At the same time, Hu Jing grew curious about the two women following Liu Ergou. "Er Gou, what brings you here?" she asked. "And who are these two?"

Liu Ergou introduced them, "This is my neighbor and her daughter."

After his introduction, Hu Jing became even more puzzled. She didn't understand why Liu Ergou had brought his neighbor to see her. Though she was confused, Hu Jing didn't press the matter. She simply nodded and began discussing the state of the wasteland with Liu Ergou.

"Oh, I see! By the way, Er Gou, you haven't been to the wasteland in a while. Let me update you on our progress.

"The situation is quite simple. All the land has been reclaimed, and I've also had the soil tested.

"It was a very detailed analysis, and the results show the land is perfectly suitable for farming. I won't bore you with the specific data, since you wouldn't understand it anyway.

"Also, after careful consideration, I've decided to reduce the planting area for genetically modified corn to ten acres. The remaining forty acres will be used to grow medicinal herbs!"

Hearing her decision, Liu Ergou raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Hmm? Why the sudden change of mind? Isn't ten acres a bit small?"

Hu Jing sighed. "I think ten acres is plenty for me. I don't have any startup capital and I'm relying entirely on you. The thought of taking up so much space is honestly a little embarrassing, and I might not be able to handle it all, especially since this is my first time.

"So, after thinking it over, I decided to scale back to ten acres."

Liu Ergou didn't argue, simply nodding in agreement before changing the subject. "By the way, Hu Jing, have you sorted out the staffing yet? Even though most of the work can be automated, some parts still require manual labor."

At the mention of manpower, Hu Jing's expression turned serious. She sighed. "Ah, Er Gou, you don't know the half of it.

"While most of the work can be done by machines, I can't find a single person for the small portion that requires manual labor! Our village's population skews older. The young people are pitifully few, and they've all left to find work elsewhere.

"I can only try to hire some of the local women, but I don't even know if that will work out."

Seeing Hu Jing's worried expression, Liu Ergou said, "Don't worry. Just figure out which tasks need to be done by hand, how complex they are, and whether they require physical strength.

"If it's heavy labor, I can talk to Liu Jingming about creating a secondary source of income for the village. I'm sure he'll agree.

"If it's just manual work, then we can just hire the women from the village!" With that, Liu Ergou pushed Feng Chunling forward.

"See? We have plenty of women in the village with free time. Take my neighbor here, for example. Just write down her name, and you can call her when you need her.

"As for her salary, just make it 3,000 yuan a month. Remember to provide lunch, and if the weather gets too hot, add a high-temperature subsidy!"

Hu Jing didn't agree immediately. Instead, she sized up Feng Chunling for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I understand. I'll keep a record for when the time comes."

Pushed to the front, Feng Chunling was overjoyed when she heard Hu Jing's words.

3,000 yuan! An ordinary laborer like her could earn 3,000 yuan! And with Liu Ergou looking out for her, the work wouldn't be too hard. In Fengzhu Village, 3,000 yuan was no small sum. She could save tens of thousands a year!

At this thought, Feng Chunling simply bowed to Hu Jing in thanks and then stood obediently behind Liu Ergou.

After settling things with Feng Chunling, Liu Ergou pulled Yang Mei from the back and presented her. He pointed at Yang Mei and said, "And this one. She's a recent university graduate who studied nursing.

"I don't think we have a suitable position for her, so just treat it as a favor to me and give her a role like a secretary. She can run errands for you. You seem busy enough to need one!"

This time, Hu Jing thought it over seriously. After pondering for several minutes, she finally nodded. "Fine. Once everything is on track, I'll call her over. But what do you think is a suitable salary?"

Liu Ergou considered it for a moment. "It's an office job, so the pay shouldn't be too low. You can decide."

Hu Jing didn't hesitate. "A secretary has a lot to do. How about 4,000 a month?"

Standing before Liu Ergou, Yang Mei's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she heard "4,000 a month."

She exhausted herself tightening screws at a factory for just over 3,000 a month, but she could earn 4,000 just by being a secretary in her own village? That's outrageous!

At this thought, the look she gave Liu Ergou softened, the hostility she'd felt before now gone.

Liu Ergou completely failed to notice the change in Yang Mei's attitude. After settling matters for Feng Chunling and Yang Mei, he chatted idly with Hu Jing for a few moments and then turned to leave.

Seeing him about to go, Hu Jing immediately objected. "Wait a second, Er Gou! You're leaving just like that?"

Hearing her challenge, Liu Ergou turned back, confused. "Uh, yeah. Why?"

Hu Jing couldn't help but roll her eyes at his innocent expression. "You! Honestly! How can you feel so justified leaving me to do all the work while you act like a hands-off boss?"

However, Liu Ergou's next words nearly made Hu Jing go on strike on the spot.

"Because I'm the one who paid for everything. All the money, from start to finish, came from me. As my chief secretary, it's your responsibility to help carry the load. That's just how it is!"

Hu Jing was silent for a moment. Then, brandishing her small fists, she charged at him.

"AHHH, LIU ERGOU! You rotten scoundrel! I am not your chief secretary! I'm a boss, too!"

Watching the flailing Hu Jing, Liu Ergou simply reached out, pulled her into a hug, and gave her a light pat on the backside. "Alright, alright, I was wrong. You're not my chief secretary.

"You're the second boss. Is that better?"

Hearing this, Hu Jing huffed in displeasure but reluctantly let go of her anger.

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