Back to 2008: I Helped My Dad Become the Richest Man

With the banner of "responding to the national call" in hand, the Luo family's mindset completely changed. They ignored the gossip in the village and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the construction of the pig farm.

Luo Xinde and Uncle Chen started work before dawn and didn't finish until dark. They built walls, laid floors, and dug ditches. Although they were so tired that their backs could barely straighten, they were full of energy.

Li Minxia was in charge of logistics, preparing meals and delivering them to the construction site every day, and keeping the house in perfect order so that her husband and children had no worries.

The project progressed quickly, but the money was spent like water.

Bricks, cement, sand, steel bars... everything costs money. Add to that Uncle Chen's wages, and in just over half a month, the two thousand yuan they earned from selling vegetables was almost all gone.

That evening, Li Minxia, ​​carrying an account book and looking worried, went to find Luo Xiyuan.

"Xiyuan, look, we... we only have less than three hundred yuan left in our account." She pointed to the numbers in the ledger, her voice filled with anxiety. "But the foundation for the pigsty has only just been laid, and there are still so many expenses to come, like buying materials and hiring workers. What are we going to do?"

Luo Xinde sat beside them, silently smoking. The problem of money, like a mountain, once again weighed on this family that had just seen a glimmer of hope.

"Mom, don't worry, I thought of this a long time ago." Luo Xiyuan appeared very calm.

She took a thick folder out of her room.

"What is this?" Luo Xinde asked curiously.

"These are the materials we used to apply for aquaculture subsidies and interest-free loans." Luo Xiyuan opened the folder, which contained a stack of neatly arranged documents.

There are photocopies of their household registration book, photocopies of their ID cards, a land lease contract signed with the village, and a neatly printed "Feasibility Study Report on the Luo Family Farm Project".

"Project...feasibility...study report?" Luo Xinde and Li Minxia looked at those words, feeling that they recognized each word individually, but when put together, they had no idea what it meant.

"Yes." Luo Xiyuan pointed to the report. "This is the 'stepping stone' we used to ask the bank and the government for money. I wrote down the scale of our pig farm, the plan, the investment budget, the expected revenue, how many jobs we can create, and what benefits we can bring to the village."

This report took her a whole week and several trips to the town's print shop to produce. Much of the data and analysis came from her memories of her past life, but she packaged them as things she had "obtained through market research and study."

"You...you wrote this?" Li Minxia picked up the report and flipped through it. It contained not only text but also various tables and charts, looking even more professional than the reports her factory supervisors had written. She simply couldn't believe it was written by her own daughter.

"Okay." Luo Xiyuan nodded. "Dad, Mom, tomorrow we'll take this report to the town's credit union and agricultural office. Dad, you're the legal representative, so you'll be the one to speak. Don't be nervous, just say what I wrote in this report. I've already highlighted the key points for you."

She handed the report to Luo Xinde, pointing to several paragraphs: "You should emphasize three points. First, we are responding to the call of the National Document No. 1 to actively develop pig farming. Second, we have a professional technical consultant (Uncle Liu) and a scientific plan; we're not just messing around. Third, our project has good prospects, we can repay the loan on time, and it can also solve the village's employment problem."

Looking at the report, Luo Xinde felt it was heavier than the bricks on the construction site. He had spent his whole life dealing with mud, bricks, and stones, and now he was being asked to deal with those "big shots" sitting in offices and to talk about these "grand principles" that he himself couldn't understand. His heart pounded with apprehension.

"Xiyuan, I... am I sure I can do it? I'm not good with words, I'm afraid I'll mess things up." He had no confidence at all.

"Dad, you can do it." Luo Xiyuan looked into her father's eyes and encouraged him, "You are the head of the family, the pillar of our family. This matter can only be handled by you. Just stand tall and show our family's strength. We are not going to beg for food, we are going to discuss cooperation. Just treat them as customers who buy vegetables from you, and promote our pig farm project to them."

Encouraged by his daughter and after a night of training, the next day, Luo Xinde gritted his teeth, put on his best coat, tucked the thick folder in his pocket, and took Luo Xiyuan with him, boarding the bus to town.

They went to the town's agricultural office first.

Inside the office, several staff members were drinking tea and reading newspapers. When a farmer-looking man entered with a little girl, they merely raised their eyelids lazily.

"Comrade, hello, we would like to inquire about the policy on aquaculture subsidies." Luo Xinde was so nervous that he didn't know where to put his hands, and he stammered a little.

"Aquaculture subsidy?" A middle-aged man wearing glasses asked without looking up. "The application form is over there. Go fill it out yourself. Hand it in and wait."

His attitude was indifferent, and he acted as if it were just business.

