Volume 1: The Happy Life in the Ivory Tower Chapter 12: Shallow Water Reveals Stones

  Shi's off-road vehicle sped along the village road, Shi Bao Ying drove with a worried and angry face, Shi Da Biao in the passenger seat didn't say a word, glanced at a large canvas bag on the back seat, a big bag of money.

  The village has been surrounded for a week, but instead of calming down, it has become more intense. In the past two days, those who came to pick up donkey meat have all seemed to be in cahoots with each other, picking faults and complaining that the donkeys are either too thin or too fat. It's clear they're just trying to get out of fulfilling their contracts. Even a fool like Shi Da Biao can figure out that someone is behind this, sabotaging us. If we really have to refund the deposit, or even if we just delay delivery by a month, the cost of feed alone will eat into our profits.

  It's not the first time that a contract has been torn up unilaterally. In the past, breeders would put on a smiling face and even sacrifice some profit to sell the grown-up meat horses, after all, it's not easy to raise them, they need to be fed every day. But this time it's not so simple, several big households from Lucheng have come together, obviously trying to take advantage of the situation and lower the price. The more concessions made, the angrier one becomes.

  It's hard to be a grassroots, and it's even harder if you're unfortunately born in a rural area. The economic blade is more ruthless than the sword, and this cut may have cut off the heart of the breeding households.

  And Shi Lao Mu Zi's approach was also very simple, one word: retreat!

  These words were said simply, but almost gritted out, Shi Bao Ying did not expect that a simple retailing of donkey meat could evolve into the largest donkey meat sales household in the city and challenge Shi Jia Village. However, looking at it this way, I'm afraid that Shi Jia Village, which is located in a remote area with no sales channels, will be stuck.

  The car screeched to a halt in front of the house, and Shi Baoying got out, carrying a large package of money. She walked straight into the house, where Old Master Shi sat majestically in the central hall, flanked by three people on either side. There were also several others standing in the hall, all dressed in suits and ties. They represented the four major suppliers of food ingredients: Luchow Weiyuan, Luchow Grand Hotel, Xinmin Meat Union Factory, and Donkey Meat Fragrance Wine House. What they didn't expect was that Shi Baoquan's temper was even worse than they had imagined. He picked a few faults with them, but to their surprise, he simply returned the deposit money and sent them packing.

  The sound of rustling, Shi Baoying took the large bundle of banknotes from the rural postal savings and stacked them on the table in tens of millions, four households, eighty million, and put them down. She stood beside her father with a expressionless face. Shi Baquan puffed on his cigarette and slightly raised his hand: "Take it away, don't say that I, Shi Baquan, am not generous. If you want to turn against me, it's up to you, but I, Shi Baquan, cannot lose this face."

  It's getting ugly. Originally, it was just meant to give Shi Jia Village a bit of trouble, and if they could suppress their prices, that would be even better. But who knew things would turn out like this? The people present were all staring at a middle-aged man with shiny hair and glasses, Tao Chengzhang, the general manager of Donkey Meat Hot Pot Chain. He had a very scholarly-merchant air about him. This was a major client for donkey meat, with annual orders worth 4 million yuan. But now that things had developed to this point, it seemed that even Tao was caught off guard. Embarrassed, he forced out a laugh and said: "This old Shi fellow, we didn't mean it like that... the contract... still needs to be fulfilled, only... this Old Qian, you say, what's going on with this mess?"

  Qian Zhongping, the plump middle-aged man from Xinmin Meat Association, who was also a boss-level figure, scanned the money on the table with his eyes after Tao Chengzhang pushed the matter onto himself. His facial muscles twitched as he said: "Old Master Shi, we just have the habit of picking and choosing goods, but that doesn't mean we want to tear up the contract! At most, it's just a delay in delivery time. You... you're sending us all back like this, what about your meat products? Don't they need to be processed somewhere?"

  "Bang!" With a loud slap on the table, Shi Baoquan glared at Qian Zhongping and said: "Old Qian, eating donkey meat hasn't turned you into a donkey's brain, has it? You can't even calculate how much one donkey eats in a day. If we drag it out for a month, at the current price, I'm essentially raising them for free. If we drag it out for more than a month, I'll be losing money... I know who's secretly stirring up trouble. There are some things I won't say, but let me tell you upfront: no one can guarantee a smooth life forever. If you're in trouble that day, don't blame me for kicking you when you're down."

  "This old historian, let's discuss it from a long-term perspective, our intention is not like this..." Tao Chengzhang was still pretending to be humble. But unexpectedly, Shi Baquan stood up and waved his hand: "If you want to deliver goods according to the usual rules, if you want to partner with me to suppress prices, you are not qualified, get out."

