Volume 1: The Ivory Tower's Happy Life Chapter 4: You Must Have Come From Afar For A Reason

  When the first ray of sunlight climbed over the highest Black Crow Mountain, it shone on the top of the donkey farm's feeding shed; when the first bray of a donkey and the crowing of chickens merged together, a new day began in Shijia Village.

  This special place has lush grass in summer and autumn, strong winds in winter and spring, but only grows grass and no crops. In the past, this was a typical poor mountainous area with harsh weather conditions, where it was said that heaven punished the local people for their misdeeds. However, as time passed, heaven's punishment turned into a blessing, and the natural pasture, which almost didn't require any human labor, became a treasure trove for the livestock industry. Before the construction of feeding sheds, most farmers would drive their donkey herds out of their enclosures every day, only to wait for the evening whistle, when the well-fed donkeys would return to their enclosures.

  However, the expansion of breeding quantity also brings unintended consequences. Early in the morning, Shi Baoying rode her horse along the valley shore for twenty miles or so, and wherever she passed, she frowned slightly. In many places, the donkeys had already exposed the rocky surface and soil layer by gnawing, due to the high density of breeding and the grass roots being eaten away. To the north, in Longgang Village, the most fertile pasture, Grass Donkey Slope, used to have a sweet spring, but now only a wet patch of rock and soil remains due to vegetation destruction. On the way back, several groups of released colts were competing for the remaining autumn fodder, many of which couldn't eat enough, so they went into the forest and gnawed randomly.

  Riding a horse into the forest, she drove out the foals that were gnawing on the saplings. The horses trotted back with small steps, but Shi Baoying's heart was not so light. The donkey population had increased several times, and the signs of overburdened environment and fodder were becoming more and more apparent. On the contrary, the demand for donkey meat in the market was increasing without decreasing. If this continued, Shi Baoying knew that it would turn this place into a garbage dump, a barren mountain with only rocks and stones, a true wasteland.

  Along the road, the sound of horseshoes echoed and accelerated, one rider, one horse, galloping towards Shijia Village under the rising morning sun. The refreshing figure always made the rough men who got up early to hurry along look on with envy. In this small place, the standard for beauty is being able to work hard and have a round waist that can give birth to children. Shi Baoying was undoubtedly the best among beauties, with a high rate of turning heads.

  Ma rushed to the edge of the village, threw the reins to Shigenwa and asked how many heads were slaughtered today. The big and silly Shigenwa stretched out his palm, five. He also asked if Shan Yong had come, but Shigenwa said it would take a while, as if he had something on hand. Shi Baoying hurriedly walked away, went to the village head to take a look, and usually at this time, the old father who was used to getting up early for a walk would glance around the feeding shed, then go to the slaughterhouse to take a look, and occasionally, he would even personally manipulate the knife to show off his skills in peeling donkey skin that he had learned when he was young.

  "Dad......Dad......"

  Shi Bao Ying shouted, looking at her father coming out of the slaughterhouse with a head full of white hair and beard that was so dense it was hard to distinguish between them. Shi Bao Quan, who was enthusiastically telling some young people about his skill in peeling donkey skin, walked towards his daughter with a smile and asked: "What's wrong, Bao Ying? What's making you unhappy so early in the morning?"

  "I walked along the Houhe and Longgang rivers, and this year's silage is definitely going to be a problem. Many places have been eaten away, leaving no roots behind." Shi Baoying said, as she and her father strolled casually. Old Man Shi was also worried about this matter, and after thinking for a moment, he rubbed his beard and sighed: "It seems that we need to reduce the number of free-range animals and build a few more feeding sheds. Everyone's eyes are red with greed when it comes to making money, I'm afraid it won't stop."

  "Dad, if we continue like this, the donkey farm will be ruined. The donkey farm relies on the environment and natural pasture here. The agricultural technician from the countryside has come to see it, he said that after soil desertification, it will take thirty or fifty years to recover." Shi Baoying said, having gone through a rough experience, she had to pay attention to science, there are some rules that you have to follow, for example, this year's grazing group fattening is more than 30 days longer than in previous years, if they can't eat enough, they will have to go back to the feeding shed to fatten up, which would be a waste of effort.

  Shi Baoquan nodded and sighed, gesturing with his hand to indicate that they should go home for breakfast. His daughter also knew a bit about the difficulties of this situation - when one family becomes wealthy, hundreds follow suit, and this trend cannot be stopped. However, these words were impossible to explain to their fellow villagers, as it would be unacceptable to let them say that they only cared about the prosperity of the Shi family, regardless of whether others lived or died.

  After walking a few steps, they reached the entrance. Shi Baoquan seemed to have thought of something and turned his head to look at the slaughterhouse again, asking his daughter with suspicion: "Bao Ying, is there anything else you haven't told me?"

  "What's wrong?"

