Song Tan's Notes

Chapter 1650. Indian Gooseberry and Mealworm
Mr. Chang hung up the phone, heartbroken.

But before that, he humbly said that he had a batch of good dried tangerine peel in the shop and would send it over for Song Tan to try.

I just hope that if she decides to make dried tangerine peel, she won't forget about herself.

He even emphasized repeatedly: "As the saying goes, an ounce of aged tangerine peel is worth an ounce of gold, and a hundred-year-old tangerine peel is worth more than gold."

"Even if you don't sell it now, it's worth keeping it at home for thirty or fifty years."

“My batch of dried tangerine peel is also of good quality, it’s 37 years old! I would never have given it to you if you hadn’t asked.”

"Don't waste it, try some, it's really good."

"If I put this up for auction, my 250g could easily fetch a million or more."

Song Tan: ...

Putting aside what she's storing for thirty or fifty years, this dried tangerine peel... doesn't it sound even more fancy than ginseng?

This area is simply not suitable for growing ginseng. Many years ago, when the "get rich quick" stories were being promoted in rural areas, some villagers were still sowing ginseng seeds on the mountain.

It died as soon as the temperature got high, otherwise it would have been arranged much earlier.

"Is it really that good?" Song Tan had never tried it before.

"Yes!" Boss Chang said aggrievedly, "If I told people about this dried tangerine peel, people would drive hundreds of miles to come and taste it."

Song Tan couldn't say she wasn't tempted.

She wasn't drawn by the value; she was genuinely curious about what it tasted like.

It's unlikely that it will be sold.

Wanting this and wanting that, it's enough for our own family, but if we sell everything, how much would be enough? And where would we find such a large place to live?
If she were to lease more land, she wouldn't be able to handle everything.

Therefore, I resolutely refused to engage with that topic.

But I couldn't let Boss Chang suffer this loss, so I thought for a moment and said, "Do you want money for this dried tangerine peel? Or..."

Boss Chang almost lost his temper: "Do I need the money? If I really did, I would have sold it to you at a fixed price."

"But if you taste my dried tangerine peel, you have to promise me that if your family makes dried tangerine peel, any extra can only be given to me."

Song Tan said gently, "It hasn't been done yet; there's no sign of the orange tree."

Of course, Boss Chang knew: "I'm still young, I can wait, there's no rush."

When I'm in my seventies or eighties, I'll hold another tasting event to sample the aged tangerine peel from the Song family, which has been stored for thirty to fifty years...

Hey!

Just thinking about it makes me think that this old man is incredibly capable!
Lu Chuan, the instigator, touched his nose: He just said it casually, but actually, soaking dried tangerine peel in water is quite healthy, and it would be good to grow a couple of trees at home.

His words put pressure on Tang Xiaodong again.

He carefully asked many of his senior classmates before replying:

"If you want to make dried tangerine peel, the best choice is definitely to grow tea branch tangerines. Tea tangerines and oil tangerines are called by different names, but they are essentially tea branch tangerines."

"But every region has its own flavor, and I can't guarantee that we can have the same taste as Xinhui here. Things like big red tangerines are also possible, but the flavor will be a bit different."

"Since we already have orange trees at home, if we're going to make dried tangerine peel, we should make it a premium product, and we'll stick with the tea branch tangerine peel."

Song Tan asked curiously, "Just the peel? Can you eat the orange flesh?"

Tang Xiaodong subconsciously swallowed, then winked and said, "Sour!"

It's not only sour, but also sour and astringent; most people really can't stand it.

He explained, "The characteristic of this tea branch mandarin orange is that it has a thick peel and is very oily, and its flavor is very distinctive, so its essence is all in the peel."

"Furthermore, you can't wait until the oranges are ripe before picking them to make dried tangerine peel. If you pick them before they're ripe, you can imagine how sour and astringent they will be."

However, once oranges are peeled, they can't be preserved. In less than half a day, the membrane will harden, and even if you can tolerate the sourness, the taste will be even worse.

Unfortunately, these unripe green oranges are unsuitable for canning because the flavor is too poor.

This pained Ulan, who was listening nearby: "This is such a waste..."

Farmers can't stand this.

But it's so sour, I'm afraid even a pig would get sick from eating it...

"So, what do people who grow these Indian gooseberries do with them?"

Tang Xiaodong also said helplessly: "It's too acidic, so there are many restrictions on using it as fertilizer. Most of it is still buried in the ground for landfill treatment and left to decompose naturally."

A small portion is also sold to feed mills to feed insects.

