Gu Yuxin opened the refrigerator and took out four wild large yellow croakers. Lu Hu was an experienced seafood merchant with a very keen eye. He could tell at a glance that they were four wild large yellow croakers.
A man named Sheng Ruijin stepped forward to examine the large yellow flower and exclaimed in astonishment, "They're all wild!"
Lu Wuyai said, "Boss Lü checked the price. The fish have been in for less than a week, so they're absolutely fresh."
He was mentally prepared for the price; the four large fish would cost 200,000 yuan.
Although Ma Kai and the others were fraudsters, they were also experts. There was nothing wrong with the price they set for these large yellow flowers.
Lu Hu wanted to offer 150,000, but Lu Wuyai shook his head and said, "150,000 is too low, Boss Lu. You won't get it for less than 200,000."
At this moment, Lu Wuyai exclaimed in surprise, "This is the legendary wild yellow flower. I've only ever heard of it, this is the first time I've ever seen it, it's so beautiful."
Lu Wuyai just wanted to say, "You've already eaten, how come you haven't seen me yet?" But when he looked up and saw Lu Wuyai smiling, he quickly realized that he was just being delusional.
Hearing Lu Wuyai's words, Lu Hu smiled slightly and said, "Wild yellow croakers are really rare, and fish this big are even rarer, let alone you. I'm the only one in this group, and I only see fish like this once or twice a year."
Lu Wuyai suddenly said, "Hehe, so that's how it is. No wonder it's so expensive."
Lu Hu was taken aback, then laughed and nodded, saying, "Yes, it's very expensive, 200,000 for four fish."
As they were discussing the price, the little count (dog) lying by the door of the house stood up again, rushed to the door, and shouted.
Li Zhijie's voice rang out from outside the door: "Get out of here, you dead dog. Yangzi, Yangzi. Come out and get the dog away, and the second-in-command will come and help you deal with this."
Lu Wuyai whistled, and the little count (dog) immediately ran back.
The door opened, and Li Zhiyi and Li Qianxin's family walked in, followed by a group of people, all of whom were able-bodied laborers from the village.
Seeing so many people, Lu Wuyai smiled and said, "Why is everyone here? Island Master, are you here to uphold justice for me, or to incite a fight?"
Li Zhijie laughed and said, "What are you talking about? I will bring more people to be witnesses."
He wasn't really there to fight; he was there to persuade people. If Lu Wuyai got angry and wanted to hit people later, he would have to rely on these native residents to stop him.
Ultimately, he decided to use this incident to suppress Lu Wuyai and let him know who the big mouth was in the local village.
But he won't let things end there; he'll leave room for maneuver. As long as Lu Wuyai submits to him in the future, he'll help Lu Wuyai deal with Li Qianxin.
Li Qianxin had clearly received some reassurance. Upon entering, he appeared resolute, hands behind his back, head held high, like an official inspecting work in the countryside.
Li Zhijie entered the house with a grin, only to see four large yellow flowers and Lu Hu sitting on the table first.
When the others looked inside, they also saw the large yellow croaker, and their faces were filled with envy and hatred.
Li Zhijie's gaze did not linger on the yellow flower. He winked at Lu Hu and then quickly put on his reading glasses.
Lu Wuyai politely said to Lu Hu, "Boss Lu, please have some tea here. I'll go to the courtyard to take care of some things."
He paused, then apologized, "I'm so sorry, it's really unfortunate that you came here, and I happen to be in some trouble..."
Lu Hu waved his hand and said, "It's my problem, it's my problem. I didn't even say hello when I came. You go to work first, I'll wait here."
After he finished speaking, Li Zhijie's voice rang out: "Boss Lu. Oh, you're Boss Lu of Lu Hu from Red Sea Deep Blue Land Rover."
Land Rover politely replied, "Yes, hello."
Li Zhijie hurriedly extended his hand: "Haha, Boss Lu, it's been a long time since I've seen you. I've been to your store to sell seafood before. It's fate that we meet again. By the way, what brings you to our village? Why didn't you call me beforehand?"
Land Rover thought to himself, "Who are you? I'll call you. Do I have your phone number?" He grumbled inwardly but answered more politely, "Isn't this too soon? I went straight to my brother Li. I'll visit him later."
