Chapter 101
The orange trees that Manager Xu bought for Gu Ran were brought back on the second day of March.
Gu Ran had already informed Manager Xu in advance and asked him to anchor his merchant ship at the landing point on Dunzi Island. Fearing that Manager Xu did not know the location, she, Pei Liuniang, Li Ji and Lin Erlang all arrived at Dunzi Island in advance and waited by the island.
When the merchant ship with the words "Fu Sheng" on its flag appeared on the river, everyone raised their hands and waved, fearing that the people on the ship had missed them.
Manager Xu, who was observing the surroundings at the bow, immediately saw the group of people waving and recognized Gu Er Niang among them. He asked the helmsman to slowly turn the boat and drive it to the edge of Dunzi Island.
"Gu Er Niang, is this the island you bought?" Manager Xu had passed by this broken island many times on Fusheng's merchant ship, but today was the first time he confirmed which island was bought by Gu Er Niang.
"That's right, this island is called Dunzi Island. I was just thinking about whether to change its name!" Gu Ran smiled.
Manager Xu also laughed. "It's your island. You can call it whatever you want."
"Of course."
Gu Ran was chatting and laughing with Manager Xu. The men on the merchant ship had already carefully moved the orange trees loaded on the ship down.
Lin Erlang and Li Ji also went up to unload the goods, while Pei Liuniang was responsible for counting the number.
"As you said, three hundred orange trees are mature and one hundred are seedlings."
Manager Xu pointed to the separately wrapped mature trees and said, "These 150 are said to be early-maturing varieties, and the other 150 are other late-maturing species. Remember to distinguish them when you plant them."
"Okay, thank you for your concern, Manager Xu."
"Don't worry, I want to place an order with you right now for this year's orange harvest." Manager Xu did not forget his business.
"No problem. When we move the orange trees in later, Manager Xu will come with us. First, we'll get acquainted with the route, and second, I'll settle the payment with you, and you can draft the contract with me. How about that?"
"Yes, of course."
A cart is used to transport the orange trees.
It was the cart that Uncle Wu San used to carry stones when he was building his house.
Gu Ran originally wanted to bring a donkey with him, but Liu the boatman's boat was too small, or perhaps it was because around the New Year, most of the ferry boats at the Donglin Township ferry were used to ferry people, and it was rare to see donkeys ferrying people. He was also afraid that the donkey might accidentally fall into the river while on the boat, so he had to give up.
If it were a merchant ship as big as the Fu Sheng, it would probably be able to carry donkeys.
So when he saw Uncle Wu bringing the cart to the island, Gu Ran spent money to keep it, as it came in handy at this time.
Of course, one cart cannot carry all these trees.
Manager Xu asked Fusheng's men to bring down two carts, and only then were all the orange trees transported into the valley in one go.
As they walked along the smooth mountain path, Manager Xu couldn't help but ask Gu Ran about the island. He heard that Gu Ran had already cleared a forest for growing orange trees and built houses on the island. He was skeptical until he finally saw a large expanse of cleared land in the distance, and at the end of the land, a large house nestled against the mountain and the water. He was surprised: "There's actually a house on this island! How did you do it, Second Mother Gu?"
"It's all thanks to the help of people in our village!" Gu Ran smiled.
Not only do I have to help build the house, but now I also have to help transplant the orange trees!
After traveling on the sea today and being away from the soil for a long time, of course we have to plant the orange trees in the ground as soon as possible. A total of more than 400 orange trees have to be transported here at one time, so we have to hire more people.
So this time, Gu Ran not only brought Pei Liuniang, Li Ji, and Lin Erlang, but also hired several young men of eight or nine years old from the village.
The elders in the young man's family were busy with farm work at home and had no time to spare, but they were happy to let the young man, who was only half a labor force, come to the island to earn money.
Gu Ran saw that the young men Lin Erlang had found were all very smart and hardworking, and most importantly, the price was cheap, so he agreed.
In addition, Gu Ran also hired Yang Jinling, the second mother of Yang.
With so many people to cook for, she definitely can't do it all by herself. Aunt Yang is a good cook, and her daughter Yang Jinling's cooking skills are also acceptable. She can definitely cook one or two meals for everyone.
