Chapter 8 of 100

Chapter 8

19 min read4,871 words

"Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, everything is complete here. I just need to do some simple arrangements these past two days. Take a look, nothing is missing!" Qi Ping held up his laptop to show his new place to his parents, who had only just learned the basics of computer operation, but it was enough for video chatting.

"This house is nice, I really like it. Take care of yourself out there; it's not easy being alone in a foreign country. It's so far away in America, be cautious about everything." Although they were very happy that their youngest son was now successful, a mother's worry never ends, even if she knows her son is now wealthy. Wealth doesn't mean one can completely relax.

"You and Dad should get your visas done quickly. I can't rely on the eldest. I told him to come over directly, but he keeps putting it off. One day he's busy, another day he has work, he doesn't even plan to come and see my new home." Qi Ping was a bit dissatisfied with his brother. Actually, he didn't mind his brother, but it was important for his parents to come and see to feel at ease.

"Do you think your brother is like you? Paying off his mortgage with the money you gave him is a good thing, but he still has to work. You can't let Xiao Ben have nothing, can you?" Yu Lan laughed. She was happy that her youngest son was successful, but she was even happier that her two sons had a good relationship and always helped each other. Just like this time, her youngest son, after making money, immediately thought of helping his brother reduce his burden.

"Don't rush your eldest. He's already taking annual leave. He works for someone else, not like you who is your own boss. When you work for someone, you have to follow their rules. We'll go with him. We've never flown before, so it's better to go with your eldest." Qi Wei Hui, who had been smiling all along, said. Although he wanted to see his youngest son right away, he didn't want to cause too much trouble for his eldest son. Waiting until his eldest son had the time would be better.

After chatting with his parents for a while, Qi Ping needed to start getting busy. Although he had been busy buying a car and setting up his new place these past two days, he hadn't neglected the work at the forest farm. After all, his current funds were limited. He couldn't just be satisfied with owning a forest farm; he couldn't sit and wait for his resources to run out. This didn't fit Qi Ping's character, and it wouldn't do justice to the mystical legacy he had received.

He had already posted some job advertisements online and started planning the production and construction of the forest farm.

There are actually jade stones in America, but Americans are not particularly fond of this type of gem. Although Qi Ping still had three top-grade jade stones, they were needed for setting up the array, which required high-quality jade. As for the other parts, ordinary jade would suffice. This was why he had initially chosen to auction off a few smaller jade stones, mainly due to a lack of funds. He needed some starting capital.

So now, he needed to recruit workers and purchase a batch of jade stones of average quality. These were all part of Qi Ping's current tasks.

"Chinese style, you might not know this, but I hope the logo you design will satisfy me. Look at this image: white hair, white beard, ancient and elegant, this is the typical image of a Chinese immortal. I believe in your abilities, you can do it." Qi Ping needed to build the entrance of the forest farm, and he chose a classic design of an immortal pointing the way. As for American aesthetics, he didn't care; he was happy with it.

The sign of the forest farm not only featured the image of an old immortal but also the words "Fairyland Ranch," considering the feelings of Americans. A few small characters also proved that the translation was quite good.

A good appearance is important, and a grand and eye-catching logo would certainly be more pleasing to the eye.

Qi Ping wanted to start some farm business first because the forest farm project required a longer period and he currently had limited capital. So, he needed to earn some money and gradually expand. Although one million dollars wasn't a lot, it wasn't insignificant either.

The previous owner of the forest farm used it for leisure, so a lot of work needed to be redone, such as purchasing some machinery and equipment.

The mechanization of agriculture in America is highly developed, so Qi Ping was a bit worried. The total value of agricultural machinery like combine harvesters, four-wheel drive tractors, wind drills, agricultural track trailers, hay balers, and seeders was about $200,000, which was a significant amount. Although many of the machines could be bought second-hand, the quality might not be up to par.

