Chapter 9: Xu Mingyuan's Choice
"Will this work? My Father's capabilities..."
Da Niu didn't even want to continue speaking.
He was useless at everything, but first place at eating at home.
No wonder his paternal uncle looked down on his Father a bit.
"My Father once said, 'Heaven-born I have talent, I must be useful.' Everyone has their strengths, and one should guide them according to their advantages."
"He once told me a story about a protagonist who, like Second Gou Uncle, was an ordinary person, but later embarked on a path of business.
From then on, he rose to prominence, becoming a famous wealthy merchant in the southern county town. Even the county officials treated him with utmost respect."
"What was this story called?"
"Chen Ergou's Prodigy Life!"
Upon hearing this, the few people immediately fell silent.
Xu Mingyuan smiled and continued, "In Dongxi Village, Second Gou Uncle is the closest to my Father."
"You go back and tell Second Gou Uncle to give up planting qingyu pears and work with my Father."
"You can hire people to plant, and let my Father guide them. We'll sell the fruits and vegetables grown by both our families together, but my Father isn't focused on business, so Chen Er Gou will probably handle it."
"As for the profit, I think a seven-three split is appropriate. Our family gets seven, and your family gets three."
"Why seven-three?"
Xu Mingwei suddenly interjected. He was very curious how his younger brother came up with this ratio.
"Yes, since Chuan Ge and my Father are good brothers, why isn't it fifty-fifty, or divided according to how much each family contributes?"
Da Niu had attended the academy for a few years and was no longer an ignorant child.
Xu Mingyuan chuckled and began to explain, "First, if Second Gou Uncle wants to grow good fruits and vegetables, if he doesn't invite my Father, won't he also have to invite someone skilled in this Dao? Do you think that costs money?"
"If you just plant casually, look at Dongxi Village, which family makes money from growing fruits and vegetables? It's already good if they don't lose money, right?"
"Although my Father and Second Gou Uncle are good brothers, even blood brothers settle accounts clearly. Your paternal uncle wouldn't help your family for no reason, would he?"
"My Father is a famous farmer within ten miles. Can inviting him be cheap?"
"If it's just occasional guidance, that's fine, but if it's frequent, my Father is also very busy."
Xu Mingyuan kept talking, while Chen Da Niu nodded repeatedly, finding what he said very reasonable.
"Second, both families' products are sold together. Not to mention how your family's final produce turns out, at least our family's fruits and vegetables have already built a reputation. Not only do people in Dongxi Village prefer to buy ours first, but it's the same within ten miles."
"Father told me a term, and that is 'brand effect'."
"It's like some century-old pharmacies and jewelry stores in the county town. If your Father and Mother go to the county town, aren't their stores their first choice?"
"The more customers there are, the higher the profit naturally."
"If your family sells alone, you can calculate how much you'll ultimately get."
"Of course, there's another way to cooperate: selling separately. The income from the fruits and vegetables produced in our family's fields goes entirely to us, and your family can also use my Father's reputation."
"The profit can be three-seven or two-eight."
Xu Mingwei's eyes immediately lit up. This method could be described as a win-win cooperation.
It not only helped Second Gou Uncle's family but also brought his own family an additional income.
After all, Second Gou Uncle's family had significantly more connections than his own. With Father's guidance, at least the quality wouldn't be too bad, and if the scale increased, the annual profit was estimated to be quite substantial.
Xu Chuan stood at the entrance of the main hall, and upon hearing Xu Mingyuan's views, he was very surprised.
Although he had given some guidance himself, for a seven-year-old child to understand to this extent and come up with such a cooperation method was absolutely a natural endowment.
"【Prosperity through Dao】, this talent seems to belong to him alone."
Xu Chuan smiled slightly, making a decision in his heart.
Chen Fangfang's eyes sparkled, and she looked at Xu Mingyuan with admiration, "A Yuan, you are too smart."
"I'm going back right now to tell this idea to my Father and Mother."
Chen Da Niu immediately went back with Chen Fangfang.
