If you don't consummate the marriage for three years and then marry a successful educated youth

Upon hearing this, the two factory managers exchanged a glance. Having grown up in the city, they had never witnessed the horrors of locust plagues, but they had experienced the hunger of a great famine, which was no easy thing to endure.

Every day is a matter of lives being lost. He straightened his expression and said, "Captain Jiang, we understand what you mean. Don't worry, we'll send the chickens and ducks over for free."

"We also don't want a locust plague to cause famine, as food will be hard to buy then. Feeding our chickens and ducks with locusts will save us money on feed and also help you solve the locust plague problem. It's a great thing that kills two birds with one stone."

"Besides delivering chickens and ducks every day, do you need us to do anything else? We won't refuse to do anything we can."

The team leader glanced at his son beside him: "Eldest son, didn't you say you wanted to buy chicks and ducklings? Since both factory managers are here, why don't you talk to them directly? If you buy more, maybe the price will be lower."

Jiang Lie nodded and said, "The thing is, both factory managers, I'd like to take this opportunity to buy more chicks and ducklings to raise. They should be able to lay eggs in about four months."

"I will raise 300 chickens and 300 ducks each. I will pay for the chicks myself, but it will be counted under the name of the brigade. If we make a profit, I will take half of it and donate the other half to the brigade for road repairs. If there is a chicken plague, the losses will be on my shoulders."

"If I buy so many chicks and ducklings at once, could the two factory managers give me a discount?"

The two men exchanged a glance, a hint of admiration flashing in their eyes: "Young man, you have quite the courage. You know, raising livestock can make money, but if a plague breaks out, you'll lose everything."

"You must be a hunter. How much do you know about this? If you don't know much, you can't just do it recklessly. These chicks and ducklings will cost several hundred dollars."

Jiang Lie hummed in agreement: "I know, but I raise chickens and ducks for three purposes. The first is mainly to eat locusts. Since so many have appeared this time, there might be more in the future."

"These chickens and ducks will grow up to be the main force in eliminating insects. After four months, they will lay eggs, which will be another source of income. The chicken and duck meat will be the third source of income. Even if there is a real plague in the end."

"If the first two goals are achieved, I'll accept the loss. If we make a profit, it will be a pleasant surprise. We can use the money to repair roads for the brigade, making travel more convenient in the future, and we won't have to be so afraid of rainy days."

The two factory managers huddled together and discussed it, offering him a price even lower than the wholesale price. After he signed and received the deposit, they looked at him and said, "We'll deliver the seedlings to you within three days. Don't worry, we'll select the best seedlings to send over."

Jiang Lie thanked him in a low voice, "Okay, thank you very much."

After everyone left, the captain hurriedly pulled his son aside, saying anxiously, "No, you brat, why didn't you discuss such a big matter beforehand? If you raise so many chickens and ducks by yourself and get reported for speculation..."

"Dad, who said I'm raising them all by myself? This isn't me cooperating with the production team; it's the production team that's raising them. It can't be considered personal speculation. The production team gets half of the money I earn."

"If there are any losses, I'll take full responsibility. This is only beneficial to the brigade, and it can be considered a reward for using the brigade's name."

The captain frowned slightly, still somewhat worried: "But, after taking out such a large sum of money, do you still have any money left?"

Jiang Lie nodded: "We have money. I can go hunting in the mountains, my wife can earn money from medical treatment, and we can make money selling medicine to the National Security Bureau. These sources of income are continuous."

"I'll cover the cost of raising chickens and ducks, half for feed, and the rest will be replaced with live or dried insects. This way, the chickens and ducks raised will have better meat and lay more eggs."

"The worst outcome is that the plague kills them. By then, the insects will have been mostly eaten, and the dried insect feed will be ready. They can be used again the following year, and the eggs they lay will be enough to recoup a significant portion of the cost."

"It's worth taking the gamble, don't you think, Dad?"

The captain sighed: "Alright, you young people can do whatever you want. As long as you don't aim too high and you can accept the worst possible outcome, then there's no big problem."

"Hmm, you mentioned dried insect feed. Feeding chickens and ducks and cleaning up their manure all require people. How many people are you planning to hire? The daily labor cost can be quite high."

Jiang Lie nodded and said, "Dad, my wife and I have discussed this. We don't plan to hire adults. These chores are easy anyway, so we can hire a ten-year-old to do them."

"Food and lodging are not provided, and we pay twenty yuan a month. If there are hardworking and honest older women who don't try to get something for nothing, we pay twenty-five yuan a month. That's much more money than they make by embroidering and pasting matchboxes."

"It can also help families in the brigade who have difficulty finding labor to earn more income. How could they not work hard and be dedicated to their work?"

"The initial investment is four months, and after four months, the chickens and ducks will start laying eggs and we will start to see a return on investment. This is worth doing, as it is more beneficial than harmful to both the brigade and us."

The captain patted his son on the shoulder and couldn't help but laugh: "You little rascal, you're making such a good point. It seems like you've been planning this all along, and all you're waiting for is my approval to assign people to do the work, right?"

Jiang Lie smiled slightly and followed suit.

"Yes, Dad, our brigade is very poor. We have to find a way to help them earn some money so that they can have a better life and avoid going hungry in the winter. I can't bear to see you like this, but giving them grain is a bottomless pit."

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. That's what my wife means too. We use their labor to make money, and we contribute our costs and our brains, so we can share the profits."

The captain clicked his tongue twice: "Not bad, you've got a good talking point now. Looks like it was your wife's idea. She's a city person after all; she thinks things through quite meticulously."

"Okay, let's get to it. I'll go have a meeting with them and finalize the selection as soon as possible. The chicks and ducklings will be delivered soon, and we can't afford to be short-handed when they arrive."

Jiang Lie hummed in agreement and said in a low voice, "Dad, I want a child with absolutely good character. Auntie and her husband will be paid daily. At first, we need to put them at ease so they can work harder."

"We can't delay the laying of eggs for four months, that would cost a lot of money. I've heard that chickens and ducks that grow up eating insects lay eggs faster and of higher quality than those that are fed with feed."

"Okay, I understand. I'll tell them."

After the brigade leader returned to the brigade, he summoned everyone to the threshing ground for a meeting. Holding a large megaphone, he spoke, and the people below erupted in uproar.

"What? What is the brigade leader saying? Our brigade is going to raise so many chickens and ducks? If we make money, we'll give half to the brigade to repair the road. If we lose money, we'll just blame it all. That's going to cost a lot of money."

"Oh, why are you worrying so much about this? Anyway, it's a good thing for the brigade and for us. The children can go out and work to earn money, instead of running around playing everywhere. Isn't that better?"

"It can also ease the burden on the family, which is a good thing, a great thing. Don't just think about the downsides, think more about the benefits. If we don't make money from the chicken plague, Jiang Lie can get half of it, which is not a small amount of money."

"Everyone, quiet down. Anyone who wants to work, sign up. We only need ten people to manage the chickens and ducks."