An elderly rural man refuses wages for his work, asking only for gourds. What is he after?

Working for pay is perfectly justified. This is true whether in the city or in the countryside. However, today when I went to a planting base for an interview, I ran into just such a person. This elderly rural man is already over 60 years old. At the planting base I was interviewing, he was responsible for hoeing weeds and watering the crops. But since the old man arrived at this base, he has never taken a single cent in wages. It is not that the boss would not give it, but that he refused no matter what (since the old man refused to be on camera, we can only look at his gourds).The old man is a farmer from a nearby village. When he first came to work at the base, they tried to pay him wages, and he refused. At first, the boss could not understand what he meant: "Working without wanting wages, who ever heard of such a person?" Later he said to the old man, "Uncle, what do you mean by this?" The old man said, "Nothing much. I want to plant some gourds around your base. What do you think?" When the boss heard this, of course he agreed. It would not affect crop growth and could also beautify the environment.
So the gourds around the base were planted just like that and became a scene at the base. Many farmers working at the base often came under the gourd vines to cool off. Later, as they spent more time together, the boss figured it out. It turned out the old man loved growing these collectible gourds, and he had also planted gourds around his own house. In recent years, as collectible gourds sold well, the old man made a handsome profit. Later he wanted to plant gourds in his own fields, but because of irrigation and the fear of theft, he had to give up the idea. Last year, the old man saw this planting base right next to him, so he introduced the gourds to the base.
After learning the old man's thinking, the base owner suddenly understood. Later he did not treat the old man badly either. The old man did not want wages, but he loved drinking and smoking, so every month the boss bought him a case of liquor, and every few days he bought him a carton of cigarettes. The two sides were as close as family. Having told this true rural example, in fact, as farmer friends, have you noticed this point? Many farmers now say that farming does not make money. We might as well shift our thinking. If gourds also have a good sales outlet or a broad market in your area, then you could try planting some gourds, and you might have unexpected gains. Of course, this is only a suggestion, for reference only.

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