I can travel back and forth in 1986

Chapter 75 A Tacit Understanding

Thanks to the continuous efforts of Lan Baoqiang and others in purchasing chickens from the surrounding areas of the county, and with Lan Xiuying's efforts in organizing in Shihe Village, the supply of free-range chickens will be sufficient for 2026 in the short term.

At eight o'clock in the morning, when Zhang Beichuan returned to Shihe Village alone on his tricycle, he saw a crowd gathered in front of his thatched house from afar.

Inside and outside the courtyard, villagers carrying buckets and holding wooden signs were everywhere. There were teenagers and women, all chattering and making a lively scene.

The children wore excited smiles, while the women chatted in small groups about how much money they could make.

"Line up! Line up! One by one!" Lan Xiuying's voice came from the crowd, a little hoarse but full of excitement.

Zhang Beichuan parked his tricycle outside the courtyard and walked inside.

In the center of the courtyard, Zhang Dequan was weighing items, sweating profusely, while Lan Xiuying was calculating accounts for others.

"Xiao Chuan is back!" someone with sharp eyes shouted.

The crowd automatically parted to make way for Zhang Beichuan, who walked to his grandparents' side.

Lan Xiuying looked up and saw him, her face beaming with joy.

"Xiaochuan is back."

Zhang Beichuan greeted his grandparents, rolled up his sleeves, and took the scale from Zhang Dequan's hand.

"Third Brother, you take a rest, I'll do it."

"Okay, then I'll help your sister-in-law do the math," Zhang Dequan said cheerfully.

After working for more than two hours, the people in the courtyard gradually dispersed.

There were over 1200 jin of eels, and with the few more delivered in the afternoon, today's total is very likely to exceed 1500 jin.

The villagers, beaming with joy, walked home in twos and threes, chatting and laughing. They hadn't gone far from Zhang Dequan's house when they ran into Shi Tiezhu, who was standing with his hands behind his back.

"Secretary of the Party Committee," everyone greeted.

Shi Tiezhu nodded, his mind still heavy, and continued walking towards Zhang Dequan's family.

Looking at the buckets full of eels in the yard, his expression was complicated. He had lived most of his life and this was the first time he had ever heard of eels being able to be exchanged for money.

But the facts speak for themselves: many villagers in Shihe Village deliver eels to Zhang Dequan's family every day, and there's no way to fake it.

Many villagers with the surname Shi, who share the same clan, have been flocking to my doorstep these past few days.

Last time, Zhang Beichuan removed Shi Qiang, the team leader, in front of the whole village, which created a rift between him and the man surnamed Shi, and also embarrassed himself.

People didn't want to just approach him directly, so they came to him to get his opinion.

Shi Tiezhu knew that everyone was envious; only a fool wouldn't make money like that!

Considering that this matter is ultimately beneficial to the majority, and that he is both the Party Secretary and an elder surnamed Shi, he cannot wait any longer.

That's why he came to Zhang Dequan, wanting to test the waters first.

Zhang Beichuan, who was chatting with his grandparents, looked up and saw Shi Tiezhu.

"The Party Secretary is here. Shall we have a seat inside?"

Shi Tiezhu was slightly taken aback, not expecting Zhang Beichuan to be home. He waved his hand, but didn't go inside; he just stood in the yard.

"Xiao Chuan, your eel and free-range chicken business is getting bigger and bigger."

"It's all thanks to the support of the villagers," Zhang Beichuan replied politely.

After all, this was the Party branch secretary, so Zhang Dequan and Lan Xiuying were very polite, offering cigarettes and water to each other.

Shi Tiezhu took a satisfying puff of smoke from the lighter Zhang Dequan offered, his eyes fixed intently on Zhang Beichuan.

"Xiao Chuan, there are over 300 households in our Shihe Village, and the majority of them are surnamed Shi. If you only help others get rich while leaving the Shi family out in the cold, problems are bound to arise in the long run."

Zhang Beichuan certainly understood that clan mentality was prevalent in rural areas.

As the largest surname in Shihe Village, if the Shi family is excluded, chaos and disorder are inevitable.

At the same time, he also understood Shi Tiezhu's purpose in coming.

The villagers surnamed Shi saw other families with different surnames making money and were itching to do the same, but they didn't want to participate directly, so they went to grind stone and iron pillars.

Shi Tiezhu couldn't sit still any longer, so he came.

"Secretary, what do you mean?"

"What I mean is, if possible, could you expand the eel-buying business a bit more?"

Zhang Beichuan pondered for a moment. He had originally planned to expand the scale, and since Shi Tiezhu had taken the initiative to come to him, he had to give him face.

After all, he didn't have any grudges against most of the villagers surnamed Shi; they were just a few bad apples.

Agreeing is better for everyone.

The more eels he catches, the more money he can make, and the villagers of Shihe Village can also get some soup.

