Chapter 48: Contracting an Iron Mine

Just as she was thinking this, the voice of Deputy Township Head Ma came to her ears.

"Bai Wei, your Trade Company must have many connections, right?"

"Village Head Yang asked me to ask you if you could help their village's Iron Factory sell steel?"

"Sell iron?"

Bai Wei came back to her senses, feeling a wave of surprise.

She knew of Yangjiatun.

Ten years ago, this village developed an iron mine, and the township turned Yangjiatun into a mining village; it was quite popular for a while back then, so who would have thought it couldn't be sold now?

Half the villagers in the whole village worked at the mine or the mine's Iron Factory.

At this moment, a dark-skinned middle-aged man beside Deputy Township Head Ma hurried forward.

"I am the Village Head of Yangjiatun. In recent years, the price of Iron Ore has fallen year after year, and this year the Iron Ore won't even sell; the factory and mine have been losing money for three years, and now we can't even pay the villagers' wages, so I wanted to come and ask for your help."

His smile carried a hint of obsequiousness, and his eyes were expectant.

Behind Village Head Yang followed several people wearing mining helmets; they looked like workers from the iron mine.

Several workers were wearing dirty work uniforms, their palms rough, all looking at Bai Wei with eager eyes.

Among them was a girl of about fourteen or fifteen, her hair messy, wearing an oversized old work uniform, her face covered in patches of black and gray, and her sneakers had a hole in them.

Bai Wei was stunned, "Why is there a child here?"

An old worker nearby hurriedly apologized with a smile.

"This is my daughter, Shui Er. I sprained my back, so she came to the Iron Factory to help me shovel coal slag for a month."

"Doesn't she need to go to school?"

Bai Wei was even more surprised; it wasn't the time for holidays yet.

The old worker's expression dimmed, and he spread out his rough palms, which were full of black ash.

"I want to send the child to school too, but the mine hasn't been able to pay wages for half a year."

"There is no school near the village, the only middle school is in the town, and plus I borrowed a lot of money for medical treatment, so the child said she wouldn't study anymore and came to help me shovel coal slag."

Bai Wei was shocked!

What era is this, that there are still rural children dropping out of school!

But then again, going to town to study requires money for food and living expenses, which is a significant cost for some impoverished villagers.

Village Head Yang sighed.

"The Iron Ore can't be sold, the mine can't pay wages, and many miners' children have dropped out of school to go to the city to work. Shui Er has very good grades; it's a pity she isn't studying. It's all my fault as the Village Head for not being able to help everyone earn money."

Bai Wei frowned slightly.

For rural children, the only way to get ahead is through education.

From here to the town, one has to walk more than forty kilometers of mountain road, and going to town to study means having to live at the school.

Many impoverished rural families cannot afford the costs of boarding and food, and they also need the children to help take care of the sick at home, so they let them drop out.

In the past, when Bai Wei's father passed away and her mother had no source of income, if it hadn't been for her grandmother taking out her coffin money of 100,000 yuan, she wouldn't have been able to attend university either.

At this time, Village Head Yang said, "There used to be a big enterprise that said it would invest 90 million to build a middle school in the township, but after everyone waited eagerly for a long time, the enterprise was just putting on a show and didn't spend a single cent."

Bai Wei looked at the dirty girl and made a decision in her heart.

She asked Village Head Yang.

"How is the ore from your mine? What is the quality like?"

"The iron mine in our village produces nothing but White Cast Iron with the highest hardness." Village Head Yang hurriedly signaled several miners to move several bamboo baskets down from the tricycle, "These kitchen knives, iron pots, soup pots... are all produced by our own Iron Factory."

Bai Wei took an iron pot and tapped it with her finger.

It was indeed hard enough, and it even had an echo.

"Does the Iron Factory have iron ingots?"

Village Head Yang's eyes lit up. "Yes, plenty of them."

Bai Wei nodded.

She looked up at Deputy Township Head Ma.

"Deputy Township Head Ma, if I contract all the White Cast Iron ingots from the Yangjiatun mine, can you help me get the approval for the Vegetable Base in Qingshan Village?"

"Buy all of it?" Village Head Yang couldn't believe his ears, "Bai, are you telling the truth?"

She wanted to buy the White Cast Iron from the mine?

And she wanted to buy it all in one go!

Village Head Yang was so excited that his nostrils flared and his chest heaved.

If she really bought it all, the factory would be able to pay wages!

The several miners behind him, as if they had been given Adrenaline, all raised their heads in unison and stared over excitedly.

Especially that girl, who opened her eyes wide and looked at her in disbelief.

Her eyes, which had just lost their luster, instantly ignited with light!

"Big sister, are you really going to buy the iron from our mine?"

"Really." Bai Wei smiled slightly, "However, I still have to ask Deputy Township Head Ma to do me a small favor."

Upon hearing this, Village Head Yang hurriedly looked at Deputy Township Head Ma.

"Deputy Township Head Ma, the iron ore piled up in our village is counting on you."

Stared at by several miners, Deputy Township Head Ma was stunned, then smiled bitterly and shook his head, "It's no use looking at me; the higher-ups have issued documents, and in order to protect the environment, they won't allow the random reclamation of wasteland, so I really am..."

"I will invest in building a village middle school!" Bai Wei's voice was resolute.

In an instant!

Several miners opened their mouths in shock, staring fixedly at Bai Wei.

Village Chief Yang was also shocked, almost dropping the iron pot he was holding onto the ground.

This young woman... not only bought all the White Cast Iron from the mine, but she also wants to build a middle school?!

She is simply the savior of the miners!

Village Chief Yang's face flushed red, and he grabbed Bai Wei's hand, so excited that he could barely speak clearly.

"Bai... Miss Bai Wei, I... I represent the villagers of Yangjiatun, thank you!"

The young girl also had a look of wild joy on her face and asked, choking with emotion.

"Big sister, if you build a middle school in the village, will I be able to continue my studies and return to the village every day to take care of my father?"

"You can!" Bai Wei nodded vigorously.

The young girl blinked her red eyes and immediately wiped them with her sleeve.

Deputy Township Head Ma was stunned for several seconds before he came back to his senses, suppressing his surprise.

"You... you want to invest in building a village middle school? You aren't lying to me, are you?"

"It is true, my Trade Company has sufficient funds!"

Bai Wei nodded earnestly.

The nearby villages were all too poor and lacked a middle school.

If there could be a middle school, it could change the fate of many rural children!

Deputy Township Head Ma also became excited, his face flushing red.

This was a major matter that would benefit the people!

He gritted his teeth, "If you can really invest in building a middle school in the township, I will personally go to the town tomorrow to help you apply for this Vegetable Base!"

The village chief of Qingshan Village was also so happy he could not close his mouth.

His village had produced a figure like Bai Wei, who not only helped the villagers of Qingshan Village sell vegetables and saved the iron mine in Yangjiatun, but now she even wanted to build a middle school!

When the time came, he would also be commended along with her!

Fearing that Bai Wei might change her mind, Village Chief Yang immediately took the miners back to the settlement, and by the afternoon, they had hauled three truckloads of White Cast Iron to the Farm.

The blocks of White Cast Iron were neatly arranged on the ground, emitting a scent of raw iron.

Bai Wei bent down and tried to lift one, but she couldn't even move it!

So heavy!

There were fourteen days left until the Daye Army set out.

She thought for a moment and returned to the Recreational Vehicle to notify Xiao Moting.

"How many craftsmen have you recruited so far? I am sending you something useful!"