He hesitated, "How about you... set up two more small rooms, feed the insects with tangerines, and then sell the insects?"

Song Tan: ...

Little did he expect that his path to becoming an agricultural tycoon would involve selling insects.

"This is just too low..."

"They won't let you raise it."

Tang Xiaodong, however, said seriously, "Don't raise fly larvae or grubs, just raise mealworms."

Even Song Tanrao, who feared nothing, felt a chill run down his spine: maggots? Grubs?!
"What are mealworms?" This sounds much healthier.

Lu Chuan added from the side: "Mealworms."

“Yes,” Tang Xiaodong nodded, “This is very popular! Reptiles, like turtles, loaches, eels, chickens, ducks, and some fish all eat this.”

He did a quick online search and found results for products with monthly sales exceeding 10,000.

"Look! A business opportunity!"

Song Tan shook his head: "This isn't about money..."

Ulan leaned closer to look: "This stuff is alright when it's dried. A tiny bit can sell for over ten yuan, right?"

She was intrigued: "I can do this business too."

Song Tan quickly shook her head: "We can't do it! Our family doesn't plan to grow a large number of Indian gooseberries! We'll just dry a few kilograms ourselves!"

Then, thinking about Boss Chang, who has already put in so much effort, he added, "Let's dry a few dozen kilograms!"

Tang Xiaodong raised his hand timidly: "Um, did I not say that 100 catties of Indian oranges only yield 5 catties of peel?"

"The yield of a single tea orange during its peak fruiting period is only 40-100 jin per year."

If you want to sun-dry dozens of kilograms of skin, you'd have to plant fruit trees in their prime, at least ten of them!
If you want to raise insects on these 10 trees, you'll need to pair them with other things.

In short, Song Tan disagreed: "I can't stand seeing these things alive. Why don't we just compost them? It's okay if it's slow. We have a lot of fertilizer, so breaking it up won't be a big deal."

Ulan searched for the living thing and then fell silent.

Tang Xiaodong nodded in agreement: "That works too, it saves trouble. Otherwise, we definitely can't feed the insects the fruit pulp directly."

"First, the juice needs to be separated. The juice is used to ferment fertilizer, and the pulp is dried for feeding, making it easy to store. If you want to sell the seeds, you can also pick them out; they are a medicinal ingredient."

Song Tan shook his head: "We don't grow much. It's not worth it to install all this equipment for such a small amount."

In short, Song Tan immediately took action: "Ten trees, Xiaodong, you arrange it."

She's no longer the Song Tan who used to haggle over shipping costs and extra charges when buying saplings; she can just arrange things directly for fruit trees in their prime!

If we work quickly, the trees might even bear fruit this year.

Tang Xiaodong frowned: "We need to reorganize and rearrange the place where you grow millet."

"I'll mark out a few plots of land for you to grow grapes; you should decide on them as soon as possible."

“If you really only need 10 of these Indian gooseberry trees, I’ll go back and discuss it with you, and I’ll also mark them off for you—if there are any crops growing on them, you’ll have to harvest them as soon as possible.”

He glanced at the schedule: "The peaches will ripen next month, and with the high temperatures, it wouldn't be right to delay any longer."

……

Meanwhile, in the distant eastern city.

The young girl hung up the phone and turned to discuss with her father: "Didn't you say that the tea tangerine trees on the west side were a bit too lush? I sold ten of them."

Dad paused, his hand still: "Sold? How?"

Does anyone have any fruit orchards that need more?

It shouldn't be.

After their tea tangerines became famous, every household either leased out their land themselves or to others; in short, there was no spare land left.

Now, after so many years of development, even those that weren't in their peak fruiting period have been replanted and are now in their peak fruiting period. Where would we find any empty land to plant this again?

Don't underestimate ten plants; if you want a high yield, they can take up quite a bit of space.

Where did you sell it?

The girl grinned and said, "I sold it to my senior brother."

“His boss runs a large farm and has plenty of money. It’s 2000 yuan per tree, 20,000 yuan in total. We’ll just cover the transportation and we’ll sell them.”

Their tea citrus trees are 7 years old and are very well cared for. They are broad and produce abundant fruit. Every spring, they twist the branches and adjust their direction so as not to delay the fruiting.

My daughter acquired all the skills she needed at the agricultural university, all for the sake of this piece of land our family owns.

Layering citrus trees is popular now, but these are less resistant to disease, and many beginners struggle with them. Theirs, however, are all strong, healthy seedlings. While the trees aren't large, the yield is substantial. In short, my senior colleague said money is no object, so we'll proceed according to his methods. And if you're looking for cheaper options, there are naturally cheaper fruit trees available.