  They left, going upstairs without even looking back. The few of them were quite uninteresting. Shi Bao Ying stretched out her hand and threw the contract from the first half of the year. Those people gestured to their entourage to bring over the contract. Shi Bao Ying took it back and ripped it into pieces. To say that the Shi family was generous, they returned all the deposit without deducting a single cent. The few of them had guilty consciences and didn't dare take the money. They signaled for their underlings to pick up the cash. They wanted to say something but encountering this stubborn girl from the Shi family made any explanation unnecessary. Each took their money and left, it seemed that this well-designed plan was not effective, as the other party simply did not cooperate.

  As soon as they left the door, several companions got into Tao's Audi car together. The most unbearable one was the boss of Weiyuan, who asked Tao Chengzhang directly: "Tao boss, this matter is not handled properly. If we really offend Yuyuan, will our ingredients be troublesome in the future? Although Lao Kong provides them, I'm afraid his quantity is not enough. The peak season is about to enter, and we are all preparing to make money during this period."

  "That's right, just prop up this old guy, how did he end up propping us up instead?" said another.

  Privately, they have formed an alliance of offense and defense. Tao Chengzhang took the lead, and the four big households supported each other. Originally, they thought that at the very least, they could lower the price by one level. Who would have known that it would backfire and they would end up being held hostage? Tao Lao, who was driving, said nonchalantly: "What's there to worry about? Whoever can't afford it will be the one to lose out." Kong Lao from Xiyuan Breeding Farm agreed to give priority to supplying them with food materials for three months. And then there's Zhongping Meat Processing Factory, where Qin Lao from the cold storage facility promised to supply whatever they needed, whenever they needed it. Just the other day, a truckload of goods arrived. They can get whatever food materials they need, and these two households' inventory can supply them for two to three months without any issues. I just don't believe that Shi Lao can hold on for much longer. Winter is approaching soon, and once the grasslands turn yellow, this group of donkeys will eat him out of house and home with their feed alone."

  "Ah, I heard it's because of the competition for the retail market between Xiyuan and Lao Shi. The two sides have been at odds with each other, and apparently Qin Junhu even hired someone to take out one of Lao Shi's men. It's gotten pretty intense."

  Qian Zhongping nodded and said yes, saying that this was the case. As soon as he said it was the case, the interrogator scolded with a curled lip: "The two families are fighting, what's the point of us meddling?"

  "There's development with competition, it's even better if they can bring down the supply price." Tao Chengzhang said with a smile, seemingly seeing business opportunities in this matter. If Shi Baquan really lowers the price to a level lower than Xiyuan, I estimate that those present wouldn't mind making some profit from it either.

  In this case, Qian Zhongping said with some concern: 'Boss Tao', do you think Lao Shi will buy our account? What if he is so stubborn and really pushes it to the end?

  "It's impossible, now the stock can only last for a month. It's obvious that if he can hold on, those small breeders in the village can also hold on. This time, Qin and Kong bosses are joining forces to support him, he doesn't want to give up, selling it elsewhere is not cost-effective, eventually he'll have to surrender. Judging from his attitude today, don't be polite when the time comes... just this Donkey Garden area will become our treasure pot this year."

  Tao Chengzhang smiled and said a sentence, which made all the people who came together laugh. The thing of manipulating the market in partnership was not done for the first time, and it seemed that this donkey farm had also become a sheep to be slaughtered.

  ……—…………—……?

  ………——……?

  The car drove further and further away, until it was no longer visible. Shi Baquan stood by the window, his eyes filled with the yellowing grass that had once been a symbol of harvest and joy, but now seemed to be a reminder of sorrow. He turned around and sat down, only to notice that his daughter had been standing in the center of the room for some time, looking as if she had aged many years in just these few days, with none of the boldness she had shown earlier when throwing the deposit at those wealthy families. Sighing, he looked at her and asked: "How much is left?"

  "There's still over a hundred million." Shi Baoying said, referring to the funds that can be mobilized. When it comes out of the warehouse, it gets stuck, and all the horses are in the feed shed, unable to turn into cash. Not to mention supporting a month's worth of feed investment, this money is not even enough to collect the horses from individual households.

  Listening to her father's sigh, Shi Baoying felt a pang of sadness and said softly: "Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't think things would develop to this extent. They're too ruthless. This is going to ruin our family."

