Chapter 79

After seeing off Mr. Tian and Mr. Liu, I will return to 1978. It's been nine days since I came back, and all the things I need to buy have arrived.

There are two rolls of fabric: one is a slightly thinner plain weave, about eighty meters long, and the other is a thicker twill, about thirty-five meters long. The two rolls of fabric weigh about sixty kilograms.

In addition, there are twenty bars of soap, four watches, five bottles of hair oil, ten combs, ten pairs of safety shoes, and a large box of handkerchiefs, face cream, and small mirrors.

I also bought a new bicycle. I originally planned to buy a Heilao Yan, a lightweight motorcycle produced in the 1960s, similar to a modern electric scooter with pedals. It weighs less than a hundred kilograms and can be used as a bicycle when out of fuel. It's a great choice, but after checking online, I found that either the price was too high or it would take too long to get one. That's a bit of a problem.

I plan to think of a solution next time. For now, I'll just use the bicycle.

The preparations are almost complete. I just need to wait for the sun value to reach 200 before I can return.

Since there's nothing else to do in the evening, I packed all the items I need to bring. "I'll go to the meat stall at the intersection and ask them to save some meat. I'll take a few pounds of pork back."

Mr. Gao said that meat coupons are hard to get these days, so I might as well bring some pork. If I can't get the coupons, we might not have meat for a while.

"I'll bring the piglet tomorrow."

I've already ordered the piglet for Xiaojuan. With all these items, the total weight is almost at the limit. I wonder if the carrying capacity will increase with 300 sun values.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"I'm coming."

"Uncle Weishan, is there something you need?"

I opened the door and saw it was my neighbor, Han Weishan.

"I heard from Weiguo that your farm is hiring?"

Han Weishan is in his early fifties. His wife died in a flood many years ago, and he has been raising two children alone. His eldest son is married but lives far away in Northeast China and rarely comes back. His younger son runs a barbershop in the city.

He is about twenty-five and hasn't settled down yet. Nowadays, a girl won't marry without a house, but house prices are skyrocketing, and Han Weishan is very worried. His family's few acres of land don't earn much, so he came to inquire about the job at my farm.

"Uncle Weiguo, the wages at my farm are low."

I plan to offer 1,500 yuan per month, which isn't high, but the work is relatively easy. The job involves cleaning the farm, maintaining the wheelbarrows and water wheels, and providing fishing gear, chairs, water, and drinks to guests.

"That's fine."

1,500 yuan is not bad, and there are four days off each month. It won't interfere with his farming, and he gets a free lunch. Han Weishan agreed, and I was quite happy. He has a good character, and I've been in the village for half a year, so I know him well. He is honest and hardworking, though his life hasn't been easy.

"I'll ask Uncle Weishan if he knows how to use a mill and a stone roller. None of the young people here know how to use them, so I need to find someone who can teach them and help the farm grind some brown rice."

Hand-ground brown rice is a good product. It saves energy and is environmentally friendly.

After locking the door, I washed up and rested. The next morning, I went to the intersection to get the pork and eggs and returned to the farm. Soon, Tian Liang and Liu Mingdong arrived with a group of people.

"Mr. Tian, Mr. Liu."

"This place is nice."

"Yes, the mountain village is quiet."

The speaker was a middle-aged man. From his attitude towards Liu Mingdong and Tian Liang, I guessed he was a leader.

"Mr. Qu, this small farm in the mountains has a unique rustic charm. You'll enjoy the lunch here."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Mr. Qu smiled. "Mr. Liu said the food is good, so it must be."

"Mr. Qu, you flatter me. You are the expert in food."

Indeed, Mr. Qu is the main guest. I welcomed everyone into the house and took the opportunity to ask Tian Liang quietly, "Who is this...?"

"Deputy General Manager of Taiping Clothing, mainly responsible for the southern Anhui region. He recently acquired two plots of land in Paradise Lake for 600 million yuan."

"The one who spent 600 million yuan?"

"Exactly."

No wonder Tian Liang is so eager. Building a residential area on those two plots would require dozens of buildings, a major project. Any piece of the pie would be enough to sustain Tian Liang for a year.

Tian Liang had to pull in Liu Mingdong to have a chance to invite Mr. Qu for a meal. Knowing that Mr. Qu likes farm-style dishes, he brought him here for the first time.

I realized why Liu Mingdong knew about the tiger bone wine. Tian Liang must have something he needs from Liu Mingdong.

"Brother, make the lunch more elaborate and flavorful."

"No problem."

"Mr. Li, you have quite a few good things here."

Mr. Qu walked around and was surprised. This small farm has quite a few good things, including wild boar meat, wild softshell turtles, eels, bighead carp, pheasants, and black rice. The mountain produce he saw was also of high quality. The ingredients here are as good as those in some high-end hotels, if not better.

"Wow."

Mr. Qu took a few quick steps, and Liu Mingdong and Tian Liang followed. They saw a large softshell turtle.

