Chapter 7

With money in hand, there's no need to panic.

During this period, the pigs in the pig farm were growing well, fast and eating a lot. Since they were not fed with feed concentrate, a large amount of cornmeal was used, all of which was purchased from the village at a price higher than the market rate. The watermelon vines couldn't be wasted either; they were all thrown into the pig farm. After all, they were grown in the space water, and the piglets loved them, eating all the tender leaves. Some even gnawed on the main vines.

"Xuanzi, the pigs are growing fast and eating a lot. Two workers can't feed them all. Do you think we should hire another person?" Zhao Yan asked.

Liu Yunxuan thought about it and agreed. "Sure, you handle it. When the time comes, I'll allocate more funds. Expand the pig farm and hire a few more people. When this batch of pigs is ready for market, we'll get more for the next batch. From now on, the pig farm will be under your management. You don't need to consult me on how to handle things."

"You really trust me, letting me do whatever I want. You're not afraid I'll bankrupt you?" Zhao Yan complained, but he was secretly pleased.

"Bankrupt? If you do, I'll sell you as a pig," Liu Yunxuan said irritably.

"Right, what should we plant in the melon field next? Cabbage or radishes?" Zhao Yan asked.

In Northeast China, after planting cash crops like peppers and watermelons, which mature early, people usually plant cabbage or radishes to avoid leaving the land idle, and they can also make some money.

"Cabbage, golden cabbage," Liu Yunxuan said confidently.

"Golden cabbage? Like gold?" Zhao Yan was a bit confused; he had never heard of such a cabbage.

"Even like diamonds. It's a variety of cabbage. Unlike the large cabbages we used to grow, this type is smaller and has a lower yield. It's mainly used in Korea for making kimchi. We'll try it once. If we can sell it to Korea, we might make a small profit. If not, we'll keep it to feed the pigs." Liu Yunxuan wasn't entirely sure, but he had heard about it from conversations at Korean restaurants.

"Wow, this cabbage can be exported? Are we entering the international market?" Zhao Yan asked, delighted.

"Hardly. We don't have the connections over there. We'll have to find some other agricultural companies to cooperate with." Although he hadn't done it before, Liu Yunxuan knew that exporting wasn't as simple as just wanting to sell.

"Xuanzi, when your big yellow or chestnut have puppies, can you give me one?" Zhao Yan said, looking at the dogs playing in the pig farm, enviously.

"You'll have to wait. Big yellow is male, and chestnut is female. With their pride, who knows what kind of dog they'll fancy." Liu Yunxuan said helplessly, looking at the two dogs.

It wasn't clear if it was because they drank too much space water, but these two dogs were so smart that they couldn't be described as just dogs anymore. A few days ago, while busy with the melon field, he forgot to feed them, and they actually bit their own food bowls to get food. They were picky eaters and never ate cold food. Sometimes when they did something wrong, they would cuddle Liu Yunxuan's legs like Fangfang, trying to get his attention. No wonder Zhao Yan was envious.

"I bet even the military dogs aren't as smart as yours." Zhao Yan sighed.

"Alright, if they do have puppies, I'll give you one."

"Hehe, you promised. Even if it's just one, I want it," Zhao Yan said excitedly.

Leaving the pig farm, Liu Yunxuan went to Li Yong's house again. There was no other choice; the melon field needed to be prepared, and cabbage needed to be planted, so he had to find Li Yong.

"Brother Yong, I have something to discuss with you. From now on, don't do odd jobs anymore. Work with me. I'll pay you 3,000 yuan a month, plus a bonus at the end of the year," Liu Yunxuan said, explaining his thoughts. Through his interactions with Li Yong over the past few days, he found that Li Yong had organizational skills and was good at managing people. He worked hard, so this time, he decided to propose it, rather than leaving it to his parents.

"Wow, that's great news. Should I call you Boss Liu from now on?" Li Yong said, delighted.

Liu Yunxuan's eldest son was capable. Just from growing melons, he had earned a few million. He used online banking for transactions, something no one in the village had ever seen. Odd jobs weren't always available, but 3,000 yuan a month, right at home, was much better than working on construction sites in the city.

"Don't call me Boss. Just call me Yunxuan. Come with me, sign the contract, and this month will count as a full month.

For the next crop in the melon field, we'll plant cabbage. I've already bought the seeds. When the time comes, you can hire people to prepare the land and plant the cabbage. For expenses, report to Yunhai, and he'll give you the money." Liu Yunxuan was confident and knew he needed to cultivate some people, not just rely on himself.

Li Yong was moved by Liu Yunxuan's trust. "Don't worry. I may not be good at other things, but I've been doing farm work for years. I'll make sure everything is done well," Li Yong promised.

Liu Yunxuan then instructed Li Yong to get the cabbage seeds from him. Planting cabbage was part of the plan, including the watermelon seeds, which he had already bought in Tianjin.

After signing the contract with Li Yong and seeing him happily chatting with everyone, Liu Yunxuan felt a sense of accomplishment. Life in the countryside was both easy and difficult. It was easy because if you were willing to work and contribute, you would always have something to gain. It was difficult because you relied on the weather, and making a living was easy, but getting rich was hard.

Liu Yunxuan decided that, besides the pig farm, all planting projects would be done in cooperation with the villagers. Money was endless, and since he had the ability, he should share some of the profits with the villagers. Besides, with the space in his hands, there would be many more opportunities to make big money in the future. What he had earned now was small compared to what was to come. Liu Yunxuan always had a big plan.

During the recent town government meetings, Mayor Wang also conveyed his discussions with Liu Yunxuan to the various villages. He asked the villages to first gather the households interested in participating, and then the town would make a unified plan and allocate planting areas. The news had spread throughout the town. The village of Kaishan had produced a watermelon king, whose watermelons sold for 7 yuan per pound. According to the mayor, this cooperation was almost like giving money away.

Now, the competition was about which village would start the rotation planting next year. The only relaxed village chief was Liu Tianlai. No matter which village started first, Kaishan didn't need to worry.

Liu Yunxuan also understood this when he talked to Mayor Wang. He didn't care which village started first, but he insisted on following the town's unified plan. He didn't want to be the one to decide, as the later villages might complain. Mayor Wang was so angry that he kept calling him slippery.

With the pig farm handed over to Zhao Yan and the planting matters to his brother Liu Yunhai, Liu Yunxuan had nothing much to worry about. However, the only downside was that the matchmakers from all the villages had almost worn out his doorstep. Liu Yunxuan was now more sought after than a diamond bachelor. He was educated and could make money. Helplessly, Liu Yunxuan had to take Fangfang, Big Yellow, and Chestnut out for drives every day, enjoying a leisurely life.

Fangfang was very happy. She could go out with her father every day and buy a lot of delicious food. In the past, her father was often away, and Fangfang missed him very much.

Now, not only could she see him every day, but he also took her out to play. How could she not be happy?