Chapter 59

Qin Yan took Jiang Ruan to Dayong Barbecue, a restaurant franchised by Liang Yong’s relative, and said, “Liang Yong has something he wants to discuss with you.”

“Did he tell you what it was about?” Jiang Ruan asked.

“He did.” Qin Yan held her hand and explained, “It’s a bit complicated. Liang Yong’s relative wants to plead on behalf of Yan Mancang. I told them it wasn’t my business, but they still insisted.”

“Then let’s hear what they have to say,” Jiang Ruan replied.

The barbecue branch was located across from Chang Linyan’s traditional Chinese medicine clinic. It was quiet at noon when they arrived, and Liang Yong made a simple beef and egg fried rice for them to snack on.

Inside, the staff was preparing ingredients for the evening, while Yan Mancang was seen getting a bit too close with a young waitress, exchanging flirtatious looks. Across the street at the clinic, the second daughter of the Cheng family village chief was being scolded by Master Chang Linyan, her head hung low.

Liang Yong brought over three plates of beef fried rice and explained, “Yan Mancang has been doing odd jobs here. After seeing the second daughter of the Cheng family constantly going on blind dates, he realized that the Cheng family had used him. Now that they don’t need him to steal seedlings anymore, they’ve bluntly told him not to dream about marrying into the family and to go back to the countryside and stay away from Cheng Wanxia, so as not to damage her reputation.”

“As fate would have it, when Yan Mancang was feeling down, he and Xiao Sui hit it off. Xiao Sui, who is an orphan from my relative’s family, doesn’t mind that Yan Mancang is poor. My relative thinks he’s decent and wants to arrange this marriage.”

“Then go ahead and match them up.” Jiang Ruan was happy to see another couple come together. “Why ask for my opinion?”

Liang Yong seemed embarrassed. “My relative was planning to have Yan Mancang and Xiao Sui open a branch store after getting married, but these two blockheads said they couldn’t handle customers and wanted to return to farming instead. My relative was quite frustrated.”

Running a business does make more money than farming, but it’s not suitable for everyone.

Since Yan Mancang and Xiao Sui simply wanted to farm, there was no need to involve Jiang Ruan.

Jiang Ruan wasn’t naive and asked, “Does Yan Mancang want to farm while also starting a side business?”

Yan Mancang didn’t have the nerve to bring it up, nor had he planned to.

It was Xiao Sui’s relative who was trying to help them. With everyone in the village running side businesses, if Yan Mancang and Xiao Sui’s living standards lagged behind, it would be frustrating to watch.

“My relative is willing to vouch for them,” Liang Yong said. “They hope you can give Yan Mancang a chance. He promises he won’t betray your trust again. He admitted that the one time he thought of stealing some leaves, Zhou Chengzhong scolded him, and he never dared to do it again. Later, the Cheng family hired someone else to steal the leaves—Tang Liming.”

This Tang Liming had married a woman from the Cheng family village and also ran one of the feed supply businesses.

Seeing Jiang Ruan remain silent, Qin Yan said, “Ruan Ruan, you don’t have to consider my feelings. If you want to refuse, just refuse.”

Jiang Ruan held the upper hand with the seeds and hatchlings under her control, and betrayal was of no concern, especially since Yan Mancang only aimed to be an ordinary livestock farmer.

Jiang Ruan said, “If Yan Mancang wants to start a side business, that’s fine. A new batch of chicks has just hatched. He can raise a thousand. Ask him if he has the guts to take on the challenge.”

If he wanted to get into farming, he might as well take a leadership role.

Yan Mancang was timid, and Xiao Sui even more so.

Xiao Sui’s relative was genuinely supportive, even lending money to Yan Mancang. “A thousand chicks, along with feed, will cost five or six hundred yuan. If you lose money, you and Xiao Sui can work it off for me. It would take two or three years at most to repay. Don’t worry. If you succeed, you’ll have enough to build a house and get married.”

Jiang Ruan chuckled upon hearing this. “Yan Mancang is pretty lucky to have met Xiao Sui’s family.”

Qin Yan added, “Ruan Ruan, you’re too kind, always giving people second chances. I hope Yan Mancang and Xiao Sui live up to your trust.”

Had it been Qin Yan, he wouldn’t have been so forgiving, let alone given an opportunity.

