Chapter 802: 792. Autumn rain, apple

The night brought a drizzle of autumn rain, and the air was particularly cool in the early morning, with a layer of fine mist covering the distant mountains, and the sun had not yet shown its face.

Up the mountain to work early in the morning, everyone’s laughter and banter rang high and clear, clearly very pleased with today’s weather.

Tai Xiaodong and Qi Lin had only returned late last night. They had gone to the apple cultivation for several days, pruning and digging, busy around the clock.

It was a necessity, as the agricultural time of autumn is precious, and the sooner the apple trees are planted, the sooner they can free up time for other tasks.

Not to mention, the direct broadcast room was filled with incessant cursing over the watermelon jam and bean paste. To this day, they haven’t managed to find time to sell it!

And then there are the turnip tops. Don’t be fooled by the current dense growth of seedlings; it’s so thick that they might need to do it all over again.

Or when they grow up, they will have to harvest them and specially rub the turnip tops!

The most important thing is that a lot of vegetables have been planted up on the mountain, and in a week’s time, they can start harvesting them…

Time is tight, and the tasks are heavy; the two brothers didn’t dare to delay at all!

Especially the meals outside…

One couldn’t say they were inedible, but they certainly didn’t taste good–it was that kind that made you feel guilty with each additional bite!

Therefore, with two pounds of tea leaves given as a gift, and having contacted some local acquaintances early on, and with Professor Song’s previous explanations…in just three days, they had already transported back 600 apple trees in their fruitful period.

Just the shipping cost alone made Song Tan grin and bear it when settling the bill.

And for this, Professor Song wasn’t reassured, dragging Song Tan to explain repeatedly.

In fact, nowadays fruit trees are cultivated and bred in various ways, and they grow quite small.

Like the tall pomegranate, jujube, and pear trees of the past, growing three to five meters tall was quite common. But now, in any orchard, regardless of the type of fruit tree, their basic height is about the same as a person’s height, which makes harvesting and daily management convenient.

The fact that the family didn’t hesitate to dig up and give away so many apple trees was partially due to demolition, but also because they were somewhat outdated.

The fruit trees had been planted for many years, and now, whether for daily management or harvesting, one had to climb up and down, which was not only labor-intensive but also costly. That’s why they made the decision so quickly.

But as far as Professor Song is concerned, with Song Tan’s good water and soil, combined with these hard-to-breed tall apple trees, and the moistening of the soil in spring, summer, and autumn, by the time the fruit is harvested, they will likely have more distinctive features.

Of course, he didn’t quite understand why anything planted at Song Tan’s place would grow with incomparably rich flavors, but he was doing his best to make good choices.

Moreover, seeing how Song Tan was spending money, it’s clear that in the future it’s not going to be just these 300 acres of barren mountain land, and it’s not going to be limited to just his family getting rich–he has the intention to lead the whole village.

Since that’s the case, although the apple trees he chose are somewhat tall, which makes picking the fruit not easy, the branches are suited to be cut and propagated at will.

With such good fruits, even if the villagers don’t have the inclination to plant and sell on a large scale, just by propagating and planting one at the doorstep would add a bit more unique charm to the green countryside.

His considerations were both meticulous and long-term, indeed covering all bases.

But Song Tan didn’t care about these.

Professor Song was being too modest. Although he made clear the pros and cons at the beginning, he didn’t miss a single shortcoming but only mentioned the most important advantages.

But in her view, if they wanted the 600 apple trees to bear fruit within the year, just buying the saplings would cost an unknown fortune.

And now, those tall trees had been pruned by Tai Xiaodong and Qi Lin, who arranged for people to cut each twig and branch, wrapped the root balls directly, and transported them over…

The freight might have been a bit more, but could it be more expensive than the saplings? And they were all large trees in their prime bearing period; next year they are certain to be laden with abundant fruit.

After all, the larger the tree, the more developed its root system and the more expansive its branches and leaves, the better it can compete for Spiritual Energy.

Planting these apple trees this autumn, by next year, they might just become the most valuable in the orchard.

Compared to that, what does the cost of transportation amount to? It’s practically like a business with no capital investment.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have squeezed out two pounds from the gaps in Boss Chang’s orders to give away separately to someone.

Now, the pits on the mountain have long been prepared to some extent by Sun Ziqiang, and people from the village were invited to help plant trees, creating a bustling scene. Everyone’s chatting and laughing can be heard from afar, perhaps even by other villages.

It’s hard work–it requires carrying the trees, fixing those irregular pits, and finally filling them with soil. The work isn’t difficult, just labor-intensive.

However, the turnip shoots harvested a few days ago had already maximized the villagers’ goodwill. Now, everyone, with hoes and shovels in hand, is spirited, not in the least bit weary.

As they reach the only piece of uncultivated land in the mountains, the group comments:

“This Kudzu root at Zhang Wang’s Family looks good this year, could it be a year of good harvest?”

“I think so, otherwise Lao Song’s family’s tea leaves couldn’t have been picked until now!”

It’s just finished!

As everyone walks down the mountain road, they continue to chat:

“Look at the Kudzu leaves, so lush and green, Zhang Wang’s Family must have fertilized them well.”

“In my opinion, it’s the experts they have hired that make the difference. Look at Lao Song’s family’s land; what doesn’t grow well there?”

“That’s true; they must have spent a lot of money, look how smooth this road is, not a single crack.”

“Yeah, concrete is so expensive now, over 300 per ton. Think about how much was spent on all these roads laid out across the mountain!”

“Who knows, that big tanker truck delivering the concrete, the construction team working with such fervor… even the ponds were drained a good bit during the process!”

After the concrete was poured and shaped, continuous watering was required. Fortunately, at that time Song Tan still hadn’t decided to infuse the water with Spiritual Energy. With the streams on the mountain and the ponds below working together, the crisscrossing network of roads was repaired beautifully.

A lot of effort and money went into it.

But to do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools, and now the convenience it offers is appreciated!

For instance, a truck carrying peach trees can be driven directly to the hillside, and various tools can be transported all over the mountainside with a tricycle…

A lot of money was spent but the convenience has greatly increased, and even after last night’s rain, everyone can walk on the road without worrying about stepping in mud.

Zhang Wang’s Family walks with a limp beside the road, looking at their own plot of Kudzu root with a wide, uncontrollable smile.

This plot of land actually belongs to Song Tan now, but Song Tan expressed that it would be a pity to dig up the Kudzu root; she told them to harvest it well this winter, save up money, so there’s less to worry about for retirement.

Just because of this kindness, he worked with all his heart and effort. When the canteen on the mountain was built a while ago, even though he was reluctant, he gritted his teeth and moved his meals there too.

Master Jiang had been alone here since Wang Xiaoshun left a couple of days ago, but his skills in the kitchen are top-notch!

Although it was a bit unsettling at first, after eating here for several days in a row, Zhang Wang’s Family already feels very satisfied.

Not to mention, if he were to go back and cook for himself, it would probably be plain noodles with pickled vegetables or leftover rice with leftover dishes–his principle being that being able to live is good enough.

Now, he couldn’t be more content!