Newborn 1927

The next morning, Yang Jiefang summoned everyone to the training ground. Those who were to participate in the training arrived quickly, all full of enthusiasm. Yang Jiefang shouted, "As you all saw, I brought in another large sum of money for the stronghold yesterday. You won't bankrupt me anytime soon. If you want to eat and drink well, you have to participate in the training. To facilitate training, I'm going to organize you into groups to prevent anyone from just filling in. Let me state beforehand that this organization is only temporary; you are not yet considered upper-level members. However, if you can persevere for three months, complete the training program, and pass the assessment, you can be directly promoted to upper-level. Otherwise, you can only remain in the middle or lower levels, doing daily labor. Anyone with objections can withdraw directly; I will not try to retain you." Eating white flour and meat every day—who would want to withdraw? Everyone wanted to try. Yang Jiefang immediately instructed Hou Fei and others to reorganize according to the planned scheme. At first, the scene was a bit chaotic, but as the people were gradually separated, the scene began to quiet down. Once the various squadrons were organized, the scene became orderly. Then, led by their respective squadron leaders, they began jogging. Yang Jiefang, along with Bao Ziqiang, Chu Shiwu, and Zhao Yuanbao, also joined the jogging. As per Yang Jiefang's instructions, their training volume was halved.

After the jog, they went to the canteen for breakfast. Old Wu, all smiles, found Yang Jiefang and said, "I have good news for you. The boss has spoken. From now on, you won't have to pay for all these people's meals alone. The boss will cover one portion, the government will cover one portion, and it will be a three-way split." Yang Jiefang laughed, "That's great! My money can last longer." Old Wu chuckled, "With your abilities, how could you possibly go broke? Once these people are trained, they'll be making a killing! But, if anything good happens in the future, think of others, don't hog it all!" Yang Jiefang said, "Manager Wu, there's a hidden meaning in your words. Who are you referring to as 'others'?" Old Wu laughed, "Nobody. It's just that my wife was nagging me yesterday, saying that with such a big deal, if we brought her son along, wouldn't he get a share too? After all, he considers you a brother!"

Yang Jiefang understood and said, "Next time there's something good, I'll definitely think of my brothers. By the way, Manager Wu, I have a business deal here. I wonder if you'd be interested in getting involved?" Old Wu pointed to his nose and said, "Me? Are you kidding me? Everyone knows I'm incredibly stingy. If you want me to get involved, aren't you afraid of losing money?" Yang Jiefang said, "Bai Lang and I are brothers, so I'll call you Uncle! Uncle Wu, everyone says you're stingy, but who knows you'd do anything to make sure everyone has something to eat?" "Oh, he's really worried sick! These days, running a household isn't easy! If you don't tighten your belt, you'll run out of food sooner or later." Old Wu paused slightly, even a little moved, and said, "Nephew, you really understand me! No matter what kind of business it is, just for you calling me 'Uncle,' I'll do it with you." Yang Jiefang happily said, "That's great, Uncle Wu! As long as this business goes well, our Qinglong Village's food supply will be secured." Old Wu said, "Alright, you eat first, then come find me, and we'll talk about it in detail."

Yang Jiefang agreed and immediately began eating breakfast. After breakfast, the others continued with their daily training plan. Instead of going to the training ground, Yang Jiefang went to find Wu Laokou and discussed his plan to open a vermicelli factory. Wu Laokou asked, "Are you planning to go it alone, or hand it over to the government?" Yang Jiefang replied, "I originally planned to hand it over to the government. But I hadn't discussed it with the boss beforehand, and I was afraid no one would support me, so I had to go it alone. Anyway, the machines have already been ordered, and the vermicelli factory is definitely going to be set up." Wu Laokou immediately said, "That's easy. I'll go with you to find the boss; I think she'll agree."

The two men didn't delay and immediately went to see Black Widow. Black Widow received them in the reception room. Yang Jiefang clearly felt a change in Black Widow's gaze. Before, she would always ignore him, refusing to even glance at him, but now she looked at him like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. After hearing their purpose, Black Widow said, "I heard about ordering the machines from Xiao Lan. Why did you decide to start a vermicelli factory? Explain the whole story to me first!"

Yang Jiefang replied, “If Qinglongzhai wants to develop, it must have a sustainable industry. Setting up a vermicelli factory is just one part of that. During my trip to Yantai, I learned about the market. For example, in our mountainous areas, one jin of millet can be exchanged for eight to ten jin of sweet potatoes. Let's estimate eight jin. One jin of millet can be exchanged for eight jin of sweet potatoes, and the starch yield of sweet potatoes is about 28%. That means these eight jin of sweet potatoes can yield at least two jin of vermicelli. The price of vermicelli is no cheaper than pork, at least three times that of millet. Conservatively speaking, these two jin of vermicelli can be exchanged for more than six jin of millet. After deducting the cost of one jin, there is a profit margin of five jin. After deducting other costs, the profit is quite considerable!”