Li Zhijie puffed out his belly and chest, as if he were an acquaintance: "I'm here to see my grandson. Come on, come on, sit down with me and let me see you more."
Lu Hu coughed and said, "Yes, Brother Li and I are good friends and business partners. I came here for business cooperation, but time was tight and I didn't find many people. Let's go later. We will have many more opportunities to cooperate in the future, and I will visit you in the village again then."
After he finished speaking, he turned the conversation to Lu Wuyai: "Brother Li, don't you still have things to take care of? Go do your thing."
Lu Wuyai understood his meaning, so he pulled the enthusiastic Li Zhijie away, saying, "Alright, Island Master, let's deal with the land issue first. Look, so many people are sunbathing in the yard, it's no big deal. We should fight them and make a quick decision."
Upon hearing him say, "It's time to fight, it's time to talk," the indigenous residents immediately felt their hearts race.
Li Zhuangyuan wanted to rush forward, but Li Qianxin stopped him, saying, "Why rush forward? Would you rush in and get beaten up?"
However, Li Zhijie made up his mind and said, "Don't worry, Yangzi, Second Master knows your problem very well, and it won't be easy to solve. Let's talk to Boss Lü first. Boss Lü is a guest who has come from afar, and we should treat him with hospitality."
Lu Wuyai didn't know Lu Fu's background, but judging from Li Zhijie's appearance, he should be a figure in Hongyang's fishing and seafood industry.
The island owner knew this all too well: a dog who looked down on people and spoke to everyone in a human tone. His eagerness to approach Land Rover clearly indicated that it could bring him enormous profits.
Lu Hu was annoyed by this kind of person. He shook hands with Li Zhijie politely and said, "Brother, you should deal with your business first. We can discuss our matters privately later."
Li Zhijie said smugly, "The matter is very simple. My grandson and his uncle had a misunderstanding. As the island owner, I will mediate."
Hearing his name made Lu Wuyai feel as disgusted as if he had eaten the toilet paper Gu Yuxin had used, yet he couldn't refute it. In terms of seniority, he had to be called Li Zhiyi's second grandfather.
Outside the door, Gu Yuxin led a few young people and suddenly squeezed in. As soon as she entered, she shouted, "Wally, what are you doing here? Yangzi, Yangzi, Yangzi, I heard that old bastard Li Qianxin brought a bunch of people to your house. What are these for?"
Gu Yuxin's mother brought along a neighbor woman, and they started arguing.
"Li Qianxin, you're back. When are you going to return the five catties of rice you borrowed from my house?"
"Island owner, you're here to play ball. Your grandson got beaten up again, so don't bother going to watch."
"Dongzi, what are you doing at Yangzi's house? Why bother getting involved? Do what you can; you're someone important in the village."
Li Zhijie stomped his foot and said sternly, "Shut up, be quiet, what are you doing?"
"It's nothing, just letting you know that your grandson was beaten up again while bathing in Longyan Lake, so you can't go see him," a woman said.
Li Zhijie originally intended to put on a show to handle this matter, firstly to show off his abilities in front of Lu Luofu, and secondly to let Lu Wuyai know who had done him a favor.
But now, upon hearing that his beloved grandson had been beaten outside the village, he panicked and waved his hand, "Go and handle this matter quickly. Qianxin, return Zhan Yangzi's two and a half mu of land to him."
Li Qianxin became even more anxious. He widened his eyes and said, "What's wrong? Uncle, what are you talking about? We didn't discuss it like this at the beginning..."
“What’s there to discuss? Yangzi let you use the land for free for five or six years, and you secretly played around with it. Now that Yangzi is back, you give the land back to him,” Li Zhijie interrupted him, speaking with an air of authority.
Li Qianxin scratched her neck and said, "I don't use his land. He sold it to me. Look at the contract here. It's in black and white with a red fingerprint. It's legally binding."
Faced with a counterattack, Li Zhiyi felt she had lost face in front of Lu Hu, and her heart was filled with rage.
He said bluntly, "This contract doesn't count. We both know what's going on. You don't want me to give you face, so fine, the contract is invalid, and the land should be returned to Yangzi."
