Chapter 90 — IAVD (QT) Chapter 90

The charm of crayfish was something no mortal could resist.

Eldest Sister-in-law Ji learned how to peel them without a teacher. The shelled crayfish meat she produced was whole and clean. After just a few minutes, a layer of crayfish shells had piled up in front of her.

Ji Qin watched with a frown and shifted his gaze away, out of sight and out of mind.

He did feel like trying them, but the moment he recalled how, back when crayfish had first become popular, he had followed the trend and caught some to eat at home, only to end up with a mouthful of muddy, fishy taste, he felt instinctive resistance.

Yet when he looked away, he suddenly realized that not only his wife and son were eating crayfish. Even his younger brother and his niece were eating them too.

Sensing his gaze, Ji Xiu raised his head and revealed a tempting smile. “Big Brother, you should try some too.”

Eldest Sister-in-law Ji’s cooking skills were ordinary, not comparable to Ji Jingyu’s, but the crayfish raised with Spirit Spring water had exceptionally fresh and tender meat. Even when boiled in plain water, they carried a unique, strange fragrance of crayfish meat. After being stir-fried with sauce, they were so delicious it made one want to swallow their tongue along with it.

Of course, if they were not this good, they would not have tempted Eldest Sister-in-law Ji into disregarding her image.

Seeing that everyone was eating except Ji Qin, Ji Xiu worried he might regret it later and enthusiastically recommended them to him.

Ji Qin had a knot in his heart and refused twice.

The third time, unable to politely decline his enthusiasm any longer, he reluctantly picked up one crayfish with a troubled expression.

Forget it, forget it. Just treat it as giving his younger brother some face. This was his first attempt at starting a business. Whether it tasted good or not, he still had to show support.

After peeling the shell, snow-white crayfish meat and clean roe were revealed, looking especially enticing under the light.

The words Ji Qin had been muttering in his heart immediately stopped. A look of astonishment and confusion appeared in his eyes.

This crayfish seemed different from the ones he had eaten before.

He remembered that the crayfish he ate back then were small and dirty. No matter how much they were scrubbed with a brush, the filth on the abdomen could never be fully cleaned, and even the vein was dirty and disgusting. After putting it in his mouth, the meat was rough and mixed with a faint muddy smell, making it hard to swallow.

But the one in his hand made even someone who felt resistant like him want to try it.

Tentatively putting it into his mouth, a trace of anticipation surged in Ji Qin’s heart.

The crayfish did not disappoint him. The moment it entered his mouth, the sweetness of the crayfish meat and the rich umami of the roe filled his entire mouth at the same time, leaving him both amazed and shocked.

How could there be something this delicious!!!

Without Ji Xiu needing to persuade him again, and without anyone else recommending it, he put down his chopsticks and directly used his hands to grab another crayfish. He sucked the broth clean from the head, then impatiently lowered his head to peel the shell and eat the meat, his expression one of pure satisfaction.

Ji Xiaowu was a little dissatisfied. “Dad, eat slower…”

Ji Qin could not even be bothered to raise his head. While Ji Xiaowu was speaking, he finished off another crayfish.

Ji Xiaowu cried inside and, unwilling to fall behind, hurriedly picked up two crayfish and put them into his bowl.

Everyone was busy eating crayfish. The only two with a completely different vibe were the old man and the old woman, whose faces showed discomfort, almost to the point of wanting to curse.

What was so good about this thing anyway?

But seeing that their beloved grandson was also eating, the two of them endured it again and again. Depressed, they ultimately did not say anything.

At this moment, no one noticed their gloomy expressions. Everyone was focused on eating crayfish.

When only five crayfish remained in the basin, Ji Qin suddenly thought of something and stopped everyone. “Wait, don’t eat the rest. I’ll take them to let Liao Daniu try some later.”

“What?” Eldest Sister-in-law Ji reflexively showed an angry expression and raised her hand, wanting to twist his ear. Then she suddenly remembered Liao Daniu’s job, froze for a moment, calmed down, and reluctantly glanced at the crayfish. “This… fine, give them to him. Let him try some too.”

Liao Daniu was the village’s old bachelor. His family background was nothing special, but he had a distant relative in the city who ran a late-night snack city.

Barbecue, mala tang, river snails, crayfish, fried noodles. Everything was there.

