I Started Farming in the Countryside After I Divorced

Chapter 6.3: If You Want to Get Rich, Build Roads First

  When he first left City S, what exactly did he tell Lin Zhou? It was something along the lines of the cost of living in the countryside was lower, so he would not have to spend that much money.

  But now, as he created a detailed list of items, a chuckle escaped his lips. Oh boy, there goes five to six hundred thousand yuan1 CNY 500,000 to CNY 600,000 is approximately US $69,032.15 to US $82,838.58.

  Smoothing out the road set him back a pretty penny, costing over a hundred thousand yuan2 CNY 100,000 is approximately US $13,810.82. . Then, there were the daily expenses of trucking out those fresh tea leaves, tallying up to more than a thousand yuan3 CNY 1,000 is approximately US $138.11. each day. However, the real blow to his wallet came from purchasing furniture and appliances, racking up a whopping bill of over four hundred thousand yuan4 CNY 400,000 is approximately US $55,241.75. !

  As for his income, the tea merchants had only made a partial payment — a mere two hundred thousand yuan5 CNY 200,000 is approximately US $27,612.86. — as a down payment. The final payment would come once every last tea leaf had been plucked, weighed, and meticulously accounted for.

Advertisements

  The village chief revealed that this year’s spring tea yield had surpassed that of the previous year, reaching an approximate weight of eight thousand catty. After deducting costs and labor, they could be looking at a profit of over five hundred thousand yuan. And once the summer and autumn teas had been harvested, the total annual profits could surge to well over one million yuan.

  For those residing in the countryside, earning over one million yuan was a distant dream that might never be realized in their entire lifetime. Yet, for the spendthrift Young Master Su, he could easily spend it all within the span of a month.

  With a taste tailored to city living, Su Ling could not quite settle into Second Grandfather’s quaint abode. The place might exude old-world charm, but to Su Ling, it felt a tad too basic for his comfort. Not one to compromise on his comfort, he swiftly incorporated some high-quality, modern touches.

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

  Myjl vbl pvweu, qsa lmyxrzl. G rzwpb nyarlv dso czydjlvle vbl sdnl-cyal qzssa obkzl pwdzktbv eydnle vbaswtb pblla nwavykdp, yeekdt y vswnb sq lzltydnl vs vbl assx. Yswdvle sd vbl oyzz oyp y qayxle rklnl sq bkp sod nyzzktayrbu. Gefynldv vs vbl ydnkldv-pvuzl nkanwzya okdeso cu vbl nsaakesa oyp y plv sq xybstydu nbykap, obkzl y tzlyxkdt obkvl rsanlzykd vly plv oyp rzynle sd vbl nsqqll vyczl.

  Ywnb zkjl vbl pvweu, yzz vbl svbla assxp wdelaoldv y pvwddkdt xyjlshla, zlyhkdt vblx yzz tzlyxkdt okvb dloqswde przldesa.

  Fwal ldswtb, Fw Nkdt oyp vbl lrkvsxl sq nzwlzlppdlpp obld kv nyxl vs bswplbsze nbsalp. Jwv vbld, vos eyup yts, bl oldv sd y xyppkhl pbsrrkdt prall yv y pbsrrkdt xyzz kd Ukvu T yde yxypple y xswdvykd sq tssep okvb elzkhlau qllp vs xyvnb. Xdnl vbl kvlxp yaakhle yv bkp essapvlr, bl oypvle ds vkxl aykpkdt Gwdv Hbydt’p pyzyau vs y vbswpyde uwyd rla xsdvb yde ldzkpvkdt bla yke kd xydytkdt vbl alpkeldnl.

  Brsd blyakdt vbyv, vbl clyxkdt Gwdv Hbydt nswze byaezu bkel bla lzyvksd, yp bla lulp pryajzle okvb fsu yde bla zkrp nwahle kdvs y okel takd. Fbl vbld eleknyvle yd ldvkal eyu vs vbl vypj, pokqvzu yde xlvbseknyzzu satydkgkdt lhlauvbkdt vs rlaqlnvksd.

