43.043 (Done)

"I'm just doing a good deed and want some fresh fruit to eat," Su Yu said.

If she had said it was a sudden impulse, Yu Yuan'an would have believed her. But the fact that she went all the way back to her parents' home to pick wheat as proof, and then walked over covered in sweat, just for some fresh fruit, made him blind and utterly unbelievable.

"To be honest, opportunities are rare. It just so happens that Manager Qiu is here. If the request is reasonable and you can provide a solution, we can help if we can," Yu Yuan'an said.

Su Yu pondered for a while, thinking that her purpose would be exposed sooner or later, and that saying it now would just mean she had fewer trump cards. Judging from their expressions, they might agree.

"Manager Qiu, does your orchard need someone to take care of the fruit trees? As you can see, I have a talent for planting, and I might be able to play a big role in the orchard in the future," Su Yu offered herself.

Qiu Fuli glanced at Yu Yuan'an, completely surprised that she was there to look for a job; they had assumed she was there to ask for connections and help.

"You really work in the logistics department of the cannery? I remember this job is in an office, right? It's respectable and easy." Qiu Fuli asked doubtfully.

“That’s right. My husband is a transport driver for a cannery. I have no reason to lie about that; you can find out if you ask around. Working in an office is leisurely and respectable. I never intended to work in the orchard before. It was last year when I discovered a problem with the wheat seeds at my parents’ home. I also enjoy reading, and I found it quite interesting.” Su Yu said earnestly, “I didn’t want to waste my talent, so I told the village about the wheat seeds. This year, everyone will get a few more kilograms of refined grain. Discovering the problem with the orange trees can also prevent damage to the orchard. The trees aren’t valuable; what’s valuable is time. The trees in our orchard are all five or six years old. Cutting them down would be a waste. I want to do something meaningful.”

Seeing that Yu Yuan'an's expression softened, she continued, "I sit in the office, doing the same work as last year, and the same work as five years later. I can see death everywhere. Maybe if I delay for a few more years, I'll get used to the stability and my sensitivity to plants will disappear. Practical experience is the most valuable asset, so I came here." After saying this, she scratched her head shyly, looking embarrassed after expressing her ideals, simple and sincere.

Qiu Fuli couldn't help but clap his hands, his eyes full of praise, "The country needs good comrades like you who aren't afraid of hardship and fatigue, you..."

“Think about it again. The work in the orchard is the same as last year. When you came yesterday, I was checking if the peach trees needed water. Today, I’m checking if the pear trees need water. At this time last year, I was walking around the orchard. This year is the same. After checking the peach trees, I’ll check the pear trees, and then the grapevines.” Yu Yuan’an interrupted Qiu Fuli’s promise. He gets carried away when he hears something idealistic and passionate. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been fooled into spending every day in the orchard. An office manager has turned into an old farmer.

"And look at my hands and my face, then look at yours. I'm as dark as if I've been soaked and sun-dried in a soy sauce vat three times, while you're as white as a feather, with delicate and tender skin. A woman looks ten years older after a year in the orchard, exposed to the wind and sun." These were Yu Yuan'an's true feelings. Su Yu's ambition was indeed moving, so he valued her talent and said a few kind words. Jobs are hard to find these days. If she loses her job and can't hold on to this one, she'll have nowhere to go, and her family will complain. She doesn't want to be sitting on a mountain wailing.

Su Yu asked how much she would be paid if she came here.

Qiu Fuli pondered for a moment, then said, "We also have a technician here, a young man. He's been here for two years, and his current salary is 73, down from 40 when he first came. But he's educated. If you come, I'll give you a starting salary of 30, with a raise after six months. In two years, you'll also reach 73." He promised.

Su Yu hesitated. The salary was manageable, only eight yuan a month, but there were free fruits to make up for it. What made her hesitate the most was what Yu Yuan'an said about looking ten years older after a year of exposure to the wind and sun. Women love beauty, and she loved her fair skin more than anyone else.

“What about working hours? I get off work from 8 am to 11 am in the factory, and then from 2 pm to 6 pm. My salary is 38 yuan, but I don’t care about the difference of 8 yuan. After all, I’m doing a job I like, and there are always sacrifices.” She first praised herself and then played the victim: “My whole family is in Anqiu Town, and my husband is not often at home. I’m afraid that if I go back too late, I will encounter danger.”