Because the stall was large in scale, they were often short-handed. When farming was slow, Liao Daniu would go to the city to help that relative out and earn some extra cash.

Eldest Sister-in-law Ji knew that Ji Xiu wanted to sell crayfish and was looking for sales channels. Naturally, she also understood what her husband was planning by going to Liao Daniu.

It just so happened that the village was in the middle of summer harvesting season, and Liao Daniu was in the village. If they could recommend the crayfish to that relative, perhaps Ji Xiu would not need to work so hard going out to look for buyers himself.

For the sake of Ji Xiu’s big money-making plan, Eldest Sister-in-law Ji reluctantly put down her chopsticks, took a clean bowl, rearranged the five crayfish, added a few dishes and a bottle of baijiu, and handed everything to Ji Qin.

“He probably hasn’t eaten yet at this hour. Go find him and have a couple of drinks. Let him try them as drinking snacks.”

As she spoke, Eldest Sister-in-law Ji thought of something and shot him a look. “You’re not allowed to touch the crayfish. Leave all of them for him. Whether your brother’s business succeeds or not depends on whether he puts his heart into recommending them.”

Ji Qin took the things. “Got it. I’ll definitely drink him into submission and make him agree to help.”

Men’s friendships were forged at the drinking table.

Ji Qin exchanged a few words with Ji Xiu, full of confidence, and left.

Ji Xiu was slightly surprised. Watching his elder brother’s departing figure, the corners of his mouth lifted faintly. After thinking for a moment, he turned and spoke to Eldest Sister-in-law Ji.

“Sister-in-law, Jingyu and I will head back first. You seem to really like crayfish. I’ll bring you a few more jin tomorrow.”

Eldest Sister-in-law Ji’s eyes immediately lit up. “Oh, how could I accept that? You’re selling them for money…”

“They’re caught from the mountains and rivers. They don’t even need tending. They’re not worth much. Just wait for tomorrow.”

Ji Xiu waved his hand, not giving her a chance to refuse, called Ji Jingyu over, and went home.

At ten-thirty that night, Ji Qin, reeking of alcohol, came knocking on the door and told Ji Xiu that Liao Daniu had already agreed.

“You… you prepare a few jin of crayfish tomorrow. When Liao Daniu goes back to the city, let him take them to his relative to have a look. If it works, then this deal is basically settled.”

Ji Qin was drunk, his smile smug and satisfied. He patted Ji Xiu on the shoulder. “Then… then we’ll see if the Tian family still dares… dares to look down on you for being useless. My brother is someone with great prospects. He’s about to make big money.”

Ji Xiu was momentarily stunned. Coming back to his senses, he showed a helpless expression and sent this drunkard home.

…

The next day, Ji Xiu went up the mountain and caught three jin of crayfish.

The crayfish waved their claws fiercely, extremely arrogant. Even after being thrown into the bucket, they were not obedient, still struggling to crawl out.

After thinking for a moment, Ji Xiu poured some river water into it.

The river water contained faint Spirit Spring water, which could calm the crayfish down and also maintain their vitality.

With river water, even in summer, it was enough to ensure the crayfish made it smoothly into the city without dying halfway.

After coming down the mountain, he handed the bucket to Liao Daniu, sent him to the town to catch his ride, and then went home to rest.

In the afternoon, Ji Xiu’s old-fashioned phone that had been idle for years rang.

“Hello, Brother Ji? My brother said he wants your crayfish. He’s asking if you can supply in large quantities.”

Ji Xiu smiled. “Supply isn’t a problem. We just need to clearly discuss the purchase price.”

“My brother says he’s driving to the village now. He’ll look at the goods first and then we can talk in detail.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you at home.”

…

After hanging up, Liao Daniu turned to the man sitting beside him. “Brother, he agreed. He’s waiting for us at home.”

The man on the sofa looked to be in his forties. His name was Qi Xiangkang. He stood up and nodded. “Good. Let’s head out now. If we finish talking, we can still make it back tonight.”

Qi Xiangkang was the owner of the late-night snack city. Back then, he and his wife had started from street stalls, accumulating capital. After making money, they opened this late-night snack city.

Because the prices were fair, the ingredients honest, and the variety complete, five years later the late-night snack city had already become a top-tier late-night establishment in the city. If out-of-town tourists came to visit, many locals would recommend this place.

