Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Jianyi Mingyuan's Choice
"Can that really work? With my father's ability…"
Daniu did not even want to continue speaking.
Whatever his father did, he failed at it. The only thing he excelled at was eating at home.
No wonder even his eldest uncle looked down on his father somewhat.
"My father once said that Heaven gives every person a talent for a reason. Everyone has something they are good at, and one must guide them according to their strengths," Jianyi Mingyuan said.
"He once told me a story. The main character of that story was just like Uncle Ergou, an ordinary person. But later, he embarked on the path of commerce.
"From then on, he rose to fortune and became a famous great merchant in a southern commandery city. Even the officials of that city treated him politely."
"What was the story called?"
"Chen Ergou's Monstrous Life!"
Hearing this, the others immediately fell silent.
Jianyi Mingyuan smiled and continued, "In Dongxi Village, the person closest to my father is Uncle Ergou.
"Go back and tell Uncle Ergou to give up on growing Green Jade Pears and follow my father instead.
"Your family can hire people to plant the crops while my father provides guidance. The melons, fruits, and vegetables grown afterward can be sold by our two families together. However, my father's mind is not focused on business, so Uncle Ergou will probably be the one handling that side of things.
"As for the profits, I think a seventy-thirty split would be suitable. My family takes seventy, yours takes thirty."
"Why seventy-thirty?"
Jianyi Mingwei suddenly interrupted. He was very curious as to how his younger brother had come up with that ratio.
"Exactly. Since Uncle Wentian and my father are good brothers, why not split it fifty-fifty? Or divide it according to how much each family contributes?" Daniu had attended school for a few years and was no longer an ignorant child.
Jianyi Mingyuan chuckled and began explaining.
"First of all, if Uncle Ergou wants to grow good fruits and vegetables, even if he doesn't ask my father, wouldn't he still have to invite someone skilled in this area? Tell me, wouldn't that cost money?
"If he just plants casually, look around Dongxi Village. Which household has made money from growing fruits and vegetables? Not losing money is already considered good.
"My father and Uncle Ergou may be good brothers, but even real brothers settle accounts clearly. Your eldest uncle wouldn't support your family for no reason either, would he?
"My father is a well-known farmer throughout the surrounding villages. Would it be cheap to hire him?
"If it were only occasional guidance, then that would be fine. But if it becomes frequent, my father is also very busy."
Jianyi Mingyuan continued speaking nonstop, while Chen Daniu nodded repeatedly, feeling that his words made a great deal of sense.
"Second, if the products of both families are sold together, then leaving aside how well your family ultimately grows them, at the very least, my family's fruits and vegetables have already built up a reputation.
"Not only do the people of Dongxi Village prefer buying from my family first, the same is true throughout the surrounding villages.
"My father once taught me a phrase: brand effect.
"It's like those hundred-year-old medicine shops and jewelry stores in the county city. If your father and mother go to the county city, wouldn't those shops be their first choice?
"When more people visit and buy from them, the profits are naturally higher.
"If your family sells separately on your own, you can calculate for yourself how much you would ultimately earn.
"Of course, there is another form of cooperation. We could sell separately. The profits from the fruits and vegetables grown in my family's farmland would belong to us, while your family's products could also use my father's reputation.
"In that case, the profit split could be thirty-seventy or twenty-eighty."
Jianyi Mingwei's eyes immediately lit up.
This method could be considered mutually beneficial cooperation.
It would help Uncle Ergou's family while also bringing an additional source of income to their own family.
After all, when it came to connections, Uncle Ergou's family had considerably more than theirs. With Father's guidance, the quality would at least not be too poor. Once the scale expanded, the yearly profit would likely be quite considerable.
Wentian stood at the entrance of the hall. Hearing Jianyi Mingyuan's ideas, he was extremely surprised.
Although he had indeed given him some guidance before, for a seven-year-old child to understand things to this extent and come up with such a form of cooperation could only be described as extraordinary talent.
[Gifted at Wealth Creation].
"It seems this talent belongs to him."
Wentian smiled faintly, and a decision formed in his heart.
Chen Fangfang's eyes shone as she looked at Jianyi Mingyuan with admiration.
"A'Yuan, you're too smart."
"I'll go back right now and tell Father and Mother this idea."
