Chapter 17

After lunch, Shi Qing took Zhou Xian and his two disciples to tour other places.

Su Jing, on the other hand, claimed he was tired and stopped cooking fish. Originally, he was just testing the waters to see how effective the hot shells were, but he didn't intend to be a chef for long. Once his initial curiosity waned, he lost interest.

"Jing, this is your money." Su Zhenhong handed a large stack of hundred-dollar bills to Su Jing.

"So much?" Su Jing was taken aback. Although he didn't count, he estimated it was around ten thousand.

"Hehe, this is what you deserve. The fish and shrimp you brought were worth several thousand, and your signature dish sold very well, indirectly boosting the business. To be honest, I even made a profit. We earned quite a bit today." Su Zhenhong laughed heartily, feeling very pleased. Besides the ten thousand they gave to Su Jing, they earned a few thousand more. Although today's situation was special and they might not earn as much in the future, this opening success was still worth celebrating.

"Then I won't be polite and will take it. Uncle, Aunt, Sister-in-law, I'll be off." Su Jing stuffed the stack of bills into his pocket and walked out of the seafood shop, only to be stopped by Su Liang, Su Xiaolin, and a few others.

"Jing, come fishing with us, lend us your good luck." Su Liang said with a pained expression. They had a poor harvest today, and after deducting fuel costs and some losses, there wasn't much left. When they calculated, each person's labor fee was pitifully low.

"Uh... I can't be lucky every time." Su Jing was speechless.

"How do you know if you don't try? Your luck is too amazing. If you could catch another tuna, not only would we make a lot of money, but it would also silence some of the doubters. Once the news spreads, it would boost our tourism." Su Liang said.

"I won't go. Do you think you can catch a tuna just like that?" After the last tuna incident, Su Jing didn't dare to use the monster meat recklessly. It wasn't that he was overly cautious, but caution was a virtue. Imagine if the monster meat attracted sharks or even a large group of orcas; everyone might end up dead. As for the doubters, Su Jing didn't care; he wasn't going to risk his life for their skepticism.

"Besides, even if we catch a tuna, it would only create a short-term buzz, not a long-term solution. Our coastal area is overfished, and this will lead to depletion. A few good harvests won't change the big picture. Have you considered this?" Su Jing said.

"..." Su Liang and Su Xiaolin were speechless, thinking it was too much to worry about.

"If you want to make money and develop long-term, I have an idea." Su Jing glanced at Su Liang and Su Xiaolin.

"What idea do you have, Jing?" Su Liang's eyes lit up; Su Jing had always been more resourceful than them.

"I want to set up a seawater farm, even a large-scale fish farm. The water quality and ecosystem here are very good, suitable for various fish. Of course, this requires a lot of capital, so we can start small. You can invest together, and we'll split the profits according to our shares. Or I can invest alone and give you a fixed salary." Su Jing said calmly.

"Are you serious, Jing?" Su Liang and Su Xiaolin were taken aback. How much money would it take to set up a farm? What if they lost money? In their hearts, they preferred a fixed salary. If they had to take the risk of investing, they would rather not do it, as they had families to support. If they lost everything, how would they feed their families?

"It's just a plan for now, but I'll implement it soon. Think about it." Su Jing left the stunned Su Liang and others and walked home. In fact, he had the idea of building a seawater farm yesterday, but it was different from a regular farm. He planned to use the monster meat to attract fish into a trap. With such magical meat, not using it would be a waste. Once the farm was built, it would overcome the limitations of manpower and the dangers of the sea, allowing for large-scale fishing. Not only would Su Jing make a lot of money, but it would also boost the village's economy.

Of course, plans are one thing, and implementation is another. Although he had earned over a hundred thousand in the past two days, after building the old house and the yard, there wouldn't be much left. How could he build a farm?

Just as he returned home, he saw a sturdy middle-aged man waiting at the door. Su Jing recognized him as Uncle Ying's mentioned Old Zhang, who lived in the neighboring Zhang Village. He was a famous architect in the area and also a skilled mason and contractor.

"Hello, Uncle Zhang." Su Jing greeted him warmly.

"You must be Jing." Old Zhang chuckled.

"Yes, Uncle Zhang, please come in." Su Jing led Old Zhang into the house and offered him a cup of tea.

"Jing, Uncle Ying told me you want to renovate the old house and the yard. How do you want to do it?" Old Zhang asked.

"The house just needs simple repairs, like replacing a few rotten pillars and fixing the roof. We also need to paint the walls inside and out. As for the yard, I just want to raise the walls." Su Jing said.

"That's all doable. I'll take a closer look and estimate the cost. Initially, the house renovation will cost around thirty thousand. As for the yard, it depends on how high you want to raise the walls, two meters or three meters?" Old Zhang said.

"Hmm..." Su Jing estimated the height of the vortex in the air and said, "Six meters."

"Six meters?" Old Zhang was stunned. Even in the city, no one builds walls that high, let alone in the countryside. This isn't a prison wall or an ancient city wall. Why build it so high?

"Can't it be built?" Su Jing asked.

"It's not impossible, but building a six-meter wall requires a solid foundation and sturdy pillars. Compared to a two-meter wall, the cost will be more than three times as much. Your yard is quite large, so building a six-meter wall around it will likely cost as much as building a house. Are you sure you want to build it this high?" Old Zhang couldn't understand Su Jing's reasoning and was afraid he would regret it after it was built.

"I'm sure. Hehe, I just think a higher wall looks more impressive. Estimate the cost, and I'll pay you the down payment." Su Jing understood Old Zhang's concern and offered to pay the down payment.

"Alright, I'll take a look." Old Zhang carefully inspected the old house, then measured the yard with a tape measure. After some calculations, he said, "The initial estimate is 150,000. The final cost will depend on the materials and labor."

"..." Su Jing was stunned. It was so much, just in the countryside. But after calculating, the amount of bricks needed for the wall would be equivalent to two buildings of over 100 square meters. It seemed reasonable. Moreover, Old Zhang had a good reputation in the area and was recommended by Uncle Ying, so he wouldn't cheat him.

"150,000 it is. Build it. I have one requirement: build the yard first, and do it quickly. If you can finish it sooner, I don't mind paying extra." Su Jing immediately agreed with Old Zhang and paid him a down payment of 50,000.

The next day, Uncle Ying delivered a large amount of bricks, cement, and sand. Old Zhang and his team started building the wall quickly.

As for Su Jing, he was busy with the pile of garbage from the One Piece world.

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