Song Tan's Notes

The young man is really energetic. Although he only came for half a day yesterday, he has already become familiar with the whole mountain and valley of Old Song's house.

Now he's running with long strides, leaving the people on the tour bus behind him in complete silence.

After a long while, Huo Xueying sighed with envy:
"It's true that you have a lot of energy when you're not working."

It's so good that there's no classroom smell.

Three female college students behind them spoke up timidly: "But we're still in school. School is hard work too."

Huo Xueying turned to look at them: "Schools have weekends off, and your classes aren't as packed now, are they?"

Generally speaking, the less prestigious the institution, the less demanding the curriculum might be. This particular institution in Yuncheng is utterly unremarkable, lacking even a single standout program.

When Huo Xueying asked this, the students smiled sheepishly: "Actually, we're not that relaxed. We have our final exams next week..."

Yes.

Then everyone belatedly realized that many schools have already started their summer vacation! Yuncheng's schools are considered to be starting their vacation late!
Then you guys!
Everyone turned to stare at them, and the girls, slightly embarrassed, said, "Um... we'll just go back and cram for the exams, we can catch up..."

They're already juniors, and next semester they'll be seniors; it'll be time for them to look for internships.

Based on past experience, people won't be able to muster all their energy to study until the last two days before the risk of failing.

Staying at school means daydreaming, scrolling through your phone, reserving seats in the library but not studying, leading to anxiety and self-pity...

Thinking about it that way, I might as well come and have some fun.

especially……

Everyone secretly thought to themselves, feeling a little embarrassed: This time, food, lodging, and travel expenses are all included!

As the end of the semester approached, they were basically broke, so they couldn't afford to treat themselves to a few good meals!
Secretary Zhu listened silently to these words, carefully observing the expression of the leader in front.

I was sitting to the side and slightly behind, so I couldn't see very clearly.

But seeing that Secretary Wang was still observing the surroundings with great interest, she felt slightly relieved.

That's just how efficiency is; it's difficult for one person or one person to change it in a short time.

However, for college graduates who haven't even developed professional skills, finding employment will likely be even more difficult in a country with a rapidly deteriorating economy and a challenging job market.

No wonder there's a growing emphasis on vocational and technical colleges these days. Ordinary universities, which simply teach by rote and don't really develop any real skills, put ordinary students at a huge disadvantage.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he heard the leader in front ask again, "I see quite a few tourists and patients here today. If the whole village develops into a harmonious and complementary industrial chain and cultivates some distinctive craftsmen, the entire economy might be revitalized."

Song Tan hadn't thought about these things yet.

but--

She said enthusiastically, "No matter how good this place is, the long mountain roads are an insurmountable obstacle. I plan to acquire a piece of land in town and build a few houses."

"Not for any other reason than to be able to recruit more and better employees in the future. If they bring their families here, it will be easier to develop anything with more people..."

It also helps retain staff.

Otherwise, high-achieving students like Yanran can't stay in the mountains forever, can they? Marriage and children's future are unavoidable life plans.

And then there's Chen Yuan, who's driving.

They still receive subsidies and can find jobs even if they leave here, but it's hard to retain people. Frequent turnover means the adjustment period is never pleasant.

While Song Tan's actions may benefit various parties, the initial intention behind building the houses was ultimately not based on economic considerations, but purely on—

I made a meal of dumplings just for this dish of vinegar.

"Oh?" The leader became interested.

Given the current sluggish housing market and local government deficits, it's impossible for the Yuncheng municipal government to disagree with her acquiring land with real money.

"Is it located in the town? What's the size? What's the expected investment? Have all the paperwork been completed?"

When asked about this, Party Secretary Xiao Zhu readily agreed: "Yes, there aren't suitable terrain conditions in this mountainous area. The town has large tracts of idle wasteland with only a few scattered houses. Moreover, it's not far from the entrance to Yunqiao Village, so it won't encroach on farmland..."

In short, Secretary Zhu and Yun Duo had thoroughly mastered the series of data they handled.

The city government naturally did not disagree.

My God! Everyone here is incredibly poor, and with such a large influx of funds, we'd be overjoyed!

What we're going through now is just some routine, planned procedures.

"Are you having any financial difficulties?" the leader asked kindly.

That would definitely be difficult.

Party Secretary Xiao Zhu even mentioned several times that they could apply for support from the city and contact them to arrange loans.

