"I went to the nursery to consult Technician Zhao. He said seabuckthorn fruit contains a lot of what-what."
Chen Lishu: "Vitamin C."
"Right!" Chen Lifei nodded. "Technician Zhao said he has a classmate at some biotechnology company and will write to contact them to ask."
Chen Baozhu: "This Technician Zhao has been a great help. Didn't you thank him?"
Chen Lifei: "I thanked him and gave him a hundred eggs. He said the matter wasn't certain yet and refused to accept anything."
Chen Lishu smiled. "Then let's thank him properly after there's an outcome."
After talking with her family for a while longer and agreeing to check on the situation on the mountain the next day, Chen Lishu took the two children back to the Gu family's home.
The two little ones might have slept a bit too much during the day, and with their mother around, they stayed up very late.
The next day, after informing her mother-in-law, Li Xiulan, and leaving the children at home, Chen Lishu went to the mountain with Chen Lifei.
As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, they were greeted by countless blooming trees covered in pink and white flowers. A faint fragrance wafted through the air with the gentle breeze, refreshing their senses. After nearly three years, the mountain had completely transformed.
"There are currently about seventy thousand fruit trees planted, around fifty thousand plum and apricot trees each, and forty thousand seabuckthorn trees. Additionally, there are over a hundred acres of intercropped sugar beets, potatoes, and medicinal herbs. Dad also planted thirty acres of cantaloupe and watermelon on the south slope this year. In the pigsty, there are over sixty pigs, and about three to four hundred chickens. Uncle Hu Si and the others have set up wire fences, and they are all free-ranging in the woods." Da Feng Novel Network.
As Chen Lifei introduced them, the sisters walked towards the mountainside.
The path up the mountain had been widened again this year, supposedly to make it easier for those coming to purchase goods to ascend.
Hu Si'er and everyone else were delighted to see Chen Lishu return.
As the planting area on the mountain continued to expand, more manpower was needed. The number of permanent workers had reached over thirty.
After chatting with everyone for a while, Chen Lishu took a walk around.
"When everything on the mountain starts to be harvested in July and August, especially since the fruit trees are also bearing fruit this year, I'm afraid we'll have too much produce and people will only buy a limited amount. If it gets delayed, it will all go to waste," Hu Si'er said with some worry.
"Also, pigs and chickens haven't been selling well since after the New Year. We already have a lot of eggs stored in our warehouse."
Three to four hundred chickens would lay at least one to two hundred eggs a day. If they weren't sold promptly, they would accumulate over time and spoil.
Chen Lishu nodded, indicating she understood.
Previously, there weren't many things being raised on the mountain, and the vendors at the market could absorb the supply. Now, it seemed they really needed to consider contacting more cooperative units.
After descending the mountain, Chen Lishu didn't go home but went to visit the village secretary, Zhang Changhe.
"When did Lishu return?" Zhang Changhe's wife asked, seeing her enter the courtyard, and eagerly invited her inside.
Chen Lishu was no longer an ordinary person. The village had developed well thanks to her, and even the township leaders paid more attention to Zhang Changhe.
Chen Lishu: "Auntie, is Uncle at home?"
"He only went out a little while ago. Please sit down, I'll go call him for you." Zhang Changhe's wife turned and went to call him.
Before long, Zhang Changhe returned from outside. Chen Lishu stood up and greeted him with a smile, "Uncle."
"Sit, sit." Zhang Changhe nodded and gestured for her to sit.
Chen Lishu didn't beat around the bush and directly stated her purpose: "I've actually come here with something I need your help with."
Zhang Changhe: "Just say whatever it is."
"When I first contracted Qingshan, the policies were not clear. But now, nearly three years have passed, and the situation has changed a lot. I'd like to ask you to go to the township with me..."
Then Chen Lishu briefly explained her plan.
With the development on the mountain, many agricultural and sideline products required cooperative units. After all, various coupons and tickets had not been abolished yet, and many meat processing plants or other food processing units had fixed suppliers. If they tried to find them individually, their influence and impact would be insufficient.
However, with the help of leaders and the media, it would be different. As long as the prices were reasonable, many interested units would proactively come to discuss cooperation.
"As far as I know, the township currently doesn't have any representative featured developments. If our village can be designated as a model and encourage everyone to actively develop agriculture, thereby driving commerce and increasing villagers' income, I believe it will be very beneficial not only for you but also for the township."
Chen Lishu's intention was clear. In the past, when policies were unclear, she had to keep a low profile. Now, she was willing to be publicized as a model.
"As you know the development on the mountain, it would be best to invite the town leaders as well, and then publicize it appropriately through the newspaper. With more people coming to the mountain to purchase goods and forming a certain scale, not to mention anything else, transportation and accommodation alone can bring significant economic benefits to the township and the village."
Zhang Changhe was stunned after listening to Chen Lishu's words for a long time.
He had been a village secretary for decades and had never thought of handling matters in this way. He realized his perspective had been too narrow; people who had attended university and seen the world were indeed different.
The next day, Chen Lishu and Zhang Changhe went to the commune together.
The township was still called a commune at that time; it would be changed to a township the following year.
Secretary Wang still had some impression of Chen Lishu. After all, there were very few communes that dared to contract mountainous land and produce so much money. And she was the first one to lead the way, and she was still a young girl.
It was not appropriate for Chen Lishu to propose matters related to publicity and development, and she didn't get the annual share distributed to the village for nothing. Therefore, Zhang Changhe did most of the talking, with Chen Lishu occasionally supplementing his points.
"Ah, Secretary, you know the situation of the village before. We farmers who make a living from the land don't have much skill. We work hard but earn little money all year round. Qingshan Village doesn't have any superior conditions, only more land and this mountain. If it can be developed well, it will benefit generations."
Secretary Wang fell into deep thought after hearing their words.
He was different from Zhang Changhe. Zhang Changhe came from a farming family and had worked at the grassroots level for most of his life. Further promotion was impossible.
He was different. At his age, holding the position of commune secretary, he still wanted to strive for further advancement. It would be even better if he could be transferred to the town.
But to be transferred, he needed achievements.
In the previous two years, they hadn't supported such initiatives because the policies didn't allow it. But now, situations like Chen Lishu's were not isolated cases. There had even been reports from the south, and nothing had gone wrong. If it were to develop well, he, as the commune leader, would surely be recognized as the one with the foresight.
Secretary Wang felt that their proposal could be tried.
After pondering for a while, he said, "I'll go to the mountain with you first to get a general understanding before making a report."