The pastoral life of the grass tribe chief

It rained lightly this morning.

The weather is turning humid and warm.

Lu Yao didn't feed the fish, but turned on the aerator and then went to the tea plantation to feed the chickens, ducks and geese.

After feeding them, open the fence and let the ducks and geese swim in the pond.

After a few attempts, when the fence is opened, they will rush to the pond on their own, and when they get tired, they will come ashore to groom themselves and rest.

Often, they swim so happily that they forget to come ashore, and you have to shoo them away.

After herding the ducks and geese into the pond to swim, he took his tools to collect honey from Italian bees, which he then sent to his fellow villagers in western Guangdong via a courier shop in town. Each time, he would send 50 jin (25 catties) of honey, earning 5,000 yuan.

Lu Yao's current sources of income include:

Crispy grass carp.

Honey.

Cat grass.

The income from crispy grass carp is used to buy grass carp and broad beans, as well as to cover the labor costs of catching fish, so the profit is not much in the short term.

The income from honey was invested in poultry farms on the tea plantation.

When we first started selling catnip, we settled our wages once a month.

Maoyuan Farm used to make only a few hundred thousand yuan a year, but if the monthly profit can remain the same, the annual profit can double to one million yuan.

Lu Yao invested 200,000 yuan, but the monthly dividends were not much, and the 200,000 yuan was borrowed from Li Yunbo.

In other words, his investment in Maoyuan Farm is still at a loss and can be ignored for the time being.

So, after working for more than four months, the only thing he could actually see was the 500,000 yuan he earned from selling He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum).

He wouldn't easily use this money unless absolutely necessary.

His mother's serious illness made him truly realize the importance of money and the coldness of human relationships for the first time.

He had just graduated from university and, like many other migrant workers, didn't earn much—only five or six thousand a month.

In a small county town, a salary of five or six thousand yuan is considered high, but in big cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, after deducting rent, food expenses, and other costs, and having to send money home, it's impossible to save any money.

He worked diligently while also learning new skills, and it took him two years for his salary to increase from five or six thousand to seven or eight thousand, and then to more than ten thousand.

After more than a year of hard work, my salary finally increased to 15,000.

His salary was only a little over 20,000 yuan after he changed jobs.

I didn't save any money in the first three years. I only started saving money after I changed jobs so that I could get married.

After finally saving up about 200,000 yuan, my mother was hospitalized for major surgery.

The medical expenses, surgery fees, and other costs amounted to approximately 450,000 yuan.

My second brother contributed 100,000 yuan. The three children attend a private school, which costs tens of thousands of yuan a year in tuition. We also just bought a car. Half of the 100,000 yuan was borrowed from friends.

Needless to say, the eldest brother had no money of his own and borrowed 20,000 yuan from several close uncles and brothers.

My father borrowed 30,000 yuan from a friend.

A total of 350,000.

The remaining money came from my father's siblings, especially his three aunts who contributed a total of 80,000 yuan.

The money borrowed by the eldest brother and father didn't have to be repaid in the end; they treated it all as a red envelope to buy tonics for their mother.

During that month, Lu Yao truly understood the meaning of the saying "money is not money" when he entered the hospital.

Having money in your pocket is the greatest sense of security.

After deducting household expenses, he still had very little working capital.

After leaving the courier store, I went to buy some daily necessities and cooked food.

After waking up from his afternoon nap, Lu Yao went to the old house to pack tea leaves.

He also packed three sealed bags of tea, one for Lu Liguang, one for the madman, and one for Lu Yang.

When they arrived at Lu Chong's house, Lu Liguang had just woken up.

"Wow, why is the fragrance of your plum blossoms so strong?"

As soon as Lu Liguang poured the hot water into the teapot, a rich aroma wafted out, intoxicating the senses.

"I went up the mountain to pick them as soon as the dew dried, and I picked only the tender buds and leaves that were evenly distributed."

Lu Yaodao.

"It's a shame to throw away something that smells so good."

Lu Liguang poured out the first brew of tea, feeling extremely regretful.

"Come on, drink."

One infusion is for water, the second for tea, and the third and fourth infusions are the essence.

