Lazhi Village's Change

In autumn, golden rice fields swayed in the wind like rippling waves.

In Lazhi Village, villagers, as always, were busy harvesting rice, taking advantage of the cool morning before the sun's heat intensified.

"I asked yesterday, the purchase price for this year's rice is much lower than last year's."

In the fields, a dark-skinned man around twenty years old complained to his fellow villagers while harvesting rice with a sickle.

"Rice only earns so little. When will we ever make enough money to move to the city? I'm even thinking of growing poppies."

His companion beside him was equally indignant, complaining about this damned world.

"Poppies are a harmful thing. I'd rather die than grow them."

Miao Lun's face darkened, and he glared angrily.

Poppies were opium poppies, and his father had died from smoking opium, making him utterly disgusted by such things.

"Alright, alright, I was just saying. Those things are only grown in the north; no one around here cultivates them."

His companion chuckled sheepishly and quickly explained.

Miao Lun's expression softened slightly. Just then, a strange sound suddenly came from nearby.

[Great News! Great News! Jieko Company is now purchasing all kinds of poisonous insects and snakes from the public. Unlimited quantities, priced by the kilogram. Payment on the spot, no deception.]

[Great News! Great News! Jieko Company is now purchasing all kinds of poisonous insects and snakes from the public. Unlimited varieties, priced by the kilogram. Payment on the spot, no deception.]

A dilapidated van drove along the muddy path by the rice paddy ridge. The van was adorned with festive red advertisements, and a loudspeaker mounted on the roof repeatedly broadcast the message. Everyone busy in the fields turned their heads to look.

"What's going on? Buying insects?"

Miao Lun was bewildered. What was this Jieko Company, and where did they come from to buy insects?

Just as the van stopped in front of him, a man wearing a uniform with "Jieko" printed on it got out and called to him, "Friend, are you interested in learning more?"

"You really buy insects? And you pay?"

Miao Lun asked tentatively, and as he spoke, he casually picked up a grasshopper from the ground and held it up. "Like this kind of insect."

The Jieko employee took a look and immediately smiled. "Of course. We at Jieko are a company run by a Chinese Boss. Absolutely genuine. Looking at the grasshopper in your hand, I see it's a Class D insect. The purchase price is 5 Hua Currency per kilogram."

"What, 5 Hua Currency a kilogram? And you pay in Hua Currency?"

Miao Lun could hardly believe his ears. His daily wage, converted to Hua Yuan, was only about 15 yuan.

Catching three kilograms of grasshoppers was equivalent to a day's wage, and they paid in Hua Currency, which was much more useful than their Zen Coins.

It wasn't just Miao Lun; nearby villagers had also heard the words, and the entire scene erupted in shock.

Who was this big spender, buying grasshoppers at such a high price?

"Our Jieko Company is a big brand with guaranteed credibility. Everyone, rest assured and go catch them; we will never default on payment. We buy not only grasshoppers but also other poisonous insects and snakes, and the prices are even higher. You can take some to see."

The Jieko employee handed out flyers to the villagers, but some couldn't wait any longer.

Miao Lun, for instance, after confirming it wasn't a scam, immediately put down his sickle, grabbed a snakeskin bag, and started searching everywhere to catch grasshoppers.

There were plenty of grasshoppers in the autumn-harvested fields; a casual stomp could startle quite a few.

Miao Lun had caught these things to play with when he was a child, and now he could catch them with ease.

Seeing this, others followed suit, afraid that all the grasshoppers in the field would be caught.

In just a moment, the villagers who were originally harvesting rice transformed into insect-catching masters. Many even ran home to call their wives, children, and parents, bringing the whole family to join in.

As darkness fell, Miao Lun approached the Jieko employee for the third time and handed over the two kilograms of grasshoppers he had just caught.

"Ten Hua Yuan. Take it."

The money and goods were exchanged. The Jieko employee poured the grasshoppers into a glass container. Seeing that it was getting dark, he had no choice but to announce his departure for the day.

"It's too late now. I'll be back tomorrow. I'll still be buying insects, so don't worry."

After speaking, the Jieko employee drove off in the van, which was loaded with grasshoppers, swaying as it went.

The villagers left behind were still discussing animatedly, their faces filled with excitement and joy.

The harvest from catching insects that day was much higher than their daily wages.

Miao Lun counted the Hua Yuan in his hand again and again. There were 27 Hua Yuan, almost equivalent to his two days' income.

A foolish smile spread across his face, and Miao Lun said excitedly, "If they come to buy every day, I'll be able to save up the money for my mother's medical treatment quickly. And my sister can go to school too."

His mother had been bedridden with a serious illness two years ago, and they couldn't afford a doctor.

His greatest wish now was to save enough money to take his mother to a big city hospital for treatment.

After carefully putting away all the money, Miao Lun returned home.

In the dim, small earthen house, his twelve-year-old sister was busy at the stove, preparing a simple dinner of thin congee and dried vegetables.

As soon as Miao Lun entered, he eagerly recounted the day's events to his mother and sister.

It wasn't until they saw the Hua Yuan Miao Lun produced that they believed he wasn't talking nonsense.

"Mom, I won't talk to you anymore. While there's still time, I need to go catch more insects."

After quickly eating dinner, Miao Lun grabbed a flashlight and went out again, searching for the poisonous insects that Jieko Company needed.

Things like toads, venomous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, and so on, all come out at night, making them perfect for nighttime capture.

Many villagers had the same idea as Miao Lun. The day's haul stimulated many of them, making them realize that insects could be so valuable.

The next day, Miao Lun, with dark circles under his eyes, stood at the village entrance with a group of villagers, waiting expectantly.

When the loud horn sound came and the van appeared in sight, Miao Lun and the surrounding villagers cheered and swarmed towards it.

Last night's haul brought in another twenty yuan, and Miao Lun was ecstatic.

Some villagers who had caught venomous snakes were boasting loudly because they had sold them for over a hundred yuan.

For the local villagers, who mainly farmed, this income was much more profitable than farming.

So, starting from that day, the villagers rushed out every day to find all sorts of poisonous insects and venomous snakes, and then exchanged them for Hua Yuan from Jieko Company.

Similar events were not only happening in Lazhi Village but also in over a dozen nearby villages and towns.

In a short time, Jieko Company's reputation soared in the surrounding areas, and even Mande City had heard of it.

The local villagers' favor towards Jieko Company increased greatly, and the several poisonous insect collection points were overcrowded daily, with catching insects becoming the main source of income for many villagers.

While these villagers rejoiced in the wealth brought by catching insects, they did not know that they had already walked into a meticulously woven grand scheme.

As transactions became more frequent, their economy was being tied down, tied to the great tree that was Jieko.

When people became increasingly dependent on Jieko, to the point where if Jieko were to fall, the entire economy of Mande City would fall into chaos and regress, that would also be the day Mande City was completely dominated and bound.