Chapter 107: Gaining Some Fame

Seeing the well-maintained orchard before him, Lian Xuezhu was genuinely surprised that Cao Family Village had such a hidden gem. His sister and brother-in-law lived nearby, and he visited at least two or three times a year, yet they had never mentioned this place. It must have been established recently.

He recalled the young man his nephew had brought to him, who had come to apply for a subsidy. It had been a while, and the details were fuzzy, as it wasn’t a significant matter.

Liu Wansong, the director of the Pingyuan County Agricultural Bureau, also got out of the car. Seeing the expansive hillside and the vibrant fruit saplings, he felt a surge of joy. “What a great place!” Liu Wansong remarked.

After taking in the view, he turned to Lian Xuezhu with a smile, “Old Lian, how did you find such a wonderful place?”

“You might not believe it, but it was my good-for-nothing son who found it. Come on, let’s go inside and take a look.” Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong headed towards the orchard entrance.

Cao Shujie and his wife were at the entrance weighing produce for customers who had finished picking. They noticed Lian Xuezhu and his group. After finishing with the waiting customers, Cao Shujie instructed his wife to continue while his father, Cao Jianguo, helped out. Cao Shujie then approached Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong.

In such formal occasions, Cao Shujie refrained from being too familiar, planning to address him as ‘Director Lian’. However, Lian Xuezhu seemed to read his mind and waved slightly, “Little Cao, just carry on with your work. We’ll have a look around ourselves.”

“Alright!” Cao Shujie nodded in agreement.

Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong, along with a dozen or so people from their units, proceeded inside. As they passed the entrance, Lian Xuezhu recognized Cao Jianguo and asked in surprise, “Brother Jianguo, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, Brother Xuezhu, it’s you.” Cao Jianguo turned and noticed Lian Xuezhu.

Cao Shujie and Cao Zhenjia were close, and given the good relationship between the families, whenever Lian Xuezhu visited Cao Family Village to see his sister, he would always invite Cao Jianguo over for a drink if he was home.

“This is my son’s orchard. He’s been busy here these days, so I came to help out,” Cao Jianguo explained.

Hearing this, Lian Xuezhu exclaimed, “Brother Jianguo, Little Cao is your eldest? I didn’t recognize him. You see how things turn out.”

Since high school, Cao Shujie had rarely been home, so Lian Xuezhu wasn’t familiar with him. His nephew hadn’t mentioned it in detail, so he didn’t realize that Cao Shujie was the son of his old friend.

Seeing this unfold, Cao Shujie couldn’t help but marvel at his father’s wide circle of acquaintances. At the same time, he thought about the many conveniences that came with having connections at home. With today’s connection, would anyone dare to give him trouble when applying for policies in the future?

Xu Yijiang, who had come the day before, broke into a cold sweat witnessing this and was relieved, thinking, “Good thing I didn’t speak out of turn yesterday.”

After exchanging pleasantries with Cao Jianguo, Lian Xuezhu, remembering the business at hand, said, “Brother Jianguo, let’s have a drink together when you’re free at noon.”

“Sure, go on in,” Cao Jianguo replied, handing over some plastic buckets and bags.

Xu Yijiang quickly took them from him. As Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong’s group entered, a young man at the back called out to Cao Shujie, “Brother Jie, I’m here again.”

Surprised, Cao Shujie asked, “Qijian, what brings you here?”

“Brother Jie, how about the big deal I introduced you to!” Lian Qijian said proudly, pointing to his father’s group with a sense of accomplishment.

Hearing this, Cao Shujie finally understood the underlying reason.

Inside the orchard, Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong walked further in, surrounded by kiwi trees laden with fruit. Deeper in the orchard, many people carried small red buckets or plastic bags filled with kiwis. Seeing this bountiful scene, Lian Xuezhu felt gratified, as if witnessing the success of a promising young person from his own family.

Liu Wansong, not one to be without skills, was actually quite knowledgeable. Observing the kiwi trees, full and evenly sized with clean skins and a fragrant aroma, he remarked, “This place is impressive.”