Li Qianxin shouted, "It's not easy for anyone to save face. I'm going to file a lawsuit. Li Zhijie, you bastard, you have no connection to this, you don't count."
This is not just a loss of face, but also a trampling and humiliation of the island lord's prestige.
Li Zhijie roared, "You coward, what are you talking about? I deserve a beating, right? The drafter spent several years in the city, let's see what you can do. Go home, this place belongs to Yangzi now."
Li Qianxin glared at him and said, "I have a contract with Yang Zi's signature and fingerprint on it. Just wait, we're going to see the officials in court."
Lu Wuyai, who had been silent all along, suddenly asked, "When was the contract signed? If there is a signature and fingerprint, it is indeed legally valid."
After hearing this, Gu Yuxin got angry: "Mr. Lu, why are you talking to this old bastard?"
"Yang Zi must have been deceived back then; Li Qianxin can also deceive others."
Seeing that someone was helping him, and that he was a worldly person who had seen the world from his clothes and demeanor, Li Qianxin immediately became smug: "Yes, there is a signature and a fingerprint. Yang Zi signed it himself, and he signed it five years ago after he finished his college entrance examination."
Lu Wuyai looked at Lu Wuyai and said, "Were you eighteen years old when you finished the college entrance examination?"
Lu Wuyai shook his head and said, "I'm not satisfied. I'm going to school early."
Lu Zhizi then asked, "Does the contract have your guardian's signature and fingerprints on it?"
Lu Wuyai felt a pang of pain in his heart and whispered, "My parents disappeared around that time."
Lu Wuyai shook his wrist, then looked at Li Qianxin with a regretful expression: "I'm sorry, sir, the signature and fingerprint on the contract do indeed have legal effect..."
“However,” she changed her voice, “the prerequisite for it to be valid is that the applicant must be an adult legal person who is at least eighteen years old, has civil rights capacity and civil conduct capacity, and is able to independently enjoy civil rights and assume civil obligations in accordance with the law. If you are a minor, you will need to complete the visa process with the assistance of a guardian who has civil rights capacity and civil conduct capacity.”
Li Qianxin subconsciously asked, "What do you mean?"
Lu Wuyai smiled and said, "It's very simple. The contract you have is invalid. Even if you take it to the Supreme People's Court for authentication, it will still be invalid."
Gu Yuxin and the others suddenly laughed:
"Mr. Lu is the most cultured one."
"What did Mr. Lu say? Why can't I understand it? But it seems very impressive."
"Mr. Lu said that the contract is invalid, and that Li Qianxin, that old tortoise, will also fail one day."
Li Qianxin's lips trembled, and his face was pale. He said, "Anyone who says you are not an island lawyer or a judge is speaking the golden rule."
Lu Wuyai opened her handbag, took out a small notebook with a gold national emblem, and handed it to Li Qianxin, saying, "Excuse me, I really am an island lawyer. This is my island lawyer qualification certificate. You can verify it."
Li Qianxin took the certificate in a daze, staring blankly at the two lines of gold text: the first line read 'a certain field on an island,' and the second line read 'a lawyer's license for islands.'
"This contract is invalid." Lu Wuyai said, "If you don't believe me, you can hire an island lawyer to authenticate it for you."
Li Qianxin suddenly became extremely dazed. He trembled violently, clutched his chest, and collapsed to the ground in a daze.
Li Zhuangyuan and Jiang Zhenglei cried out, "Father, what's wrong?" "Dad, what's wrong?"
Lu Wuyai asked anxiously, "What happened? Is there a doctor in the village...?"
“Go find a doctor. He’s fine; he’s faking death,” Lu Wuyai said dismissively.
Sure enough, Li Zhiyi and Jiang Zhenglei helped Li Qianxin up, and then the three of them ran away with their tails between their legs.
Lu Hu glanced at Lu Zhizi, frowned, then took out his phone and sent a message.
With Ao Qianxin gone, there was no point in the others staying, and so they left one by one.
Lu Wuyai greeted Gu Yuxin and said, "I have something to do tonight. Let's find some time to have a drink together in a few days, and bring your buddies over too. Also, bring your mom, and have the aunties, sisters-in-law, and other aunties who came earlier come over. I'll cook a few dishes, and we can chat together."
