Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 120: Special - : The Chubby Girl and the Coconut Grove

Chapter 120: Special Chapter: The Chubby Girl and the Coconut Grove

Special Chapter

The Chubby Girl and the Coconut Grove

A little over a month after Liu Hao’s wedding, Xiaolin asked her father to buy two pieces of land. The first was a ten-mu plot of vacant land adjacent to a coconut grove. She planned to plant coconuts there specifically for making coconut sugar. In the meantime, she would use the existing coconut trees in the grove.

The second piece of land she wanted was along a small road that skirted the forest and headed towards Jingnan, about one kilometer from the Tang household. This piece was a vacant, overgrown plot near a canal, ideal for diverting water to plant coconuts.

Although the land was near the forest, it was surprisingly affordable, costing the same as land in the village. Xiaolin thought it was wise to buy land whenever she had the money. If she continued to develop her businesses and buy land to grow fruits and vegetables, the price of adjacent plots would undoubtedly increase.

This was evident from the land around her shop and market. Previously valued at only eight taels of gold, it had now risen to fifteen taels. Besides the row of over ten shops, two small inns had also been built, indicating that land prices would continue to rise, similar to those in the northern region.

Seeing that his daughter had ambitious plans, Tianrong hired daily laborers to clear the grass and small trees from the land. Many large trees were left to provide shade.

After that, they dug irrigation ditches to bring water to the coconut trees. Meanwhile, he entrusted Ling Heng and Shi Luo with managing the restaurant, with the help of his younger brother. Tianrong and his father-in-law each focused on the two plots of land.

The large piece of land near their home, which Xiaolin had purchased, spanned fifty mu. Although it wasn’t as expensive as the land for the shops, the vast quantity made it a significant purchase. It took several days of pleading and sweet-talking from the chubby girl to her father before Tianrong finally agreed to buy the land. Xiaolin’s persistent charm eventually won him over.

"Dig the irrigation ditches according to the plan I drew. Use twenty mu of the land. For the remaining area, dig one main ditch running to each designated spot as per the plan, and dig a pond about one zhang deep. The ditches should be around five chon deep," Xiaolin explained to her father.

She intended to plant a substantial amount of fragrant coconuts to sell as fresh coconuts. For coconut sugar, she would use the coconuts from the forest land they had already purchased since the current supply of wheat syrup was insufficient.

The remaining land would be divided to plant mangoes and pineapples, which were relatively easy to grow. Xiaolin believed she could manage these. As for oranges and pomegranates, they would need to be tested first. If successful, she planned to buy additional land for cultivation.

She also reserved one mu of land to dig a lotus pond for growing lotuses and raising ducks. However, this part of the plan would be executed later, once the other sections were completed.

The little boss lady watched as about thirty laborers energetically dug the soil. She had instructed her father to hire village women to prepare good meals for them. They were provided with unlimited rice and pork, which, while not the finest cuts, was still a treat for the often underfed laborers.

Additionally, there was a large pot of pork bone broth, allowing anyone to scrape off bits of meat for extra sustenance. This hearty food filled their bellies and gave them the strength to work hard, significantly progressing the work.

After two weeks, the ditches and pond were completed. Xiaolin stood there for a long time, stunned. She couldn’t help but think of the image of dozens of laborers digging furiously as if driven by some deep-seated anger, and it gave her chills. She wondered if their hands were now battered and torn from the intense labor, as the work had been incredibly demanding.

Xiaolin conveyed through her father that the laborers should take a month-long break before she would rehire them to dig the lotus pond. She insisted on employing the same workers who had previously dug the irrigation ditches, as they had proven their reliability and work ethic. The laborers, upon hearing this, beamed with satisfaction. With such a considerate employer who provided good meals, who wouldn’t be pleased?

“How about we hire fifteen male laborers and five female workers? What do you think?” Tianrong asked his daughter, who was clinging to his back. The father-daughter duo was heading to the governor’s manor to inquire about the details of purchasing laborers for their work.

“Hmm... How about adding two more male workers to help with the tasks around the house? This way, Grandpa won’t have to work so hard. Also, we can choose two young girls to help Grandma and Mother take care of the baby. The rest can assist with cooking and delivering meals to the garden. What do you think, Father?”

