1013 New Urban Farmers Chapter 198 Dingcheng (Part 2) [Large Chapter]
Teacher Ye Yun and Wang Lin quickly agreed to the share transfer agreement for Jiahao Hotel. From then on, 40% of the shares of Jiahao Hotel belonged to Teacher Ye Yun, while Wang Lin, although she transferred 40% of the shares, still held 60%, so she was still the head of Jiahao Hotel.
Zhang Guodong kept his word; after the contract was signed, ten million yuan in cash was transferred to Wang Lin's account, which was quite straightforward.
This was quite a sensational event in the industry! To this end, Wang Lin even hosted an internal cocktail party to introduce the hotel's department heads to Ye Yun, the second largest shareholder.
Some people know Wang Lin's background and know that she is a successful businesswoman and a powerful woman. Who can acquire 40% of the shares of Jiahao Hotel from her?
The competitors, in particular, are very curious about this second-largest shareholder.
However, Ms. Ye Yun is naturally low-key. Moreover, she is currently pregnant, so she basically doesn't show her face or interfere in Jiahao's operations. She has only placed a finance staff member, Xiao Die, inside.
The small restaurant that had just opened closed down, and then he became the second largest shareholder of Jiahao Hotel, which made Xiaodie's dissatisfaction with Zhang Guodong disappear. She was also very happy to accept the title of Deputy Financial Director of Jiahao Hotel.
They've upgraded from slingshots to cannons.
Xiaodie had previously worked in the accounting department of Zhulou, but that wasn't a formal job, so she had to learn accounting from scratch, which she picked up quickly. For this purpose, Zhang Guodong contacted the university's evening school and also received guidance from Jiahao's accounting staff. Therefore, Zhang Guodong was quite at ease.
But this means that Ms. Ye Yun will have no one to take care of her.
"Xiaoyun, your younger brother has graduated and has nothing to do. Can you help him find something to do?" Suddenly, Teacher Ye Yun received a call from her father.
Ms. Ye Yun had never talked about her family before, so Zhang Guodong hadn't asked. But this sudden phone call put Ms. Ye Yun in a difficult position.
Why?
Ye Yun took her mother's surname, Ye. Her younger brother and she were actually half-brothers. Ye Yun's parents were divorced; her father remarried, and her mother had passed away, so she rarely had contact with that family. During the Lunar New Year, she would only make a phone call, a testament to her mother's dying words.
But as Ye Yun grew older, her resentment faded considerably. Her parents' marriage was arranged by her grandparents and lacked any emotional foundation. Ye's mother, an intellectual, disagreed with her father, who didn't want to return to the big city, and they parted on bad terms. Ye's mother left with Ye Yun.
"But my mother doesn't hate him. She often says that there was no third party involved between them; it was purely a difference in their career pursuits," Ye Yun explained in detail.
Ye's father eventually remarried. He gained a half-brother, Zhao Xiaowang, who is now 23 years old and graduated from junior college. Ye Yun calls home every holiday but has never gone back.
She felt no sense of belonging to that family.
"What should I do?" Teacher Ye Yun asked Zhang Guodong, somewhat at a loss, after receiving the call. Zhang Guodong had become her support.
After listening attentively to her parents' story and then to the situation of her half-brother Zhao Chengwang, Zhang Guodong thought for a moment and said, "Since there's no resentment between us, let's help each other out. There are two options: one is that Jiahao Hotel is also short-staffed, so let's arrange an ordinary position for him to gain experience and see if he's worth training; the other is that since he works at Jiahao, there are rules and regulations, and everything must be done according to the rules."
"Secondly, I'll follow Fatty to the Zhangba Township Police Station and work as a joint defense officer for a year or two to get a permanent position. This is also a good opportunity to train people. There are no special privileges there; everything has to be done according to the rules!"
"How about he becomes a community defense officer? I just don't know if he can handle it?" Ye Yun said.
It's clear that she still cares about her younger brother, Zhao Xiaowang.
Ultimately, she chose to send her younger brother to the police station for training, thus securing him a job. After all, Jiahao was a hotel under her name, which could easily lead to her brother becoming dependent on her. She placed him in Zhangba Township.
point.