  "Then... it's just like an abattoir."

  "I was just about to tell you that."

  "I looked again, it's San Yong again, this kid is weird, almost four years now, once or twice a month, each time only producing one or two hundred kilograms, but these few months are different, every day producing two to three hundred kilograms, I just can't figure out what he does."

  "Is that so, Dad? He's graduated and started a business selling donkey meat."

  "It's really just farting with your pants down, what's the hurry?"

  The old man was slightly disdainful, the daughter smiled and was about to explain when the old man furrowed his brow in puzzlement and asked: "Who did he sell it to? Has he opened a restaurant himself?"

  "No, wholesale to familiar meat stalls and restaurants, he has a wide connection in the city now, and also has a car. Generally comes back and forth once a day, at most not more than two days, should have arrived today." Shi Baoying explained, looking at her father dazed thinking about something, and carefully said: "A few days ago I talked to Shan Yong, he said to set up an own sales channel, move part of the breeding outwards, drive surrounding towns to do free-range farming, it makes some sense... Dad, how about..."

  Looking at her father's face, she spoke, but at this time, her father's face was unpredictable, making Shi Bao Ying feel uncertain. After a while, Old Man Shi said expressionlessly: "Let him come see me when he arrives."

  With one sentence, he turned and left, leaving Shi Bao Ying standing there in a daze, not knowing what had just offended his father.

  ……………………

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  When the horn sounded, Gunwa, Laozhu, Sankuai and Dabiao in the slaughterhouse all knew that old customer Shanyong had arrived. As he entered, Shanyong greeted them and brought out a bottle of beer, which he placed on the butcher's block. This was basically the drink of choice for the older men of Shijia Village. Laozhu, being polite, said: "Ah, you've come, just come, no need to bring anything."

  "Don't be polite, Zhu Shu, if you're too polite I won't call you uncle. Is it done yet? I want 500 catties today." Danyong said, and on the other side, Da Biao, who was wiping the large scale, turned his head to look at him and smiled: "It'll take a while, let's eat here at noon."

  "Alright, no drinking, we're driving." Shanyong gave a preventive shot, looking at the 1.9-meter-tall Genwa, and suddenly thought of the time he drank with Lei Dapeng. That scene made Shanyong think that he wouldn't be able to handle it if they had another round. It's been so long since then, but Genwa still remembered the dead fat man who won a donkey from him, shouting that he wanted to have another round next time. Laughing and sitting down, he looked at the big pot that could cook half a donkey, dipped his finger in it, tasted the soup, and turned around to praise Shi Sanhai, one of the most unassuming ones among them: "Uncle Sanhai, your craftsmanship is truly unmatched, no wonder the Dragon's Donkey Meat Feast uses the donkey meat from our farm."

  "That's right, every time the chef from Texas comes back, he wants to get his hands on the recipe. Old Master Shi said that this is a secret of the Shi family village, whoever dares to leak it out will have their thing cut off and used as a donkey whip." Da Biao said with a grin, causing several men to burst into loud laughter.

  This man, Shi Sanhai, is a cousin of Shi Baquan's generation. Outsiders all know that the Shi family has two treasures, but this hidden treasure is not known to people in the village. In his early years, Shi Sanhai was a chef, drove a donkey cart, and boiled Chinese angelica. He has a weathered face, although he doesn't look very impressive, but in the village, apart from Old Man Shi, only he can talk and get things done. He leads several young men to support the butcher shop and braised food business. Speaking of Luoyang's old donkey meat restaurant, this is one of the few remaining ones.

  Every time this is mentioned, several people in the slaughterhouse look at Shanyong with a smile, implying that he shouldn't think about it. To say that Shanyong is actually the most frequent and diligent one to come here, subconsciously, even if he doesn't have that thought, he will be treated as if he does. Shanyong smiled and sat down on a stool, saying: "Don't look at me, I really don't have any interest in recipes, with my half-baked skills, I'll never become a great chef in my life, you can give it to me, and I'll just throw it away like toilet paper. This is good for everyone, you guys make it, and I'll be responsible for selling it. Ah, right, Uncle Sanzi, I said find someone to work with me together, how about it? I really can't handle it alone. If the road goes smoothly, we can't produce more goods in the future, right? Selling meat is much more cost-effective than selling whole donkeys."

  This is indeed the case, the deeper the processing, the higher the profit, who understands this reason. At this point, Shi Sanhai, with a frown on his face, rolled up a cigarette and took a puff, and after a while, he slowly said: "I don't care about this matter."

  It's a good thing that Shanyong is not depressed, you said that sometimes the people here are more stubborn than donkeys when they're being unreasonable, but sometimes they're so timid that even three beatings can't get them to make a farting sound. Shi Sanhai didn't dare say anything, and even Da Biao and Genwa, who wanted to follow Shanyong out, didn't dare say anything either. It seems that the village's hierarchy and birth status are not easy to break through. Shanyong also knew this, but it would be easier if Shi Baquan just said something, rather than trying to get that stubborn old donkey in front of him to speak up.