“That sounds good, little boss lady. You can wait for me at the governor’s manor while I take care of everything. It’s not a place for children,”

“Yes, Father. Please make sure to choose honest and hardworking people,” Xiaolin said, hugging her father’s neck and resting her chubby cheek on his strong shoulder.

“Oh, with such specific instructions, I will definitely pick the best ones,” Tianrong said excitedly, teasing his daughter.

“Hehe,”

After her father left with Uncle Zhou’s trusted aide, Xiaolin stayed behind to help her aunt take care of her four-month-old twin sisters. The chubby babies looked at their older sister with bright eyes. Lian Hua watched the three chubby faces with amusement, like three little buns staring curiously at each other.

“Do you remember your big sister? It’s me, Xiaolin,”

“Ah!”

“Ahh!”

As soon as Xiaolin spoke, the twins responded with joyful cries and laughter. They tried to turn over and reach their round-cheeked sister, but being too young, they couldn’t crawl yet. However, just the act of turning over made their mother and the servants sitting nearby exclaim with excitement, as it was the first time the babies had managed to roll over on their own.

"Ah! Mistress, did you see that?" The servant exclaimed excitedly. Lian Hua nodded vigorously, her eyes fixed on her daughters with a broad smile.

"Our little misses are so clever!"

The servants’ excited chatter made Xiaolin blink and look around, realizing it was the first time the twins had managed to turn over. When she looked down and saw the two pairs of round eyes gazing back at her, she smiled warmly. Clapping her hands, she praised them in a sweet, high-pitched voice.

"Good job, little sisters! You turned over! That’s so great!"

"Ahh!" One of the babies smiled widely, showing off her pink gums, clearly happy with her big sister’s praise.

Xiaolin played with her little sisters until they drank their milk and fell asleep. She was about to leave just as her father returned to pick her up. Her beautiful aunt, who doted on her niece, gave her a large bundle of snacks and food.

"What about the servants, Father?"

"I’ve paid and completed the paperwork, but I’ve arranged to leave them there for a week since we haven’t built accommodations for them yet. I’ve spoken with a carpenter, and he’ll start the work tomorrow,"

"Did they agree to keep them there?"

"At first, they didn’t, but with the governor’s people helping to persuade them and a little extra for their trouble, they agreed,"

Xiaolin laughed dryly, realizing that bribes, or "tea money," were a necessity regardless of the era..

The Next Morning

The chubby figure of Xiaolin walked to a piece of land visible from her house, about twenty zhang away from the factory. The construction workers were diligently working. They were the same group who had built her house the previous year.

They were constructing a row of ten rooms and a small house about five zhang away, which consisted of three rooms. A bamboo fence clearly separated the areas. Behind the buildings were bathrooms and a bathing area, while in front was a small kitchen with a storage room, a cooking area, and a dining hall.

In addition to this, they needed to build huts at both garden sites and fence off the land. They planned to place posts at intervals and use ropes to demarcate the area, as building a proper fence around the entire property would cost more than purchasing the land itself. Xiaolin, despite her grand ambitions, was also frugal. She chose to cut unnecessary expenses wherever possible.

Satisfied with the progress, she walked back to the factory behind her house, where the workers were toiling away. A few days earlier, she had received a letter from the capital with an order from Young Master Long.

It said that he wanted to order five hundred jin of noodles and dried meat per month. Upon reading this, the money-hungry girl’s eyes lit up, and she eagerly called her father to share the news with her uncles at the beach.

She suggested to her father that they should build a larger boat and hire more crew members to increase their capacity and strength. However, she knew it was necessary to consult Uncle Zhou first to avoid potential problems. With the overwhelming workload, Tianrong temporarily delegated the supervision of the land projects to his father-in-law and younger brother.

For the restaurant and shop, he relied on Ling Heng and Shi Luo. He wasn’t too concerned about the seafood restaurant since Wu Zhe was in charge there. After contacting and obtaining permission from the city’s influential figures, Tianrong proceeded to hire shipbuilders to construct a large fishing boat.

In addition to her other plans, Xiaolin gathered the young men in the village to help build more fish-drying racks and hired them for the fish-drying process. Not only did she increase employment, but she also raised everyone’s wages. Those who had been eyeing a job with the Tang household were thrilled to finally become employees.