The father didn't say anything, but muttered again, "Isn't it a bit too high a price to ask for from your senior brother's family? Won't that affect things in the future?"

The girl was taken aback: "Where is it high? The transportation costs are enormous. Besides, our tea tangerines come with small green tangerines attached. To ensure the quality of the fruit, we have to dig huge balls of soil around them."

"How much would local transportation cost...?"

The father was very worried that his daughter would not be able to handle the relationship between her and her fellow students.

“It’s not local!” the daughter said frankly. “It’s in the central plains, in Ning Province, you know Yuncheng? It’s over there.”

The father was taken aback for a moment, then took out another cigarette and lit it.

"You...you..."

He didn't know what to say, he just sighed:

“Our family doesn’t lack 20,000 yuan. Don’t ruin your relationships. Everyone at your school is truly capable. If we need them later, and your reputation is ruined, people will look down on you.”

My daughter's agricultural university education was definitely worthwhile; since starting school, she has developed a wide range of connections and resources.

While others have switched to those famous, fancy, looped tangerines, he only needs to make this adjustment or that adjustment, and the resulting fruit is exactly the same, with thick skin, rich oily aroma, and a unique honey fragrance.

Those in the know come specifically to collect from his house every year.

When I say I don't need those 20,000 yuan, I'm not just saying it casually.

At this moment, he said earnestly, "Why is it that our local tea oranges are famous over the years, but other places haven't been able to make them? It's because the soil and the trees are different in each place."

"You've been to school, so you must know the saying 'oranges grown south of the Huai River, oranges grown north of the Huai River.'"

“I know Ningcheng that you’re talking about. The winter temperature there is six or seven degrees below zero, and there’s a chance that orange trees will freeze to death. Even if they don’t freeze to death, it’s because they’re in a good location, or they’re domesticated varieties with thick skin or early maturity.”

“These 10 tea branch orange trees will definitely take up a large area, and it will be difficult to protect them. Whether they can survive the winter is another matter.”

"Then there's the issue of soil and water – despite all these years of agricultural development, we haven't heard of any outstanding fruit trees growing there. How can our tea tangerines possibly work?"

“I know you feel sorry for these fruit trees and don’t want to just throw them away, but if you sell them like this, not only will people not be able to make good dried tangerine peel, but the sour green tangerines won’t taste good either.”

"Daughter, don't let a small thing cause you to lose something big."

The only commendable thing is that my daughter didn't rip me off on the shipping costs.

Transporting such a long distance, and with trees carrying huge soil balls, it's true that they didn't make any money.

The daughter giggled, "Dad, do you think I'm that kind of person? Every year when we buy things, people say our family is generous. I just inherited that from you."

"Besides, my senior brother is no ordinary person. His mentor is the renowned Professor Song. How could he not know these things?"

"They specifically contacted me to tell me that the boss is very wealthy and has excellent farming skills—did you know that a pound of their tea can sell for hundreds of thousands of yuan? It's priceless!"

"This dried tangerine peel isn't for sale; I just wanted to try it out for myself, so it's not a big deal."

Besides, the girl confidently said, "If we really buy it, we'll cover the after-sales service too."

Although my senior brother has strong theoretical knowledge, his family has been growing tea citrus trees for many years, so their practical experience is more important.

But the father went off-topic.

"Tea costing hundreds of thousands per kilogram?"

He became interested: "I've never heard of any famous teas from that area?"

On the contrary, for the people in this area, drinking tea and making soup are extremely important things.

At this moment, someone asked curiously, "Is this just hype? Are you really that capable? What does that tea taste like?"

The daughter hesitated for a moment: "I don't know either—I'll ask my senior if he has any samples he can send over so we can try them."

……

Tang Xiaodong handled this matter efficiently, and less than a day later, he summoned Song Tan again:

"Boss, could you please request two ounces of tea to be sent over?"

He explained:

“The climate here is not suitable for growing dried tangerine peel. I’m afraid that by the end of the year, the quality of the dried tangerine peel will be poor, and the trees will be wasted.”

"The junior students there said that if the dried tangerine peel doesn't work, they can teach us how to make their special small green tangerine tea for free in June or July of the year after next. When we send them samples of the small green tangerines, they can also introduce us to buyers."

In short, as long as money wasn't an issue, the two sides actually had a very pleasant conversation.

Song Tan also became interested: "Small green tangerine tea?"

