Returning to the small mountain village of '86, intelligence updated daily.

Over the years, the old man didn't want to cause trouble for the country, but he felt bad about being slandered by some petty people.

He agreed with Zhou Da's handling of today's matter.

At this moment, Prosecutor Zhou, who had witnessed the whole thing, seemed to be deep in thought, and he secretly made a mental note of it.

After Zhou Yong'an finished speaking, he resumed his usual kind demeanor. He took a deep breath of the aroma of meat wafting from the table and looked at everyone, saying:

"What are you waiting for? Eat your food, or it'll get cold."

At this moment, Zhou Yun, sitting next to Zhou Ming, tilted his head and asked Zhou Ming with a puzzled look:

"Brother Ming, I want to grow up quickly so I can protect Grandpa from being bitten by dogs."

Zhou Yun didn't quite understand his grandfather's words. He was only five years old, and Zhou Ming didn't intend to explain it to him in detail. He just patted the former's head.

At this moment, because there was someone between them, Zhou Rui slightly turned his head and said to his youngest cousin:

"Little Yun, don't rush to grow up. We have your older brothers and your uncles. We will protect Grandpa and our family."

Zhou Yun scratched his head, and replied in a bewildered, childish voice, "Okay~"

......

The little incident did not spoil everyone's enjoyment of the meal, and after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, it was already past ten o'clock.

Zhou Jian and his uncle Zhou Shiping have both left, as they lived a little further apart.

When Zhou Jian left, he poured his heart out to the old man, constantly muttering the word "owe" to him.

He didn't drink much alcohol because he still had to ride his old bicycle back to town. Fortunately, the village where the Zhou family lived was very close to the town, and there were houses along the way, so he didn't have to worry too much.

He did not ask anyone to see him off.

Zhou Shiping had to continue working the next day. Before leaving, he insisted on taking his two nephews home with him, but Yang Laidi unusually brought up her own idea.

She still wanted her child to be by her side, and after she said that, Zhou Shiping was a little confused.

It's one thing for my second brother to change, but my second sister-in-law has changed too?

However, he still indicated that school hasn't started yet and his family is quite busy, so he'll take it home first and bring it back when school starts.

Zhou Shiping wanted to take the child back to his own home so that there would be two fewer mouths to feed here, and he also had other considerations.

In the end, Zhou Guo'er was left behind, and he took his own child Zhou Yun and Zhou Xing from the Zhou family back home.

There are reasons, as Zhou Shiping put it:

"Zhou Xing is too introverted. This won't do. He'll cause trouble when he gets older. Luckily, I've been home a lot lately, so I take him out to see the world from time to time. It'll also be a good opportunity for him to take care of his younger brother."

Zhang Yingzi went back to her parents' home, and it wouldn't be good for Zhou Yun to be left alone, so Zhou Da finally agreed.

Why not the second brother, Zhou Shijie? Because he was drunk and lying down again on Tuesday.

Zhao Jianjun originally wanted to leave, but Zhou Rui kept him there, saying there was something to discuss. So Zhao Jianjun is still at Zhou's house.

After seeing Zhou Jian off, Grandpa Zhou Yong'an went to rest, as did Meng Dan.

Zhou Guo'er also went to wash up and go to bed. She slept in the same room as her parents because the Zhou family didn't have many rooms. However, the room was partitioned in the middle to give Zhou Guo'er a private space to herself.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Zhou Guo'er didn't complain; she was very sensible.

She was different from her brother because Zeng Jiamei often took her under her wing and taught her. As the only daughter in the family, she was deeply loved by Zeng Jiamei, which is why she was not so introverted.

At this time, only Zhou Shiwei and his son, two women, and Zhao Jianjun remained at home.

None of the three of them had drunk too much and were all sober. Zeng Jiamei was helping Yang Laidi clear the dishes.

Zhou Rui had a reason for keeping Zhao Jianjun; after a long period of getting along with the Zhao family, he had come to trust Zhao Jianjun.

The reason for keeping the other party was simple: the musk could be given to Zhao Jianjun to ship...

This is a treasure, but also a hot potato. If handled well, the Zhou family will complete its initial accumulation of wealth; if handled poorly, it will be a ticking time bomb.

Why choose Zhao Jianjun instead of Zhou Jian, who had a life-or-death relationship with his family?

With Zhou Jian's official background, it would be unwise to entrust him with the shipment, as it would only bring him trouble and be counterproductive.

Most importantly, Zhou Rui has more than just this big shipment of musk; he also has that extremely rare wild Gastrodia elata king!

Musk can be sold for a higher price through underground trading channels, but wild Gastrodia elata is a different story.

This is something that's very selective; people who like it will pay a premium, but people who don't like it won't pay much of a premium.

Zhou Rui had his own considerations. Zhao Jianjun, being an unorthodox individual, had connections and channels among the common people, so entrusting the musk to him was definitely the right choice.

Zhao Jianjun is also a person who can be completely trusted.

With Zhou Jian backed by the government, the wild Gastrodia elata king, which had been a persistent headache, now had a chance to be sold. Its origin was also easier to explain, unlike musk...

These were the things Zhou Rui had just thought of; he had been thinking about them while eating.

To acquire the tea plantation from tea farmer Zhang Chengyun, initial capital is essential. Currently, the Zhou family only has a little over a thousand yuan in assets.

Although it's a large sum of money, it's not a safe bet.

It's not just about acquiring those tea plantations; investing in rapeseed also requires money.

One of the two items must be sold in order to have sufficient funds.

Taking over the tea plantation is a must. Based on my experience from my previous life, 86 was too a sensitive time. With the impact of the market economy, prices would skyrocket in a few years.

The price increases in tea and rapeseed are just a prelude, a precursor to the typhoon...

This is why Zhou Rui didn't focus on stockpiling tea, but instead chose the more strenuous path of contracting tea plantations.

Stockpiling tea can only provide temporary wealth, but as long as one controls the means of production, no matter how much prices rise, one can continue to produce. This is the most ingenious approach.

Of course, it's necessary to stock up on tea, but it shouldn't be the main focus; the emphasis should be on sustainable development.

Another point is that if too much tea is stockpiled, and someone with ulterior motives reports it, it will be suspected of speculation and profiteering, which can land you in jail.

As Zhou Rui pondered this, the table had already been cleaned up, and Zhou's mother and Yang Laidi had gone to wash the dishes and clean up.

Zhou Ming, while the light was still on, sat under it reading a comic book, full of energy.

Finally, Zhao Jianjun couldn't hold back any longer and asked Zhou Rui why he was keeping him around.

Instead of giving a direct answer, Zhou Rui vaguely changed the subject:

"Uncle Zhao, my nephew has a real treasure from the mountains. I wonder if you would be interested in taking it?"

Seeing Zhou Rui's mysterious demeanor, Zhao Jianjun couldn't help but sit up straight.

"What is it?"

Zhou Rui and his father exchanged a glance. Just now, Zhou Rui had quietly mentioned this matter, and Zhou Shiwei said it was no problem and that he supported Zhou Rui's choice.

Zhou Rui stood up, walked to Zhao Jianjun's side, leaned close to his ear, and whispered something:

Musk, of the highest quality.