Free Web NovelChapter 1196: Chapter 1198
Squandering money. So irrational, really treating money as if it’s nothing.
This was Zhao Guangran’s reaction when he learned that his older brother planned to use this method to improve his photography skills in the future.
"Bro, you really don’t need to take photos all the time. You’re truly wasting it like this." Zhao Guangran gently reminded him.
Zhao Guangran was worried that if their parents found out about his brother’s plan, they wouldn’t blame his brother for going overboard but would think it was him, the younger brother, who misled him.
Really, it’s tearful to recall how their parents treated him when he was young, and Zhao Guangran truly admired how he managed to grow up so relaxed under such circumstances.
Waste? "I don’t think I’m wasting."
Zhao Xuran never thought that what he did for Gong Ruini was a wasteful act, "I don’t smoke; who knows how much money I’m saving on cigarettes."
"And for those who smoke, their lungs and other organs aren’t great. If you go for a medical check-up, you might see your lungs turning black." Zhao Xuran took the opportunity to lecture a few of them.
Was he talking about him? Zhao Guangran was helpless, only hoping that his brother wouldn’t spread this to the family back home, otherwise, Dad and the others definitely wouldn’t let it go.
It’s really quite disgusting. Remembering the lung he saw last time, Zhao Guangran felt his throat itching badly.
Since his brother doesn’t want him to smoke, then he won’t smoke. He doesn’t have the addiction anyway.
"The photos I take can serve as mementos, say a family photo when everyone reunites every year."
"From now on, I’ll take photos of Mom, Dad, and Grandma every month." Seeing them daily, it’s not that easy to notice minor changes in their health immediately.
However, photos will faithfully capture how people look at the time they are taken.
Ah, every month? Zhao Guangran thought it might be too frequent, though Ni Zi would develop the photos themselves after returning to China. They have their own channels for film, but it’s still a hassle, isn’t it?
Zhao Guangran’s concerns never bothered Zhao Xuran. For him, he’s just notifying everyone.
If someone has comments, they can talk to him, and as for whether he’ll take them, that’s a matter for later, something he’ll think through carefully.
Looking at Zhao Xuran, who, though seeming supportive, evidently didn’t have his heart in this conversation.
Never mind, he shouldn’t meddle too much. Taking more photos for Grandma and others is a good thing. If he hadn’t suddenly noticed the changes in Grandma this year, he wouldn’t ponder how the old man treats the elderly.
Gong Jiaming wasn’t interested in all of this, he was interested in, "Brother Xu Ran, did you go visit the ranch?"
They’ve been here so long and yet there’s no progress, which was making him anxious.
The tuition for studying in the United States had to be earned by themselves, saving old red envelopes given during Chinese New Year and those they collected before going abroad.
Knowing before he left, life in the United States is genuinely tough with high rent.
Apart from working hard to earn money, alternatives like working as a cleaner or taking tough jobs in factories weren’t suitable.
So he thought over and over, and felt that besides trading stocks, he should invest in something. The stock market, though good, was too risky.
These days, he hadn’t sought advice from Zhao Xuran about why he invested in ranches.
Though the returns weren’t high, they were quite stable, which satisfied Gong Jiaming thoroughly.
Lately, Zhao Xuran had rented a car and was wandering around, frequently chatting with various ranch owners.
Although some ranch owners didn’t really hold ’yellow-skinned monkeys’ in high regard, most were very warm and welcoming, allowing Zhao Xuran to gain a lot of useful insights.
"I think investing is possible, but it should be gradual." Zhao Xuran didn’t expect he would gain good information just by habitually chatting with some ranch owners.
This firmed his resolve to invest, though deciding when to invest required thorough consideration.
Ah, gradual? Zhao Guangran didn’t understand, but he absolutely supported him.
Money in his hands could surely earn more money, but he hadn’t had a way to suggest this idea beforehand; bringing it up might make his brother think poorly of him.
It’s good now; big brother figured it out himself. Talking with a smart person is great because guidance isn’t necessary. The person involved figures it out on their own.
"The climate this year hasn’t been great, with not much rain, so the pasture isn’t in good shape."
"Additionally, many ranch owners’ incomes aren’t assured after considering wages and feed costs, just earning a bit over the hard work. They still have to pay bank loan interest."
Zhao Xuran looked up at Zhao Guangran, making the latter feel odd. He really hadn’t said anything stupid again.
Could it be the stupid things he said in the past had been spread around?
"They say the price of their beef is now determined by Wall Street, not just restaurants and supermarkets."
Ah, the ranches produce beef and whatnot. This surely isn’t related to supermarkets; how does Wall Street come into play?
Gong Ruini didn’t think they’d heard the food they cooked was great and specifically invited Gong Ruini back. There must be some backstory.
It turned out to be for this reason, sigh of relief, "There’s some connection, Bro, as you know, many restaurants are public companies or jointly opened. When someone exits, financial people pop up. Of course, there are other reasons too."
Zhao Guangran hoped his brother wouldn’t continue to dig, or he’d be at his wits’ end.
It’s truly related to those wolves, Gong Ruini helplessly acknowledged that real economy often doesn’t compare favorably to stock market economics, increasingly susceptible to US stock market influences.
"We’re indifferent. We ship our stuff back to the homeland." While Gong Ruzhi said so nonchalantly, he was keeping an eye on things within.
"We must, otherwise where do we get the funds to cover this? Selling here in the U.S., not only is it at a lower price, but selling more could lead others to doubt the company’s profitability."
Gong Ruini truly felt helpless toward this, dealing with people who "swallow others whole" in a financial sense.
"Yes, yes, our clients are different from theirs." Gong Ruzhi was beaming with joy now.
"Same here. Besides, I didn’t taste any difference." It’s not like it’s premium beef, so how can one taste any difference?
"What about compared to the meat in China?" Gong Ruini just wanted to know how it tasted.
"It’s much stronger."
"Okay, then after buying the ranch, we’ll slaughter the cattle and ship them back to China." Even if the freight isn’t cheap, calculating it into the price makes it something astronomical.
Yet, plenty of people won’t mind this cost, as what they’re after is taste and quality ingredients.
Zhao Guangran was helpless. Though they hadn’t bought the ranch, they were making a big deal out of it. Why not consider what the situation will be if they don’t buy this year? Why discuss it now?
If the overall environment is poor, acquiring a larger ranch could solve issues, but then raising more cattle could bring sales problems.
Worry, it’s a worry, elder brother just leaves a possibility dangling, leaving no feedback. He overdoes it, sigh.
Let him study the stock market; he’s confident. But studying ranch pricing trends, he’s really out of his depth. Still, in front of his brother, he absolutely can’t admit this incompetence; otherwise, he’d lose face.
Annoying indeed, understanding why "the more you do, the more mistakes; the less you do, the fewer mistakes" hits home; just look at Ni Zi’s leisurely vacation-like life daily.
Zhao Guangran felt injustice, but he couldn’t bring Ni Zi into this for fear of his brother’s dissatisfaction; better to face the criticism alone.
