Chapter 110: My Father-in-law Pointed Out Two Paths for You

Chapter 110: My Father-in-law Pointed Out Two Paths for You

New Dock Village.

Zhang family.

Hearing Zhang Xiuping's question, Zhang Dasao and Zhang Ersao were both excited. They dreamed of their husbands having the opportunity to work in the tile factory of their brother-in-law's family. After all, the wages were incredibly tempting!

So, they both looked at their father-in-law, eager to know if he truly had this idea.

In front of his daughter, Zhang Zhenfa didn't hide his thoughts. He nodded and said, "I do have this plan. Your elder brother and second brother don't have much to do now. Please keep an eye out for opportunities. If there's a chance, talk to Yuntai or your father-in-law about arranging for your elder brother and second brother to work in the tile factory.

If we do this for a year or two, we'll have enough money to build a new house."

Although Zhang Shouguo was somewhat moved, he couldn't help but say, "Dad, Pingmei has just married into the Deng family and hasn't yet established herself. Even if we can't help, we shouldn't burden her. There's no rush to work at the tile factory. Let's talk about it later when there's a chance."

Zhang Shoumin also nodded and said, "Brother is right. We're not in a hurry to start working. We should wait until Pingmei has secured her position as the eldest sister-in-law in the Deng family."

After all, Zhang Xiuping was their only sister. Her two brothers cared deeply for her and didn't want to add to her burden at this time.

Hearing her two brothers say this, Zhang Xiuping felt relieved. Thinking of what her father-in-law had told her yesterday, she shook her head and said, "Dad, there's absolutely no need for my eldest and second brothers to work in the tile factory. Whether they're mud treaders or mud carriers, they won't have much of a future."

When these words were spoken, the Zhang family members couldn't help but look at each other, all of them stunned by Zhang Xiuping's tone.

Zhang Zhenfa never expected that his daughter would look down on a job that paid a few dozen yuan a month after only being married to the Deng family for three days. He said, speechless, "Xiuping, you think everyone has the skills to make big vats like your husband and can earn more than 200 yuan a month. Your eldest and second brothers don't have any skills, and earning a few dozen yuan a month is already very good."

Zhang Xiuping replied, "Dad, if it were a few years ago, your idea would have been correct. Having a job that pays a few dozen yuan a month is something many people would envy. But now, with reform and opening up, working as a laborer in a tile factory is no longer the best choice."

Mrs. Zhang interrupted and asked, "Xiuping, from what you're saying, do you have any better ideas?"

Zhang Xiuping said, "Yesterday, when I was chatting with my father-in-law, I mentioned the situation of my elder brother and second brother. My father-in-law pointed out two paths. I'll tell you about them, and you can decide if they're worth trying. If not, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Zhang Shouguo perked up upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Pingmei, can you tell us quickly? What are the two paths?" He admired his sister's father-in-law greatly. After all, he must be a capable man to have achieved so much in the countryside.

Zhang Shoumin also looked at his sister excitedly. He had a lot of strength but didn't know where to use it. If an expert could guide him, perhaps his life would take a different turn.

In Zhang Shoumin's mind, his sister's father-in-law was a capable and wise man.

Father and Mother Zhang exchanged glances and listened intently.

Zhang Xiuping raised a finger and said, "The first way is to plant or raise livestock at home.

Let's talk about planting first. My father-in-law suggested planting lychee trees or longan trees. You all know this. My father-in-law's family has already reclaimed the mountains into an orchard. Even the tree pits have been dug. We can plant lychee trees in early spring next year.

My father-in-law said that if there are no natural disasters or man-made disasters and everything goes well, the trees will bear fruit the year after next. In the first year of bearing fruit, all the invested costs can be recovered, and even a small profit can be made.

By the third year, you can make a lot of money—at least several thousand yuan—and you can make a lot of money every year thereafter. It's much better than working in a tile factory."

The Zhang family was stunned by these words.

Zhang Zhenfa asked with a shocked expression, "Xiuping, is that really what your father-in-law said? Planting lychees can recover the cost in the second year, and you can make several thousand yuan in the third year?"

Zhang Xiuping nodded and said, "That's what my father-in-law said. Of course, this is when everything goes well. If the management isn't good when the trees are first planted, or if there are natural disasters like typhoons, cold weather, or hail, the fruit trees may not survive. Not only will we not make any money, but we'll also lose all our capital."

Hearing that there was a possibility of losing all the capital, Zhang Zhenfa calmed down instantly. Although the three disasters his daughter mentioned weren't encountered every year, their frequency was still high, so the risk remained significant.

Zhang Shouguo, who had also calmed down, said, "Pingmei, tell us more about breeding."

Hearing this, the others temporarily set aside the matter of lychee planting and sat there like elementary school students, waiting for Zhang Xiuping to explain.

Zhang Xiuping nodded and said, "This breeding refers to raising pigs, cattle, chickens, ducks, geese, and the like. Now the country has not only relaxed restrictions in this regard but also encouraged farmers to raise livestock. According to my father-in-law, no matter what you raise now, you can make money.

As for how much you can earn, it depends on the scale of breeding. The more you raise, the more you'll earn.

However, my father-in-law also said that if you're doing small-scale breeding, there's nothing to worry about since everyone has experience. But if you want to raise animals on a large scale, you'll need to consult breeding experts to avoid mistakes that could cause the livestock to get sick, resulting in a total loss of the invested capital."

Zhang Zhenfa frowned when he heard this. Breeding this way also carried considerable risk!

Brothers Zhang Shouguo and Zhang Shoumin were also undecided after hearing this. It seemed that whether it was planting or breeding, they would have to take significant risks.

Mrs.Zhang Da and Mrs. Zhang Er were also silently calculating in their hearts whether planting or breeding was more profitable and which one had higher or lower risks.

Mrs.Zhang couldn't help but ask, "Xiuping, you just said there are two ways. You've already mentioned the first way, so what's the second way?"

Zhang Xiuping didn't hide anything and said directly, "The second way is to become self-employed and open your own shop as a boss."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the Zhang family, except for the young Zhang Shoushan, changed their expressions drastically.

They had all experienced the madness of the past. Back then, secretly selling a few eggs was terrifying. Even P-lychee (a term that roughly means negotiating with the owner of a lychee tree to buy the fruit before it ripens, then selling it for profit) was considered speculation.

Although reform and opening up had been in place for two years and the country was encouraging farmers to start their own businesses, only a few dared to open a shop and do business. Most rural people still didn't dare to take this step, fearing they might be arrested as speculators if they weren't careful.

(End of this chapter)