Yang Jiefang, having studied finance, preferred to use data to support his arguments. With these figures laid out before him, Wu Laokou and Black Widow were already captivated without much explanation. Wu Laokou even cheered loudly.

Yang Jiefang continued, "These vermicelli noodles can also be exported, fetching higher prices and selling in larger quantities. However, the traditional production methods are too outdated; the output can't keep up, and therefore the cost can't be reduced. We're using machine grinding, which we estimate can grind over 10,000 jin (5,000 kg) of sweet potatoes per day, allowing for large-scale production. With increased output, the cost will naturally decrease." He had seen such machines in his grandmother's village when he was a child, and the output was quite considerable. Back then, rural people preferred to make vermicelli noodles by hand; it wasn't technically difficult.

Black Widow asked, "Are you really willing to hand over this business to the government?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Yes, after all, my personal energy is limited, and we need more people involved. Wouldn't it be perfect to hand it over to the government? I think Uncle Wu should manage this factory; he should be able to handle it well." Since it concerned their livelihood, Old Wu didn't refuse, saying, "I think it's fine. If our village doesn't produce enough sweet potatoes, we can buy them from nearby villagers; I know how to do that." Black Widow nodded and said, "Then let the government handle it. Old Wu will be in charge. I'll remember your contributions."

Yang Jiefang continued, “If the vermicelli factory is established, besides producing vermicelli, it will also generate a large amount of sweet potato residue. This residue shouldn't be wasted; we can use it to feed pigs. Sweet potato residue, wheat bran, soybean meal—these inexpensive materials—mixed with some corn flour and sorghum flour make excellent pig feed. Therefore, I'd like to open a pig farm. With the New Year approaching, many families' pigs will have grown up; they'll either be slaughtered or sold after the New Year, so we can take the opportunity to buy a batch to use as breeding stock. Hmm, we can also buy a batch of breeding chickens to start a chicken farm. Since we're just starting out, the scale shouldn't be too large. We'll start with about a hundred breeding pigs, and two to three thousand pigs will be ready for slaughter each year. The chicken farm will initially be set at a scale of 100,000 broiler chickens per year…” Yang Jiefang spoke eloquently, leaving Black Widow and Old Wu speechless. After Yang Jiefang finished speaking, they felt as if they were in a dream, having completely misunderstood what he had said. If it weren't for Yang Jiefang's outstanding performance recently, they would almost think he was crazy. When it comes to aquaculture, Yang Jiefang is definitely a professional.

In 1986, Yang Jiefang's father participated in the Battle of Laoshan, losing an arm and being discharged from the army. After returning home, he used his resettlement allowance to start a chicken farm, which led to his wealth. He then married a rural girl, Yang Jiefang's mother. Through their hard work, the couple not only expanded the chicken farm but also started a pig farm. At that time, the government was sending technology to rural areas to help farmers escape poverty and encouraged them to engage in animal husbandry. Yang Jiefang's mother attended training courses at the agricultural science station and brought home a large collection of books on animal husbandry and planting techniques. His mother was illiterate, but she had a good son. Yang Jiefang was still in elementary school at the time, and his mother would make him read to her every day, reading those technical books aloud. His mother's memory couldn't compare to his, so she often had to listen repeatedly. By the time she understood and memorized them, Yang Jiefang had already memorized them perfectly. While other children his age were secretly reading comic books and playing games, Yang Jiefang had read a lot of books on animal husbandry and planting techniques, becoming his mother's technical advisor. These books included not only books about raising chickens and pigs, but also about raising ducks, geese, sheep, and cattle, and even books about growing vegetables and fruits. Some were books his mother wanted to hear about, while others were books he read for fun out of his own interest.

Raising chickens and pigs was a piece of cake for him. Black Widow and Old Wu, who knew nothing of this, gaped for a long time before finally asking, "Are you sure you can do it?" Yang Jiefang replied matter-of-factly, "Definitely no problem. If you have any concerns, I can do it alone. I've already thought it through. Many of the salted fish made by fishermen can't be sold because of their poor quality. We can buy them at a low price and process them into fishmeal. Also, Chu Yi is currently running a fish processing plant in Yantai, which will generate a lot of scraps, which can also be made into fishmeal. This fishmeal is high-protein feed. If the feed is properly mixed, the feed-to-meat ratio can reach four to one, meaning four pounds of feed will produce one pound of meat..."

Before Yang Jiefang could say anything more, Old Wu stood up and said, "Boss, let's try our luck first, whether it's promising or not. Maybe we'll succeed!" Black Widow slapped her knee and said, "Then let's do it! Notify everyone immediately to gather in the Hall of Righteousness for a meeting. If we're going to do something, let's do something big." Despite being a woman, Black Widow was quite decisive when it came to getting things done.