The two picked up their teacups, took small sips, and savored the fresh, sweet, and unique orchid fragrance.

"Have a piece of peanut brittle."

Lu Liguang then brought out a plate of candy.

The two were enjoying their drinks and chatting when they heard a familiar car sound outside, and then a Corolla SUV pulled up in front of the door.

As the car door opened, Lu Chong, Lu Yang, and the madman stepped out of the car.

"Is today your day off?"

Lu Yao asked.

"I'm taking a long break, ready to work for you, this big-time farmer."

"The madman joked."

"You guys chat, I'm going outside for a walk."

Lu Liguang gave up his seat to his eldest son.

Whether she was completely disappointed in her two sons or simply more open-minded than others, she never interfered in their affairs.

Do whatever you want, as long as you don't ask me for money.

"Really quitting?"

Lu Yao asked Lu Chong.

He wasn't surprised that Lu Yang resigned, but he was curious about the reason why Lu Chong had also resigned.

"My classmate works as a security guard in Longchong Industrial Park. He said a furniture factory is hiring two delivery drivers. The salary is 5 yuan for the first month and 6 yuan for the second month, with meals and accommodation provided."

"The work I do now is dirty and tiring, but delivering goods is so much easier."

It was Lu Yang who spoke.

"Your classmate avoided thirty years of detours and is now living a retired life ahead of time."

Lu Yao wasn't surprised.

Previously, security guards and gatekeepers were mostly middle-aged or elderly people in their fifties or sixties, but the age of security guards and gatekeepers has become increasingly younger, and now security guards and gatekeepers in their thirties and forties have become the main force.

"Are you going for a job interview?"

Lu Yao asked again.

"I've filled out the job application form and I'll start work tomorrow."

Lu Chong poured out the tea dregs and put in fresh tea leaves.

"Pretty fast, huh?"

Lu Yaodao.

"We value speed in everything we do."

Lu Chong thought Lu Yao was praising him, and he was very pleased with himself.

"This is freshly stir-fried plum sauce, it smells so good."

"Did your brother-in-law buy it?"

Lu Yang has a keen sense of smell; he can tell what kind of tea it is just by smelling the smoke.

"It's from last night's tea-frying, isn't it?"

The madman looked at Lu Yao.

"Yes, those two packets are for you."

Lu Yaodao.

"Is there any more?"

Lu Yang took his own bag, opened it, and smelled it; he could feel the aroma of tea in his breath.

"That's all, one bag for each person."

Lu Yaodao.

"What about up the mountain?"

Lu Yang asked again.

"The good ones have all been picked; what's left are old leaves. You can pick them yourself if you want."

Just as Lu Yao finished speaking, his cell phone, which was on the coffee table, rang.

"It's Lao Ping. Ask him where he is."

Lu Chong has excellent eyesight.

"Old Yao, where are you? I brought the chicks down."

Lu Changping said.

"I'll be right back."

Lu Yao turned off his phone, finished his tea, and returned to Wumutang.

The three of them went together.

"Hey, these are colorful rooster chicks."

"Where did you buy it?"

The madman was a little surprised.

"Some people in my wife's village raise chicks."

Lu Changping said.

"Bring me a few back next time you go."

The Madman's Way.

"You need to remind me, otherwise I'm afraid I'll forget."

Lu Changping said.

"Don't be too affectionate with your wife, her memory is failing."

The madman laughed at him.

"Pshaw, only people without wives have memory loss."

Lu Changping laughed at him instead.

Lu Yao released the chicks into the tea plantation breeding area.

"They've only been a few days, and they're already so energetic."

Lu Changping was astonished to see the chickens, ducks, and geese chasing and foraging among the tea bushes.

"The water and air quality here are good, and the activity area is large, so you're bound to be energetic."

"Seeing this makes me want to build a hilltop to raise chickens too."

The Madman's Way.

"Where's Lao Yang?"

Lu Chong did not see Lu Yang.

"I saw him go up the mountain, it looked like he was looking for something."

Lu Changping said.

"What's there to find here? It's all tea trees."

Lu Chong disagreed.

"Never mind him, let's go downstairs for tea first."

Lu Yaodao.

The four of them went down the mountain first.