"Do you know what I discovered when I went into the city this time?"
"I heard from others that doing business now isn't considered speculation or profiteering anymore. As long as you don't steal or rob, the authorities won't arrest you and parade you through the streets."
"In our Shenjiaba Village, the small fish and shrimp swimming in the river, the pheasants and rabbits in the back mountains – these are all natural wealth!"
"If we take all of these to sell in the city, think about how much money we could make!"
Chen Yang patted Zheng Weiguo and Liu Maosheng on the shoulders. He wasn't worried about them stealing his business.
He was looking at things from the perspective of the future, knowing that the winds of reform would soon sweep across the land. But the people of this era largely carried a natural respect for the current times.
What Chen Yang wanted to do was simply open a door in the minds of Zheng Weiguo and Liu Maosheng, to get them to act and provide him with ample supply of goods.
Only by helping the two educated youths around him make money could he gradually make the rest of the villagers in Shenjiaba Village believe he was capable of earning money. This way, he could guide them to supply him, and his business could grow and become stronger.
Relying solely on himself, it would be too difficult to earn his first pot of gold in a short period.
Once the "white cat, black cat" principle was established, it would be the time for China's economy to truly take flight. Chen Yang had to secure a startup capital before then.
This way, he could seize the opportunities he missed in his previous life. What about the big horses and small horses? Chen Yang was capable of surpassing them!
"Yangzi, how come we don't feel at all confident about what you're saying?"
"Selling goods, that's speculation and profiteering. Don't you remember seeing street vendors being paraded with tall hats when we first came to the countryside?"
"At that point, forget about returning to the city, our reputation would be ruined. Even if we couldn't find wives in the countryside, you're married, Yangzi, but we're still single."
Liu Maosheng's mouth twitched severely as he listened to Chen Yang.
In those days, getting caught for speculation and profiteering was no small matter. Not to mention being sent for re-education through labor, your reputation would be utterly destroyed.
"Look at how timid you two are. Do you really want to return to the city in disgrace and rely on your parents your whole lives?"
"Don't you want to ride a '28' bicycle, bring home two packs of 'Da Qian Men' cigarettes to make your father proud?"
"If you don't dare, then you two are responsible for catching them. Whether it swims in the water or runs in the mountains, you catch it, and I'll buy it. If there's meat for me, there will definitely be soup for you."
"I'll bear the risk. If there's money, we brothers earn it together. I'll take the larger share, you take the smaller, any objections?"
Seeing that Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo were already showing signs of interest, Chen Yang quickly deployed his trump card.
In fact, these were things he had already planned. Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo would provide him with goods in the early stages, and he would handle the business.
If he really let these two do the business, they would act like thieves, and how could they possibly succeed? Moreover, only this way could he, the middleman, make a profit!
"Yangzi, no, Yang Ge, are you serious?"
This time Liu Maosheng even changed his way of addressing him. He was older than Chen Yang, yet this "Yang Ge" indicated that he was prepared to follow Chen Yang's lead.
"What's our relationship like? Would I lie to you?"
"If you two are still worried, I'll put it out there: if anyone comes to arrest you, just insist that I'm the one doing the business, and you were just helping me fish and hunt."
Chen Yang said with conviction, patting his chest. If he didn't have this much courage, how could he talk about surpassing the big and small horses in the future?
"Yang Ge, just for your loyalty, we'll follow you as our leader!"
With Chen Yang's management skills from his previous life, leading a large group of thousands, in just a few sentences, the two young men, Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo, were caught up in the excitement.
From this day forward, if Chen Yang told them to chase dogs, they would absolutely not go catch chickens.
"Then let's be upfront, brothers. After we finish harvesting the rice, don't go to work. You two go to the nearby river to catch fish. No matter how much you catch, I'll buy small fish under a jin for one mao per jin, and large fish over a jin for two mao per jin."
"With your skills at catching fish and shrimp, catching over ten jin a day should be a piece of cake. Even if they're all small fish, you can earn a yuan a day. If they're all large fish, it could be two or three yuan."
"Catch even more, and when you return to the city, save up a hundred or eighty yuan to take home. Even if you can't find a job, putting this money in front of your fathers and mothers, won't your chests be able to stand straighter at home?"
Chen Yang looked at Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo. He had been eyeing these two for a long time, or more precisely, their fishing skills.
It was strange, but the same educated youths who came to Shenjiaba Village with him, Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo, learned to swim with the villagers and became proficient at catching fish and shrimp in the water. Chen Yang, on the other hand, remained afraid of water until he returned to the city in his previous life.
Yesterday, at the butcher shop in the food factory, Chen Yang had seen a sign on the large iron gate for purchasing fishery products.
"Large fish over one jin at six mao, small fish under one jin at four mao!"
Liuhe County was not large, and there was no specialized aquatic products company. The food factory was responsible for selling meat, and also sold large and small fish and shrimp.
However, in those days, there was no large-scale aquaculture. It was not easy to find stable aquatic products, otherwise, the dignified food factory would not have put up a sign to purchase them.
Moreover, Chen Yang knew a very important piece of information: this year, the higher authorities had issued a regulation to vigorously develop aquatic products.
Compared to animal husbandry, chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep, and cattle all consumed grain. The workers and farmers in the country were still not getting enough to eat, so where would there be spare grain to feed livestock?
If it weren't for the need to support comrades in the Third World with pork and the assigned task of raising pigs, no one would have been willing to raise pigs.
But aquatic products were different. Whether in ponds or rivers, these large and small fish and shrimp didn't need to be fed grain; they grew naturally.
It was meat nonetheless. Encouraging people to eat more fish naturally reduced the demand for pork, chicken, and duck. This was why the dignified food factory would hang a sign to purchase aquatic products.
Chen Yang naturally had to seize this opportunity!
Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo were his stepping stones. Firstly, to open the door to supplying aquatic products to the food factory, and secondly, to let them get rich first, serve as role models, and lead all the villagers in Shenjiaba Village to supply him.
Once this business grew, all the villagers of Shenjiaba Village would be on his ship. Even if some stubborn individuals in the commune tried to cause trouble, he wouldn't be afraid.
If he succeeded, he would be the money tree for the entire Shenjiaba Village. Anyone who dared to make things difficult for him would have to ask the whole village of Shenjiaba first.
"Yang Ge, we have nothing more to say. From now on, we brothers will follow your lead." Su Dan Xiaoshuo Wang
"It's raining and the water is high today, so we shouldn't rest. It's the perfect time for fishing. Weiguo, let's go back and get our baskets. We'll go fishing tonight."
Liu Maosheng looked at Chen Yang, a fire burning in his eyes.
Zheng Weiguo felt the same way!
"Then you two be careful. With the rising water, you can probably catch a lot in the small pond nearby. Don't go into the river yet, safety is the most important thing."
Chen Yang patted their shoulders. Seeing them so enthusiastic, his efforts weren't in vain.
He had already drawn this grand picture. Once Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo caught the fish, it would be his turn to shine tomorrow.
"Food factory, from now on, your aquatic products will be covered by me, Chen Yang!"