The child huddled into Qiao Lian mother's arms, his small shoulders tensing as he sought shelter, not daring to make a sound. He used to be the little tyrant of the family. If his sister dared to bully him, one loud wail was all it took for his mother to beat her without question, enforcing his status as the favored youngest.
But now things had changed significantly within the household hierarchy. The whole family was relying on his sister to survive, their daily existence tied to the security her marriage and her husband's position provided, and he didn't dare act out anymore, sensing the new and fragile reality of their lives.
Jing Shu rubbed her temples, the dull ache of the morning's travel still lingering. If this went on much longer, with everyone watching the ladle, it would really look like they had come just to freeload on the hospitality of the mountain home. She had no choice but to step forward and address the situation.
"Uncle, enough. We already ate a full breakfast before we came out. Don't trouble yourself making more or reaching into your winter stores. You all go ahead and finish your meal. Once you're done, I have something important to ask you," she said, her voice steady over the sound of the rain against the roof.
Seeing that Jing Shu really wasn't going to eat and had something specific to discuss, her Eldest Uncle didn't push her further, though he still looked concerned. "Alright then, we'll finish eating first and talk immediately afterward."
Her Eldest Uncle's family finally managed to finish their breakfast, the scraping of spoons against ceramic bowls finally falling silent, while Su Lanzhi tidied up what needed tidying, her hands moving efficiently to clear the crowded wooden table.
Afterward, Qiao Lian went back to her own room with her relatives, the floorboards creaking under their weight as they retreated, leaving the living room quieter and more open. Once the dishes were put away and the table wiped clean, they sat down with the rest of the family on the sofa, the cushions sighing as they settled in.
"Jing Shu, what is on your mind?" her Eldest Uncle asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.
"How are the pigs you're raising now? And what are Brother Wei Zheng and Sister-in-law doing with their time these days?" Jing Shu asked, wanting to gauge the family's labor capacity.
Her Eldest Uncle chuckled, a deep sound that vibrated in his chest. "With the red nematodes raining down, raising them is easy. Your aunt and I decided to hand over her position to Wei Zheng recently. There's plenty of heavy work at the Livestock Breeding Center that requires a younger man's strength, so she can help out at home instead. As for your aunt, she doesn't do much outside the house now. In times like these, just having a regular job at all is already a major blessing."
Her Eldest Aunt added, nodding in agreement, "It's true. The family can't do without me here to manage things. Giving that position to Wei Zheng was the right call for everyone."
Jing Shu understood the logic. So her Eldest Aunt had passed her own official position to Wei Zheng to ensure the family's income remained stable.
"What about your future plans?" she asked. As she expected, none of them had thought that far ahead, their focus locked on the immediate needs of the coming months.
"This year we will breed another dozen or so piglets. Next year we will have over twenty in the pens. By then, our family will never run short of meat again. That black pig of yours is a real treasure; she's been the foundation of everything," her Eldest Uncle said with barely contained excitement. If not for the black pig Jing Shu had given them as repayment for the old debt, their family would have been in dire straits. Wei Zheng probably wouldn't even have found a wife in such a desperate environment.
Before all this chaos, they had just been simple apple farmers that no one in the village looked twice at. Wei Zheng was already thirty and still unmarried, a source of quiet worry for the family. But now, people across Wuxian envied them for their livestock and their stability. Who wouldn't admire Qiao Lian for marrying such a good man with such a secure future?
Who else would dare get pregnant in the middle of the apocalypse? But Qiao Lian dared to carry a child, because her husband could provide the necessary nutrition and safety.
"What about the feed?" Jing Shu asked, looking out at the gray, rain-streaked sky.
"There's no shortage at all right now. Even if we raised hundreds of pigs, we'd manage to find enough for them. The only real issue is the time needed for breeding and growth. Didn't you hear? The higher-ups are planning to hatch chickens and ducks on a large scale soon."
These days the rain never stopped, and the downpour was full of bugs and nematodes. Poultry might get malnourished eating nothing but those, but at least they'd survive through the worst of the season.
Jing Shu shook her head slowly. "Uncle, I have something I want Aunt to handle for me. I was originally going to ask Brother Wei Zheng, but since he's working at the Livestock Breeding Center now and has his hands full, Aunt would be a good choice too."
She had worried that if she gave this particular task to Wei Zheng, his wife's family might try to intervene or cause trouble for her. But giving it directly to her aunt kept the business within the core family and gave her Eldest Aunt some significant standing and authority. It was the kind of support only family could provide in such a competitive time.
Her Eldest Uncle's eyes lit up at her words. "Another idea to get rich?"
