Chapter 972: Chapter 972 Hiring Long-term Worker

These tenants indeed knew early on that Jiang Kuanyu planned to sell the land. However, after so much time had passed without a buyer, they still harbored a sliver of hope in their hearts.

Some even went to him, suggesting that since the land couldn’t be sold for the time being, it would be better to plant crops. If they waited any longer, they’d miss the season, and this time they were confident they could produce a good harvest.

But Jiang Kuanyu refused and even urged them to take advantage of the busy farming season to look for other work opportunities.

Such resolute words finally made the tenants give up completely, and indeed, some of them went to the county town or to other landlords to rent land.

Now that the land had truly been sold, each of them felt a sense of bewilderment in their hearts.

To be honest, they had dealt with other bosses before, but Jiang Kuanyu was the easiest to get along with and the most empathetic toward them.

As for the next boss, who could say what kind of person they would be?

Just as they were thinking this, Shu Yu stood up and came out, standing next to Jiang Kuanyu.

The people in the front rows were momentarily stunned upon seeing her–wasn’t this… the Village Chief? They had just seen her in the past couple of days.

Jiang Kuanyu was already beginning the introduction. “This is the Monarch Lu Xiang; I assume you all know of her. From now on, this manor and the hundred-plus acres of farmland outside will belong to her.”

The Monarch Lu Xiang??

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, and for a moment, no one dared to speak.

Even though she had seemed kind and accessible the last time they saw her, after all, they hadn’t interacted with her before. And now, she appeared to hold the power of life and death over their futures, leaving them feeling uneasy deep down.

Shu Yu scanned the group, lightly coughed, and said, “We meet again. Hello, everyone. My surname is Lu; you can call me Boss Lu. Jiang Young Master has already told me about your situation. I know you wish to rent the land to plant grain, but let me say this up front–I do not intend to lease the land out.”

Wh-what??

Someone grew anxious and blurted out, “Monarch Lu Xiang, this one hundred acres of land, you’re not leasing out even a single acre? Then, then…”

Wouldn’t they have to buy all their food now? Rice, flour, grain, cooking oil–none of it came cheap, and they already didn’t have much money. Were they really expected to have no means of survival at all?

The murmuring grew louder, and some even started sobbing more intensely.

Shu Yu, nearly overwhelmed by the noise, found it difficult to continue speaking. “Quiet down for now; I haven’t finished speaking.”

She raised her voice, and the people in the courtyard immediately fell silent, their hearts tightening with apprehension.

Only then did Shu Yu continue, “These hundred acres of land, I plan to use for planting my own crops. But with so much land, I obviously won’t be able to manage it all by myself. So, I plan to hire workers. Jiang Young Master has told me that you are all hardworking and diligent people. I’ve observed you myself over the past two days, and you indeed seem very capable.”

After a brief pause, she added, “So, if you’re willing, I will give priority to hiring workers from among you to cultivate the land. You would essentially become long-term workers under my employ.”

“Long-term workers?” The people below exchanged puzzled glances.

In these times, whether as tenants or long-term workers, people without land faced hardships either way.

But comparatively speaking, tenants had more freedom. Once they paid their fixed rent, the rest of the harvest was theirs, whether bountiful or poor.

As long-term workers, however, they sacrificed their freedom. Still, their wages were fixed, and they didn’t need to worry about whether the harvest was good or bad–they’d receive their pay on time.

Of course, both options came with a crucial caveat: they had to meet a good boss.

Nowadays, most landlords were exploiters, and whether one was a tenant or a long-term worker, few managed to live well under such conditions.

They didn’t know what kind of person Shu Yu would turn out to be, leaving them uncertain and hesitant in their hearts.