San Gouzi’s car ran out of fuel halfway, so he stopped at a gas station to fill up. Behind his car was a procurement vehicle from the Yunnan Kunming Hotel, with a procurement manager of a four-star hotel sitting inside.
San Gouzi’s car was loaded with pears, which looked striking from a distance. The procurement manager got out of the car, took a closer look, checked the size, and even tasted one before buying them on the spot.
"Tourism is well-developed in Yunnan, and the items sold in hotels there are expensive. We sold a carload of pears for a total of sixteen hundred yuan," San Gouzi pulled out sixteen hundred-dollar bills from his pocket to give to Zhu Shijun. The 300-plus pounds of pears were sold at five or six yuan per pound, which was a pleasant surprise for both Zhu Shijun and San Gouzi.
"San Gouzi, keep a hundred yuan for yourself, and take the rest to the village chief later. I heard that several farming families haven’t even secured money for fertilizers this year," Zhu Shijun wasn’t tempted by the 1600 yuan. Although he had money, it wasn’t good to flaunt it. Ge Village had not received any grain subsidies, and although it wasn’t a large sum, it was sufficient for emergency needs.
"How can that be? That is your family’s tree," San Gouzi refused, as he hadn’t expected to earn money when he helped Zhu Shijun.
"It just grows behind our house, and no one cares for it. It grows naturally. When we picked the pears, it was Da Fu who found people and the village’s ladder. If I take the money, I owe thanks to the considerate village folks," Zhu Shijun said while glancing at a few women sitting at the village entrance; Wang Chunhua, rejuvenated by the "golden water," was glaring over here.
After the New Year, several more villagers went out to work, leaving about 600 people in the village, most of whom were farmers. The 1500 yuan, spread among the families, amounted to just over ten yuan per household, but it was still considered an income for the people of Ge Village.
When the money was distributed, Wang Chunhua did not forget to gossip at the village entrance, claiming the pear tree grew from a seed she spat out the year before last. After hearing this, Sister-in-law Lian commented by the stove, "A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory."
However, the pear tree and the money gave the village chief, Jin Dafu, a new idea. He immediately invited Zhu Shijun over, aiming to turn Ge Village into a pear village. It took several explanations from Zhu Shijun before the village chief understood that the soil and water of Ge Village were not suitable for pear cultivation, and the pear tree behind the house was a mutated variant.
"Old man, isn’t that plot behind your house used for experiments? Could it be that they aren’t effective?" the village chief still held some hope.
"Da Fu, don’t worry. I saw Xiao Xian used alfalfa to fertilize the land recently, and it worked well. We’ll only know the effect on both plots of land by the autumn harvest," Zhu Shijun had initially just walked around those three acres of land at the village head, but the more he walked, the more alarmed he became. Xiao Xian chose a "moldy rice variety" that not only grew well but also didn’t look like domestic rice, reminding him of the "India Fragrant Rice" Xiao Xian mentioned accidentally in Bai Family Ancient Town.
It’s a pity that it’s inconvenient to buy books now; otherwise, Zhu Shijun could have checked the information and compared pictures to realize that the rice Xiao Xian planted was indeed genuine Indian Fragrant Rice, which even surpassed the native strains in India currently growing in Ge Village.
When Zhu Shijun returned from the village chief’s house, he also brought back a "little tail," the village chief’s grandson, Little Hai, implying that Xiao Xian should start going to school with Little Hai.
Little Hai, nine years old this year, of medium height, had a round face that was reddish black. Xiao Xian had seen him a few times, always noticing him with a runny nose; once, she even saw him use the back of his hand to wipe it, so she never liked him much. The Village chief’s son and daughter-in-law worked outside and only returned home twice a year, leaving Little Hai in the care of his grandparents.
"Little Hai, Xiao Xian is two years younger than you. Starting tomorrow, she will go with you to the temple for lessons," Zhu Shijun initially planned to send Xiao Xian there himself, but since the hour-long mountain path from Leigong Mountain was normally navigated by the village children alone, it would seem inappropriate for him to accompany her.
"Xiao Xian, don’t worry, I won’t let anyone bully you." Little Hai puffed up his chest, putting on a little man’s air, and after speaking, he didn’t forget to wipe his nose with the back of his hand.
The next morning, just as the day broke, Xiao Xian was awakened by Zhu Shijun’s footsteps. The "sugarcane seedling" in the space had fully absorbed that metal cart, and recently, due to being busy with farm work, Xiao Xian hadn’t been able to find other metal objects and had to rely on the green mist absorbed at night to increase her cultivation. Nevertheless, the metal car had significantly helped, as Xiao Xian had grown a few centimeters taller recently, wielding her little fists like a small-sized hammer, capable of immediately reacting to any slight movement within ten meters.
After reaching the temple, they had lunch there, a place that forbids meat-based dishes. Sister-in-law Lian didn’t prepare cured meat or pickled fish for Xiao Xian. Instead, she creatively packed three liang of rice, steamed eggplant with soybeans, and added an egg, all wrapped tightly, including a pear stuffed into Xiao Xian’s backpack.
Along with Little Hai, another village boy, Mingsheng, also came. Both boys carried a metal lunch box, unlike Xiao Xian who carried a backpack as well. Mingsheng and Xiao Xian were not familiar, and they spoke little along the way, after nearly half an hour of walking, the two boys started whispering to one another.
"Xiao Xian, once we pass the waist of Black Mountain, you’ll see a big peach tree. When I shout ’run’, you must run downwards, understand?" Little Hai looked serious, though fear flickered in his eyes.
(To be continued. If you work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)