Chapter 44 Chapter 44 A Family of Drama
Yu Guoliang thought his second uncle's comment about his wild nature after a trip to South City was true. It was true that when he went to South City and saw the small vendors filling the streets, and saw how much money his youngest son could make in a day, he'd been tempted to do something.
But he didn't act on impulse. He had been thinking about it since he came back from South City.
An County is not too far from Nancheng, especially their Qianjin Township, which is the township closest to Nancheng in An County. It is more convenient to go to the county than to go to Nancheng, otherwise his mother would not have been sent directly to Nancheng when she had a difficult delivery.
This is what the youngest brother meant by location advantage.
However, Yu Guoliang has always been unclear about how to convert this location advantage into money.
In recent years, some villagers have taken to growing vegetables and raising chickens, selling them in the township and earning a bit, but it's still a small profit. As for selling them in Nancheng, it's not cost-effective, considering the travel expenses, and most people have never been to Nancheng and don't even dare to think about selling there.
Yu Guoliang has been wandering around whenever he has free time these days, and finally he has made some progress.
The pond at the end of the village used to be the site of the village committee's annual sale of fish fry. It wasn't maintained regularly, with the only regulation being that villagers were forbidden from stealing fish. Anyone caught stealing would be fined ten yuan. Ten yuan was a lot of money, and aside from one or two particularly shameless individuals, no one in the village dared to steal fish.
It's just that no one takes care of it normally, so the fish are not doing very well. Every year we can catch about 100 to 200 kilograms to share with everyone, and it's considered good enough to add some meat dishes during the Chinese New Year.
Yu Guoliang was a diligent worker and down-to-earth person, and his quick calculations were why the township arranged for him to go with them to Nancheng to buy fertilizer. This time, he and the township official queued together, ate together, and shared the fears of the day, forging a deep revolutionary friendship.
So, after coming up with the idea of contracting a fish pond, Yu Guoliang went to discuss it with the township official, who then introduced him to a technician from the township.
Even the Yu family didn't know that Yu Guoliang had brought technicians to the village a while ago. The technicians collected some pond water and soil and took them back for testing, and concluded that this pond was very suitable for raising fish.
According to the technicians' calculations, if the farm is well managed, it will be no problem to produce 500 to 1,000 kilograms of fish a year.
As for the mountain land next to the fish pond, the soil is a bit barren and it is definitely not suitable for growing crops, but the technician told him that this land is very suitable for growing peanuts. If such a large piece of mountain land is planted with peanuts, it will be no problem to harvest several thousand kilograms of peanuts a year.
The technician also introduced to him intercropping methods and crop-livestock cycle models, which are said to be able to significantly increase yields.
Unfortunately, the technician in the village has limited education. He only saw these things in newspapers and materials, and he has no idea how to operate them specifically.
Even so, Yu Guoliang was very excited.
Even if we calculate the lower limit, if we can produce 500 kilograms of fish and 1,000 kilograms of peanuts a year and sell all of them, we will have a gross income of 2,000 yuan. Even if the profit is only half of that, we can still earn 1,000 yuan.
In rural areas, this is an extremely high income.
Yu Guoliang, who worked on the village committee, knew that the village cadres wanted to contract out the pond and wasteland to increase village income, which would be considered a small achievement for the village committee. He also knew that the village contract price was set between 130 and 180 yuan, with a higher price if someone was willing to contract and a lower price if no one was willing.
He took the initiative to sign up with the village committee, but the village sent out notices and held mobilization meetings, but in the end no one else signed up.
Yu Guoliang did not negotiate the lowest price with the villagers, and finally signed an agreement with the villagers for a contract price of 150 yuan.
He had a good idea in his mind and thought that according to the technicians' calculations, he would not lose money. However, it was the first time in his life that he had to make such a big decision, so he was inevitably nervous. After all, everything was unknown until the fish were raised and the peanuts were planted.
Yu Guoliang did not discuss this matter with anyone in advance because he knew that his parents, who were always cautious, would not agree to take such a risk. As for his wife, she was too soft-hearted and might ruin his plans if instigated by others.
Now that the contract has been signed and fifty yuan has been paid, there is no room for maneuver. If you stick your head out, you will be in trouble. Yu Guoliang relaxed.
Whether it’s a loss or a profit, it’s just this year.