Jiang Ruan replied, “Liang Yong is your good brother. I’m helping Liang Yong, not Yan Mancang.”

Her words warmed Liang Yong’s heart. That relative had once helped his family during tough times, so Liang Yong agreed to help when asked. He thought Jiang Ruan was being lenient because she saw Yan Mancang as a decent person. It turned out she was doing it for his sake.

Jiang Ruan’s affection for Qin Yan extended to considering the feelings of those close to him.

Liang Yong turned to warn Yan Mancang and Xiao Sui, “Several people are vouching for you. Don’t let us down by doing anything untrustworthy.”

Yan Mancang deeply valued this opportunity and nodded repeatedly. “Brother Yong, I won’t make any more mistakes.”

His relative added, “A man making a mistake for a woman can be understood, but you need to learn from it. Xiao Sui, make sure to keep an eye on Mancang so he doesn’t slip up again.”

Xiao Sui blushed and nodded. They both preferred working the land and were eager to return to farming.

…

Yan Mancang and Xiao Sui, happy to be seen together, caused a stir in Cheng Wanxia’s heart.

Life as an apprentice at the clinic was hard, and her blind dates were going poorly. The city folks’ mothers didn’t find her appealing. She was of average appearance—not the kind to turn heads. Those who were interested in her didn’t meet her standards.

Her master, Chang Linyan, saw her turmoil and scolded her, “Don’t think marrying well will bring you a good life. Look at your cousin, Cheng Chunying—she met a tragic end. You’d be better off relying on yourself than pinning hopes on a man. I took you as my apprentice because I have high expectations for you.”

“Master, what should I do now?” Cheng Wanxia asked.

“First, cut ties with your family.”

Chang Linyan advised, “If you don’t, they’ll keep leeching off you. Besides, the Cheng family has lost its usefulness. I won’t see them again. Consider your situation carefully and make a choice, follow the family’s wishes and keep going on blind dates, or be my apprentice and focus on your career.”

Cheng Wanxia thought it over for three days before choosing to pursue a relatively good match while keeping her apprenticeship at the clinic.

She pleaded, “Master, getting married doesn’t conflict with having a career. I won’t let my family take advantage of me. I can balance both.”

Although Cheng Wanxia had great talent, she lacked the dedication Chang Linyan expected. This frustrated her master, who held a mix of disappointment and affection for her.

Mu Xuehui saw an opportunity and approached Chang Linyan, “Aunt Chang, take me as your apprentice too. I’m more committed. I won’t consider romance until I’ve made a career.”

She had her sights set on Qin Ao and wouldn’t marry anyone else.

Chang Linyan dismissed her, “Your aptitude is poor. You can’t learn Chinese medicine.”

Mu Xuehui had tried. Although she could memorize books well, she was hopelessly confused when it came to herbs and their properties—medical study wasn’t for her.

“Master, I may not be able to learn medicine, but I can still be your apprentice. I’m good at coming up with ideas and can be your advisor,” she said.

It was true. The fried chicken shop Chang Linyan invested in was Mu Xuehui’s brainchild. She suggested the product categories, while Chang Linyan brought in chefs to develop recipes, with Mu Xuehui overseeing the final outcomes. She was a handy assistant.

Chang Linyan decided to accept Mu Xuehui as an apprentice, appreciating her resourcefulness. Tied closely to Chang Linyan’s success, Mu Xuehui felt confident she had made the right bet.

…

When the three-day period arrived, Xun Li came with a five-ton truck to the village to collect the chickens. Several team leaders, trained by Jiang Ruan on how to inspect the chickens, had already separated out the unqualified ones.

Xun Li brought several bags of cash and announced, “I, Xun Li, do honest business. As long as they meet the standards, you get one yuan per chick. After delivering, bring the receipt here to collect payment.”

The most successful farmer had raised 200 chicks, selling 192 with a high success rate. After paying off their debts for chicks and feed, they earned a net profit of over 80 yuan.

Earning over 80 yuan in three months was unheard of before. The work was demanding but manageable with the help of the elderly at home, and it didn’t interfere with farming. Plus, it earned more than farming.

After three months of hard work, the family burst into tears of joy when they finally saw the rewards. “Mom, tomorrow we’ll go to the hospital and get your chronic illness checked out properly.”

