I became the Counterpart of the Winner in a Period Novel-Chapter 322 - 292: Zhao Family Five Tigers 2

Grandpa Zhao waved his hand with a smile: "No, no, you two can rest assured."

After the tea was drunk and the sunflower seeds were cracked, it was indeed time to talk about business.

Xie Yunhai suddenly became serious: "Sigh! I’m such a good person! I could have gone above and reported your family’s secret with my real name, could have even secured a little official position, at worst gotten a ’progressive youth’ title. But my brother and I, we’re just too kind-hearted!"

Grandpa Zhao: "..." Kind-hearted? I didn’t see that!

Zhao Dahu: "..." I wonder if it’s illegal to stew these two and feed them to the pigs?

Xie Yunhai: "Given how my brother and I are, how much are you going to pay to keep our mouths shut?"

Grandpa Zhao: Are you serious?

Zhao Dahu: Let’s just get rid of them!

Luckily, there was someone to save the situation.

Jiang Ming’an: "Ahem... Enough with the jokes, let’s get down to business! Grandpa Zhao, Brother Dahu, we’ve come with sincerity. We can handle the feed supply, but what conditions can you offer us?"

Grandpa Zhao exchanged a glance with his grandson, and Zhao Dahu said seriously, "What kind of quality distillers’ grains are we talking about, brother?"

Jiang Ming’an directly tossed a package in front of Zhao Dahu. Only then did Zhao Dahu notice that Jiang had been carrying a basket all along. He loosened the string and opened it, releasing the unique wine aroma of the distillers’ grains which caught even Grandpa Zhao’s attention, his nose twitching, intoxicated: "It smells great!" He was tempted to eat it himself!

It was Zhao Dahu who remained clear-headed. He grabbed a handful, noticing that the corn kernels were uniform in color and size, with not a single worm-eaten or chewed piece. He’d seen distillers’ grains before, but such high-quality ones were a first. He rushed to the pigsty in the yard and without hesitation, poured the entire contents into the trough. Immediately, the three half-grown domestic pigs, though they had already eaten for the day, devoured the grains as if they were starving, "smack smack," finishing everything in no time, and still looking at him eagerly.

Zhao Dahu: "..." Not bad!

"Brother Dahu, you’ve verified the quality. What do you say now?"

"How about this: Jiang, you name your price, and we buy the feed from you two?"

Jiang Ming’an: "Not happening! The three of us nearly got bitten by dogs coming here at night. We didn’t come to sell distillers’ grains. Brother Dahu, you lack sincerity. In that case, I might as well offer it to the official pig farms and still earn some credit and goodwill."

Zhao Dahu was anxious inside, but outwardly remained calm. He glanced at his grandfather, who suddenly spoke up: "Mr. Jiang, do you want pork?"

Jiang Ming’an and Xie Yunhai exchanged a glance: The older, the wiser!

"Of course! My brother and I haven’t had meat for a year, we’re craving it!"

Grandpa Zhao: Hehe!

Zhao Dahu: We don’t believe you! Just look at yourselves; you’re not just shiny and smooth, but look like you’ve been well cared for.

Grandpa Zhao: "If you can provide twenty tons of distillers’ grains each month, we’ll give you a pig over 200 kilograms each year, prorated, how about that?"

Jiang Ming’an nearly laughed, "Old man, you’re not sincere! Twenty tons of distillers’ grains a month, that’s 240 tons a year. My distillers’ grains aren’t just any distillers’ grains, and to be honest with you, the wine from last night was brewed from that very grain. If I wanted, plenty of people would pay top dollar for it.

Even if I sold it cheaply, at two cents a kilogram, 240 tons can still fetch nearly five thousand bucks. And pork? Yesterday, city pork prices were sixty cents a pound, that’s $1.20 a kilogram. A 200-kilogram pig, after processing, yields at most 150 kilograms of pork, equating to 180 bucks per pig. My distillers’ grains could buy over twenty pigs, and you’re offering just one?"

Grandpa Zhao: "Ahem... Does that mean however much distillers’ grains I want, you can supply?"

Jiang Ming’an: "No."

Xie Yunhai: "No."

Grandpa Zhao, Zhao Dahu: "..." Then what’s the point of this debate?