“Yes.” Tang Xiaodong nodded: “It’s not difficult. There are many tutorials online. But it’s still more convenient to have someone teach you step by step to control the heat and time.”

Song Tan made the decision: "Send half a catty over. Since it can be used to make green tangerine tea—Brother Xiaodong, why don't you ask and we can get another 20 trees?"

Tang Xiaodong: ...He's already marked out the area!

He has a really good temper. Right now, he asked in a very gentle voice, "If we plant another 20 trees to make small green tangerine tea, it won't be enough for a large scale, and it's a bit too much for our own family to drink. Are you sure?"

Song Tan nodded: "The main thing is to try different flavors. Drinking green tea all the time is quite monotonous. I want to ferment black tea and pair it with small green tangerines to see if there are any novel tastes."

"We probably won't sell it. Our green tea is of such high quality; it would be a shame to turn it into fermented black tea."

"It's not worth the trouble if the scale is too small. We have a large family, and a few pieces will be gone in no time."

"Row."

Tang Xiaodong asked, "They happen to have 41 trees available. Why don't we take them all? We can get a better price."

“My junior sister is a good person, and she has a lot of experience in growing trees. The quality of the trees they grow is really good. I sent you the video. They are laden with fruit. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so afraid of transportation.”

Fortunately, it's only June, and the fruit isn't very big yet, so it can still withstand long-distance transport. Plus, the extra-large root ball ensures the roots aren't damaged at all during transport…

In short, in the eyes of every agricultural worker, this is a buff.

Unfortunately, my boss is indeed skilled at farming, and the soil and water here are excellent.

What can you say? Just grit your teeth and keep going.

Song Tan readily agreed: "Okay."

After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "In which month is small green tangerine tea usually made?"

Tang Xiaodong found out: "July to September is fine."

Song Tan pondered: The tree needs a period of adjustment after being transplanted. The fruit is too small; it needs to grow a bit more. I'll feed it more spiritual energy then...

"Could you please ask your junior sister if she could come over in September to give us some guidance on our small green tangerine tea?"

"Food, lodging and transportation included."

Tang Xiaodong: Room and board included? No need to ask!

Even if he tries to take it, someone else will take it!
But this isn't over yet!
He handed the tablet over again: "Regarding the grapes we talked about before, which varieties did you choose? And how many do you plan to plant? Hurry up and mark out the area."

Song Tan said helplessly, "I've already chosen all the varieties you recommended."

The scale of planting is still under consideration.

If the area for fruit trees increases, the area for vegetables must decrease...

but--

"You're not too worried about the price, are you? Then let's start with 50 acres."

As for how to allocate the area for each variety, that's Tang Xiaodong's job.

With such a large land and plenty of money, it's hard to say whether a boss who can do whatever he wants is truly blessed or not.

Tang Xiaodong sighed, "I checked the weather forecast, and the temperature will keep rising. If we plant more this year, the fruit trees will have a hard time adapting and won't bear fruit until next year."

"Moreover, the fruit seedlings that are currently in their peak fruiting period are just about to differentiate flower buds, and generally no one sells them."

"Even if we were to sell it, the price would be too high, so it wouldn't be worth it."

This is different from tea oranges.

The tea tangerines have already been hung up. Although there were some losses during transportation, there was still a harvest that year.

Grapes, however, have a very low chance of being used.

If the temperature is low, they can adapt better. But as the temperature rises, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to adapt to transplanting.

He then overturned his suggestions from the previous two days:

"I suggest we fence off the land first, but leave the crops there untouched until winter, around November or December, when the grapevines have shed their leaves, before planting them."

Although Song Tan was confident that the plants he planted would generally survive and grow well, he couldn't just casually challenge the climate and growth habits, otherwise it would be too much of an exaggeration!
Besides, Professor Song doesn't teach students who lack ability; his students are always knowledgeable and productive.

Therefore, she also respected their opinions very much.

Now he nodded and said, "You make the plans, and the rest of you have the final say."

Tang Xiaodong: ...

Despite the immense resentment, seeing how much the boss trusted him, he didn't know what to say.

Ugh!
Let's just consider it their good luck and do it that way!
I'm here!!! I went to get a tooth pulled. I lost a molar (not a wisdom tooth) in my early thirties, and I'll have to rely on loxoprofen sodium to keep me going for the next couple of days.

The dosage of painkillers has exceeded the limit this month.

But I've gotten through the hives and toothache, and it should be all better next month!!! Yay!!!
Another 5000 words today!!! Yay!! Time to take my medicine!