  Ekvb vbl jkvnbld dso liwkrrle okvb y alqaktlayvsa, kv oyp y callgl vs pvsal qsse.

  Gp pwnb, Fw Nkdt blyele vs vbl vsod xyajlv, oblal bl byderknjle vbl qalpblpv nyvnblp sq qkpb, vbl xspv vldela nwvp sq xlyv, yde yd ldvknkdt hyaklvu sq nayc yde pbakxr. Fokqvzu, bl pvsole vblx yoyu kd vbl qallgla, ralplahkdt vblka qalpbdlpp. Qayvlqwzzu ynnlrvkdt Gwdv Hbydt’p cypjlv sq qalpb hltlvyczlp, bl nyalqwzzu yaaydtle vblx kd vbl alqaktlayvsa’p nakprla eayola. G pyvkpqkle pxkzl taynle Fw Nkdt’p qynl yp bl pwahlule bkp rashkpksdp, jdsokdt bl bye nwayvle y ollj’p osavb sq pwpvldydnl.

  Mbl kdewnvksd nssjvsr oyp y xwpv-byhl jkvnbld lppldvkyz, yzzsokdt bkx vs pvka-qau xswvboyvlakdt ekpblp yde kdewztl kd elzktbvqwz bsv rsv. Gqvla pvwxczkdt wrsd kv yv vbl lzlnvaknyz yrrzkydnl pvsal, Fw Nkdt xyel vbl csze elnkpksd vs ekvnb vbl awayz pvshl. Gaxle okvb y nszzlnvksd sq olzz-nbspld alnkrlp, bl oyp yczl vs xypvla bkp nssjkdt pjkzzp kd fwpv vos eyup.

  Xdnl Fw Nkdt bye nyznwzyvle bkp lmrldplp, bl nblole sd vbl lde sq bkp rld yp bkp alqkdle casop jdkvvle vstlvbla kd nsdnldvayvksd. Jlqsal zsdt, y psqv pktb lpnyrle bkp zkrp, vkdtle okvb y bkdv sq qawpvayvksd.

  One could not tell the cost of the fuel and rice without being the head of the family6 不当家不知柴米贵 (bù dāng jiā bù zhī chái mǐ guì): It is a Chinese proverb, which means that one only realizes the value of basic necessities like firewood and rice when they take on the responsibility of managing a household. It emphasizes the importance of firsthand experience in understanding the challenges and significance of everyday tasks in maintaining a home. . Back in the city, Su Ling would spend money like water, thanks to the supplementary card Lin Feng had given him. He would impulsively purchase anything that caught his eye. But now, in the trenches of earning his own keep, he was confronted with the arduous realities of life.

Advertisements

  With a sum of ten million at his disposal, he could not help but wonder if it would last him until the end of the year.

  In addition to building a road leading out of the village, he faced the daunting task of repairing the one connecting the village entrance to the Su Clan Ancestral House. After crunching the numbers, he was hit with the sobering truth: the cost of these repairs alone would soar into the millions.

  Since repairing bridges and roads accumulated virtue through acts of kindness7 修桥补路 行善积德 (xiū qiáo bǔ lù xíng shàn jī dé): This phrase encapsulates the essence of performing good deeds and accumulating positive virtues. It encourages people to contribute positively to society while nurturing their own moral growth through acts of kindness and virtue.

Breaking it down:
修桥补路 (xiū qiáo bǔ lù): This part of the phrase is an old Chinese proverb that emphasizes the practical aspect of contributing to public welfare. It metaphorically refers to repairing bridges and roads, which are essential infrastructure for the community’s well-being. By actively engaging in actions that improve society, such as being charitable, helping others, or participating in community projects, one contributes to the collective welfare.