Zhang Guodong called the fat man to tell him about it.
“It’s easy to be a joint defense officer, but it will take some time to get things going if it’s a formal position!” the fat man said.
"Let him work out in the joint defense for a year or two before considering making him a full-fledged member. Also, don't let him know that you can't have any special privileges here!" Zhang Guodong said seriously.
"Haha, don't worry! Whether he's a dragon or a worm, it's up to him!" the fat man patted his chest and assured him. "Just report to the local police station whenever you come. I'll let them know later! I'm out of here with a ton of work to do. Being a township head isn't easy!"
This matter could have been handled without Fatty's involvement. The community security guards were essentially temporary workers, so it wasn't difficult; the police station chief gave Fatty that favor. But it's different for regular police officers—they're officially employed, and every year many people fight tooth and nail for them. Fatty, being new to the job, would find it a bit more challenging.
It all depends on how well the fat man controls the township party committee meetings.
But obviously, the fat man is too young and has taken advantage of many people in their forties and fifties, which is a major disadvantage. So he is indeed feeling a bit overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure.
Being the second-in-command of a township isn't easy!
"Go to the police station first and do some joint defense work. You need to learn a lot, unite with the people around you, talk less and do more, but at the same time, you need to use your brain. Even in the township, things are very complicated. So you're going there with a learning attitude, so you need to be able to endure hardship and be eager to learn. When the time is right, I'll find a way to get you a permanent position." Zhang Guodong looked at Zhao Xiaowang, who seemed a little reserved, and his expression did resemble Ye Yun's. He gave her a serious instruction.
Teacher Ye Yun was listening nearby.
Zhao Xiaowang nodded hurriedly: "Brother-in-law, I will try my best!"
After a few days in the provincial capital, Zhang Guodong took him to buy some clothes and other things, so he already knew that his half-sister was married and that she was about to have a baby.
"The salary at the police station isn't high, but you still need to take care of your health. This money isn't enough; call me if it isn't. But you must listen to your brother-in-law, work hard, and don't embarrass Dad!" Ye Yun blushed slightly and glanced at Zhang Guodong. She had prepared some money for Zhao Xiaowang.
Unaware of the fat man's presence, some expenses at the police station were inevitable; this could be considered "one of the methods to unite comrades." Therefore, money was used in many places.
"Sister, I don't want it, I have it!" Zhao Xiaowang said, her face slightly red as she refused. Zhang Guodong had spent over ten thousand yuan on her these past few days, and it was also the first time she had met Ye Yun, so she was very reserved.
“Just take it. It’s not much money, but it’s good to treat some people to a meal,” Zhang Guodong said.
After he spoke, Zhao Xiaogang hesitated for a moment before answering.
After a few more days, Zhao Xiaowang went to the Zhangba Township Police Station to report for duty alone. Zhang Guodong made a phone call to Fatty, and the matter was settled. It's true what they say, you only know if someone is a dragon or a worm after you've been tested.
"Your younger brother seems pretty good. I just don't know how he'll perform. If he does well, I'll move him to a different spot!" Zhang Guodong and Ye Yun, who had just seen Zhao Xiaowang off, were strolling along the outskirts of the city to enjoy the scenery at the wetlands when they leaned against each other and smiled as they spoke.
Not far away, some rare birds occasionally rise and fall, frolicking among the reeds and grass in the middle of the river. The scenery here is beautiful, and the municipal government has already invested a considerable amount of money to develop this area into a major highlight of the city's future livability. And now, the area is still under expansion and construction.
Ye Yun, her pregnant belly radiating happiness, rolled her eyes at the young man and said, "The government isn't your private property, don't talk big!"
"Hehe, although your husband is just a mediocre farmer, my abilities will only grow stronger in the future. Mobilizing people won't be a problem!" Zhang Guodong said shamelessly with a smirk.
This made Teacher Ye Yun giggle.
Zhang Guodong found it amusing and carefully supported her. Looking at the increasingly beautiful Ms. Ye Yun, Zhang Guodong often couldn't help but feel lustful, yet he couldn't have her.