They had watched with envy as those working for the Tang family lived well and saved money, regretting not being chosen earlier. Practically the entire village’s male population was enlisted to work, except for the Luo family, the village head’s family. Since sending their granddaughter to be a concubine at a wealthy merchant’s house the previous year, the Luo family had improved their living conditions and didn’t need additional work.

"Grandpa Yong and Grandpa Wei, do you need more help?"

Xiaolin asked her grandfathers’ friends, who were making tofu skin for her. Besides selling it at her own shop, she planned to send some to Long Licheng, hoping he might be interested in placing orders to resell, thereby increasing her income.

"Xiaolin, it would be good to hire a couple more people. If we could boil more soy milk with additional cauldrons, it would be great,"

"In that case, do you have anyone to recommend?" Xiaolin, with her chubby belly, walked around inspecting the tofu skins hanging on bamboo racks. Hearing her question, Grandpa Wei laughed.

"If you ask like that, I’d like to recommend my daughter-in-law. My son is already working for you drying fish. The only one available at home is my daughter-in-law."

"Then please bring her to talk with my grandmother. But make sure to emphasize the importance of maintaining cleanliness since we are selling to outside merchants. If the customers see it’s not clean and stop buying, you will all lose your jobs,"

"Understood. I’ll bring her by tomorrow,"

"Sure thing,"

Next, Xiaolin went to check on the noodle production area. Currently, they were producing noodles made from rice flour and bean flour for sale. Sweet potato starch noodles were still only made for the restaurant due to the insufficient supply of raw materials.

Xiaolin’s little brain was deep in thought, considering asking her father to buy more land, but she was hesitant because she feared being scolded. She decided it might be better to encourage villagers to grow crops and sell them to her. Last year, her father had bought sweet potatoes from the villagers to resell. If she purchased this year’s crop for noodle production, there shouldn’t be any problem.

"Xiaolin, dear, the governor is here to see you," Hui Ning called out, carrying her youngest child.

"Yes, Mother,"

Xiaolin replied, heading out to meet her mother. Little Tianyu, seeing his sister, reached out for her. Xiaolin turned her back, allowing Hui Ning to place her son on his sister’s back. Hui Ning watched fondly as the siblings interacted while she walked alongside them.

Tianyu loved riding on his sister’s back and would babble excitedly whenever he saw her. Xiaolin played along, entertaining her baby brother the whole way. Tianyu, though still speaking in babbles, enjoyed calling out to familiar faces with his cheerful voice.

He was a happy and sociable child, always eager to talk to people he knew well, but he would shyly hide his face if he encountered strangers.

"Uncle," Xiaolin greeted Zhou Ming, who was sitting in the hall, sipping young wheat tea.

Zhou Ming turned to see his niece with the little "piggy" on her back. Xiaolin bowed respectfully while still carrying her brother. Zhou Ming chuckled at the sight and stood up to take the chubby baby, who greeted him loudly.

"Ahh! Ahh!" Tianyu waved his tiny hands and lifted his arms to be picked up by his kind uncle, who visited almost every week.

"Did you miss your uncle, hmm, Xiaoyu?" Zhou Ming asked, kissing Tianyu’s round cheeks playfully. The chubby baby wriggled in his uncle’s arms, excitedly. Zhou Ming laughed and patted Xiaolin’s head before returning to his seat with Tianyu.

"Uncle, did you come to play with Tianyu? I visited Yao Yao and Mei Mei just yesterday," Xiaolin said, sitting across from her uncle.

“I have some business to discuss with you and your father. Where has Tianrong gone?” Zhou Ming asked his niece, then turned back to playfully engage with the chubby, chatty baby.

“My husband has gone to check on the work at the beach,” Hui Ning replied as she sat down next to her daughter. “Do you have urgent business, sir? I can go fetch him.”

“In that case, I’ll head to the beach myself. I can see how things are going there. But can I take this little piggy with me? Hmm, Xiao Yi, do you want to go for a walk with Uncle?” Zhou Ming asked the baby, who smiled, showing his tiny teeth. At eight months old, he loved to gnaw on anything, especially his sister’s fingers.

