Mingjing nodded. "Sir, don't use the original engine, get a domestic one. Just install it as soon as possible, and the price is negotiable."
“Domestic products aren’t cheap either. A good engine costs three or four thousand, plus the wood. You can give me four thousand one, and I’ll get it done for you in the next couple of days.”
Four thousand for a pair of mirrors isn't expensive, but it was an astronomical price in those days. However, for the sake of safety at sea, it was worth the higher price.
"That's fine too, sir, you can do whatever you want with it."
After giving his instructions, Mingjing left the old man there to deal with the oil tank while she went to the seafood restaurant.
She wanted to ask Chen An where the giant salamander from yesterday had gone, so she went to the seafood restaurant, where Xie Jun'an was looking through sailors' review materials at the cashier.
"A clear mirror!"
"Where's Uncle Chen?" Mingjing looked around but didn't see Chen An.
"Don't worry, he won't run away. He went to the city to get giant salamanders and hasn't come back yet. I heard he found a big boss and they're negotiating the price. I don't expect to hear back until tomorrow."
As they were talking, Xie Junan took out a small box and gave it to Mingjing.
"What?" Mingjing asked, taking the document with a puzzled look.
"Open it and take a look."
Mingjing smiled, opened the black gift box in her hand, and then her smile froze.
Do you like it?
Mingjing stared blankly at the bracelet. "For me?"
"Yes, this was given to me by my comrade. He said it was given to him by friendly forces from another country. It's called something like sapphire, but I can't remember."
The bracelet in Mingjing's hand was entirely blue, with a red coral bead and a green jade bead set every three sapphires in the middle, its texture pure and without impurities.
The bracelet's connecting points are made of gold, and its price is at least over ten thousand.
“He said it’s worthless, just a little trinket. I think it looks nice, so I’ll give it to you,” Xie Junan said with a grin.
The mirror bracelet made her fair wrist look even more delicate.
"Alright, I'll find a return gift of similar value tomorrow."
To be honest, Mingjing really likes this color; it's even bluer than the ocean.
"No need for that, things from Africa are very cheap."
Mingjing thought to himself, "They are poor, but their things are really expensive."
The person she was looking for wasn't there. Mingjing chatted with Xie Jun'an for a few minutes, then turned and went home.
With nothing to do at home, Mingjing went to Mingyue's room to find a book to read.
Those classic works are still entirely in English. Some of the pirated copies have yellowed pages and many typos. Mingjing was too lazy to flip through them, so she just took out a few comic books to pass the time.
I must say, the comic book version of Journey to the West is more interesting than those classic works.
Mingjing was engrossed in watching when the mobile phone next to him suddenly rang. Unexpectedly, it wasn't Xie Junan's number, but an unfamiliar one.
"Mingjing, I've finally found you! Oh my god!"
The person on the phone was a girl with a rough voice.
Mingjing was stunned for a moment, "You are..."
"You've forgotten me after only a few days? Li Xiaoyu!" the woman said, her voice tinged with displeasure.
Mingjing suddenly remembered this name; it was the original owner's best friend from the mainland.
"How did you find me? We haven't seen each other in a long time, have we?" Mingjing asked in surprise, then immediately put on an act.
Li Xiaoyu sighed, "Have you forgotten what my dad does? It's not hard to find you. It's just asking around. What, did you lose your mind?"
The voice coming from the phone made Mingjing chuckle.
Li Xiaoyu's father is a high-ranking official in Beijing and has connections with the signal base station, so finding her is not difficult.
"how have you been?"
"I got into university, at a college affiliated with the company of employees. You know I don't like studying, but my dad insisted I go to police academy. I wish you were here too."
You were such a good student before, it's a real shame you didn't go to university. How are you doing now?
Mingjing recalled that when the original owner was in the mainland, she didn't see her study much, but she always got full marks on exams. Her teacher once said that she could get into Peking University without taking any exams.
Li Xiaoyu's grades were terrible, and she spent all her time hanging out with Mingjing. She was once considered a good-for-nothing girl who couldn't get into university.
Fate has played a cruel trick on them, and now their positions have been reversed.
"I fish, it's a lot of fun. Come visit sometime, I'll take you out to sea."
"Really? You won't regret it?"
"Of course it's true! I'm quite satisfied with it now. I'm building a seaside villa, and you can move in right away with just your bags. All utilities will be free."
"Alright, I'll go take a look when I have time. You have no idea how domineering your adoptive father's young lady has become. She's a real expert at bullying people, even though she's the worst student in the class."
“Last time you broke your classmate’s head, your adoptive father went to apologize and paid a lot of money. You failed the college entrance exam once, and I guess you won’t pass this time either.”
"Your adoptive parents spoil you rotten, giving you whatever you want, completely forgetting about you."
Mingjing smiled knowingly and didn't seem to care much.
The original owner had the opportunity to take the college entrance exam, but the rich young lady said that she had never been to school and asked the original owner to stay for a year to tutor her, which the original owner refused.
The adoptive parents kicked the original owner out in a fit of anger, which led to the existence of Mingjing today.
Mingjing chatted with Li Xiaoyu for a while, yawned, hung up the phone, and then read a comic book for a while before falling asleep.
Early in the morning, Mingjing still had nothing to do. He opened the fishing tackle shop, and his luck stat returned to seventy. However, without a boat, he was too lazy to go out to sea.
Just then, Ming Dahai and Ming Liang were carrying hoes, and their truck bed was full of fruit tree seedlings, including mango, orange, and mangosteen trees.
Aside from these local specialties, the others are simply not competitive. Many of the farmers here are fruit growers, and even if their produce is harvested, Mingjing still has to find a market for it.
With nothing else to do, Mingjing went for a stroll up the mountain with them.
The fruit tree saplings are a little over 1.5 meters tall, all of them are seedlings, and they will take at least five or six years to grow. Mingjing was secretly worried.
Five or six years, aside from typhoons and geological disasters, also requires human effort, which is quite a difficult time. Perhaps a grafting method could shorten the time.
Grafted fruits are large, sweet, and ripen early, but unfortunately, there is no grafting technology now, so fruit farmers mostly rely on the weather for their harvest.
Fortunately, this place has plenty of sunshine and good water quality, so even seedlings can produce good fruit, although the fruit is generally not very large.
Ming Dahai has reclaimed a large area of wasteland on the mountain, about five acres, with a total of ninety-eight fruit trees, each weighing about a hundred pounds.
Mingjing is already exhausted from carrying trees up and down.
"Mingjing, your brother and I are enough here. You should go back; the mosquitoes and rodents will bite you again," Ming Dahai said, turning around to instruct him.
"Dad, am I not your biological son?"
"It's alright, I'll lend a hand. I'm just killing time anyway."
Planting trees is not just about digging holes and watering them; fruit trees need to have excess branches pruned to promote regrowth.
The mirror is used for pruning, and the men plant trees.
"Dad, this is too much. It's our first time planting, isn't it a bit risky?" Mingjing worried that if they messed it up, they would lose money.
"It's alright. Little Xie said that he would let Auntie come and guide us. When our fruit ripens, we will send her more. She has a market and won't have to worry about selling it."
Mingjing shook her head. She didn't really like owing favors, but since her father had done it, she would have to repay him in the future.
After pruning the branches, Mingjing couldn't get involved in planting trees. The wild persimmons on the mountain were turning green, but a lot of chestnuts had fallen under a huge chestnut tree.
Mingjing loves roasted chestnuts, and they're also excellent for stewing chicken.
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