Qi Xiangkang was not short on money, but he was very ambitious. He had always wanted to open his shop in the provincial capital. Unfortunately, competition there was fiercer, and without a signature dish, it was hard to establish a foothold, so he had delayed action.

When Liao Daniu brought the crayfish back and had the chef stir-fry them, enthusiastically recommending that he try them, he knew that his opportunity had come.

After the two got into the car, Liao Daniu asked curiously, “Brother, how much do you plan to give him per jin?”

Qi Xiangkang’s expression was serious. “My bottom line is one hundred and fifty per jin. I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

What? Liao Daniu’s eyes widened. One hundred and fifty?

Seeing this, Qi Xiangkang explained, “Daniu, there are far more rich people in the provincial capital than you imagine. As long as we can open up the market, I’ll do this deal even if I don’t make a profit.”

Liao Daniu still could not accept it. “Local crayfish are only seventy or eighty per jin. Wholesale is just thirty or forty.”

Qi Xiangkang sneered. “The crayfish at the market, can they compare to the ones you brought back today? As long as the quality is solid and the flavor is solid, I could sell this batch for two hundred and fifty per jin and people would still buy it. But if the quality is bad, even if I sell it for twenty-five, no one will eat it. Back when I went to Changsha, most local flavor crayfish were over two hundred per jin, yet they were still in short supply. As long as the reputation spreads, what money can’t be earned back?”

Liao Daniu’s heart could not calm down for a long time.

The world of the rich was indeed something a poor man like him could not understand.

They drove for more than an hour and arrived at the village. They parked at the village entrance and walked to the Ji household.

Ji Xiu had already been waiting in the courtyard. Seeing them, he picked up the bucket and walked out. “Let’s go. The crayfish are raised on the mountain. I’ll take you to see the source first.”

Qi Xiangkang also wanted to know how these crayfish were raised so big and so clean, and nodded in agreement.

The three of them headed toward Jingfeng Mountain. Upon reaching the riverbank and seeing the clear river filled with green aquatic plants, with crayfish lively fighting and darting about inside, Qi Xiangkang revealed admiration. “Brother Ji, these crayfish are raised very well.”

“I’m short-handed right now. I can only supply three hundred jin a day. Name a price and I’ll see if it suits me.”

Qi Xiangkang did not hesitate and gave the highest price. “I’ll purchase at one hundred and fifty per jin. In the early stage, I only need fifty jin a day. Once the market opens up, I’ll take as much as you can provide. Brother Ji, what do you think of this price?”

Ji Xiu showed a trace of confusion. “So high?”

Qi Xiangkang laughed loudly. “Brother Ji is honest. Don’t worry. Once the market opens, I’ll still have profit.”

If Ji Xiu were to open a restaurant himself, with just a bit of thought he could come up with over a dozen marketing ideas to make money from crayfish. But given his eventful life experiences, such performance was normal.

For a common person like Qi Xiangkang to be able to boast such ambition was actually quite rare.

Ji Xiu thought to himself that it was no wonder he could rise from nothing in just a few years. He truly was a far-sighted businessman.

He nodded. “Alright. One hundred and fifty per jin. We can start supplying tomorrow.”

After that, the two discussed transportation details.

Qi Xiangkang’s late-night shop had a dedicated purchasing department, personally handled by him. Crayfish were a major matter and could not be taken lightly. He planned to personally drive to the village every day to pick up the goods. Ji Xiu just needed to prepare the crayfish in advance and deliver them to the village entrance before three in the afternoon.

After all, late night was the main battlefield for crayfish. Crayfish caught at three in the afternoon were fresh and could be delivered straight to the late-night snack city.

Qi Xiangkang handed him a cigarette. “Sorry to trouble you, Brother Ji.”

“I don’t smoke.” Ji Xiu waved his hand and smiled lightly. “As long as there’s money to be made, there’s no talk of trouble.”

And just like that, the deal was settled.

That evening, Ji Xiu went to the town and bought several large plastic barrels to transport crayfish.

The next day, the first batch of crayfish was picked up by Qi Xiangkang. The two completed the transaction face to face. Ji Xiu obtained his first sum of capital, totaling seven thousand five hundred yuan.

“A good start.”

Ji Xiu looked at the bank message, stretched lazily, and said to Ji Jingyu beside him, “Girl, how much pocket money do you want?”

