Chapter 13

Zhao Yan has been staying at the pig farm's dormitory these past few days. There's no other way, as Liu Yunxuan is a hands-off boss, and the chicken farm at the foot of the mountain is also under Zhao Yan's management. Zhao Yan could be said to be suffering but also happy. The suffering is that he has too many things to do every day and has no time to see his wife. The happiness is that his wife's belly finally shows some signs of movement.

As usual, Zhao Yan arrived early at Liu Yunxuan's house to wait for breakfast.

"These saplings are good. I checked them when they arrived. They've been here overnight and still look lively, not a bit wilted," Zhao Yan said.

"How about this, after you finish this busy period, take a few days off and go home to spend some time with Yuan Yuan?" Yuan Yuan is Zhao Yan's wife. With Zhao Yan's promotion, everyone knows that Yuan Yuan is pregnant. Now, the food and drink are all provided by Liu Yunxuan.

"No need, no need. It's only two months, it's fine," Zhao Yan said, thinking of his unborn baby, his eyes narrowing into a smile.

"Yuan Yuan has been pregnant for two months, and you still haven't settled down. You don't seem to worry at all," Liu's mother said from the side.

"Exactly, Xuanzi, you need to work harder. It's about time," Zhao Yan added, unable to help but take the lead in the next generation.

"Right, Xiaoli, when you have time, teach Fangfang some English. If there's a chance, send Fangfang abroad to study," Liu Yunxuan quickly changed the subject.

"Uncle, Fangfang knows a lot of English. Apple is 'apple,' Dahuang and Banli are 'dog,' right?" Fangfang said loudly when the topic turned to English.

"Fangfang is so smart. You should study English well so you can play with foreign children in the future," Liu Yunxuan praised. Compared to digging holes, planting trees is much simpler. With the whole village working together, all the trees were planted in less than a day.

With the business expanding, it's time to hire more people. At least 30 more people are needed, with about ten for the orchard, seven or eight for the free-range chicken farm, and more for the expanding pig farm. Liu Yunxuan plans to hire all from the village, giving priority to those with skills for the orchard and those from families in need. The specific hiring will be handled by Liu Tian, the village chief.

At the same time, Liu Yunxuan promised that with the company's expansion, at least one job would be guaranteed for each household.

One hundred thousand chicks have been placed in the chicken farm, with 30,000 roosters and 70,000 laying hens, separated by a net. The chicks, in their new environment, are not afraid of people, chirping and pecking for food in groups. A few particularly bold ones even jumped onto Liu Yunxuan's legs when he was adding water.

Dahuang and Banli looked enviously at the little chicks, always wanting to come in and play. Liu Yunxuan didn't dare let them in, fearing they would play to death many of the chicks.

One day, while Liu Yunxuan was walking around with Dahuang and Banli, he received a call from Wang Yue.

"Uncle Wang, what brings you to call me? How are the watermelons selling?" Liu Yunxuan asked.

"The watermelons are selling very well. At first, we thought it would take over a month to sell so many, but unexpectedly, they were all sold out in less than half a month. Later, some fruit merchants left their contact information and reserved next year's watermelons," Wang Yue said.

"Congratulations, Uncle Wang. It looks like you made a good profit," Liu Yunxuan congratulated him.

"Ah, Uncle Wang is just lucky thanks to you. As long as you have such good watermelons next year, I thank you in advance," Wang Yue said.

"Uncle Wang, rest assured. The planting scale will expand next year. I told you before, I will prioritize supplying you. When you can't eat any more, I'll look for other sales channels," Liu Yunxuan reassured him.

"Can eat, can eat. Just in Tianjin City and the capital, these watermelons are not enough. Even if they were doubled or tripled, it wouldn't be a problem." Wang Yue really didn't expect the watermelons to be so popular. Even the few watermelons he kept for his family were sold at a high price.

Just as he hung up, the phone rang again.