Banks would be very willing to accept her approach of focusing on the real economy.

Song Tan shook her head and refused: "As you can see, although our family income is not very high, it is consistent. However, our lifestyle and consumption habits have not changed much."

The only change was the family's unusually peaceful mindset.

In this situation, building these houses would require taking out huge loans, and the elderly couple might not be able to sleep at night.

Song Tan intended to stay with her family and make their lives better and better, not to make them worry about things at their age.

So once they've raised enough money to buy the land, they can take it one step at a time. Given their income rate, they're not too worried.

Now it's the banks that are in a hurry.

They call every few days and even want to visit in person to strengthen their relationship. Every time Secretary Zhu goes to the city, he's treated to a lavish welcome…

These days, their loan tasks are also very challenging.

If you approve something casually, you might not be able to recover the bad debts.

Why would a business owner with such a sound debt situation be unwilling to take out a loan?
Rural economic development has its own inherent laws. Although this young college graduate entrepreneur is conservative in his thinking, he maintains an optimistic and carefree attitude in the current environment.

After some deliberation, the leader decided to allow the company to develop freely.

He simply advised, "The biggest fear in a single-sector farming industry is the unavoidable natural disaster."

"Our country now attaches great importance to this. If there are any problems that cannot be solved, feel free to contact Wang Qing—in agriculture, animal husbandry, and even some of the current scientific planting methods..."

The implication is that they will help if they can, and will call on others to help if they can't.

Secretary Zhu was overjoyed!

With that from the leader, I feel so reassured!

Just as I was about to ask Song Tan to say a few nice words, I heard her say, "That's perfect. Judging from the sky, I estimate that there will be a long rainy season ahead—how can we ensure the perfection of the fruit if there's no sun during this continuous rainy season?"

During her nighttime cultivation, the subtle moisture within her spiritual energy grew stronger. She didn't yet have the ability to interfere with celestial phenomena, so she could only wait quietly.

Village Party Secretary Xiao Zhu: ??? No, look at the sky? How can you tell the sky from the sky?!

Weather forecasts aren't even 100% accurate about whether it will rain tomorrow, so how did you come to predict a long rainy season?
The leader was also taken aback. Before Secretary Wang could even try to skip the questions and make a promise, Song Tan muttered to himself, "It's summer vacation now, I wonder how busy Professor Song is. Maybe I should ask him to come again..."

lead:……

Professor Song has already been selected through a lottery system, so it might be even more efficient than what they could get through other means...

The two leaders sat in the front row, looking straight ahead, thinking to themselves:

Rural enterprises should be allowed to develop freely!
The conversation we had just had was so formal and serious!

Especially those two, their official tone is just like a leader on an inspection tour!

The three female college students sat silently in the back like quails.

When the tour bus finally stopped, they looked at the vast expanse of peach trees on one side and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

And among these lush green peach leaves, paper bags are nestled, creating a truly spectacular sight.

Looking ahead, the male students who had taken the detour from behind Song Tan's house were already waving excitedly!

After everyone got off the bus, before they could even remark on the condition of the peach trees, the male students excitedly pointed to the peach grove:
"There's a dog inside! It's wearing a silver, openwork eye mask, it's so cool! I've never seen such a cool dog before... Can I take pictures? Can I pet it?"

As they were talking, another tour bus pulled up beside them, and Yunfeng and his group got off. They were dressed in various styles. The men were dressed more simply, but the women were adorned with scarves and flowing skirts. Hats and selfie sticks were everywhere.

Upon hearing this, Qin Yun immediately asked, "Is it the King?"

Besides, regarding him: "I already said he's wearing a silver eye patch, so he must be a princess. The princess's openwork eye patch must be custom-made, right? So cool!"

what? What?
The college students' eyes lit up: So there are different kinds of dogs here?
Song Tan looked at Lu Chuan, who had also come in the car, and said, "Your friends are wearing skirts..."

"It's fine!"

Yunfeng's wife casually lifted her skirt—whoosh! Inside were casual pants pulled up and hidden under the skirt.

"Isn't that video of someone stealing oranges from Jeju Island popular now? We thought, even if it's not oranges, peaches would be just as good, so we decided to film one."

"Once we're done filming, we can pick peaches properly. It won't interfere with anything."

Song Tan glanced at Lu Chuan, who smiled subtly and said nothing.