"Such a big turtle?"

"Rare to see."

"Indeed, it's rare."

Mr. Qu nodded. A wild turtle of this size is rare these days.

"Oh my, there are characters on the turtle's shell." Tian Liang exclaimed, making Liu Mingdong frown slightly. But upon closer inspection, there was indeed a character.

"There is a character."

Mr. Qu was surprised to see a character on such a large wild turtle. Upon closer inspection, it was the character "喜" (joy). It really looked like it.

"Mr. Li, you have some deep secrets."

"You mean the turtle with the '喜' character? I was also surprised when I saw it."

I smiled, feeling a bit proud. Even a big boss like Mr. Qu was surprised.

"Mr. Li, I like this turtle. Our company just acquired a plot of land, and I want to start with a good omen."

Mr. Qu's meaning was clear. Tian Liang understood and bowed to me, asking for help. I was a bit hesitant. The turtle with the '喜' character is rare, even though it hasn't developed intelligence.

"Mr. Qu, this is quite a dilemma for me."

"200,000 yuan."

200,000 yuan is a high price, but it's just a turtle. I bought it for a few yuan, and 200,000 yuan is a lot, but it's still below my target price.

"Mr. Qu, I need to think about it."

Mr. Qu hesitated and then offered a lucky number. "366,000 yuan."

366,000 yuan for a turtle is a lot, but I thought it was reasonable.

"Alright, Mr. Qu, if you really like it, I'll let it go."

"Thank you, Mr. Li."

Spending over 300,000 yuan on a lucky item isn't a bad deal. A wild turtle of this size with a '喜' character is worth it. I didn't lose money, and Mr. Qu felt he got a good deal.

Tian Liang bowed to me, thinking that I was his lucky star. Last time, he met some good wine when Mr. Liu visited, which helped him build a relationship with Mr. Liu. This time, Mr. Qu found a lucky turtle, which was a good omen.

Mr. Qu was quite satisfied. The turtle was sent back, and he transferred the money to me on the spot. I felt rich for the first time, with over 400,000 yuan in my pocket. The second phase of the farm's renovation could be implemented.

While fishing, a red-crowned crane danced, making Mr. Qu feel that this trip was worthwhile. Everywhere was a good omen. Tian Liang was really lucky this time, as Mr. Qu values omens.

The farm-style lunch was highly praised by Mr. Qu. With Han Weiguo's cooking and high-quality ingredients, the farm-style dishes were more popular than those in high-end hotels.

"The cooking is really good."

As they were leaving, Tian Liang gave Mr. Qu two bottles of tiger bone wine. "Mr. Qu, I don't have much to offer, but these two bottles of medicinal wine. The tiger bone wine is made with dozens of herbs and is very effective. I used two bottles, and my back pain improved significantly."

"Tiger bone wine?"

Mr. Qu was even more surprised. This small farm really had some hidden treasures.

"Mr. Li, you're keeping these good things to yourself."

"Mr. Qu, I have no choice. There's not much, and Mr. Tian and Mr. Liu are regular customers." I said with a smile.

This time, Liu Mingdong got four bottles, and Tian Liang got four bottles. He gave two bottles to Mr. Qu, and the rest were gone. Each bottle cost 5,000 yuan, and Tian Liang paid 40,000 yuan. In one day, I made 400,000 yuan.

My heart was racing. This is different from selling a house; this money is pure profit. The turtle cost less than ten yuan, and the tiger bone wine was exchanged for a watch on Taobao, which cost 120 yuan. Actually, one watch exchanged for two jars of wine, tiger bone, and tiger penis.

In total, the tiger bone wine cost only a few dozen yuan, and each bottle cost a few yuan to make. Selling it for 5,000 yuan per bottle, my heart was racing.

After seeing off the grateful Mr. Tian, I felt elated. I made a lot of money, even though I lost the turtle with the '喜' character. I felt a bit inflated.

"I'll call the town government and pay the lease for three years."

I felt a bit inflated, as the money came in so quickly. It felt almost unreal.

I need to work hard for a while to adjust my mindset. Making too much money too easily is not good for me.

"I'll stay in 1978 for a longer time this time."

I need to stabilize my mindset. If not, something might go wrong. Being overconfident can lead to failure, and having too much money without the right mindset is the same.

"Uncle Weiguo."

"Can you help me contact someone who can supply stone slabs? I want to buy some to pave the road."

Building bridges and paving roads, I need to be down-to-earth.

"I'll help you ask around."

In the afternoon, I tidied up the farm, but my excitement couldn't be suppressed. 400,000 yuan, sigh, making too much money too quickly is not a good thing. I just want to work hard and achieve something, but why does the money come so easily?

Making money too easily, I really envy those young people who haven't bought houses yet. They can work hard and buy a house in the future. Now, I don't need a house; I'm already a successful person.

"I'm too inflated."

I need to go back. I packed my things and pressed the button on the screen at 8 PM.

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2018.9.23