“Of course, that would be perfect. It will give me some time to sort out his clothes, even if it’s just for half an hour,” Hui Ning said, laughing. The little one was very attached to his mother but also to his sister. If he was with his sister, he would forget about his mother for a while, so Hui Ning was happy for them to go with Zhou Ming.

“In that case, let’s get him changed,” Zhou Ming said, handing the chubby baby to Hui Ning.

Once Xiao Yi was dressed, Zhou Ming took both children in a large carriage. Tianyu was delighted, squealing loudly, which made his sister worry he might hurt his throat.

The baby stood on Zhou Ming’s lap, holding onto the carriage window and looking outside with excitement. It was his first time riding in a carriage away from home, as he usually only went into the village with his grandparents or mother.

When they arrived at the beach, Xiaolin noticed the bustling activity. Fish drying racks stretched along the shoreline, nearly a hundred or perhaps more. The beach was almost fully occupied by the villagers of Shenlin. There were about twenty men, ranging from young boys to old men, each drying squid at different spots, and another group of around ten people cleaning and preparing the squid.

“We’ll rest for an hour before heading out to set the nets again. Until the new boat is ready, we’ll have to make several trips a day,”

Tianrong said, speaking to his five older friends lounging on the porch. These five had been promoted to supervisors of the fish drying racks. Tianrong had increased their wages by a tael of gold per month, not including the money they earned from catching crabs, giant prawns, and mantis shrimp, which were less abundant and thus sold directly.

The workers who dry squid and fish earn two taels of silver per month, which was more than the workers at the restaurant and home by two hundred brass coins. This is due to the demanding nature of their work, being out in the sun and wind all day. However, they have to cook their own meals, unlike the workers at the restaurant and home who have a cook. Despite this, their meals are not inferior since they are near the sea and have access to fresh seafood.

Xiaolin reminded them not to consume seafood too often. They take turns going to the city to buy pork for their meals, with Tianrong covering the cost of the meat and seasonings, while the workers bring their own rice.

"Father!"

"Ahh!"

The voices of both children rang out together, making Zhou Ming laugh. Tianrong, hearing his daughter and son, quickly washed his hands and walked over to them.

"Governor," Tianrong greeted Zhou Ming with a bow.

"Relax. Are you free right now? I have some business to discuss with you," Zhou Ming said.

"Of course. This way, please."

Tianrong glanced at his son, who was resting his cheek on Zhou Ming’s shoulder. The little boy raised his hand to chew on, his round eyes watching his sweaty father. Tianrong chuckled softly and led the three to the hut. The lazy workers lounging around got up to greet them since they were quite familiar with each other.

"At ease,"

After exchanging a few greetings, the workers moved to a pavilion made for resting during the midday heat, leaving Tianrong to discuss business with Zhou Ming and Xiaolin.

"Is it important business, Governor?"

"It’s not urgent. I just wanted to escape those chatty officials for a bit," Zhou Ming laughed lightly, playing with the chubby boy in his arms.

"Oh," father and daughter exclaimed, looking at each other in surprise. Zhou Ming laughed heartily, and the little boy joined in with his gleeful giggles.

"I see you and this chubby little one are undertaking significant ventures. Now, you have a major merchant from the capital buying your products for resale. This could lead to further expansion in the future, so I wanted to ask for your thoughts," Zhou Ming explained.

"What do you mean, Uncle?" Xiaolin asked, shifting excitedly.

"From what I see, your fish drying racks have expanded significantly. To ensure you can use the beach without future issues, I propose that you start paying a tax to hold exclusive rights to the beach,"

Zhou Ming suggested, observing the concerned expressions on the father and daughter’s faces. He knew that the chubby little one would want to secure the beach, but current laws in the kingdom didn’t allow for outright ownership. Hence, he offered an alternative.

"Do you mean renting the land, Uncle?"

"Exactly. If you lease the land, no one else can claim rights to it and take advantage of you. Currently, there are some greedy merchants eyeing your operations,"

Hearing this, Xiaolin frowned deeply. She despised complications, and if these merchants caused trouble, it would give her a constant headache. She had thought they would start causing issues when she began selling coconut sugar, a rare and expensive commodity, but she hadn’t expected them to move so quickly. Now, they must be watching her every move closely.

