Chapter 51 The Awakening of the NEET Generation – 9

Academician Wang discussed with the Village Head about renting a plot of land to use as an experimental field for research, as well as arranging accommodations and meals.

The Village Head had no objections at all. After all, they were being offered money—how could he refuse?

Ren Xin followed behind Mother Ren and Father Ren on their way home. She noticed her parents walking tall and proud, and whenever they ran into someone, every conversation was full of praise for Ren Xin. The smiles on their faces never faded.

The changes in the village were obvious to everyone. Many research teams had come, one after another, to this remote mountain village, bringing with them huge changes. First of all, everyone now had extra income. Secondly, people’s spirits were completely transformed.

Previously, families would settle for marrying their daughters off to just anyone, but now those thoughts were put aside. If their family really took off, maybe their daughters could find an even better match. Besides, now that there was money to be made right here in the village, and everyone needed to eat, people were so busy with work that they could barely keep up. Daughters could really lend a hand.

Ren Xin was glad to see the changes in the village, but the arrival of capital investors made her frown. These bloodthirsty wolves had shown up eventually.

They threw down large sums of money, proposing to rent the village land for as long as twenty years. Ren Xin brought this up with the Village Head, suggesting, “It’s better to wait. What if our land becomes valuable in the future? We shouldn’t be shortsighted.”

The Village Head called a meeting and spoke sternly. “I don’t care how tempted you are by this money—you must hold yourselves back. Let me tell you, the land is our lifeblood, the root of our survival. No matter what, we cannot lose our roots. Don’t be shortsighted and get blinded by immediate gains. Businessmen don’t get up early unless it’s for profit. If there were no profit in it, would they spend so much money to rent your land? Everyone needs to stay clear-headed.”

Some listened to him, but others thought everyone was foolish for refusing the offer. “How much could this land even be worth? It’s better to take the rent and buy a house in the city—you’ll see your money grow much faster.”

Some families refused to listen at all. They rented out their land and, cash in hand, moved away. As they left, they scoffed at everyone else, saying, “I’m off to enjoy the good life in the city. You all can stay here and keep farming!”

This left the Village Head fuming with anger, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Ren Xin chuckled and said, “There’s no persuading those destined for their own ruin!”

The Ren Family’s land wasn’t in the best location, but it was large. Some businessmen still approached Father Ren with tempting offers, giving him prices that made him hesitate. In the end, though, he still turned them down.

“My daughter is a university graduate. If she says not to rent, it must make sense. Are you a university graduate?”

The other party, a postdoctoral rich second generation who had inherited the family business, was left speechless.

Ren Xin went back to rummaging through her storage space. She remembered that she once dug up a whole lot of Tree Grandpa’s descendants—where did she put those?

She found them, rows of saplings tied up in bundles, and by today’s standards, they were all cash crops. There were a ton of cherry saplings.

It just so happened that the climate around their place was especially suitable for growing cherries, so they might as well plant cherries.

Ren Xin ordered a batch of cherry saplings online, along with some other miscellaneous seedlings. It cost her tens of thousands and cleaned out her secret stash.

She explained her plan to the family, then said to Mother Ren and Father Ren, “I’ll find some tutorial videos for you two to study. You have to do your best, okay?”

Father Ren and Mother Ren were speechless. Who would have thought that, at their age, they still had to study.

For a while, the village was in an uproar. Many villagers left, but even more stayed behind. Everyone understood that this era was nothing like the old days—was life in the city really so easy? If you didn’t have any skills or education, you could only sell your labor.

Money could be spent in no time, but land wouldn’t disappear just by planting crops on it.

Everyone had their own ideas about what to do. Ren Xin didn’t interfere. She could only help so much—what happened after that wasn’t her concern!

— Translator's Notes —

– There’s no persuading those destined for their own ruin: A translation of the common saying 'liángyán nán quàn gāisǐ guǐ' (Good words cannot persuade a ghost destined to die). It is used when someone stubbornly ignores sound advice and insists on a path that will lead to their downfall.

– Academician: In China, 'Academician' (yuànshì) is the highest academic title, awarded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Engineering. It is a lifelong honor that carries significant social status and political influence, far exceeding a standard professorship.