Chapter 94: Expanding the Operation

“Dad, got it!” Cao Shujie nodded and continued eating.

After finishing his meal, seeing there was still no update from Cui Jingguo, Cao Shujie took the initiative to call him and check in.

Just like he’d told his father earlier, they had to feed the calves first before loading them onto the truck. Each one had to be herded into the truck bed one by one—it was a hassle and took a lot of time.

“Mr. Cao, I estimate we’ll get there around noon at the earliest,” Cui Jingguo said.

That gave Cao Shujie a good idea of the timing. He replied, “Perfect, I’ll have lunch ready for you guys.”

After hanging up, he explained the situation to his father. Cao Jianguo said directly, “No point waiting around then. Let’s head up the mountain and get things ready. We’ll drive the truck over when they arrive.”

“Let’s go.” Cao Shujie was just as decisive. He and his father grabbed their tools and rode the electric tricycle up to the orchard in the hills.

Mengmeng wanted to go with them, but Cao Shujie didn’t agree. It was going to be a busy day, and he really didn’t have time to look after his daughter.

Cheng Xiaolin understood her husband had important work today. Despite Mengmeng’s crying, she stopped her: “Mengmeng, we’ll go up the mountain later, okay?”

“Really?” Mengmeng asked, wiping her tears.

Cheng Xiaolin nodded. “Really!”

“Okay!” Mengmeng nodded.

After helping Grandma wash the dishes, Wang Yuelan said to her, “Linlin, you stay home and watch Mengmeng. I’m going to head up the mountain for a bit. I’ll be back soon to make lunch.”

“Mom, it’s so hot today. Don’t wear yourself out. I’ll just call the restaurant in town and order a table,” Cheng Xiaolin suggested. “It’s easier, and it won’t cost much.”

Wang Yuelan thought about it and nodded. “Alright, that works too.”

She turned and went into the bedroom she shared with her husband, came back with 500 yuan, and tried to give it to her daughter-in-law. But Cheng Xiaolin refused. “Mom, no need. I’ve got money.”

“You two have so many expenses. Just take it.” Wang Yuelan was stubborn.

The two women went back and forth a bit, but in the end, Cheng Xiaolin didn’t take the money.

…

Up on the mountain, Cao Jianguo and Cao Shujie got straight to work.

Driving up from the base of the hill, there was a turning platform. Beyond that, a dirt road led straight to the livestock area. But once the truck went in, there was no room to turn around.

Cao Jianguo noticed the issue and said, “It’s not a big deal. We can unload at the platform and herd the calves over from there.”

Cao Shujie nodded. That was the only option for now, but it was something they’d need to address in the long run.

“Dad, I’m thinking of leasing that plot across the way too,” Cao Shujie said, pointing to the opposite hillside. “I’ll build a road over there that connects directly to the orchard. That way, we can bring the livestock up from that side.”

“Up to you. I can only help with small stuff now,” Cao Jianguo replied. He knew his own limits and wasn’t about to make empty promises to his son.

But he did bring up a concern. “Shujie, you should get a few more people to help. Just the two of us won’t cut it. If the calves start running wild and trample the fruit saplings, it won’t be worth it.”

“Got it. I’ll head to the Village Committee and make an announcement.” Cao Shujie knew his father was right.

After discussing a few more details to make sure everything was covered, Cao Shujie wasted no time. He rode his electric tricycle down the mountain and went straight to the home of the Village Party Secretary, Cao Jiangang.

…

Cao Jiangang didn’t have much going on most days. He was lounging at home, sipping tea in his recliner.

When he saw Cao Shujie arrive, he quickly stood up. “Shujie, what brings you here today?”

“Uncle, I need a favor,” Cao Shujie said.

Cao Jiangang thought to himself, *I know this kid too well. Just spit it out—what do you want?*

“Uncle, I need the key to the Village Committee building. I want to use the loudspeaker to make an announcement,” Cao Shujie explained.

When he heard that Cao Shujie had bought another 50 calves and needed help unloading them, Cao Jiangang was momentarily stunned.

It took him a full minute before he said, “Shujie, you’re expanding the livestock business again?”

“Yeah, starting small to gain some experience. Later on, I plan to scale up,” Cao Shujie said honestly. He still needed to lease more land, after all.

He took the opportunity to share his plans for leasing more hillside property.

