Chapter 28

The next morning, the fat man took a bus to go to work in the countryside. After seeing off the fat man, Wang Yong thought about taking a walk around the mountain. Just as he was about to head up the mountain, his phone rang. He took out his phone and saw it was Manager Li. Could it be that there's news about the jujubes? With a question in mind, Wang Yong pressed the answer button.

"Wang Yong, I have some good news for you," Manager Li said excitedly before Wang Yong could even greet him. "I showed your jujubes to my friend. After tasting them, he was amazed. He then did some tests, which proved that your jujubes are absolutely organic, with no pesticide residue at all. He asked me to tell you that he will take all your jujubes. He has some business to attend to in Japan, but he will call you after the Mid-Autumn Festival to confirm the specific harvesting date."

After hearing this, Wang Yong's first thought was that he no longer had to worry about what to do with so many jujubes. However, he didn't know what price Manager Li's friend would offer.

"Thank you, Manager Li. When you come next time, I'll treat you to a wild fish and a small wild chicken stewed with mushrooms."

"Sure! I'll look forward to your wild fish and small wild chicken stewed with mushrooms."

"By the way, Manager Li, what price did your friend offer?"

"Hehe, sorry, I forgot to tell you. He initially set a price of 280 yuan per kilogram, but the exact price will be determined after he inspects your orchard."

"280 yuan per kilogram? That's 140 yuan per catty?"

"Brother, you're making a fuss over nothing. There are many imported fruits that are much more expensive than this. 280 yuan per kilogram is just an initial price. After he sees your jujubes and the trees, the price will definitely be higher than 280. This time, you're going to make a fortune!"

After chatting for a while, they hung up. As soon as the call ended, another call came in. Wang Yong saw it was Manager Li from the greenhouse project and quickly answered.

"Manager Li, it's Wang Yong here! Yes, what is it? Alright, I'm at home, I'll wait for you."

It turned out that Manager Li was inspecting a site nearby and was not far away. He planned to bring his team over to take a look. Half an hour later, Manager Li's pickup truck arrived in front of Wang Yong.

"Hello, Village Chief Wang!" Manager Li got out of the car and extended his hand to shake Wang Yong's. This is a big client! A budget of three million yuan is a significant amount for the company, and they need to cultivate a good relationship with him!

"Hello, hello. Please come in for some tea first." Wang Yong was surprised that Manager Li knew he was the village chief.

"Sure, I'll be a bother then."

"What bother? You're a distinguished guest, and I'll need your help in the future!"

Wang Yong led Manager Li and the driver who came with him into the house. After serving them tea, Wang Yong explained his plans to Manager Li. After a moment of thought, Manager Li said:

"Wang Yong, I want to talk to you about this. Building twenty greenhouses is not as efficient as building one large greenhouse. This way, it saves land and time, and it will be more convenient for growing vegetables in the future. The insulation of a glass greenhouse is much better than your current two greenhouses."

"A glass greenhouse? Like an eco-restaurant?" Wang Yong asked, feeling somewhat excited. He could really build an eco-restaurant, and with the vegetables he grows, the restaurant would definitely be a huge success. He could also develop a rural tourism project, which would be a great idea. Wang Yong's eyes lit up; this was a good plan. Developing tourism would be perfect for the village's current situation.

"Yes, exactly like that." Manager Li could see that Wang Yong was excited and replied happily. If this project really goes through, it would be much better than building ordinary greenhouses.

"Wouldn't the cost of such a greenhouse be much higher?" Wang Yong asked, somewhat worried, as he only had three million yuan.

"Generally, the cost is around 600 to 750 yuan per square meter. Since you're an old client and this is a large project, I'll give you a price of 600 yuan per square meter. This is the lowest price possible," Manager Li explained quickly.

"How much would it cost for 100 acres?"

"About 40 million yuan."

Wang Yong was stunned. 40 million yuan? He had over three million yuan, and he could sell some jujubes after the Mid-Autumn Festival. His orchard could produce about 2,000 kilograms of jujubes, and at 280 yuan per kilogram, that would be 560,000 yuan. It was still a long way to go!

Manager Li could see from Wang Yong's expression that he was short of money. After all, 40 million yuan is a lot! Just as he was about to suggest building ordinary greenhouses, Wang Yong spoke up.

"Manager Li, I really like the idea of a large greenhouse, but I don't have enough money right now. I'll let you know after the Mid-Autumn Festival whether I'll build the glass greenhouse."

