Wang Zhen was happy for them after hearing this, but after thinking about it, he warned them: "If the cooperative cannot receive the goods and cannot complete the task assigned by the superiors, they will definitely find excuses to make trouble. You'd better be careful."
Zhou Huaian nodded and said, "I'm also worried that they will cause trouble again, so I told Secretary Zhang and the others to deliver the goods to the cooperative to sell in the next two days!"
"You're right. If it really doesn't work, we can let them collect it so that they won't bite us." Wang Zhen patted his shoulder. "Sometimes, suffering a loss is making money. Living in peace and security is better than anything else. As long as the policy remains unchanged, there will be plenty of opportunities to make money in the future!"
"That's right! Safety is a blessing!" Zhou Huaian said, patting his motorcycle, "This Anyi looks faster than the Dongfeng, why don't I see you riding it?"
"You should ride it once when you return to Hengshan. It's useless to keep it there the rest of the time. Come over someday when you want to ride and I'll teach you how to ride it in two laps."
"I'll learn it later when I harvest herbs. Now I can carry more with a tractor."
"When you want to ride, just tell me!" Wang Zhen got on the motorcycle, and the two of them started the engine and headed towards Ning'an.
When Zhou Huaian was about to reach Ning'an, Zhou Huaishan had already arrived at Funiu. Zhou Yiding was also unloading goods. Seeing Zhou Huaian coming back, he hurriedly looked behind him and said, "Third brother, why are you back alone? Where's the youngest brother?"
Zhou Huaishan thought of what Wang Zhen said and quickly pulled him aside. "Are there any people from the cooperative causing trouble?"
"No." Zhou Yiding reacted immediately and shouted worriedly, "What happened? Did the cooperative cause trouble for you? What did the cooperative do to the youngest one?"
"Keep your voice down! Don't shout!" Zhou Huaishan hurriedly stopped him and pulled him to the alley to tell him what happened. "Wang Zhen said not to let Chunyan and my grandfather know about this for now, so as to avoid making them anxious and angry. He went to check on the situation."
"Damn it, didn't his ancestors let it go?" Zhou Yiding was furious. "Buy, sell, buy, sell. One is willing to sell and the other is willing to buy. What right does he have to intervene?"
Zhou Huaishan said angrily: "If they want to control it, they can do it. What can we do?"
"Yes!" Zhou Yiding sighed, "Doctor Xiao Wang is right. Don't tell my sister-in-law, or Second Master and Second Mother yet. I'll unload the last few baskets and then drive the tractor to take a look."
Zhou Huaishan nodded repeatedly, "Got it."
"Third brother, why didn't you quickly remove the tarpaulin and unload the cargo when you came back? Where have you been?" Zhou's father shouted as he walked towards them.
Zhou Huaishan hurried out, "I'm coming."
When Zhou's father saw Xiao Silun coming back, he asked him, "Where are Laoyao and Qiuyue? Why are you back alone?"
Zhou Huaishan said hurriedly: "Laoyao and Qiuyue are still waiting for the people from Bailing Mountain to come and sell the goods. The weather forecast said that there will be heavy rain today, so let me drive the four-wheel drive back first to avoid being unable to unload the goods due to the rain."
"You believe in the weather forecast. It's wrong eight out of ten times." Father Zhou rolled his eyes at him and went to unload the goods.
Zhou Yiding followed out, unloaded the last few baskets of mushrooms from the truck bed, and handed the bill of lading to Yang Chunyan. "Sister-in-law, I have something to do. I'll be back later."
Yang Chunyan smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll calculate it first, and I'll give it to you when you come back!"
"Yeah!" Zhou Yiding left in a hurry.
Yang Chunyan put the shopping list in the drawer, paid the money to the waiting villagers, and turned to look at the three children on the mat nearby.
Little Jiuer was holding a piece of roasted potato and sitting on the mat with his mouth full of potato paste, and his face was also covered with paste. Zhou Xiaolin was holding a clockwork frog and coaxing the little dragon who was lying on the mat and babbling in baby language.
The five older children were squatting there helping to sort the mushrooms. These days, country children would help out with what they could when the family was busy.
It’s not like in later generations, when the children of Zhou Jiaming, Zhou Jialiang and Jiakang didn’t even know where their own fields were.
Zhao Huifang kicked Zhou Jialiang and said, "It's time to call it a day. Go inside and take a look. Does your grandma need help?"
"Oh oh!" The kids were as if they had been pardoned. Without wasting a second, they stood up and walked towards the yard. "Finally, we're done. Let's go in and take a look. The TV series is about to start."
"Grandma, do you want us to help you pick the vegetables?"
"No need!" Zhou's mother, who was holding the bamboo basket, turned around and looked at her grandchildren. "Are you hungry? There are some tender corns in the basket. If you want to eat them, roast them."
"We're not hungry. We want to watch TV."
Mother Zhou thought about the kids who had been helping out all afternoon, so she took out the key and handed it to Zhou Jiaming. "There are a lot of mosquitoes near the vegetable field, so take Jiu'er and Xiaolong with you."
"Got it." Zhou Jiaming took the key and happily ran to the door with his brother and sister-in-law, "Aunt, let's take Jiuer and Xiaolong to your house to watch TV."
"Go!" Yang Chunyan stood up and wiped Xiao Jiuer's face with a handkerchief before letting them take away.
Yang Chunyan put the abacus in the drawer, put the money and account books in the bag, and helped Zhang Xiuxiang and the other person move the bamboo basket into the yard.
Mother Zhou said to them, "The third child said that the youngest child and Qiuyue will arrive two hours later. There is corn cooking on the stove. If you are hungry, eat a bag first."
