https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-154-Southern-Shrimp-Northern-Crab-and-the-Two-Guangs-Devouring-the-Natural-World/12849285/
Chapter 153: The Partridges Call, the Turtle Doves Sing, and the Cicadas Chirp
Chapter 153: The Partridges Call, the Turtle Doves Sing, and the Cicadas Chirp
After the New Year, when the Deng Shirong and Deng Yunqiang families brought back the seedlings of the Guiwei lychee to plant, many villagers, led by Captain Deng Yunjun, also began to utilize their spare labor to cultivate orchards.
After two or three months of hard work, the orchards were mostly ready for planting.
With the orchards prepared, the next step was to plant the fruit trees. However, many villagers were still unsure about what kind of fruit trees to plant.
Initially, everyone wanted to follow Deng Shirong and plant the Guiwei lychee, but the seedlings had to be pre-ordered from Lingshan County, and they were quite expensive, costing hundreds of yuan per household.
In the village, very few families could afford such a large sum of money.
If they chose to plant longan trees or other fruit trees, the initial investment would be much smaller.
Thus, after the orchards were prepared, the undecided villagers gathered at Captain Deng Yunjun's home to discuss what kind of fruit trees would be most suitable.
"Captain, are you still planning to plant the Guiwei lychee like Uncle Jiu?"
"Captain, I've been thinking about it a lot, and the cost of planting the Guiwei lychee is really too high. If we encounter a typhoon or some kind of pest, we could end up losing a lot of money!"
"Captain, my family can only afford 200 yuan. What kind of fruit tree do you think is best?"
"Captain..."
Once they arrived at Captain Deng Yunjun's home, the villagers started speaking up one after another.
After listening to their concerns, Deng Yunjun had a clear idea of what they were thinking. He said, "I understand your thoughts. Let me share my own perspective."
Nearly twenty villagers, including Deng Yunkun, looked at the captain expectantly.
"Everyone has already prepared their orchards and is eager to plant fruit trees. I can't give you specific advice on which seedlings to choose, but I can share my own decision."
Deng Yunjun looked at the villagers and continued, "I've already said that I plan to plant the Guiwei lychee, just like Uncle Jiu. My intention hasn't changed. If anyone wants to join me, we can stay behind and discuss how to order the seedlings from Lingshan County."
At this, one of the villagers spoke up with a hint of frustration, "Captain, I also want to plant the Guiwei lychee, but the cost is at least a few hundred yuan, and I can't afford that much money!"
Deng Yunjun replied, "If you really want to plant them, there are ways. You can take a loan from the credit union."
The villager hesitated, "Captain, isn't that too risky? If something happens to the seedlings, we might have to tighten our belts for years to pay off the debt!"
Deng Yunjun said, "The risks you mentioned do exist, and I can't guarantee anything. It's up to you to decide."
Another villager asked, "Captain, what if I plant longan trees? Will that be profitable?"
Deng Yunjun responded, "Planting longan trees is certainly an option. The Bai Ping farm has planted over two thousand longan trees and earns a substantial income every year. If you want to plant longan trees, you can buy the seedlings directly from the Bai Ping farm. They are much cheaper than the Guiwei lychee, making it a good choice."
Another villager asked, "Captain, I want to plant tangerines. What do you think?"
Deng Yunjun nodded, "Of course, you can. As I said, no matter what kind of fruit tree you plant, as long as you take good care of it and it bears fruit, you can make money. Whether it's a little or a lot, it's better than letting the hills remain overgrown with grass. Don't you agree?"
Naturally, all the members agreed, understanding the logic behind the decision.
Next, the members began to share their own ideas. On one hand, they wanted to seek the captain's opinion, and on the other, they hoped to find others with similar ideas to work together.
After some discussion, each member made their choice based on their own circumstances. Three members expressed a desire to plant Guiwei lychees with the captain, eight members planned to grow the famous Shixia longans from Bobai County, and the rest chose to plant mandarins.
Seeing that everyone had made their choices, Deng Yunjun said, "Since everyone has decided, those who made the same choice should go together to Bai Ping Farm to reserve the fruit saplings. I hope you can help each other with any problems you encounter during the planting process and work together to make the orchard a success."
The members nodded in agreement, and those who made the same choice left the captain's home to find a place to discuss the reservation and planting of the saplings.
Deng Yunkun and two other members stayed behind to discuss the order of Guiwei lychee saplings from Ling Shan County.
...
As the lunar calendar entered the fourth month, the partridges called, the pigeons cooed, and the cicadas chirped loudly.
This was the time when rural children loved to catch cicadas the most.
There were two ways to catch cicadas. One was to search for them at night under the trees. By checking several trees, one could usually find cicada nymphs. These nymphs would often climb to a height of one to two meters before shedding their shells.
The cicada shells, known in traditional Chinese medicine as "chan yi" or "chan tui," could be collected and sold for money. Although they didn't fetch much, for children with no income, a diligent summer of collecting could still earn them a fair bit of pocket money.
The other method was to catch the cicadas while they were chirping in the trees, which was a particularly exciting activity for children.
Today was Sunday, and the two young brothers, Deng Yunhua and Deng Yunheng, were wandering around with their cicada-catching tools, heading wherever they heard cicada chirps. Their tools were simple: a long, thin bamboo pole with sticky rubber wrapped around the top.
When they spotted a chirping cicada in a tree, they would carefully approach it with the rubber tip. As soon as the rubber touched the cicada's wings, it would be stuck firmly, unable to escape no matter how much it struggled.
Actually, cicadas were neither attractive nor particularly entertaining. Even if given away for free, others might not want them.
But rural children still enjoyed catching them, relishing the process itself, much like how a fisherman might not necessarily enjoy eating fish.
After catching cicadas for half a day, the brothers were thoroughly satisfied and headed home with their bounty. However, before they even reached home, they had already distributed their catch to the younger children in the village.
Older children didn't care much, but the little ones, just a few years old, were quite fond of them.
Back home, Deng Yunhua hadn't even put down his bamboo pole when he caught a whiff of a rich aroma. He sniffed the air and asked, "Dad, what are you cooking? It smells so good!"
Deng Shirong, who was smoking by the door, smiled and said, "I'm stewing Dragon and Phoenix Soup."
(End of Chapter)
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