Didn’t Yang Jinling just happen to tell her before that she wanted to come to the island to do some work?
She went to the Yang family and asked, and Aunt Yang agreed.
The Yang family was also busy with work, but they hired some helpers, so having one less daughter to provide labor didn't make any difference.
So Yang Jinling came over too.
As soon as the orange trees were brought in, Gu Ran taught everyone how to plant the orange trees in the planting holes.
In the woodland in front of the valley, early-ripening orange trees were chosen for planting, while late-ripening orange trees were planted at the back of the valley.
As for the orange tree seedlings, half of them were planted on the slopes of the valley, and the other half were planted behind the valley. The three different types of orange trees were planted in different areas, so that they could be taken care of in a unified manner when the time comes.
The roots of orange trees dug up from other places still have the soil from their original growing place, and then they are wrapped with oil paper and tied up to prevent damage during transportation. If the time is too long, the roots need to be watered from time to time to prevent the roots from getting rotten when they are transported to the destination, or from starting to rot due to lack of nutrients.
Gu Ran opened the oil paper wrapped around the roots of an orange tree and found that the roots of the entire tree were lumped together with the soil from the original planting site. He pinched the soil around the roots and it was moist. There were no broken or rotten parts on the roots, proving that these orange trees were in good condition when they were dug up and the survival rate would be relatively high.
She and Pei Liu moved the orange tree into one of the planting holes and put it in.
The pits are half a meter deep, and the base fertilizer previously buried at the bottom of the pits has now melted and seeped into them.
Generally, the planting hole should be determined by the size of the transplanted orange tree. If the transplanted orange tree is small, it is fine. However, if it is an obviously large plant, in order to ensure that the orange tree can stand firmly and not easily fall over after transplantation, the pit must be temporarily dug wider and deeper.
After putting it in, one person held the orange tree steady, and the other began to fill the soil that had been dug up next to the pit. After filling, they stepped on it with their feet to compact it, and then watered it.
Water the orange tree thoroughly and sufficiently so that the soil from its original habitat can adhere to the newly transplanted soil, allowing the orange tree to adapt to the new growing environment as quickly as possible.
Newly planted orange trees must be ensured to have sufficient water, so every day in the future, this large area of orange trees must be watered with a large amount of water.
To prevent the orange tree from being unstable, you need to use a hoe to press down the moist soil on the ground after watering.
In this way, an orange tree is successfully planted.
In order to let everyone watch twice and become familiar with the steps, Gu Ran and Pei Liu planted two more orange trees, so that Li Ji, Lin Er and others could see clearly, and then asked them to move the orange trees in groups of two and transplant them.
Then he took Manager Xu, who was watching the fun from the side, into the living room of the house to settle the cost of the orange trees and sign the order contract.
The average price of a mature orange tree is four hundred to five hundred coins. A young orange tree is half the price, but still costs about two hundred coins. That is to say, this batch of four hundred orange trees would cost about one hundred and fifty taels.
This does not include the shipping fee for entrusting Fusheng Trading Company!
After all the calculations, it would probably be around 180 taels.
Therefore, ordinary people really cannot become a large orange farmer.
Planting the woods requires money, planting the trees requires money, and then hiring people to look after the orange trees all year round also requires money to pave the way, not to mention other miscellaneous expenses.
Now thinking about it, Gu Ran was so bold as to buy an island to plant orange trees. At the same time, he was glad that he had found a partner in time who could afford to invest a large sum of money in him.
However, because he was also discussing this year's orange matters with Manager Xu, half of the 180 taels of payment was counted as a deposit from Fusheng Trading Company to Gu Ran.
Gu Ran didn't spend a penny, but he had to deliver the ordered oranges to Fusheng Trading Company in time at the beginning of October this year, otherwise he would have to pay double the compensation to Fusheng.
After both parties read the contract and discussed several of the details, they modified it to their satisfaction and signed their names.
"Mrs. Gu, we at Fusheng are looking forward to your bumper orange harvest this year."
Before leaving, Manager Xu said this.