Liu Yunxuan saw it was Wang Minghua, the number they exchanged last time.

"Yunxuan, are you at home now?" Wang Minghua asked.

"Yes, Brother Minghua, is there something you need?" Liu Yunxuan wondered if Secretary Wang's appetite was bad again.

"Nothing else. Last time you mentioned planting some cabbages and planning to export them to South Korea. I mentioned it to some friends at dinner today. One of them is in the vegetable export trade and is quite interested. If you're at home, I'll bring him to see your fields," Wang Minghua explained.

"Thank you so much, Brother Minghua," Liu Yunxuan was surprised that Wang Minghua had remembered this.

Liu Yunxuan drove his pickup and waited at the highway exit, recognizing Wang Minghua's car, a Mercedes S600.

"Yunxuan, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Liu, who is actually your clansman," Wang Minghua pointed to Liu Lin, who got out of the car.

"Mr. Liu, thank you for coming in person," Liu Yunxuan greeted him.

"Don't call me Mr. Liu. Since you're Brother Minghua's friend, you're my brother too. Just call me Brother Liu," Liu Lin said with a smile.

"Yunxuan, just call him Brother Liu. He's a straightforward person. Uncle Liu is now in charge of the provincial organization department, and this guy, like me, loves to dabble in small businesses," Wang Minghua introduced in detail.

"Is my luck really that good? Every person I meet is a big shot and so easy to talk to," Liu Yunxuan couldn't help but think.

Actually, Liu Yunxuan was mistaken. If anyone is the top big shot in the province, it's Wang Minghua. For Wang Minghua to call him brother and even bring people to see the cabbages, Liu Lin wouldn't put on any airs. These cabbages must be sold no matter what.

"Brothers, do you want to rest at home first, or do you have other plans?" Liu Yunxuan asked.

"Let's go to the fields first, then visit your parents," Wang Minghua said.

The three drove to the fields, and Liu Lin got out to examine them closely. He was surprised by the size of the fields and the fact that they were all of the golden cabbage variety. As long as the quality is decent, exporting to South Korea is no problem.

Liu Lin was very satisfied and told Liu Yunxuan to call him directly when it's time to harvest the cabbages.

Lunch was at Liu Yunxuan's house. Upon hearing that his brother was coming, Wang Mingyuan also rushed over from town.

The dishes were simple, but the essential chicken stew with mushrooms was included. There was also stir-fried green peppers and eggs, tomatoes with sugar, and a bowl of sour and spicy soup.

In the countryside, they don't fuss over fancy dishes; they just enjoy the large, hearty portions.

The locally free-range rooster, the smooth mushrooms, the fragrant eggs, and the refreshing tomatoes when you feel greasy, all made for a very satisfying meal.

Wang Mingyuan was no longer surprised by Liu Lin's eating habits. When he first started eating at the Liu family, he was the same, wanting to lick the plates clean. He was often teased by Fangfang for it.

"How is this meal? Not bad, right?" Wang Mingyuan boasted.

"Not bad at all. Although it's not as fancy as a big restaurant, the taste is just as good, if not better. I've eaten in many big restaurants, but they all taste the same. Eating here is much more satisfying and comfortable," Liu Lin praised.

"I've had a few meals with Dad, but eating at Yunxuan's house tastes even better," Wang Minghua added.

"Have you never seen anything before? At home, we use a small stove, but here, it's a big pot," Wang Mingyuan mocked his brother.

"Yunxuan, have you thought about expanding the vegetable planting?" Liu Lin asked.

That's why he's a big businessman; he's always looking for business opportunities, even during meals.

"It will take some time. The business is just starting, and I don't dare to expand too much. Besides, the seed issue for large-scale vegetable planting hasn't been resolved," Liu Yunxuan explained.

"Even if the quality is a bit lower, it's fine. Whenever you want to expand, just call me. I'll take care of the sales," Liu Lin promised, patting his chest.