Chapter 47: Acquisition Plan

After breaking through the crowd, Sun Jinshan intended to find Jiang Liyun to enquire about the current situation in the commune and seek some advice.

Initially, he thought he and Jiang Lihai would have to go house by house to purchase white-feathered chickens, running around for quite some time. However, given the current situation, all he needed to do was mention buying chickens, and he would be surrounded. A group of people would cry and plead for him to buy chickens.

He was a bit overwhelmed.

Thinking about it, there were probably thousands of chickens waiting to be sold by the commune. With so many chickens, it would cost him a substantial amount to transport them to the brick factory, right?

Just thinking about it made his head ache!

Sun Jinshan subconsciously rubbed his head and encountered his stiff hairstyle due to excessive use of hair gel.

“Old Jiang, let’s go find your younger sister,” Sun Jinshan said to Jiang Lihai, who had run out with him.

Jiang Lihai: “Why call him Old Jiang?! Can’t you just use his name?”

“At this time, your sister should be selling fried chicken, but she’ll probably be back home soon. Let’s go directly to your place,” Sun Jinshan said, glancing at his wristwatch.

“Sure, come to my house for dinner,” Jiang Lihai replied.

Sun Jinshan added, “Alright, but wait a moment. I need to get some gifts. There’s no time to buy them in town. I’ll go home and catch a duck.”

Since he had previously gifted an old hen, this time he decided to give a duck.

The Muscovy ducks they raised at home had grown well!

Sun Jinshan’s home wasn’t far from the brick factory. After changing into clean clothes and regaining a fresh appearance, he left home with a Muscovy duck in hand.

His mother called from behind, “Ermao, where are you going?”

“I’m going to a friend’s house for dinner!” Sun Jinshan replied.

After that, Sun Jinshan handed the duck to Jiang Lihai and said, “Let’s go; get in the car!”

Jiang Lihai climbed into Sun Jinshan’s car, feeling somewhat fortunate.

He had always thought his name was quite ordinary, but compared to Sun Jinshan, his name sounded really pleasant!

At least he didn’t have a nickname like “Ermao” (Second Hair)!

Not long after, Jiang Quzi and his wife, who were cooking at home, waited for their son to return, along with Sun Jinshan, who came as a guest with a duck.

Jiang Quzi and his wife felt a bit embarrassed. Jiang Lihai’s friend was too polite, not only helping with building the house but also bringing chickens and ducks as gifts.

However, they were at a loss for words and couldn’t refuse, so they silently fetched chairs and brewed tea for Sun Jinshan.

Wu Xiaochun had already prepared dinner, unaware that Jiang Lihai was coming home today, so there wasn’t enough food. Now, with two extra grown men, the meal would definitely not be sufficient. Wu Xiaochun took some flour paste, mixed it with water, added eggs and chopped scallions, and fried it in oil.

This dish used to be served as a side dish, but ever since Jiang Liyun started her stall, they occasionally made it and treated it as a meal.

“Auntie, your cooking smells delicious!” Sun Jinshan praised Wu Xiaochun.

Wu Xiaochun smiled modestly.

As they chatted, Jiang Liyun and Feng Yi returned.

Feng Yi rode a tricycle, while Jiang Liyun rode a bicycle.

In the first few days of riding the tricycle, Feng Yi was somewhat uncomfortable and felt tired every day. However, after a week, he got used to it, and now, riding the tricycle back home, he doesn’t feel tired at all.

“You’re back. Did everything go well?” Jiang Liyun asked as soon as she saw Sun Jinshan.

Sun Jinshan replied, “Everything went well. The contract has been signed!” Saying this, he took out the contract and showed it to Jiang Liyun.

Jiang Liyun’s mood improved upon seeing the contract.

She hoped the white-feathered chickens from the commune could be sold. Nowadays, it’s not easy for farmers. They raised chickens, hoping to earn some hard-earned money. If they ended up with nothing, it would be quite miserable.

“It’s good that the contract is signed. You can start purchasing the white-feathered chickens tomorrow,” Jiang Liyun said.