  In general, the conversation naturally diverged on this topic. However, in the mouths of these men, apart from business, they only talked about whose wife had bigger breasts or whose daughter had smoother skin. In this regard, there was little difference between urban and rural areas. Even when Danyong showed off his MP5 to these thirsty men, it proved to be quite effective in bringing him closer to them.

  Just discussing which kind of people between the East and West can endure whipping the most, a curious guy appeared, looked around and suddenly shouted: "Brother-in-law, my dad is looking for you, I saw your car coming and thought you might be here."

  One called brother-in-law, and these old men laughed and said: "Xiong, from now on, don't call me brother-in-law, okay?"

  "Hey, others think you're my brother-in-law, but I don't think so." Shi Baogui came in, this kid just turned thirteen, and that child was only slightly taller than Genwa and Dabiao, with a big build. As soon as he came in, he smiled and asked Shanyong in a low voice: "Brother-in-law, can you talk to my dad for me? Let me follow you into the city to have some fun? My dad is so strict, I'm not even allowed to go out and play."

  "I'm busy with business, when do I have time to play?" Dan Yong pushed back, a bit afraid of this cheap little uncle, every time they met, there was always something new, never satisfied, entwining you and not letting go. Now, pulling on Dan Yong's arm without letting go, he begged: "You tell my dad for me."

  "Alright... but I guess it's hard to convince your dad." Shanyong said, just as the door opened and Shibao Ying was calling out to see if her brother Shanyong was there. Xiaobao Gui pulled Shanyong out, and behind them, they didn't know what joke the old men were sharing, laughing and teasing each other.

  Here is the translation:

  There they were again, and this time their meeting left Shuang Yong's eyes momentarily stunned. Shi Bao Ying, with her hair tied back in a ponytail, stood on an open space not far from the slaughterhouse, wearing a short jacket, riding pants, and high boots, holding a whip made of cowhide in her hand, looking quite heroic. Even though she had let her hair grow longer over the past few months, it hadn't added any feminine charm to her appearance. As they watched the two leave, she cracked her whip and glared at her younger brother: "Go play somewhere else, don't bother Shuang Yong."

  "They don't even recognize their maternal family members before they get married." Shi Baoguo said with a roll of his eyes, and his sister came up with a whip in her hand. That wild kid took off running and shouted something from afar, but it seemed like he was a bit intimidated by this sister. Shi Baoying turned around and said apologetically, "If he bothers you again, just ignore him, my mom has spoiled him rotten."

  "Playing is human nature, and it's not all bad." Shuang Yong smiled and gave Shi Bao Ying a reassuring smile.

  To be honest, for this capable and strong sister, besides respect, there is a bit of fear. Moreover, even from a single man's perspective, it's hard to see that she has any intention of affection. Every time this precious little guy calls her "sister-in-law" in front of people, it makes him worry about blushing and messing up the relationship.

  Fortunately, it seemed that others didn't mind the matter, and they directly invited Dan Yong to walk with them. However, Dan Yong cautiously asked: "What did your dad want me for?"

  "I don't know, but I mentioned that day's conversation to my dad. He didn't seem too pleased." Shi Bao Ying said, somewhat puzzled by her father's insistence on staying in Shi Jia Village. Upon hearing this, Shan Yong also felt a bit disheartened. As the leader of the seven or eight villages starting from Shi Jia Village, he had traveled extensively throughout his four years in college and understood things quite clearly. He had been thinking and pondering for several years now, and if the head of the household didn't approve, then there would be no chance of realizing his own ideas.

  Without saying much, they walked quickly into the Shi family's large courtyard. Mrs. Shi was smiling and greeting Single Yong with a nod, her eyes narrowing as she sized him up, making Single Yong feel uneasy. Following Shi Bao Ying, they entered the side room, still the same two-story small building. As they went upstairs, it was almost like the first time they met. Mr. Shi sat in front of the character for "donkey" with his legs crossed, holding a large leaf tea and smoking a hand-rolled cigarette, gesturing for them to sit down as he drank his tea, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

  Here is the translation:

  "Right, it's a bit different now. There was an extra stool next to him, and Danyong sat down carefully. The old man slammed down the big jar and said with a smile: "It's not even noon yet, let's take advantage of the opportunity... I just checked the accounts for the goods you sold, and it scared me! You've almost sold as much in four months as you did in four years - over 10,000 catties of meat...... I'm telling you, Danyong, how are you so capable? I gave you the chance to do it, but if you don't take it, others will grab it and won't let go."

  Pfft, it means to chat; day strange, in this dialect, it means weird or strange. It's also Shi Lao Ye Zi's first evaluation of Shan Yong, seemingly beyond his expectations. Shan Yong smiled and said: "You complained that I didn't get enough last time, how come now you're complaining that I got too much?"

