The basic infrastructure of the breeding farm is almost complete; all that's left is the breeding staff and the young animals.
Yu Yin gave the materials Zheng Yue sent to Liang Chao and Zhong Liang so they could study them. Also, she instructed them to go to the breeding farms and select some superior breeds of breeding pigs and sows; the only requirement was that they only wanted domestically produced breeds, not new foreign breeds.
Yu Yin didn't know if there were any foreign breeds like the Changbai pigs at this time. Although they had a high slaughter rate and were mostly lean with little fat, Yu Yin didn't like them. They didn't have their own black pigs. She thought the spotted pigs tasted better and had a better meaty flavor.
As for recruitment, first go to the veterans' resettlement office to ask if there are any suitable candidates. If not, look in the nearby villages. Yu Yin and her team need to recruit four pig and sheep farmers, as well as a veterinarian to take care of sows on a part-time basis.
We also need to buy a feed grinder to grind the corn. Pigs can't just be fed grass; they won't grow fat if they're not fed grain!
Having explained most of the details, Yu Yin said they could proceed step by step. Zhong Liang and Liang Chao could split up and investigate the selection of piglets and sheep.
Seven or eight days later, Yu Yin saw Liang Chao and Zhong Liang waiting for her at her house after getting off work in the evening.
"There's some progress. You two came together."
"Yeah, we're lucky, things went really smoothly."
Liang Chao and Zhong Liang were both quite surprised; they hadn't expected things to go not just smoothly, but exceptionally smoothly.
That day, Liang Chao went to Director Meng's place to recruit people, while Zhong Liang went to the breeding farm to inspect piglets.
"Director Meng, I'm here again."
"Welcome, welcome! How are things going, Zhong Liang and Shi Jun? How's that going?"
“Okay, very good. I came here today to see if Director Meng has any suitable candidates. Our pigsty is finished and we need a feeder.”
Director Meng was delighted to hear this, as they really did have retired animal keepers.
"Comrade Liang, it's quite a coincidence that we actually have a retired livestock breeder here. He's not even forty years old, but he served in the army for over twenty years, always working as a livestock breeder. He can diagnose common livestock diseases, so it's a family tradition."
"What, does his family have a family tradition of veterinary medicine?"
Liang Chao thought that if that were the case, then he was incredibly lucky, getting whatever he wanted.
"It can't be described as a family tradition. His father used to be an agricultural school teacher, but due to some personal grudges, he was transferred to work at a local agricultural research station. He stayed there for decades and is now retired. He wants to come back, but the house is gone."
"A retired teacher from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, isn't that impressive?"
Liang Chao thought of the farm construction that Yu Yin had mentioned. Wasn't this exactly the kind of person they needed?
"He's quite capable, otherwise he wouldn't have been framed. These are some personal matters that I can't disclose, but he's fine. We do conduct background checks, you know that."
"I won't inquire about their personal reasons; as long as it doesn't affect us, that's fine."
Liang Chao felt that it wasn't a matter of character or skill; he could understand everything else.
"Around forty years old, with a wife and children, right?"
"Yes, his wife is from the countryside, and they have two children who are over ten years old. He got married a bit late."
My wife is from the countryside and should be able to do the work of feeding pigs. It's just that the children are a bit of a problem because we can't just come and go from their farm, for fear of cross-infection of germs.
“We can hire couples to work where we are, and there are dormitories available, but what about the children?”
“The child lives with his grandfather. They rented a house near your farm. The main reason is that the old man wants to come back to the place where he was born. He raised his son alone. He is very filial. Otherwise, he could have found a job if he transferred back to his registered residence.”
Liang Chao understands that it's hard to leave one's hometown, and the older one gets, the harder it is to part with it.
"Okay, I'll go back and discuss this with the boss. There shouldn't be any major problems. As for the old man, I'll go back and explain the situation properly. We really can use our agricultural knowledge later on."
And so, Liang Chao didn't ask any more questions, wanting to reserve some spots for people from the village.
"That's the situation. Do you think it's necessary?"
Yu Yin thought to herself, the teachers at the agricultural college back then were truly skilled. Having worked as a livestock handler in the army for so many years, they should have some skills too, right? She really didn't know.
"Brother Liang, Zhong Liang, you both come from the military. In situations like this, what's his skill level like?"
"It must be good, otherwise, it wouldn't have stayed for so long."
Zhong Liangzhen knew that he had met a very skilled animal husbandryman who could easily handle pigs, sheep, and cows, and could tell the quality of animals at a glance. He was also adept at identifying many of their problems, if not 100%, but about 80-90% accurate.
"Yes, he must have some skills to have stayed for so many years."
Yu Yin could tell from the two people's attitudes that this person was capable.
"Alright, you guys contact him. If he's a good candidate, recruit him. As for the rest, you can choose from the nearby villages. Once the piglets and sheep arrive, be sure to disinfect them, and outsiders shouldn't be allowed to approach the breeding area."
“Yes, Zhong Liang and I plan to separate the planting area from the breeding area, and we happen to have quite a few planks left.”
"Okay, let's see if the bookstore has any relevant books. I don't know much about this."
Zhong Liang brought good news as well: a batch of piglets, of good quality, including both sows and breeding pigs. They were also making progress with the sheep; he knew someone there.
“Okay, if the person Director Meng recommends is skilled, we can go and take a look together.”
"No problem, I'll contact them tomorrow and arrange it as soon as possible."
Liang Chao wrote it down in his notebook; he was used to taking notes, believing that a bad pen is worse than a good memory.
"Zhong Liang, would you be interested in going to the south to take a look?"
"South?"
Zhong Liang didn't quite understand what it meant.
"I might invest in a project for a friend in Beijing next year. He wants to go south to do some trade, specifically wholesale clothing. He's organizing his own fleet of vehicles, recruiting veterans. It's still being set up, and we'll head south around April or May next year."
A few days ago, Qian Weiguo called to say that there was progress on the car and that the people had been contacted. He said that they would be able to head south next year.
"If you're interested, you can help Brother Liang get the farm ready in the next few months, and then you can go and see for yourself. You can also check out the market in the south to prepare for future sales; it will come in handy sooner or later."
Yu Yin herself doesn't know much about this history; she only knows a lot from movies and TV dramas, and she can't verify its authenticity. If Zhong Liang has the ability, he can go out and see for himself.
"I don't need to get involved in their operations; I just want to learn from them and observe the market?"
Zhong Liang was somewhat tempted. He had heard some legends about the south before, and the previous appointment letter was from the south.
"Okay, I'd like to go and see for myself."
"Just know that this is something, but I don't know the exact time. Let's deal with the things in front of us first and try to see results as soon as possible."
All three were full of confidence and slowly moved towards their established goal.
Having experienced that fast-paced life, Yu Yin didn't want to fall into that cycle again.
As the backbone, Yu Yin remained calm, and the others followed suit, which made everyone feel at ease.
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