"Of course, of course." Gu Ran was in a very good mood today. He nodded repeatedly and saw off Manager Xu and his group with a smile on his face. Then he went to see how the guys he hired were planting the orange trees. Seeing that Pei Liu was actually working with Grandpa Lu to plant orange trees, he called Yang Jinling and continued to transplant the orange trees with her.
After the orange trees in front of the valley were planted, the remaining orange trees were transported to the back of the valley using a cart and work continued.
In this way, it took two days to plant all the orange trees.
The originally empty forest was suddenly filled with lush and tall orange groves, adding a large area of vibrant green that made people happy just by looking at it.
This is just the beginning, the key point is what comes next.
Because the orange trees have been planted, we still need to observe their growth conditions after planting.
Orange trees originally had a high survival rate after transplantation, but that was only if they were transplanted properly and cared for carefully.
Generally speaking, it takes about twenty to thirty days to successfully transplant an orange tree into a new environment to see whether the orange tree can take root smoothly.
During this one month, the orange trees have to be checked every day. Not only do they need to be watered abundantly, but the branches and leaves also need to be sprayed with enough water and given sufficient drying time.
In addition, if there are any improper operations during the transplant process, it can be easily detected within the first month.
When symptoms such as blackening of branches and withering of leaves appear, the orange tree should be dug out immediately for rescue.
So for the next month, Gu Ran and Pei Liu both lived on the island.
So is Li Ji.
Today, Dunzi Island is no longer the deserted island it once was.
It's not that there are few people coming and going during the winter. There are many merchant ships passing through Suidaozhou on the river every day. They often come and go on Dunzi Island, which inevitably attracts a lot of people's attention. I'm afraid that some curious people will find the ferry and come here.
It would be fine if they were just curious, but what if someone with bad intentions came in and saw this orange grove and wanted to destroy it?
Gu Ran did not hesitate to assume the worst of others' intentions.
Therefore, we have to hire some guards to look after the orange grove.
Is there anyone more suitable than Li Ji, a former official, to serve as the Orange Garden Guard?
Gu Ran had long coveted Li Jie Guan's abilities and tried to win him over in both overt and covert ways, just for this very moment, to appoint the most capable person!
After hearing the monthly salary of two taels of silver, Li Ji accepted it readily.
Working in the orange orchard was much easier than being an official. There was no intrigue or backstabbing, and the income was high. He was alone, and as long as the village chief Wu who supervised him agreed, he could make a living anywhere.
The house in the Orange Garden is more spacious and brighter than the wing room he rented from Uncle Wu San's house, and it is much more comfortable to live in.
Of course, Village Chief Wu agreed.
Didn’t you see that she also pushed her own good son Lin Erlang over?
So, that was settled.
Although Li Ji can fight ten people at once, he alone is not enough to be the guard, so he needs to find two more.
But it takes time to find the right candidate. Li Ji, as the leader of the guards, said that he would be the one to find the person, so Gu Ran didn't care.
Li Ji is capable enough, so she is confident in letting him take charge.
As for the farmers who specialize in taking care of the orange trees in the orange grove, with the help of Village Chief Wu, they also invited three old masters.
One was found from the Zhu family, and two were invited from the Liu family.
Now that the Zhu and Liu families have burned down the orange groves, they are worried that the soil in the villages near Donglin Township may have the same cause of disease. They are also concerned about the situation of other fruit trees such as oranges and honey pomeloes. Currently, they have no plans to buy land again to plant citrus.
Many of the workers who originally worked in the orange grove were fired.
These three old farmers are currently unemployed at home and are preparing to find new jobs after the New Year or return to their own fields to farm.
In fact, Village Chief Wu did not just look for these three old farmers.
However, when the other farmers heard that they were going to tend the orange trees for Mrs. Gu, they were all hesitant when they first heard that it was on a deserted island.
That was on a deserted island. It was said that the island was covered with dense forests, which were not only full of miasma but also full of poisonous snakes and insects.
It's not worth it to sacrifice your life just to take care of the orange trees.
So when Gu Ran was about to take them to the island to inspect the working environment, many people refused and did not come. The last ones to come were these three old farmers.
