Chapter 110: My Father-in-Law Offers You Two Paths
Chapter 110: My Father-in-Law Offers You Two Paths
Poxin Village.
The Zhang Family.
When Zhang Xiuping asked her question, both her sisters-in-law, Zhang Dage and Zhang Ergou, perked up. They had always dreamed of their husbands having the chance to work at her brother-in-law's brick and tile factory, where the wages were truly tempting!
They both looked at their father-in-law, eager to know if he was really considering it.
In front of his daughter, Zhang Zhenfa didn’t hide his thoughts. He nodded and said, "I do have that in mind. Your brothers are currently unemployed. Keep an eye out for opportunities, and if there’s a chance, let Yuntai or your father-in-law know. Get your brothers arranged to work at the brick and tile factory."
"Doing this for a year or two, our family will have enough money to build a new house."
Zhang Shouguo, though tempted, couldn’t help but say, "Dad, Ping just got married into the Deng family and hasn't even settled in yet. Even if we can’t help, we shouldn’t be a burden. Let’s not rush into working at the brick and tile factory. We’ll consider it if there’s a better opportunity in the future!"
Zhang Shoumin also nodded. "Big brother is right. We shouldn’t rush into working. Let’s wait until Ping has established herself as the eldest sister-in-law in the Deng family."
Zhang Xiuping was their only sister, and both her brothers were quite protective of her. They didn’t want to add to her burden at this time.
Hearing her brothers’ words, Zhang Xiuping felt a sense of relief. Recalling what her father-in-law had told her yesterday, she shook her head. "Dad, there’s no need for Big Brother and Second Brother to work at the brick and tile factory. Whether they become mud treaders or mud carriers, it won’t lead to much success."
Her words left the Zhang family staring at each other, taken aback by her tone.
Zhang Zhenfa hadn’t expected his daughter, who had only been married for three days, to already look down on a job that paid a few dozen yuan a month. He looked speechless and said, "Xiuping, not everyone has the skills your husband has, earning over two hundred yuan a month. Your brothers don’t have special skills, so earning a few dozen yuan a month is already quite good."
Zhang Xiuping replied, "Dad, a few years ago, you would have been absolutely right. Having a job that pays a few dozen yuan a month is something many people envy. But now that the reform and opening-up have begun, working hard at the brick and tile factory isn’t the best choice anymore."
Zhang’s mother interjected, "Xiuping, what you’re saying suggests you have a better idea. What is it?"
Zhang Xiuping said, "Yesterday, when I was chatting with my father-in-law, I mentioned Big Brother and Second Brother’s situation. He then suggested two paths. I’ll tell you about them. If you think they’re good, we can try them. If not, just forget I mentioned it."
Zhang Shouguo perked up and quickly asked, "Ping, tell us, what are the two paths?" He held great respect for his sister’s father-in-law, who had managed to do so well in the countryside, undoubtedly a man of true ability.
Zhang Shoumin also looked at his sister with excitement. He had strength but no direction. If a wise person could guide him, his life might take a different turn. In his eyes, his sister’s father-in-law was such a wise person.
Zhang’s father and mother exchanged glances and leaned in to listen.
Zhang Xiuping held up a finger and said, "The first path is to start a farming or breeding business at home.
"Let’s start with farming. My father-in-law suggested planting lychee or longan trees. You should know that my father-in-law has already turned the hillside into an orchard, even digging the holes for the trees. We can start planting lychee trees in the early spring next year.
"According to my father-in-law, if everything goes smoothly without any natural disasters, the trees will bear fruit in two years. In the first year of fruiting, we can recover our initial investment and even make a small profit."
By the third year, we could make a substantial profit, at least several thousand yuan. After that, every year would bring in a large sum of money. This is far better than working at the brick factory.”
The Zhang family was left speechless.
Zhang Zhenfa, his face filled with shock, said, “Xiuping, did your father-in-law really say that? He claims that planting lychees will recover the costs by the second year and yield a profit of several thousand yuan by the third year?”
Zhang Xiuping nodded. “That’s what he said, but of course, this is under ideal conditions. If the management is poor during the initial planting, or if we encounter typhoons, cold spells, or hailstorms, the fruit trees might not survive. In that case, not only would we not make a profit, but we could lose all our capital.”
Hearing that they might lose all their capital, Zhang Zhenfa immediately sobered up. Although these disasters didn’t happen every year, their frequency was still quite high, making the risk considerable.
Zhang Shouguo also calmed down and said, “Sister Ping, tell us more about raising livestock.”
The others, hearing this, put the lychee planting aside and sat down like students, waiting for Zhang Xiuping to give them a lesson.
Zhang Xiuping nodded and said, “Raising livestock includes pigs, cattle, chickens, ducks, and geese. The government has not only relaxed restrictions in this area but is also encouraging farmers to raise livestock. According to my father-in-law, no matter what you raise, you can make money.
The amount you earn depends on the scale of your operation. The more you raise, the more you earn.
However, my father-in-law also said that if you’re raising livestock on a large scale, you should consult experts in the field. If you’re not careful, your livestock could get sick, and you could lose all the money you’ve invested.”
Zhang Zhenfa frowned, realizing that raising livestock also carried significant risks.
Zhang Shouguo and Zhang Shoumin, his brothers, were also uncertain. It seemed that whether they chose to plant crops or raise livestock, they would have to bear considerable risks.
Zhang Dacao and Zhang Ercao were silently weighing the options, considering which path would be more profitable and which would be less risky.
Zhang’s mother couldn’t help but ask, “Xiuping, you mentioned two paths. You’ve told us about the first one. What is the second path?”
Zhang Xiuping didn’t hold back and said, “The second path is to become an individual entrepreneur and open your own store as a business owner.”
Upon hearing this, everyone in the Zhang family, except for the young Zhang Shoushan, was taken aback.
They had all experienced the previous era of uncertainty, when even selling a few eggs secretly made them anxious, and negotiating to buy lychee trees during the flowering season was considered speculation and profiteering.
Although it had been two years since the reform and opening-up, and the government was encouraging farmers to start their own businesses, only a few dared to take the leap. Most rural people were still hesitant, fearing that one misstep could land them in trouble for speculation and profiteering.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a recommendation on Wednesday, and if everything goes smoothly, we’ll be on the VIP list by Friday. We haven’t asked for monthly votes in a while, and our ranking on the monthly vote list has dropped. Today is my daughter’s birthday, so I’m asking for your votes to celebrate! ^_^
(End of Chapter)
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