Gu Yuxin said happily, "Okay, it's great to have another drink."
The crowded courtyard quickly returned to silence, and Li Zhijie hurriedly left. He seemed to hear his beloved grandson crying, which made him very anxious.
Lu Wuyai and Wang Ming were about to leave when Lu Wuyai said, "It's getting late, let's eat here tonight."
The female teacher laughed and said, "Let's skip it today. I'll join in the fun tomorrow. You can talk business with Boss Lu today."
Lu Wuyai said, "It's alright. By the way, how many certificates do you have?"
The female teacher calmly said, "Not many, just four: a teacher's certificate, a journalist's certificate, an island lawyer's certificate, and an accountant's certificate."
Lu Wuyai was taken aback and said, "You are too outstanding. How did you pass the exam?"
The female teacher laughed and said, "What is an exam? There are a lot of phone numbers posted on the telephone poles by the roadside. Each phone call costs 1,000 yuan, that's all. If I hadn't been short of money back then, I could have taken ten exams."
Ao Muyang: "..."
After saying that, the female teacher waved to the little count (dog) and left.
Leaving Lu Wuyai's home, she had a sad expression on her face, recalling the unbearable days from university to her doctoral graduation.
The little count (dog) led the way, and she walked along reminiscing, when suddenly she realized that the little count (dog) was gone.
She was startled, looked up, and realized that she had reached the eastern end of the local village. So she called out, "Little Earl (dog), Little Earl (dog), where have you been?"
A little count (dog) poked its head out from in front of a black wooden door. Lu Wuyai hurriedly went over to take a look and saw the little count (dog) sitting cross-legged at the doorway, staring with its eyes wide open, gritting its teeth, and panting heavily.
Then, thick, long strands of feces fell down...
A passerby greeted him, "Mr. Lu, what are you doing in front of Li Qianxin's house? Don't get involved with this family, they're disgusting."
Lu Wuyai nodded groggily. When she turned around again, she saw the little count (dog) raise its head, leaving a large pile of poop behind it. Then, it moved to another spot, continuing to cover its ears and pant heavily. After some effort, another pile...
The little Earl (dog) was very particular; those two blobs of poop were rolled up and pointed upwards, clean and neat.
Seeing this, Lü Zhizi, who had been feeling down, couldn't help but laugh.
Lu Wuyai was unaware of these matters. He went back to entertain Lu Hu, saying, "Boss Lu, it's getting late. Why don't you have a simple meal with me?"
Land Rover politely declined, but Lu Wuyuan said sincerely, "We will continue to cooperate in the future. Cooperation is absolutely indispensable, so I think we need to have another drink and chat."
After thinking for a while, Lu Hu said to Sheng Ruijin beside him, "It's okay, Lao Sheng, you can go back first. Arrange for a boat to pick me up tonight."
Lu Wuyai said, "Arrange a car at the Hongyang Island trade port. I have a speedboat here; I'll take you back."
Lu Hu nodded, and Sheng Ruijin left with the lobster and yellow croaker. At the same time, 200,000 RMB was deposited into Li Muyang's bank card.
Lu Wuyai went to the kitchen to clear the dishes and asked, "Boss Lu, can I eat spicy food? Are there any restrictions?"
Lu Hu sat under the Wanxiang tree, drinking tea and smiling as he looked at his phone. "There are no restrictions on meat and vegetables, and you don't like spicy food anyway."
“Very good.” Lu Wuyai also smiled.
There's a bunch of asparagus that Gu Yuxin sent to my house. It's green, thin and long, like chopsticks, and very fresh.
He took out a bunch of asparagus and heated water in a pot. After it boiled, he squeezed in some salt and blanched the asparagus for a few minutes. When the asparagus changed color, he took it out and quickly cooled it in cold water.
Then he heated the peanut oil in the pot and put in the Sichuan peppercorns and star anise.
By this time, the asparagus had cooled down, so he took them out one by one, arranged them neatly on a plate, sprinkled a layer of crushed peanuts on top, mixed in some pickled peppers, and finally drizzled on some Sichuan peppercorn oil. And just like that, a plate of pickled pepper peanuts was ready. The asparagus was done.
