"Yes, Tongtong, call Uncle," Liu Yifeng said softly, stroking his son's head.
Tongtong obediently greeted everyone and then went to play with his older cousin.
At this point, Liu Ju asked, "Yifeng, raising crayfish is so profitable, when will you let your second aunt make some money too?"
"Second Aunt, this farming technique was taught to me by a master and cannot be disclosed, otherwise, I'll have to pay liquidated damages." Liu Yifeng said apologetically, his meaning unclear.
Liu Ju, displeased, pulled a long face. "What can't be disclosed? I think you just don't want us to make money too."
"His Second Aunt, Yifeng is telling the truth. Believe it or not." Liu Chunsheng said sternly. He felt it was up to him, as the father, to deliver such a refusal.
After all, Yifeng was the junior, and refusing directly might lead to gossip.
Although Liu Ju was unhappy, she said nothing more.
At the dinner table, the adults sat at one table, and the children at another.
There weren't many dishes on the table, but there were two large basins filled with crayfish, at least twenty jin.
"These were all caught from Yifeng's fields, very fresh. Eat as much as you want. There are more in the pot if you're not full," Liu Cha Sheng said with a smile, using Liu Yifeng's crayfish to curry favor.
Liu Kai Chen, living in a big city, had eaten all sorts of delicacies, but he had never seen crayfish this large before. Moreover, the taste was several times better than ordinary crayfish.
He said, "Yifeng, with your farming technology, why don't you contract a larger pond and raise more crayfish? Only by expanding the business can you earn more, right?"
"I've already rented the field from Liu Yadong next door. I don't have that much energy to contract more," Liu Yifeng explained.
"You can hire people and let them do it; you don't have to do it yourself. Honestly, your crayfish definitely have a market. If you're afraid of not being able to sell them, I can introduce you to clients. Several clients in my company are owners of chain restaurants, and they have crayfish on their menu as a signature summer dish."
"See, at a critical moment, it's Kai Chen who shows familial affection and actively introduces you to clients so you can make big money. Unlike you, who gets rich and then abandons your own family." Liu Ju said sarcastically.
This second aunt's words were always unpleasant, but Liu Yifeng didn't take her seriously.
Instead, he looked at Liu Kai Chen and said, "I won't be renting more for now. I really don't have that much energy, but thank you for your kind offer. Let me toast you."
Saying this, he raised his wine glass.
Liu Kai Chen did not expect Liu Yifeng to refuse his suggestion without even thinking. He was the general manager of a listed company, and the people he knew were all important figures. Introducing even one client to Liu Yifeng would be enough for him to make a small fortune. Who knew that Liu Yifeng would refuse so readily? It turned out to be him meddling unnecessarily. However, he didn't show any displeasure, merely saying he respected his choice and then clinked glasses with Liu Yifeng.
The reason Liu Yifeng refused was that he had an agreement with Du Ziheng: no matter how many crayfish he raised, he could only sell them to him. If he found another buyer, it would be a breach of contract. Furthermore, Du Ziheng's market demand was very high, so he didn't need to find new clients or sell his crayfish to anyone else. If he had accepted Liu Kai Chen's offer, he would have owed him a big favor.
He understood his cousin's personality; on the surface, he was generous and magnanimous, but in reality, he was a very practical person. He would only actively help those who were beneficial to him. Today, his kindness towards him was only because he saw that he was making money. Otherwise, judging by his past attitude towards him, he would have pretended not to see him even if they met. Therefore, he didn't want to owe Liu Kai Chen any favors.
During the meal, Liu Kai Chen was lavished with praise by the elders. Although Liu Yifeng had also earned a considerable amount of money recently, in their eyes, Liu Kai Chen was more accomplished. At twenty-seven, he was already a general manager of a branch company, and by thirty, he might be promoted to general manager of the parent company, with an annual salary in the tens of millions. This was far from what Liu Yifeng could earn by selling crayfish. However, Liu Yifeng didn't care; he actually didn't like being in the spotlight.