"A Yuan, come here." Xu Chuan suddenly spoke.
The two turned their heads and then said in unison, "Father."
Xu Mingyuan stepped forward and asked curiously, "What is it, Father?"
"That idea just now was quite insightful. How did you come up with it?"
"Father also thinks it's good?"
Receiving Xu Chuan's approval, Xu Mingyuan was overjoyed, unable to stop the smile on his face.
"Actually, I just thought of it randomly."
Xu Chuan smiled faintly, "What are your future plans? Do you like doing business? Or do you want to follow your elder brother and pursue the martial Dao, or learn farming from me?"
Xu Mingyuan thought for a moment, "Martial Dao, I learned it with elder brother before. I used to only find it fun, but later I realized it was too hard. It's difficult for me to persist every day like him."
"As for farming, I feel like I'm not cut out for it."
"If possible, I'd still prefer to do business. I still really enjoy counting money."
"Hmm, then come with me. Stone, you stand guard outside and don't let anyone in."
"Yes, Father."
Xu Chuan intended to bestow a fate talent upon Xu Mingyuan.
——————
Chen Ergou's family courtyard.
The couple had already calmed down.
Chen Da Niu and Chen Fangfang returned and told Chen Ergou about Xu Mingyuan's idea.
Chen Ergou slapped his thigh, "This is a great method!"
"Following Chuan Ge, we definitely won't suffer a loss."
"Tsk tsk, how did A Yuan's brain grow like that? He's only seven, yet he has such ideas. He truly lives up to Chuan Ge, who also had many ideas since he was little."
Xu Yan sneered twice, "It's just you, a reckless one, who would agree without thinking."
"What's wrong? You wouldn't agree to such a good thing?"
"It's all your fault for being greedy for Chuan Ge's qingyu pears before. Three years of manpower and financial investment, what were the results? Now you only have half-dead saplings, don't you?"
"I'm telling you, if you don't agree, we'll split the family property. I'll go work with Chuan Ge myself, and you can just live off those qingyu pear trees."
Xu Yan's two willow-leaf eyebrows first trembled slightly, then gathered towards the center, forming tiny wrinkles above the bridge of her nose.
Her brow furrowed slightly.
In just a few years, the Xu Family, managed by Xu Chuan, had become extremely prosperous, already surpassing Chen Ergou, and even showing great momentum in catching up to her Father-in-law's family.
After the elder passed away, Chen Ergou was not the eldest legitimate son, so he would at most receive a portion of the family property.
But following the Xu Family, there was indeed hope for wealth.
However, her own relationship with Xu Chuan was only average. Even though they called each other 'cousin', it was merely superficial.
Relatives beyond the fifth degree of kinship were not as close as intimate neighbors.
"Why are you so fierce? Did I say I disagree?"
Xu Yan's tone and demeanor noticeably softened, speaking in a gentle voice.
"I meant to say that this is ultimately just a children's joke. It still needs Cousin's approval in the end."
"You should think carefully first, consider the details of the cooperation and the profit distribution thoroughly, and then go discuss it in detail with Cousin. That way, you won't be clueless and just nod along."
"You're almost thirty, after all. Don't let my Cousin look down on you."
"My elder brother might look down on me, but Chuan Ge absolutely will not. We grew up wearing the same open-crotch pants."
Chen Ergou affirmed, but then changed his tone, "However, my wife, what you said is also true."
"Then let me think about it carefully, and I'll go to Chuan Ge's house in a couple of days."
At this moment, Chen Da Niu and Chen Fangfang's stomachs rumbled.
Xu Yan slapped her forehead, "You made me so angry that I forgot to make dinner! You still have to go to the academy this afternoon, so go eat at Chuan Ge's house first."
"Then I'll go too." Chen Ergou was very thick-skinned.
"How can you be so shameless?" Xu Yan's face immediately changed again, "Don't you have food at home?"
"The children have to go to the academy, can't you go either?"
"If I don't go, I don't go. Then hurry up, I'm hungry."