"As you know, this stretch of the beach is public and open to everyone, unlike the northern side, which is government-owned. Even though it’s part of your village, it doesn’t mean only villagers can use it,"

"So, has someone already applied for it, Uncle?" Xiaolin inquired, her frown deepening.

"Yes, someone has applied at the land management office and paid a significant sum,"

"Is there nothing you can do, Uncle?" Xiaolin asked, her face clouded with worry.

"I can intervene, but it would only be a temporary solution and wouldn’t prevent them from trying again,"

Xiaolin realized that the person in question must have substantial backing if even her uncle couldn’t handle it permanently. The thought of future conflicts and issues gave her a headache. The myriad potential problems swirling in her mind made her frown even more.

Tianrong hugged his daughter, trying to comfort her and prevent her from overthinking and giving herself a headache.

"If we want to lease the land, what do we need to do?" Tianrong asked Zhou Ming. Seeing the worried look on the child’s face, Zhou Ming regretted bringing up the matter in her presence.

"I calculate the rent based on the length of the beach you want to lease. It’s one tael of silver per zhang per month, but the price might increase in the future,"

"I understand,"

Tianrong nudged his daughter. Xiaolin, who had been listening, helped her father think through the decision. They ultimately agreed to lease fifty zhang of the beach but decided to lease the area near the coconut grove instead, since it was land their family already owned.

"Leasing that side is a good idea. You can build a pier there as well,"

"Understood. What about the paperwork?"

"Go to the land management office. I’ll send someone to assist you. The sooner, the better. In the meantime, start building the pier. Move the fish drying racks and huts; don’t leave anything for others to use,"

Xiaolin excused herself to take a walk, leaving her father and uncle to continue their discussion. She stood by the sea, letting out a heavy sigh. Although she longed for a peaceful life, it seemed that complications were inevitable. She couldn’t escape them, no matter how hard she tried. SIGH!

Once the worker quarters were completed, Xiaolin left her father to handle the construction of the pier and went to oversee the new land. The young servants, aged between eighteen and thirty, were diligently channeling water into the irrigation ditches and turning over the soil in preparation for planting coconut trees.

"Shall we start turning over the soil on that side as well?"

Weng Shui asked, approaching his little niece who was shading herself with a large lotus leaf. He was assigned to take his chubby little niece and the workers for a dig of the soil as each of the gentlemen of the Tang family had their own duties. So, for this side of their land, Tianrong asked him to take care of it instead.

"No need for now. I haven’t checked the trees we’ll be planting yet. In the meantime, have the workers water the soil and add fertilizer to prepare it,"

Xiaolin replied. Despite their status as servants, she didn’t want to devalue them. They were still people and deserved to be treated with respect. She ensured they had adequate food and paid them the same as other employees.

"Alright, then. Why don’t you go rest? I’ll oversee the workers,"

Weng Shui suggested. He noticed some female workers loading dishes and pots onto a cart and gestured for Xiaolin to follow them. Xiaolin, who intended to find coconuts anyway, said goodbye to her uncle and walked back with the female workers.

Upon arriving, she and two fifteen-year-old male workers set off for the coconut grove with two carts. Once they reached the grove, Xiaolin began collecting young coconut sprouts, which had already started growing into small plants, with the help of the two workers.

"Are we going to plant these on the new land where others are turning the soil, Young Miss?" Asked Deng Guo, one of the young workers.

"Yes, Brother Guo," Xiaolin responded while continuing to gather the sprouts.

"Oh, Young Miss, I’ve told you to just call me by my name," the young man sighed deeply. Despite being a servant, she insisted on addressing him respectfully.

"Hehe, but you’re older than me,"

"Guo, just go along with it," Gao Shi, his friend, said that it seemed the little miss here was quite persistent and enjoyed teasing. The more he resisted, the more she’d insist.

"Exactly, Brother Shi,"

"Sigh!"

After several days, they had planted hundreds of coconut sprouts. From then on, the workers would take over their care. Xiaolin had no prior experience growing coconuts, so she told the workers to figure out the best methods together. The workers, looking bewildered, stared at the coconut grove, uncertain how many trees would successfully grow in the future.

