Chapter 296: Population Drives the Economy
“I don’t want it, this servant doesn’t want it. Miss and Madam have already treated me well enough. I can’t take these things.”
“You silly girl, why are you calling yourself a servant again? Even though you sold yourself to our family, I told you before that you are different. Just call me Sister Xiao Luo.”
As she spoke, Yu Luo wrapped all the items in a cloth and stuffed them directly into Yu Xiangxiang’s hands.
“Alright, I don’t like nagging. I bought you from your mother because I saw that you were hardworking and had a mind of your own. Just keep working hard in the future. You fully deserve these gifts from me.”
Hearing Yu Luo’s firm tone, Yu Xiangxiang timidly nodded, her heart already filled with warmth.
Ever since leaving that home, she finally understood how wonderful it felt to be cared for and looked after.
Yu Xiangxiang had never let Yu Luo down. She took meticulous care of their household, ensuring that Yu Luo’s parents lived comfortably. She also kept Madam Ye company, chatting with her often. Yu Luo was more than satisfied.
Yu Haojie rushed back in a hurry, his clothes covered in corn leaves and his hair in a mess. Ye Jiamei quickly stepped forward to tidy him up while muttering complaints.
“Why are you carrying them yourself? There are so many people, just give the orders and let them do it.”
“No, they didn’t know how to stack them properly, so I had to demonstrate.”
He turned his expectant gaze toward Yu Luo, unable to contain his excitement.
“How was it this time? Did everything go smoothly in Dongfeng Kingdom?”
“It went well. We can start preparing to harvest the crops now. I secured two major orders, but we’ll talk about that later. Father, do you know about the hundred or so people gathered outside the city?”
“I do. Wang Xiao already reported it to me last night. I couldn’t just let them in without a plan. It’s great that you’re back. Our shops are nearly completed, and the furniture is mostly finished. If possible, I’d like to open a few first and test them out. Even though the city is filled with our own people, they all receive wages and will need daily necessities. We can use them as a trial run.”
“That’s true. With nearly twenty thousand people here, there’s certainly no shortage of consumers. But I have an idea.”
Seeing that Yu Luo already had a plan in mind, Yu Haojie looked at her with anticipation.
“Go ahead. Let’s see what you have in mind.”
“We should lease or sell the shops to others, giving priority to our long-term workers.”
Hearing this, Yu Haojie’s eyes immediately lit up.
“That’s a great idea! This way, they can find additional means of making a living, and it’ll give them extra income. With so many shops, we won’t have to manage them ourselves. They can even source their own goods if they have the ability.”
“But… Xiao Luo, husband, are you sure they’ll be able to get their own supplies?”
Ye Jiamei still had her doubts. After all, leaving the wasteland was a major challenge for these people.
“Mother, you don’t need to worry about that. Those who can’t source their own goods wouldn’t dare rent a shop in the first place.”
“Exactly. Didn’t Xiao Luo send nearly a hundred people out this time? Apart from Zhang Hu’s group, Storm and Luo Yi haven’t returned yet, which means they’ve already made it out of the wasteland. If they can leave, returning will be even easier.”
After hearing Yu Haojie’s analysis, Ye Jiamei finally understood and nodded in agreement.
“Since you two have already decided, and these shops still belong to our family, I’d better go pick a good location for a future medical clinic.”
“Alright, Mother, go ahead and choose now. I’ll be gathering everyone soon to inform them about this. Once Storm and Luo Yi return, they’ll have to consider their next steps carefully.”
“Alright, I’ll go right away. But there are over a hundred shops in Luo City now. What if our own people don’t have the courage to start businesses? Are we supposed to run all these shops ourselves?”
Ye Jiamei, about to leave with Yu Xiangxiang, suddenly thought of another issue and turned back to look at the father and daughter duo.
“We’ll lease or sell them to outsiders as well. But our sale agreements will be different from others. For example, we’ll set a time limit—let’s start with twenty years. After twenty years, we have the right to reclaim the property, renovate it, or have them continue paying property taxes.”
Hearing Yu Luo’s shrewd plan, Ye Jiamei’s lips twitched, then she gave Yu Luo a big thumbs-up.
“Looks like I don’t need to worry anymore. You two continue discussing. I’ll take Xiangxiang to pick a shop!”
After Ye Jiamei left, the father and daughter continued discussing details before returning to the issue of the people outside the city gates.
“This city needs an influx of outsiders to generate economic activity. Keeping the gates closed forever isn’t a solution. But if we open them now, we won’t know how to settle these people properly. We can’t just take them in as long-term workers. There will definitely be more groups like this coming in the future, so we need to come up with a strategy right away.”
“Then let’s open a grain store, a general store, a restaurant, and an inn first. Food, lodging, and basic supplies are the top priorities. We can set everything up today. When they enter, those with money can stay at the inn, while those without can rent an empty house for now. Didn’t we build a batch of dormitories? We can use them as rental housing.”
“That’s a good idea. But on my way back, I found out that there are also a few dozen exiled prisoners among them. I don’t know which kingdom they’re from, but what if they don’t have a single coin to their name?”
Yu Haojie waved his hand dismissively.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re penniless. As long as they stay, they’ll eventually contribute to the city’s development. We have plenty of work. We can give them simple jobs that cover basic living expenses. Once they start earning money, they’ll have to spend it in Luo City. That’s the principle of population-driven economy. Do you understand?”
“I understand. Then let’s quickly set up a few shops. We don’t need to stockpile too much grain since our people still eat from our supplies. They won’t be buying grain anyway. But we do need a variety of general goods. I’ll start arranging everything now and make sure the shops are ready before this afternoon.”
The father and daughter split up, each handling their own tasks.
Yu Luo selected several storefronts, had people put up signboards, appointed shopkeepers and assistants, and arranged for supplies.
Even though everything was done hastily, it was enough to begin accommodating outsiders.
