168 Partnership
At this mont, Pei Yuanqing and Sir Feng had already bid farewell to Zhao Dong and boarded the horse carriage. As the horses neighed, the carriage slowly moved away.
In the hearts of Zhao Zhitong and Qiao Muchen, a shared goal had ford: to study hard and travel to the capital for the imperial examination.
Once the distinguished guests had departed, most of the attendees at the Housewarming Banquet had also left.
Only the Village Chief’s daughter-in-law, Zhang Qiang’s wife, Shi Tou’s wife, and a few other won close to the family remained, staying behind to help Sun i clear the tableware.
Being country folk, they had eaten to their heart’s content, so there was hardly any food left on the tables. Almost every dish had been wiped clean, which made tidying up easier for them.
After they finished cleaning, the catering staff loaded all the tables, chairs, and benches onto their cart.
By the ti they saw off the catering staff, it was already late Shen ti.
As evening fell, Zhao Dong arranged another small table at his ho. He personally went to invite Shi Tou, Zhao Leizi—the Village Chief’s eldest son—Zhang Qiang, Butcher Zhao, and a few other close village friends, along with his wife’s two brothers, Eldest Uncle and Uncle Sun Youli.
Upon arriving at the Zhao family ho, the group of n was intrigued.
Shi Tou asked in confusion, "I say, Brother Dong, didn’t we just have the Housewarming Banquet? Why have you invited us for another al so soon?"
Uncle Sun Youli also nodded repeatedly. "Yes, son-in-law, money doesn’t grow on trees. We should be frugal; the days ahead are long."
Zhao Dong just smiled warmly and gestured for them to be seated. "Everyone, please sit. Take a seat."
After they had all sat down, Zhao Dong spoke again. "Back when I was down on my luck, you brothers didn’t look down on ; instead, you supported in every way. I, Zhao Dong, am a person who clearly distinguishes between grievances and gratitude. I always rember those who have been good to ."
Shi Tou and the others imdiately waved their hands. "Hey, Brother Dong, what’s with you today? We’re staunch brothers! When we were facing hard tis, you didn’t despise us. How could we possibly ignore you? Brothers are ant for mutual support, right?"
Zhao Dong grinned and raised his wine cup. "That’s right. Brothers must support each other. Allow to toast you all first, to thank you for your support."
Shi Tou and the others were moved by Zhao Dong’s words. They clinked their cups and drank heartily.
Zhang Qiang even thumped his chest loudly, declaring, "Brother Dong! You are my brother for life. I might be a bit slow-witted, but I know who’s good and who’s bad. Brothers should be willing to go through fire and water for each other. If you ever need my help in the future, just say the word, and I’ll be there in a flash!"
The others voiced their agreent.
Zhao Dong placed his wine cup on the table and laughed heartily. "True brothers! So, now that I’ve overco my difficulties and life is getting better, how can I neglect my brothers? Therefore, I’m planning to lead everyone to make money and prosper! I just don’t know if you’re willing to join ."
The n at the table were all stunned for a mont, looking at Zhao Dong. After a short pause, they all started chattering eagerly.
"Brother Dong, I knew you wouldn’t leave us brothers behind!"
"Brother Dong, I trust you! Just tell what you want to do, and I’ll do it!"
"Yes, exactly! We’re all willing to follow you!"
...
At this point, Zhao Dong didn’t rush to explain his plan. Instead, he pointed to a plate of pork on the table and said, "Here, try this first."
Everyone was puzzled but picked up their chopsticks and tasted a piece of the at.
After chewing and swallowing his piece, Zhang Qiang looked at Zhao Dong. "I say, Brother Dong, stop playing riddles with us. What’s your plan? Hurry up and tell us."
"Yes, yes, I’m getting impatient."
...
Zhao Dong chuckled and asked in return, "Did you not taste anything different about this at?"
This question left the several burly n at the table montarily speechless; they exchanged confused glances.
"Uh, what’s different? It just... tastes very good."
"Son-in-law, you aren’t trying to show off my younger sister’s cooking skills, are you? We all know my younger sister is a great cook, haha."
"Exactly, we all know."
...
Zhao Dong helplessly touched his forehead. None of these rough n are very observant. So, he pointed it out, "Then try the pork from this other plate."
This ti, Butcher Zhao, who had eaten the most pork, recognized the difference imdiately. "Hmm, it’s different, very different. This pork is the kind I usually sell. But this first one?"
He looked at Zhao Dong in amazent. As a butcher, he was extrely sensitive to at. The first plate of pork was undoubtedly top-grade!
Zhao Dong laughed. "Just as expected of Butcher Zhao! That’s right. One plate of this pork is rich and tender, while the other has a strong, gay taste!"
The other rugged n nodded in agreent.
"Yes, yes, exactly! The first plate is delicious; the second one isn’t as good."
Zhao Dong nodded. "That’s it. I have a thod for raising pigs that makes them plump and strong. Moreover, the at is fresh and delicious, completely free of any gay odor. So, I’ve called you here today because I want to bring you all together to raise pigs. We’ll join forces and establish a Pig-Raising Village, then sell the whole pigs to large restaurants."
Here, Zhao Dong paused before continuing, "You don’t need to worry about sales; I have connections. When the ti cos, you can sell the whole pigs to , and I’ll contact the restaurants to purchase them. I guarantee you won’t lose money."
At this, the burly n stared wide-eyed.
They trusted Zhao Dong greatly, independent of the final reassurances he provided.
With the exception of a few who hesitated, most agreed to partner with Zhao Dong.
Those who hesitated were mainly worried that the pig-raising thod might be leaked or that Zhao Dong might end up losing money.
Zhao Dong smiled. "Don’t worry. As long as we unite and work together to build a good reputation for our Pig-Raising Village, we won’t have to worry even if others learn our thod. If our pork is guaranteed to be high quality, the big restaurants will still choose us."
After Zhao Dong’s detailed explanation, everyone at the table nodded in agreent.
"Alright! I’m in! I’m willing to work with Brother Dong!"
"I’m in too!"
...
After a long and fruitful discussion, everyone agreed to invest. Butcher Zhao, in particular, already had experience raising pigs and knew that this type of pig, if raised properly, would certainly bring in a lot of money.
Once the al concluded, they all returned to their hos in high spirits.
Thinking about Zhao Dong’s words, they lay in bed unable to sleep. One by one, they sat up, took out their household savings, and began calculating how many pigs they could afford to buy.
Their wives were startled, repeatedly asking what they were up to.
When they heard the news from their husbands, they were filled with a mixture of surprise, elation, and apprehension.
They were thrilled at the prospect of getting rich but also worried about spending all their savings on pigs. They feared they wouldn’t make a profit. Moreover, with the New Year approaching, they didn’t know how they would celebrate without any money.
At this ti, Shi Tou’s wife, Mrs. Sun, was incredibly worried, "It’s not that I don’t trust Brother Dong. I’m just thinking, with the New Year just around the corner and our family not having much money as it is, perhaps we should buy fewer pigs to start with. We need to keep so money for the New Year celebration."
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