Who says the son is the most important person now?
Time flew by, and by the end of September, both Ms. Ye Yun and Ms. Zheng Le had gained a lot of weight, making it somewhat difficult for them to move around. Ms. Ye Yun's due date was in mid-December, while Ms. Zheng Le's was in mid-January. They were only a month apart.
Zhang Guodong was even busier.
She was busy running between two pregnant women. The fat man would occasionally call and joke around. Having so many women was exhausting!
Zheng Le has two elderly relatives to take care of Ye Yun, but Ye Yun is a bit lonely. Fortunately, Xiao Die has finished her night school courses and keeps Ye Yun company after get off work at the hotel, chatting with her to relieve her loneliness.
Sometimes Zhang Guodong was also pushed off the bed.
Just then, Zhang Guodong received another extremely important piece of news, and his mood became excited.
Master Yi called: "The jade slag is almost completely refined, and the cauldron can be cast. Could you come over when you have some time?"
It's fair to say that, aside from the two pregnant women, this news was what excited him the most.
Zhang Guodong had to personally go to inspect such an important item as the Great Medicine Cauldron. This was the final, crucial step; failure was not an option. For the past six months, he had been busy running around, but his biggest concern was this Great Medicine Cauldron, which was why he had spent two hundred million on it. And now, the result was almost certain!
"The project in Qingyang is almost finished, I'll be back in a few days!" Zhang Guodong asked his family for leave the next day. He also told Li Yun and Xiang Chunyan. There was no way around it; now, in his parents' eyes, he was the youngest, his wife the most important, and he wasn't as important as his wife, grandson, and granddaughter. So, this leave request needed approval.
"Go early and come back early!" Mom finally approved.
Driving alone again to Qingmu Township in Qingyang County, it was already evening, but the town was brightly lit and quite lively, giving him a very different feeling. Everything on the streets looked brand new; clearly, the leaders of the Qingmu Township government had put in a lot of effort over the past few months to eliminate the dilapidated conditions.
However, Zhang Guodong didn't have much time to appreciate the changes and drove directly to the foot of the mountain.
He didn't even inform Liu Neng this time. However, he knew Liu Neng's capabilities. They often kept in touch regarding Yue's movements.
A few months ago, Liu Neng decided to seize the opportunity to invest 20 million yuan in Qingmu Township to establish a medicinal herb planting business, which is now thriving. This 20 million yuan is a timely help for both Qingyang County and Qingmu Township, so it has received smooth support from all sides and is welcomed by everyone.
These days, Liu Neng is constantly concerned about the growth of the medicinal herbs in the Qingmu Township medicinal herb plantation. He visits the plantation every day and leads a very fulfilling life. After all, an investment of 20 million yuan is no small sum, and the medicinal herb plantations, one after another, have already been completed.
With this large investment, Liu Neng became a celebrity in Qingyang County. Now he is quite famous, and many people want to get to know him. Even some bureau and department heads give him some face.
This is what's called political gain! Liu used to run illegal businesses, and what he feared most was dealing with the government; it was also very difficult to climb the social ladder. Now that he's stopped his illegal businesses and started investing in legitimate ones, his political standing has quickly risen, and he's enjoying the result.
Zhang Guodong didn't want to disturb him, nor did he want him to know about the casting of the medicine cauldron, so he went straight to the courtyard at the foot of the mountain without stopping in the town.
In the courtyard at the foot of the mountain, Old Man Yi, Dunzi, and Gou Dan sat watching TV, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans. It was hot inside, so in the summer they brought the TV out to the courtyard to make it more lively.
However, there were several pots of mosquito-repelling plants placed nearby. They were obviously collected from the mountains recently. Otherwise, there would be so many mosquitoes at the foot of the mountain at night that it would be impossible for people to fall asleep.
"Grandpa Yi's van is Brother Zhang's!" Dunzi, with his sharp eyes, recognized the van's features as soon as he saw the lights and stood up excitedly.
"Go and get a watermelon from the room!" Old Man Yi said.
