Pigs' liver, frankly, is too fishy. Not now, and not even in later generations, with all sorts of seasonings, can many people tolerate that taste.
There was no other way, and Chen Yang gave up the idea of making pig liver for his wife.
Since Shen Xue couldn't eat pig liver, he had to find other ways to supplement her nutrition. The doctor said that during pregnancy, calcium supplementation was important, and the best way was definitely milk.
There were no places to raise dairy cows in Liuhe County. In this poor, remote area, many people didn't even know what a dairy cow looked like.
Chen Yang didn't know where to find any, so he could only ask Wang Jianguo from the food factory for help.
Wang Jianguo was now the deputy director of the food factory, so it wasn't difficult to inquire about such matters.
As soon as Wang Jianguo received the news, he sent his older cousin, Zhao Wukang, to inform Chen Yang.
"Have a drink of water and catch your breath, you silly boy. Look at you, breathless. What's the matter, in such a hurry?"
Shen Futang looked at his great-nephew, who had run home out of breath, and with a heartache, poured him a dipper of water.
"Gulp, gulp."
Zhao Wukang didn't stand on ceremony. He had run all the way, and his throat was almost burning. After a long while, Zhao Wukang finally caught his breath.
"Uncle, Brother-in-law's inquiry through Director Wang about dairy cows has some news."
"It so happens that Director Wang is going on a business trip to Fei City tomorrow, and he might have a chance to help Brother-in-law connect. So I'm rushing to tell Brother-in-law to come over and discuss it."
"Uncle, where is my Brother-in-law? I need to hurry and find him to reply to Director Wang, otherwise, once Director Wang leaves tomorrow, we won't be able to contact him for a while."
Zhao Wukang quickly said to Shen Futang, as Wang Jianguo was in a hurry.
Originally, the news had been obtained long ago, but Chen Yang hadn't been to the food factory for a few days, and Wang Jianguo wasn't in a hurry. He planned to tell Chen Yang when he came over.
Who would have thought that today, a sudden message came from the city, stating that the Municipal Aquatic Products Company was going to some fraternal breeding units in Fei City for research and to learn from advanced large-scale breeding experience.
Ye Xuejun, the general manager of the Municipal Aquatic Products Company, specifically requested that Wang Jianguo be brought along. Wang Jianguo had to rush to Qinghe City tomorrow morning to go to Fei City with the leaders to visit and learn.
The news came too suddenly. After all, it was only when leaders valued him that they would specifically bring him along. This kind of opportunity would never have come to him, a deputy director who had just been promoted. Of course, he couldn't give prior notice.
Wang Jianguo thought of Chen Yang's request to find dairy cows. The list of people going to Fei City for study this time included the state-run dairy farm in Fei City, which was the same factory he had inquired about.
It was also the only large-scale dairy farming factory in the entire Anhui Province at the moment. With such a good opportunity, Wang Jianguo had to tell Chen Yang.
After all, he couldn't make the decision for Chen Yang. The price of a dairy cow was not low, likely hundreds, if not thousands.
There was no way around it. A yellow cow alone weighed several hundred jin. Pork was nine mao per jin plus meat coupons, and beef was more expensive than pork. Moreover, a cow weighed much more than a pig.
Even if a dairy cow was not as heavy as a water buffalo, it would likely weigh six or seven hundred jin, or even seven or eight hundred jin. Just the meat alone would approach a thousand, let alone a scarce breed like a dairy cow, which would definitely cost a lot.
Wang Jianguo also considered this point. Knowing that he couldn't make the decision for Chen Yang, he quickly asked Zhao Wukang to inform Chen Yang. Moreover, even if he could make the decision, he couldn't come up with so much money.
In an era when one dollar could buy five jin of rice, buying a dairy cow for a thousand was outrageously expensive. However, there was a price but no market. Generally, dairy farms would never sell their dairy cows.
"Your brother-in-law is measuring land in the back. He said the house is too small and he wants to acquire a plot of land to build a bigger house. He also said he wants to plan it well. These days, he's just measuring land nearby when he's free."
"Come, I'll take you to find him."
Upon hearing that it was his son-in-law's request, Shen Futang didn't dare to be negligent.
Although his daughter's health had improved a lot recently, her daily vomiting made him, the father, feel distressed.
His son-in-law had the intention of getting some good things to nourish his daughter, so he naturally supported him.
"Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law, Director Wang has news about the dairy cows."
As soon as he rounded the courtyard, Zhao Wukang saw Chen Yang measuring a piece of wasteland behind his yard with a rope.
Chen Yang's house was not in a great location, as with his and Shen Xue's modest means back then, they couldn't find much good land. However, there was an advantage: no one had built houses behind it.
In the middle of a patch of woods behind it, there was a small slope, which looked uneven and covered with shrubs. This piece of land was several mu.
Because there was no water here, and it was difficult to reclaim the land, and there were several households in front, it had always remained in this state.
Chen Yang intended to level this piece of land and build a few more rooms next to his current house, otherwise, if guests came, there would be no place for them to stay.
This was the only advantage now. Land in the countryside was not valuable. As long as the brigade agreed, one could build houses. Now, occupying the land meant occupying it.
By the time of later generations, the country would implement policies to protect cultivated land, and one could not build houses indiscriminately.
Even if you wanted to demolish an old house to build a new one, you would have to go through various approvals from the village committee and township land management office. Whether it could be approved was another matter. Offering cigarettes and wine would cost thousands, and it was extremely troublesome.
This led to many young people in the countryside being unable to afford houses in the city and not wanting to live in their parents' old, dilapidated houses. However, they were not allowed to build new houses here, so they had to rack their brains to find connections to get approvals.
"Wukang, what did Director Wang say? Where can we buy dairy cows?"
Upon hearing Zhao Wukang's words, Chen Yang, holding the measuring rope, couldn't even bother to put it away. He jumped down from the nearly two-meter-high slope.
"Fei City Dairy Farm!"
"Coincidentally, Director Wang will be accompanying the Municipal Aquatic Products Company to visit fraternal units in Fei City tomorrow. This factory is on the list, so Director Wang sent me to hurry and find Brother-in-law to discuss it."
As Zhao Wukang spoke, Chen Yang immediately understood.
This was Wang Jianguo knowing that dairy cows were too expensive and he couldn't make the decision.
"Alright, have some water first. I'll go and discuss it with your sister, and then I'll go to the county town with you immediately."
Chen Yang naturally had to get the money. Wang Jianguo was going to Fei City for study, and he couldn't go with him. Such a good opportunity, if missed, would be gone forever.
After discussing with Zhang Weiyang last time and starting to collect debts from various places, he had deposited nearly 200,000 yuan in the bank. He had given Zhang Weiyang over 20,000 yuan, and another 30,000 yuan for his father's preparatory surgery. The rest was in Chen Yang's hands.
Chen Yang also kept nearly 10,000 yuan in cash, fearing that he might need it.
In this era, withdrawing money from the bank was very troublesome, and so was depositing money. If it weren't for the fact that so much money at home was too frightening, he would have been too lazy to deposit it in the bank.
Therefore, buying a dairy cow, let alone a thousand or two thousand, he would be willing to spend more.
If he could really buy one, there would be many benefits.
Not only could Shen Xue drink it, but the two little ones could also drink milk daily to supplement their nutrition. Milk was a good thing.