If it really doesn't work out, just like the second brother said, you can go back to the south to work and earn the money back.
The Yu family had only two rooms: the old couple and their daughter lived in the east room, and the Yu Guoliang brothers lived in the west room. Both rooms were divided by a wall. In front of the house was a small courtyard with a low kitchen in the corner. Outside, there was a thatched shed for storing firewood and other sundries.
Yu Guoliang was stopped by someone on the road and talked for a while. When he returned home, he saw his grandmother, Old Lady Yang, standing in the yard with one hand on her waist and cursing.
"You have money for the fish pond, but no money for my retirement? What's wrong with giving me food? Do I, an old woman, have to rely on a few mouthfuls of food to survive? I don't want to buy clothes, shoes, or some biscuits to eat when I'm hungry at night, okay?"
"It's a good thing I live with the second brother's family. If I follow you, I won't have anything to eat and I'll have to sell my old bones to pay off your debts! Oh my, you really think you're so great just being a village accountant, trying to make a fortune like others. This is really like squeezing water from a crack in a rock, or looking for deer antlers on the head of a money wolf!"
"Yu Yongcheng, I'm telling you, don't look so dead. Give me three years, no, five years of pension money."
Yu Yongcheng sat on a small stool rolling a tobacco leaf, frowning: "Mom, my family doesn't have that much money right now."
The contract fee is 150 yuan, and then we have to buy fish fry, lime, fishing nets, and that piece of mountain land. If we want to plant, we have to buy seeds and fertilizers. That piece of land is poor, so we need to buy more fertilizer than other lands... In total, we don’t know how much money we have to pay later. At this critical juncture, how can their family afford to give my mother pension money for the next few years?
Yu Guoliang moved his lips but said nothing.
Their family gives the old lady 30 yuan a year for pension, which is 100 yuan for three years and 150 yuan for five years.
He definitely can't come up with so much money now. His parents may have some, but that money is saved for the second son to get married.
Besides, their family gives the old lady two hundred kilograms of food, thirty yuan a year, as well as pork, eggs, brown sugar, etc. during festivals. In fact, although the old lady lives in her second uncle's house, in fact, apart from providing a place to live, her second uncle's family probably doesn't need to pay anything else.
Maybe the old lady even has to use her own pocket to subsidize them.
Old Mrs. Yang didn't care. The more Yu Yongcheng said he had no money, the harder she scolded him. He had money for contracting the fish pond, but he had no money to support her mother?
"Mom, if you want to break up our family, just tell me!" Xu Li, who had been hiding in the kitchen without saying a word, finally couldn't help but rush out when the old lady scolded her, "You forget your mother after getting a wife."
Old Lady Yang sat down on the ground, slapping her thigh and howling, "Oh my god, I worked so hard to raise you two brothers, but your father died early. I was looked down upon and suffered so much injustice, and now you've turned your back on me! My wife points at me and scolds me, and no one cares!"
Originally, because Yu Guoliang contracted the fish pond and wasteland, some villagers were curiously watching nearby. Now, they all gathered at the door.
Yu Guoliang sighed and went to help Old Lady Yang. "Grandma, I just contracted the fish pond, so I really can't afford so much money. My parents don't have any either. Don't worry, your annual pension will definitely not be less. I will definitely send it to you on New Year's Eve."
Old Lady Yang favored her youngest son over her eldest, and consequently, her other children. She had previously looked up to her eldest grandson because he was a village accountant, but now, hearing he was planning to start a fish pond, she felt he was unreliable. She would still rely on her youngest grandson, Yu Guoxing, for her future care.
She didn't believe a single word Yu Guoliang said and was determined not to leave until she got at least 100 yuan today.
The old lady was making a big fuss here when Yu Laoer's wife Yang Qiaoqiao and her eldest daughter Yu Zhaodi arrived.
Yang Qiaoqiao was a distant relative of the old lady. Although some places had the rule of not marrying people with the same surname, it was fine in Old Lady Yang's village. Besides, more than 20 years ago, when people were starving, who would have cared if they had food to eat? It wasn't like they were just close relatives.
However, precisely because of this relationship, Old Lady Yang and her second daughter-in-law have always had a very good "understanding".
Yang Qiaoqiao doesn't talk much, so she always gives people the impression of being dull and honest. Whenever there is something going on at home, it is always Old Lady Yang who takes the lead, and Yang Qiaoqiao follows behind to provide support.
