Chapter 15: Truly Delightful! My Precious Granddaughter

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"In addition, the Yingxiu Lu Family, Golden Sand Xu Family, and East Port Chen Family are also families that we need to actively support," Wang Shouzhe said seriously. "Over the past forty to fifty years, our Wang Family has intermarried with them, establishing deep relationships with each other."

These three families are not particularly powerful. However, precisely because of this, they have engaged in direct lineage marriages with the now declining Ping'an Wang Family. Among them, the relationship with the Yingxiu Lu Family is the closest, as Wang Shouzhe's biological mother comes from the direct lineage of the Lu Family.

Currently, the Clan Leader's wife of the Yingxiu Lu Family, Wang Liuling, is also the sixth generation eldest legitimate daughter of the Wang Family and Wang Shouzhe's aunt, making the relationship quite complex and close.

"That's right, these three families are now very close to our Wang Family. So, what is your plan, Shouzhe?" Wang Xiaozhi agreed with a nod. His two daughters, one married into the Shanyang Gongsun Family and the other into the East Port Chen Family. His son, Wang Dingbang, who passed away young, married directly into the Golden Sand Xu Family.

"Fourth Granduncle needs to quickly sort out the cause and impact of this insect plague. I'll dispatch the household generals to notify these six families overnight," Wang Shouzhe said swiftly. "Among them, the Shanyin Liu Family and Changning Xu Family have already cultivated Spirit Insect Masters within the clan. As long as we provide methods and approaches, I believe it won't be difficult for them to resolve this crisis themselves. Additionally, the primary businesses of the Golden Sand Xu Family and East Port Chen Family might not be in agriculture, so after fulfilling our duty to notify them, we can focus on minimizing their losses."

Pausing for a moment, Wang Shouzhe continued, "The more challenging cases are the Yingxiu Lu Family and Shanyang Gongsun Family. First, we must fulfill our duty to notify them immediately. In addition, we need to actively aid them, doing our utmost with sincerity. This way, even if they suffer significant losses in the insect plague, they will only feel gratitude and not resentment towards us."

This series of calculations and statements left Wang Xiaozhi stunned. He never expected the sudden outbreak of an insect plague to involve such a complex situation.

More importantly, Wang Shouzhe managed to arrange the matter so thoroughly and meticulously in such a short time, considering all aspects.

"Shouzhe, I underestimated you, and I underestimated Luojing," Wang Xiaozhi sighed with a bitter smile. "Your generation is indeed outstanding. We're old; the Xiao generation is truly old."

"Fourth Granduncle, you're too modest. If it weren't for your generation maintaining the ancestors' foundation, how would we, the descendants, have a place to stand?" Wang Shouzhe replied humbly, then sneered, "Aside from those six families, especially the Liu Family and Zhao Family..."

Wang Xiaozhi's expression immediately became serious. "Shouzhe, rest assured, in the next ten days, our Wang Family's three major farms will completely seal off any information."

However, Wang Shouzhe grinned with narrowed eyes. "The outbreak of an insect plague is impossible to hide. Every family has agricultural experts. Within three days, the entire Changning Guard Region will be in turmoil. By the way, Fourth Granduncle, didn't you stockpile a batch of Insecticide Powder at a low price?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaozhi's expression was filled with regret. "Yes, last winter's Insecticide Powder was at the lowest price in years, and they offered large discounts. I thought, since our three major farms can't do without Insecticide Powder, I discussed it with the elders and stocked up a large amount, enough for our family to use for three years. Now we still have over 300 Qian Gold worth of goods. It's a big loss, it's a big loss. After this insect plague, how can those Insecticide Powders be useful?"

The family is already so strapped for cash, losing over 300 Qian Gold at once is enough to make Wang Xiaozhi feel guilty to his grave.

"The Insecticide Powder shouldn't be completely ineffective yet?" Wang Shouzhe pondered slightly, his mind racing.

"It's not completely ineffective, but it's more difficult to deal with those adult Honey Bees than the eggs," Wang Xiaozhi said with a very serious expression. "I just tried it. It takes double the dosage mixed with ash water to quickly eliminate the Honey Bees, and that's not even counting the subsequent hatching of more bees."

