Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Seeking Another Way Out
Yue Jiandong asked Jin Aijun, “Junzi, when it’s all just renting land, why did you rent it to Wang Jinshun’s family?”
Jin Aijun, with his head lowered, said, “Brother Yue, I know I’ve wronged you, but he offered to pay me five years of rent in one go.”
Wealth sways people’s hearts; even if two people are close, in the end, it’s the tangible benefits that matter.
Wang Jinshun, due to his son’s incident, had received a large sum of compensation from the government, which made him much wealthier compared to the Yue family.
Yue Jiandong shook his head and patted Jin Aijun’s shoulder, “I don’t blame you. Anyone would have been tempted.”
Far from feeling relieved, Jin Aijun only felt more distressed.
“Actually, I asked Mayor Zhang to come today because I was hoping he could mediate. The land my old man left is quite large; why not split it in two and rent half to each family?”
Mayor Zhang discussed with Wang Jinshun, “Your land is already not small, plus you only have you and Daming, two men in the family, and with your bad leg, you might not always be able to look after it.”
“Better to resolve enmity than to hold a grudge. Yue Dashan truly saved you back then, and for that alone, you should agree to Junzi’s proposal.”
Wang Jinshun sneered, “My leg may be lame, but it doesn’t affect farming. Besides, whether or not the land can be farmed is my family’s business, and even as mayor, you can’t control that.”
Mayor Zhang was at a loss for words.
Wang Jinshun added, “And I sure don’t dare to farm land with the Yue family. Who knows if I might catch their poverty disease?”
With words like that, Jin Aijun could only give Yue Jiandong a helpless glance.
“Brother Yue, I’m truly sorry.”
Unable to do anything, Mayor Zhang also had to lead the two men away.
The Yue family was left with false joy, and everyone’s faces looked sour.
What was even harder to accept was this sense of disappointment.
At that moment, even the strong-willed Lin Chunju started to waver. Could it be that the Yue family was just destined for poverty, and would these days stretch on forever?
Temporary suffering isn’t scary; what’s frightening is the inability to see hope.
A future without anticipation is doomed to darkness.
Just then, a crisp sound came from the table.
Yue Qingqing straightened her body from her mother’s knees, and her little paws accidentally pushed the enamel cup on the table to the ground.
The enamel cup was sturdy and wasn’t damaged much, but the water inside spilled on the floor, wetting it.
Wang Jinshun sneered, about to scold them for being a liability, but was startled by Yue Jiandong’s ferocious glare and could only huff in his heart.
His sneer, however, caused Lin Chunju to snap back to reality, her gaze sliding over the puddle on the floor.
Mayor Zhang paused at the doorway, misunderstanding Lin Chunju’s intent, “Sister-in-law Yue, don’t worry. When the village has suitable land for contracting, I will consider the Yue family first.”
“You’ve misunderstood, I wanted to ask if the fish pond to the south of the village is available for contracting?”
Mayor Zhang was taken aback, “The fish pond? But that pond has been abandoned for quite some time.”
This fish pond had been in the village for a long time, and it wasn’t that no one had ever thought about it, but after one or two years, there were no profits to be had.
Many people said that there were rivers nearby the village, and if one wanted to eat fish or shrimp, one could just go fishing. Who would bother with a fish pond?
Since it had been neglected for so long, the drainage channels were clogged, and the water that accumulated had turned into a stagnant pond.
In the summer, it emitted bursts of foul smell, attracting many mosquitoes and insects, and villagers would take detours to avoid it.
Yet Lin Chunju was resolute, “No problem, just tell me if it’s possible to rent.”
Mayor Zhang, trying to be kind, cautioned her, “It’s possible, sure, but it won’t make money, you know. You shouldn’t make a hasty decision out of desperation.”
“You know my family are skilled fishermen, and over time we’ve become familiar with the habits of fish. There might be a way out,” Lin Chunju analyzed.
“Besides, the rent for the fish pond should be cheap, right?”
“That’s for sure, after all, nobody wants it. Although it’s considered the village’s communal property, if your family really wants to rent it, our village committee will discuss it, and the price will definitely be low. Think of it as fixing a stinky ditch and contributing to the village environment.”
Wang Jinshun, listening on the side, suddenly interjected, “Mayor Zhang, my family is also capable of contracting that fish pond.”