Ji Jingyu currently lacked nothing. What she worried about was that her dad would get lung cancer again in a few years. She said seriously, “Dad, you can’t spend money so recklessly. Money has to be used where it matters. If not, save it. You absolutely can’t waste it. Understand?”

Ji Xiu was inexplicably lectured and touched his nose, looking innocent.

Ji Jingyu: “…Dad, you seem to have become younger?”

If the old Ji Xiu had done this gesture, it would have just been a simple movement. But today, Ji Jingyu suddenly realized that when her dad did it now, it looked a bit handsome.

Ji Xiu laughed. “You’re only noticing now?”

The original body had been depleted too much. Combined with heavy physical labor, it could not put on any flesh. The whole person was dark and skinny, looking like a forty-something farmer.

After Ji Xiu arrived, his powerful divine sense automatically adjusted the body. Plus, he stopped doing heavy labor and ate good food every day. With nutrition keeping up, he became much younger. Not only did he return to his original age appearance, he even looked younger.

Now he looked about thirty. When he smiled slightly, he had the charm of a mature handsome man.

Ji Jingyu suddenly grew worried. “Dad, are you going to find me a stepmom?”

Ji Xiu looked at her deeply and hinted meaningfully. “If you keep being this naughty, I might really consider finding you a stepmom.”

Ji Jingyu giggled and covered her mouth. “Don’t. I won’t be naughty anymore.”

The father and daughter chatted and laughed as they went home.

…

Relying on crayfish for stable income, Ji Xiu continued tinkering with other parts of Jingfeng Mountain.

The seeds he had bought had been sitting for several days and it was time to plant them.

Ji Xiu purchased farming tools and, together with his elder brother Ji Qin, spent several days planting watermelons, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables in batches.

By late July, the temperature was already very high. After the seeds were planted and watered, the soil dried out in less than a day.

Ji Xiu went and bought a water pump, directly drawing water from the river for irrigation.

Ji Jingyu’s elementary school textbooks were filled with slogans about protecting the environment being everyone’s responsibility. To support his daughter, he also purchased drip irrigation equipment, ensuring that every drop of river water was delivered directly to the roots of the crops, saving water as much as possible.

Because the river water contained faint Spirit Spring water, three days after planting, all the seeds sprouted. The germination rate reached one hundred percent, with not a single one failing.

Jingfeng Mountain, which had been left bare from plowing, instantly returned to a lush green environment.

At this point, things were basically on track.

Ji Xiu only needed to go up the mountain twice a day. Once to catch crayfish, and once to turn on the machines to water.

Seeing this, his elder brother Ji Qin felt there was nothing left for him to do and told Ji Xiu that he planned to go out to work and earn money, telling Ji Xiu to take care of things himself.

“Big Brother, how about you work for me instead? I’ll pay you six thousand a month.”

“How could that work?” Ji Qin widened his eyes. “You can manage on your own. There’s no need to spend this money. I can’t take such a high salary from you. Farming isn’t easy either.”

Ji Xiu said calmly, “It’s just forty-something jin of crayfish.”

Ji Qin: “…”

After coming back to his senses, his voice weakened. “That still won’t do. Aren’t forty jin of crayfish money? You haven’t even paid back the bank loan for leasing the barren mountain yet. Spend less. Don’t be so extravagant.”

Ji Xiu was helpless. “But I can’t stay on the mountain every day either. I haven’t even settled the fruit trees yet. If you help me, things will be much easier. You also won’t have to go out and do hard labor. You can stay home and accompany Dawen and Xiaowu. Isn’t that good?”

Ji Qin was tempted, but still felt the salary was too high. In the countryside, farming all year long only brought in tens of thousands, and the whole family had to work the fields together.

If converted into wages, each person’s monthly pay might only be a little over a thousand.

Ji Xiu’s six thousand was really too much.

“It’s fine. Big Brother, you won’t think this salary is high in the future. I have many things that I’ll need your help with.”

Ji Xiu did not allow rebuttal. He waved his hand. “It’s settled. Starting tomorrow, Big Brother, you’ll honestly work with me on Jingfeng Mountain. Don’t go outside anymore.”

Ji Qin hesitated. “Then… then alright.”

