Every village has a few central figures. Originally, the central figures in the village were the village chief and a few others who worked in county offices. This year, a new addition was Zhou You. Who would have thought that just two years after graduation, things could change so much? Building a new house, buying a new car, starting a livestock farm. He even managed to bring in university professors, and many college students came for internships.
At first, when these students arrived, some villagers mocked them: "They've gone to college, and now they're coming to our countryside? Looks like it was all a waste." "Good thing my kid stopped after middle school—no waste there." "Look at these students, all sunburned and dark." The chatter never stopped. But within half a year, the tide turned, all because the villagers found out about the students' salaries during casual chats. "What? They get paid to study, and it's not their family's money?" "How? They earn more than going out to work?" "They're really talented—raising chickens is different from what we do. College students are amazing!" In the villagers' minds, being able to make money was a skill, especially in a field they thought was unprofitable. In the countryside, who hasn't raised chickens, ducks, or geese? But it was usually for personal consumption, with occasional sales. It wasn't that no one had tried large-scale farming, but either there was no market, or the prices were too low, leading to losses. Some couldn't manage well, failed at disinfection, and saw their flocks die off in droves, going bankrupt outright. So, over time, people stopped bothering.
When Old Zhou's family started farming, many were skeptical. No one expected them to break away from traditional methods, hiring experts and professors directly, taking a professional approach. More crucially, they had a market. From the start, their output couldn't keep up with demand, and even after scaling up, supply still fell short. Many buyers came to pick up the goods themselves, saving the trouble of delivery. Uncle and Second Uncle's families finally held their heads high. They had only just gained a foothold in the village, still on the fringes, until Zhou You started working and things began to shift. Now, they were gradually moving toward the center of the village stage. Most of the time, they were busy at the farm, only getting a bit of rest during the New Year. It was exhausting, truly exhausting, but also genuinely joyful.
Zhou Guoqin said to Zhou You, "You know, this past year, I finally feel like I'm living like a person. Busy with my own stuff, working from dawn to dusk, but it's for myself—that gives me drive. The whole family's together, and I can take care of them. Out there, I was like a piece of duckweed, drifting alone and helpless." Zhou You could relate. In his past life, he too had been a wandering ghost. The city couldn't hold him, and the countryside wouldn't take him back—that was the contradiction. "Brother, work hard, and let's live with dignity," Zhou You said, patting his older brother on the shoulder. He hadn't been good at studying since childhood, but he wasn't a bad person. Unfortunately, society punishes those who don't excel at academics, regardless of whether they're good or bad.
This year's New Year gathering wasn't at Zhou You's place. First, because there were too many people—his home couldn't hold them all. Second, the farm needed tending, and someone had to stay. This year, both of his cousins' families came over too. When the farm expanded mid-year, the cousins had nothing to do at home, so they came to help. They stayed through the New Year and would head back after the meal. They lived close by, in neighboring villages, not married far away. The farm could normally seat forty or fifty people for meals, let alone just their group. Nearly twenty people, big and small, with the kids at that age of chasing chickens and dogs, running wild on the farm. Chicken, duck, fish, and pork were all ready, along with vegetables—they were basically self-sufficient, producing and selling their own goods.
Uncle had shed his usual aged demeanor, showing a bit of vigor. As the eldest in the family, he spoke a few words as tradition dictated: "This year, our Zhou family has done well, much more impressive than before. Walking down the road, we don't hug the edges anymore—we dare to walk in the middle." As he spoke, his eyes reddened. "It's a pity your grandparents passed too early to see our family's good times. When I was young, I often saw your grandpa sighing at home—it wasn't easy!" "So, studying is still important. From now on, we need to raise the kids well and make sure they all go to college." The few nieces and nephews in school looked up at their grandpa, trembling and full of grievance. Then they glanced at their parents, whose eyes were gleaming—they figured this New Year wouldn't be much fun, and they felt even more miserable.
Second Uncle was also deeply moved this time: "Back then, when Zhou You called me 'Second Uncle,' I got mad. Now I don't anymore. Your Second Uncle here has ridden on your coattails plenty. Others want to be your Second Uncle but can't, haha!" Second Uncle was great at lightening the mood. The atmosphere grew even livelier.
Zhou Bencheng, seeing everyone together, gave a brief rundown of the basics: "We've run the farm for a year, and we can say we didn't lose money. Staff wages are the biggest expense—everyone here draws a salary—plus equipment, feed, and other costs. We started with just a few thousand birds to get a feel, then expanded to about 20,000, and sold almost all of them. We kept a small batch as breeding stock to hatch our own in spring, which will let us scale up and save a lot of money." "Sales are going well too. Xiao You got us off to a great start by breaking into five-star hotels, and word of mouth took off. We're not worried about selling at all. There's a bit of money left in the account for next year, so no one needs to put in more funds." Breaking even in the first year of farming was already decent, mostly thanks to Zhou You's investment.
Normally, Zhou You wouldn't have a say in such settings, but there was no helping it—he was the family's treasure now. Everyone was waiting for him to lay out the next steps. Zhou You figured he'd say a few words to keep everyone from getting too cocky: "You all know the old saying in our countryside: 'A fortune of ten thousand, but feathered things don't count.' So we must strictly follow Professor Li's procedures and make sure disinfection is done right. Everyone knows how serious the consequences can be otherwise." "Coming back this year, I've gained more insight. Life in the village is indeed much better than before, but our Zhou family is still an outsider clan. The next generation needs to keep putting down roots here. So, we should give back to the village and not be stingy with money." "Next year, when we turn a profit, first, we set up a scholarship to reward families with kids in college or high school. No one can argue with that—it'll be well-received." "Second, help out the elderly widows and widowers in the village more often. We've got plenty of chicken, duck, fish, and pork anyway." "Finally, if we expand, prioritize hiring from the village, especially those who've helped us before. That sets a good example." His older cousin had been nursing some petty thoughts—not quite a petty man's triumph, but a desire to show off and get even. Hearing Zhou You now, he realized how shallow he was. Uncle nodded repeatedly. This was the foundation for a family's long-term survival—money alone wasn't enough; reputation mattered too. Finally, Uncle added that when village committee elections came next year, either the eldest or second son should run for a position—it'd be handy to have someone in charge.
With the big plans set, they happily began celebrating the New Year.