“The working hours are the same. If you buy a bicycle, it only takes half an hour to get back. In winter, when it gets dark early, you can leave an hour earlier.” Actually, the hours are quite flexible. Sometimes Yu Yuan’an comes at six in the morning and leaves at 10:00. Sometimes he stays all afternoon, and sometimes he doesn’t come at all. During the peak fruit season, selling fruit is none of their job as technicians; they are nowhere to be seen all day. But they can’t say it so casually to outsiders, especially when compared to the cannery. Their orchard is a legitimate business.

At this moment, Yu Yuan'an got up and left. He had said what he needed to say, and there was nothing more for him to do. He was going to inspect the orchard.

"Well then, Manager Qiu, you see, I haven't transferred my job at the cannery yet, and I haven't told the factory about it. The work also needs to be handed over, which may take some time. I'll come over and assist Technician Yu whenever I have time. I'll give it a try, and you can also evaluate me, since my arrival was quite sudden," Su Yu said apologetically.

"When are you coming? The orange trees are already in bloom." Qiu Fuli was actually anxious about this. If Technician Yu could solve this problem, he wouldn't need to hire another person to earn a salary.

"It can be done today, but I hope Manager Qiu keeps his word. Don't let me go back on my job just because the orange trees are healthy. I have insights into more than just the causes of orange tree diseases," Su Yu said as she walked down the mountain with him.

"It's not that bad, it's not that bad."

The soil acidity has decreased, and it doesn't seep water. Without digging up the orange trees, the underlying stones can't be lifted. Fortunately, the orange trees have already taken root, so adjusting the acidity to the right level is a piece of cake for Shumanpo. Su Yu told them to loosen the soil first, as it's too compacted and won't seep water. Then she taught them how to ferment acid water using fruit peels, planning to come back in five days to spread the acid water as Shumanpo instructed.

"That's it?" Qiu Fuli wondered, "Is it too easy?" Should he suspect Su Zhaoyao of being a fraud or Yu Yuan'an of being incompetent?

"The hardest part is getting the right acidity. With such a large hill and no instruments to test it, the biggest challenge is how to ensure that the acidity is suitable for the growth of orange trees."

"Then, how can you guarantee that the water you pour is the most suitable?"

"We'll know in two months, or at the latest, late autumn this year. If I ruin the tree and kill it, you don't need to hire me. It's my fault, and I'll compensate you. Besides, I'm just offering my services. I didn't ask for wages, so you're not losing out no matter how you look at it," Su Yu said, spreading her hands.

That's the only way. If the tree dies from all the damage, someone will compensate him, and he'll have a reason to cut it down and plant something else.

Su Yu walked back again. The next day at work, she asked around the office if anyone had a bicycle ticket so she could buy one, but she couldn't find one after asking around. She could only hope that Ning Jin could exchange a bicycle ticket with someone, since he had mentioned during the Chinese New Year that he wanted to get a bicycle for the family.

Five days later, she asked for leave again to borrow Wang Xiaoxia's bicycle for a day.

"What are you doing? Director Hong's face turns dark whenever he sees you, and he even asked for leave? Did something happen at home?" Wang Xiaoxia asked her as she handed her the bicycle.

"It's a big deal. I'll tell you in a while." Su Yu got on her bicycle, pedaled, and rode off. Her legs, which had been resting for five days, were strong again. Once out of town, the air was filled with the scent of wildflowers. As the bicycle rolled over the wild grass, the fresh, green sap was particularly invigorating.

"You're here! We've been waiting for you." Qiu Fuli waved from the hilltop when he heard the bicycle bell.

"Mix the fermented liquid with water in a 1:5 ratio. Don't pour the water on the tree roots, just sprinkle it on the soil next to them," Shu Manpo whispered in Su Yu's right ear.

Su Yu mixed the water and had the workers sprinkle it. She followed behind, rubbing the water between her fingers to check its moisture level, then smelling it. Finally, she took out a piece of paper from her pocket, on which were written down the acidity levels and their corresponding smells. After the watering was finished, Su Yu said to let it dry in the sun, and she would check it again in the afternoon.

"Can I see your paper?" Yu Yuan'an asked, pointing to the paper in Su Yu's pocket.