Luo Xinde became even more nervous because of his attitude. Holding the form, he didn't know how to start writing for a long time.

Luo Xiyuan stepped forward and placed the folder on the middle-aged man's desk.

"Uncle, hello. This is our project's feasibility study report. Could you please take a look? We sincerely want to run this pig farm well, share the burden of the country, and contribute to society."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, and her choice of words surprised everyone in the office.

The middle-aged man finally raised his head, glanced at Luo Xiyuan with some surprise, and then looked at the beautifully crafted folder on the table. He casually opened the report.

His expression changed the moment he turned his head.

"Luo's Family Farm... Project Background... Market Analysis... SWOT Analysis?" He muttered the titles in the report, becoming increasingly alarmed as he read. The level of professionalism in this report completely exceeded his comprehension. This was not something an ordinary farmer could write.

He adjusted his glasses, sat up straight, and began to read carefully.

The other people in the office also curiously gathered around.

"...It is estimated that 500 pigs will be slaughtered annually, with an annual output value of 60 yuan and a net profit of 15 yuan..."

When they saw the number, they couldn't help but gasp.

"Comrade," the middle-aged man's attitude underwent a complete 180-degree change. He stood up and politely said to Luo Xinde, "Please...please sit down and have a glass of water. Your project is very innovative and has great potential!"

Luo Xinde had never seen anything like this before, and was so flattered that he didn't know how to react.

From then on, it completely fell into Luo Xiyuan's rhythm.

She presented a clear overview of their project from beginning to end, drawing on the report. She was not intimidated; her logic was clear, her data detailed, and her answers fluent.

The entire staff of the agricultural office, including their director, were drawn over and gathered around to listen. They felt as if they were not receiving a farmer applying for subsidies, but rather attending a compelling project roadshow.

"...So, the reason we're here is to apply for national subsidies for the construction of standardized large-scale pig farms, as well as subsidies for breeding sows. We believe that with the support of national policies, we will definitely be able to make this project a success!" Luo Xiyuan concluded.

After listening, the office director immediately made a decision: "Our agricultural office supports this project! We've received the materials, and we'll hold a meeting right away to discuss the subsidy issue and approve it as soon as possible!"

As Luo Xinde left the agricultural office, he felt like he was sleepwalking.

"Is that... all done?" he asked his daughter.

"It's pretty much a done deal." Luo Xiyuan smiled. "Come on, Dad, let's go to the next stop, the credit union!"

With his successful experience in the agricultural office, Luo Xinde's confidence grew considerably.

When they arrived at the credit union, they met the director of the credit department, a fat man surnamed Zhang.

Director Zhang's initial attitude was exactly the same as that of the people in the agricultural office: indifferent and unresponsive.

But when Luo Xiyuan placed the same project report on his desk, history repeated itself.

The more Director Zhang looked, the wider his chubby face became as he smiled. As a lender, his primary concerns were the project's profitability and repayment ability.

Luo Xiyuan's report analyzed these two points clearly, making him immediately realize that this was a sure-fire, profitable project.

"Young lady, did you write this report?" Director Zhang asked incredulously.

"I wrote it under my father's guidance," Luo Xiyuan once again attributed the credit to her father.

Director Zhang glanced approvingly at Luo Xinde, who seemed a bit flustered beside him, and thought to himself, "He's truly a man of few words; a farmer with such a business mind."

"I agree to the loan in principle," Director Zhang said readily. "However, you will need collateral or a reputable guarantor."

“We don’t have any collateral or guarantees,” Luo Xiyuan shook her head. “However, we just came from the agricultural office, and their director clearly stated that they would strongly support our project and would approve the subsidies as soon as possible. I think that government backing should prove the reliability of our project, right?”

Director Zhang's eyes lit up. He knew that any project that could get the Agricultural Office's approval must be of high quality.

"Alright then," he hesitated for a moment, "I'll approve a 50,000 yuan interest-free start-up loan for you! This is a special loan from the government to support rural youth entrepreneurship, which perfectly suits your situation. The government will subsidize the interest; you only need to repay the principal on time!"

fifty thousand!

This number struck Luo Xinde like a thunderbolt.

He's never seen or even dared to dream of 50,000 yuan in his entire life!

He was so excited that his lips were trembling. He stood up and bowed deeply to Director Zhang.

"Thank you! Thank you, Director Zhang!"

A week later, a huge sum of 50,000 yuan was deposited into the Luo family's account on time.

A few days later, the agricultural office called the village committee to inform them that the first batch of 20,000 yuan in subsidies for the construction of the breeding farm had been approved and would be issued soon.

Holding the passbook that showed a five-figure balance, Luo Xinde and Li Minxia's hands were trembling.