Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 181 Oral Agreement

Mr. An said, "They have two big hotels, and they make quite a bit of money this year. They pay 10% more than the market price."

Lei Zi asked, "Where's the restaurant?"

Chen Hui said, "The Fengtian location is at the intersection of Sanhao Street, 1,500 square meters. You wouldn't know about Longcheng. They're all officials there. Let me put it this way, the mayor of Longcheng and all the heads of departments went on opening day. You can rest assured about the business; there won't be any problems."

Lei Zi nodded and said, "Then the dosage really can't be small. Just for my own use, it would cost two or three hundred a year. How much should I get for my family?"

Xia Maosheng said, "You can have half of this pig farm; whatever profits you make, you can take half."

Lei Zi said, "Then let's do it. This shop doesn't make much money, and it's a lot of trouble and effort. Today the power company comes to stop us, tomorrow the industry and commerce bureau and the tax bureau come to have a drink. Raising pigs is much quieter. Besides, Dad, if you mess it up, you'll lose money and influence. We don't need to worry about that, we can just focus on raising the pigs well. I think it's a good idea."

Boss An bit his lip, let out a long sigh, and said, "Then let's give it a try. When do we start?"

Xiao Wei said, "We've been looking for a place these past few days. We're planning to go to Yuhong or Hushi Taiwan Affairs Office, where there are more spaces and fewer residents, so we can make it bigger. There's no rush in Longcheng. We'll work on that place after we've got this one up and running. You can decide whether you want to go there or if Lei and his wife should go."

Chen Hui asked, "Boss, how many pigs do you have now? By the way, is the place where you raise pigs rented or your own?"

After doing some calculations, Boss An said, "There aren't many large pigs left, maybe three or four?" He looked at Lei Zi, who nodded. Boss An continued, "There are about ten piglets and five or six half-pigs, that's all. We don't have any breeding pigs; we catch them all outside in the spring."

Xiao Wei asked, "Could you get several hundred at once?"

Boss An said, "We can't raise all the young ones, it would take a year to raise them. We need to raise the young and half-grown ones together. There are places to catch them, it's not a big deal."

Chen Hui asked, "Boss, is that place rented or yours?"

Boss An said, "If it's my own land, how can I afford to rent it out? What's the point of making money then? It's just my original land. There used to be quite a lot of land there, but it was all taken over when the city expanded. My family's land was left because we had a license for our pig farm, but even so, people still come to cause trouble every few days. If they want to develop it, my land is along the riverbank, and the terrain is quite good."

Xiao Wei asked Chen Hui, "He said that place is where? Do you know?"

Chen Hui said, "I know, it's right by the moat, not far from Wanliutang. There's some kind of park over there, the location is pretty good. Boss, doesn't anyone complain about that place? It's all high-rise buildings there, right? It must stink if you raise pigs there."

Boss An chuckled and nodded, saying, "There's bound to be a bit of a smell, but we clean it up frequently, making sure it's spotless every day. Besides, the neighbors are all old friends; they might complain, but they don't cause much trouble. They all moved here later. The key issue is drainage. I used to drain directly into the river, but now they won't allow that. The other day, the neighborhood committee talked to me about it, saying I have to add a septic tank or filtration system or something, otherwise they won't let me raise livestock anymore."

Lei glared at his father, annoyed that he talked too much.

Boss An scratched his head and said, "It's alright. Anyone who's interested can find out by asking around. Besides, they seem quite sincere. They're raising two or three hundred people and giving us half is enough. Why would they lie?"

Lei Zi blushed slightly and remained silent.

Xiao Wei asked, "How big is your land?"

Boss An said, "It's only about an acre, not much. What do you want?"

Xiao Wei said, "I'll give you half of this pig farm, and you can give me your land. Anyway, you don't need to raise pigs there anymore. In the end, you'll have to sell it anyway. Do the math yourself. If it's worth it, give it to me. If you think it's a loss, keep it and sell it to someone else. But in that case, we'll have to reassess the pig farm in Longcheng. We're planning to expand there in the future."

Boss An nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "Let's discuss it, okay? There's no rush, is there?"

Xiao Wei said, "No rush. There's nothing we can do right now. We'll be happy as long as we get some news in the spring."

Lei Zi said, "If you give my family shares in both pig farms, I'll give you the land too. Dad, do the math, it's not a loss. They're honest people, let's be generous. How much is an acre of land worth?"

Boss An asked, "Approximately how much can Longcheng give us? How big are they planning to build there?"

Xiao Wei looked at Xia Maosheng and said, "Their current plan is to give you 20%. Their scale is at least twice that of this place."

Lei Zi said, "Okay, let's settle it like this. Dad, you do the math. The pig farm is gone. How much are those few houses and that small plot of land worth? We can't even grow vegetables anymore."

Boss An said, "Then where are we going to stay? Even if it's worthless, it'll still be a place to live, right?"

Xiao Wei said, "Living in the pig farm? You're planning to travel back and forth? We'll build you a house there, a big one, so you can just live there. But it won't be your private property; it's just for your use. You can buy one later, whatever you do when you make money, right?"

Xia Maosheng said, "Let's not talk about the long term. Even if the pig farm lasts for twenty years, it won't make a difference if you build houses. Let's talk about it when your grandchildren are old enough to have money. What can't you do then?"

Boss An laughed and said, "That's true. The couple lives here, and we old folks go to Longcheng. We don't need a house then. He just got married. If he has children and gets married again, it will be twenty years before we need a house. Okay, let's settle on this then. Once this place is set up, we'll move over and give you the land."

Chen Hui said, "No matter how you look at it, your family won't lose out. Both sides have to invest a lot of money. If you take half, it's like taking land as an investment. Do you think your land is worth now? This way, your family won't spend a penny, you'll have property, and you'll have a house to live in. Isn't that great?"

Boss An nodded happily and said, "Okay, let's settle it like this. We'll talk about it after you've finished setting up your place and moving. If you haven't, we'll just have to do what we need to do. My little shop still needs to stay open."

Xiao Wei said, "Of course, just talking about it like that won't do. Here's what we'll do: I'll draft an agreement tomorrow, we'll sign it, and then you can go about your business while we get things organized. Once it's all set up, we'll sign the formal contract."

Boss An said, "Alright, that's a good thing. We'll wait for your news then."

Xia Maosheng said, "Come on, Lei Zi, Boss An, let's sit down and have a drink together. I wish our cooperation a success and that everyone makes a fortune."

Boss An didn't refuse. He smiled and, along with Lei Zi, brought over stools and sat down by the earthen stove. Everyone started drinking together in a lively atmosphere.

The meal lasted until 5:30 pm, and everyone had drunk quite a bit. The small restaurant was also closed, and business was indeed a bit slow.

After eating and drinking their fill, the five of them paid the bill and went home. Boss An refused to accept the money, but Xiao Wei insisted on paying, saying that it was only fair.

After more than three months, 1978 is finally back. I need to start from scratch, which will take some time. For now, I'll maintain a two-update-per-day schedule.

(End of this chapter)