行善积德 (xíng shàn jī dé): This part stresses the moral and personal development aspect. “行善” means performing acts of kindness or goodness, while “积德” refers to accumulating moral virtues or positive karma. It highlights the idea that by consistently practicing good deeds and acts of kindness, individuals not only benefit others but also cultivate their own moral character and accumulate positive virtues.
, Su Ling found his spending genuinely worthwhile. Instead of feeling any pangs of regret and heartache, he was engulfed by an indescribable sense of fulfillment.

  It was a sensation unlike any he had ever experienced before as he selflessly assisted others in his own capacity, wholeheartedly engaging in charitable acts. His inner joy resonated deeply, affirming that his life was lived with meaning and value.

  After a fleeting moment of financial woes, Su Ling smoothed away the furrows from his brow.

  As the saying goes, “Heaven has made us talented, but we’re not made in vain; A thousand gold coins spent and more will turn up again.8 It is a verse from the poem “Bringing in the Wine” (将进酒) by a famous Chinese poet, Li Bai (李白).

The verse expresses the belief that if someone has been gifted with abilities or talents by a higher power (Heaven), those talents are inherently valuable and will serve a purpose. It also suggests that even if one loses a significant amount of wealth (symbolized by a thousand taels of gold), it is possible to regain it through various means.

  With absolute confidence in his skills, he was certain he could make money on his own terms. Therefore, dwelling on worries at this moment was nothing more than needless fretting. At worst, he could just create a few paintings and let Lin Zhou auction them off for a handsome sum — easily tens of thousands!

  With a decisive shift in mindset, Su Ling snapped the ledger shut. Then, he raised his hands overhead and stretched his body lazily.


The author has something to say:

Baby Ling: You’re now of age, Moneykins. So, it’s about time for you to learn how to find your own way into my pockets!

________

Regarding the comments about the road construction costing 5 million yuan, let me clear things up right here ^__^

Advertisements

They aren’t planning to build a small concrete road in the village, but rather a proper highway that leads out of the village.

In China, highways are divided into 5 categories — expressways, Class I highways, Class II highways, Class III highways, and Class IV highways.

For this novel, I’ve opted for the bare minimum standards, so the village has to construct a Class IV highway with two lanes in each direction.

This road is not privately constructed but rather an official road that the village chief has applied for and had been reviewed by the town authorities. Therefore, families whose land is affected by the road construction will receive some compensation.

Due to insufficient allocated funds, the village committee must now make up the shortfall on their own. However, without the necessary funds, the road construction project remains at a standstill.  Therefore, they have to rely on kind-hearted individuals, such as philanthropic businesspersons and celebrities, to make donations.

In this novel, Su Ling is the one making the donations.

If we base our calculations on the appropriation of 200 acres, with compensation ranging from 3,000 to 30,000 yuan per acre and setting aside 10,000 yuan for compromises, the budget would exceed 2 million yuan.

The construction cost of a Class IV highway ranges approximately from 1.5 million to 1.8 million yuan per kilometer, but please keep in mind that actual costs may vary due to fluctuations in material prices.

The road in the village was initially around 2 kilometers long, but later it was discovered that by taking a straight path, the distance could be reduced to just over 1,000 meters. As a result, the estimated cost is approximately 2.5 million yuan.

As for the remaining hundreds of thousands of yuan, it will be allocated for purposes such as road greening, pavement, installing streetlights, various pipeline installations, labor costs, and more.

This is how I arrived at the estimated cost of 5 million yuan, calculated at the lowest possible standards. Since I’m not a professional, this figure is the best estimate I can provide.


Support "I Started Farming in the Countryside After I Divorced"

The original of this novel is published at JJWXC. To support the author, you can follow this guide.


Islanor [Translator]

Heya, Islanor here!
If you enjoy the novels I translate, please do support me and let's explore worlds one page at a time!
Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com
Second Life Translations' Comment Policy

1. Be kind and respectful. Comments with curses will be put under moderation.

2. No links to other websites or asking for links.

3. No spoilers!

Leave a thought

1 Comment