After the spring, the orange trees grafted in Hetou Village last year are growing better and better.
As the spring breeze blows, new buds burst out from the branches, and the branches are dotted with dots of tender green. As the weather gradually warms up, the young leaves poke their heads out and stretch.
"Dahua, look at these orange trees. They should start bearing fruit this year, right?"
Secretary and Dahua were wandering around the hill, and they were so happy looking at the orange grove.
"Well, the stronger ones should bear fruit this year, and the less mature ones should bear fruit next year or the year after. This year, perhaps every household will be able to eat the oranges they grew themselves. However, it's still a long way from being enough to earn money. I'm afraid it will only be enough for us to eat."
Dahua was telling the truth. The grafting was only completed last year. Perhaps the better orange trees could produce a few fruits this year.
"It doesn't matter. Planting fruit trees is a long-term thing. How can we only focus on the present? This year everyone can eat the fruits they grow, and in a few years they can exchange them for money!" The secretary laughed so hard that he couldn't stop.
"Next, we have to graft the peach and loquat trees. Thank you, Dahua, for your hard work!"
The secretary took out a cigarette from his jacket pocket and handed it to Dahua, who then put it between his ears.
"I was right about you, Dahua. You are a talented person. Just look at what you did just now. Many people would smoke the cigarette immediately after taking it, but you are different.
Smoking is strictly prohibited on the mountain, but I know others can’t help but secretly smoke while working.”
He looked at the mountains in the distance and continued, "Dahua, have you thought about what you're going to do next? After the peach and loquat trees are grafted, there will be less work to do in terms of fruit tree care. Each family will take care of their own trees. What are your plans?"
Dahua looked down the mountain and could just see his own yard. Liang Guoguo was chasing a hen in the yard.
"Secretary, I just like farming, and that's all I know."
The secretary nodded and said, "Actually, I came here this time because I want to ask your opinion on something."
Dahua felt a surge of emotion in his heart, guessing that the secretary had the same idea as he did, but he did not dare to say it out loud, and just waited for the secretary to speak first.
Walk northwest from the small hill, and after a few kilometers of ups and downs, there is a mountain called Longshan. It is said that Emperor Qianlong once visited here. It is only more than 300 meters high, but it is the highest in this area.
Twenty years later, Dahua found out that Longshan was the highest mountain in the entire city. But that’s another story.
Longshan belongs to the next town, but Hetou Village is actually at the junction of the two towns, so it is not too far from Longshan.
There is a forest farm in Longshan. It is actually a small hill. There are not many trees to be felled and there is not much business here. Now they are going to close the hill for reforestation, which includes all areas on the hill and below. Logging will be changed to forest protection. Trees will be planted and forests will be protected on the hill, while livestock breeding will be carried out at the foot of the hill, mainly raising pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks.
Since we need to plant trees and protect forests, we definitely need forest rangers. Dahua thinks he can do it, but he needs a recommendation.
"Dahua, have you heard about the forest farm being built in the next town?"
Dahua concealed his inner excitement, nodded slightly, and waited for the secretary to continue.
"We discussed this matter at the last county meeting. The neighboring town is looking for someone. You've been a great contributor to the orchard in Hetou Village, and the county knows about it. If you're willing..."
"I do! Of course I do! I absolutely do!"
Before he could finish, Dahua excitedly said yes three times.
The secretary laughed and said, "I haven't even told you why I recommend you to do that!"
"Be a forest ranger!"
"Dahua, you just want to be a forest ranger? Nothing else? You're a serious tree planting expert, you have both theory and practice. Being a forest ranger is a waste of you."
Every man has ambition for his career. Of course, Dahua has it too, but he has not yet made any progress in the matter of joining the forest farm, so he just keeps it to himself.
"Well, since you want to go, I'll write you a letter of recommendation. Also, you should talk to your father-in-law. He's a strong supporter of yours."
Dahua understood and said, "Yes, thank you, Secretary. I will discuss it with him."
"Okay, come over this afternoon and I'll give you the letter of recommendation. You better hurry up, because if you miss this opportunity, you'll miss it forever!"
The secretary picked up a handful of foxtail grass and walked back. He walked the path every day and was very familiar with it.
Things went smoothly. The fruit forest in Hetou Village had already been commended by the county, and they had intended to invite Dahua when the forest farm was first built.
With the secretary's letter of recommendation and Director Zhao's support, Dahua successfully started working at the forest farm, but not as a forest ranger, but as the director of a research laboratory.
Dahua felt a little embarrassed by the fancy name "Director Liang". He had barely received any education and only knew how to farm, yet he became the director?
On my first day at work, there was a young girl in the office. I heard she was assigned here just after graduating from university. She had fair hair and white complexion, and didn’t look like a tree planter at all.
"Hello, Director Liang, my name is Chen Feifei." The little girl, wearing thick glasses, stood up and bowed 90 degrees.
This posture scared Dahua.
"Get up quickly, get up quickly!" Dahua stretched out his hand and then retracted it. He was in a dilemma whether to help or not.
"Um...Xiao Chen, don't be so polite!"
Chen Feifei stood up straight and said, "Director Liang, this is my first day at work. I don't know anything. Please teach me."
Coincidentally, it’s my first day too!
Dahua wiped the sweat from his forehead awkwardly and said honestly, "Xiao Chen, to be honest, this is my first day on the job too. You're a college student, and I haven't even graduated from elementary school. You know the theory, and I can practice. We can learn from each other, is that okay?"
Chen Feifei blinked her clear eyes beneath her thick glasses and smiled, "Okay, thank you Director Liang!"
Then there was another ninety-degree bow, and Dahua stood there awkwardly, at a loss as to what to do.
Compared with other majestic mountains in the motherland, Longshan can only be called a small hill.
There are hundreds of precious trees and medicinal plants on the mountain, such as Liquidambar, Phoebe nanmu, Dalbergia serrata, and Castanopsis sclerophylla. However, the forest is very irregular, with uneven density distribution and overgrown vines and shrubs.
The climbing plant Kudzu has extremely strong vitality and can grow several meters or even more than ten meters a year. The entire vine can reach twenty or thirty meters in length. There are a large number of Kudzu damaging things in hilly and mountainous areas, which has a serious impact on the forest ecological landscape.
This was also the first problem Dahua faced after taking office, namely, clearing kudzu vines, curbing their growth and spread, and protecting the ecological environment of the forest farm.
To manage a mountain, one must first be familiar with the mountain. On Dahua’s first day in office, before he even had time to meet other staff members in the forest farm, he prepared to take a walk in the mountain.
"Hey, Director Liang, I'm going too!" Chen Feifei chased out of the office.
"What are you going to do? The mountain is a mess and there's no proper path to walk on."
"Director, didn't you say that I have theory but no practice? Please take me to practice!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
