Chapter 232: Establishing a Small Ranch
Reaching level 7 would unlock commercial property rentals!
Su Tao was pleasantly surprised. She had previously thought about dividing the cafeteria into multiple small storefronts for leasing.
People like Grandma Cen, who had some culinary skills, could rent a small shop to sell food—noodle shops, fried rice, barbecue, spicy hotpot…
As Tao Yang’s tenant population continued to grow, business would boom.
Time to work hard!
She clicked into the livestock supply store and found only two available products: a chicken coop and a duck coop.
The other grayed-out items were unknown and required money to unlock.
Since funds were tight after the system upgrade, she decided to start with the chickens and ducks first.
Checking the product details, she saw that one chicken coop cost 5,000 federal credits and included five chicks plus a coop that could house them.
The duck coop worked the same way.
That was convenient! Otherwise, she would have had to build or hire someone to make a coop.
And the included coop was beautiful—a two-story wooden “chicken villa” made of redwood.
The lower level had an external feeding trough and an enclosed nesting area for laying eggs. The eggs would roll down a sloped ramp into a collection slot.
The upper level had a small climbing ramp for the chickens and ducks to move around.
Practical and aesthetically pleasing.
The only problem? She had no extra land for the chickens and ducks.
She couldn’t just let them roam around under the apartment buildings, eating and pooping everywhere.
After much thought, Su Tao decided to use her last crystal core to expand Tao Chi by another 100 square meters.
She also relocated Alice’s treehouse to the newly acquired land.
Xu Qi had mentioned that Alice loved small animals. Maybe she’d like these chicks?
With that in mind, Su Tao visited Tao Chi.
When she arrived, she saw Alice sitting on the rooftop of her treehouse, resting her chin in her hands, staring at the sky with a hint of loneliness.
Beneath the tree, illusionary rabbits hopped about playfully.
As soon as Alice saw her, she beamed, jumped down, and ran over excitedly, chattering away.
Su Tao could tell Alice was lonely. Feeling a surge of sympathy, she patiently listened to her enthusiastic storytelling.
To her surprise, Alice went on for a full hour before finally stopping. Then she pulled Su Tao along to play.
Taking the opportunity, Su Tao bought a chicken coop and released five fluffy chicks.
The little chicks weren’t shy at all, chirping as they surrounded the two of them.
Alice’s eyes widened in surprise, then she burst into giggles and started playing tag with the chicks.
Seeing Alice so happy, Su Tao felt reassured. She went ahead and bought two more chicken coops and three duck coops.
The area around Alice’s treehouse instantly became lively.
She built a fence around the coops to keep everything contained.
Then, she enclosed the entire 100-square-meter plot with tall walls, leaving only a single rustic wooden gate to prevent wandering customers from accidentally entering.
Finally, she installed a protective shield—ensuring safety while maintaining a stable climate for the animals.
Alice was thrilled with her new home, lifting her dress and joyfully running around.
Su Tao looked around, satisfied. She decided to hire one or two female workers to care for the chicks and manage the small ranch.
Yes, she planned to gradually turn this place into a full-fledged ranch with not just chickens and ducks but also cows, sheep, and even a pond.
When Zhuang Wan heard about hiring ranch workers, she got excited and asked:
“Can I visit sometimes?”
Qian Rongrong and Wu Zhen also looked at her expectantly.
Su Tao replied, “Of course! There’s a teleportation gate. Once you enter, just select ‘Tao Chi’ as the destination. When you exit, you’ll see a rustic wooden door—go through, and you’ll be at the ranch. But for now, there are only chicks and ducklings.”
She then remembered Alice and added, “Alice is there too. Talk to her when you visit—she gets lonely.”
Everyone agreed.
Wu Zhen thought for a moment and suggested, “I’ll plant some pineapple berries there. We can grow grass and lay a stone path to make it feel more like a ranch. Does Alice like flowers? I have some lilies.”
The idea sparked a mental image of a lush green pasture filled with flowers, under blue skies and white clouds, with chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep roaming freely.
Qian Lin was all for it, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “A field where the grass sways in the wind, revealing glimpses of grazing animals—sounds wonderful.”
Everyone silently agreed—it really did sound wonderful.
After soaking in the moment, Zhuang Wan asked about the job requirements for the ranch workers.
Su Tao considered it and said, “Experience is preferred, but if not, they should at least be clean and hardworking.”
Zhuang Wan noted it down and went over the list of other positions they needed to fill.
Su Tao skimmed through the list and added,
“Once Tao Chi’s commercial building is complete, we’ll need a receptionist to handle customers coming to purchase supplies. Someone quick-witted and level-headed would be ideal.”
“Also, after the expansion of Panliu Mountain, the number of tenants will increase. Master Qin will be overwhelmed in the kitchen, so hire an assistant chef. Discuss with him to see what kind of person he needs.”
Zhuang Wan nodded and jotted everything down. Then she sighed and laughed, “Looks like the recruitment site is about to crash again. Hong Yu and the team will be swamped.”
Sure enough, that afternoon, as soon as the eight job postings went live, the website started lagging.
Gan Hongyu was running around frantically, barely managing to keep Taoyang’s site functional.
*
“You want to apply as a customer service rep at Taoyang? Then go apply—why are you asking me?”
Jiang Jinwei spoke impatiently to her former friend, Chen Qiaoying, over the phone.
Chen Qiaoying hesitated. “…Isn’t your sister at Taoyang? Can you put in a word for me? If it works out, I’ll owe you one.”
Jiang Jinwei, feeling she had outgrown her past connections, wasn’t interested in doing favors. She refused bluntly:
“I’m not close with Su Tao. I can’t help you. Figure it out yourself.”
With that, she hung up.
Chen Qiaoying was so furious she nearly threw her phone.
She cursed Jiang Jinwei for being arrogant after moving up in life.
But once she finished venting, worry crept in.
She did know Su Tao, but in the past, she had often mocked and belittled her. Now, she found it hard to swallow her pride and ask for a favor.
Chen Qiaoying ruffled her hair in frustration.
Taoyang’s job benefits were just too good to ignore.
Not only was the pay high, but they also offered various allowances—including at least one free meal per day.
On top of that, employees got assigned dormitories. Even though it wasn’t a private room, just being able to live in Taoyang and access its environment and healthcare was enough to make people envious.
No wonder everyone was scrambling for a position.
If it weren’t for the incredible benefits, she wouldn’t be lowering herself like this, begging and putting up with Jiang Jinwei’s attitude.