"Sure, the investment for a glass greenhouse is large. However, the area you want is too big. I think you should reduce it. 100 acres is too much. You could start with a smaller one, say 10 acres, and expand later when you have more funds," Manager Li suggested.

"Before, I only thought about growing vegetables. But after hearing your suggestion, I think building a large glass greenhouse as an eco-restaurant is a great idea. If it's too small, it won't be distinctive and won't attract many people. If I'm going to do it, I want to do it big."

"Your idea is good, but 100 acres is almost enough to apply for a Guinness World Record. Generally, 10 acres is already quite large. However, since you're paying, if you decide to build a 100-acre greenhouse, I'll fully support you. If this greenhouse is built, not only will your village become famous, but our company will also benefit greatly. I can't wait to see a 100-acre glass greenhouse!" Manager Li exclaimed.

Wang Yong also felt a sense of excitement. Once this large glass greenhouse is built, it will be a significant landmark. The village will become famous nationwide. Once it gains fame, with the Chinese love for crowds and the delicious vegetables he grows, the village will be as crowded as a famous tourist attraction. Perhaps his dream of surpassing Huaxi Village will soon come true.

After chatting for a while, Manager Li saw that Wang Yong was genuinely interested in building a 100-acre glass greenhouse and stopped trying to persuade him. Instead, he asked Wang Yong to think it over carefully and call him back once he made a decision.

After seeing off Manager Li, Wang Yong continued to sit at home, thinking about where to get 40 million yuan. He could get a loan of four million yuan, as he already had over three million yuan in his bank account. However, it was still far from 40 million yuan. What should he do?

If all else fails, he could sell the gold bars in the cave. They should be worth 40 million yuan. After finding a solution, Wang Yong didn't immediately call Manager Li. The Mid-Autumn Festival was coming up, and he hadn't spent it with his family since he went to college. Thinking about being alone while everyone else was celebrating, he felt lonely. In college, he had classmates to keep him company, but after working, if he wasn't on duty, he could only feel the loneliness. In his rented room, he would drink alone and miss his family. Since then, he started to dislike mooncakes, as they made him feel even more lonely.

This year, he could finally spend a family reunion during the Mid-Autumn Festival with his grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, brother, and cousin... and his beloved Yuan Yuan. Thinking of Yuan Yuan, Wang Yong's lips curved into a smile. Yes! He could invite her family to come and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with him.

With this thought, Wang Yong took out his phone and called Yuan Yuan.

Without you, I feel so lonely

All the heartbreak is with me

Without you, the city feels so empty

All the happiness is gone

Without realizing it, Wang Yong was captivated by the ringtone, feeling a great sense of happiness. He made a silent vow to himself not to辜负 (neglect) Yuan Yuan's deep love.

"Hello, why aren't you saying anything?" Yuan Yuan's soft voice came from the phone. Her gentle tone made Wang Yong's heart flutter, and he felt an urge to hold her in his arms.

"It's me, Yuan Yuan," Wang Yong replied foolishly.

"I know it's you! The caller ID shows it. What's wrong?" Yuan Yuan asked with concern.

Hearing her caring words, Wang Yong felt warm and comfortable: "The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up. I want to invite your family to come and celebrate with us."

"Sure! We're off work tomorrow. Come and pick me up the day after tomorrow!" Yuan Yuan agreed without hesitation.

Hearing Yuan Yuan agree to come to his home for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wang Yong felt as if his heart was filled with honey, sweet and warm. His longing for her grew even stronger. However, not knowing how to express himself, he didn't know what to say. Finally, he managed to say:

"I miss you."

Yuan Yuan was silent for a moment, then her soft voice came through the phone: "I miss you too! Don't forget to come and pick me up the day after tomorrow." Then she hung up.

After a moment of dazed silence, Wang Yong remembered he should tell his grandfather, grandmother, uncle, and aunt about inviting Yuan Yuan's family to the village for the Mid-Autumn Festival. He called his uncle and explained the situation. His uncle told him to just bring the guests safely, and he would take care of the rest. After hanging up, Wang Yong shook his head. In his uncle's eyes, he was still a child, and such matters needed to be handled personally to be reassuring. According to local customs, this would be considered a visit to the groom's house (a local wedding custom where the bride's family visits the groom's house to see the new home and meet the groom's family), which was a significant event and couldn't be taken lightly.

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