"Wow!" Gou Dan nimbly went into the house and brought out a white melon weighing over twenty pounds.
Watermelon is the best thirst quencher in hot weather, so Liu Neng brought a lot, showing his concern for the lives of the elderly here. However, these aren't local watermelons. Local watermelons haven't been harvested yet, and even the watermelons in the greenhouses aren't this big.
Zhang Guodong drove into the yard and got out to see how old Yi was living. He was relieved and said, "I'm so happy!" Then, feeling a little embarrassed, he realized that he had been busy at home and had left everything to old Yi.
"Come sit down and eat some watermelon," the old man said, waving his hand. "I bought a lot of clothes a while ago and they were delivered to me."
Zhang Guodong said, "What a coincidence! I also brought you a few big, black-skinned watermelons, which are quite large. I also have some peaches, grapes, and other fruits. Come help me carry them, Dog Egg."
"Wow, it's huge!" Gou Dan exclaimed, then quickly came over carrying a watermelon that was too heavy to hug.
Dunzi was just as dumbfounded.
Zhang Guodong watched with a secret smile.
These are watermelons grown in Taoyuan. They have black skin but are quite large, and look like there are forty of them, all very uniform in size. In reality, they have more than fifty. The flesh is very dense, bright red, and extremely sweet, delicious, and thirst-quenching. Most remarkably, they leave a lingering fragrance in your mouth after eating them.
Zhang Guodong opened one of the peaches halfway through his journey to Peach Blossom Spring, but only ate one-fifth of it, letting Dahei and the others take the rest. They have a special fondness for things that grow in Peach Blossom Spring. It's good stuff!
Old Man Yi picked up a peach, which was about the size of two fists; its size was truly astonishing.
"Is this really a wedding peach? It seems to be almost twice the size of the ones from the mountains!" Old Man Yi exclaimed in surprise. "And it smells milky too—a good variety!"
Old Yi thought it was a new variety, but Zhang Guodong thought to himself that it was clearly grown from the seeds of the mole peach tree from the cliff. Unexpectedly, several trees grew into large trees and bore fruit in the same period of time, growing much faster than green fruit trees. There were also bayberry trees, yellow pear trees, jujube trees, plum trees, and purple longan grapes, all now laden with fruit.
Zhang Guodong hadn't paid attention to these things during this time, not realizing how mature they had become. It was only after arriving in Qingyang County that he remembered he should bring some gifts for Elder Yi and the others, and unexpectedly noticed these things, which made him quite embarrassed. In addition, he picked some tea leaves specifically for Elder Yi.
These fruits mostly share a common characteristic: they smell wonderful, but taste even better. All their essence is contained within the flesh—they are truly top-quality fruits!
Dunzi and Gou Dan brought water to wash the fruit, and then simply ate the fruit that Zhang Guodong had brought. Old Yi ate quite a bit and praised it highly.
Dunzi and Gou Dan kept saying: It's delicious!
After finishing their fruit dumplings and dog egg, Zhang Guodong and Old Yi, captivated by the TV series, began discussing jade, essence, and the medicine cauldron.
The amount of waste piled up in the yard wasn't much; it seemed most of it had already been processed. The jade slag was even less, estimated at only a few tons—enough for just one day of refining. But this was Zhang Guodong's last bit of the five small slags; about four hundred tons of them had already been refined—that was incredibly fast.
"Thank goodness you were here!" Zhang Guodong said happily.
Old Man Yi squinted and said, "Little Liu disposes of the waste every few days, so there isn't much waste in the yard. I'm no big deal, and Dunzi and Gou Dan are young and strong, with plenty of energy and good food and drink, so it's not too hard for them!"
Dunzi and Gou Dan chuckled upon hearing this, and Grandpa Yi's praise made them very happy. Farmers really do have strength!
"Yes, Liu Neng is not bad!" Zhang Guodong echoed with a smile.
"Let's go inside and talk!" Old Man Yi said.
Zhang Guodong followed them into the house, carrying several bags of tender green tea leaves.