His younger brother had suddenly gone full domineering CEO mode. He suddenly did not know how to argue back.

Ji Xiu handed over the watering and crayfish-catching tasks to Ji Qin. With time freed up, he went to other places to look for fruit trees.

Local fruit trees were very ordinary, without much feature. If he wanted to do something different, he would need to go to the provincial capital’s agricultural university to look for good seedlings.

Under this pretext, Ji Xiu and Ji Jingyu, father and daughter, went on a publicly funded trip.

And at this time, Qi Xiangkang’s late-night snack city welcome the first wave of crayfish fever.

Summer was the season of crayfish.

Every night, when late-night stalls opened, basin after basin of crayfish were placed by the roadside, showing off their strong bodies, healthy vitality, and the enticing red color they would turn after being cooked.

People who had not planned to eat late-night snacks often could not resist the temptation of crayfish. Like believers tempted by the devil, they offered up their wallets and souls and walked into crayfish shops.

Unfortunately, local crayfish had not yet formed a good scale, and no one specialized in raising them.

Most crayfish at late-night stalls were purchased from the countryside, freely caught by villagers. Their sizes varied, the meat was unclean, and crayfish caught in some areas even carried a muddy smell.

Many diners were not satisfied, but had no choice but to make do when cravings struck.

Or some wealthy people would choose to directly head to the provincial capital to enjoy delicious crayfish there.

The only place that could be considered to have stable quality was Qi Family Late-Night Snack City.

Qi Xiangkang was a man with great ambition. He rented five adjacent shops and named his place Late-Night Snack City, hoping that one day he could rent the entire street for dining.

Because of this ambition, he was very strict about food quality.

Customers who wanted good food chose his shop first.

Compared to other places where crayfish varied in size and quality, and where one might even eat dead or spoiled crayfish, the crayfish in his shop were rare in being uniform in size, clean-bodied, and good in flavor.

Crayfish sold for fifty-eight per jin, which was not expensive at all.

But these past few days, no one knew what had possessed him. He suddenly raised the price to a high one hundred and eighty-eight per jin.

Regular customers came as usual and ordered a serving of crayfish. Upon hearing the server’s quoted price, the tea water in their mouths sprayed out.

“Are you crazy? One hundred and eighty-eight? Are these crayfish made of gold?”

The server explained with a troubled expression. “The boss changed suppliers. The purchase price alone is one hundred and fifty. Sir, our shop is only earning the transportation fee.”

“What about the old crayfish supplier? I don’t want this. I want the fifty-eight one.”

The server smiled apologetically. “The boss said that once you’ve tasted the one hundred and eighty-eight, it’s impossible to go back to eating the fifty-eight. So he cut off that supply. He said our shop will only sell the one hundred and eighty-eight from now on.”

The customer’s face turned green as he ground his teeth. “Your boss is pretty clever.”

The server smiled. “You flatter him.”

The customer’s expression twisted. Who was flattering you? He slammed the table and stood up. “I’m not eating here. I’ll go somewhere else. I refuse to believe that besides you, Fengtianshi has no crayfish worth eating.”

The server sighed regretfully. “Alright then, please come again next time.”

She was not regretting losing a customer, but regretting that the customer would miss out on the crayfish.

The one hundred and eighty-eight crayfish were currently sold in limited quantity, only fifty jin. Once sold out, there would be none left.

After sending away the angry customer, she calmly returned to the restaurant entrance to wait.

Just then, there was a table at the entrance that had ordered crayfish. They were fighting over them. The rich, unique spicy fragrance drifted to the doorway. The server took a deep breath.

See? Just based on this aroma alone, she was not worried at all that the crayfish would not sell out.

In this world, there was never a lack of rich people. Even in a remote third-tier city, there were people willing to spend lavishly just to eat.

The crayfish had been on the market for several days. In the first few days, no one ordered them. But once someone tried them once and recommended them to friends and relatives, just regular customers coming in on schedule were enough to clear out fifty jin of crayfish.

The boss said that one hundred and eighty-eight was the introductory price for the new product. After a few days, once the market stabilized, he would raise it again.

Before launching the crayfish, Qi Xiangkang had invited the shop’s employees to taste them. The server knew what kind of delicacy it was.

Standing at the door, she thought to herself that before the boss raised the price, she absolutely had to buy a jin to take home and enjoy.