Stay Home Daddy: I Was Reborn After My Daughter Passed Away
Chapter 122 Energetic Village Chief!_1

Chapter 122: 122 Energetic Village Chief!_1

Having made up his mind, Gu Chen no longer kept secrets.

"Village Chief, I won’t lie to you, there is something I do need your help with."

"Oh? Let’s hear it," the Village Chief said with interest.

If he could help him, that would be great; if not, he would try to find connections to get the matter resolved.

Emotional debts are the hardest to repay; it always felt like there was a knot in his heart, which was quite uncomfortable.

"You see, I’m growing vegetables and need more land to expand production..."

Before Gu Chen could finish, Li You’e interjected, "Village Chief, you may not know, but Chenzi has even dug up the land under his house to set up a big greenhouse planting operation."

"What? That’s happening?"

The Village Chief’s eyes widened in astonishment. It was his first time hearing about someone digging up the land beneath their own house to farm.

He had seen people take over farmland to build houses, but using a house as farmland—Gu Chen was the first!

That was just too crazy.

"Take me to see it."

The Village Chief flicked his cigarette butt into the corner and set off with his hands behind his back.

Gu Chen, helpless, had no choice but to lead the Village Chief to another room.

At that moment, Tian Laosì was still hoeing the ground, which needed to be loosened before it was suitable for planting.

Having done farm work for half his life, Tian was an expert at farming.

"Ah, Lao Si, you’re here too," greeted the Village Chief when he saw Tian.

Seeing Tian Laosì hoeing somehow settled his heart a bit.

He had indeed been worried that Gu Chen was using farming as a front to engage in some illegal activity—after all, who would dig up their house’s land to farm? It was simply unbelievable.

But now seeing Tian Laosì working on the land, the Village Chief breathed a silent sigh of relief.

After all, Tian Laosì was a down-to-earth farmer.

And very steady; with him helping Gu Chen, it looked like this operation was most likely legitimate.

Tian nodded to the Village Chief when he saw him arrive.

"Chenzi is setting up an indoor greenhouse. I can’t help with much else, so I came over to lend a hand with the hoeing," he said.

After that, he lowered his head and continued with his work.

There was still the concrete and other materials to haul out.

"How much land do you need? If it’s a lot, I’ll have to report it to the township. If it’s a little, I can approve it for you," said the Village Chief as he turned to face Gu Chen, his tone brisk.

To be honest, this had been worrying him.

All the young people in the village had gone out to work.

Now it was just the elderly, accompanied by their grandsons, toiling away in the fields every day.

It wasn’t so bad in the winter, but who could stand it in the summer?

Many fields had grown wild with weeds, abandoned because there was no one to tend them.

Every time production figures were reported, his village always came in last.

He watched as more land became fallow each day, and it truly pained him as the Village Chief.

But what could he do?

He hadn’t expected that Gu Chen actually wanted to farm—the Village Chief saw this as a good thing.

Gu Chen smiled.

"Well, of course, the more the better. I can sign a contract with the villageside locals. I’ll pay them annually and guarantee it won’t be less than what they’d earn from farming themselves."

Gu Chen had been planning to ask for two pieces of land, feeling that two acres would be about right.

But looking at the Village Chief’s reaction, it seemed he could get even more!

However, Gu Chen wasn’t worried about making a loss at all.

With the system’s seeds, he figured even if he just threw them in the ground and left them be, something would grow when the time came.

"That’s a good spirit," the Village Chief said, beaming.

Farming in the village had quotas.

The farmland area can’t be too small; grain must be harvested every year.

After all, all this land belongs to the state, and each household is merely contracting it.

To contract it and not use it, no matter how little, is a waste.

If Gu Chen can take over, that would be the best outcome.

Nowadays, a term has become popular in many places.

It’s called "land transfer." Although the national policy hasn’t been introduced yet, this topic often comes up in the news.

"Later I’ll call everyone to have a meeting. It would be great if we could settle this and find you a larger, contiguous plot."

The village chief lit another cigarette and took a drag before continuing.

If Gu Chen wants land, he must have big plans, definitely intending to hire tractors and such for mechanized farming.

In the past, each family’s land was small, and hiring a tractor was expensive and not worthwhile, but if it could be consolidated, that would be ideal.

"Alright, I’ll follow your lead on this!"

Gu Chen smiled. In his previous life, he had heard about this; it should have started in 2004, first in the big city, and only then did it spread to other areas for pilot testing.

Legally speaking, it wasn’t illegal, but there were no encouraging policies from the state yet. His actions could very well become the first case in the country!

Not to mention, from his previous life, he still remembered the national policies.

Something about land right confirmation, separation of the two rights (ownership and usage), value realization, market operation, and shared benefits, implementing a paid, limited-term transfer system.

That meant encouraging farmers to transfer their contracted land to professional households, cooperative farms, and agricultural parks for the development of large-scale agricultural business, completely separating ownership, contract rights, and usage rights.

This was beneficial to everyone involved.

It just so happened that he had earned some money from selling goji berries and had the capital to contract land.

"Chenzi, what you’re doing is truly a great thing! You have no idea, but many plots in the village lay fallow because no one farms them. Several young guys from the neighboring village just returned from working in the city before the new year; they’ve aged quite a bit, but they’ve earned a decent amount."

Li You’e clapped her hands excitedly as she spoke to Gu Chen about the village affairs.

Pian Ran stood by the side silently, saying nothing.

After all, Gu Chen always managed to surprise them.

It seemed like he could do anything and always did it well.

She had long since gotten used to it.

Whatever he wanted to do, nothing would seem strange to Pian Ran.

And this time, she knew that what Gu Chen was planning to do was most likely a big deal!

And it seemed like the sort that would not only help others but also benefit them.

If he could do it well, it was bound to create a win-win situation in the near future.

Gu Chen and the village chief chatted for a few more moments.

The village chief could hardly wait to leave Gu Chen’s house and head to the village cadre’s office.

This was not a small matter; he had to act quickly.

Especially since the new year had not ended yet, he needed to notify everyone promptly.

Otherwise, some people would head back to the city, and it would be tricky to find them.

Sure enough, the village committee’s loudspeaker soon broadcasted the village chief’s voice.

"Please take note, tomorrow morning, every household is to attend a meeting at the village committee. I’ll repeat, tomorrow morning, every household should come on time for the meeting at the village committee!"

As per the usual practice, unless it was an urgent big issue, the announcement would be made the day before and the meeting held the next day.

Only particularly urgent matters would require immediate notification and an immediate meeting.

Thus the village chief could only set the meeting for tomorrow morning.

Hearing the village committee’s announcement, everyone became curious. The new year hadn’t even ended, so what could be so important that warranted a meeting?

Gu Chen, however, didn’t expect the village chief to be so efficient in handling affairs; he thought he’d have to wait until the village chief’s family matters were settled.

Actually, when he talked to the village chief about this, the idea had only just begun to take root in his mind.

However, as the two discussed it, Gu Chen also realized it was a good thing.

Since he had just made a sizable amount of money from selling goji berries, he might as well use the cash to acquire land.

With his own land, even if he harvested high yields, no one would suspect anything. Moreover, he could grow more crops and make even more money!