“Old Liu, what’s your take?” Lian Xuezhu, a complete layman in this field, couldn’t discern the quality.

Pointing to the orchard, Liu Wansong explained, “Normally, it’s not yet the season for kiwis to be harvested on a large scale, but this orchard is thriving, with most fruits meeting the Grade A standard.”

“Old Lian, just based on these two points, the person managing this orchard is quite remarkable!” Liu Wansong genuinely praised.

Seeing that Liu Wansong wasn’t just being polite, Lian Xuezhu felt even more pleased. The success of his old friend’s son brought him a sense of pride.

Turning to the crowd behind him, he said, “Xiao Wu, go and bring Little Cao over. Tell him I need to speak with him.”

“Yes!” The young man called ‘Xiao Wu’ quickly ran towards the entrance.

Seeing the others standing around, Lian Xuezhu waved them off, “Since you’re here, go ahead and pick some fruit. Don’t just stand around like we’re up to something and disrupt their business.”

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so people dispersed, each grabbing a plastic bucket or bag and heading into the orchard to start picking. Since the unit was footing the bill today, it was a rare opportunity to pick more.

When Cao Shujie returned with ‘Xiao Wu’, he called out, “Director Lian, you were looking for me?”

“Let’s not be so formal, Little Cao,” Lian Xuezhu said proactively. “I have to say, you should have told me earlier that your father is Brother Jianguo. From now on, just follow Zhenzhen and call me Uncle.”

“Alright, Uncle,” Cao Shujie agreed readily.

Lian Xuezhu had a special regard for capable young people.

Liu Wansong observed the exchange without interrupting. Once Lian Xuezhu and Cao Shujie finished talking, he asked, “Little Cao, what did you do before? Were you always involved in fruit farming?”

Cao Shujie didn’t recognize him, so Lian Xuezhu introduced Liu Wansong, suggesting to Cao Shujie, “Just call him Uncle Liu, you won’t regret it.”

Learning that Liu Wansong was the head of the Pingyuan County Agricultural Bureau, Cao Shujie understood immediately. “Uncle Liu.”

Liu Wansong didn’t mind these formalities, implicitly accepting them. He kept his gaze on Cao Shujie, seemingly more interested in his background.

Cao Shujie continued, “I used to work at the Beijing Agricultural Science Research Institute. I resigned earlier this year to return and lease this land, where I planted this orchard.”

He pointed to the young fruit trees to the east. “You see, those are the new saplings I planted this year. The fruit-bearing old orchard was planted by my parents. I’m just taking over now.”

“You worked at the Beijing Agricultural Science Research Institute?” Liu Wansong seemed familiar with the place and was particularly interested. “Why did you leave that job?”

“As far as I know, the benefits and salary there are quite good.”

“Uncle Liu, to be honest, I worked for a subsidiary of the Beijing Agricultural Science Research Institute, focusing on agricultural crop growth promotion. It was exhausting, working day and night. Plus, my parents are getting older, and I wanted to spend more time with them…”

As he spoke, Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong formed a clearer picture of him in their minds, recognizing him as a filial son, which improved their impression of him.

“Did you personally improve these fruit trees?” Liu Wansong asked, intrigued.

Cao Shujie nodded. “I invested heavily in their improvement. The costs are high; otherwise, they wouldn’t sell for such a high price.”

“Can this technology be promoted?” Liu Wansong pressed further.

Cao Shujie regretfully replied, “Uncle Liu, it’s not that I’m being secretive. I’m still in the early stages of research. Many aspects are not mature yet. I’m simultaneously researching and practicing. I can’t predict the final outcome. If we want to promote it on a large scale, it will take another 5 to 10 years.”

“Sigh,” Liu Wansong sighed. “Just as I thought, it all depends on the people involved. Little Cao, you must continue your research. This is a great endeavor that benefits the present and future generations.”

Cao Shujie didn’t respond. The praise felt too grand for him to accept. He just wanted to grow old with his parents, watch his daughter grow up, and enjoy simple moments with his wife. Nothing romantic, just ordinary life.

Lian Xuezhu interjected, “Little Cao, from your perspective, what do you think is most lacking in agricultural economic development?”

