Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 569 Living off the mountain

Xiao Hong said, "I've been thinking about this ever since I came back after talking to your fourth uncle last time. Things like bracken fern, cat's paw thorn, and tender shoots can be processed by boiling, then vacuum-packed with high temperature, low salt, and water. Things like bitter gourd and brain-shaped berries can only be cleaned and sold fresh. Things like dog's mace, schisandra, and walnuts can be sold as dried goods. Fruits can be processed into concentrated juice, or used to make beverages, or even brewed into wine."

The three of them stared at Xiaohong. Xiaohong blushed and lowered her head, saying, "That's all."

Uncle Wang said, "You've put in some thought, so I'll give you a thumbs up. But things aren't as simple as you think. You need to do research on things like taste and yield. Fruits are the most abundant type of mountain produce, but they don't keep well. To be honest, they don't taste as good as the fruits on the market. They only have the advantage of freshness. Whether you're making juice or wine, you have to do research on things like ensuring the supply, adjusting the taste and texture, and the yield. Opening a factory isn't that simple."

Xiao Wei said, "Let's collect them first, and then we'll figure out what to do next. Let's give it a try. If it doesn't work, we'll sell them in our own store first. If it does work, we'll expand production."

To be honest, our area doesn't have any resources. On the one hand, we have everything: coal, iron, glass, lead, aluminum, and silver. On the other hand, our mines aren't very big, and we can't really operate them anyway.

In other words, the mountain produce, which is naturally grown year-round, can bring in some income. For the time being, I really can't think of anything else to do with it. Anyway, I'll help out in any way I can.

Uncle Wang said, "I support your idea of ​​living off the land and water. Things are accomplished little by little, not just by thinking about them. If you can help each household with ten yuan, it's better than dreaming about giving each household ten thousand yuan in the future. Don't rush, as long as your heart is in it, that's enough."

Xiao Wei said, "If the trial is successful and the market here can accept it, I plan to talk to the Agricultural University to see if it can be industrialized, such as artificially cultivating wild mountain vegetables. I feel that the cultivation cost should not be high, and they grow all over the mountains and fields without anyone managing them."

Xiao Hong said, "It's not that simple, is it? Besides, they're everywhere on the mountain. If you can pick them for free, why would anyone pay to grow them for you?"

Uncle Wang glared at Xiao Hong and said, "You're incredibly stupid. What Xiao Wei meant by industrialization is continuous production and sales. Does that mean there's production all year round on the mountain?"

Xiao Wei smiled and glanced at Xiao Hong, saying, "Yes, what I meant by cultivation is off-season. When the mushrooms are no longer available on the mountain, we have to rely on manual labor, like building greenhouses or something, like the slippery mushrooms of a few years ago."

Little Red blushed, covered her face, and lowered her head, saying, "Waaaaah, I can't live anymore, you're all bullying the Lun family."

Aunt Wang looked at Xiao Hong and said, "I think pear juice is delicious. It has a flavor that most fruits don't have. Don't underestimate pears just because they don't taste very good. The juice is amazing. Xiao Wei, you should try it."

Uncle Wang said, "You can try nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts, and pine nuts. They're easy to store and transport, and they're also very nutritious."

Little Red raised her right hand high and said, "There are also free-range chickens, free-range ducks, and free-range chicken eggs, duck eggs, and goose eggs."

Xiao Wei asked, "Where are the roaming geese?"

Xiao Hong rolled her eyes and said, "Who could raise such a large flock of geese? Would they even survive?"

Aunt Wang laughed and said, "Let alone geese, even raising a flock of ducks is difficult. It would be interesting to raise hundreds of geese in the village."

Xiao Hong waved her hand and said, "From now on, our village will be isolated from the world, and all living things, from people to chickens, ducks, pigs and dogs, will disappear and avoid us."