Chen Daniu also immediately followed Chen Fangfang back home.
"A'Yuan, come here."
Wentian suddenly spoke.
The two brothers turned their heads and looked over, then called out in unison, "Father."
Jianyi Mingyuan walked forward and asked curiously, "What is it, Father?"
"That idea just now was quite thoughtful. How did you come up with it?"
"Father also thinks it was good?"
Receiving Wentian's approval, Jianyi Mingyuan was overjoyed. The smile on his face could not be suppressed no matter what.
"Actually, I was just thinking randomly."
Wentian smiled calmly.
"What thoughts do you have for the future? Do you like commerce? Or do you want to walk the martial path like your elder brother? Or perhaps learn farming from me?"
Jianyi Mingyuan thought for a moment.
"Martial arts… I learned a bit from Big Brother before. At first, I only thought it was fun. Later, I realized it was far too difficult. It would be hard for me to persist every day like he does.
"As for farming, I feel that I'm not suited for it.
"If possible, I'd still choose commerce. I rather like counting money."
"Mm. Then come with me. Shitou, stand guard outside the room. No one is allowed to enter."
"Yes, Father."
Wentian planned to bestow a fate talent upon Jianyi Mingyuan.
In the courtyard of Chen Ergou's house.
The couple had already calmed down.
After Chen Daniu and Chen Fangfang returned, they told Chen Ergou about Jianyi Mingyuan's idea.
Chen Ergou slapped his thigh.
"This method is good!"
"Following Brother Wentian, we definitely won't suffer a loss."
"Tsk, tsk. How exactly did A'Yuan's brain grow? He's only seven years old, yet he already has such ideas. As expected of Brother Wentian's child. Brother Wentian had especially strong ideas ever since he was young too."
Xu Yansneered twice.
"Only someone like you, a muddleheaded fool, would agree without thinking it through."
"What's wrong? Would you refuse such a good thing?"
"It's all because you were greedy for Brother Wentian's Green Jade Pears back then. Three years of manpower and money were invested into them, and what came of it? In the end, all we got were half-dead saplings!"
"I'm telling you, if you're unwilling, then we'll divide the family property. I'll follow Brother Wentian myself, and you can live by guarding those Green Jade Pear trees."
Jianyi Yan's willow-leaf brows first trembled slightly, then gathered toward the center, forming tiny wrinkles above the bridge of her nose.
Her brows furrowed faintly.
In just a few short years, Wentian had managed the Jianyi family extremely well. They had already surpassed Chen Ergou's household and even showed signs of catching up to her father-in-law's family.
After the old man passed away, Chen Ergou was not the eldest legitimate son. At most, he would receive only a portion of the family property.
But if they followed the Jianyi family, there truly was hope for wealth and prosperity.
However, her own relationship with Wentian could only be considered average. Even though they called each other cousin, it was mostly superficial.
Relatives beyond the fifth degree of kinship were not as close as neighbors with deep friendship.
"Why are you being so fierce? Did I say I disagreed?"
Jianyi Yan's tone and expression clearly softened, becoming gentle and mild.
"What I mean is, in the end, this is only children's talk. Whether it can happen still depends on whether Cousin agrees.
"You should first think it through carefully. Consider all the matters of cooperation and the distribution of profits in detail before going to discuss it properly with Cousin. Otherwise, when he asks you something, you'll know nothing and only keep nodding.
"In any case, you're almost thirty. Don't let my cousin look down on you."
"My elder brother may look down on me, but Brother Wentian absolutely won't. The two of us grew up wearing the same split-crotch pants."
Chen Ergou spoke with certainty, but then his tone changed.
"However, Wife, what you said is also right."
"Then I'll think it over properly and go to Brother Wentian's house in a couple of days."
At that moment, Chen Daniu and Chen Fangfang's stomachs began growling.
Xu Yanslapped her forehead.
"I was so angered by your father that I lost my head and even forgot to cook. You still have to go to school this afternoon. Go eat at Uncle Wentian's house first."
"Then I'll go too."
Chen Ergou was very thick-skinned.
"Do you have no shame?"
Jianyi Yan's expression immediately changed again.
"Is there no food in our own house?"
"The children have to go to school. Do you have to go too?"
"If I'm not going, then I'm not going. Hurry up then. I'm hungry."