"Hmm... that's not entirely impossible."

Shi Tiezhu's eyes lit up. He had thought he would have to use a lot of persuasion, but he didn't expect Zhang Beichuan to agree so easily.

"really?"

Zhang Beichuan looked on with a smile, "Really? But I have a few requests that I need to make clear first."

"you say."

Shi Tiezhu was completely focused, afraid that Zhang Beichuan would set a trap for him and make him fall into it.

After all, last time Zhang Beichuan dug a huge pit for Zhang Dezhong in front of everyone, leaving him no time to react.

"First, the eels must be fresh; they must be large, I can't accept dead ones or eels that are too small. Second, if anyone tries to pass off inferior eels as superior ones, or causes trouble, you, the Party Secretary, must help resolve the issue. My third brother and sister-in-law are, after all, outnumbered and powerless."

"No problem at all!" Shi Tiezhu slapped his thigh. "I'll be the first to object to anyone who dares to cause trouble!"

He paused, looked around at Zhang Dequan's house, and added.

"In addition, I can ask the village committee to lend you the warehouse over at the threshing ground for free. It's spacious and convenient for you to have a place to store your grain."

"Alright, I'll thank you in advance, Party Secretary."

Shi Tiezhu's wrinkles smoothed out, and a smile appeared on his face.

"You're welcome. If anyone should be thanking someone, it's you. So... starting tomorrow?"

"good!"

After seeing Shi Tiezhu off, Lan Xiuying and Zhang Dequan both breathed a sigh of relief.

They were worried that Zhang Beichuan, being young and impetuous, might clash with Shi Tiezhu, but now it seems their worries were somewhat unnecessary.

In business, one should seek wealth, not pride. Being able to mobilize the entire village is a good thing.

No sooner had Shi Tiezhu returned to the village committee than many of the waiting villagers surnamed Shi gathered around him.

"Secretary, how did it go? Did that Zhang boy agree?"

Shi Tiezhu cleared his throat, his face calm and composed.

"Okay, deliveries will start tomorrow. You can start working on it tonight."

Hearing this, everyone immediately cheered.

They've been watching other villagers make money every day for a while now, and they couldn't stand it anymore.

These days, every family has at least three children, plus adults, making it at least five people. They can easily lose fifty or sixty pounds in one night.

Earning ten or so yuan a day is more than what a city worker earns in a month.

"I told you, as long as the Party Secretary intervenes, that Zhang kid wouldn't dare refuse!" Shi Jun boasted arrogantly.

Hearing this, Shi Tiezhu's face darkened. He knew he had to explain things to these people properly, otherwise things would turn out badly.

"They may have agreed, but I'm warning you. If you're going to do it, do it properly. Don't do anything sneaky, dishonest, or bullying; you'll only bring shame to the Shi family!"

"Furthermore, from now on, when you run into Dequan and his wife, and their three daughters, whether it's you or your children, watch your mouths! Anyone who disobeys will face my wrath!"

The kid who jumped the highest just now immediately wilted.

Shi Qiang, who was listening nearby, felt very uncomfortable.

He was indeed envious, but it would be beneath him to humble himself and deliver eels to Zhang Dequan.

When did it become the place where someone from another family can dominate Shihe Village?

As Shi Qiang walked back, he was somewhat absent-minded, but soon a shout came from behind him.

"Qiangzi, Qiangzi, wait for me!"

Shi Qiang turned around and saw Shi Jun running over.

"Qiangzi, you said that kid from the Zhang family can sell it for 2 mao a jin (500g), how much can he make?"

Shi Qiang thought about it and realized that Zhang Beichuan had gone to so much trouble to buy and transport the goods, but if he didn't sell them for at least six cents a pound, there was no profit to be made.

"What's wrong?"

Shi Jun grinned and joined in, "I'm thinking, with him going to such lengths, he must be making at least five or six cents a pound. With so many of us catching them, he's making the lion's share, isn't that just letting that kid get off easy?"

These words instantly woke Shi Qiang up; it was no secret that Zhang Beichuan was sending these eels to the city.

Since he can deliver them, why can't he organize some people to deliver them to the city as well?

"you mean......"

Shi Jun put his arm around his shoulder and said with a shifty look on his face.

"Look, if we organize a group of people to buy and sell them ourselves, wouldn't we earn even more?"

"But we don't have any connections!" Shi Qiang immediately thought of this problem.

Upon hearing this, Shi Jun thought to himself, "That's what the Party Secretary said too. Why should they take my eels?"

But he figured that connections aren't something you're born with; they're something you have to work your way up. At worst, he could just sell at a lower price and he was sure he could steal Zhang Beichuan's business.

"Are you stupid? If we don't have any connections, can't we just look for them?"

Shi Qiang thought about it and realized that Zhang Beichuan was capable, but he himself couldn't, so he immediately smiled.

"Come on, let's go home and talk about it..."