https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-67-Baise-County-a-Treasure-Land-for-Growing-Fruits/12849171/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-69-Receiving-Another-Matchmaking-Gift-and-Becoming-a-Semi-Ten-Thousand-Yuan-Household/12849177/
Chapter 68: Precious Knowledge
Chapter 68: Precious Knowledge
The sky was just beginning to lighten when Deng Yunkun and his two sons woke up.
After eating the congee they had prepared the night before, the three of them grabbed their tools and headed toward Uncle Jiu’s hill.
This was their eighth day of work. They didn’t need anyone to supervise them; they would arrive early at the hill and work until dusk, only stopping to go home for meals.
It wasn’t just the three of them who worked this hard. Deng Changping and Deng Sihua also did the same.
All five of them were known for their good character. Unlike other villagers who often slacked off during collective work, they always worked diligently. This approach, though it seemed to put them at a disadvantage, earned them the trust of the entire village. This was the main reason Deng Shirong chose them for the job.
Originally, they were already hardworking by nature. Now, with Deng Shirong offering them such a high wage—something they had only dreamed of in the past—they were even more motivated to work hard.
On the way, Deng Changdong asked, "Dad, do you think Uncle Jiu can make money from this orchard with all the money he’s investing?"
Deng Yunkun replied, "Everyone in the village has asked Uncle Jiu about this. According to him, it will definitely make money, but we don’t know how much yet."
Deng Changliang chimed in, "Dad, how about we turn our own hill into an orchard once we finish Uncle Jiu’s? If Uncle Jiu is willing to invest so much money, we just need to put in a bit more effort and maybe buy some saplings. I think it’s worth a try."
Deng Yunkun nodded, "I’ve thought about it too. It’s definitely worth a shot. Once we finish Uncle Jiu’s orchard, the three of us will earn a substantial amount of money. We can use that to start our own orchard."
Deng Changdong added, "Last night, my wife mentioned that many people in the village have asked Uncle Jiu about the orchard, but so far, only Uncle Yunqiang’s family has decided to follow his lead. Everyone else is waiting to see if Uncle Jiu’s orchard will be successful. If we decide to join in, we’ll be the third family to start an orchard in the village."
Deng Changliang said, "The earlier we start, the sooner we can make money. As long as we follow Uncle Jiu’s lead, we can’t go wrong."
Deng Yunkun responded, "It’s still early to talk about this. Let’s focus on finishing the job Uncle Jiu gave us first."
The three of them chatted as they walked. When they reached the foot of the hill, Deng Changping and Deng Sihua arrived at the same time.
The five of them smiled at each other, exchanged greetings, and then began their work.
After a week of effort, they had cleared half of the trees and weeds on the hill. With another week of work, they expected to finish the clearing, and the orchard could then be officially developed.
...
Deng Changfu and his wife, having heard Uncle Jiu’s detailed calculations of the potential profits from growing Guiwei lychees, easily convinced their respective parents.
Thus, the two families, led by Uncle Jiu, went to the credit union to apply for a loan. Deng Changfu and his wife also accompanied them.
When Credit Union Director Bu Wanhui saw Deng Shirong, who had brought him two clients so quickly, his enthusiasm was so evident that it left Deng Yunqiang and Guan Dewei, the two in-laws, deeply impressed. They felt that Uncle Jiu truly deserved his reputation as a notable figure in Bangjie Village, even earning the respect of the credit union director.
The loan application process was straightforward. At Deng Shirong’s suggestion, both families applied for a loan of 2000 yuan each.
After about ten minutes, Deng Shirong and the others left the credit union.
"Now that the funding is secured, you can take care of the orchard development on your own. The only thing left to do is to get the saplings!"
Recalling the various inconveniences of the trip to Lingshan County, Deng Shirong didn’t want to accompany them. He said, "I’ll give you the detailed address of the Xin Guang Farm. I’ve already told you the price of the saplings. You can negotiate with the farm’s management. If you can get a better price, all the better."
If the price is higher than what I negotiated, just mention my name and say I referred you. It should be fine!"
Both in-laws nodded in agreement. With Uncle Jiu giving such detailed instructions, it would be a failure if they couldn't get it done.
"Also, the outside world is a bit chaotic these days. On your way to Ling Mountain, make sure to take care of your safety. Carry self-defense weapons, and if you encounter bandits, prioritize your personal safety. Money can always be earned back, so don't take unnecessary risks," Deng Shirong couldn't help but add another word of caution.
Guanyong Ying was surprised when he heard this. "Uncle Jiu, there are bandits out there?"
Deng Shirong nodded. "I heard this from people who frequently travel outside. It's only been two years since the reform and opening up. Many of the returning educated youth can't find jobs, so there are a lot of idle people around, which naturally leads to social unrest. The chances of encountering bandits are low, but as the saying goes, 'Better safe than sorry.' It's always good to be cautious when traveling."
"Uncle Jiu makes a good point. One should be careful when traveling," Deng Yunqiang agreed, then turned to his in-law. "In-law, you don't need to go to Ling Mountain. My son and I can handle it."
Guan Dewei understood that his in-laws didn't want him to suffer the journey. He felt grateful that his daughter had married into such a good family. Not only was his son-in-law excellent, but his in-laws were also kind. He nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll leave it to you and your son."
Deng Changfu smiled and said, "It's no trouble at all!"
...
Time passed day by day.
A week later, Deng Shirong stood on the barren hill behind his house, feeling a sense of nostalgia.
In his previous life, the entire Bangjie Brigade didn't start planting lychee orchards until the late 1980s to early 1990s. By then, there were bulldozers in rural areas, so people only needed to cut down the large trees, and the rest could be handled by the bulldozers.
An orchard could be transformed in just a few days, which was incredibly fast.
However, it was only 1980 now, and most rural people hadn't even heard of bulldozers, let alone seen them.
Therefore, the transformation of their orchard was a much more labor-intensive process. Deng Yunkun and his four companions spent half a month just cutting down trees and clearing weeds, and that was with them working from dawn till dusk. Otherwise, it would have taken even longer.
After reflecting on this, Deng Shirong explained his plans for the orchard to Deng Yunkun and the others: "You need to level the top of the hill. There's a depression on the other side; you can dig it out to make a larger and deeper reservoir for watering the lychee trees during droughts.
"The entire hill should be terraced, layer by layer, with each layer about 1.5 meters wide. This width can be adjusted, but the row spacing should be between 3.5 and 4 meters.
"Then, dig a 1-meter square pit, about 80 centimeters deep, every 3.5 meters or so..."
Deng Yunkun and the others listened carefully and took mental notes. In this era, there were no lychee orchards in the entire Shuangwang region, so they had no idea about the planting distances, row spacings, or the size and depth of the tree pits. To them, Deng Shirong's instructions were invaluable knowledge.
(End of Chapter)
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