My uncle is taking the high school entrance exam this year, right? Is he busy with his studies? He hasn't written to me in ages.

Chen Feng held Sheng Xiping in his arms and asked a series of questions.

"By the way, where's Huahua? Did Huahua bring Jiaojiao and Zhuangzhuang back during the winter?"

"You're asking so many questions, which one should your uncle answer first?" Chen Ruiqing laughed on the other end. "Come on, let's go inside and sit down to talk."

After everyone went inside and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), Sheng Xiping finally had time to answer Chen Feng's question.

"Xinhua is in the preschool class now, and Xinyu is at home. These two are really naughty now. There's nothing they won't dare to do, like climbing on the roof or scaling houses."

Your grandparents are both in good health. They're even planning to cultivate a little more land this year to grow more sticky corn, so they can cook it for you when you come back in the summer.

In recent years, Sheng Liancheng and his wife have become obsessed with reclaiming wasteland for farming, raising pigs and chickens. No matter how much Sheng Xiping tried to persuade them, it was no use, so he could only let the old couple do as they pleased.

"Your uncle is busy now. He spends all his time eating, sleeping, reading, and doing exercises."

He said that three people from his family had gone to university, and if he couldn't even get into high school, it would be a huge disgrace to his family.

Sheng Xiping put his arm around Chen Feng and told him about his family with a smile.

"Hua Hua does send things home every now and then, but I haven't seen them. They must all come back at night."

Ever since Zhuangzhuang caused trouble and Huahua took the children away, she hasn't come back to live here.

Every now and then, there would be dead prey in front of the Sheng family's house, and sometimes you could see footprints on the ground, which meant that Hua Hua had brought her two cubs back.

Chen Feng was satisfied to hear that everything was fine at home. "Uncle, wait for summer, Xiaoyue and I will go back to live here."

We all love the forest farm; it's much more interesting than the city. Actually, I wanted to go back during winter break, but my dad wouldn't let me.

On the other end, Chen Ruiqing glared at her son, "You two are already causing enough trouble when you go back in the summer."

Your grandma and aunt have to cook for you and do your laundry. All they do is cause trouble and be naughty all day long.

"Now that you're in junior high, if your grades aren't good at the end of the semester, humph, don't even think about coming back to the forest farm for summer vacation."

The current system is still five years of primary school. Chen Feng was admitted to junior high school last fall and is now a first-year junior high student.

There are many subjects and a heavy workload in junior high school, but fortunately Zhou Qinglan has been watching over the child, so Chen Feng's grades are quite good.

When Chen Ruiqing said this, it was purely a threat to his son.

"Tch, you make it sound so scary. Did I get bad grades that time?" Chen Feng pouted and muttered under his breath.

As the children grow older, they become increasingly difficult to manage. Chen Ruiqing was at her wits' end with her eldest son and told him impatiently to hurry up and do his homework.

Chen Feng made a face at his dad, then ran to his desk and hurried to do his homework.

At this moment, Zhou Qinglan was also called over by Chen Yue to ask her about her studies.

"Honey, why don't you go buy some groceries? Let's have our brothers and sisters-in-law stay for dinner tonight. I'll chat with them for a bit."

Chen Ruiqing turned to look at Shao Minzhi, implying that Shao Minzhi should buy more good food and cook more dishes for dinner.

"Oh, brother, don't trouble your wife. We just came over to sit for a while and chat with you." Sheng Xiping quickly stopped them.

"Brother, you've come all this way, if you don't stop by for a meal, it would be a real slap in the face to your brother and sister-in-law."

No need for further words, we absolutely have to eat here tonight. It's been a while since we've seen each other, let's have a couple of drinks tonight.

Chen Ruiqing nodded to his wife, Shao Minzhi responded, went to the west room to change her clothes, and then went out to buy groceries with a small basket.

Shao Minzhi went to buy groceries, while Zhou Qinglan watched the two children do their homework and gave them guidance.

Sheng Xiping and Chen Ruiqing were chatting inside the house and didn't want to disturb the children's studies, so they moved stools and sat down at the doorway to chat.

Chen Ruiqing and Sheng Xiping also kept in touch regularly, sometimes by phone, sometimes by letter, but it wasn't as detailed or intimate as chatting in person.

The two got along well, and since they rarely saw each other, they felt they had a lot to talk about.

Chen Ruiqing inquired about Sheng Xiping's situation at the processing plant, and Sheng Xiping also told Chen Ruiqing about the troubles he was currently facing.

"Brother, I'm in charge of import and export trade, so I don't know much about forestry-related matters."

But after hearing what you said, I feel you should go out and see the world.

Hey, does your forest area produce mushrooms and wood ear fungus, right? These things are especially popular in Japan and South Korea.

Our province exports a large amount of black fungus every year, and the supply cannot meet the demand.

I know this thing grows on wood, haven't you guys thought about that? If it could be cultivated artificially, it could be a considerable source of income.

After thinking for a while, Chen Ruiqing gave Sheng Xiping some advice.

Sheng Xiping shook his head with a wry smile, "Brother, what you're talking about is edible mushroom cultivation. We don't have that kind of technology."

We're just a small processing plant; we don't have the capital to research these things.

I don't know if edible mushroom cultivation technology has been developed yet, but in Sheng Xiping's memory, in the 1990s, many people used to drill holes in wood to inoculate fungi to cultivate wood ear mushrooms, elm yellow mushrooms, and the like.

Perhaps research departments such as the Agricultural University already possess the relevant technology, but Sheng Xiping simply doesn't know it.

"Moreover, this falls under the category of agricultural and sideline products. Even if there is relevant technology, at most it would be done by the forestry farm's agricultural team. Processing plants simply don't have the energy to figure these things out."

I'd actually like to travel to the south and see what's going on; who knows, I might come up with some good ideas.

Sheng Xiping shook his head. These days, it's not an easy thing to go out for study and inspection. You have to identify the target of the study and get the approval of leaders at all levels in the field and the bureau.

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