They were originally hesitant, but taking care of the oranges could earn more money than working in the fields in a year. Since they were told that they could go and take a look before making a decision, they bravely went to the island.
If you don’t look at it, then forget it. But once you look at it, you will choose to stay.
Here I would like to mention the miasma on Yizuidunzi Island.
Originally, miasma was caused by the dense tropical forests, which caused harmful gases to evaporate due to high heat and not be dissipated in time. However, when the forests in front and behind the valley were cut down on a large scale and the air circulated, miasma naturally became less likely to form.
The trees on Dunzi Island are originally sparse, not as dense and towering as those on Dayu Island. Therefore, it is far away from other places in the valley, and there is less miasma. Even if it is formed and floats over, there are windmills in front of and behind the valley to disperse it. Therefore, the deserted island is gradually becoming an environment suitable for human habitation.
We have guards and veterans, but we also need handymen.
Help with moving things or assist the old master.
It just so happens that when we transplanted the orange trees, we called some young men from the village, didn’t we?
They were energetic, smart and well-behaved at that time. Many families in Xiaxi Village knew that the second mother of the Gu family was planting oranges on Dunzi Island. The houses on the island were originally built by many of them.
I used to work in the Liu and Zhu family's orange orchards, which was something many people envied.
At this time, Gu Er Niang wanted to find her own young master to do some work. She didn't expect her child to have much success, so she was eager to ask Gu Ran to hire them.
As for the miasma and poisonous insects on the deserted island, hey, the adults have all been to Dunzi Island and seen them with their own eyes. They are not afraid of any miasma or poisonous insects.
So there were also handymen and waiters.
Li Ji was in charge of the guarding, while the old farmers and the young servants were under the charge of Lin Erlang, and the person in charge of their food was naturally Yang Jinling.
In this way, Gu Ran’s entire team in the orange grove on Dunzi Island was established.
With so many people following the procedures and taking good care of the trees every day, the newly planted orange trees are growing very well under the abundant sunshine, becoming more lush and green.
Another one that is growing very well is our Pei Liuniang.
As soon as the New Year passed and spring came, Pei Liu, like all other growing things, grew rapidly, and it was impossible to control himself even if he wanted to.
Even if I just lie down at night, I can feel the softness and soreness in the joints of my limbs. I feel like I want to grow taller inch by inch, and my whole body seems to be clamoring to grow at the wind.
Being able to grow taller is naturally a good thing.
The scratches carved on the goalpost have already recorded the distance between last year's height and the final height.
But as you grow taller, other troubles arise.
First, every morning when he woke up, there were stubbles on his chin, not much, and very fine.
However, his current identity is still Pei Liuniang, and it is ridiculous for a woman to have a beard on her chin, so the first thing he does when he gets up is to shave.
Second, the Adam's apple is slightly protruding.
It was okay in winter because he wore thick fur coats with high collars that buried his neck, which naturally covered his Adam's apple. But in spring, clothes became thinner and thinner, and he couldn't still wear high-collared winter coats by then, so he had to find a way to cover his Adam's apple.
Fortunately, when I was the number one thief, I learned how to disguise myself. There were techniques taught to both men and women disguised as men. I took the opportunity to go to the county town and bought some items to disguise myself, so I was able to conceal my past.
Third, his voice began to change.
Fortunately, after digging the planting hole on Dunzi Island, he lied about being sick and stayed in bed for a few days, and finally managed to cover up the fact that the sound was starting to become different from before.
Even Gu Er Niang didn't care.
"I guess it's because my body has started to grow, so my vocal cords have also started to develop and my voice has changed."
Although he didn't quite understand what Gu Er Niang said, she thought his voice was different from before and didn't find it strange, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
But, the fact that he suddenly appeared and is now taller than Gu Er Niang is the last troublesome thing.
Originally, Gu Er Niang's stature was considered normal in Xiaxi Village, and many women were about the same height. However, she suddenly grew taller and became the tallest woman in Xiaxi Village.
Every time I go out, I stand out among a group of women.
If he grows taller to a height that satisfies Gu Er Niang, he will probably be able to compete with the tallest man in Xiaxi Village.