He hadn't finished eating the pomfret he caught a couple of days ago, so he took two medium-sized ones, used a sharp knife to cut off the heads and set them aside, then removed the tails, sliced them in half, cut red chili peppers into sections, and put them all into a sauce made of ginger slices, salt, chicken bouillon, pepper, cooking wine, and vinegar.
While marinating the pomfret, he heated the oil in a wok and made a spicy stir-fried clam dish. Later, he called Liu Xiaole's house and asked Hou Banshuang to bring some Changrong (a type of liquor) over to mix.
By this time, the pomfret was marinated. He found a plate and stood the two fish heads upright. The fish fillets were arranged in a fan shape along the heads, forming the shape of a peacock spreading its tail.
After arranging the fish, he sprinkled minced garlic on top and poured steamed fish soy sauce over it. Then he brought the pot to a boil and placed the pomfret on top to steam until cooked.
It needs to be steamed for a while. During this time, he stir-fried the pickled toon sprouts that Ao Xiaoniu had delivered along the way with chili and eggs. He didn't use oil, salt, soy sauce, or vinegar, but only added a little oyster sauce to enhance the flavor. It was a natural, seasonal toon sprout dish.
Finally, he added a bowl of fish scale jelly. When the pomfret was steamed, he sprinkled chopped green onions on the fish slices and put red chili flakes on top of the fish slices, making it a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
After the dishes were served, Lu Hu said with a smile, "Ah, Brother Li's cooking is excellent."
Lu Wuyai wiped his hands and said, "I used to be a chef, Mr. Lu, you laugh at me."
He was very particular about his choice of dishes. You could tell from his physique that Lu Fu was a foodie, but he must have gotten tired of meat and seafood in Hongyang, so he only made a plate of fish, which he considered a seafood dish.
The other dishes are mostly vegetables, considered delicacies from land and sea. For those accustomed to greasy food, they are sure to refresh the mind and body.
Land Rover is a knowledgeable man. When he saw Pomfret, he laughed and said, "Haha, Pomfret is dancing. Watch out, brother, you know what to do."
Peacocks spread their tails to court. The way they're presented on dishes is different; it's a way of expressing goodwill and welcome. Pomfret also sounds like "Zhang Yu" in Chinese, which means "Welcome, welcome to visit often, and best wishes. May you always be wealthy."
Lu Wuyai said, "I've already learned it. Come on, Boss Lu, try it. If it doesn't suit my taste, I'll make a few more dishes. The dishes in the village are mostly meat and seafood."
Lu Hu gestured for him to sit down, tasted the chopsticks, put them down, raised his wine glass, and said admiringly, "Delicious, delicious, I'm not exaggerating at all. Brother Li, give me a hand. Come on, let's toast to the food."
Lu Wuyai touched the bottom of the cup and said, "I'm glad you like it, Boss Lu."
Lu Hu laughed and said, "Don't be so polite. When we get along, don't call me Boss Lu. My friends like to call me Tiger or Brother Hu. You should call me that too, otherwise you won't have many points left."
Lu Wuyai said, "Alright, Boss Lu, let's try some other dishes."
Just as he guessed, Ruffer had eaten all sorts of delicacies and disdained fish, meat, shrimp, and crab, while these novel vegetables suited his taste perfectly.
As they ate the asparagus, making crunchy sounds, Lu Hu gave a thumbs up and said, "Brother, your cooking skills are extraordinary. This will be a blessing, but also a worry, for any girl who marries you in the future. She must be troubled by how to lose weight."
As he spoke, he ate another spoonful of spicy stir-fried toon sprouts, saying, "They're so tender, fragrant, and spicy, they're really delicious."
A plate of fish scale jelly, as smooth as jelly, was eaten with great relish by Lu Fu, who scooped out a spoonful, dipped it in minced garlic, and ate it with gusto.
Asparagus stewed with pickled vegetables and peanuts is a top choice among vegetables. The asparagus is delicious, crisp, and flavorful. Crushed roasted peanuts sprinkled on top give it a rich aroma. The pickled chili peppers add a delicious spiciness.
They chatted and ate while drinking beer. After drinking a glass of ice-cold beer, the heat immediately disappeared, revealing a refreshing feeling from the inside out.
