The child huddled into Qiao Lian mother's arms, not daring to make a sound. He used to be the little tyrant of the family—if his sister dared to bully him, one loud wail was all it took for his mother to beat her without question. But now things had changed. The whole family was relying on his sister to survive, and he didn't dare act out anymore.
Jing Shu rubbed her temples. If this went on, it would really look like they had come just to freeload. She had no choice but to step forward.
"Uncle, enough. We already ate breakfast before we came. Don't trouble yourself making more. You all go ahead and eat. Once you're done, I have something to ask you."
Seeing that Jing Shu really wasn't going to eat and had something to discuss, her Eldest Uncle didn't push further. "Alright then, we'll eat first and talk afterward."
Her Eldest Uncle's family finally managed to finish their breakfast, while Su Lanzhi tidied up what needed tidying.
Afterward, Qiao Lian went back to her own room with her relatives, leaving the living room quieter. Once the dishes were put away, they sat down with the rest of the family on the sofa.
"Jing Shu, what's on your mind?" her Eldest Uncle asked.
"How are the pigs you're raising now? And what are Brother Wei Zheng and Sister-in-law doing these days?"
Her Eldest Uncle chuckled. "With the red nematodes, raising them is easy. Your aunt and I decided to hand over her position to Wei Zheng. There's plenty of work at the Livestock Breeding Center, so she can help out at home instead. As for your aunt, she doesn't do much. In times like these, just having a job at all is already a blessing."
Her Eldest Aunt added, "It's true. The family can't do without me. Giving that position to Wei Zheng was the right call."
Jing Shu understood. So her Eldest Aunt had passed her own position to Wei Zheng.
"What about your future plans?" she asked. As expected, none of them had thought that far ahead.
"This year we'll breed another dozen or so. Next year we'll have over twenty. By then, our family will never run short of meat again. That black pig of yours is a real treasure," her Eldest Uncle said with barely contained excitement. If not for the black pig Jing Shu had given them, their family would have been in dire straits—Wei Zheng probably wouldn't even have found a wife.
Before all this, they had just been apple farmers no one looked twice at. Wei Zheng was already thirty and still unmarried. But now, people across Wuxian envied them. Who wouldn't admire Qiao Lian for marrying such a good man?
Who else would dare get pregnant in the apocalypse? But Qiao Lian dared, because her husband could provide.
"What about feed?" Jing Shu asked.
"There's no shortage at all. Even if we raised hundreds of pigs, we'd manage. The only issue is time for breeding. Didn't you hear? The higher-ups are planning to hatch chickens and ducks on a large scale."
These days the rain never stopped, and the downpour was full of bugs. Poultry might get malnourished eating them, but at least they'd survive.
Jing Shu shook her head. "Uncle, I have something I want Aunt to handle. I was originally going to ask Brother Wei Zheng, but since he's working at the Livestock Breeding Center now, Aunt would be a good choice too."
She had worried that if she gave it to Wei Zheng, his wife might cause trouble. But giving it to her aunt kept things within the family and gave her Eldest Aunt some standing. It was the kind of support only family could provide.
Her Eldest Uncle's eyes lit up. "Another idea to get rich?"
"I'd like to open a factory together with Aunt," Jing Shu said after a pause. "I'll provide the equipment and startup capital. Eldest Aunt can handle labor and management."
At that, her Second Aunt jumped out. "Jing Shu, if you're opening a factory, take me with you! Look at us, the three of us don't even have proper work right now."
"Let me finish first, then you can decide," Jing Shu said calmly.
"What kind of factory?" her Eldest Aunt asked with interest.
"A red nematode feed processing factory."
"What?" her Eldest Uncle was stunned.
"Yes. We'll cook the red nematodes, process them into feed, and store them as long-lasting dry feed," Jing Shu explained.
Her Eldest Aunt frowned. "But those red nematodes are everywhere. You can scoop up endless amounts every day. They're like shrimp in the sea. Anyone can collect a hundred jin (50 kg) or more daily. They're not going to run out any time soon, not while the floods and rain keep up."
Wei Zheng nodded. "Exactly. I heard red nematodes evolved from bacteria. A single drop of water holds millions of bacteria. How could they ever run out? Right now, a virtual coin can buy hundreds of jin (50 kg) of them."
Her Eldest Uncle asked the practical question. "And what price would you sell the feed for? Running a factory takes serious investment. Even if the government encourages new trade, once you factor in labor and costs, if the price is too high no one will buy, and if it's too low you'll lose money."
Jing An added, "That's right. Even if you sold 200 jin (100 kg) for a single virtual coin, who would buy? Wouldn't they just go scoop some themselves?"
Jing Shu's lips curved in a smile. "Who said I'd price it that way? I'll sell 20 jin (10 kg) for 1 virtual coin. Limited supply, priority to close contacts."
Red nematode feed couldn't be stored for more than two or three years. That shelf life alone determined its future value. By then, when the nematodes were scarce, who would waste it on poultry? People would pay top price to eat it themselves.
In truth, the problem was her Cube Space wasn't big enough. If she had tens of thousands of cubic meters, she could stockpile everything and hand it out later for free in exchange for labor. Still, she could at least put aside a little.
"Crazy," her Second Uncle muttered from the corner. "Only a fool would buy that."
Her Eldest Uncle, however, caught on quickly. "You mean to process the nematodes into feed now, store it, and wait until the rains stop and the nematodes disappear to sell?"
Jing Shu nodded. Among this group of old farmers, only her Eldest Uncle's mind turned fast enough to grasp it.
"That'll take at least a year or two," her Eldest Uncle said cautiously. "Maybe three or four?" The longer it took, the more money they risked losing.
There were indeed countless red nematodes, but China had already been raising livestock with them for a full year, and huge quantities had been hoarded. Jing Shu herself suspected that one day China really would eat them to extinction.
She didn't answer how long it might take. Instead, she asked directly, "Eldest Aunt, are you in?"
Her Eldest Aunt replied without hesitation, "I don't understand all this, but I trust you, Jing Shu. Whatever you say, I'll do. Just tell me what to do." Farmers like her couldn't stand being idle anyway.
"What about you, Second Aunt?" Jing Shu asked.
Her Second Uncle cut in quickly. "She's not doing that. Jing Shu, can't you get her a job at the Livestock Breeding Center instead?" He had aged a lot after prison, but he still clung to his little schemes.
Her Second Aunt lowered her head. "Maybe I could just do some work there. As long as I get meals every day, that's enough."
Jing Shu raised an eyebrow. "I won't handle personnel. Once the factory opens, you'll have to ask Eldest Aunt."
Then she explained once more, "Even the government is stockpiling. Following their lead is the right move."
That one sentence lit up everyone's eyes.
"While I'm here, let's get the factory up and running within the next few days," Jing Shu said.