The group arrived at the pig farm.
Sure enough, they found about ten robust pigs frolicking in the pigsty.
A young man, his face indifferent and numb, was carrying a bucket of water, repeatedly rinsing the blue bricks of the pigsty.
Numerous drops of excrement splashed onto the coarse cloth clothes.
Butcher Zhou coldly rebuked, "Yang Xiaoshu, how many times have I told you? Wash the pig trough and the blue bricks on the ground clean. Look at you, you've been working all morning and you're still not done."
"Are you slacking off?"
Yang Xiaoshu looked bitter.
"Uncle Zhou, I've washed it three or five times already, it's very clean."
"You dare to talk back? I'll deduct three coins from your wages today."
Zhou the butcher's contorted face instantly relaxed, and he began to explain to Chen Xian.
"This kid is the best at shirking his responsibilities. When I'm at home, he's fine and can get things done in an organized manner. But once I go out to sell meat, he starts dawdling and procrastinating. I don't know if it's just his nature or if he's deliberately being lazy."
Manager Jiang curled his lip in disdain and said to Chen Xian in a low voice, "The pigs in his family are all raised by this kid. Yang Xiaoshu is also an honest man. He was originally a beggar. He went to Butcher Zhou's house to beg for food. Butcher Zhou saw that he had no family, so he took him in and gave him a few wages so that he wouldn't starve."
Chen Xian looked at him thoughtfully.
The pigs are black and strong, and look very active.
"Boss Zhou, this pig looks pretty good. How about this, fifteen coins a pound, I'll take it all."
"this?"
Butcher Zhou looked troubled.
“Boss Chen, you’re putting me in a difficult position. When I used to sell meat, it was 20 or 15 coins a pound. I was really losing money.”
Chen Xian chuckled: "But I can settle all the money at once. I doubt you can find a buyer who wants such a large quantity of pigs in a short time."
"Manager Jiang, are there any other pig farms nearby?"
Manager Jiang chuckled lightly, but said nothing.
Chen Xian walked with a light step.
Butcher Zhou's expression was conflicted.
"Alright, Mr. Chen, you really know how to do business."
Chen Xian chuckled: "It's a pleasure working with you."
Manager Jiang chuckled.
"Brother Chen, are you going to visit any other places?"
Chen Xian pondered to himself.
"Manager Jiang, are there any other large-scale pig farms nearby?"
Manager Jiang: "Let's go to the Chu family's place."
In this way, we visited two or three places.
Using the same method, they bought all the pigs from several households.
Manager Jiang stood aside, secretly clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Brother Chen, aren't you being a bit too impulsive? Why buy such a big pig?"
Chen Xian: "Shopkeeper, I'm quite optimistic about the future price of pig heads. I suggest you also stock up on some pork."
Manager Jiang hesitated for a moment, "The restaurant has been making braised pork and braised pork hock a lot lately, so I'll listen to Brother Chen and buy a dozen or so to stock up."
Chen Xian stopped trying to persuade him.
They also asked Manager Jiang to find a dozen or so workers, paying them over fifty coins a day to temporarily act as security guards for the pigs.
The group took about ten kilograms of pork home.
The oxcart swayed and rocked.
When I got back to my uncle's house, I cut up a pound of pig's head for them.
The eldest son's wife, Wang, was washing clothes in the yard.
Seeing Chen Xian return with an oxcart and carrying meat in his hands, he said happily, "My cousin is back!"
Uncle Chen was cleaning the cowshed in the backyard when he scolded, "Take it back. Nobody's money grows on trees."
The eldest son's wife, Wang, had already warmly welcomed the Chen family into the house and started pouring tea for them.
Chen Xian took out a copper coin and placed it on the table.
Wang's lips were almost trembling with suppressed rage, and she was about to feign refusal and give him a shove.
"No need, we're all family, why should I give you money?"
Chen Xian: "I'm sorry to have bothered your family with your work. I may have to go back and forth to town these next few days. I'll trouble you to keep an eye on my yard for me, Brother Da Shui."
The old lady came in from outside with a smile on her face and said reproachfully, "How much is the meat? Don't worry about the money."
They resolutely pushed the money out.
Wang looked at her generous mother-in-law with a pained expression.
My uncle came in from outside. “Take care of the grain at home. Dry it in the sun and take it to town to be ground into flour. You’ve worked hard for half a year. This will help improve the lives of the children in the family.”
The sun was setting in the west, around 1-3 PM.
On the table, there was a plate of cold bitter melon salad, scattered cornbread, and a few annoying flies buzzing around.
The old lady waved the crowd away and went to the kitchen, laughing, "Why are you back so late today? You probably didn't even have time for lunch. I'll make you all some steamed buns."
Chen Xian said calmly, "I did some small business and it took a little time."
The Chen family dared not speak. Their father called two hundred taels a small business. Was he really that arrogant?
Uncle Chen glanced at the empty pots in the Chen family's kitchen and a rare smile appeared on his face: "Looks like your stall business is doing pretty well, kid?"
Chen Xian: "Not bad. Ten or so pounds of pork, ten or so pounds of pork hock, and a basin of pig's blood sold out."
Wang interjected, "Is it the braised pork that Da Zhu's father brought up?"
The second son's wife, Han, came back from watering the vegetables in the field. Hearing the topic, she craned her neck and asked with a smile, "Wow, those ten or so pounds of pork must have sold for a lot of money. Da Zhu's father is really capable."
After thinking for a while, I realized that the braised pork was cooked until tender and had a faint herbal flavor, but it wasn't bitter at all, and the aroma was irresistible.
If I can learn how to do it, maybe I can sell it in town too.
Mrs. Han said with a smile, "Dad Dazhu, your business is so good, you must be short-handed, right? Why don't I go and help you out?"
Upon hearing this, Uncle Chen immediately sensed his daughter-in-law's ulterior motives and scolded her, "It's just a small business. You go and ask Brother Xian to pay you a reasonable wage?"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