  "It's not easy to collapse, but I'm afraid it's going to be a loss this year. Gathering the old brothers from outside can still sell some... But long-distance transportation is not our strong point. The big households in the city are all refrigerated trucks, and we haven't even done that before." Shi Baquan thought of many ways, but none were feasible. His daughter stood there for a long time, looking at her father's difficulties, wanting to say something several times. After a while, Shi Baquan looked at his daughter's worried expression and comforted her: "Don't be discouraged, I've been through ups and downs my whole life, and it's not the first time I've encountered difficulties. You should learn from this too. Your brother is probably not reliable."

  "Dad, why don't we go and sit with the Xiyuan family for a bit? They must be the ones causing trouble in between." -- Shi Baoying weakly suggested a compromising solution.

  This remark made Shi Baquan's face even more sullen, but also more helpless. After a long while, he shook his head and said: "No way, you dare to admit defeat, they'll exhaust you till you're penniless... Those bandits back then only killed with a nod of the head, but these businessmen are ruthless, they'll strip you bare, killing without spilling blood... Don't blame yourself, it's not just Shan Yong and his gang selling in the city, as long as there's an opportunity, this pack of wolves will pounce on any meat they can get. They'd love to take over all of our livestock, but I won't let them."

  "But...-- Shi Baoying didn't understand the meaning behind her father's insistence. The conversation was interrupted, and Shi Baquan stretched out his hand to stop her from speaking, directly ordering: "Go, take care of the matters in the village, don't worry about other things, your third uncle will be back in a day or two, and we'll discuss it then. If the Shi family can't even handle this small matter, then it's better to just give up now." His tone was resolute, and Shi Baoying stood for a moment before turning around and going downstairs, listening to her father coughing from smoking too much. Thinking about how old he was and still having to worry about the troubles caused by his younger generation, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease in her heart."

  In the village, everything was still the same as before. The donkeys were braying, a sound that usually pleased her ears, but now it grated on Shi Baoying's nerves. Each loud bray seemed to strike her heart like a heavy hammer, making her feel miserable. Now she understood what her father had always taught her: "A family's wealth is not counted in livestock..." These proud donkeys, with their ear-piercing cries, were probably the death knell for the Shi family.

  The feed shed was gone, and she walked listlessly, it had been many days, and even the injured Shan Yong had no news. The braised food shop had closed early, and when passing by the braised food shop, Shi Bao Ying pushed a cart to look at the cold pot and stove, and couldn't express what kind of taste it was in her heart. Not long ago, she was ambitious to create a sales market in the city with Shan Yong, who would have thought that it would become a bubble in the blink of an eye? Let alone Shi Jia Village's good sauce meat, in the city these big households are surrounded, there is no chance of breaking through. This time, including the old brands that had been around for many years, such as Weiyuan and Lürou Xiang, all turned over. Shi Bao Ying now regrets not listening to her father's words, and has pushed Shi Jia Village into a difficult situation where it is hard to advance or retreat.

  What to do? Shi Bao sat blankly, her mind a complete blank.

  "Sister... ...sister... -- Someone is pushing her."

  "Get out! -- Shi Bao saw that it was his younger brother, still playing with a slingshot, and scolded him in anger."

  "Sister, I'll tell you something... don't tell Dad, okay? Look, look." - Shi Baogui urged his sister to take a peek at the village entrance. Shi Baiying raised her head and found Shi Genwa sitting on a tricycle with a dozen or so robust men from the village in the cart, looking puzzled. At that moment, her brother whispered something in her ear, making Shi Baiying look suspiciously at her brother, then glance at the group preparing to leave the village, and ask softly: "When?"

  "Tonight." Shi Bao Gui said mysteriously.

  "What did he say then?" Shi Bao Ying asked in a low voice.

  "Didn't say, just said to think of a way to sell our inventory?" Shi Baogui was obviously a transmitter and continued: "Yong Ge said don't worry, sleep well, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow there will definitely be news, guarantee that the donkey farm's inventory can be sold."

  "Hmmph... how can I trust him? He's so poor he can't even afford to pay the fine, and he sold several thousand heads of cattle, do you know how much that's worth? -- Shi Baoying said disbelievingly, and then reacted, realizing she was talking to a young kid, and waved her hand to shoo him away: "Scram, what am I doing arguing with you? Why did you call so many people over? Are you going to fight again?... Root Wa, my dad said it already, if you get caught by the police again, don't expect anyone to bail you out."

  Shigenwa heard it, rolled her eyes, unexpectedly didn't respond to Shiboying's words, stepped on the accelerator, and drove away in a three-wheeled vehicle. Shiboying now didn't even have the mind to care about these trivial matters, staring blankly at the sky above, unaware of when even Xiaobao had slipped away without a trace, leaving only her alone.

  As I looked up, what a densely overcast sky...