No one was checked for drunk driving while sailing at sea. Lu Wuyai was very familiar with the sea route from the local village to the trading port of Hongyang Island, so he was confident and had a great time drinking with Land Rover.
They drank for the first half of the month, and after a period of rest following their drinking and eating, they embarked on their journey.
The speedboat sped through the waves, and when it reached the trading post on Hongyang Island, the two men were fully awake.
A Mercedes-Benz S-Class was parked at the island's trade port. Land Rover jumped in, pointed at Lu Wuyai, and said with a smile, "Tell me as soon as you have anything good next time, and I'll come find you for a drink."
Lu Wuyai made an OK gesture: "Absolutely."
Sheng Ruijin came to pick up Land Rover. He opened his suitcase, took out two large bottles, and then took out two suitcases for him to board the boat.
Lu Wuyai was taken aback and asked, "What's this for?"
Sheng Ruijin smiled and said, "Mr. Lu has prepared some small gifts. This is a wine brewed by an old friend of ours. You can take it home and taste it. There are also some seasonings. Mr. Lu said you are a good cook. I think you can use them."
If the seasoning was given to the right person, Lu Wuyai really didn't want to refuse. As for the two bottles of wine, he was quite polite about it.
Sheng Ruijin was very good at talking. He said, "You must take the wine back. Boss Lu really likes this wine. Next time he comes to visit you, you can drink this wine."
Since that's the case, Gu Yuxin didn't stand on ceremony anymore. She took the wine and seasonings and set off for the return journey.
Today was a rare northerly wind in summer. Once inside the ocean, he immediately turned off the engine, tied a lifebuoy to the stern of the boat, and threw it into the sea. After boarding, he stayed in the water, traveling alongside the vessel.
As long as he doesn't sink, he can still sleep in the water and absorb moisture from the ocean to condense a golden core.
Moisture seeped into his body through his skin, and he groaned comfortably, wondering if he should prepare a new seawater pool at home in the future, since he usually slept very well.
He drifted with the waves, waking up until dawn, and he slept more soundly than he would in bed.
When I woke up, the sun had just risen, leaping out of the sea and sprinkling thousands of red clouds onto the ocean. The sparkling waves were dyed orange-red, bringing the early warmth of summer to the sea.
Sunlight bathed everything, and Lu Wuyai gazed at the distant sea. From the sea surface to the land, a layer of mist continued to rise, and he could vaguely see the continuous mountain ranges.
Lu Wuyai pondered for a while and realized that this place was not far from where he had been fishing for large yellow croakers. If he continued to advance southeast at sea, he could reach the trench where he had taken refuge from the large yellow croakers.
He jumped onto the speedboat, started the engine, and sped off into the open sea. He roughly estimated the location, occasionally probing the water and looking down to search for it. After another half hour, he found the trench.
He went back into the water and continued diving, seeing large yellow croakers all the way down.
Fortunately, they don't eat each other like lobsters, and they live quite well in the trench.
Occasionally, sharks are attracted to the area. At this point, the large yellow croaker immediately darts into the crevices. The sharks have no choice but to leave.
As soon as the big yellow croaker saw Lu Wuyai appear, it immediately darted back into the ditch.
Seeing this, Lu Wuyai was overjoyed. With their intelligence, no one, and no large fish, could prey on them except himself.
This trench is a natural refuge. Whenever there's any disturbance, they hide in the crevices of the rocks, making them untouchable by large fish and fishing nets.
Lu Wuyai noticed a significant change in the seaweed in the ditch. He remembered the last time he saw it was a low clump of water plants. Now it had grown much taller and more lush.
He flipped the gold core over, releasing the moisture. The large yellow croakers gradually relaxed their guard, swam out, and slowly approached him, swimming around him.
Seeing that the large yellow croaker was all well and wanted to set up camp there, Lu Wuyai felt relieved.
This is his treasure; as long as the large yellow croakers live here in large numbers, he will have a steady stream of income.
Without hesitation, he released a large amount of water vapor into the fish, then surfaced and steered his fishing boat toward town.
The police station never inspected the speedboat, so he simply treated it as his own boat, filled it with diesel, bought some vegetables, food, and meat, and went home.