It's past eight o'clock now. By the time they each film a video, the sun will be so hot it'll melt you.

To be precise, we can only work until 9:30 at the latest, after which everyone will probably be unable to hold on any longer.

Song Tan laughed too: Is this the madness before the end of the vacation? She understood.

Let them film if they want; we're not really counting on these few laborers. After all, they might not even be as hardworking as these college students.

Both groups are making progress, and Song Tan only gave one instruction: "Qiao Qiao will be live-streaming to sell some peaches later. If you don't want to be on camera, remember to avoid it."

The university students also actively asked questions such as, "Are there any things we should be careful about when picking peaches?"

Their clear and simple minds are really suited for this kind of mechanical, repetitive labor that doesn't require intelligence!

As for appearing on camera? It doesn't matter, guys are practically mad at the thought of being famous worldwide!

What are the proper ways to pick peaches?
Song Tan thought for a moment: "The eagle beak peach has a small, sharp hook at the front, making it easy to break. It's fine if you eat it yourself, but it won't work if you want to send it out. Be careful when picking it."

"Also, the peaches in the area where a ditch has been dug will ripen a little later, so please try to pick them in the area in front."

He paused, then added, "Taking photos or videos doesn't matter, anywhere is fine."

Great!
Both groups had their own tasks, and they quickly dispersed into the peach grove.

The male students, watching Qiao Qiao set up her phone stand and find a good shooting position, enthusiastically offered suggestions and even asked, "Can I pet the dog?"

Song Tan looked at the princess, who was wagging her tail and holding her head high with pride, and thought for a moment:
"Its name is Princess, and it has a rather proud personality. If you can make her happy and she comes over on her own, then you can touch it as much as you want."

"It used to be a police dog, so please show it some respect."

The college students were immediately filled with respect.

"They have permanent positions... I'm so envious..."

"Why hasn't the matter of our school's little yellow dog being used as a police dog been finalized yet..."

"I'll talk to the person in charge and make sure it's taken seriously!"

"Police dog? What kind of police dog? You're a section chief!"

The college students were making jokes without restraint, and Secretary Zhu couldn't help but pinch his brow as he listened. The leaders and Secretary Wang just smiled helplessly, then asked:
"Where are the baskets? Let's go pick peaches and experience it too."

……

To enhance the user experience, we used Grandpa's bamboo baskets for picking peaches on the mountain today.

Huo Xueying and Zheng Qu had remained silent in front of their superiors, but now that they were on the mountain, she finally let loose:

"Song Tan, is this the kind of blissful life you lead every day? You wake up in the morning to have a delicious meal, then go up the mountain to pick peaches, do a little work in the evening, then go for a walk, and you can even play basketball..."

This kind of life is so awesome!

Song Tan remained silent; after all, whoever does farm work keeps quiet.

He simply handed her a straw hat and glanced at the baskets in their hands: "Peaches don't stay fresh for long. I'll bring you more to pick some to take home tomorrow afternoon. Just pick some for yourselves today."

Huo Xueying said she wanted everything, but once she got to the field, she became a little embarrassed.

"You've taken such good care of these peach trees! I haven't seen any bugs, there aren't any weeds on the ground, the spacing between the peach trees looks very comfortable, and the bags were put on very carefully..."

Considering the prices of goods in the past, it's easy to imagine that these peaches must not be cheap.

It would be fine if she just came to freeload, but if she tries to take things with her...

"Oh dear!" she suddenly felt annoyed again.
"I forgot to give you the gift I bought!"

What am I going to do? Has my memory gotten this bad since I started working?!

The girls followed their boyfriends, chatting and making jokes, laughing and giggling.

They haven't picked the peaches yet; they've just surrounded the princess, showering her with compliments and praise.

They piled on all sorts of sweet words, until even the princess's tail started to wag slightly.

Qiaoqiao happily adjusted the camera angle, while Yunfeng's family had already run to the back to film a video...

The leader and Secretary Wang, carrying baskets, stepped into the peach grove.

……

Down the mountain, in a bustling clinic...

The soundly sleeping driver Niu woke up from his daze and found that the hospital bed next to him was full of grown men, but judging from their figures, none of them were the leader or Secretary Wang.

He was momentarily bewildered: What happened to me? Where's my boss? Where is everyone? (End of Chapter)