Chapter 532 - 533: Guo Shan
Chapter 532: Chapter 533: Guo Shan
Gu Kaiyuan sat quietly to the side, listening. Some of Bai Suihe’s insights were quite novel, yet they still adhered to the rules of survival.
"Daddy, how do you think this matter should be handled?" Gu Xingyang rolled her eyes playfully and looked straight at Gu Kaiyuan. She wanted to hear what kind of insights he had.
"I think your mother handled it quite well," Gu Kaiyuan said. "By making our stance clear and giving them some time to deal with it... Zhuang Datou and the others are smart people. I believe they will make the best choice."
"But they are a family," Gu Xingyang replied. "How could they possibly shake them off?"
Gu Kaiyuan thought, "Didn’t I just shake off a family myself?" On the surface, however, his smile was exceptionally warm. "So what if they’re a family? As long as they can distinguish right from wrong and know what they want, they will have the courage to fight back.
"If they can’t even handle this little matter well, I wouldn’t dare keep such people by my side."
Gu Xingyang blinked. "But Daddy, you’ve already kept them by your side."
Gu Kaiyuan looked at her innocent little eyes and exasperatedly reached out to tap her forehead. "You heartless little thing. You always claim to be Daddy’s sweet little angel, but let me see—is this angel’s heart made of ice?"
"Daddy, what did I say wrong?" Gu Xingyang refused to admit it; she was the absolute sweetest baby.
"There’s no problem with their character. It’s just that they have overly idealistic views when it comes to family," Gu Kaiyuan said. "After this incident, as long as they figure things out, there will be a smooth road ahead of them."
"But what if they don’t figure it out?" Gu Xingyang stubbornly pushed back.
"If they don’t, then that’s their fate," Gu Kaiyuan said. "When their family falls apart and scatters, they’ll just have to live in regret."
Bai Suihe glanced at the father and daughter. "We’ve rested enough. Why don’t we go to the back mountain and take a look? Let’s see how the planting is coming along."
This was directly tied to their future idyllic rural life, and it was also the first true home they were building. Naturally, they had to watch it take shape step by step.
Gu Kaiyuan had no objections. He immediately picked up Gu Xingyang. "It’s hot. I’ll carry her."
They had brought a baby carrier with them, but Gu Xingyang disliked being strapped to their backs, so it had gradually been left unused.
When Gu Kaiyuan and his family went out, they were closely followed by two senior maids and Nanny Pang, along with Lin Hua and the other guards. The procession was quite grand, and soon, some curious onlookers began to tag along just to join in the bustle.
Knowing they were heading up the mountain to check on the orchard, the villagers of Tian Village warmly greeted them. Thanks to the arrival of the Gu Family and the reclamation of several barren mountains, the villagers were able to earn silver coins right on their doorsteps. Moreover, their employer was generous; a hearty lunch was provided every day, and the food was excellent, with meat in every meal.
Now, many people envied those who could work for the Gu Family. A single month’s wages were substantial—even more than what some used to earn in an entire year. Not to mention the meat-filled lunches, which were better than what they ate during the New Year. With such an employer, it was only right to hold them in high regard.
"It seems Zhuang Datou and the others have done a good job. I feel like the whole village has changed a lot." Bai Suihe looked around at the crowd. They were the same faces, but their spirits and complexions had vastly improved.
"I know the answer to this one!" Gu Xingyang eagerly chimed in. "By settling here and reclaiming these mountains, we’ve created so many job opportunities for them, which counts as helping them out of poverty. As long as people have hope, their spirits will be high..."
"Oh, my little girl really knows a lot," Gu Kaiyuan praised her mentally. "Then tell me, what should they do once our fruit trees are fully planted?"
Gu Xingyang harrumphed. "Daddy, you’re trying to test me. Bring it on!
"Once the fruit trees in our orchard are planted, they still need to be taken care of. With just the few of us in the family, we won’t be able to manage it all, so we’ll always need to hire long-term help.
"Then there are our fields and the poultry raised on the mountain. All of these require manpower.
"Oh, right! In a few years, when the fruits ripen, they’ll need to be harvested and transported. If we can’t sell them all, we can make dried candied fruits..."
"Look at this little girl, her head is full of business sense. She truly inherited the Bai Family’s excellent genes," Gu Kaiyuan said. "Who knows, maybe our baby will become the richest woman in the country one day."
Gu Xingyang tilted her chin up slightly and said with a touch of smugness, "Daddy, Mommy, don’t you worry. That’s a piece of cake. When I make a fortune in the future, I’ll definitely let you enjoy emperor-level treatment..."
"You child, how can you speak so carelessly?" Gu Kaiyuan hurriedly stopped her. "You can’t say things like that."
Gu Xingyang couldn’t quite understand. What did she say wrong?
Bai Suihe then gently reminded her, "The ’emperor-level treatment’ you mentioned just now is a major taboo here."
Gu Kaiyuan looked at the mother and daughter, staring up at the sky in sheer speechlessness. He thought, "She knows perfectly well that it’s taboo, yet she still dares to bring it up."
Fortunately, they were communicating entirely telepathically. Otherwise, with so many people around, wouldn’t they be handing a fatal weakness to others on a silver platter?
It seemed he would have to warn them properly later; saying certain things out loud could genuinely get them killed. When those government officials grew ruthless, they could convict you on trumped-up charges, let alone when you painted such a glaring target on your own back.
As the mountain path grew steeper, they ceased their mental chatter, focusing instead on their footing and observing their surroundings.
By the time they reached the summit, they looked out over the three mountains they had purchased. The landscape was completely transformed. The weeds and miscellaneous trees had been cleared out, and rows of young fruit trees had already been planted. However, because the area was so vast, the demand for saplings was equally massive. Currently, they were planting the fruit trees as quickly as they could buy them.
Standing on the mountaintop, they could also spot the thatched cottage down in the col. Presumably, this was Huang Pingguo’s temporary residence.
"Have the rest of the fruit trees not been purchased yet?" Gu Kaiyuan asked. In a few months, the temperature would drop again, which would likely make it even less suitable for planting.
"They should just about all arrive in the next few days. When the time comes, we’ll hire a few more people and get them planted quickly," Zhuang Datou hastily replied. Today, no matter what, he had to perform perfectly. Perhaps if Madam was pleased, she would tell him how Dongmei was doing now.
Although he somewhat blamed Dongmei for blowing the family dispute out of proportion, she was still his wife, and his heart ached for her. Walking all the way to the county town with such a heavy belly—who knew how much she had suffered?
He only hoped that his relatives would quickly find a place to move out so that their lives could return to peace. If they refused to comply, or if they tried to pull any more tricks, then he would have no choice but to resort to his final plan: finding a place far, far away from them.
"You’ve worked hard," Gu Kaiyuan praised. "To be able to manage these mountains so well in such a short time shows your dedication.
"Once this busy period is over, I will definitely reward you."
Just as his wife had said, merits should be rewarded; only then would everyone be more motivated. It was just like when he was in the military camp in the past. If you didn’t offer proper benefits, who would willingly risk their lives for you?