Chapter 231: Chapter 231

The child, feeling wronged, hid in Qiao Lian’s arms and dared not make a sound. Previously, he was the family’s Demon Lord of Mayhem; whenever his sister dared to bully him, he would cry out, and without distinguishing who was right or wrong, his mother would beat his sister. But now, the situation had clearly reversed. The whole family depended on his sister to get by, so he no longer dared to act out.

Jing Shu had a headache. If this continued, it really would seem like they were here to freeload. She had no choice but to step in.

"Uncle, please don’t go to any trouble. We really had breakfast before coming. And please don’t bother making anything; it’s too much fuss. You all go ahead and eat. After the meal, there’s something I’d like to ask you," Jing Shu said.

Hearing that Jing Shu’s group really wasn’t going to eat and that they had business, Uncle didn’t say anything further. "Alright then, we’ll eat first and talk afterwards."

Uncle’s family managed to finish their breakfast, and Mrs. Jing took the opportunity to tidy up.

After the meal, Qiao Lian took her family back to her own room. Once Elder Aunt had finished clearing the dishes, the remaining family sat down on the sofa. "Jing Shu, what is it you want to ask?" Elder Aunt then inquired.

"Uncle, how are the pigs you’re raising doing? What have Wei Zheng and his wife been up to recently?" Jing Shu asked.

Uncle smiled and said, "Now that we have red earthworms, we’re not worried about raising them. Your elder aunt and I discussed it, and eventually, we gave her position to Wei Zheng. There’s a lot to do at home, so it’s good for your aunt to be here to help. Your sister-in-law isn’t doing anything specific. In this apocalypse, just having a job is a huge blessing."

Elder Aunt explained from the side, "I’m needed at home, so giving the job to Wei Zheng was a good decision."

Jing Shu understood—so Elder Aunt had relinquished her position at the livestock farm to Wei Zheng.

"Then do you have any plans?" Jing Shu asked. As it turned out, no one had foreseen these future matters, nor had they thought to make any long-term plans.

"This year, we plan to breed another dozen or so. Next year, we can expand to over twenty," Uncle said, his excitement about pig farming palpable. "By then, our family won’t be short of meat! That black pig you gave us is a real treasure." If it weren’t for the black pig Jing Shu had given them, his family would have been in a dire situation, probably unable to even find a wife for Wei Zheng.

In the past, they were just apple-selling farmers, looked down upon by everyone. Wei Zheng was 30 and still hadn’t found a partner. But look at them now! The whole of Wu County envied them. Who wouldn’t be jealous that Qiao Lian found such a good man?

Who dares to get pregnant in the apocalypse? Qiao Lian does, because her man can provide!

"What about the feed?" Jing Shu inquired.

"We’re not short on feed now; raising a few hundred pigs wouldn’t be a problem. It’s just that breeding takes time. You don’t know, the authorities are planning to go all out incubating Domestic Poultry now," Uncle explained.

It was pouring every day, and the rain was full of insects. Even if eating them caused malnutrition or other issues for the Domestic Poultry, at least they could be kept alive.

Jing Shu shook her head. "Uncle, I have a job in mind that I want to offer Elder Aunt. I originally planned to give it to Wei Zheng, but since he’s at the livestock farm now, giving it to Elder Aunt would be good too."

She had been worried about giving it to Wei Zheng; what if his wife turned out to be difficult to work with? But giving it to her elder aunt, who was family after all, would allow Elder Aunt to stand a bit taller, backed by the confidence provided by her own family.

Uncle exclaimed excitedly, "Is this another idea to make a fortune?"

Jing Shu pondered, "I want to start a factory with Elder Aunt. I’ll provide the equipment and initial capital; Elder Aunt will be responsible for labor and management."

At that moment, Second Aunt rushed over and blurted out, "Jing Shu, if you’re starting a factory, include your Second Aunt! Look at us; our family of three still doesn’t have a job."

Jing Shu replied, "Wait until I’ve finished speaking, and then you can decide."

"What kind of factory?" Elder Aunt asked, interested. Follow current novels on novelFirｅ.net

"A Red Worm Feed Processing Plant."

"Ah?" Uncle was surprised.

"Yes, it involves cooking the red earthworms and processing them into a dry feed that can be stored long-term," Jing Shu explained.

Elder Aunt coughed. "These red earthworms are everywhere. You can never scoop them all up, just like shrimp in the sea. Anyone can easily gather hundreds of pounds a day. I doubt we’ll run out of red earthworms in the next few years. Besides, as long as the floods don’t recede and the rain doesn’t stop, there’s no way the red earthworm numbers will decrease."

Wei Zheng nodded. "That’s right. I heard red earthworms evolved from some kind of bacteria—there are millions of bacteria in a single drop of water. So how could they ever run out? Right now, red earthworms are so cheap, you can buy several hundred pounds of them for just one Virtual Coin."

Uncle then asked, "If you do this, how many Virtual Coins are you planning to sell the feed for? Starting a factory is a big investment. Even though areas are flooded, the government encourages new businesses. But if you factor in labor and costs, selling too high means no buyers, and selling too low means a loss."

Mr. Jing added, "Yes, even if you sell 200 pounds for 1 Virtual Coin, who would buy it? Can’t they just scoop them up themselves?"

A smile touched Jing Shu’s lips. "Who said I’d sell it at that price? When the time comes, I’ll sell only 20 pounds for 1 Virtual Coin. It will be a seller’s market, with priority for those with good connections. The Red Worm Feed can’t be stored for five or six years—two or three at most. That timeline basically sets its price. If it could be stored for five or six years, people would pay a high price for it, not just for Domestic Poultry, but for themselves too."

In the end, it was Jing Shu’s Magic Cube Space that wasn’t big enough. Otherwise, with tens of thousands of cubic meters, she could store all these things and, when the time came, even give them away for free to attract labor. However, she could keep a bit for herself.

"Is she crazy?" Second Aunt’s husband muttered from the corner. "Only a fool would buy that."

Uncle was the first to understand. "Are you saying you’ll make Red Worm Feed, stockpile it, and then sell it after the rains stop and there are no more red earthworms?"

Jing Shu nodded. Among the older farmers, Uncle was indeed the quickest on the uptake.

"This will take at least one or two years, right? Maybe even three or four?" Uncle probed. He knew that the longer it took, the greater their potential loss.

Although red earthworms were plentiful, they had sustained the Huaxia people for an entire year, and large quantities had been stockpiled. Jing Shu even wondered if the Huaxia people had managed to eat them all.

Jing Shu didn’t answer how long it would take. Instead, she asked Elder Aunt directly, "Elder Aunt, do you want to do this?"

"I don’t understand everything you’re saying, but I believe in you, Jing Shu. I’ll do whatever you suggest. Just tell me how to proceed, and I’ll listen," Elder Aunt replied readily. Old farmers like her couldn’t stand being idle.

"What about you, Second Aunt?"

"Your Second Aunt won’t do this kind of work," said Second Aunt’s husband. He had aged since his release from prison but was still as calculating as ever. "Jing Shu, could you find her a job at a livestock farm or something?"

Second Aunt lowered her head. "Maybe I could come and work? Just providing me with meals each day would be enough."

Jing Shu raised an eyebrow. "I’m not in charge of personnel. You’ll have to ask Elder Aunt about that once things are up and running."

Then Jing Shu explained again, "The government is stockpiling. It’s the right move for us to follow their lead and do the same."

Jing Shu’s words finally made everyone’s eyes light up.

"Since I’m here, let’s get the factory set up in the next few days."