Everyone understood that Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang were unhappy, but no one knew how to resolve the issue at the moment. Everyone fell silent.

The practice of distributing earnings according to work points had been in place for many years.

No one knew what could be done about it.

“Everyone, please listen to my opinion,” Qiao Mei suddenly said.

They all looked at her. In that moment, she instantly became a very important person among them, or at least a key decision maker.

“It’s not the slack season in farming now, so naturally there’s no one who can be specifically assigned to grow bean sprouts, right? Also, we need a proper work area for bean sprouting. There’s no such work area now and there’s also no way we can clear a space big enough to grow bean sprouts, right?” Qiao Mei asked.

Everyone nodded upon hearing this.

Zhao Liang glanced around her workshop and frowned without saying anything.

Qiao Mei continued, “Given that I’m pregnant now, it’s also not too appropriate for me to let you guys use my storeroom as a workshop. Do we have money to build a place now?”

Zhao Liang shook his head and said bitterly, “No.”

It was still the peak farming season now and there was no excess funds in the village coffer. It was already good enough that there was money to feed the entire village. Wouldn’t it be nonsensical to even think about building a new place?

Seeing that everyone was feeling listless, Qiao Mei continued, “I have a suggestion. Why don’t we set up the factory by way of a workshop in every household and growing the bean sprouts by accumulating the effort from everyone? Whoever supplies more will get paid more, whoever supplies less will get paid less.”

“Sure!”

“Let’s do it this way!”

The faces of Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang lit up with happiness as they spoke.

This was how it had been in the past and was the real rule of trading.

Naturally, it was the fairest and most reasonable.

However, the village officer Zhao Liang was a little apprehensive. They were in a planned economy and everyone made a living by relying on the work points. Was there any other village which had set such a precedent?

Besides, the authorities were quick to clamp down on such activities during the past few years.

He did not quite dare to do it for fear that the higher-ups would investigate. If they got unhappy about it, he would not be able to bear the consequences.

“What’s wrong with this? Isn’t this how the pigs raised by farmers are acquired? Let’s just treat this as an acquisition of bean sprouts grown by farmers. This is a good way to let the common people eat more vegetables.”

Qiao Mei said calmly, “For the sake of the common people’s nutrition, our village should bravely take on this job.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up when they heard that.

The acquisition of pigs from farmers was indeed a practice of paying the common people according to the market price. This was something that the higher-ups had agreed on.

Then… if it was like selling pigs, it would definitely work.

“Xiao Mei is so clever!” Chen Hu could not help but give her a thumbs up.

Qiao Mei had a twinkle in her eye. “No, I just happened to think of it.”

The few of them then came up with the implementation methodology and rules and regulations of the factory to be set up. Qiao Mei casually said, “It’s best if we have a qualitative standard when it comes to the bean sprouts collected. Otherwise, if there are any low quality bean sprouts in the mix, not only will it affect the overall quality but it will also affect the reputation of our factory.”

Qiao Mei actually had other thoughts in her mind.

The quality of the bean sprouts from the village was so good now because she was still around here. If she left one day, the quality of the bean sprouts would change.

It also meant that if she wanted to maintain the current quality, she would have to stay in the village all the time. This was not something she wanted to do. The coming future was going to be an exciting era and she had other more important things to do.

Therefore, she would reduce her interference with the bean sprouts in the future.

This way, even if she left one day and there was a drop in the quality and success rate of the bean sprouts, no one would cast any suspicions on her.

Chen Hu left with the bean sprouts brought by Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang and he brought the president of the city’s supply and marketing cooperative to the village the next day. After a discussion, the few of them announced that the city’s supply and marketing cooperative had formed an acquisition relationship with the village and formalized it by signing an agreement.