Zhao Dahu: "Then how much can you supply monthly? Honestly, twenty tons isn’t much; mixed with some bran and pig greens, it wouldn’t last my pigs a week. Besides, when talking about selling distillers’ grains, it’s by the ton, not in kilograms. With the sharp skills you two have, I refuse to believe you don’t know this."

In other words: the ones lacking sincerity are you two.

Jiang Ming’an, Xie Yunhai: "..." To be honest, they had a lot of documentation, and distillers’ grains weren’t worth much. But it was a special time now; distillers’ grain-producing wineries were few and far between due to food shortages. These days, most wines were fruit wines or blends, with reduced grain supply leading to less wine and even fewer grains.

In these times, even rice bran is eaten, so distillers’ grains have become more precious. But clearly, the other party was also in a difficult position, doing this sneakily and taking significant risks.

Yet Jiang Ming’an had his own considerations. According to his sister, the distillers’ grains didn’t work on the land within the spatial realm.

Fertilizer that doesn’t increase production can’t be called fertilizer. It’s better to seek new avenues, and while the siblings didn’t lack money, who ever thinks they have too much?

Although Jiang Mingyue was picking persimmons, her spiritual power was focused on that kerosene lamp-lit room until someone stood in front of her.

"Are you Jiang Mingyue?"

"Yes, any problem?"

Zhao Hualan: "Does your brother have a partner?"

Jiang Mingyue was startled, "Which brother of mine?"

But she realized her mistake as soon as she asked, genuinely flustered.

"The one in the white shirt, who looks a lot like you," Zhao Hualan patiently explained, after all, this is her future sister-in-law.

Jiang Mingyue: "Yes, both of them have partners. Little sister, are you even sixteen yet?" Two old bachelors, and you like them?

The young girl seemed quite struck, hanging her head, "How could this happen?"

Zhao Santu also came down from the tripod at this point.

"Hualan, don’t be sad. I’ll find you a man a hundred, a thousand times better than him," he comforted.

Jiang Mingyue: "..." Is every brother this good at making empty promises?

But clearly, wishful thinking doesn’t work on a girl with a crush.

"Waah, why didn’t mom have me earlier?" the girl sobbed.

Jiang Mingyue: "..." Darling, even if you were born earlier, you think you could easily marry my brother? Not necessarily! And besides... Never mind, I shouldn’t discourage you. Though I want to say, even if you were childhood sweethearts with my brother, it’s not certain you could marry him.

"Waah..." The young girl cried out in frustration and finally ran off, with Zhao Santu running off too, leaving her behind.

Jiang Mingyue shrugged: good thing she’s a girl, it seemed as if she was bullying her.

Jiang Ming’an finally reached an agreement, but coming out, her brother happily clutched the contract, leaving the grandpa and grandson looking rather gloomy by comparison...

Jiang Mingyue: "Grandpa Zhao, Brother Zhao, drink more brown sugar water next time." Look how considerate she is.

Zhao Dahu: No need!

And now, with the clouds dispersing, the soft, clear moonlight revealed clearly the young girl’s face.

Zhao Dahu and company: "..." Each one of them is more remarkable than the last!

After sending them to the other side of the reservoir, they finally parted ways. Zhao Dahu cupped his hands: "We’re family now; feel free to visit and hang out anytime, you three."

"We will, we will. Brother Zhao, do come to the city and hang out, we can drink together."

"Sounds good!"

On the way back to the city, Jiang Mingyue finally learned about the deal.

"Four pigs a month means forty-eight a year. Brother, you guys are amazing, huh?"

Xie Yunhai: "The Zhao family grandfather and grandson must be heartbroken, but they’re not losing out either. With us supplying forty tons of distillers’ grains per month, imagine how much grain they’re saving? I bet they’re also gambling on the quality of this distillers’ grain, hoping it yields tender, succulent pork. Plus, they added an extra condition that we supply them with some of last night’s liquor, and I’ve agreed on the price, same as selling to Pan and them. As for the quantity, it’s up to us."

Jiang Ming’an: "It’s a pity! If private individuals could openly run pig farms, I wouldn’t sell the distillers’ grains at all."

Jiang Mingyue: "It’s not a loss really, brothers, you’ve opened up a source of revenue, it’s worth celebrating, let’s go back and have roasted lamb leg to celebrate."