Chapter 369: Chapter 369: Liu Jiaxin Funds
"You’re back, how did it go? Was there any effect?"
"No, I went to see the village chief of the neighboring village, and it was a total waste of breath. No matter what I said, it just went in one ear and out the other. So, feeling helpless, I had no choice but to come back with the old village chief."
"Ah, where is the old village chief? I haven’t seen him."
"Oh, he was busy all afternoon and didn’t even have time for lunch. That’s why I let him go home to rest. After all, he has stepped down now, so we can’t rely on him for everything. It’s only when we don’t understand something that we can consult him. How about you, have you almost finished organizing everything here?"
"I’ve mostly gone through everything. I’m categorizing stuff and tallying up with them. That way, if there’s actually village work to be done in the future, it’ll be easier to manage. Haven’t you eaten either? Come on, go home with me, and I’ll make you something to eat."
"No, I really can’t eat right now. Look, it’s almost 2 PM. I have a few people in mind, and I’ll be writing down their names on a list later. Then you can go notify them. We need to pull them all back in. Then I’ll see what they’re thinking. If they’re really willing to stay and work here, I’ll definitely be happy to keep them on."
"Alright, you make the arrangements and I’ll go notify them right away."
Li Yanling agreed quite readily. After all, her own purpose had been achieved, and she would be able to stay by this person’s side, feeling somewhat stronger about doing anything.
In the end, he took out some paper, pondered for a long while, and finally wrote down a few names. Li Yanling looked at the list she received and knew that these people were somewhat skilled. But could they really be satisfied with the work available here?
"As far as I know," she said, "I won’t talk about the others, but Li Dazhuang is apparently working as a security guard in the city, earning almost 3,000 yuan a month. I want to ask, how much can you pay him if he comes here? And does the village committee even have this kind of budget?"
"Strictly speaking, everyone works voluntarily for the village committee. Only the village chief, which is me, might receive some compensation. But what I can offer them might not be enough for them. However, I will find another way to resolve their income issues."
"What? Another way? To solve income issues? Can you even do that? And what about me? Can I, can I also get paid?"
"Yes, of course, everyone can get paid. If worse comes to worst, I’ll personally cover for it. That way, I might get some respite, but we absolutely must establish this team. Otherwise, we’ll have no way to move forward with our plans. Go and notify them. Oh, and tell them to come for a meeting at 4 PM today. It’s still early; just let them get ready in the meantime."
"4 PM? Isn’t it already 2 PM? These people should be at home by now, right? Why can’t we just call them over and start the meeting? Why delay until that time?"
"Because before the meeting, I must get someone to come by. And only with their agreement can we proceed with our upcoming tasks. Do you understand?"
"What, you’re planning to hire some capable people from outside? But the more you hire, the greater the expense, right? How much can you earn by running that health clinic? You can’t just keep dipping into your own pockets to cover costs."
"It’s not about dipping into my own pockets. The person I need to find is our benefactor, whom, of course, you also know. You just saw her last night, didn’t you?"
"Hmm, are you talking about Jia Xin? Jia Xin is providing the money? That seems unlikely. Besides, she left the village so many years ago. Why would she give money for no reason?"
"It’s precisely because she’s been gone for so many years. After all, the village is where she was born and raised. She must give something back to the village. Plus, I’ve roughly discussed it with her. Once I take office, she intends to invest in building a food processing factory here. Then these people can be on the factory’s payroll. Even if they don’t work in the factory but serve at the village committee, their wages should be similar to the factory workers’."
"What, what are you saying? Set up a factory? When was this decided? And Liu Jiaxin, does she even have the capacity for that?"
"You really underestimate Jia Xin. Let me tell you, Liu Jiaxin is a very capable person. This matter doesn’t require too much. Enough, don’t worry about these things, I’ll call her."
"Okay, got it. I’ll start notifying them right away."
Li Yanling was now full of enthusiasm. She had intended to be in charge of women’s affairs and manage village matters, never expecting to make money from it.
But listening to Liu Zheng’s plans, it seemed that as long as they served the village committee, getting paid, more or less, would be enough satisfaction for him.
Once everyone had left, he took out his phone and called Liu Jiaxin’s number, curious about what the girl would be doing at the moment and whether she would have time to attend the meeting.
After the phone rang for a bit, Liu Jiaxin’s voice finally came through.
"Hello, what’s up? Aren’t you supposed to be officially starting today? Normally, you would have a lot to handle."
"Jia Xin, I’ve officially taken over now, and I need to build my own team. So, this afternoon at 4 PM, I want to hold the first village committee meeting, and I’d like you to participate."
"Me, participate? I’m not one of you, and I’m going to support you without asking for anything in return. You don’t need to pull me into this now, do you?"
"No, it’s because this afternoon’s meeting is very important, and only with your consent can this team truly be formed. Do you understand? You have to realize your own importance."
"Liu Zheng, what kind of title are you trying to pin on me? Don’t put all the pressure on me. Remember, you’re the village chief, and I’m just a regular villager, at most an investor."
