Zhao An insisted repeatedly before the woman finally accepted the money.
"Alright, teacher, our family isn't very well-off, please bear with us."
The mature woman nodded, no longer refusing, and gestured for Zhao An to enter.
Village Chief Pang introduced, "This is my sister, Pang Wanjing. She also has a daughter-in-law named Wang Mei, and a granddaughter named Pang Yatou."
"Okay, thank you.
Village Chief, let's have a drink together. I brought some canned goods; perhaps you'll like them."
Zhao An said with a smile, showing no disdain. This poor, remote place suited him perfectly.
Because people from wealthy families would definitely be disgusted upon seeing this place, even if they knew there were treasures inside, they wouldn't follow.
Besides, Zhao An had investigated the area; there were no mineral deposits, no oil reserves, and no hot springs or other special features.
It was just a very ordinary little mountain village.
There were countless places like this throughout the country.
"Haha, don't call me village chief anymore. I'm a rough man. If you don't mind, teacher, just call me Old Pang."
Village Chief Pang chuckled, showing respect to intellectuals, given the poverty of their village.
"Teacher Zhao, since you've settled in, I'll take my leave."
The guide said with a smile, "I know the way back."
"Then I won't see you off."
Zhao An nodded with a smile, not trying to persuade him to stay. It was clear the other person didn't want to stay either.
Zhao An carried his things into his room, a typical earthen bed, his first time sleeping on such a bed.
For him, nothing was unacceptable. The women were all pregnant anyway, and he wasn't satisfied with just sex, so he might as well come out and see what it was like.
He had no patience for a group of pregnant women.
That's how men are; once they've finished, they don't care anymore, typical "pull up your pants and you're done."
The peaceful little river village suddenly became lively.
Because of Zhao An's arrival, and knowing he was a teacher, many people stared at him wide-eyed on the road. Most were peasant women, with a few young wives occasionally.
There were almost no young people; they had all gone out to work. The area was simply too poor.
Unless there was a family emergency preventing them from leaving, they all went out to work to earn money.
Because they were in the mountains, the women's clothing was quite casual. Some weren't even wearing bras, their two bright red nipples bulging against their clothes, making Zhao An's penis hard!
His erect penis pushed his crotch high.
Although these peasant women weren't stunning beauties, and their looks were even considered average, they possessed a natural simplicity.
They were broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with robust figures, and their wheat-colored skin radiated a healthy, sunny glow.
This reminded Zhao An of his second aunt, similarly broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, very comfortable to have sex with.
Peasant women are all very sexually frustrated.
Especially the unsatisfied peasant women, working from sunrise to sunset without any of the pampered manners of city women, are easy to please. If you make them happy, these peasant women will serve their men with utmost care.
"Hey, look what's hidden in the teacher's pants!"
"Isn't that right?
Is the teacher interested in us old women?"
"You know what, with pants like that, what woman could resist!"
"Haha, if your husband heard that, he'd be furious!"
Rural women are just that bold, with no shameful talk.
Anyway, that's what it is. What else is there to do at night besides sex?
Zhao An, however, didn't care at all. He chatted and laughed with Old Pang. Having seen a lot, he wasn't so concerned about these things.
Besides, he wasn't there to hunt for women; he was genuinely there to see if there were any opportunities to make money.
It's not that there aren't opportunities to make money; earning money is hard, and life is tough—everyone knows that. But clever people can always find alternatives.
However, this place is indeed too remote. Development would require building roads first.
This would significantly increase costs, making it unprofitable.
It would take at least one or two years to break even, and no investor would wait that long.
Where would they find compensation for the losses in between?
Capital is profit-driven; without sufficient profit, no one will develop the area.
Through conversation…
Zhao An learned that Old Pang was actually still in his prime.
He was only in his forties, but due to the harsh conditions, he looked over fifty.
The situation in Xiahe Village was also clear: there were truly no local specialties to develop; the only thing they had was jujube trees.
But these jujubes couldn't be transported out and didn't fetch much price; they could only be used as snacks.
There was a considerable amount of farmland.
"But these are all terraced fields. Mechanization isn't feasible in these areas. A lot of manpower and resources are spent, but the harvest is meager."
The effort and reward are disproportionate. Large-scale planting on plains is necessary for mechanization.
"Teacher, to be honest, some businessmen and bosses have come to Xiahe Village, but some gave up without even entering the village.
The roads here are a major problem, even if someone were willing to solve it.
But we really don't have any advantages here.
Alas, even if we wanted to develop, we lack the resources."
Old Pang took a sip of his wine, looking somewhat melancholy.
Sister-in-law Pang, on the other hand, was a very down-to-earth peasant woman, a typical peasant woman, large-framed, about 1.76 meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with dark skin—the result of toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk.
She was dark, but at least she was healthy.
"Teacher, you've worked so hard, coming to teach in our village. It's nothing like the city.
The conditions in big cities must be much better, right?"
"You can all go out and see for yourselves if you have the chance. I'm sure you'll have that opportunity."
Zhao An smiled. "Actually, I came here for two reasons: first, to teach, and second, to see if there are any opportunities for development.
High school and university courses are no longer important to me. This time, I've come voluntarily to broaden my horizons and teach, and also to see if there are any business opportunities.
I own a company outside, and I also have some businesses in rural areas.
I'll take a look first, while teaching, and then see what happens.
Everything is possible with effort. Don't be discouraged; there's always hope."
"Really? Teacher!"
Sister Pang's eyes held a glimmer of hope.
If there were a chance to prosper, who would want their hometown to remain a poor mountain village forever?
"Haha, I can't guarantee it, but I'll do my best."
Zhao An smiled, revealing no dark thoughts.