"I understand." Yang Chunyan put down the bamboo basket, washed her hands, took a bag of boiled corn home, put away the account book and wallet, and went to the oven to help clean up.
It was almost eight o'clock when the sound of a tractor was heard outside. Zhou Huaishan rushed out in a few steps. When he saw Zhou Huaian and Li Qiuyue, his heart finally settled down.
Li Qiuyue jumped off the tractor and hurried to find her son to feed him. Zhou Huaishan wanted to ask Zhou Huaian, but he told him to ask Li Qiuyue instead.
Yang Chunyan heard the tractor's sound and went out to see that it had already arrived at the gate of the courtyard. "You're back! Are you hungry?"
"I'm already hungry!" Zhou Huaian jumped down after parking the car. "I'm starving. What's good to eat today?"
"Twice-cooked pork, fish-flavored eggplant, boiled tender pumpkin, and tender corn."
"They are all what I like. Untie the tarpaulin first, eat, and then slowly unload the goods."
"I'll get you some boiled corn." Yang Chunyan turned back, took out some boiled corn and handed it to him, "Fill your stomach first."
"Hmm!" Zhou Huaian took the corn leaf and tore it open, taking a big bite. "Yan'er, the people in the cooperative were looking for trouble today, but Secretary Zhang and Old Yin and the others...the group of people left in disgrace."
"No wonder Third Brother came back two or three hours earlier than you. He even lied to us and said he was late from Bailing Mountain." Seeing him wolfing down the food, Yang Chunyan hurried forward to help untie the tarpaulin rope.
"Wang Zhen told him to say that because he was afraid you would worry." Zhou Huaian swallowed a mouthful of corn and said, "Don't worry, I've already made a deal with Secretary Zhang and the others..."
Yang Chunyan breathed a sigh of relief. "You are right. They are paid by the government. It is better for us to give in."
Zhou Huaian thought about it and said, "Yan'er, I found that although Third Sister-in-law is a bit annoying at ordinary times, she is quite loyal when something happens."
Yang Chunyan smiled and nodded, "She should be the kind of person who is not confused about big things."
"What important matter are you not confused about?" Zhou's mother asked with a smile.
"Huaian said..." Yang Chunyan told her what happened again.
"Bah! Don't be so shameless!" Zhao Huifang was so angry that she cursed, "Old farmers' things should be sold at a low price? They are also driving up prices and disrupting the market. Why don't they blame me for giving them too low a price?"
Mother Zhou looked at Zhou Huaian worriedly, "Youngest brother, if they want to take us in, just give us to them. Don't even think about fighting them. We can't win."
"Don't worry, Mom. I don't want to fight with them." Zhou Huaian said with a smile, "We used to make money just by collecting red mushrooms. Wang Zhen said that if it really doesn't work, we can let them collect it. As long as the policy remains unchanged, there are plenty of opportunities to make money."
Zhou's mother nodded with satisfaction. "Yes, let them buy the morels, and we will buy the red mushrooms that they don't buy. We can also make fried chicken mushroom oil and beef mushroom sauce and sell them to Boss Zheng."
Zhao Huifang and Zhang Xiuxiang also nodded. "The mushrooms that have opened their umbrellas are very cheap this year. We collected a lot today. Chunyan said that they taste the same if they are dried and fried."
"It's not just fried mushrooms that can be sold." Zhou Huaian said with a smile, "Wang Zhen said that the bean paste, pickled cowpeas, and dried radishes made by my mother are all good. We can make these and sell them."
After hearing this, Zhou's mother's face was full of wrinkles with joy, "Who in the village can't make this? Don't tell others and make people laugh."
Zhao Huifang smiled and said, "Mom, your cooking tastes better than others. Every year, I bring back fermented tofu and preserved eggs from my mother's house, and everyone in the family says they are delicious."
After the old man and Zhou's father found out, they told Zhou Huaian not to cause trouble for the government and just collect red mushrooms to sell. As long as the family lived in peace, that was better than anything else.
Zhou Huaian readily agreed. Everyone ate happily, unloaded the goods in the tractor, and then went to help Jiang Yu and the others clean the mushrooms and put them into the drying room before going back to rest.
Zhou Huaian went back to the house and said to Yang Chunyan: "I told Wang Zhen about setting up a factory. He was also worried that there would be a lot of trouble in the future. He said that if there is a chance in the future, we can do it ourselves."
"So what he means is that we should stick to the current model, where we only process the products and Boss Zheng only sells them?"
"Yes!" Zhou Huaian stretched out his hand and hugged her in his arms, "Yan'er, you know the situation at home. We can't use up all the rent from Ning'an. I don't want you, grandpa, and mom to be so tired every day.
Not counting those, the money I earn from collecting herbs and hunting wild animals is more than enough for us to spend in a year. Otherwise, you guys should just stop doing this."
Yang Chunyan looked at him sideways, "Then tell them tomorrow to stop working and grow vegetables and raise chickens at home. If they get bored of living in the countryside, they can go to the city to live for a few days. See if they will take out their pipes and rip you off."
"I dare not!" Zhou Huaian shook his head repeatedly, "If I tell grandpa, he will definitely glare at me. You just made a few bucks and you want to be a spendthrift. As a man, you should do as long as you can. When you lie in the coffin, your flesh and bones will be crispy!"
Yang Chunyan glared at him in reproach, "You know that and yet you still say it!"
"Yan'er, while it's still early..."
"It's past twelve o'clock. How can it be early?"
"It was already one o'clock yesterday!" Zhou Huaian's hands moved dishonestly. (End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com