Stepmother Reborn: Dad, my mom hasn't hit me for three days

Zhang Xiuhua didn't talk about this. While everyone was here, she took the loudspeaker from the accountant and said, "Everyone, be quiet. I have something to say!"

The chattering stopped abruptly, and everyone looked up at her unconsciously.

Zhang Xiuhua cleared her throat before speaking, "It's like this. My family has planted fruit trees, and I plan to expand the scale. I want to plant fruit trees in all the forests, but I don't have enough money. I don't plan to raise chickens anymore, so I want to sell our equipment. If anyone wants to buy equipment, we can discuss it. It was originally 50,000 yuan, but now I only want 45,000 yuan."

When they heard that it was 5,000 yuan cheaper, everyone's eyes lit up. Although the equipment was old, rural people valued value for money, and as long as the product was good, they would still raise chickens.

But everyone was stumped by the money. This was an era when having 10,000 yuan at home was considered a sign of prestige. Who could afford so much money?

Zhang Xiuhua reminded everyone, "One family is not enough, so we can form a partnership. I heard that many people are not planning to go out to work next year. We can only grow one crop of grain a year, and we are idle anyway, so why not open a chicken farm? It can also be regarded as an additional source of income."

With the money in hand still hot, who wouldn't want to make more money? Many people were eager to make a move and discussed investing together.

"Will you invest? I can invest two thousand."

"I have two thousand too."

"I can invest three thousand here."

The accountant who wanted to get rich found close neighbors and friends to discuss forming a partnership. Soon, he had a group of more than a dozen people. Once they had decided, they applied to Zhang Xiuhua, saying, "We have enough money."

Zhang Xiuhua nodded and asked them to pay now so that they could move the equipment away in the spring.

The accountant personally drafted an investment contract and asked everyone to sign it. Then he paid the collected investment money to Zhang Xiuhua and discussed the matter of building a chicken farm.

Since I want to raise chickens myself, I definitely can't do it in front of Zhang Xiuhua's house. It's safer to do it under my own nose.

Soon the accountant decided on the homestead next to his house, and his daughter-in-law was in charge of raising chickens. Other families wanted to take over the chicken farm, but they had no place to build a house. They could only accept the accountant's arrangement.

The matter has been settled.

After returning home, Zhang Xiuhua also discussed with Li Jianguo to fence off an area in the orchard specifically for raising foxes and raccoon dogs.

She has several animals at home, and she found that foxes and raccoon dogs are easier to raise. Minks are particularly heat-intolerant and almost died in the summer. They are also very prone to illness. In the past two years of raising them, she has spent a lot on medical treatment. If she sells them later, she is not sure whether she can get her money back.

Li Jianguo thought for a moment and said, "Foxes smell bad and are expensive, so there's no need to raise too many. I think it's better to raise raccoon dogs, because their fur is easy to handle and they're needed for collars when making clothes."

Zhang Xiuhua nodded, "Yes! Ten foxes are enough. As for raccoon dogs, let's raise more. Raise a thousand."

Li Jianguo finally understood why she wanted to sell the chicken farm. With the volume she had, the 80,000 yuan she had just earned was not enough.

"We also need to buy blueberry and gala seedlings. Plus the fox and raccoon dog, there won't be enough money at home, right?"

Li Jianguo has already inquired about the prices of foxes and raccoon dogs. This year, prices of all commodities are rising, and animals are no exception.

Even if he listed all the numbers she needed, it might not be enough.

"I got Gala fruit seedlings myself. I can transplant them next year."

Li Jianguo nodded and crossed out the Gala fruit seedlings. "We can only raise 600 at most. We don't grow crops, so we have to buy food for the foxes and raccoon dogs ourselves. We also have to build houses for them and buy cages."

Zhang Xiuhua looked over his list carefully and sighed, "With so many animals, we can't go out anymore."

She was about to be tripped by these animals. She couldn't go anywhere, or she would suffocate to death!

Li Jianguo found it a little funny to see her miserable, "Then when I go home, will you go out to play?"

"You can only come back for three days each time. I want to see Baolin, Jidong, and Youcai. This amount of time is not enough." Zhang Xiuhua was very disgusted.

Li Jianguo nodded. That made sense. "Then will you still raise it?"

Zhang Xiuhua lowered her head and thought for a while, "Raise it! I must raise it! If I don't raise it, how can I make money?"

Can you really make a fortune from an orchard? You work so hard all year round, but after paying taxes you only make 200 yuan, which is pitifully little.

Li Jianguo said, "This year we planted two mu of gala fruit and one mu of cabbage, and paid nine mu of tax. We can still make two hundred yuan, which is very good. If it were another family, they would have lost a lot of money long ago."

This is the truth, but Zhang Xiuhua still wants to have the best of both worlds. You know, the Gala fruits they will transplant next year will not bear fruit until two years later, and they have not made any money yet. Of course, they have to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, especially now with the reform and opening up, which requires a large amount of fur. This is their family's opportunity.

Zhang Xiuhua nodded, "Raising more animals means earning more money, wouldn't it be better to have the best of both worlds?"

Li Jianguo nodded. "That's good, but you're working too hard. Our family has so much land, and I get paid every month. You really don't have to work so hard."

Zhang Xiuhua sighed, "It's okay if it's hard. We are the first batch of farmers to raise foxes. When more people follow suit, we won't be able to make money, so we can take a break."

What she said made sense. Li Jianguo said nothing.

When they got home, they saw Li Xingjia coming back with a lot of bags on his back. Since he was admitted to university, he worked at the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences and could only go home once every two or three years. It was really strange that he came back with so many things this time.

Li Jianguo immediately talked to the other party, "You're back?!"

Li Xingjia saw him and smiled, "Yes, we have divided the land here, and I plan not to leave."

Li Jianguo was stunned. Zhang Xiuhua spoke frankly, "You're not leaving? You don't want to work anymore?"

"Yes!" Li Xingjia nodded with a smile and carried the things back home.

Li Jianguo and Zhang Xiuhua looked at each other in bewilderment. What did he mean? Did he not do well at the Agricultural Science Academy?! Or what?! Why did he come back so suddenly?

Zhang Xiuhua’s doubts were soon answered.