Chapter 19

The saying goes, "Food is the heaven of the people." Xu Junran had known this for a long time.

That was why he dared to face the many elders of Li Family Town and Long Yin Yue and say what he had just said.

"Grandfathers, teachers, if I have the confidence to make the lives of our commune's fellow villagers better, so that every household can have meat to eat, would we still need to fight with the people of Da Wang Village for that bit of water source?"

Xu Junran's words left everyone stunned.

Those who had the right to sit here were naturally the most respected figures in Li Family Town. It could be said that if it weren't for the great kindness Xu Junran's parents had shown to Li Family Town, if anyone else had done what he did today, the Li family would not have let them off.

But it was precisely Xu Junran, which left the Li family elders both angry and anxious, yet helpless. They could only look at the clan leader, Li Youde, hoping he would make a decision.

"Junran, tell Grandfather, is there someone from the county threatening you?" Li Youde looked at Xu Junran and asked seriously.

Xu Junran's actions today had truly taken him by surprise.

After all, for a young man to say he could make all the fellow villagers in the commune live a good life seemed a bit too idealistic to Li Youde.

"Grandfather, I brought this matter up to County Chief Yang on my own initiative."

Xu Junran said calmly, "I studied for four years at university and learned a lot of skills. If I can't make the fellow villagers who raised me live a good life, and can't make the place where my parents rest prosper, what's the point of staying in the capital?"

Mentioning Xu Junran's parents, the elders fell silent, and even Long Yin Yue, who was about to speak, shook her head with a bitter smile.

They vaguely remembered that many years ago, right here, Xu Junran's father had said with great resolve, "If I, Xu, cannot use my knowledge to treat and save people, do I deserve the title of a doctor with a heart of a parent?"

In the following month, he traversed the mountains of Wude County and finally found the herbs to treat the flu, saving most of the town's people.

The cost was that he spent the rest of his life here, never seeing his son who had yet to be born.

As those who had personally witnessed that scene, the elders naturally did not know that Xu Junran's words had almost brought tears to the eyes of these septuagenarians, for they remembered the child's background: a posthumous son, parents deceased, all because of the people of Li Family Town.

Moreover, who would believe that someone who had given up a comfortable life in the capital and willingly returned to this poor and remote place would want to harm his own people?

"Junran, Grandfather didn't mean anything else, I was just afraid that you, being young and inexperienced, might be taken advantage of by outsiders," Long Yin Yue said to her most outstanding student with a smile.

Xu Junran smiled, "Teacher, I understand what you mean. Even if others don't believe me, how could I not believe my own people?"

With a relaxed expression, he said softly, "From the moment I left the capital, I made up my mind to make Li Family Town the wealthiest place in all of southern Jiang!"

Long Yin Yue and Li Youde exchanged glances, both narrowing their eyes and looking at Xu Junran.

Xu Junran did not avoid their gaze but faced them with clear, transparent eyes, without any hesitation.

"Alright, tell me, what do you plan to do to make the fellow villagers live a good life?"

After a moment of eye contact, Li Youde asked Xu Junran in a deep voice.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Junran answered word by word, "I plan to raise fish in the rice paddies of our town."

"Raise fish?"

"Yes, Grandfather. When I was in the capital, I once attended a lecture by a professor from the Agricultural University. He recommended a method to help the people become wealthy, which is to raise fish in rice paddies. Although there are some restrictions on the types of fish, I believe the workers in Wude County won't be picky. Moreover, we can eat the fish ourselves or sell them in the city. According to the professor's experiments, raising fish in rice paddies can not only produce fish, but also help control pests and weeds, fertilize the soil, and promote the decomposition of fertilizer, creating good conditions for rice growth, generally increasing rice yields by about ten percent."

Facing the many elders of the Li family and his mentor, Xu Junran finally revealed his first plan since his rebirth.

"Raising fish in rice paddies?" Repeating Xu Junran's words, the Li family elders looked doubtful, involuntarily turning their gaze to Long Yin Yue, the most learned person in Li Family Town. They were accustomed to letting this learned person make decisions for them. Although they didn't understand the concept of knowledge being power, the people of Li Family Town knew a simple truth: the more learned a person is, the higher their perspective, and their decisions are more likely to be correct. This was proven by Xu Junran's parents and by Long Yin Yue's actions over the years.

Long Yin Yue did not speak immediately but looked at Xu Junran, "What kind of fish will you raise in the fields? Although I am not from an agricultural university, I know that fish cannot be raised just anywhere."

Xu Junran nodded, "Yes, when I first heard about this, I found it quite amazing. Later, considering our hometown's situation, I asked the professor. According to him, we should mainly raise grass carp, and depending on the local conditions, we can also raise some carp and Nile tilapia."

"This is a viable path. The central government has been advocating the development of the rural economy in recent years. As long as we stick to the path of collectivization, any form of development is feasible," Long Yin Yue said slowly after a moment of silence.

Xu Junran's heart leaped with joy. If his teacher said this, it meant half the battle was won. After all, his teacher had high prestige in Li Family Town, and if he agreed, the rest would be easier to convince.

Unexpectedly, Long Yin Yue's lips curled into a half-smile as he looked at Xu Junran, "Junran, since this is a new thing, there must be many things to pay attention to during the breeding process, right?"

Xu Junran was taken aback but nodded, "Of course..."

Before he could finish, he laughed, "Teacher, you... you are too smart."

A smile flashed across Long Yin Yue's wise face, "Since you have chosen a good project for the fellow villagers, you should also take responsibility to ensure they fully master it."

Li Youde, who had been listening, finally spoke, "Helping someone should be done thoroughly, just like sending a Buddha to the West."

The other elders also chimed in, "Yes, this matter cannot be taken lightly."

"Indeed, if we can really raise fish, it will be an additional source of income for every household."

"Yes, if we can sell fresh fish for money, the future of Li Family Town will be secure."

Seeing them enthusiastically discussing the good days to come, Xu Junran, who had been nervous and feared the elders would not agree, was stunned!