“I’m not seeing a doctor. Don’t waste money on me, an old woman. Save it for Da Zhuang’s schooling, some dowry for Da Ya, and repairing the house roof,” she insisted.

“We’ll manage it all. Your health is the most important. After you see the doctor, we’ll take on 200 chicks—no, this time, let’s go for 300!”

Families lined up for collection, and everyone was overjoyed when they received their money, even the household with the smallest profit made over twenty yuan. To them, the side income felt like a windfall, and everyone was eager to know when the next batch of chicks would be available.

The wife of the eldest Tang hurriedly rushed in, saying, “Boss Jiang, Boss Xun, Village Chief, our family originally had ninety-five qualified chicks, but three went missing this morning. Someone must have stolen them. It wasn’t intentional; you must believe us.”

Each household’s chick count was recorded by the production team leader, and the missing three chicks from the Tang family did not appear in anyone else’s inventory.

Jiang Ruan asked, “Sister-in-law Tang, did your second brother’s wife leave for the city early today?”

The eldest Tang’s wife suddenly realized that it must have been the two short-sighted ones. This time, instead of taking the stolen chicks to Chengjia Village, they went to the city, which is why there was no suspicion earlier that morning.

Fearing that her family would be denied the next batch of chicks, she swore, “Our family has separated from the second brother’s. They don’t listen to us; they insist on defying the village rules by selling feed and stealing chickens. We truly didn’t know.”

Jiang Ruan instructed the workers to collect the chickens from her household, saying, “Make sure to keep a closer eye on them from now on. There cannot be a repeat of this.”

The chicks were collected, and the breeders received their money, beaming with excitement. Seeing neighbors reinvest the money to buy more chicks, about a dozen households took a deep breath, borrowed money, and joined the line.

Jiang Ruan addressed the crowd, “No need to rush. The city’s demand for fried chicken is high. There’s a new batch of chicks hatching every month. Those who can manage it should raise them in batches.”

If families collected chicks monthly, they could sell them in three months. After that, they would earn extra income each month, comparable to having a family member working in the city. Moreover, since this was supplementary income, they could save it entirely, boosting morale even more.

With this batch loaded and sent out, Xun Li asked, “Do you want to check the pre-processing workshop?”

Jiang Ruan’s strength lay in breeding and raising chicks; Xun Li managed the city operations without issues.

She replied, “No need. I’ll visit when it opens. For now, I need to distribute chicks to the breeders.”

This time, there was no credit offered; even feed had to be purchased upfront. Both chick and feed sales brought in considerable profit.

…

Chicks couldn’t be taken in arbitrary amounts; it depended on available labor and space. The production team leader would gather these details and distribute the chicks accordingly.

The eldest sister-in-law of the Tang family took 100 chicks again but cursed the second family under her breath, watching others receive 200.

As she stood in line, she saw the second sister-in-law returning in a sorry state and rushed out of the queue, yelling, “Did you steal our chicks this morning?”

The second sister-in-law had just been stopped by Liang Yong and the police at a traditional medicine shop in the city. They accused her of stealing chickens, explaining that these chicks were different from ordinary ones. The chicks were confiscated, she was fined, and her earnings from selling the feed were practically gone.

In hindsight, it wasn’t worth it. Had she just focused on raising the chickens, she would be sharing in the profits like everyone else today.

She hurried over to Jiang Ruan, pleading, “Boss Jiang, I admit my mistakes with the feed. Can we still raise chicks like everyone else?”

Jiang Ruan shook her head, “No, I can’t trust you anymore. In the future, every household in the village will be able to earn money through farming, but your family will only be able to watch. I suggest you find another way to earn a living, lest you regret it when others start making money.”

The second sister-in-law had only asked on a whim, but seeing no hope, she snapped.

“Boss Jiang, I can still make a fortune without you! I’ll tell everyone that the money I got from selling chicken feed wasn’t a loss. Boss Chang hired my husband and me to work in her fried chicken shop. We’ll earn 40 yuan a month each, that’s 80 yuan for the two of us—better than farming! She even promised us a share in the profits when she opens a fried chicken shop. One day’s earnings will be more than you’ll make in a whole year of farming chickens.”

