Chapter 3

Lunch was prepared by the nanny. Zhao Yan's mother had passed away when he was young, and his father had never remarried, raising him alone. Back then, the family wasn't as wealthy, and they had endured many hardships. It was only in the past couple of years that Zhao Yan, feeling sorry for Old Zhao, had hired a nanny to cook and do household chores.

Neither of them ate much; their stomachs were still full from the New Year's feasts. They mainly chatted during the meal.

Old Zhao kept reminding Zhao Yan to speak up if he needed anything, saying that he still knew a few people in the county.

The one who enjoyed the meal the most was Fangfang, the little girl. It was her first time eating abalone, and she ate two of them. She felt she was growing up, noting that the adults only ate one each.

After the meal, they accompanied Old Zhao for some tea and rest. Seeing that it was already past two o'clock, they bid farewell to Old Zhao.

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. A real man should make his own achievements. Our Yanzi isn't as capable as you; he just gets by, eating and drinking. If you need money, call Uncle."

"Don't worry, I won't hesitate to ask you for help. I know you care for me. If things start to improve, you should lend Yanzi to me to work, and he can lose some weight," Liu Yunxuan said with a smile.

"Deal, it's settled. You don't have to wait for things to improve. Once your project starts, I'll send this brat over. You take him under your wing and broaden his horizons."

Old Zhao, with a net worth in the millions, had a son who wasn't interested in his business. As the saying goes, if you don't think ahead, you'll have problems. When he was gone, leaving the family business to his son would ensure a comfortable life, but what about his future grandchildren? Relying on the old capital would eventually deplete it.

Old Zhao, with years of business experience, was a good judge of character. Liu Yunxuan's usual cheerful demeanor didn't fool him. If this young man dared to give up a comfortable job in the city to return to the village and farm, he must have something to rely on.

This young man was the type who wouldn't act without a good reason. Through years of interaction, Old Zhao knew he was emotional. He didn't expect his son to become rich and powerful, but if Liu Yunxuan succeeded, his son could at least share in the benefits.

"Alright, Yanzi, did you hear that? You'll have to work with me this year. Don't be afraid of hard work," Liu Yunxuan agreed readily.

He had guessed some of Old Zhao's thoughts. He wasn't the type to haggle, and he and Zhao Yan were close friends.

"Hey, you two just decided this? Did you even ask me, the one involved?" Zhao Yan, seeing himself being sent away by Old Zhao's few words, complained.

"Who cares about your opinion? As long as I'm alive, you listen to me," Old Zhao harshly suppressed Zhao Yan's minor dissatisfaction.

On the way to the store to get the car, Zhao Yan kept grumbling. He was genuinely afraid of hard work.

"Big Yan, working isn't that tiring. Yesterday, Fangfang helped Big Yan work, and it wasn't tiring at all," Fangfang, seeing Zhao Yan's worried face, was willing to share her experience.

"Right, Yanzi, look at you, even a child is better than you. Even my Fangfang is more sensible."

"That's right, Big Brother Yan, you'll really have to work. My brother was just saying that. When the time comes, you just need to help keep an eye on things," Liu Yunhai consoled him.

"By the way, Yanzi, don't rush to come to me. You know people in the county and trust me. Take out 100,000 yuan, and I'll give you a 10% stake in the company. Help me register an agricultural products company in the county."

"No problem, I'll be part of the management, right? Just don't make me do the actual work," Zhao Yan agreed readily.

"Brother, how about I sell my car and join you? Although trucking is profitable, it's really tiring and dangerous."

"Sure, sell the car, pay off the loan, and like Zhao Yan, put in 100,000 yuan for a 10% stake." Liu Yunxuan had always intended to have his brother join him but hadn't mentioned it. He had planned to wait until the watermelons were harvested, but his brother brought it up first, so he agreed readily. After all, in battle, brothers fight together.

The matter was settled. They agreed that Liu Yunhai would bring the documents the next day.

"Big Yan, Fangfang wants to help you start the company and make money." Despite her young age, Fangfang understood a lot, especially that money was a good thing, needed for ice cream.

