Chapter 12

"Give it a try. I plan to start with the two greenhouses I built. If it really works, we can promote it to the whole village. By then, I doubt anyone will want to go back to the city," Wang Yong said proudly.

He was then lightly tapped on the head by Er Ye. Looking at Wang Yong, who was pretending to be aggrieved, Er Ye said, "Don't talk nonsense. Wait until you've really done it before you get too excited. You haven't even started, and you're already getting cocky."

Wang Yong could only smile bitterly and nod, knowing he shouldn't argue with Er Ye. The matter of Wang Yong becoming the village chief was settled during their conversation. If there were no unexpected issues, after the seven-day public announcement, Wang Yong would officially become the chief of Banzhu Village.

Wang Dahai suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said to Wang Yong, "I've already inquired about the chicks. Since there's nothing to do tomorrow, I'll take you to buy them."

Wang Yong was taken aback. Chicks? That's not right. Although he was raising free-range chickens, he still needed to build a chicken coop for them to roost and shelter from the wind and rain. The coop wasn't even built yet, so how could he buy the chicks? Where would he put them? He quickly asked, "Uncle, the chicken coop isn't built yet. Why are we buying chicks?"

Seeing Wang Yong's puzzled look, Wang Dahai smiled and said with a hint of pride, "By the time you think about building the coop, it'll be too late."

Seeing Wang Yong's confused expression, the kind aunt quickly explained, "The day after your uncle started repairing the old house, he assigned a group to build the chicken coop, which was completed a few days ago. It's not for people to live in, so it's quite simple. The group building the greenhouses has also finished the workers' quarters, which are ready to be used after the stove is heated."

Hearing the aunt's explanation, Wang Yong realized that his uncle had already taken care of the logistics without him knowing. He looked at his uncle with gratitude, wanting to say a few words of thanks, but found himself unable to speak. Suddenly remembering something, he rushed back into the house and quickly returned with a handbag. He placed the bag on the table and said to his uncle, "Uncle, there's 100,000 yuan in here. Use it first. If it's not enough, I'll go to the bank tomorrow to get more."

Wang Yong's action stunned his uncle and aunt. They hadn't expected that Wang Yong, who had been working outside for just a few years, could come up with such a large sum of money. After all, Wang Yong had recently paid 60,000 yuan as a down payment for the greenhouses. Was it really that easy to earn money outside? No wonder everyone was eager to go to the city. However, the old couple hadn't intended to take Wang Yong's money, so after some polite refusal, the situation became awkward. The three of them looked at Er Ye, who hadn't spoken.

"Alright, Auntie, put the money away. That's enough for today. Tomorrow, Dahai will take Wang Yong to buy the chicks, and I'll go to the old house to supervise." Er Ye said, then got up and walked out. The three of them quickly got up to see him off.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Wang Yong was woken by the aunt and had a hasty breakfast of rice porridge and pickles. He then got into the car with Wang Dahai, who was already waiting, to go to the poultry farm to buy the chicks. On the way, Wang Dahai told Wang Yong about the chicks. The poultry farm was run by his uncle's friend, called Red Star Poultry Farm. The owner, Li Hongxing, used to be in construction like his uncle. Later, due to some reasons, he didn't want to travel anymore and left his family at home. He disbanded his construction team and built a poultry farm. After the team was disbanded, many people were introduced to his uncle by Li Hongxing. It had been about ten years since then. The poultry farm was originally built by his uncle, and the two had maintained a close relationship over the years, often visiting each other during holidays and having meals together. Wang Yong could see that the two were very close and got along well. In life, it's not easy to have a few close friends with shared experiences.

The drive wasn't long, and in less than an hour, they arrived at the Red Star Poultry Farm in Longcheng County, Longcheng Town. The farm was next to the road, with convenient transportation and a good environment. The surrounding area was a cornfield, but it was now harvested, leaving only piles of stalks. The county town was about ten miles away, and the buildings were clearly visible. Under the shade of about two acres of apple trees, a red-brick house came into view, with a cement road leading to the farm's gate. When Wang Yong arrived at the gate, a man in his fifties was already waiting. Uncle Wang didn't wait for the car to stop before pushing the door open, startling Wang Yong, who quickly stopped the car. Seeing that his position wasn't blocking the way, he turned off the engine and walked over to the two who were already chatting.

Wang Dahai introduced Wang Yong to Li Hongxing, "This is my nephew, Wang Yong, the one I told you about. Wang Yong, this is Uncle Li."

"Hello, Uncle Li," Wang Yong greeted Li Hongxing respectfully. Li Hongxing was very warm and welcoming, showing no signs of being a stranger. He warmly led Wang Dahai and Wang Yong inside. The three of them entered Li Hongxing's office, sat down, and Li Hongxing poured each of them a cup of tea. He then said to Wang Dahai, "Let's have some water first. I'll take you to see the chicks later. We'll have lunch here. My wife knows you're coming and went to the market early to buy vegetables and meat."

"No, we won't eat. Find us a car later, and we'll take the chicks back. We'll have a good meal when we have time, okay?" Wang Dahai quickly said.

Li Hongxing was immediately upset, "That's not right. It's not a big deal to have a meal. Listen to me, we'll eat here. Girl, girl?" Li Hongxing called out.

"Coming!" A clear female voice came from outside. Footsteps followed, and the door curtain was lifted as a girl walked in. She looked about sixteen or seventeen, wearing the school uniform of Longcheng No. 1 High School. Her pale face was filled with a happy smile. Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon, giving her a playful look. However, her face was somewhat pale, but Wang Yong didn't pay much attention, thinking it was just a minor illness. As soon as she entered, she saw Wang Dahai, and a genuine smile appeared on her face. She ran to him, "Uncle, you're here? I've been waiting for you. Why did you come so late?"