"When can we start harvesting the coconuts?" Weng Shui, who had somehow become the foreman, asked his chubby niece standing beside him.

"About five to seven years from now," Xiaolin replied. "But don’t worry, there will be plenty of work in the meantime. Assign about five people to water and care for the coconut trees. The rest will work in the coconut grove."

Xiaolin rode in a cart pushed by her uncle Weng Shui, looking like an empress being carried on a golden palanquin. She sat with her head held high, showing off her double chin, her hands neatly placed on her lap, looking like a noblewoman with a retinue of guards following behind. Weng Sui laughed so hard at the sight that he was out of breath by the time they reached the coconut grove.

Before dealing with the coconut trees, Xiaolin led everyone around, pointing out the fragrant coconut trees and explaining the parts to be used, along with methods she vaguely remembered from her previous life.

One crucial detail was the use of White Meranti wood in the collection containers to prevent the nectar from turning sour or spoiling, which would render all their efforts futile.

Since her little brain couldn’t fully remember the correct method of tapping the coconut inflorescence to extract the nectar, they had to experiment for several weeks, almost giving up at one point.

Finally, Xiaolin tasted the sweet nectar one early morning, which made the whole effort worthwhile. The sweetness and freshness of the nectar brightened her tired face, having woken up at dawn to follow her uncle Weng Shui to the grove for a week straight, causing her eyes to sparkle.

"Sugoiiii!"

Xiaolin’s excited shout caused the dozen or so burly men working nearby to all turn their heads simultaneously. But the little girl was too engrossed in enjoying her fresh bamboo cup filled with sweet nectar to notice.

"Sigh!"

The men collectively sighed. After working with the little girl for many days, they thought they would have gotten used to her quirks, but she always managed to surprise them with something new. Even if they wanted to be used to it but they never seemed to be able to.

"The nectar collected in the morning can be drunk fresh, but if it’s collected later in the day, don’t drink it. Only use it to make sugar," Xiaolin explained.

"Why is that?" Weng Sui asked his little niece.

"The best nectar is collected in the morning. It’s fresh and safe to drink. But after that, who knows what might have fallen into it? Even if we filter it, it’s not clean enough to drink directly,"

"I see,"

"After we collect the nectar, we’ll go make some sugar!"

Following this, a sugar-making factory was set up by hiring Ling Heng’s friends from Haibin village. Ling Heng assured that the four friends he brought in were trustworthy. Tianrong and Xiaolin hired them for this task since the servants they had bought were all busy with other jobs assigned by the little one.

"Make sure the fire isn’t too strong. Keep stirring it constantly, but once it starts to thicken, you need to stir it continuously to prevent it from burning,"

The round-bellied young mistress instructed as she oversaw her workers. Xiaolin had ordered five large pans from her Uncle Zheng Luan and had hired a craftsman to build large stoves specifically for sugar making.

"We’ll start with one pan first. Making sugar is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Once you get the hang of it, I’ll hire more people to help so you can take turns resting,"

"Understood, Young Miss,"

The hired workers responded diligently. Xiaolin paid them thirty extra brass coins compared to other workers because of the hard labor involved. She had also constructed a small factory specifically for sugar making.

It didn’t take long for the coconut sugar to be sold at the dry goods store, causing quite a stir in Jiangnan. Merchants from both within the city and from other towns flocked to the Tang family’s dry goods store, creating a traffic jam that lasted nearly one hour.

Xiaolin had also sent a letter to Long Licheng’s worker, informing him about the new product. She included a pound of coconut sugar and two pounds of tofu skin. This prompted the father and son of the Long family to hastily ride from the capital to Jiangnan.

The chubby girl blinked in surprise at the sight of the two Long family members smiling broadly at her doorstep. She had just waved off the Long family’s cargo wagon four days ago, yet here they were again.

"Xiaolin, how much are you selling your sugar for?" Long Licheng asked excitedly. He had never smiled this broadly or been this enthusiastic in his life. Seeing his eagerness, Xiaolin grinned and narrowed her eyes at the father and son, a mischievous look on her face.

"Hehe, it certainly won’t be cheap."

‘zhang’ is a Chinese measurement equivalent to about 3.33 meters.

-----

Read ‘Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en