Sun Jinshan touched his stiff hair again and said, “I planned to start purchasing tomorrow, but when I mentioned it at the brick factory today, a group of people came to ask me about it. Everyone was too enthusiastic. I’m worried there might be chaos when I start purchasing the chickens tomorrow. And what should I do with the chickens after I bring them back? I can’t raise them, right? The brick factory’s tugboat won’t go to Shanghai until New Year’s Day, which is still several days away.”

Although Sun Jinshan was eager to do business, he had no experience at all.

He had never raised white-feathered chickens before and didn’t even know how to distinguish the good ones from the bad ones.

Moreover, here, they usually buy and sell chickens by weight. With so many chickens, how could he weigh them?

Thousands of chickens! It would exhaust him to death, wouldn’t it?

Hiring people is an option, but it can be costly.

Sun Jinshan was feeling worried, but Jiang Liyun didn’t see it as a big issue.

“Let’s discuss it over dinner,” Jiang Liyun suggested.

Sun Jinshan nodded immediately, eager to sit next to Jiang Liyun.

Jiang Liyun chuckled. “That’s Feng Yi’s seat; you can sit here.” She pointed to another spot.

They used a round dining table for eight, and she always sat next to Feng Yi.

Sun Jinshan moved to the suggested spot.

While they ate, Jiang Liyun said, “When you went to Shanghai to negotiate with the wholesaler, I asked you to use the commune’s name, right? In that case, let the commune handle the white-feathered chicken acquisition. Talk to the commune’s officials, express your concern about the chickens in the commune not selling well, and tell them you found a market in Shanghai. Explain that you can’t handle the large quantity alone. Ask the commune to coordinate the purchase of white-feathered chickens. You can directly deliver the chicken cages to each village. Let them handle the purchase and bring the chickens to the brick factory on the day you depart for Shanghai. Record the weight, ownership, and make markings on the cages. When you arrive in Shanghai, cross-reference the details, have them re-weigh the chickens, and finalize the pricing.”

“Would they agree?” Sun Jinshan asked.

Jiang Liyun replied, “The commune officials are quite distressed about the white-feathered chickens not selling. Some of them even raise chickens themselves. This is solving a big problem for them, and they would welcome it. The same goes for the villages.”

“That makes sense!” Sun Jinshan quickly figured out how to approach the commune officials.

“This way, you won’t need to spend money hiring people for the acquisition. You can save some money and use it to offer a better purchase price to the farmers. They’ll appreciate your help,” Jiang Liyun added.

During this period, the market price for white-feathered chickens in their area was very low, and they couldn’t sell them.

In this situation, even if Sun Jinshan purchased the chickens at a slightly higher price than the market, people would sell them to him.

However, this approach seemed a bit excessive and would harm Sun Jinshan’s reputation.

Even if he bought the white-feathered chickens at a slightly higher price and sold them in Shanghai, he could still make a profit. So why be a ruthless businessman?

Sun Jinshan nodded earnestly.

Jiang Liyun also discussed other details, such as the possibility of Sun Jinshan not having enough money for the purchase. She suggested arranging credit and bringing commune officials to Shanghai, settling the accounts with the farmers after returning.

During dinner, they talked about many things. After finishing, Jiang Liyun took out pen and paper, wrote down the “White-Feathered Chicken Acquisition Method,” and gave it to Sun Jinshan to show the commune officials.

She included details like using the weighing scales used during grain collection, initially counting the quantity, starting the acquisition a day before the departure for Shanghai, and letting farmers bring the chickens to the brick factory on the departure day.

“If you start acquiring a few days in advance, the chickens won’t have a place to stay, but if it’s just a day in advance, it should be fine. Farmers will make sure the chickens are well-fed on that day to increase their weight. The journey to Shanghai is only one day, and the chickens won’t starve in your hands. Additionally, marking on the cages will help in case any issues arise, and it will prevent unnecessary trouble,” Jiang Liyun explained.

Jiang Liyun wrote down many details on the paper.