Wang Dahai smiled indulgently and ruffled her hair, "You're such a big girl now, still acting cute with Uncle. Aren't you embarrassed? But Xiaoxia is getting more beautiful. I wonder which lucky guy will marry her."

"Uncle," Xiaoxia blushed.

"Xiaoxia, this is your cousin, Wang Yong. Why don't you greet him? You're so big and still so impolite," Li Hongxing said, pretending to be angry, but his smile betrayed his true feelings. He loved his daughter deeply, and his eldest son had often been jealous. Even his wife had mentioned it many times. He knew his daughter well; no matter how much he spoiled her, she wouldn't turn bad. Everyone knew that Old Li had a good daughter, kind, studious, and filial. How could he not spoil her? Unlike his eldest son, who was always mischievous.

"Hello, Brother Wang," Xiaoxia greeted Wang Yong politely. She then asked, "Is your brother Wang Liang?"

Wang Yong was taken aback but quickly recovered, smiling, "Yes, my brother is Wang Liang. He's in his third year of high school at No. 1 High School. Do you know him?"

Xiaoxia was straightforward, "Of course, he's a celebrity at our school. Who doesn't know him? He's one of the top three students in every exam. Besides, Auntie specially introduced me to him and asked him to take care of me. What's so strange about that?"

Hearing this, Wang Yong saw that Li Hongxing didn't react much and directly said, "Xiaoxia, call your mother and ask her to come back and cook. Your uncle has something to do in the afternoon."

"Okay, I'll do that. Uncle, Brother Wang, I'll go make the call." The girl walked out with a light step.

The three of them started talking about the chicks. Li Hongxing first explained the key points of selecting chicks to Wang Yong: "When choosing chicks, you don't pick the fattest or the strongest, but the most spirited. Of course, if a chick has all three qualities, it's the best."

Li Hongxing then introduced the breeds of chickens he raised. For meat chickens, he mainly raised Beijing Oil Chickens, known for their tender meat and rich flavor. For egg-laying chickens, he raised Beijing White Chickens, which are small, consume less feed, lay many eggs, and are adaptable and genetically stable. He also had some imported breeds, but he suggested Wang Yong start with local breeds. First, Wang Yong lacked the skills, and if something went wrong, he could lose everything. Local breeds were more adaptable and easier to raise. Second, the profit from raising local breeds was not much different, and people in the area preferred them, making them easier to sell.

Li Hongxing also shared some common issues in chicken farming and their solutions, as well as some special precautions. During this time, his wife, Sun Qin, a simple rural woman in her fifties, returned from the market, greeted them, and hurried to the kitchen to prepare lunch. The three of them chatted and drank tea, with most of the conversation between Wang Dahai and Li Hongxing, and Wang Yong occasionally chiming in. Just as Wang Yong was starting to feel bored, Xiaoxia came in to announce that lunch was ready.

After a hearty meal, Li Hongxing took Wang Dahai and Wang Yong to the hatchery, where several workers were busy catching chicks. The chicks were very lively, hopping and jumping, making it difficult for the workers to catch them. The chicks were all bright and healthy, with strong legs, big eyes, and loud calls, even Wang Yong, a layman, could see they were excellent chicks.

As agreed, Wang Yong bought 1,000 egg-laying chickens and 500 meat chickens. To help the chicks adapt to free-range conditions, he also bought 50 old hens and 10 roosters. The old hens and roosters were raised free-range in the orchard by Li Hongxing, and he believed that with their care and protection, the chicks would adapt to the environment more quickly and grow faster. It took some time to catch 1,500 chickens, so the three of them joined in to help. After a while, Sun Qin and Xiaoxia also came to help. Although the chicks were only a few days old, it was not easy for inexperienced people to catch them without hurting them. However, after fusing with the small world, Wang Yong's physical abilities were much better than average, and he quickly mastered the technique of catching chicks, becoming the main force in the group.

While everyone was busy catching chicks, no one noticed that Xiaoxia, who had been helping, was leaning against the wall, panting heavily, her body swaying as if she were about to fall, and her face was flushed. Wang Yong, who had just put a chick in the cage, noticed Xiaoxia's abnormal state and quickly rushed over to support her.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Wang Yong asked the cute girl he had just met, concerned. Xiaoxia just shook her head, unable to speak. Wang Yong quickly called for Li Hongxing. Hearing Wang Yong's call, everyone realized Xiaoxia was in trouble and rushed over. Sun Qin was already crying, holding Xiaoxia. Li Hongxing took his daughter from his wife and ran into the house. Wang Yong and Wang Dahai followed, hoping to help. It seemed Xiaoxia was suffering from some illness. Wang Yong learned from a worker that Xiaoxia had a condition called Eisenmenger syndrome, a type of congenital heart disease. There was currently no effective treatment, and surgery would only make it worse. Therefore, surgery was contraindicated, and the only option was long-term medication to control the condition, similar to chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Patients usually lived to their thirties or forties.

Wang Yong looked at the suffering Xiaoxia, feeling very distressed for the girl he had just met.

"Xiaoguang, do you have any good methods for this condition?" Wang Yong asked Xiaoguang.

"In my previous world, there were dozens of methods to easily cure this condition, but with Earth's current technology, there won't be any good solutions for at least fifty years," Xiaoguang's response left Wang Yong feeling very heavy.