"I brought you some tea again this time, but I'll have to trouble you to roast it yourself; my skills aren't up to par!" Zhang Guodong said.
Old Yi's eyes lit up and he laughed heartily, "Perfect timing! My tea leaves are almost finished. After drinking your tea, other teas won't taste good!"
Zhang Guodong smiled modestly.
This isn't modesty; it's the truth.
His tea has become so popular that even his parents, Zheng's parents, and other women have become addicted to it. It's no longer just a man's prerogative; ladies are enjoying tea too! (Sigh.) Last time, Professor Fan Ruhai delivered the tea Zhang Guodong entrusted to Bai Zhongsheng, and Zheng's father quickly found out and came knocking on the door. How could Zhang Guodong refuse to provide it?
Dad's standing there with his hand outstretched!
However, he didn't dare to take too much at once.
Otherwise, given Zheng's social circle, who would drink this much tea? Keep in mind that Zhang Guodong's Peach Blossom Spring only has one tea tree, so even with a high yield, the total amount is still limited. Therefore, it can only be consumed by his own family. And wouldn't it be a shame to give away such exquisite tea?
Old Yi put away the tea leaves, brewed two new pots of tea, and sat down on the table.
"The reason I asked you to come here is so that you can see for yourself and even try making it yourself. After you learn, even if I, this old man, am no longer here, you will still be able to make clothes successfully," the old man said.
Zhang Guodong was terrified. Master Yi's current health meant he could easily live another ten or twenty years. He was about to speak when Master Yi waved his hand to stop him: "You're practically my disciple, so I'll still teach you what I need to teach you!"
"The first problem to solve in order to forge the medicine cauldron is to make a mold. The jade essence must be formed in the mold!"
"But making molds is both simple and difficult. It requires a lot of practice and effort because a qualified mold plays a crucial role in the quality and shaping of the medicine cauldron! For example, one of the most important issues affecting the formation of pills is the thickness, which affects whether the fire can be even. This is determined by the manufacturing of the mold. It can be said that the success of the mold casting determines the success rate of the medicine cauldron in refining pills!" Elder Yi said.
"If Elder Yi were to forge a cauldron from these eighty-one catties of jade essence, what would be the chances of successfully producing a pill?" Zhang Guodong couldn't help but ask.
Old Man Yi smiled and shook his head, saying, "That's hard to say. In my entire life, I've only been able to forge medicine furnaces. The size and quality of your large medicine cauldron are vastly different, so there's no precedent to follow."
Zhang Guodong realized he had asked a stupid question and gave an embarrassed smile.
"However, once the alchemy furnace is mastered, it can produce 80% of the pills. As for this large cauldron, I estimate that it should be able to produce 31%!" Elder Yi speculated.
Zhang Guodong's eyes lit up. 11%? That's a very high probability.
fruit
"How does the success rate and quality of pill formation occur when the bamboo-backed cauldron is placed in a 100x multiplication zone?"
He became excited.
Even with Elder Yi's medicine furnace, the success rate of pill production in the 100x zone is 100%, and most of them are high-grade pills with almost no low-grade pills. Even mid-grade pills are very rare.
This large medicine cauldron is definitely no less effective than the medicine furnace! It's something to look forward to.
Zhang Guodong asked somewhat anxiously, "How long will it take for Master Yi to complete the mold?"
"No need to rush. If all goes well, it can be completed in a day, but your medicine cauldron is quite large, so the mold will also be very large. It's only right that it takes a little more time. It should be completed in two days!" Elder Yi said with a smile.
Zhang Guodong chuckled, somewhat embarrassed. He was indeed a bit impatient, but this was something unprecedented. Naturally, he was paying close attention and was quite eager.
"I was too impatient!"
"When I first made the medicine cauldron myself, I felt the same way you did, but thankfully I succeeded." Elder Yi smiled understandingly. "Now let's take a look at the designs of the medicine cauldron. I've drawn some sketches; see which one you like?"
Are these the sketches on the table? Zhang Guodong picked them up and saw that each sheet contained a partial plan of the medicine cauldron design. Each of the three legs had an outlet for the elixir, which was normally tightly closed. The cauldron had a large, smooth, convex body. However, the crucial lid was a round lid with a foot-diameter diameter and thick handles, making it very convenient to open and close.
