Chapter 506 - Chapter 506: Chapter 493 No More Opening (1/2)

Chapter 506: Chapter 493 No More Opening

“Master Ding specifically came here for this matter, and he takes it very seriously. From the sounds of it, Mr. Xu is also quite in favor. One is the city’s executive, and the other is the county magistrate; they are both local officials who genuinely care about us common people.”

“Since both officials hold this matter in high regard, we must give it serious consideration.”

“Manager Zhuang, you’re young, and I’d like to offer you some advice. In business, it’s always best to be flexible and keep a long-term perspective. The wider your connections are, the easier it becomes to do business in the future, don’t you agree?”

“Sure, you have to invest some silver in this workshop at the initial stage, but regardless of where this workshop is built, you’ll be making money. Why not make a profit and gain some reputation? Manager Zhuang, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Also, in return, our villagers will be buying into this silver stock little by little with their wages, so you, Manager Zhuang, won’t face any loss. Moreover, this will leave everyone in Feng Village beholden to you.”

“Ah, our Feng Village is indeed too impoverished, there’s nothing we can do about it. If we had some money, we wouldn’t have to give you, Manager Zhuang, such a hard time. Since you mean well, why not go all the way and just do a good deed…”

After Feng Yongfu finished speaking, he squinted at Zhuang Qingning.

Previously, when Ding Gaochang told him that Manager Zhuang was very capable, he had imagined her to be an old, cunning fox. Instead, he finds a young girl.

However, since she seems to be young, this matter should not be too difficult. With some persistent persuasion, she should surely see reason.

Merchants typically only get up early if there are profits to be made, their hearts as slick as black oil. Whenever they acquire some game from the mountains, they sell a whole large rabbit for around ten coins, but once they skin that rabbit, the fur sells for a healthy sum, and the meat is sold to a restaurant or a tavern, yet again making them money. A nice profitable turnaround for a rabbit’s worth.

Why let others profit off the hard-earned items they retrieved from the mountains? If this isn’t avarice, what is? If this isn’t exploitation, what else could it be?

Feng Yongfu has always believed that all merchants are deceitful. Hence, when he heard that Ding Gaochang mentioned setting up a workshop in Feng Village, he didn’t believe that the so-called Manager Zhuang would have such good intentions.

Opening a workshop in this remote village — what else could it be about, if not taking advantage of these poverty-stricken people, making them work for whatever wages they were given, which are sure to be much less than those offered elsewhere? Isn’t the person opening the workshop clearly taking advantage of them?

To add, isn’t the reason Manager Zhuang wants to open a workshop here just to curry favor with Master Ding and Xu Zhengping to pave her path for the future?

Since your plans are so ruthless, there’s no need to be polite with you. Just play the same game, leaving your plans in shambles, and in the end, you’ll be left only with bitter disappointment.

With his eyes lowered, a glint of shrewdness crossed Feng Yongfu’s gaze.

After seemingly contemplating for a long time, Zhuang Qingning finally nodded, “Chief Feng is correct, this workshop could indeed be set up anywhere….”

See, see.

He wasn’t wrong in his assessment was he? Just a young, naive girl, under the misguided notion that throwing some money around would curry favor with the County Government Office. He was sure that with a bit of persuasion, she would understand.

Feng Yongfu almost imperceptibly straightened his back.