This time, too, when Old Lady Yang had almost finished making a scene, Yang Qiaoqiao came over. She helped the old lady up, wiped her tears, and said, "Mom, what are you doing? Even if Big Brother doesn't give you money, don't we still have you? We are a family that will never let you starve to death. Let's go."
Since Old Lady Yang had a very bad reputation in the village and everyone knew that she was always a scoundrel, no one thought there was anything wrong with what Yang Qiaoqiao said. They just thought that Old Lady Yu's family was also having a hard time, having to serve such a difficult mother-in-law all day long.
Some people secretly felt that Yu Yongcheng and his wife were not kind. Even if Old Lady Yang said that she wanted to be with her youngest son, how could you, as the eldest son, just go with the flow and leave your own mother to your younger brother?
Yu Zhaodi also squatted down to support them: "Grandma, don't worry, even if they don't support you, I will still take care of you in your old age."
Xu Li was disgusted. Her family had clearly already paid this year's pension and half of the food, but after hearing what Yang Qiaoqiao and her daughter said, it seemed as if they had not paid a penny.
She was straightforward and could not stand provocation. She got angry and could not help but say: "Isn't it just three years of pension money? I——"
She wanted to say, "I'll give it to you, you better get out of here!" But before she could say anything, she was interrupted: "It's just three years of pension money, ninety yuan. Is it worth it for you to put on a show in my house? Grandma, it's not that we won't give you the money. We will give you all the pension money for three years. If you spend it all on Yu Guoxing, you won't have a penny left in the next few years."
Hearing this familiar voice, the three generations of grandparents and grandchildren were startled. Only then did they realize that the surroundings were unusually quiet and the people who were watching the fun didn't even say anything.
Old Lady Yang turned her head and saw several young men who looked particularly impressive standing at the gate of the courtyard. Each of them was wearing a crisp Dacron shirt, and the woman among them, whose white shirt was tucked into a particularly beautiful skirt, looked somewhat familiar.
She blinked her dim old eyes and finally believed that this girl who looked particularly Western was Yu Mianmian, whom her eldest son had raised for 18 years in vain.
"Are you Mianmian?"
The other stunned onlookers finally realized that, yes, this familiar-looking girl was Yu Mianmian who was taken back to South City!
But it wasn't Yu Mianmian, she also called Old Lady Yang "Grandma".
Oh my god, Yu Mianmian has become like this?! How can this still be the youngest of the Yu family that they watched grow up? This is clearly the daughter of a wealthy family in the city!
Liu Mianmian walked into the yard, took a look at the Yu family courtyard, which had not changed much from the original owner's memory, nodded and said, "It's me."
She glanced at Yu Zhaodi and said, "Didn't Sister Zhaodi just say that she would take care of you in your old age? I think she's quite reliable. She's always been a thoughtful person. And your brother-in-law's family happens to be in the village, so it's convenient for everyone to visit."
Yu Zhaodi was stunned for a moment, and said quickly: "I, I mean, if no one else provides for grandma in her old age, then I will. This is definitely impossible. Even if your family doesn't care, my parents and my brother will definitely take care of it." She is a married girl, how could she possibly provide for her grandmother in her old age? Even if she wanted to, her in-laws would not allow it, not to mention that she doesn't want to.
Liu Mianmian smiled and said, "Oh, I see. So you're just taking this opportunity to say a few nice words for free, right?"
“…”
Yu Zhaodi couldn't answer.
If she admitted that she was just saying nice things, what would her grandmother and the villagers think? If she didn't admit that it was just nice words, what if Yu Mianmian really asked her to take care of her grandmother in her old age?
She didn't dare to say anything, and buried her face in her eyes, feeling as if it were burning.
Liu Mianmian glanced at her, looked at Yang Qiaoqiao with a half-smile, and asked, "Second Aunt, you are not also a good talker, are you?"
Yang Qiaoqiao laughed dryly: "How could that be?"
Liu Mianmian nodded. "My family always sends next year's food and pension money to your family on New Year's Eve. You instigated my grandma to come here and make a fuss, asking for pension money for the next three to five years. You're not trying to save money for Yu Guoxing's betrothal gift, are you?"