"Sure, Fangfang, you can help me start the company. We'll use the money to buy you pretty clothes and dolls," Liu Yunxuan affectionately ruffled Fangfang's head.

Liu Yunhai drove the pickup truck back to the village, driving slowly to greet the villagers. If he didn't, they might look down on him.

Back home, he told his parents about selling the car and joining Liu Yunxuan. They had no objections, knowing the dangers of trucking, as seen on the news with frequent traffic accidents. They always worried when he was out on the road.

"By the way, son, after lunch, I went around the village and found out that the Zhang family in the west has about 15 acres of reclaimed land. Their son is going to work in the city this year and can't manage it, so they plan to rent it out. You should check it out," Liu's father said.

"Okay, I'll go to Uncle Zhang's house later. By the way, how much does it cost to rent land in the village now?" Liu Yunxuan asked.

"About 500 yuan per acre for regular land, and 600 yuan for better land," his father replied, familiar with the village's situation.

"Then, Dad, let's go check it out. I want to see the surrounding land and consider renting it all if it's good."

Liu Yunxuan offered a high price of 700 yuan per acre, and the total area was about 46 acres.

The agreements with the villagers were quickly signed, as 700 yuan per acre was a good price. The weather was uncertain this year, and they could still do some part-time work.

Liu Yunxuan didn't haggle much, even rounding up to one acre for plots less than one acre. The villagers had it tough, but he couldn't offer too much, as it would make it difficult for others to rent land. 700 yuan was a fair price, and he offered it to consolidate the land for easier management.

The villagers appreciated Liu Yunxuan's generosity.

With the land secured, Liu Yunxuan considered the remaining funds, including Zhao Yan's and his brother's contributions, totaling about 400,000 yuan. The labor and fertilizer for the watermelons would cost about 100,000 yuan, leaving 300,000 yuan for other investments.

With extra money, Liu Yunxuan decided to raise pigs. The pork at home tasted especially good because it wasn't fed with feed additives. These were pigs raised for the family, with a long growth period. Liu Yunxuan planned to raise pigs without feed additives, which would taste better and sell well.

"Is the brick factory in the village still operating, Dad?" The village had a brick factory, but it wasn't doing well.

"It stopped last year. People saw others making money from brick factories, but our village's soil wasn't suitable, and the bricks weren't as strong."

"Then, Dad, let's go to the village chief's house. I want to rent the brick factory."

"What? You want to make bricks?" His father thought he wanted to start a brick business.

"No, I want to convert the brick factory into a pig farm and raise pigs without feed additives. These pigs will be more expensive and profitable," Liu Yunxuan explained.

They went to the village chief Liu Tianlai's house, and coincidentally, the village secretary Meng Xigui was there, making things easier.

"Uncle Tianlai, I want to rent the land where the brick factory is and convert it into a pig farm. Is the village willing to rent it out?" Liu Yunxuan asked.

Liu Tianlai and Liu Yunxuan were distant relatives.

"You're back and didn't even visit me. Looks like you're planning to do something big in the village," Liu Tianlai teased.

"Not really, Uncle Tianlai, don't make fun of me. Working outside seems profitable, but it's always about pleasing others. Even if I earn less by myself, I prefer the freedom," Liu Yunxuan said.

"Alright, Old Meng is here, so we can decide this. The brick factory has been idle anyway."

"Okay, I plan to pay 20,000 yuan per year for 20 years. The first three years will be 20,000 yuan each, and the price will follow the market. If it's lower than the market price, we'll follow the market. If it's higher, we'll still pay 20,000 yuan. What do you think?" Liu Yunxuan proposed.

Liu Tianlai was pleased. They had expected a price of around 10,000 yuan, so this was a good deal. The village's finances would improve.

They discussed the specific terms and signed a temporary agreement, with the formal contract to be signed after the company's registration.

Liu Yunxuan had a place to raise pigs, and the village benefited, making everyone happy.

---

(End of page)