In fact, the American government offers quite favorable policies for farmers. They don't provide loans for buying land, but they do for purchasing farming machinery, with relatively low interest rates. If one wants to grow corn or soybeans, the government encourages buying insurance, and if there's a disaster and a poor harvest, compensation can be obtained. Any purchases for the farm are tax-free, and if the farm needs to lay underground pipes, the government can be approached, with the farmer paying only half the cost and the government handling the installation for free.

Farm work isn't tiring, but there's a lot of it, and it never ends. In American farms, heavy and tiring tasks are done by machines; buying tools, building greenhouses, etc. If the farm has a lot of land, it mainly relies on open-field planting, with the main tasks being transplanting seedlings, weeding, and harvesting vegetables.

Qi Ping needed some experienced hands. Although he grew up in the countryside and knew some farming, he really wasn't very knowledgeable, especially about managing a modern large farm. Recruiting workers wasn't easy, even though the farm provided food and accommodation and the wages were decent. Young people often shied away from working under the sun, so it was usually older middle-aged and elderly people who took the jobs.

Qi Ping was very clear that without English, technical skills, and a license, even if the vegetables were grown well, they couldn't be sold in the market.

Although the job advertisements had been posted and he had received some inquiries, Qi Ping was not satisfied. It seemed that his forest farm needed more fame. Not only did employers choose employees, but employees also chose employers.

The forest farm was still in its early stages, and if people came now, they would have to do a lot of work. Many employees were unwilling to come. The most ridiculous reason was that some proud Americans didn't want to work on a Chinese farm. What a ridiculous reason!

"Yes, I'm from China. The farm hasn't started yet, so there will be a lot of work if you come now. I need experienced hands, preferably with experience working on American farms. The equipment will definitely be complete, and we provide food and accommodation. I won't cheat you; the weekly salary is $300, which isn't bad in America. If you can manage the farm, the supervisor's salary will be higher, and there will be some year-end bonuses and other benefits." Qi Ping patiently explained his recruitment requirements. There were many Chinese in America, and even more hardworking Chinese workers, which was a good thing.

"Four people, I don't mind. The farm is about 100 acres, and I don't care about the off-season. As long as you do a good job here, I'll employ you all year round." Qi Ping threw out a big carrot because many American farms didn't need help during the off-season. But in his farm, this wouldn't be an issue, which was a huge attraction for farm workers, as a stable job was really great.

"Alright, come to Lamona tomorrow. Yes, I'll pick you up. If the conditions are suitable, we'll sign the contract. I just got here and don't know anyone, so it's better to have someone I know." Qi Ping was in a good mood. The person on the phone was Chinese, who had come to America a few years ago and had always worked on farms. He was experienced and had some insight, which was great.

He started recruiting, and Qi Ping felt this was something to look forward to. Although the recruitment process had some twists and turns, as long as he found the right people, he would be very satisfied.

"Little Qi, your farm has a nice environment. But since nothing has been planted here, starting from scratch will indeed be a lot of work, and you won't see results in the short term. Also, the equipment is incomplete, and many things need to be bought from scratch." The person who came over was a middle-aged man in his fifties, Huang Siqing. His name indicated his age, similar to Qi Ping's father's age.

"Don't worry, Uncle Huang. I won't be stingy with what the farm needs. I won't let you use hoes to dig the land. Give me a list, and I'll get the equipment." Looking at the sun-tanned, honest middle-aged man, Qi Ping felt good.

"Alright, I'll bring my cousin over. We can come anytime. The farm owner we used to work for was no good. We were undocumented, so he always exploited us. The conditions you offer are really good, and you seem like a good person. We can come anytime." Huang Siqing was happy. This job might be really good, and as long as this young man could persist in running the farm, it would definitely be better than the current one.

"Come tomorrow, and I'll count these two days as your salary. We'll go buy the equipment together, and you can settle your families." Qi Ping laughed heartily. It was settled!

As for the extra two days' salary, it wasn't a problem. Being considerate to others was also being considerate to himself. After all, Qi Ping wanted everyone to work together harmoniously, so he didn't mind these things.

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