"There are three styles in total. You can choose one. The first one is the most practical, and most of the jade essence is used in the alchemy process. The second and third ones are more aesthetically pleasing, but the jade essence is somewhat wasted. Fortunately, the impact won't be too great."
"It's a bit rough. But that's all we can do for now," Elder Yi said regretfully.
Zhang Guodong said without much thought, "Elder Yi, there's no need to look anymore. I'll choose the first one. The first mold should be easier to make, and it won't waste the jade essence. It's simple and unadorned, which is also good."
The first one was indeed rather "ugly," but every bit of jade essence was used effectively. The second and third were much more aesthetically pleasing, but perhaps a bit too flashy and impractical. What he wanted was to achieve the greatest possible elixir formation, not necessarily to be beautiful.
Moreover, the medicine cauldron needs to be four feet nine inches tall, approximately one and a half meters. If it's to be exquisite and aesthetically pleasing, the mold will be even more difficult to make.
Elder Yi gave Zhang Guodong an approving look and agreed, saying, "Indeed, the best medicine cauldron should prioritize practicality; aesthetics are secondary!"
For the next two days, Zhang Guodong followed Yi Lao and dealt with the scorched earth. The scorched earth was mixed with a large amount of molding sand, which was sifted and refined repeatedly, and piled up in a large heap. Water was sprinkled on top from time to time to keep it moist.
To avoid direct sunlight on the small kiln, a simple sunshade was erected next to it, and a square pit was dug in the ground where the casting took place.
When Zhang Guodong actually started shaping the molds, he realized that although it looked simple when Master Yi was using large wooden molds in the molding sand, Zhang Guodong often ruined the shapes himself. Sometimes it was just small mistakes, and Master Yi would use a small flat chisel to repair them while explaining. Then it would all be done from scratch – a real pain!
It took Zhang Guodong a whole day to get familiar with the smoothness of the design and the entire process. He'll have to practice more to improve his skills.
The second day of casting. Master Yi stopped Zhang Guodong from doing any work and had him stand aside to help. Master Yi did the casting himself. This time, however, things were different. It only took two hours to form the two huge halves of the sand mold. The two carefully joined the two halves together, and after some simple adjustments, Master Yi finally let out a sigh of relief and said, "Dunzi, move aside!"
Under the awning, Elder Yi stood beside a large ceramic vat, holding a large iron ladle used to pour jade essence liquid. The vat, now mixed with purple jade sand, had transformed the pure white jade essence into a bubbling liquid, its spiritual energy intensely potent.
"Only one chance! Begin pouring." Old Master Yi's face was serious. Seeing the time was right, he decisively scooped the jade essence liquid from the large ceramic vat with a large iron ladle and poured it into one of the sand mold's openings. "The pouring speed must be fast, otherwise it will solidify quickly!"
Zhang Guodong suddenly became nervous.
The old man poured the liquid very quickly and efficiently, filling half a vat of jade liquid in the blink of an eye.
At this point, Old Man Yi simply abandoned the large iron ladle, placed a damp, thick cloth underneath, and lifted the large vat with a whoosh. He actually used the large vat directly to pour the water! It weighed several kilograms!
Zhang Guodong was stunned, but fortunately, Old Yi's hands were very steady.
As the pure white molten jade was poured in, Zhang Guodong truly understood the purpose of the large vat! The poured molten jade cooled very quickly, so it had to be poured in one go to ensure that the sand mold wasn't damaged during casting. It was extremely important!
"Phew! Casting complete!" Old Yi breathed a sigh of relief and put down the large ceramic vat. Clearly, he had tensed up as the heat rose. Zhang Guogengdong saw that not a single drop of the jade liquid remained in the vat.
"Mr. Yi, is it done?" Zhang Guodong immediately handed over a towel and asked nervously.
Old Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled, saying, "It went relatively smoothly. We'll only know the final result after it cools and solidifies!"
The next volume will begin immediately.
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