https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-67-Baise-County-a-Treasure-Land-for-Growing-Fruits/12849171/
Chapter 66: Speechless
Chapter 66: Speechless
Even if they only needed to pay for the saplings, it would still cost around 700 to 800 yuan. For the Deng Changfu couple, this was a significant amount of money.
Deng Changfu couldn't help but ask, "Elder Ninth, if we invest so much money, how long will it take to earn it back?"
"I bought grafted fruit saplings, so if everything goes well, they can start bearing fruit in the second year."
Deng Shirong placed his pipe aside and said, "Of course, in the second year, they will only bear a small amount of fruit. The yield will increase year by year until they reach their peak production. According to the experts, the lychee variety I chose can produce between 50 to 100 pounds of fruit per tree when it reaches its peak.
"Let me do the math for you. In the second year, with a smaller yield, I'll assume each tree produces an average of 5 pounds of fruit. With 1,000 lychee trees, that's at least 5,000 pounds of lychees.
"The current price of lychees varies depending on the variety, ranging from 20 to 50 cents per pound. The variety I chose, Guiwei, is one of the best in the world, so it will naturally command the highest price. At 50 cents per pound, it's a safe bet. Even at the wholesale price, it won't be less than 40 cents.
"At 40 cents per pound, 5,000 pounds would bring in 2,000 yuan.
"In other words, if everything goes as planned, I can recover my costs in the second year and even make a small profit. After that, as long as I manage the orchard well, it will provide a substantial income every year.
"If you only invest in the saplings and do the rest of the work yourselves, you could make a significant profit in the second year."
Deng Shirong spoke openly about the potential of planting lychees. With his knowledge from his past life, he knew that even if he didn't personally engage in business, guiding his children at the right times would ensure they never lacked money in this life.
So, a simple orchard was nothing to hide or keep secret. It was better to share the information openly, helping the villagers who trusted him to earn more money and improve the village's impoverished conditions.
First, it would enhance his reputation in the village.
Second, when the villagers had more money, he would receive more wedding gifts for his matchmaking services.
His words left the Deng Changfu couple speechless, their eyes wide with disbelief.
The future Deng Shirong described was far beyond their imagination.
If it were true, investing a few hundred yuan in an orchard, with a similar size to Elder Ninth's, could yield over a thousand yuan in the second year when the lychees started bearing fruit.
And if the trees reached their peak production, they could earn tens of thousands of yuan in a single year.
"Wow..."
The couple drew in sharp breaths, their hearts racing, clearly stunned by the potential.
However, Deng Changfu soon faced a practical problem: buying 1,000 saplings would cost at least 700 to 800 yuan, a sum his family couldn't afford, even if they included his parents' savings.
Feeling discouraged, he said, "Unfortunately, we don't even have the money to buy the saplings."
Guanyong Ying, who still had some savings from her parents, immediately suggested, "We don't need to plant so many. Even with just 200 to 300 trees, the income would be substantial. We can always expand later when we have more money."
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Money isn't a problem. If your family really plans to grow lychee trees, you can take out a loan from the credit union. This is a policy support from the government for farmers, and there's no interest to worry about."
Hearing the word "loan," the honest and straightforward Deng Changfu felt a bit nervous and hesitated to make a decision.
On the other hand, Guan Yongying showed some courage. Knowing that Ninth Elder wouldn't harm them, she nodded and said, "Ninth Elder, we'll follow your advice. I'll go back and discuss the matter with my parents-in-law. If they agree, we'll go to the credit union for a loan."
Deng Shirong looked at Deng Changfu and said, "You're not as bold as your wife. Originally, I planned to wait until the fruit trees were successfully planted before bringing you along. After all, the investment in these saplings isn't a small amount, and if anything went wrong, it would be my fault.
However, since you've come to me, we can start planting earlier.
I bought the saplings from a state-owned farm, and our county is the best place to grow fruits. The risk of something going wrong is minimal, so there's not much to worry about."
Deng Changfu smiled sheepishly. He was the kind of honest, practical person who never overextended himself, so the idea of taking out a loan had always been something he avoided.
The couple then asked Ninth Elder more detailed questions, gathering all the information they needed before they left with excited hearts.
On their way home, Guan Yongying reminded her husband, "Honey, Ninth Elder hasn't hidden anything from us about this profitable venture. When we get home, make sure to talk to your parents and get their approval for the orchard. Whether we can move into a beautiful house like Ninth Elder's and use a clean bathroom depends entirely on this orchard!"
Deng Changfu nodded. "I understand. Ninth Elder has been nothing but honest with us."
Soon, the couple arrived home and saw their father sitting at the door, smoking. Deng Changfu said to Guan Yongying, "Go inside and call Mom out."
Guan Yongying nodded and went to fetch her mother-in-law.
Deng Yunqiang, who was smoking, looked up at his eldest son and asked, "What's up?"
Deng Changfu nodded. "Yes, there's something."
Deng Yunqiang stuffed tobacco into his pipe and asked, "What is it?"
At that moment, Changfu's mother, who had been called out by Guan Yongying, joined them and asked, "What's going on, you two?"
Seeing his mother, Deng Changfu recounted the conversation with Ninth Elder in detail, concluding with, "Dad, Mom, what do you think? Should we go ahead with the orchard?"
Without a doubt, Deng Yunqiang and his wife were shocked. The second year of growing lychee trees would bring in a few thousand yuan, and if things went well, the income would only increase, potentially reaching tens of thousands at its peak.
In the rural areas of that era, who could remain calm upon hearing such news?
Back then, the price of lychees was hard to find. The author meticulously checked the records of Bobai County and only found the price for 1988, which was 2 to 3 yuan per pound. Since there was no data for 1980, the author had to estimate the price by comparing it with the prices of rice, pork, and chicken in 1988 and 1980. While it may not be 100% accurate, it should be close. If anyone knows the exact price, please leave a comment. Thanks!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