It was already past ten in the morning when they returned to Coconut Grove Village. Little Earl (the dog) stuck out his tongue under the shade of a tree at the door, proving that Lu Wuyai and Wang Ming had been there, and probably left when they saw that he wasn't home.
He had other things to do today, so he didn't go to see Lu Zhizi. Besides, the two of them didn't have any special relationship, so it wouldn't do him any good to keep trying to curry favor with him.
A week later, in late June, the weather got hotter and hotter, and it became almost impossible to do any work in the fields.
Taking advantage of the cool morning air, Lu Wuyai led the little count (dog) to the farmland at the foot of the mountain.
Li Qianxin and Li Zhijie haven't come to see him in the past few days, which means that the land repossession is a done deal and he doesn't need to wait any longer.
A stretch of farmland extends from east to west along the foot of the mountain, encircling the forest like a silken thread. This is the land of Coconut Grove Village, and also the most fertile land in the surrounding towns.
He hadn't worked in the fields while he was in school, and hadn't returned for five years. He had even forgotten the location of his farmland. Fortunately, some indigenous people were working in the fields. After asking around, he found the location of the land and learned who had leased and used it.
His family's two and a half mu of land was divided into two plots and contracted out. One mu was planted with peanuts. After just over a month, the other half mu was planted with fruit trees, and an orchard was opened.
The peanut farmer is named Li Qianying, and he is of the same generation as her father. The orchard owner is named Li Muyi, who is much older than her but less experienced, and he is of the same generation as her.
Li Muyi happened to be spraying pesticides in his orchard. His orchard was over four acres. Because the land was adjacent to Lu Wuyai's, he simply contracted it out to plant fruit trees together.
As soon as Lu Wuyai saw him, he greeted him. Li Muyi immediately knew what he had come for, so he took down the sprayer and said, "Yangzi, come and collect your land."
Yesterday's incident caused quite a stir, affecting hundreds of households in Coconut Grove Village.
Lu Wuyai asked, "How many years have you been with Li Qianxin?"
Li Muyi lit a cigarette and said, "You don't know what's going on with your uncle. He's as clever as a monkey on horseback, signing land contracts every year and increasing the money every year."
Lu Wuyai laughed and said, "You still dare to plant fruit trees like this. If he gives up halfway, you won't lose money."
Li Muyi said, "It's alright. When I opened the orchard, the government had a policy that these fruit tree seedlings were given away for free, so there's no harm in it. What are you planning to do? If you continue to lease the land, you'll still have to go back."
Lu Wuyai looked at the farmland and said, "I want to farm it myself. How long is your contract with him due?"
Li Muyi waved his hand and said, "It's only for a few days. You can take it back. The fruit tree is a gift to you."
Most of these fruit trees are apple and pear trees, with melon and watermelon seedlings planted beneath them. It takes four to five years for the fruit trees to grow to their peak fruiting period, and their lifespan can be at least 20 to 30 years.
In other words, Li Muyi's fruit trees were about to be harvested, so he ended up doing all the work for Lu Wuyai.
He said that although there was no money required to plant these fruit trees, a lot of manpower has been invested in serving them over the past five years.
Lu Wuyuan said, "How can we achieve this? Fruit tree seedlings don't cost much, but in the past few years, we've spent a lot of money just on labor and fertilizer."
Li Muyi, who had just been feigning generosity, rubbed his hands together after hearing Lu Wuyai's words and said, "Then why don't you look?"
Lu Wuyai paid him 100 yuan for each tree. He spent 10,000 yuan to buy 1.5 mu of farmland and planted about 100 fruit trees.
The compensation exceeded his expectations. Li Muyi was overjoyed upon receiving it, saying, "Yangzi, if you have any problems in the future, you can come to me. Your brother and I have been running the orchard for over ten years, so I can't really say anything. But if you're an expert, you must know more."
Lu Wuyai nodded and said yes, then he went to find Li Qianying.
The money from an acre of peanuts wasn't much, and Li Qianying told him, "You don't need to pay me anymore, the peanuts from that acre have all been eaten."
Lu Wuyai asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"
Li Qianying said dejectedly, "Sigh, I bought fake insecticide when I was digging in April. I didn't clean up all the bugs on the ground, and now it's almost like a doghouse."
