Shen Tingzhou keenly sensed that there must be an invisible hand manipulating things behind the scenes. He was not discouraged, but changed his strategy. Instead of looking for large buyers, he went deep into rural areas and connected directly with large-scale growers and small cooperatives.

In a remote village in a neighboring city, he met a large-scale farmer named Lao Zhou. Lao Zhou had planted over 200 mu of wheat and miscellaneous grains, and this year's harvest was good, but he was worried about not being able to sell his grain because local buyers were driving down prices. After learning about Shen Tingzhou's purpose, Lao Zhou was initially hesitant. After all, although "Natural Taste" had a great reputation, he was still a little worried about the stability of the cooperation.

Shen Tingzhou patiently explained the food workshop's development, procurement needs, and cooperation model to him, promising a reasonable purchase price and a long-term supply contract, guaranteeing timely payment. Old Zhou was moved by Shen Tingzhou's sincerity, and upon hearing that "Natural Flavors" was committed to increasing farmers' income, his doubts gradually dissipated.

“Mr. Shen, to be honest, I’ve heard about the recent chaos in the grain market. Those buyers are colluding to drive down prices, and we farmers are suffering terribly.” Old Zhou sighed. “Your food workshop is willing to offer reasonable prices and sign long-term contracts, which is exactly what we want. I’m willing to cooperate with you!”

Thus, Shen Tingzhou successfully signed a supply contract with Lao Zhou, solving part of the raw material supply problem. But this was far from enough; Lao Zhou's production capacity could only meet one-third of the food workshop's needs. Shen Tingzhou didn't stop and continued on to the next village.

Along the way, he encountered a torrential downpour, making the mountain roads muddy and difficult to traverse. His vehicle accidentally got stuck in the mud. There was no village or shop in sight, and no cell phone signal. Shen Tingzhou didn't panic. He got out of the car to check the situation, rolled up his sleeves, and pushed the car by hand. Rain soaked his clothes, and mud covered his trouser legs, but he didn't care at all. He only wanted to get out of the predicament as soon as possible and continue searching for suppliers.

After several hours of effort, he finally managed to push the car out of the mud. He was soaking wet and disheveled, but he simply wiped himself off and drove on. He knew time was of the essence; the food workshop's inventory was dwindling, and he had to find enough suppliers as soon as possible.

A few days later, Shen Tingzhou finally returned. He was travel-worn, his eyes bloodshot, and stubble on his chin. He had lost weight, but his gaze remained resolute. Upon seeing Lin Wanqiu, he pulled a thick stack of contracts from his bag, a tired yet relieved smile on his face: "Wanqiu, we've had a success. I've signed long-term supply contracts with eight large-scale growers and cooperatives in three cities. Their combined production capacity is enough to meet the food workshop's needs, and the price is five percentage points lower than Boss Li's."

Lin Wanqiu felt a pang of heartache seeing Shen Tingzhou's exhausted appearance. She stepped forward, reached out to brush the dust off his shoulders, and her eyes reddened slightly. "You've worked so hard, Tingzhou. You must be exhausted."

“I’m not tired, as long as the problem is solved.” Shen Tingzhou held her hand, his palm still warm and strong. “However, I’ve also found out some information. This time, the price increase of raw materials is indeed being manipulated behind the scenes. Several large grain buyers in our city have colluded to hoard goods, raising local grain prices, and have also threatened other small buyers and farmers, forbidding them from supplying us with goods at low prices. Boss Li and his group were forced to raise prices under pressure.”

"Just as I thought." A cold glint flashed in Lin Wanqiu's eyes. "These people are willing to harm the interests of farmers and businesses for profit. It's outrageous!"

"They thought they could force us to our knees, but they underestimated our determination and capabilities." Shen Tingzhou's tone carried a hint of disdain. "Now that we have found stable suppliers, their conspiracy has failed. However, we cannot let our guard down; these people may very well resort to other means."

Lin Wanqiu nodded, already having a plan in mind: "We can't keep reacting passively. Although we've found a new supplier this time, the supply chain still relies on external sources, which inevitably makes us susceptible to market fluctuations and human manipulation. To fundamentally solve the problem, we still need to achieve self-sufficiency in food ingredients."

She looked up at the distant fields, her gaze firm and far-sighted: "Tingzhou, I've made up my mind. We'll rent a piece of land in the suburbs and establish our own planting base, specializing in growing the wheat, grains, vegetables, and other raw materials needed for the food factory. This way, we can not only ensure the quality and stable supply of raw materials, but also further reduce production costs, while also creating more jobs and increasing the income of our fellow villagers."

Upon hearing this, Shen Tingzhou's eyes flashed with approval: "That's a good idea! Establishing our own planting base is indeed a long-term plan. This way, we can get rid of our dependence on external suppliers and take control of the supply chain. Moreover, the suburbs have abundant land resources and relatively cheap rent, which is suitable for large-scale planting."

“Yes.” Lin Wanqiu finally showed a long-lost smile, her eyes sparkling with hope. “I’ve already inquired. There’s an abandoned saline-alkali land in the suburbs, covering thousands of acres. Although it can’t be directly planted on now, it can be turned into fertile farmland with proper improvement. We can contract it, improve the soil, and then establish a standardized planting base, using green planting techniques to ensure the quality of our ingredients.”

As the sun set, its golden rays bathed the roof of the food workshop and Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou in a warm glow. The crisis of rising raw material prices had been temporarily alleviated thanks to their joint efforts. The idea of ​​establishing a planting base and achieving self-sufficiency in food supplies took root and sprouted in their hearts like a seed of hope.

Lin Wanqiu knew this was another arduous task. Soil improvement required funds, technology, and time, and the construction and management of the planting base also demanded a great deal of effort. But she was not afraid. Having weathered so many storms, she was no longer the bewildered young woman she had been in the early 1960s. With Shen Tingzhou's support, the trust of her fellow villagers, and her own resilience and wisdom, she believed that as long as she persevered, she would definitely achieve this goal, allowing the "Natural Flavor" food workshop to go further and more steadily, and enabling the villagers of Hongqi Production Brigade to live a more prosperous and fulfilling life.