Yang Qiaoqiao's face turned pale and she quickly stood up. "No, I didn't ask your grandma to make a fuss, and we didn't have that intention. Guoxing has a proper job now, and my family has already saved up the money for his betrothal gift."
If the reputation of using the old man's pension money to save up the betrothal gift for his son spread out, how could her Guoxing find a good girl? She was counting on him to find a good girl in the village.
Without Liu Mianmian saying anything more, Yang Qiaoqiao helped Old Lady Yang up and said, "Mom, let's go. We'll talk about the pension later. Big Brother will definitely not refuse to give it to you. He's not that kind of person."
Before Old Lady Yang could say anything, Yang Qiaoqiao pinched her arm. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law exchanged glances, and Old Lady Yang was "reluctantly" helped up.
She rolled her eyes and looked at the luggage bags held by the two young men at the door. She said, "Mianmian, did you bring anything for grandma on your trip home? Our Yu family has raised you for so many years, and grandma has always loved you very much. You wouldn't forget your elders just because you went to the city, would you?"
Tsk, this old lady is even resorting to moral blackmail.
Liu Mianmian chuckled and said, "Yes, he did love me. There were clearly three candies in his pocket, two for Yu Guoxing and one for himself, but he just didn't give me that kind of pain."
The villagers watching burst into laughter.
Old Lady Yang flatly denied it, and Liu Mianmian rolled her eyes: "I'm just being polite and calling you grandma. If you're not, I'll really be rude."
Yang Qiaoqiao pulled Old Lady Yang again. Old Lady Yang suppressed her anger and followed Yang Qiaoqiao.
This money-losing guy went to South City and looked really different from before. Old Lady Yang had no doubt that she would really be rude to her.
Liu Mianmian stared at Yang Qiaoqiao's back for a few seconds. This second aunt looked obviously guilty!
Xu Li wiped the corners of her eyes, stepped forward and grabbed Liu Mianmian's hand: "Mianmian, you kid, you finally decided to come back. Your dad and I had originally planned to go to South City to see you in a few days. If you are not living well in the city, just come home..." As she spoke, her voice choked up.
After returning home, the eldest sister told Xu Li a lot about what happened to the youngest sister in South City. She heard that the Liu family treated her badly and that she was almost kidnapped by human traffickers. Xu Li felt like her heart was being cut by a knife.
The child didn't say anything when she left. Later, when they sent letters and things back to her, she didn't reply at all. She thought that the child despised them and didn't want to recognize them.
But watching her speak just now, Xu Li had a deep understanding of why the eldest child said that the youngest child had changed a lot in the past two years, becoming both eloquent and capable. She had dismissed her mother-in-law, who was so difficult to deal with, in a few words, and she hadn't even found a chance to interrupt.
But when she thought that her child had such a change because he was not living well, Xu Li could not stop crying.
Liu Mianmian was the worst at comforting people, and she was suddenly at a loss. She looked around, trying to find someone to help persuade them. She caught sight of Shen Weizhou and the others still standing at the door, so she quickly said, "Mom, I'm back. By the way, you haven't met me yet, my husband. His name is Shen Weizhou. And that's his sister, Shen Weiyun. That's also a relative, her name is Wang Zhiyuan."
Sure enough, Xu Li's attention was immediately diverted and she looked at Shen Weizhuo and the others.
At first glance, this young man is so handsome and is worthy of their daughter Mianmian.
At second glance, this guy is too thin. He needs to eat more!
Then Xu Li remembered that her son-in-law and the children of her in-laws were already here, and she hadn't prepared anything at all. What was she going to serve them at lunch? She immediately got busy: "Come on, son-in-law and in-laws, come in and sit down! Big brother, go to the kitchen and cut some watermelon. Second brother, come with me." She had to quickly buy some meat and kill a chicken.
Yu Yongcheng's face looked unhappy. His daughter was already having a hard time in South City, and now the son-in-law and his daughter-in-law came to visit for the first time and saw what happened just now. It was really embarrassing for his daughter!
Thinking about his boss contracting the fish pond, Yu Yongcheng became even more troubled.
As everyone sat down and each enjoyed a piece of watermelon, Yu Guoliang mentioned his contract for the fish pond and mountain land. Liu Mianmian slammed the table and said, "Only signed a one-year contract with the village? That won't work. We need to sign for at least three years!"
Yu Yongcheng almost threw the watermelon in his hand.
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