Following this, Wang Shouzhe threw out question after question like machine-gun fire.

Initially intimidated, Wang Xiaozhi no longer dared to underestimate Wang Shouzhe, patiently answering each question. At seventy-five years of age, he had been involved in farming since he was fifteen, following his father's footsteps for sixty years, amassing an incredible wealth of experience.

"So, in an average year, the winter wheat per mu yields about 15 Large Copper," Wang Shouzhe rapidly organized the data in his mind. "After deducting taxes, tenant farmer commissions, farm tools, oxen seeds, and the fixed spread of Insecticide Powder, the spread for Insecticide Powder is about 1 Large Copper per mu, leaving a gross margin of 8 Large Copper per mu. If this insect plague is not controlled, assuming a reduction of half, the farm would enter a slight loss phase, with the greater the loss, the more reduction."

"If nothing is done, it could result in a reduction of about seventy percent," Wang Xiaozhi was momentarily empowered, somewhat understanding Wang Shouzhe's implication, and roughly judged, "If at the outbreak of the insect plague, we increase the input of 2 Large Copper worth of Insecticide Powder, we can control the disaster within a reduction of twenty percent compared to previous years."

"Currently, the Daqian Kingdom implements a unified government grain storage mechanism. Any noble family or merchant daring to speculate on grain prices during good or disastrous years commits a grave crime," Wang Shouzhe continued organizing various conditions. "Therefore, with a seventy percent reduction as the base, for every ten percent reduction in remaining losses, 1 Large Copper 50 Coins would be saved, so reducing the loss by fifty percent is valued at 7 Large Copper 50 Coins. Now the question arises, without a Spirit Insect Master to manage the Honey Bees, is the investment of 2 Large Copper worth of Insecticide Powder worthwhile!?"

"Worth it!" Upon hearing Wang Shouzhe's analysis, Wang Xiaozhi immediately nodded rapidly. "Even if it's 4 Large Copper, I would invest." At the same time, his eyes lit up, full of excitement: "Listening to what you say, our family's stockpile of 300 Qian Gold Insecticide Powder not only isn't a loss but is worth 600 Qian Gold? Excellent, excellent, luckily those people laughed at me for stockpiling Insecticide Powder."

"It is worth at least 600 Qian Gold. Our family has Fifth Sister Luojing, who is an entry-level Spirit Insect Master specialized in dealing with Honey Bees, so those Insecticide Powders are not needed. However, compared to the entire Changning Guard Region, Spirit Insect Masters are a drop in the bucket, and most families still have to rely on Insecticide Powder to survive the disaster." Wang Shouzhe smiled calmly, "Congratulations, Fourth Granduncle, for making a huge profit for the family."

"Hahaha, fantastic." Wang Xiaozhi laughed until his face was flushed. "My family's Luojing is truly a treasure, worthy of being my granddaughter Wang Xiaozhi."

Wang Shouzhe twitched at the corners of his mouth. This old granduncle truly is elderly with thick skin. Previously, he was so biased towards males, saying granddaughters were always liabilities. And now, in the blink of an eye, Luojing became a treasure.

However, speaking of which, Luojing, the future Spirit Insect Master, is indeed a treasure. Even if the Insecticide Powders are updated and remain effective in the future, she can save the family one or two hundred Qian Gold yearly in expensive "pesticide costs," and every cent saved is pure profit.

"But, all of this depends on Shouzhe's fortune." Wang Xiaozhi laughed until he couldn't close his mouth. "Fourth Granduncle also understands your saying, sometimes bad things often turn into good ones. Shouzhe, you are a blessed person. After you become the clan leader, our Wang Family will undoubtedly fare better and better."

Although superstition should not be upheld, Wang Shouzhe still quite appreciated Wang Xiaozhi's belief in him.

Moreover, with his advanced thinking, if he did not seize some business opportunities in this insect plague, he would be unworthy of being a transmigrator. The Daqian Government Office strongly controls grain prices, prohibiting speculation, but the Daqian Government Office has not banned the speculation of Insecticide Powder, has it?

A plan was gradually forming in his mind.

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