  "That's not it, I just can't figure it out."

  Mr. Shi seemed to have something on his mind, and said a few words in a disguised tone, while Shan Yong was also very satisfied with the way the ants moved their house, which shocked Mr. Shi. In fact, the essence of the donkey garden was still in the pot of secret sauce meat in the braised abattoir, even Shan Yong wondered why the output of Shijia Village was limited to that small braised abattoir and not expanded. This kind of delicious food, no matter how you cook it, is always delicious, although it can't compare to those famous whole donkey banquets, but this kind of mass-produced delicacy, which is precisely the kind of rough and versatile cuisine in high demand, Shan Yong had been buying from this braised abattoir since he was in school, and not a small amount of his expenses were spent on it.

  It seems that everyone has their own thoughts, Old Man Shi's eyes are rolling around, and it's likely that he needs to re-examine Dan Yong now. Originally thought this guy was here to steal the aquaculture secrets, but after trying, it wasn't; later thought this guy was here for the donkey garden's sauce recipe, also tried, not that either; even let him go work in the braising workshop and he wouldn't go; even Shi Baoquan didn't mind trying if he came for his own daughter, which isn't the case either.

  In theory, when there's something to gain, one must be humble and courteous to the host family. But this young man in front of him didn't even nod or bow, and was very arrogant. From his arrogant demeanor, Shi Baquan could tell that he wasn't a simple person. After sizing him up for a few moments, he asked Shi Yong directly: "Shi Yong, I know you have something on your mind. You educated folks have a lot of twists and turns in your thinking, but I'm a straightforward man who can't keep up with this kind of subtlety. Just speak plainly, what do you want to do?"

  "What do you mean..." Yunong asked uncertainly.

  Old Shi raised an eyebrow and asked, "I won't beat around the bush either. I can tell you clearly that the root of the Lu state's top ten banquet, ranked among the top three, is in the donkey garden. The first chef to make a big donkey meat banquet was named Shi Shilong. However, this is the ancestral legacy left behind by our ancestors for the old and young people in the village to make a living. You're not a Shi, so you can't take it away; even if you could, several thousand people with the surname Shi would consider you an enemy."

  "This, Shan Yong had thought about it early and smiled, shaking his head: "There is a common saying in Lanzhou that says 'two don't provoke', one doesn't provoke the Hui people of Xijie Street, and two don't provoke the bandits of Luyuan Mountain. You just put it on the table, I wouldn't dare to take it away either."

  This remark made Shi Baoquan and his daughter feel both pleased and displeased. Shi Baoying gave Shan Yong a sideways glance, but didn't expect that usually well-behaved Shan Yong would dare to be so presumptuous in front of her father, who seemed not to mind at all. Changing the subject, she pointed to the account book and said: "You know what's good... I see you've sold quite a lot these past few months. My old mutton shop only supplies donkey meat to several big hotels and some old brands in the city, all of which are regular customers who pay high prices. You're selling this good stuff too cheaply. If there were more people doing business like you, it would ruin everyone's livelihood. If you keep this up, I'll really have to ruin your livelihood."

  This is the central issue, the ingredients went into the hotel that is calculated by portion, a plate is only two or three taels, cheap also costs thirty or forty yuan, because of good ingredients and fine workmanship, maintaining the high profit margin of several old brands. And wholesale to meat stalls, it's by kilogram, one kilogram retail and wholesale difference is only three or five yuan, theoretically such a low price difference can't make up for the transportation and sales costs of more than 40 kilometers, not to mention the possible inventory and loss problems, selling less doesn't matter, but Shiyong's quantity isn't much, he actually expanded his business in this low price difference, and it seems that he also made money, at this time, Shibaoquan had to consider the possible negative impact.

  Moreover, no matter how Shi Baoquan looked at it, he couldn't figure out what was on Shan Yong's mind. Was it just for the sake of working hard to earn such a small profit? It didn't seem like it.

  It seems that the time has come to reveal one's true intentions. Unintentionally, Shi Baoying's leg touched Single Yong's under the table, and their eyes met as if they had already discussed this matter in private. This small movement did not escape the attention of the cunning old man Shi Baquan. The old man sipped his tea, made a loud noise with his mouth, and scared Single Yong and Shi Baoying. When Single Yong looked up, the old man was staring at him with an unfriendly gaze. After calming down, Single Yong spoke directly:

  "It's not me who smashed everyone's rice bowl, it's your own rice bowl that's almost gone, Master Shi. Don't you make any preparations at all?"

  One word made Old Shi choke on his tea, almost spitting it out. After decades of being the boss in this area, no one had ever spoken to him like that before, especially not a young whippersnapper like you. He slammed his bowl onto the table, no longer polite...