Uncle Wang laughed, put down his chopsticks, rubbed his belly, and said, "Haha, Xiao Hong is right, catching geese requires risking your life. But I think Xiao Hong's suggestion of using free-range chicken and duck eggs will work; there's a good demand for them in the city. And there are also chickens raised in the countryside."

Xiao Wei asked, "Where do you sell it? At the grocery store? The farmers' market?"

Xiao Hong raised her hand and patted Xiao Wei on the head: "How silly of you! If you have too much, just buy it wholesale. Why do you care where you sell it?"

Uncle Wang said, "Not necessarily. We can find some places in the city and arrange for laid-off workers or those on welfare to sell the goods on their behalf. It's like helping both sides. Anyway, you're not counting on making a lot of money from this stuff."

Aunt Wang said, "Don't even mention it. Today, Lao Yao and I went to visit that elderly person living alone next door. Oh my, life is so hard for them. It's not a place for humans to live. Doesn't the civil affairs department have quotas and activities every year? Where are they? They only give twenty yuan a year. I'll ask that official why he doesn't live on twenty yuan a year. I'll give him a hundred. Damn it, it makes me so angry just thinking about it."

Xiao Hong glanced at her mother, who had suddenly become angry, and patted her on the back, saying, "Don't be angry, don't be angry. If you get sick from getting angry, no one can take your place, okay?"

Aunt Wang burst out laughing, raised her hand and slapped Xiao Hong, saying, "Get lost, are you trying to coax a child? Oh dear, people live like that, it's better to be dead. Old Yao is a kind-hearted man, he visits every few days, and today was the first time I went with him. I offered him five hundred yuan, but he refused. Old Yao said this old woman is stubborn, she won't accept money from anyone, she only asks for help with daily necessities."

Uncle Wang said to Xiao Wei, "That's what I'm talking about. These old people all have their own stories from back in the day, and many of them made contributions. Getting the goods here and having them help sell them, paying them wages, is a way of helping them out."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Okay, I'll have someone check how to arrange it later."

That evening, after washing up, Xiaowei lay on the bed lost in thought when Xiaohong, her face flushed, turned and came in. Xiaowei looked at her curiously and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Hong took her hands out from behind her back: "My mom gave them to me, saying I should take them with me when I go out."

Xiao Wei looked and saw a big bag of condoms. His mother-in-law had no idea that the two of them had only been teasing each other and hadn't actually done anything.

Back then, there weren't pharmacies everywhere. Condoms, those magical items, were distributed by factories, mines, and neighborhoods for free, but you needed a marriage certificate. Hospitals could also issue them; they were considered family planning supplies.

Xiao Wei had never encountered this before. He picked one up, tore it open, looked at it, and said, "I've seen other kids blow on this before, but why is it so sticky? How do you blow on it? You'll get your hands and mouth all sticky!"

Xiao Hong looked at Xiao Wei's hand and said, "How should I know? I've never blown it before. Why don't we give it a try?"

Xiao Wei paused for a moment, looked at Xiao Hong, and said, "Try it? No, you blow it, I don't want to get it in my mouth, it's disgusting."

Little Red Flower's face changed color, and she pounced on him, unleashing a flurry of incredible punches. This guy is just too straightforward.

The next day, after getting ready, Xiaowei and Xiaohong went downstairs for breakfast and drove to Beixi.

The expressway from Fengtian to Beixi is under construction, but it's not open to traffic yet; you still have to go back through the mountains. This is the second expressway in Liaodong, and also the second in the whole country.

An hour and a half later, the Omega was parked on the roadside at the main entrance of the underground shopping mall. That's one good thing about this era; although there were traffic police, their management was anything but serious. They even paid more attention to bicycles and motorcycles than cars—there were so few cars, and those who did drive were practically unmanageable. The traffic lights at the intersection were still booth-style operations, and there were only a handful in the entire city.

After locking the car, Xiaowei and Xiaohong entered the underground shopping mall hand in hand.

(End of this chapter)