"Yes, but that's my own standard." The paper listed the acidity of white vinegar, the acidity of half a bottle of water with white vinegar, the acidity of sweet oranges, and so on.

"You can smell it?" Yu Yuan'an asked, both doubtful and shocked.

"Different acidities make a difference, can't you smell it?" Su Yu pretended to be clueless.

Yu Yuan'an and Qiu Fuli glanced at her. If this sour orange could really grow into a sweet orange, then Su Yu would truly be blessed by God. This is something that cannot be learned.

At noon, Su Yu went back with them for lunch and saw the young man who earned 75 yuan a month. His palms and the arms inside his sleeves were different colors. At this moment, she wondered if it was worth it for her to switch jobs and endure the wind and sun. But if she didn't switch jobs, she would be 35 years old when the college entrance examination was reinstated in seven years. Where would her career path be then? Would she, like in her previous life, choose a major she didn't understand or love, and then endure another 20 or 30 years until retirement to raise her grandchildren and hold her great-grandchildren?

Around 3 p.m., Su Yu went to the orange grove again, walking from one end to the other, squatting down every now and then to pinch a handful of soil and smell it, and using a shovel to turn over the moist soil to test the acidity of the trees all over the slope.

"Water it with acidic water again in ten days. If it doesn't rain, the ratio will be 1 to 6. If it rains, you'll have to come again. Also, tell the others not to come in and walk around during this time, so they don't compact the soil again," Shu Manpo instructed.

Su Yu turned around and repeated what she had said, "If it doesn't rain, water it again like you did today. If it rains, I'll come back in ten days." She said this hesitantly.

“You have to come over no matter if it rains or not. We’re not sure how much water to sprinkle. Anyway, you’ll be working here in the future, so this tangerine orchard is your responsibility. When the fruit ripens in the fall, you can pick as much as you want to eat.” Sensing that Su Yu was having second thoughts, Qiu Fuli quickly persuaded her to stay. If Su Yu’s talent for confirming soil acidity just by smelling it was real, then they definitely had to keep her. Their orchard needed to continue planting tangerine trees. Tangerine trees don’t attract pests, are easy to can, and are easier to transport and preserve than peaches and pears.

"That's fine, I'll come if I can take time off." Su Yu asked Manager Qiu what time it was, since he was wearing a watch.

"It's 4:17. If everything's alright here, you can go now." He made Su Yu almost think she was a full-time employee. She glanced at him; she was still a free agent in the orchard and could leave whenever she wanted.

On the way, she chatted with Shumanpo about her future work. She was certain that she wasn't really interested in planting trees right now. The reason she wanted to come was because she didn't want to spend all her time in the office listening to the older women gossip about their daily lives. Also, there was a system she wanted to use. Another reason was that working in an orchard meant seeing the branches laden with fruit for three seasons of the year, smelling the fragrance of the fruit, and being able to pick one just by looking up. This was like owning an orchard without having to take care of it herself, and the joy of a bountiful harvest was very tempting.

"Give it a try. Anyway, with me here, you won't suffer in planting. You didn't like working in finance before, but you still endured it for over ten years. Come and work for a few years. If you don't like it, you can find another job. You won't have children, you won't have to take care of your in-laws, your husband isn't home often, and you have money in your hands. You have the capital to do whatever you want." The opportunity to persuade Shumanpo had come. It perked up and, suppressing its excitement, continued, "Think about it, in another month, the mountains will be full of red peach blossoms and white pear blossoms, along with the fragrance of orange blossoms. This beautiful scenery can't be seen without a ticket! You can ride your bicycle back and forth every day, which will also be good exercise. Your legs will be slender and strong, and you won't hunch over when you get old. There will be peaches all over the branches in summer. When the peaches are gone, the pears will ripen. There will also be grapes and watermelons. When those are gone, the oranges will ripen. I also know grafting techniques. If you're interested, you can work on new varieties, early-ripening and late-ripening ones. It's definitely better than sitting in an office knitting sweaters and embroidering insoles."

As Su Yu listened to Shu Manpo's words, she imagined that she could also pick up fallen flowers to make jam, steamed buns, and bake cookies. She could also make her own canned goods using rock sugar instead of saccharin.

"Done!" She pedaled hard downhill, the spring breeze kneading her cheeks. Su Yu shouted excitedly, "Ah—I'm going to be a farmer!"

Dream on! Shumanpo pouted.