So Good! My Precious Granddaughter

"In addition, the Yingxiu Lu Clan, the Jinsha Xu Clan, and the Donggang Chen Clan are families we must actively assist," Wang Shouzhe said with a solemn expression. "Over the past forty or fifty years, our Wang Clan has intermarried with them, establishing deep, mutual ties."

None of these three families are particularly powerful. Yet, it is precisely for this reason that they were willing to engage in direct-line marriages with the now-declining Ping'an Wang Clan. Among them, the relationship with the Yingxiu Lu Clan is the closest; Wang Shouzhe's biological mother was a direct descendant of the Lu Clan.

Furthermore, the current Clan Leader of the Yingxiu Lu Clan's legal wife is Wang Liuling, the eldest direct daughter of the Wang Clan's sixth generation and Wang Shouzhe's own aunt. The relationship is quite complex and intimate.

"Indeed, these three families are very close to our Wang Clan now. So, Shouzhe, what is your plan?" Wang Xiaozhi asked, nodding in agreement. Two of his daughters were married off—one to the Shanyang Gongsun Clan and one to the Donggang Chen Clan. His son, Wang Dingbang, who passed away in his prime, had married a direct descendant of the Jinsha Xu Clan.

"Fourth Grand-Uncle needs to quickly compile the causes and potential damage of this pest outbreak, while I will dispatch family guards to notify these six families overnight," Wang Shouzhe said rapidly. "The Shanyin Liu Clan and the Changning Xu Clan have already cultivated Spirit Insect Masters within their ranks; as long as we provide them with the methods, I believe they will have no trouble resolving this crisis themselves. As for the Jinsha Xu Clan and the Donggang Chen Clan, their primary business is not agriculture, so we will fulfill our duty to notify them and minimize their losses."

After a brief pause, Wang Shouzhe continued, "The more troublesome ones are the Yingxiu Lu Clan and the Shanyang Gongsun Clan. First, we must fulfill our duty to notify them immediately. Furthermore, we must actively provide aid to them and show our utmost sincerity. In this way, even if they suffer heavy losses in the pestilence, they will feel gratitude toward us rather than resentment."

This calculation and line of reasoning left Wang Xiaozhi stunned. He had never imagined that the sudden outbreak of a pestilence could involve such a complex situation.

More importantly, Wang Shouzhe was able to arrange everything so thoughtfully and meticulously in such a short time, covering every possible angle.

"Shouzhe, Fourth Grand-Uncle underestimated you, and I underestimated Luojing," Wang Xiaozhi sighed with a bitter smile. "You young people of this generation are truly outstanding. We are old; the 'Xiao' generation is truly old."

"Fourth Grand-Uncle is too modest. If your generation hadn't held onto the ancestral foundation, where would we juniors have a place to stand?" After this humble remark, Wang Shouzhe sneered, "Besides those six families, the Liu Clan and the Zhao Clan in particular..."

Wang Xiaozhi's expression turned serious instantly. "Rest assured, Shouzhe. For the next ten days, our Wang Clan's three major farms will completely seal off the news."

Unexpectedly, Wang Shouzhe squinted and smiled. "A pest outbreak cannot be hidden; every family has agricultural experts. Within three days, the entire Changning Guard region will be in an uproar. By the way, Fourth Grand-Uncle, didn't you hoard a batch of Pest-Exterminating Powder at a low price?"

At the mention of this, Wang Xiaozhi's expression was filled with annoyance. "Yes, the Pest-Exterminating Powder from last winter was at its lowest price in years, and there was a bulk discount. I thought that since our three farms couldn't function without it, I consulted with the elders and hoarded a large batch—enough for three years. And now, there is over three hundred Qian Gold worth of stock left. What a massive loss! After this pestilence, how could that powder be of any use?"

The clan was already so strapped for cash; losing over three hundred Qian Gold in one go was enough to make Wang Xiaozhi feel guilty even in his grave.

"The Pest-Exterminating Powder shouldn't have completely lost its effectiveness, should it?" Wang Shouzhe mused, his mind racing.

