Chapter 471: Chapter 471

Aunt nodded tearfully. She had transformed from the assertiveness of her past into a woman seemingly dependent on her man. Uncle then laid out their plans for the future. Now that this had happened, they needed to prepare for what came next. Aunt nodded repeatedly in agreement. During this most helpless time, her husband was stepping forward; he was a man worth relying on.

"Come, come, let’s eat first, let’s eat first."

"Wang Fang and I have already eaten. It’s enough for Su Long to grab a bite," Uncle hurriedly said. Being a freeloader during the apocalypse was the worst. They could handle being hungry for a day, but they couldn’t bear to let their child go hungry too.

Grandma Jing insisted on pulling Su Long over to eat. In these apocalyptic times, it didn’t pain her to share food with friends and relatives, yet she wouldn’t allow anyone to take leftovers, not a single grain of rice. That was Grandma Jing’s way of treating guests.

The family finally began their meal together in harmonious joy. Mrs. Jing smiled and let out a gentle breath—she hadn’t married the wrong man.

Jing Shu watched carefully as Uncle transformed from his past timidity to being decisive and capable, which filled her with emotion.

It turns out the environment one lives in and the family atmosphere really can change a person. First, Jingshu’s house had established itself and thrived in the apocalypse, giving Uncle the backbone and confidence to stand tall. Jing Shu’s family gave him the red earthworm business. He also paid off the debt for the black pigs, allowing Uncle and Aunt to become official workers. The family’s strength and the experience from work had allowed Uncle to shed his past weakness. He no longer had to bow and defer to Aunt’s maternal family for everything. Aunt, too, now felt that her husband was truly a man she could depend on. Uncle had now truly become the head of the household.

Of course, Uncle’s timidity and reluctance to voice objections were different from Mr. Jing’s way of handling things. Mr. Jing’s deference was born out of love and a desire to accommodate Mrs. Jing. Mrs. Jing, in turn, respected Mr. Jing and always considered his thoughts. The decisions Mrs. Jing made were mostly reasonable and sensible. Mutual respect between husband and wife is the true foundation of a relationship, unlike Uncle’s pre-apocalypse situation where he was submissive, wanting to resist but not daring to.

Oddly, how did I, a single dog, understand all this so well...

Speaking of which, some matters could finally be delegated to Uncle. The matter with that plot of land and the factory could be entrusted to him.

Over the three years since the apocalypse, her mother’s side of the family had offered the least help. In contrast, Jing Shu had never skimped on helping Mr. Jing’s side, whether it was the elder aunt or Third Aunt. Previously, Jing Shu had believed that Uncle’s timid nature and lack of firm opinions, which made him easily swayed by Aunt, affected their family’s harmony. However, now that Uncle was capable of shouldering the burden, Jing Shu wouldn’t mind supporting her mother’s only brother a bit more, so that Mrs. Jing could rest assured about him.

But if anyone turned out to be an ingrate or stirred up trouble, Jing Shu would make sure to deal with them before Mrs. Jing noticed. For now, it seemed that apart from Aunt’s tendency to take small advantages and her short-sightedness, she had no unbearable flaws. After all, no one is perfect, just as she herself had flaws.

"Aunt, how much of your red earthworm stock is left?" Jing Shu suddenly asked.

Wang Fang ate modestly, but she couldn’t slow down. Ah, this incredible soy sauce duck! The pieces weren’t oily or greasy; the skin was roasted to a crispy brown, and the meat underneath was tender and drenched in sauce... Ah, this divine grilled pork belly! Dipped in barbecue sauce and wrapped in lettuce, each bite was a crisp delight with the charred fragrance of the skin... Ah! Lost in the bliss of flavor, Wang Fang licked her lips. Only then did she realize Jing Shu had spoken. She quickly bowed her head, embarrassed. "Huh? Oh, we’ve sold half of it. We were thinking of saving up a bit more to buy two chickens and help Su Long finish high school."

Jing Shu pondered then said, "In that case, your share of red earthworms isn’t much to begin with. Don’t sell them for now; keep them."

"Ah, okay." This time, Wang Fang was smart and didn’t ask why.

Jing Shu continued, "Uncle, your arrangements just now were very good, but I have an even better idea."

Uncle’s eyes lit up. "Jingshu, tell me."

"Uncle, you should stop working as a temp. I’ve contracted a piece of land and plan to start a big factory. Why don’t you be the factory manager? I can’t trust anyone else, although it will be tough," Jing Shu said slowly.

Mrs. Jing’s eyes widened in surprise. "Goodness, you’ve only been back a few days, and you’re stirring things up again?"

Uncle expressed his interest. "How big is this factory going to be? What kind of factory can you even open these days? Other than food, nothing else seems to work."

Jing Shu smiled lightly. "A red earthworm breeding farm, and it’s quite large."

"What! What? For real?"

"Haven’t red earthworms become extinct? The Government’s been researching for over half a year without success. The breeding stock they had is almost all dead, especially since red earthworms have such short lifespans," Uncle said, astonished.

Mr. Jing scratched his head. "My girl, we still have several big buckets of red earthworms in our courtyard, including the Blood Leeches you raised. Haven’t we tried many methods, but all failed to mass-produce them?"

Jing Shu smiled mysteriously, not answering Mr. Jing. Instead, she turned to her uncle. "Uncle, all I can say is that this breeding farm won’t be as easy as the previous red worm collection factories. It’s very challenging, and we’ll employ many workers. You know how difficult it is to breed red earthworms now. But if we succeed, you can imagine how great the current demand for food is. Well? Want to do it?"

Uncle stood up excitedly. "Jingshu, I believe in you."

"Good. Let’s be clear on the accounts, even between close family. This factory will give you a share of the profits every month, Uncle. We’ll talk about the specific figures later, and I’ll assign you a house near the factory! However, Uncle, our factory might be a joint venture with multiple investors. Therefore, your main responsibility as the factory manager will be to ensure the normal operation of all departments and provide supervision. You’ll also need to report any unsolvable problems to me promptly."

In fact, this was akin to Jing Shu having a proxy manager. He would be the one to appear before the public for any events and meetings, while Jing Shu controlled everything from behind the scenes.

"I understand all that, but when do I start work?" Uncle asked. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩

"Starting tomorrow, though we still have some issues to address," Jing Shu replied.

The family was slowly getting used to Jing Shu’s decisive way of doing things. Still, her father, concerned as always, decided he would accompany Jing Shu to the factory the next day to check on things. They were completely unaware that Jing Shu had taken out a huge loan to purchase such a large plot of land or her true intentions. They still thought it would be like before, a small Red Worm Factory employing just a dozen people.

But Jing Shu hadn’t forgotten her somewhat disheartened Aunt.

"Aunt, you’ll continue working as a temp, but not as a visiting specialist. Once the factory starts producing red earthworms, you’ll handle the orders for the West Mountain area. You’ll act as a liaison between both sides and also get a salary from us. I think with a stable source of red earthworms, they’ll make you a regular employee there soon. Everyone will be vying for it."

Aunt’s face slowly became animated, and she asked excitedly, "Does that mean I can earn two salaries? A regular employee for the Government on one side, and a liaison for your factory on the other?"

With a meaningful smile, Jing Shu said, "That depends on how you manage things. Anyway, our factory’s orders are yours to sell. Whether you keep working as a temp is up to you."