“Agricultural development?” Cao Shujie hesitated, seeing both Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong watching him intently. He then said, “It’s hard to say, but in my opinion, there are three main aspects.”

“Lack of funds, lack of technology, and lack of market.”

“First, most farmers lack money, so they can’t scale up their operations. Growing a little here and there is pointless.”

“Second, most farmers don’t have systematic planting techniques. They rely on experience gained over the years. Theoretically, this can handle most normal situations, but seeking breakthroughs and development on this basis is as hard as climbing to the heavens.”

Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong both resonated with this point. The orchard in front of them was a living example.

Why was Cao Shujie’s orchard thriving? He had the technical background and operational skills, along with the desire and ability to innovate. Most ordinary farmers didn’t have these conditions.

“What about the third point you mentioned?” Liu Wansong asked eagerly.

After a moment of thought, Cao Shujie said, “After working hard to grow fruit, farmers face market volatility. In the end, they might not be able to sell at a good price. After a year of hard work, they could find that due to market reasons, they not only don’t make money but can’t even move their produce off the land…”

After he finished, both Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong fell silent, feeling the weight of his words. They understood that the last point was the most critical.

Last year, the purchase price might have been one or two yuan, even two or three yuan. This year, due to market factors, it could drop to just a few cents. Farmers couldn’t even recover their costs. Who could withstand such a blow?

Lian Xuezhu asked, “Little Cao, do you have any solutions?”

Cao Shujie shook his head honestly. “I don’t.”

The market is a vast machine, an invisible crocodile. He’s just a small fish. This is a matter for the nation; he just needs to do his part well.

As they chatted with Cao Shujie, Lian Xuezhu and Liu Wansong each took a small bucket and entered the orchard to pick kiwi fruit.

Holding the fruit in their hands and inhaling its fragrance, they felt even more connected to the experience.

Liu Wansong took a deep breath and remarked, “Old Lian, you know, this is the taste of the fruit I ate as a child. It’s truly fragrant.”

Around noon, they went to Cao Shujie’s home to enjoy a meal of boiled whole lamb.

A large pot of lamb meat simmered in the boiling soup, releasing an inviting aroma.

Beside it was a small bowl of fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, salt, pepper, chili, cumin, and five-spice powder.

The most delicious food often comes from the simplest ingredients.

Lian Xuezhu didn’t forget to have a drink with Cao Jianguo.

After seeing them off, Cao Shujie returned to the mountain.

When Cheng Xiaolin saw him, she asked, “Shujie, have they left?”

“They have. How much did they pick? Did they pay?” Cao Shujie asked.

Compared to vague promises, he valued tangible things more.

Who knows when those so-called policies will actually be implemented?

Cheng Xiaolin remarked to him, “You’re really something. That guy with the last name Xu paid up before he left.”

“How much did they pick in total?” Cao Shujie was quite curious.

Cheng Xiaolin showed him the ledger and said, “They picked quite a lot, a total of 411 jin. Plus, with that sheep, I collected 13,000 yuan in total, without counting the small change.”

“Alright, all at cost price,” Cao Shujie replied.

Cheng Xiaolin couldn’t be bothered to respond. In the afternoon, more people continued to arrive, and they kept busy.

By a little after five in the afternoon, when no more people came, Cao Shujie and his wife began to tally the accounts. Besides Lian Xuezhu and their group, they sold an additional 1,132 jin, marking the biggest breakthrough since the orchard opened.

That day, their gross income was 43,204 yuan.

Seeing this figure, Cao Jianguo sighed, feeling truly old.

His son’s sales in just one day matched half of what he used to make in an entire season.

Cao Jianguo felt a sense of being past his prime.

But thinking about how this was his son’s achievement, he felt both happy and proud!

Over the next two weeks, there were scattered visitors coming to pick kiwi fruit every day, and word about Cao Shujie’s orchard began to spread in the area.

Besides Lian Xuezhu’s group coming for team-building, even the town’s Rural Commercial Bank organized a team-building event there.

At that moment, Cao Shujie was filled with ambition, feeling that the future was bright.

(End of Chapter)