"Not entirely, but it is much harder to deal with adult Honey Insects than with insect eggs," Wang Xiaozhi said with a heavy expression. "I just tested it; it requires a double dose mixed with wood ash lye to quickly eliminate the Honey Insects, and that doesn't even account for the ones that will continue to hatch."

Subsequently, Wang Shouzhe fired off a series of questions like a machine gun.

Wang Xiaozhi, having been cowed earlier, did not dare to underestimate Wang Shouzhe again and patiently answered them one by one. At seventy-five years old, having started learning agriculture from his father at fifteen, he possessed sixty years of incredibly rich experience.

"So, in an average year, the output value of winter wheat per mu is about 15 Great Copper coins," Wang Shouzhe said, his mind rapidly organizing the data. "After deducting taxes, tenant wages, farm tools, oxen, seeds, and the fixed amortization of the Pest-Exterminating Powder, the cost of the powder is about 1 Great Copper coin, leaving a gross profit of 8 Great Copper coins per mu. If this pestilence is not controlled properly, assuming a 50% reduction in yield, the farm will enter a state of slight loss. The greater the reduction, the greater the loss..."

"If we do nothing, I fear the yield will drop by about 70%." Wang Xiaozhi's body shuddered as he began to understand Wang Shouzhe's meaning, making a rough judgment. "If we increase the investment by 2 Great Copper coins worth of Pest-Exterminating Powder when the pestilence breaks out, we can control the disaster to within a 20% reduction compared to previous years."

"The Great Qian Kingdom currently implements a unified official grain reserve mechanism. Any noble family or merchant firm that dares to manipulate grain prices during good or bad years commits a grave crime," Wang Shouzhe continued to organize the conditions. "Therefore, based on a 70% reduction, every 10% of yield saved is worth 1 Great Copper and 50 Jiao coins. Saving 50% of the yield is worth 7 Great Copper and 50 Jiao coins. So the question is, if there is no Spirit Insect Master to manage the Honey Insects, is that 2 Great Copper coin investment in powder worth it!?"

"It is!" Upon hearing Wang Shouzhe's analysis, Wang Xiaozhi nodded rapidly. "I would invest even if it cost 4 Great Copper coins." His eyes lit up with excitement. "Listening to you, Shouzhe, does that mean the three hundred Qian Gold worth of powder we hoarded isn't a loss, but is actually worth six hundred Qian Gold? Good, good, good! It serves those guys right for mocking me for hoarding it."

"It is worth at least six hundred Qian Gold. We have Fifth Sister Luojing, a junior Spirit Insect Master who specializes in treating Honey Insects, so we don't even need to use that powder. But compared to the entire Changning Guard region, a Spirit Insect Master is just a drop in the bucket; most families will have to rely on the powder to survive the disaster." Wang Shouzhe smiled calmly. "Congratulations, Fourth Grand-Uncle, you've made a huge profit for the clan."

"Hahaha, wonderful!" Wang Xiaozhi laughed until his face turned ruddy. "My Luojing is truly a treasure; she is worthy of being my granddaughter."

Wang Shouzhe's mouth twitched. This Fourth Grand-Uncle was truly thick-skinned; he had previously been so biased toward men, constantly claiming that granddaughters were a losing investment. Yet, in the blink of an eye, Luojing had become a treasure.

However, come to think of it, Luojing, as a future Spirit Insect Master, was indeed a treasure. Even if the Pest-Exterminating Powder continued to be updated and effective in the future, she could save the clan one or two hundred Qian Gold in expensive "agricultural chemicals" every year, and this saved money would be pure profit.

"But all of this is thanks to your good fortune, Shouzhe," Wang Xiaozhi said, his smile stretching from ear to ear. "Fourth Uncle finally understands what you said—sometimes bad things turn into good things. Shouzhe, you are a man of fortune. Under your leadership as Clan Leader, our Wang Clan will surely prosper."

Although Wang Shouzhe didn't believe in superstition, he quite appreciated Wang Xiaozhi's superstition regarding him.

Moreover, with his forward-thinking mindset, if he didn't seize some business opportunities during this pestilence, he would be a failure as a transmigrator. The Great Qian government strictly controlled grain prices and forbade speculation, but they hadn't forbidden the speculation of Pest-Exterminating Powder, had they?

A plan was already taking shape in his mind.