The ground beetle is a pest. Its scientific name is *Gnaphalium affineum*. It is the larva of the scarab beetle. It has a wide diet, damaging various crops, cash crops, and flowering seedlings. It prefers to eat newly sown seeds, roots, tubers, and seedlings. It is a global underground pest that causes significant damage.
These pests are widely distributed in flower-producing areas across the country, causing particularly great damage. Moreover, because they hide underground, they are very difficult to control once they become a pest.
After listening to Li Qianying's words, Lu Wuyai nodded and said, "Alright, Uncle Qianying, I want to take back this land. Although the peanuts in the field have all been eaten, you've spent a lot of effort clearing it over the past few years. I'll give you 2,000 yuan; this is hard-earned money."
Li Qianying is a real person. He used to fish to support his family. But for many years there have been no fish to catch, and he has had to rely on his family's farmland to make a living.
Like Li Muyi, he was timid and afraid of trouble. After Gu Yuxin returned to the village, she took an aggressive approach. They dared not offend Lu Wuyai. Therefore, when Lu Wuyai came to their door today, they obediently returned the money.
Lu Wuyai reported that everyone had paid compensation. Once the news got out, it was up to them to spread it however they pleased.
After taking back those two plots of land, he no longer had to worry about the orchard. Li Muyi was overjoyed and accepted 10,000 yuan from him, and even offered to help him clean up the orchard.
So, Lu Wuyai decided to go check on the peanut field. If there were too many insects, he would have to abandon the peanuts, hire someone to re-inspect the field, and apply pesticides again.
He went home to get his farm tools and happened to run into Lü Zhizi, who was on the phone, at the village supermarket.
Upon seeing this, he smiled and said, "Your phone card hasn't been replaced yet."
Lu Wuyai shrugged and said, "How can I make up for it? I've been busy cleaning up the school these past few days, so I haven't had a chance to go to the business hall in the city."
Lu Wuyai said, "What kind of city are you going to? How about this, I'll take you to the business hall in town this afternoon to get a replacement card. You can bring your ID card and a mobile number from China Mobile to do it."
Lu Wuyai smiled happily: "That's great. By the way, what are you doing? In this sweltering heat, you still have to go to work in another city."
Lu Wuyai nodded and said, "Alright, my farmland has been reclaimed. I'll go and take a look."
Lu Wuyai joked, "You're like a converted serf singing. You've just acquired a piece of farmland, and you're so excited that you can't wait to take care of the farm work."
Lu Wuyai said, "Let's go together. I'll show you how hard working people work."
Lu Zhizi glanced at the sun outside, then deliberately put on a gauze dress and a sun hat before following Lu Wuyai toward the fields.
Next to the peanut field was an orchard, shaded by lush trees. Little Earl (the dog) immediately ran to the shade and stuck out his tongue.
Lu Wuyai took off his shirt, his bare chest covered in sweat. He first dug with a hoe, then with a shovel, and found four or five large, yellowish-white worms in the soil, their bodies swollen and fat.
These grubs are commonly known as ground dogs. Judging from their density, this peanut field is indeed going to be destroyed.
Lu Wuyai walked over, glanced at it, and frowned: "Wow, what a terrifying bug!"
Seeing this, Lu Wuyai smiled slyly and picked up one to throw at her.
He thought Lu Wuyai would scream in fright, but to his surprise, Lu Wuyai only took two steps back and was not afraid at all.
Instead, she crouched down behind her, picked up the bugging device, and said, "What are you doing? Maggots need to be dried to make traditional Chinese medicine, so they're useless to me."
Lu Wuyai sneered and said, "Is that so? I just wanted to scare you."
Lu Wuyai shrugged and said, "There's nothing to be afraid of. When I was a child, my cousins would scare me with snakes and centipedes. I remember once someone put a toad next to my bed."
“What is a negative toad?” O’Muyang Googled it again, then his face changed. “Damn, this is too much.”
He couldn't help but curse, which shows how powerful this thing was.
Lu Wuyai smiled and said, "There are even more extreme things, but none of that matters. Anything that cannot destroy you will only make you stronger."
As she spoke, she picked up some food and tossed it to the little count (dog): "Here you go, little count (dog), have an extra meal. It will give you a lot of energy. Eat it, it tastes like chicken and it's crunchy."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com