The man's height is enviable, but with a lady's status, seven feet tall, it would be intimidating. He is not afraid of anything else, but he is afraid that Gu Er Niang will look down on him as Pei Liu Niang because of his height.
In addition, recently, more and more people came to the Gu family's house to propose marriage to him. Even the fortune-teller came twice every ten days. The few words of those who proposed marriage to him always made him feel annoyed.
"Oh, even though you are beautiful, Mrs. Pei, you are so tall that most people would still hesitate."
"You should get married now while you're still young. Otherwise, if you wait until you're taller than me, it'll be hard for you to find a husband!"
Pei Liu's face was filled with black lines.
"Go away, Mrs. Fu, you can't talk like that!" After hearing this, Gu Ran kept yelling that it was bad luck.
"Ah, Aunt Fu, why am I so quiet? I've been a matchmaker for so many families, I'm knowledgeable and everything I say is honest." Aunt Fu ate the cakes that Gu Ran brought over and drank tea while pointing at Pei Liu: "A girl like Gu Er Niang is just the right height and has a good figure. She can take care of the housework and do farm work. She is what men love most. But you, Aunt Liu, are taller than men. Is that inappropriate?"
"Men generally don't like girls of the same height as themselves, and even less so those who are taller than themselves. No matter how beautiful you are, it's useless. What will you do if you can't get married?" said the old lady Fu, looking at Pei Liuniang with regret.
Originally, when she saw the lady from the Pei family at the Gu family's cottage, Grandma Fu was very happy. After finding out Pei Liuniang's age, she calculated that after that age, she would be fifteen, which was just the right time for marriage.
Miss Pei is so beautiful. If she is married to a wealthy family, she will get a lot of reward money.
I have secretly selected several families.
When those families heard about Pei Liuniang's appearance, they were all very attracted. But who would have thought that after the New Year, this originally delicate and beautiful lady would suddenly grow up like a bamboo shoot, section by section. She was so tall and strong, how could she find a husband to match her?
Not to mention that she had come to the Gu family several times, and every time she felt that Sixth Lady had grown taller and taller!
Grandma Fu kept shouting in her heart: Oh, God, please don’t let Madam Pei grow any taller. If she grows any taller, the huge reward money she has been thinking about will be gone!
"What do you mean the young man doesn't like them? Our Liu Niang has no worries about getting married, yet she doesn't like them!" Gu Ran rolled his eyes, but looked at Pei Liu Niang with joy, "A tall lady who is also beautiful, very pleasing to the eye!"
Aren’t you afraid of being bullied by any stinky man?
Although Liu Niang is not tall, she is very strong and skilled, so no one can bully her.
She wants to be a tall beauty of 1.7 or 1.8 meters, but she can't become one!
Pei Liu breathed a sigh of relief after hearing what Gu Erniang said.
As long as she doesn't mind, that's good.
"Mrs. Fu, there's no need to bother with matchmaking for me. I think I can grow up to be as tall as my mother." Pei Liu said to Mrs. Fu.
"How tall is your mother?" asked Grandma Fu and Gu Ran at the same time.
"About six or seven feet!" Pei Liu pursed his lips and softly spit out a number.
Grandma Fu widened her eyes, held her forehead, and felt a little dizzy.
Six or seven feet, which is the tallest among men.
Which man would easily want to marry such a tall woman?
Even such a tall man would find it difficult for her to find one!
I hope this marriage will not be too difficult for her.
It’s gone, it’s gone. Such a huge reward is gone!
After Fu Po left in a daze, Gu Ran looked at Pei Liu Niang with a smile: "Is your mother really that tall? Are you not just trying to fool Fu Po?"
Pei Liu nodded firmly, not feeling guilty at all. In fact, he had already forgotten what his mother looked like, and even forgot whether she was tall.
Even if his mother wasn't that tall, he would definitely try his best to grow to that height.
"Do you like it?"
"like!"
Gu Ran nodded vigorously, "If it's really that tall, Liu Niang, you are truly a peerless beauty!"
Pei Liu was happy when he heard the first word "like" and completely ignored the second word.
Okay, then let’s grow as much as we can!
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