Chapter 34: Persuading Father

When Li Shankui returned home, Li Yi had just sent Dongzi and the others off.

Seeing two bottles of high-quality sorghum liquor on the cabinet, Li Shankui frowned and asked, "Didn't you go see Uncle Feng today?"

"I did, and the land was approved," Li Yi replied.

"Then why didn't you give him the liquor?"

"I tried, but he wouldn't take it. He even said..."

"Said what?"

"Uncle Feng said he was afraid you’d break his legs!"

"You brat, you’re just spouting nonsense. Why would I give him trouble for approving land for you? Just because of two bottles of liquor?" Li Shankui glared at his son.

"The liquor is a minor detail. The main thing is that Uncle Feng approved the plot at the east end of the village for me!"

"Is there even a residential plot left at the east end of the village? How come I didn't know?" Li Shankui asked, puzzled.

"There is. It’s that patch of black stone land!"

Hearing this, Li Shankui stopped mid-puff on his cigarette, then said in a deep voice, "You mean that piece of land where nothing can grow?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"Why would you want that? You won't be able to grow a thing around the house. No, I’m going to have a word with him. This is bullying!"

Seeing his hot-tempered father about to blow his top, Li Yi immediately stepped in to block him. "Dad... Dad... calm down. This isn't Uncle Feng’s fault!"

"He’s the branch secretary. If it’s not his fault, whose is it?"

"It’s mine. I was the one who insisted that Uncle Feng approve that land for me!" Li Yi confessed.

"You... you insisted?" Li Shankui pointed at Li Yi, looking at him in disbelief.

"Yes, I insisted that Uncle Feng grant me that plot. I wouldn't take no for an answer!"

"I... you spendthrift! What do you want that barren land for..."

Seeing his father’s temper rising again, Li Yi hurriedly said, "Dad... my dear Dad, can you please listen to me for a moment? I have my reasons for doing this!"

"What kind of reason? I think you’ve lost your mind..."

At this moment, Li Na returned from the educated youth dormitory. Hearing her father’s shouting from afar, she walked in to ask what was going on.

Although Li Shankui had a short temper, he was always good to his third daughter. He immediately said, "Third one, this spendthrift actually asked your Uncle Feng for that black stone land at the east end of the village as a building plot. Isn't that just absurd!"

She glanced at Li Yi, her brow furrowing.

Everyone in the village knew about the situation with that black stone land, and Li Na didn't believe her little brother was unaware of it. Furthermore, given the relationship between Uncle Feng and her father, even if her brother didn't know, Feng would have made it clear.

"Xiao Yi, tell your third sister, what are you thinking?"

With his third sister present, Li Yi knew his father’s temper might be slightly dampened, giving him a chance to defend—or rather, explain—himself.

"Dad, I know the situation with the black stone land. Other than it being unsuitable for crops, there’s no other issue," Li Yi said.

"It can't grow anything, which is frustrating enough. What else do you want?" Li Shankui retorted.

"Dad, do you know how big of a plot Uncle Feng approved for me?"

"How big?"

"A full three mu!"

Li Shankui looked at him with dissatisfaction and said, "That’s not small, but if you can't even grow a single potato on it, what’s the use of it being big?"

"It has great use!"

Li Yi continued, "Dad, I begged Uncle Feng for that land mainly because it’s large enough. I plan to set up a breeding farm there in the future. I need space for that!"

"A... a breeding farm? What are you going to raise?"

Li Shankui was shocked by his son’s whimsical idea. While the authorities were turning a blind eye to individuals raising livestock these days—unlike a few years ago when families were only allowed to keep three chickens and were strictly forbidden from raising pigs, cattle, sheep, horses, mules, or donkeys—it was still just a tacit understanding, not a formal lifting of restrictions.

Sneaking a few chickens or raising a single pig was already nerve-wracking enough. His son wanted to set up a full-scale breeding farm; wasn't that just handing people a reason to report him?

"Dad, I know what you’re worried about, but the policy has changed!"

Li Yi went on, "The 'household responsibility system' has been implemented in Anhui province for over two years now, and it’s being piloted in several other provinces. Soon, whether we have enough to eat will depend on our own efforts!"

"Then you should have asked for better land so you could grow more grain!" Li Shankui argued.

"Dad, scratching a living from the soil might keep us from starving, but it won't make us rich! With your son’s ability to earn money, do you really think I’ll be farming just to fill my belly in the future?"

Hearing his son’s words, Li Shankui fell silent.

If Li Yi had said this to him before, he would have grabbed the sole of his shoe and given him a beating. But ever since he and Li Na helped out with his son’s stall, Li Shankui had been stunned. In less than half a day, his son had made half a year’s salary of a regular worker by selling mountain goods and cold noodles. If it were up to the old farmers like them, it would take two years to earn that much money.

Therefore, Li Shankui believed his son when he said he wouldn't be farming for food.

Seeing his father appeared to be swayed, Li Yi continued, "Dad, besides needing a large space for the house, I want that black stone land so that when the policies allow, I can build a breeding farm. This is part of my long-term plan, not a spur-of-the-moment whim!"

Li Na looked at Li Yi and asked, "Can a breeding farm make money?"

"Yes!"

Li Yi was firm. He knew that as the private economy gained recognition, the entire country’s economy would enter the fast lane. In just a few decades, the nation’s economic level would shift from looking up to the West to looking down upon the globe. In such an environment, the public’s demand for meat would grow explosively, and for the next few decades, the breeding industry would be profitable most of the time.

"If that’s the case, I support Xiao Yi’s decision!" Li Na said.

Li Shankui was stunned. *Did I ask for your opinion? What good does your support do!*

However, he couldn't help but seriously consider what his son had just said. If his son were content to be a simple farmer, having some fertile land would be good. But his son’s ambitions clearly didn't lie in being a plain, hard-working farmer. Even the best black soil in the Northeast wouldn't be much use to him if he had different goals!

In that case, the black stone land might actually be more useful for him.

Thinking this, Li Shankui could only sigh and say, "I’ve said what I needed to say. I just hope you won't regret it later!"

"I won't. I definitely won't," Li Yi said with a smile.

"Hmm. Since you’ve made up your mind, when do you plan to start?" Li Shankui asked again.

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, "Dad, the sooner the better! Since we’re building a 'soft-inside, hard-outside' structure (adobe inside, brick-clad outside), we need to mold the adobe bricks in advance. It takes at least a week for them to dry!"

"Plus, we need to gather other materials and hire carpenters and masons. If we start too late, we won't finish in time!"

Li Shankui nodded and said, "I’ll go find people tomorrow. It’s not a very busy time for farm work, so it should be easy to hire help."

"Great, I’ll leave that to you, Dad!"

Li Yi then handed over the more than six hundred yuan he had saved up to his father for the construction. Li Shankui didn't stand on ceremony and took the money.