Considering that some village officials lacked education, she wanted to ensure a uniform acquisition process. Without standardisation, some might take shortcuts or make mistakes.

“Your instructions are quite detailed. If I follow them, everything should go smoothly!” Sun Jinshan remarked.

Jiang Liyun smiled and handed the paper to Sun Jinshan, saying, “Tomorrow, when you and my brother have a day off, it’s a good opportunity to talk to the commune officials.”

“Yes! We’ll go tomorrow!” Sun Jinshan agreed.

Sun Jinshan came in with energy and left the same way.

After he left, Jiang Liyun turned to Jiang Lihai, saying, “Brother, I need to talk to you.”

“What’s up?” Jiang Lihai asked immediately.

Jiang Liyun said, “Brother, I won’t have time to participate in the white-feathered chicken acquisition. You and Sun Jinshan will handle everything. During the process, don’t just stand behind Sun Jinshan. Express your opinions and help with the work. This is a money-making idea I came up with. You’re representing me in this, and together, we’ll take sixty percent of the profit, which is more than Sun Jinshan. It’s not suitable for him to handle everything.”

“I’ll definitely help as much as I can,” Jiang Lihai assured her.

Jiang Liyun continued, “I want you to do this not because I think Sun Jinshan should share the burden, but I hope you can perform well, leaving a good impression on the village, commune officials, and fellow villagers. Surely, you’d like to be recognised as a capable young man? If you handle this well, even my future sister-in-law will think highly of you.”

Jiang Lihai hadn’t considered these aspects before, but now, hearing Jiang Liyun’s words, he suddenly realised that handling this matter well could make people in the commune and village appreciate him.

“That makes sense! I’ll do my best,” Jiang Lihai promised.

Jiang Liyun continued, “In the next few days, request some time off from the brick factory and visit the villages more. You’ve already collected data from the farmers before; now, they know you. If you visit a few more times, they’ll be grateful.”

Jiang Lihai’s personality made starting a business difficult for him. However, now that Jiang Liyun had written the acquisition method, having Jiang Lihai handle things by running around was quite feasible. It would also serve as good training for him.

Growing up as a child of humble means, Jiang Lihai took on responsibilities early in life. At the age of twenty-five, he had already worked at the brick factory for nine years. While he was good at physical work, he lacked the skills for dealing with people and social situations.

Jiang Liyun remembered from her previous life that Jiang Lihai, even when older, wanted Feng Yi to accompany him when getting his ID card.

In his youth, Jiang Lihai was relatively okay, but over time, especially after his divorce and the ridicule from the villagers, he became increasingly introverted.

More experience could change his life. In her previous life, Jiang Lihai, after his divorce, worked as an electrician, performing hard labor. He often accepted low bids from construction companies. In this life, perhaps he might not become a big boss, but he could start a small construction company in town, providing services to the town and the commune.

Of course, it was just a thought.

Jiang Liyun didn’t say much, but Jiang Lihai knew she was looking out for him.

“Liyun, I’ll do my best!” Jiang Lihai assured her.

“Brother, you’re very clever. I believe you can handle things well,” Jiang Liyun encouraged him.

While Jiang Liyun was briefing Jiang Lihai on various matters, Sun Jinshan had returned home.

Upon his arrival, he noticed that the house was well-lit, several people were sitting inside, and his parents were busy boiling water to make tea for the guests. In one corner of the room, there were even a bunch of white-feathered chickens with their feet tied.

Sun Jinshan: “ArAre these people here to sell chickens? They seem so eager, and they even brought the chickens?

Indeed, these people were here to sell chickens. Upon hearing that Sun Jinshan was going to purchase white-feathered chickens, they rushed to enquire about the situation.

However, the chickens from Sun’s family were not intended for sale to Sun Jinshan. Instead, they were brought as gifts.

As their households lacked variety, they had plenty of chickens. When they heard that Sun Jinshan was purchasing white-feathered chickens, they immediately came to gather information. Since they didn’t have much else, they each grabbed a chicken on their way to Sun Jinshan’s house.

One by one, they piled up, and surprisingly, there were more than a dozen chickens in total.