"I would like to open a factory together with Aunt," Jing Shu said after a brief pause. "I will provide the necessary equipment and the startup capital. Eldest Aunt can handle the labor and the daily management of the floor."
At that, her Second Aunt jumped out from her seat, her eyes wide with desperation. "Jing Shu, if you're opening a factory, take me with you! Look at us, the three of us don't even have proper work right now, and we're just sitting around."
"Let me finish the explanation first, then you can decide if it's for you," Jing Shu said calmly, her gaze steady.
"What kind of factory is it?" her Eldest Aunt asked with genuine interest, leaning in to hear the details.
"A red nematode feed processing factory."
"What?" her Eldest Uncle was stunned, his brows knitting together.
"Yes. We will cook the red nematodes to kill any bacteria, process them into concentrated feed, and store them as long-lasting dry feed that won't spoil," Jing Shu explained.
Her Eldest Aunt frowned as she thought about the logistics. "But those red nematodes are everywhere right now. You can scoop up endless amounts every day just by standing outside. They're like shrimp in the sea during a harvest. Anyone can collect a hundred jin (roughly 50 kilograms) or more daily without trying. They're not going to run out any time soon, not while the floods and rain keep up like this."
Wei Zheng nodded, his expression serious. "Exactly. I heard red nematodes evolved from bacteria. A single drop of water holds millions of bacteria. How could they ever run out? Right now, a virtual coin can buy hundreds of jin (about 50 kilograms) of them."
Her Eldest Uncle asked the practical question that was on everyone's mind. "And what price would you sell the feed for? Running a factory takes serious investment and power. Even if the government encourages new trade, once you factor in the labor and the operating costs, if the price is too high no one will buy it, and if it's too low you will lose money on every bag."
Jing An added, thinking of the local markets, "That's right. Even if you sold 200 jin (approximately 100 kilograms) for a single virtual coin, who would buy? Wouldn't they just go scoop some themselves for free?"
Jing Shu's lips curved in a smile, a calm and knowing expression. "Who said I would price it that way? I will sell 20 jin (roughly 10 kilograms) for 1 virtual coin. It will be a limited supply, with priority given to close contacts."
Red nematode feed couldn't be stored for more than two or three years before losing its nutritional value. That shelf life alone determined its future value in a world of declining resources. By then, when the nematodes were finally scarce, who would waste what little remained on poultry? People would pay the top price to eat it themselves.
In truth, the problem was her Cube Space wasn't big enough to hold the quantities she envisioned. If she had tens of thousands of cubic meters of storage, she could stockpile everything herself and hand it out later for free in exchange for labor. Still, she could at least put aside a little through this venture.
"Crazy," her Second Uncle muttered from the corner, shaking his head. "Only a fool would buy that at such a price."
Her Eldest Uncle, however, caught on quickly, his eyes narrowing as he worked through the logic. "You mean to process the nematodes into feed now while they are plentiful, store it, and wait until the rains stop and the nematodes disappear to sell the finished product?"
Jing Shu nodded. Among this group of old farmers, only her Eldest Uncle's mind turned fast enough to grasp the long-term potential.
"That will take at least a year or two for the market to change," her Eldest Uncle said cautiously. "Maybe three or four years?" The longer the wait, the more money and effort they risked losing in the interim.
There were indeed countless red nematodes currently, but China had already been raising livestock with them for a full year, and huge quantities had already been hoarded by the government. Jing Shu herself suspected that one day China really would eat them to extinction.
She didn't answer how long it might take, as the future was never certain. Instead, she asked directly, "Eldest Aunt, are you in on this?"
Her Eldest Aunt replied without a moment of hesitation, "I don't understand all this business logic, but I trust you, Jing Shu. Whatever you say is the right move, I'll do. Just tell me what tasks I need to perform." Farmers like her couldn't stand being idle for long anyway.
"What about you, Second Aunt? Do you want to join the factory?" Jing Shu asked.
Her Second Uncle cut in quickly before his wife could answer. "She is not doing that. Jing Shu, can't you get her a proper job at the Livestock Breeding Center instead? Something stable?" He had aged a lot after his time in prison, his hair graying at the temples, but he still clung to his little schemes for status.
Her Second Aunt lowered her head, looking at her hands. "Maybe I could just do some manual work there. As long as I get my meals every day, that's enough for me."
Jing Shu raised an eyebrow, noting the dynamic. "I won't handle the personnel decisions for the center. Once the factory opens, you will have to ask Eldest Aunt for a position."
Then she explained once more to the group, "Even the government is stockpiling these resources now. Following their lead is always the right move."
That one sentence lit up everyone's eyes, providing the reassurance they needed.
"While I am here for the holiday, let us get the factory up and running within the next few days," Jing Shu said, looking around the room.