After the meal, Liu Ju still remembered what Liu Yifeng had said. Impatiently, she grabbed a bucket and went to the fields to catch crayfish. Seeing the fields teeming with crayfish, she regretted not bringing a larger bucket. In the end, she caught a bucket full of crayfish and then happily carried them home. Liu Yifeng had known for a long time that his second aunt was greedy for small advantages, but it was just a bucket of crayfish, so he didn't say anything. At worst, he would buy more to raise next time; after all, his purchase price was low.
Returning from the fields, Liu Yifeng found his eldest aunt sitting in his living room, talking with Tongtong.
"Yifeng is back!" Liu Mei said with a smile upon seeing him.
Liu Yifeng nodded. "Eldest Aunt, I'll get some more crayfish from the fields later for you to take back."
"No need, the crayfish you gave me last time were more than enough. These are crayfish you bought and raised, you need to keep them to sell. I came to give you money," Liu Mei said, standing up and taking money from her trouser pocket.
"Eldest Aunt, what are you doing?" Liu Yifeng didn't take it.
"This is the medical expenses you paid for me last time. The reimbursed amount afterwards was one thousand and eighty-three yuan," Liu Mei explained.
Liu Yifeng quickly said, "Eldest Aunt, please keep this money. Keep it for emergencies."
"Eldest Aunt has money. Besides, how can I take your money? I'm already very grateful that you paid for the child's hospitalization. If you don't take it, Eldest Aunt will be angry." Liu Mei pretended to be displeased.
Liu Yifeng said helplessly, "Eldest Aunt, do you remember how you took care of me when I was a child? For you, let alone three thousand, even ten thousand, I would give willingly. Please keep this money for yourself, consider it a token of my sincerity. Just please don't tell my cousins and their wives, otherwise, this money might not stay." Liu Yifeng cautioned.
Liu Mei's eyes welled up with tears. "What's the use of raising sons? I raised them to be so big, yet they've never bought me a piece of clothing or given me a cent for living expenses. But you, my nephew, are more filial than them."
"Eldest Aunt, this is what I should do. I didn't have the ability to be filial to you before, but now that I can earn money, if you ever need money in the future, just tell me directly," Liu Yifeng said softly.
"Then Eldest Aunt will take this money. If you need any help that you can't manage, just tell Eldest Aunt. Eldest Aunt can't help you with much, but she can do physical labor," Liu Mei said, not wanting to accept so much money from Liu Yifeng for nothing.
"Okay, but I don't need any help for now, Eldest Aunt." Liu Yifeng agreed readily, but he never intended to let his eldest aunt do physical labor. He said that only to make her feel at ease accepting the money.
Afterward, Liu Yifeng drove his eldest aunt home. On the way, he reminded her not to tell anyone about the money, not even his uncle. Although his uncle worked outside as a doorman, in his spare time, he liked to gamble, and the money he earned was not enough for him to lose. If he knew that his aunt had a thousand yuan in cash, he would definitely demand it. Liu Mei also knew the family's habits; any money given to them would be like a dog returning to its owner with a meat bun – gone forever. She planned to save this money for emergencies and naturally wouldn't tell anyone.
Returning home, Liu Yifeng saw a familiar Mercedes-Benz at the entrance and knew that Liu Kai Chen had arrived. As he got out of the car, Liu Yifeng saw Kai Chen talking to his father. Seeing his father's sleepy look, he knew Liu Kai Chen had woken him up.
"Uncle, Yifeng has really become capable, raising crayfish to such a good quality. But selling them for only twenty yuan a jin is a bit of a loss. I just sent photos of the crayfish's size to a major client of my company, and they are willing to buy them for twenty yuan a jin. This is a rare opportunity!" Liu Kai Chen was trying to persuade him through Liu Chunsheng.
Liu Chunsheng's heart was moved when he heard that they could sell for two more yuan per jin. They sold almost two thousand jin of crayfish every day, or even more. That would mean an extra four thousand yuan a day, which was equivalent to two months' salary for an ordinary person! However, despite being tempted, he did not immediately agree, as the crayfish were raised and bought by Yifeng. As his father, he couldn't make the decision for him.