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

Once the funds were in place, the construction of the pig farm immediately accelerated.

Luo Xinde was no longer satisfied with just hiring Uncle Chen; he also found several strong and capable laborers from the village to form a small construction team. With many hands making light work, the construction progressed rapidly.

Old Liu spent every day at the construction site, like a supervisor, his hands behind his back, inspecting everything. He had extremely high standards; no brick that was laid crookedly or whose dimensions were incorrect could escape his notice, and it had to be redone immediately.

The workers were initially unconvinced, thinking that what did an old man like him know?

But after a few visits, they discovered that the old man was incredibly knowledgeable. He spoke fluently and knowledgeably about everything from cement grades to how to tie steel bars, and he was even more professional than the master craftsmen in town.

Gradually, everyone came to respect him and regarded him as the real chief engineer.

Luo Xiyuan rides her family's old, worn-out bicycle between the village and the building materials market in town every day.

Unlike other purchasing agents who simply pay whatever price the shopkeeper asks for, she compares prices from multiple vendors and can haggle with each one for half a day.

"Boss, these red bricks of yours are 40 cents each, that's too expensive. Boss Wang next door sells them for only 38 cents each. Look, I need 10,000 bricks at once, can you give me a discount to 35 cents, okay?"

"Sir, the cement you've provided is of good quality, but our project is a government-supported aquaculture project. We also have second and third phases planned, all of which are large orders. Give me a fair price today, and we can cooperate long-term."

Despite her young age, she spoke with a mature and composed demeanor, skillfully employing both gentle persuasion and firmness. The shopkeepers at the town's building materials market quickly came to know this clever and shrewd young girl.

They found that making an extra penny from this young girl was harder than climbing to heaven. But working with her was also very pleasant because she never delayed payment and always settled in cash.

Thanks to the efforts and efficient collaboration of the whole family, a miracle happened in just over a month.

The once dilapidated and abandoned primary school has been completely transformed.

A tall and sturdy wall encloses the entire compound, and a brand-new wooden plaque hangs at the gate, bearing four large characters written by Luo Xinde himself: Luo's Farm.

In the courtyard, rows of brand-new pigsties stand neatly arranged, their white walls and red tiles gleaming brightly in the sunlight. The pigsty floors are smooth cement, with a specially designed slope for easy washing.

Each pigpen is equipped with an automatic waterer and a stainless steel feeder.

In the corner of the yard, a huge cement pool has been built; that is the biogas septic tank designed by Grandpa Liu.

The entire farm looks clean, tidy, and has a modern feel to it.

That day, Grandpa Liu took the Luo family of four for a walk around the newly built farm and finally nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad, the framework is up and running." He patted the pigpen next to him. "Now, it's time for the 'main character' to make his appearance."

The main character, of course, is the piglet.

Purchasing piglets is the most crucial part of the entire project. The health and breed of the piglets directly determine the harvest for the next six months.

Master Liu took on this task personally without hesitation.

He rejected Luo Xinde's suggestion to simply buy some pigs at the nearby town's pig market.

"No way!" he said firmly. "The piglets at the market are of dubious origin, of mixed breeds, and easily carry pathogens. Our first batch of pigs must be of guaranteed quality from the source! We'll buy from a reputable, large-scale purebred pig farm!"

He then said to Luo Xinde, "You, come with me. I'll have to teach you the ins and outs of buying piglets, step by step. From now on, you'll have to learn these things on your own."

So, early the next morning, Grandpa Liu took Luo Xinde on a long-distance bus to the city. Luo Xiyuan gave them most of the money she had left at home, a total of more than 30,000 yuan.

The place they were going to was a large state-owned pig farm on the outskirts of the city, which was also where Mr. Liu had worked when he was young.

Upon arriving at the pig farm, Mr. Liu found his old apprentice, who was now the deputy manager of the pig farm.

When old colleagues meet, they naturally exchange pleasantries. Upon hearing the purpose of Mr. Liu's visit, the deputy farm manager was very welcoming and immediately took them to the piglet breeding area.

Rows of incubators were filled with newborn pink piglets, grunting and squealing, lively and adorable.

Luo Xinde liked it at first sight and thought it was all very good.

But Master Liu only glanced at it and shook his head.

He walked to a pigpen, bent down, and carefully observed the piglets inside.

He wasn't looking at how lively the piglets were, but rather at their size, coat color, and standing posture.

"Look at this one," he said to Luo Xinde, pointing to one of the piglets. "A straight back and waist, a full rump, strong limbs, and glossy coat—that's the foundation of a good piglet."

He then pointed to another pig: "Look at that one over there. Although it's running, if you look closely at its hind legs, they're slightly turned outwards, which indicates a possible problem with its skeletal development. This kind of pig doesn't grow fast later on."

He grabbed a handful of feed, smelled it, tasted it, and then said to the deputy farm manager, "The starter feed for this batch of piglets doesn't have enough trace elements. The weaning stress is definitely significant."

The deputy manager nodded repeatedly, his face full of admiration: "Master, your eyes are still so sharp! Nothing can be hidden from you."

Master Liu led Luo Xinde around the pig farm for the entire morning, rejecting several batches of piglets in succession. His pickiness bordered on harsh, making Luo Xinde feel a little embarrassed.

Finally, they arrived at a separate, isolated pigpen. The piglets here were noticeably stronger and had shinier coats than those in other areas.

"This is a new variety we just bred. It is a descendant of the Duroc-Large-Landrace-Large cross, which has particularly strong disease resistance and a feed conversion ratio of 2.8:1," the deputy farm manager introduced.

Master Liu went in and checked each item one by one. Finally, he nodded.

"This is the batch we'll take," he decided. "Two hundred in total, not a single one less!"

After agreeing on the price and making payment, the pig farm dispatched a large truck specifically for transporting livestock, and sent the two hundred carefully selected piglets to Luojia Village in a grand procession.

The truck caused a huge commotion when it drove into the village.

Men, women, and children from the entire village ran out of their homes and followed the truck, eager to see what the Luo family had gotten up to.

When the truck stopped in front of Roche Farm, the cargo door opened, revealing a whole truckload of lively pink piglets, everyone was stunned.

"My goodness, so many piglets!"

"Look at these piglets, each one is glossy and healthy, they're clearly a good breed!"

"The Luo family has really gone all out!"

Amidst the astonished gazes of the entire village, Luo Xinde and the workers carefully guided two hundred piglets, one by one, into their new home through a specially made passageway.

The piglets seemed to really enjoy their new environment, running around happily in the new pigsty and curiously nudging the automatic water dispenser.

The Luo family of four, along with Grandpa Liu, stood in the passageway of the pigsty, watching this scene, and smiles appeared on everyone's faces.

These whimpering little ones carry the hopes of their entire family.

"Dad, Mom, Sister, look! They're drinking water!" Luo Wen exclaimed excitedly, leaning on the railing.

Looking at these adorable little lives, Li Minxia was overwhelmed with maternal instincts, and her eyes welled up with tears: "This is wonderful, our family will be so lively from now on."

Luo Xinde patted Grandpa Liu on the shoulder and said sincerely, "Grandpa Liu, thank you so much today. If I had gone by myself, I would definitely have been cheated."

Grandpa Liu waved his hand, looking at the pen full of piglets, a hint of tenderness in his eyes.

"Don't be too happy yet," he said in a deep voice. "The pigs have entered the pen; it's just the first step in a long journey."