Back to 1984: I built a chicken farm on a barren mountain.

Village chief Chen Youwei was somewhat annoyed by this so-called letter from the Queen Mother of the West.

He was a discerning man who knew that rumors, at best, were just something to talk about and laugh about and then forget, but at worst, they were feudal superstitions that could seriously affect people's lives.

Chen Youwei knew a principle well: for people to live a good life, having enough to eat is the most important thing, a matter of utmost importance. If anyone dared to delay this matter, not even the Queen Mother of the West or the King of Heaven would have to step aside!

Now that it's the off-season for farming, everyone is idle. When people are idle, their minds start to wander, and when their minds are wandering, they like to think about things.

And the Queen Mother's letter arrived while people had time to ponder it.

He gathered the village cadres and party members early in the morning, and they all went to the village to collect the letter paper from the utility poles, well platforms, intersections, and doorsteps of each household, and took it back to the village committee to destroy it.

After a busy morning, Chen Youwei held a small meeting with village officials and party members to reiterate the importance of persuading villagers not to engage in feudal superstitions.

At the same time, he also kept a watchful eye on things and sent a few people to other villages and towns to find out the situation.

When the men he sent out returned one after another, Chen Youwei discovered a new situation.

"Uncle Youwei, you were looking for me!"

Chen Wenfeng pushed open the door to Chen Youwei's office, poked his head in, and said with a grin.

Upon seeing Chen Wenfeng, Chen Youwei felt an indescribable fondness and urged him to hurry inside, saying:

"You little rascal, can you hear the broadcast up in the mountains? You've arrived so quickly this time."

"They can't hear it up in the mountains. I happened to be home, so I came over when I heard the announcement. Who was looking for me?"

Since Chen Wenfeng had been in frequent contact with Chen Youwei after his rebirth, he didn't stand on ceremony and pulled up a chair to sit down.

Chen Youwei took a clean teacup, poured a cup of water for Chen Wenfeng, and said:

"How's it going at Jiming Mountain lately? I heard from your dad that you've bought up all the chicken farms in town, and now you have chicken farms on the mountain too."

"It's all thanks to your help!"

"You really know how to talk, unlike your father, you're more like your second uncle."

"Uncle Youwei, you still haven't told me who's looking for me. I heard on the radio that it's urgent and they need to come quickly."

"I'm looking for you!"

Chen Youwei poured himself a glass of water, sat down, and said.

"You can probably guess what it is!"

Seeing Chen Youwei's serious expression, Chen Wenfeng replied:

"As for that letter, it shouldn't be a big deal. Everyone will just pass it around and it will be over."

Chen Youwei sighed and said:

"Wenfeng, you only know one side of the story. I originally thought the same as you. This morning I even called a meeting with the party representatives and village cadres. But later I sent a few people to the town and neighboring villages to inquire, and that's when I discovered the new situation."

"What's the new situation?"

"We received letters from other villages in the town, but once they collected them, the commotion gradually subsided. We collected our letters early this morning, but the commotion hasn't lessened at all; in fact, it's getting bigger and bigger. Now every household is hoarding salt. The supply and marketing cooperative has sold out of salt, and everyone is scrambling to find more!"

Upon hearing the village chief's words, Chen Wenfeng keenly noticed the problem. A thought flashed through his mind, and he said to Chen Youwei:

"Uncle Youwei, has this happened before? Is there anyone in our village who doesn't want the rumors to stop...?"

Upon hearing Chen Wenfeng's words, Chen Youwei seemed to immediately understand many things, and the entire matter became connected. He said:

"Now that you mention it, I really understand. Yes, someone in our village is taking advantage of this to cause trouble! But who could it be?"

Chen Wenfeng replied:

"Call Zhou Guangrong here and ask him if he knows anything about this."

"Great idea!"

Zhou Guangrong was the owner of Guangrong Convenience Store. If people couldn't buy salt at the supply and marketing cooperative, they would definitely ask him for help to get some privately.

So Zhou Guangrong was summoned to the village committee by Chen Youwei using a loudspeaker.

"Village chief, oh, Wen Feng is here too!"

Zhou Guangrong, with his protruding belly, entered the house.

Chen Youwei didn't stand on ceremony and directly told Zhou Guangrong about everyone hoarding salt, asking if he knew about it. Zhou Guangrong looked innocent and said:

"Village chief, salt is managed by the supply and marketing cooperative. My little shop isn't authorized to sell it, so I certainly wouldn't know the answer to this question."

Chen Wenfeng smiled and said:

"Uncle Zhou, I'm not doubting you, I'm asking if you have any channels for sourcing salt."

"No......"

"Really not?"

"Really, no. You all know that although it's strictly regulated, in our rural areas, we can secretly sell a few items, and nobody cares if it's just a small amount. But the main problem is we don't have any stock. If I could get some, I'd like to sell some secretly too!"

Seeing that Zhou Guangrong was getting a little anxious, Chen Wenfeng knew he was telling the truth. However, he also knew that businessmen had many ideas, so since he was already there, he should ask him for some advice as well. Therefore, he said:

"Uncle Zhou, I need your help with something. Everyone in the village is stockpiling salt, but nobody knows where it's coming from. Do you have a way to find out whose salt it is?"

After listening, Zhou Guangrong thought for a moment and said:

"This is easy to handle. I just need to say that I use a lot of salt here, and people will naturally come to me."

Han Laosi's family.

Han Laosi and Li Dahua counted the money; the pile of loose bills and coins was the result of their hard work for a day and a night.

Li Dahua asked with some concern:

"Didn't the boss say we weren't allowed to resell salt?"

"Who saw us reselling? I was just sharing the salt I had stored at home with the villagers. Remember, don't let anyone know it came from our hands."

Hearing Han Laosi say this, Li Dahua felt much more at ease. Besides, the salt her family had bought was almost all sold, so even if someone came to check, they wouldn't be able to find it.

When Li Dahua was selling salt today, she heard that Guangrong's convenience store also needed salt, so she asked Han Laosi:

"Are we still getting salt? I heard Zhou Guangrong needs a lot."

Han Laosi stroked his sparse beard and said:

"We need to get in. This is just the beginning. We're only testing the waters this time. Even if Zhou Guangrong doesn't use it, I estimate we'll need to get three more."

Li Dahua was delighted to hear this, which meant they could earn three times the money again.

Han Laosi glanced at Li Dahua's pathetic appearance and said:

"Find a chance to have your brother talk to Zhou Guangrong. If he needs salt, give it to him in two days. Let's buy enough this time and sell it all!"

When Zhou Guangrong brought the news to Chen Youwei, Chen Youwei immediately summoned Chen Wenfeng.

The two discussed it for a long time in the village committee office and finally came up with a solution.

Everything is ready, except for Han Laosi to buy salt.