“You’re leasing more?” Cao Jiangang couldn’t wrap his head around it. How could this kid be so bold? He’d already sunk so much money into this and hadn’t seen a return yet. Wasn’t he afraid it would all go down the drain?

Thinking of that, Cao Jiangang asked seriously, “Shujie, have you really thought this through? This is going to cost a lot.”

“Haha, don’t worry, Uncle. I’ve got a plan.”

Hearing the confidence in his voice, Cao Jiangang decided not to press further.

He took the key off the wall and handed it to Cao Shujie. “You’ve done this more than once. Take the key and make your announcement. I won’t bother going over.”

“Thanks, Uncle. I’ll treat you to a drink later.” Cao Shujie took the key and left.

Watching him walk away, Cao Jiangang felt a mix of emotions.

Not long after, the villagers of Cao Family Village heard the familiar sound of Peking opera over the loudspeaker, followed by Cao Shujie’s voice:

“Attention, everyone in Cao Family Village—young and old! I need 10 people to help unload a truck and cut grass. 35 yuan for 8 hours of work. I’ll be waiting at the Village Committee building for half an hour. If you’re interested, come find me!”

He repeated the message once more, then waited.

He figured in this heat, not many people would show up. But he was wrong.

Within ten minutes, all ten spots were filled.

Even more people kept coming. When they saw that Cao Shujie hadn’t left yet, they blocked him in and refused to leave, no matter how much he tried to explain.

“Alright then, since everyone’s here, I’ll take it as you all giving me, Cao Shujie, some face. Just do me a favor and cut a bit more grass while you’re at it—no problem, right?” said Cao Shujie.

There was no shortage of grass in his orchard. He hadn’t brought in any calves or lambs recently, so the grass had been left to grow wild. But with fifty calves arriving at noon today, it was the perfect time to cut it all down for feed.

Hearing this, the latecomers were all smiles, praising Cao Shujie left and right.

In the end, he counted sixteen people—six more than he had expected.

Once they reached the orchard on the mountain, the sixteen villagers got straight to work.

Over in the livestock area, Cao Jianguo was busy when he noticed the sudden influx of people. He was a bit stunned.

From a distance, he waved to his son. When Cao Shujie walked over, he asked, “Shujie, what’s going on?”

“These uncles and aunties came to help out. I tried to turn them away, but they insisted, so I figured we might as well put them to work cutting grass—clear out the weeds in the orchard and stockpile it for the calves,” Cao Shujie explained.

Hearing this, Cao Jianguo didn’t say anything more.

With over a dozen people working hard, the efficiency was impressive. Before Cui Jingguo even arrived with the calves, a large patch of weeds had already been cleared.

From above, it looked like a bald patch had been shaved into the land.

They worked from morning straight through to nearly 1 PM. Then, two trucks loaded with calves pulled in.

Cui Jingguo had come along with the trucks. They drove up the sloped road and parked at the turning platform. Seeing the layout, Cui Jingguo was visibly impressed—it was like discovering a whole new world.

He looked out over the vast orchard, filled with rows of young fruit trees, and thought to himself, *Cao Shujie really knows what he’s doing.*

“Boss Cao, you’ve really got something going on here,” Cui Jingguo said sincerely.

“Haha, it’s alright!” Cao Shujie replied with a laugh. “Just messing around, really.”

But Cui Jingguo wasn’t some clueless brute. He shook his head. “Just from what I can see, you’ve clearly put thought into this. No way this is just thrown together.”

Cao Shujie didn’t say much more on the matter.

Once the trucks were parked, he called over the uncles and villagers who had been cutting grass to help unload the calves and move them to the livestock area.

“Take it slow, no rush,” Cui Jingguo instructed, looping ropes around the calves and leading them one by one. The calves had been well-fed before the trip, so none of the issues Cao Jianguo had worried about came up.

Thanks to the manpower, the work went quickly. In less than an hour, all fifty calves were transferred from the trucks to the livestock area.

“Boss Cao, take a good look at these calves. If there’s any problem, just come straight to me,” Cui Jingguo said openly.

Cao Shujie and his father had already inspected them earlier. Everything looked fine on the surface.

Cao Jianguo trusted his son’s judgment and had to admit—these calves from Cui Jingguo were top quality.

They all had lunch together at Cao Shujie’s house. Since Cui Jingguo had a few drinks, he didn’t drive back himself.

