Chapter 103 Women's Ambition
Mrs. Qin’s concerns are not unreasonable.
Fruit is not a necessity in the lives of the people of Daye.
Especially in the northwest, the variety of seasonal fresh fruits available on the market is limited.
Usually farmers will plant a few fruit trees at home. When the harvest is good in a certain year, they will sell the fruits that they cannot eat.
Delicious fruits are indeed much more valuable than grains and vegetables.
However, it is extremely difficult to plant and maintain fruit trees, and one has to wait for years for them to bear fruit, which means that the land will not produce any harvest for several years.
It doesn’t matter if you can’t eat the fruit in the end, but it would be fatal if you have no food to eat.
Therefore, there are almost no ordinary farmers who specialize in growing fruit trees.
In addition to the landlords who own a large amount of land, there are also wealthy families who own countless estates and lands.
They are willing to set aside a few plots of land to grow fruits just to satisfy their appetite.
Gu Xixi said, "I have looked at the soil and climate of our village, and most of the fields are suitable for growing pinellia."
"Pimba fruit?" Aunt Qin was curious. "Apart from wild fruits, the fruits grown by our locals that I have only eaten are peaches, apricots, pears, and persimmons. This is the first time I have heard of Pimba fruit."
Gu Xixi explained, "The Pinellia fruit is a variety that came from the Western Regions."
"Good fruits are crisp, sweet and juicy, with a crispy but not hard texture and a special aroma."
"Of course, it's not easy to achieve what I said. I have to wait until I see the saplings before I can make a decision."
Mrs. Qin asked, "Then do you know where to buy this Pinellia fruit?"
Gu Xixi nodded and said, "I will go to select saplings after the New Year."
"If we find the right material and use the grafting method, we can have fruit in two years."
Two years. This is much faster than I expected.
Mrs. Qin was a little surprised, but then she became worried again.
"It's already borne fruit in two years. You're really worthy of being Gu Xixi."
"I also believe that as long as I can hold on for two years and wait for the Pinellia fruit to grow, I will be able to exchange it for money."
"But the difficulty is that if I plant fruit trees on two acres of land, I might not be able to make a living in the next two years..."
Gu Xixi placed a cup of tea in front of Mrs. Qin, looked at her with a smile, and said, "I have thought about this."
“The large spacing between fruit trees makes intercropping the most suitable.”
"What is intercropping?" Mrs. Qin didn't even bother to drink her tea and listened attentively.
Gu Xixi said, "The first method is to use medicine to support the garden and plant medicinal herbs between the fruit trees."
"For example, we have local plants such as astragalus, isatis root and bupleurum, and we can plant yam on the edge of the orchard."
"These herbs can be sold at a high price and are also good for maintaining the land."
Mrs. Qin was very excited. "Wow, I finally understand. There is a science to farming!"
"It's just like Mr. Chen teaching the kids, one thing after another, it's not easy to learn."
Gu Xixi laughed, "That's right."
Mrs. Qin asked, "Is there a second or third option?"
Gu Xixi continued, "The second way is to plant some vegetables with shallow roots and quick maturity, such as green vegetables and Chinese cabbage."
"The third way is to grow vegetables. Vegetables like rapeseed can grow by sowing seeds. The purpose is to feed chickens. Chickens are raised in the orchard. The chickens eat the vegetables and their manure is collected. After it is decomposed, it becomes fertilizer for the fruit trees. And these chickens..."
"I know!" Mrs. Qin answered quickly, "Eggs can be exchanged for oil, salt, needles and thread, and can be sold for money."
"If we raise more chickens, we can sell them and make money!"
Mrs. Qin's face lit up when she talked about making money.
Gu Xixi smiled and nodded, "Not bad, you can draw inferences about other situations now."
Mrs. Qin touched her cheek embarrassedly and said, "How could I be so rebellious?"
"I am just familiar with the daily life of our farm family. I still have to follow your instructions on how to do it!"
The two discussed for a while and decided to wait until after the New Year's Day when Gu Xixi would check the site before making any plans.
At this time, Mrs. Qin opened her mind and felt relaxed.
If she doesn't grow crops, she can grow medicinal herbs, vegetables, and raise chickens!
Anyway, with Gu Xixi's guidance, she was not panicked at all.
Aunt Zhang set aside the steamed buns that Aunt Qin had brought and filled the basin with her own steamed buns as a return gift.
Gu Xixi saw Mrs. Qin off.
Before leaving, Mrs. Qin hesitated for a moment, then said, "There are a few things I think I shouldn't hide from you."
“Several families in the village are waiting to see what you are going to plant.”
"What are you going to do if they come knocking on your door?"
Gu Xixi thought about it and did not refuse directly. She said, "Wait a little longer, after the New Year."
When she turned back, Mu Nanzhao was standing in the yard.
"Farming is not like going up the mountain to be a bandit. The more people, the better."
"If you gather these people together one day, aren't you afraid that trouble will ensue?"
Gu Xixi understood what Mu Nanzhao meant.
The so-called small farmers have long been accustomed to working as a family unit and fighting alone.
How easy is it to get such a group of people to listen to her?
But what Mu Nanzhao didn't know was Gu Xixi's ambition.
What she wants is to combine Huachidu Village and even a larger area to create a reputation effect for the fruit.
Just like the Shu brocade from Shu, the tribute satin from Jiangnan, the porcelain from Dongzhou, and the Dongzhu from the cold northeast.
This requires unified scientific planting and standardized management of fruit quality.
However, nothing has been implemented yet, so there is no point in saying more.
"Maybe," Gu Xixi smiled and said, "But nothing can be rebuilt without destruction."
"I can't cultivate all the fertile land in the world by myself. It would be better if we can cultivate it together."
Mu Nanzhao said calmly, "I'm just giving you a reminder."
"What you do has nothing to do with me."
Gu Xixi frowned slightly, and when she saw him about to leave, she blurted out, "Wait a minute."
Mu Nanzhao turned his head and looked at her.
Gu Xixi took two steps forward and looked up at Mu Nanzhao. "I've wanted to ask you for a long time, why have you been acting so weird lately?"
Mu Nanzhao said calmly, "The school is on vacation. Is it because I haven't done enough housework recently, or because I've met you too many times at home, which has affected you?"
Gu Xixi's inner alarm bells were ringing.
There is something wrong with him!
She had been careless because she had seen him eating, drinking and communicating normally before.
Gu Xixi moved closer to Mu Nanzhao and stared at his body carefully from head to toe.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
When she looked up, she clearly saw Mu Nanzhao roll his eyes.
"No, I'm fine, thank you for your concern."
This time, Mu Nanzhao left resolutely and the door of the west room slammed shut.
In the old doctor's room in the backyard.
"Are you asking Chen Fang? He won't die anytime soon."
"You want to ask if he's in trouble? There are too many, new and old injuries, and the most deadly poison."
"I have almost adjusted his qi and blood deficiency. Logically speaking, as qi and blood are sufficient and yang energy rises, his emotional instability and weirdness should be reduced."
Gu Xixi walked out with her head down, sighing. What happened to Mu Nanzhao?
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