoever wants to make money can't make it." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "It's not easy for them to make this trip. Naturally, the more land they can cultivate, the better."
Originally, the tractor was unwilling to come. After all, we only have a few acres of land and we have to drive dozens of kilometers, so we don’t even have enough gas money. It was Xiang Nanduo who spent money to use these two machines.
"Can we discuss with them and lower the price? If the price per acre is reduced to fifteen, then everyone can afford it," Ma Defu said again.
It’s really hard for the villagers to make money. They work hard in the brick kilns and can only earn a few dollars a day. They also have to save money to build a house and buy water to irrigate the fields... it’s really hard work.
"Okay, let's go discuss it with them." Xiang Nan nodded, and then went to find the two drivers.
…
After some discussion, the two drivers lowered the price to eighteen, which was two yuan cheaper per mu.
"Comrade Ma, do you think this price is appropriate?" Xiang Nan asked.
"Oh, it's still a bit expensive. Eighteen yuan, oh, it takes several days to take off the bricks before you can squeeze it." Ma Huanshui smacked his teeth and said.
"Eighteen yuan can buy ninety kilograms of white noodles. It's too expensive. With that kind of money, I might as well buy noodles." Li Dayou said reluctantly.
"Eighteen yuan is enough to buy 180 barrels of water, which can last for a year. No, no, it's too expensive." Shuan Men and Yang San also shook their heads.
"Call Uncle Shui and Uncle Dayou, you can't settle the accounts like this. If you hire this machine, you can clear the land in one day and plant the seeds tomorrow.
It's only July now, and you can still grow soybeans, millet, and vegetables... and you can still earn an extra year's income. If we don't use machines and rely solely on manpower, we may not be able to clear the land until next year.
At that time, it will not only consume manpower, but also make less money for a year. Xiang Nan advised.
"You are right, but we really have no money." Li Dayou spread his hands and said.
"Yes, this is the truth. The key is that the folks are really poor." Ma shouted for water.
In fact, he also felt that Xiang Nan was right. Relying on manpower alone to prepare the land is really too slow. It’s digging the ground, picking up rocks, turning over soil... It’s difficult for a family to finish all the land they’ve been allocated in one year.
Nowadays, there is a machine that can be done in a moment, which is really convenient. The time saved can be used to plant more crops and work for a few more days, which is indeed a good thing.
But a penny can't help a hero. The people in Jintan Village are really poor.
…
"Well, call the driver here, and you can talk about your difficulties. Maybe they are soft-hearted and can lower the price." Xiang Nan thought for a while and suggested.
"Why are you so embarrassed?" Ma Defu was a little embarrassed.
Xiang Nan was promising and made a lot of money. He hired a tractor for twenty yuan an acre, which was an understatement. Not a big deal at all.
He had to sell his house at a very low price, and to be honest, it made him feel that he had no face in front of Shui Hua.
Although he knew that he and Shui Hua were not destined to be together, he still didn't want her to see his embarrassing side.
Ma Huanshui, Li Dayou, Shuan Men, Yang San and others didn't care. They immediately went over to surround the driver and told them their pain, hoping to get the driver to make another concession.
After much effort, the driver finally agreed to lower the price to 17 yuan, which was still 2 yuan short of the psychological price for people in Jintan Village.
They wanted to beg again, but the driver refused to agree.
After all, they have fuel consumption, losses, and wages, so they can't work in vain.
"Comrade Ma, how much land does our Jintan Village have?" Xiang Nan asked.
"Nearly four hundred acres of land." Ma Defu introduced.
Forty-two households have come to Jintan Village now, and nearly 400 acres of land have been allocated, with more than 4,000 acres left for villagers who have not come yet.
"Let's do this, uncles and gentlemen, let me tell you something." Xiang Nan cleared his throat and shouted, "You still pay fifteen acres. If you don't have enough money, I will add it."
"Ah, why are you so embarrassed?" Ma Defu said even more embarrassed when he heard this.
"Oh, this won't work. How can I ask you to pay for it?" Ma Huashui said embarrassedly.
"Young students, together we have hundreds of acres of land." Li Dayou also said, "Can you really afford it?"
"E's dad and E's father-in-law have all immigrated to Jintan Village. You will all be E's fellow villagers from now on. If I extend a hand to help, I don't count as a outsider." Xiang Nan said, "From now on, we will all live in the same village. It is inevitable. There are times when we need to help each other. From now on, uncles and uncles should help my family and my father-in-law's family more."
"Oh, this kid is so righteous!"
"Shui Hua, you are such a good man!"
"We have a good son-in-law in Yongquan Village!"
When the villagers heard this, they were all full of praise.
Then, the tractor roared again.
…
"Yong Fu'er, you are such a good person," Shui Hua hugged Xiang Nan's arm and said affectionately.
Xiang Nan saved the whole village with just one word, sparing them so much hard work and making her feel happy for them.
"As long as you're happy. I just said this without consulting you. I'm afraid you won't be happy." Xiang Nan said with a smile.
"You did a good thing, of course I'm happy." Shui Hua smiled.
Ma Defu couldn't help but sigh when he saw Shui Hua and Xiang Nan being intimate.
…
The tractor worked for nearly a day and finally cleared all the land in the village.
After finishing, Xiang Nan and Shuihua took a ride back to the city. Before leaving, he left 3,000 yuan to An Guomin to build a house for his two younger brothers and his father-in-law, Li Laoshuan.
The reason why he didn't give it to Li Laoshuan directly was because he was worried that Li Laoshuan would spend it on eating and drinking instead of building a house. When the time comes, no matter if he reaches for money or eats and drinks... it will be the end of the world.
"Yongfu'er, Shuihua'er, please stay and eat."
"The food is cooked, let's stay and eat."
Before leaving, the villagers diligently tried to persuade him to stay.
