Chapter 484: The Crayfish Have Grown Up

Ye Cheng had Zhu Lao Da deliver twenty chickens to the dock early tomorrow morning; since He Lao Ban is interested, the other bosses will also send them as promotion.

Also, if you have time tomorrow, go to town and buy a cell phone and a motorbike; that will make delivering the chickens easier.

Okay, Brother Cheng, I'll handle it tomorrow, then I'll report to you; tomorrow we happen to be going to town to buy back the chicks.

That fast?

Yeah, my mother said we need to raise them quickly; it's all about money.

Ye Cheng gave a faint smile; this old lady, though up in years, is not foolish.

After finishing speaking with Zhu Lao Da, Ye Cheng strolled over to the crayfish farm; as soon as he arrived, he saw three people scattering feed by the pond.

"Ah Yong," Ye Cheng called out.

Duan Yong and the two others turned around, saw it was Ye Cheng, and immediately waved to signal.

"Brother Cheng, come take a look; the crayfish have grown about right."

Huh?

Is that about right?

Ye Cheng couldn't help but quicken his steps.

The three of them, as if presenting a treasure, scooped up a few crayfish to show Ye Cheng,

"Brother Cheng, look."

Indeed, these crayfish have already grown to 10 centimeters long, and they are substantial—should be about 6-7 qian, already big enough to eat.

Good, you three have taken care of them well; I think we can ship them out in about a week.

Hearing Ye Cheng's praise, the three men's dirty faces instantly broke into smiles.

"Feiyang, how's the work treating you?" Ye Cheng looked at He Feiyang, who had gotten quite tanned, showing he hadn't been slacking.

He Feiyang grinned,

"Brother Cheng, I'm used to it; there's nothing uncomfortable about it. Duan Yong and Jiansheng have taught me a lot. Honestly, working here is far more comfortable than working in the factory."

"Still comfortable? You have to work under the sun, doing dirty jobs, and you don't even get to wear a suit." Ye Cheng pointed at the mud spots on his feet.

He Feiyang scratched his head embarrassedly,

"Brother Cheng, stop mocking me; that suit of mine cost over a hundred, just for show, it's useless. If I had no money, wearing anything would be pointless."

Alright, as long as you see it that way. I'll go out tomorrow to look for sales channels; you two focus on feeding these days, aiming to ship within a week.

Upon hearing they would ship, the three felt excited; the things they raised were finally going to bring in money.

Ye Cheng had intended to leave, but then suddenly remembered something.

"Right, Ah Yong, how are the Chen family's crayfish doing?"

Upon mentioning the Chen family, Duan Yong's face instantly showed a gleeful, schadenfreude expression.

"Brother Cheng, their crayfish have mostly died; they've even lost their undershorts."

Knowing they weren't raising them well, but not expecting it to be this bad.

Hearing Duan Yong say that, Ye Cheng suddenly became interested.

"Come with me to take a look."

"Sure."

Duan Yong put down his work and led Ye Cheng toward the other end of the village.

Soon, after crossing most of the village, they arrived at the Chen family's crayfish farm; there was no one guarding it, just a few bare ponds, and although a protective net had been set up around them, there was nothing in the net.

Ye Cheng frowned, asking, "They really have no one watching over them?"

Duan Yong showed a contemptuous smile, pointing at the pond and saying,

"There's no need for anyone to watch; they're mostly dead—just look and you'll see."

Leading Ye Cheng to the pond's edge, the inside was filled with dense aquatic plants.

A few crayfish crawled sparsely on top, but they clearly weren't healthy—thin and weak, and they also had some white spots.

Duan Yong scooped a crayfish from the water, speaking with disdain: "Brother Cheng, look, their crayfish are definitely sick; otherwise they wouldn't have white spots."

"Besides, the water quality is just like the wild, and with so many crowded together, it's no wonder they're dying."

Ye Cheng nodded; he hadn't noticed from afar, but up close a foul smell hit him.

The pond's water is quite turbid, likely unchanged for a long time.

Over there there is a drainage outlet, but it's been blocked.

Ye Cheng sighed, "It's a bit of a shame—such a large area, and we've spent so much time; it's basically a total loss."

In fact, saying it's a total loss is being kind; for such a large pond, to restart farming they'd need to disinfect it completely—pumping out water and spreading lime powder both require labor and money.

After all, it's their business; Ye Cheng didn't want to meddle further, so after looking awhile, he left with Duan Yong.

After they left, a figure emerged from beneath the field ridge, gazing at Ye Cheng's back with a complex expression and letting out a deep sigh.

Chen Zhangfu felt deep regret; if he had firmly followed Ye Cheng back then, he would now be managing Ye Cheng's crayfish farm, while others are in harvest season, his own has reached the point of closure.

After parting with Duan Yong, Ye Cheng didn't rush back but instead began walking along the seaside.

He wanted to find a spot for a farm stay; being seaside, a farm stay there would surely attract customers.

But being too close won't work—once the tide comes in it would flood, and the soil near the shore is relatively loose, making construction difficult.

Actually, the best option is to use the existing houses; that way one can enjoy the natural scenery and also get a feel for the fishermen's culture.

After walking around, he happened upon a place that caught Ye Cheng's eye: three abandoned old houses.

These were once everyone's homes; later, who knows if they moved to the city or what, but anyway no one lives there now, completely abandoned, now overgrown with weeds and spiderwebs.

Moreover, the main point is that these houses are of earth-and-wood construction; they aren't antiques, but they have a strong sense of history.

City folks visiting the countryside love to see this kind of thing.

If we enclose this patch of abandoned houses, make it into a big courtyard, put up racks inside, and plant some vines, it would not only have a strong rural ambience but also provide a cool place to relax.

Moreover, this area is not far from the seaside; walking there takes only a few minutes, and it's convenient for customers who want to go to the seaside to gather seafood.

Looking left and right, Ye Cheng was quite satisfied; he just didn't know whether this plot belonged to someone's homestead or was wasteland in the village, and he would need to ask Chen Jinhai about that.

Ye Cheng also forgot to ask, deciding to bring it up in a couple of days.

The next day, Ye Cheng got up and opened the system to check.

Luck Value: 90+20

Points: 1900

Savings: 280,000, External Debt: 10,000, Mortgage: 300,000

Yo, this Luck Value is interesting.

I guess there's something big coming.

Ye Cheng rolled out of bed, finished the mutton soup that Zhang Guafu had brought, feeling warm all over, and set out.

When he arrived at the dock, it was still early, only 7 o'clock; he didn't expect to see Zhu Liwen and Lao Er squatting there waiting at a glance.