Soon, all the managers and leaders of Qinglong Village were summoned to the assembly hall. Gao Huilan, unusually, also participated in the meeting. Black Widow first had Yang Jiefang explain his plan in detail, then asked for everyone's opinions. With Yang Jiefang's sets of data laid out before them, how could anyone find fault? With the support of Wu Laokou and Black Widow and her daughter, everyone naturally accepted it unconditionally. Thus, Qinglong Village embarked on a large-scale production campaign. Yang Jiefang naturally became the chief architect, Master Kong was responsible for allocating funds, Carpenter Li was in charge of building houses, Niu Sanbian was responsible for purchasing breeding pigs and chickens, and Wu Laokou was responsible for producing vermicelli and feed.

After the tasks were assigned, everyone dispersed. Yang Jiefang was about to leave when he was stopped by an unfamiliar elderly man in his fifties. Yang Jiefang asked疑惑地问道, "Old man, do you need something from me?" The old man laughed and said, "Everyone calls me 'Medicine Pot.' You may not recognize me, but I know you. I have a score to settle with you." Yang Jiefang asked in surprise, "We're complete strangers, what score could we possibly have to settle?" Medicine Pot said, "After you implemented that training program, many people suffered from backaches and couldn't take it anymore, so they all came to me for medicine to soak in. They didn't have money, so this debt is on your tab, two silver dollars in total, pay up!" Yang Jiefang was stunned. Medicine Pot continued, "My medicine doesn't come from thin air, you absolutely have to pay, don't try to renege!" Yang Jiefang replied, "Two silver dollars is nothing. The key is, does your medicine even work?" Medicine Pot immediately became angry and said, "You can look down on my medical skills, but you can't look down on my medicine. Whether it works or not, can't you see for yourself? Without my medicine, could so many people have persevered?"

Yang Jiefang was overjoyed and said, "I'll give you twenty silver dollars, no, a hundred silver dollars, if you do me a favor, how about it?" The man with the medicine pot asked suspiciously, "What favor requires a hundred silver dollars? Don't sell me out, kid." Yang Jiefang laughed, "A young lady is only worth fifty silver dollars. With your old bones, nobody would want you even if you paid me. Help me build a bathhouse and prepare the herbal bath. We train every day, and we're always covered in sweat; backaches and pains are inevitable. You need to ensure they can all take a bath every day. Can you do that?" The man with the medicine pot looked Yang Jiefang up and down and said, "You'll pay?" Yang Jiefang replied, "I'll cover all the expenses." The man with the medicine pot laughed, "That's easy then, no problem, watch me!" Yang Jiefang said, "If you need money, just go to the accounting office and get it from my account." The matter was settled, and the man with the medicine pot didn't press the issue, smiling as he went to ask Master Kong for the money.

After the doctor left, Yang Jiefang saw Gao Huilan standing not far away, seemingly waiting for him, so he went over. He felt a little awkward about joking with her and the doctor. Gao Huilan spoke first, saying, "This doctor, he went out to buy medicinal herbs recently, so you haven't seen him before. His medical skills are really not that great; he can't cure most illnesses or injuries. But if you have a sore back or other back pain that needs treatment, he's quite good at it. He's probably the best doctor in our Qinglong Village." Yang Jiefang replied, "Traditional Chinese medicine can regulate the body, strengthen the constitution, and prevent or reduce illness; it's actually a very sophisticated medical technique."

Gao Huilan changed the subject, saying, "I heard Kong Zongru came to see you last night and fell ill afterward. What exactly happened between you two?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Don't ask about men's affairs. Are my sisters all settled?" Gao Huilan said, "They're all settled, but your sister still needs some time to recuperate." Yang Jiefang naturally knew this and asked again, "What about Jiang Xiaojun? Has she caused any trouble?" Gao Huilan answered, "Your sister talked to her, and now she's not crying or making a fuss. She eats and sleeps normally, and reads books in her spare time—she brought them herself—'Anthology of Modern Poetry'."

At this point, Yang Jiefang suddenly realized he had nothing to say. He'd been quite the smooth talker when it came to picking up girls in his past life, but now he didn't know where to begin. Seeing him fall silent, Gao Huilan rolled her eyes at him and said, "Why are you asking so many questions? Why don't you ask me anything?" Yang Jiefang laughed, "You're perfectly fine, aren't you? Besides, what could possibly happen to Miss when she's back home?"

Gao Huilan shook her head and said, "This is not my home. My surname is Gao, and my home is in the Gao family. Actually, I was raised by my grandmother. My mother manages all these affairs and often can't take care of me. So, I spend most of the year with my grandmother. She is very good to me and cares about me a lot. She doesn't allow me to get too close to Qinglong Village. She also said that my future husband must not be a mountain bandit. Even my mother has to listen to her on this point."

Yang Jiefang was dumbfounded. What did this mean? Had he been kicked out?