By the time they left, it was already past four in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, word of Cao Shujie’s cattle-raising venture had spread like wildfire through Cao Family Village. Everyone was full of admiration for him.

After seeing Cui Jingguo off, Cao Shujie and his father returned to the orchard. Watching the fifty calves running around on the other side of the wire fence, their hearts were filled with joy.

“What do you think, Dad?” Cao Shujie asked.

Cao Jianguo observed for a long while before nodding. “Looks great. Shujie, that guy really deserves the nickname ‘Cattle King.’ It’s not just empty talk.”

“Right? Song Zhichao wouldn’t have introduced him to me lightly. If I lost everything, how would the bank get their money back?” Cao Shujie said with a laugh.

As they were about to leave, Cao Jianguo thought of something. “Shujie, this place is huge. I think you should install some lights. Otherwise, it’s pitch black at night—really inconvenient.”

Cao Shujie considered it. His father’s suggestion made sense. “Alright, I’ll find someone to get it done.”

And just like that, the Fruit Orchard began to grow, bit by bit, steadily moving toward perfection.

…

That night, the world outside kept spinning, racing forward at full speed.

But in Cao Family Village, it felt like time had slowed down. The village slipped into its own peaceful rhythm of night life.

House after house buzzed with talk about Cao Shujie raising cattle. Some families were even considering whether they should give it a try themselves.

They didn’t have to start with fifty head like Cao Shujie—maybe just three or five would do!

“Sigh…” Some people could only sigh.

Watching how Cao Shujie had returned from Beijing and gradually turned his family’s affairs into a well-oiled machine, they realized they simply couldn’t keep up with his pace.

In the past, some had scoffed in private, saying, “If I had a few dozen acres of mountain land, I could do just as well.”

But when it came down to it, they knew in their hearts—they weren’t capable of achieving what Cao Shujie had, at least not anytime soon.

…

Over at Cao Jianhua’s house, business was slow that evening.

After dinner, Cao Jianhua and his wife, Gao Hong, started discussing the idea of raising livestock.

As a native of Cao Family Village, Cao Jianhua always found farming too troublesome. He had never even considered planting fruit trees. But he figured raising animals might work as a side business.

Gao Hong frowned. “You think that’ll work? You’re talking about investing hundreds of thousands—what if we lose everything?”

Cao Jianhua didn’t like that. “Look at you, already backing down before we’ve even started. How’s that going to work?”

“Besides, if Cao Shujie can do it, why can’t I?” He completely ignored Cao Shujie’s earlier advice, thinking raising cattle or pigs was simple—how complicated could it be?

There were folks in the village raising chickens and rabbits, and they seemed to be doing just fine.

“You’re planning to lease mountain land too?” Gao Hong asked.

Cao Jianhua nodded. “Of course. I’ll let them roam free up there—it’ll save on feed. That’s better than anything else!”

“Didn’t you see on the news? Free-range meat has better quality and sells for a higher price.”

Gao Hong thought for a long time, then shook her head. “Jianhua, don’t be fooled by how easy it looks for others. Shu Jie invested seven or eight hundred thousand into this. I heard he spent tens of thousands just on buying calves this time. The cost of feed later on is no small expense either. Where would we get that kind of money for you to mess around with?”

Cao Jianhua wasn’t having it. “How is it messing around? I’m just trying to earn more money for our family!”

“But have you thought it through? Your son’s graduating college in a year. We’ll need to buy him a house for his wedding. The money we’ve saved is limited. If you pour it all into farming and it works out, great. But what if we lose everything…”

Before Gao Hong could finish, Cao Jianhua snapped, “You old woman, can you stop talking nonsense every time you open your mouth? I haven’t even started and you’re already saying I’ll lose money. You’ve got issues. You get mad when people say you’ve got long hair and short insight, but it’s true.”

That set Gao Hong off. She jumped to her feet, ready to go at him, but luckily their son, who was home on summer break, stepped in and stopped them.

Their son, Cao Shuming, said, “Dad, I support you. As for the house for my wedding, I’ll buy it myself once I start working. You two don’t need to worry about that.”

Cao Shuming was graduating next year. He was full of hope for the future. He believed that once he stepped out into the real world, making money would be a piece of cake, and buying a house wouldn’t be a problem at all.

“See? Even our son supports me,” Cao Jianhua said proudly.

(End of Chapter)