Zhou Chengzhong pushed her out of the line, sternly reminding the crowd, “Stick with Boss Jiang, and your fortunes will certainly surpass the Tang family’s. Anyone who strays, don’t blame the village if it can no longer accommodate you.”

Qin Ao returned from his rounds and reported to Jiang Ruan, “Liang Yong called the village office. He said the village chief from Chengjia brought people to find Chang Linyan, demanding she come to their village to set up poultry farming, but she chased them away. Cheng Wanxia didn’t even speak up for her father or brother.”

Jiang Ruan remarked, “Chengjia Village no longer holds any value for Chang Linyan. Go discuss with Zhou Chengzhong about organizing a patrol team to prevent Chengjia from causing trouble.”

Other villages weren’t as problematic, but Chengjia and Dawang Village had only recently separated. Seeing the new Dawangi Village households receiving their earnings, Chengjia residents grew resentful, complaining to their village chief.

A distant relative from Chengjia, resentful and idle, decided to stir up trouble in Dawang Village by poisoning the chicks at night. He was caught by the patrol team, beaten severely, and handed over to the township police. The township officials held a meeting and decided to dismiss the village chief of Chengjia.

Witnessing all this, Cheng Xinwang felt satisfied. He even told the Cheng family that his cousin wasn’t just working in the city but owned a snack shop.

His uncle and grandmother rushed to the city and moved into the snack shop, trying to take over the breakfast business. When his cousin’s in-laws came to intervene, a fight broke out, and the shop was smashed to pieces, leaving both sides worse off.

Cheng Xinwang and his mother watched from afar as the chaos continued until the shop was so damaged that no one could run it.

Cheng Xinwang said coldly, “Mom, I’m still not satisfied. The people responsible for my sister’s death haven’t paid for what they did.”

His mother replied, “Your sister would want you to live well. Revenge is one thing, but don’t become the kind of person you despise.”

…

At the end of each month, Jiang Ruan began chick breeding and hatching, while the fish in the reservoir were ready for harvesting and ducks for sale. Besides what the breeders took, the farm still had over 20,000 chickens for the fried chicken supply.

Qin Ao was constantly crunching numbers on feed and labor costs, feeling nervous.

“Jiang Ruan, should we pause chick breeding?”

Even if they stopped now, the farm’s inventory could last two to three months. Qin Ao preferred to play it safe.

Jiang Ruan replied, “Xun Li manages the market. If he hasn’t asked me to stop, then it’s my responsibility to ensure we can meet the demand. If I stop and we can’t supply, that’s on me. If we have surplus stock because he misjudged the market, he said he’d cover the feed costs.”

Qin Ao sighed, “You two sure are brave.”

“It’s not bravery—it’s Xun Li’s decisiveness,” Jiang Ruan corrected him. If it were just up to her, she wouldn’t have raised so many chicks. But since Xun Li was handling the market, she followed the plan. If things went wrong, Xun Li would bear the consequences.

…

Soon, the grand opening of four fried chicken shops arrived. Early in the morning, Qin Ao was ready and came to wake Jiang Ruan.

“Get up, Jiang Ruan! We need to see if Xun Li’s sales projections are on target. I’m so nervous, what should I do?”

“I’m nervous too,” Jiang Ruan admitted. “But let’s trust Xun Li. We’ll head to the shop at the department store first. If business isn’t good there, then the other locations won’t fare much better.”

The fried chicken shops didn’t open during breakfast hours but aimed for the lunch and dinner crowds. By noon, a long line had already formed outside.

Seeing the queue, Qin Ao tried to squeeze into the shop to find Xun Li, but the crowd angrily shouted at him, “We’ve been in line for hours. Who do you think you are, cutting in line?”

Embarrassed, Qin Ao quickly retreated to Jiang Ruan’s side, but inside, he was delighted; business must be great with a line like that.

Jiang Ruan whispered, “I overheard Qin Yan and Xun Li talking. When the store opens, they plan to hire people to stand in line to create some buzz. Who knows how many of them will be real customers and how many will be hired? But if at least half are genuine, they’ll consider it a success.”Qin Ao thought, Wait, you can do that? He really wanted to ask Xun Li how many of the customers were real, but there was no way to squeeze through the crowd.