After leaving the vegetable patch in Xishan, Cheng Xiaofan went to the back mountain and found Luo Yang and Feng Xigua under the scorching sun, wielding their rakes and reclaiming new wasteland.
"Brother Luo, Brother Feng,"
Cheng Xiaofan pulled up a few fruit ginsengs, washed them, and called out to them from under an old pine tree, "Come and rest for a bit, have something to eat!"
Although these fruit ginsengs were planted almost on the same day as those in the village, the fruit ginsengs that grew here were much larger than those in Xishan.
They were bigger than an adult's fist.
The main reason for this was that this piece of land was developed early, and after being exposed to the sun for many days, the soil was relatively loose. After a spiritual rain, more spiritual energy seeped in, which was beneficial for the rapid growth of the fruit ginseng.
The land in Xishan, on the other hand, was newly reclaimed, with insufficient sunlight and relatively compacted soil, which naturally affected plant growth.
Luo Yang and Feng Xigua walked over and found five fruit ginsengs piled in front of Cheng Xiaofan, weighing at least four catties.
"Xiaofan, these fruit ginsengs are two hundred yuan a catty, how did you get so many at once?" Feng Xigua said, taking a breath as if he had a toothache.
Luo Yang said, "Yeah, eating eight hundred yuan at once is too extravagant!"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "These are things we produced ourselves, there's no need to calculate it like that!"
"Eat, don't be polite!"
He grabbed a fruit ginseng and gave one to each of them.
*Crunch!*
Cheng Xiaofan took a bite of the fruit ginseng and smiled, "When you go back at noon, each of you take a few fruit ginsengs home for your families to try."
"There are over ten mu of fruit ginseng here. We'll keep one mu for seeds to provide to the village, and sell the rest."
"From now on, this land will be planted with Happy Fruits. I plan to use glutinous rice as the main ingredient and Happy Fruits as a supplement to set up a winery for fun."
Hearing his words, Luo Yang and Feng Xigua almost choked on the fruit ginseng in their mouths.
This remarkable person speaks so differently. A winery can be set up just for fun?
At the same time, Cheng Xiaofan announced that he would have Pinweixuan come to purchase the fruit ginseng tomorrow and take this opportunity to hold an orchard opening ceremony.
"I wanted to do one when I sold the cabbage last time, but it was a bit rushed, so I overlooked it!"
Cheng Xiaofan took a bite of the fruit ginseng and smiled, "We can't break the old rules of the countryside. This time, we'll make up for the orchard opening ceremony!"
This orchard opening ceremony is like the "opening of the rice seedling gate" ceremony for the new year in the water towns.
Zhuxi water has always had this custom. Whoever's melons or fruits ripen first and are taken to market for sale must hold an orchard opening ceremony.
The ceremony is simple. Before officially picking the fruit, buy some chickens, ducks, fish, meat, and pastries, place them on an altar in the field, bring a cow, adorn it with a red flower, and the head of the household kneels before the cow and bows three times.
According to the traditional customs of Zhuxi Village, the cow is an envoy of the Earth God. Bowing to the cow is equivalent to bowing to the Earth God who governs the area, praying for favorable weather and abundant wealth for the year.
This was originally planned for when the village sold the super nutritious cabbage for the first time, but Luo Changsheng felt it was inappropriate. After all, the super nutritious cabbage was cultivated by Cheng Xiaofan, and he was the true owner, so they couldn't steal his thunder.
This matter was also told to Cheng Xiaofan by Cheng Fugui, which is why he had the idea of holding an orchard opening ceremony tomorrow.
After Cheng Xiaofan's explanation, Luo Yang immediately said, "Xiaofan, in the afternoon, Feng Xigua and I will build an altar under the tree with stones!"
"If we're going to do it, let's do it properly. I'll bring over a few long bluestone slabs from my home."
Feng Xigua had learned stone masonry, and his family had a few long bluestone slabs carved with various birds, fish, and flowers, which Cheng Xiaofan had seen when he visited his home.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you two."
At noon, Cheng Xiaofan pulled up more than a dozen fruit ginsengs and gave them to Luo Yang and Feng Xigua. At the same time, he also gave them some seeds to sow themselves.
Luo Changsheng had specifically instructed the villagers that anyone who did not receive seeds from Cheng Xiaofan proactively was not to ask him for them, to prevent the seeds from flowing out, or even from being passed off as genuine, which would damage the reputation of Zhuxi Village's cabbage and fruit ginseng.
In the afternoon, Cheng Xiaofan called Liu Xinyue.
"Xiaofan, can your fruit ginsengs be sold now?" Liu Xinyue was particularly happy when she received Cheng Xiaofan's call.
As expected of a businesswoman, she immediately asked about the fruit ginseng.
This also proved that the quality of his fruit ginseng was too good.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be so impatient.
"Sister Liu, you guessed it right!"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said, "Send an extra car tomorrow!"
Liu Xinyue said excitedly, "Great, Xiaofan! Our Pinweixuan's long-term dominance in the catering industry of Wangjiang City depends entirely on you!"
"I can't come tomorrow, so have Uncle Liu arrange for another pickup truck."
"I'll give you a big red envelope at the end of the month!"
Hearing this, Cheng Xiaofan chuckled and said, "Sister Liu, forget the red envelope. Your good business indirectly proves that the vegetables I cultivate have a market, and I am happy about that too!"
"I still have things to do, so I won't chat anymore!"
He had to make some preparations for the orchard opening tomorrow morning.
When he returned home, Cheng Fugui had just finished working at the fish pond.
Cheng Xiaofan immediately told him about the orchard opening ceremony tomorrow.
Cheng Fugui listened and nodded, saying, "This orchard opening is a big event. This afternoon I'll find your Grandpa Luo and invite everyone who needs to be here tomorrow."
"Since there will be many people from the village coming to watch the fun at the orchard opening tomorrow, let's slaughter the pig at home and have a good meal together."
"Ask your mother to go to the market this afternoon to buy some incense, candles, sugar, and pastries."
Cheng Xiaofan said, "There's no need to buy fish, I'll get some from White Python Lake."
"Luo Yang and Feng Xigua will be in the back mountain this afternoon setting up the altar, so you don't need to worry about this, Dad!"
"Okay, okay..."
Cheng Fugui nodded. He wanted to ask his son about White Python Lake, but the words got stuck in his throat.
He wanted to go and see for himself, but his son had said that it would have to wait until he had raised enough money and the road was built.
To be honest, even if Cheng Xiaofan had taken Cheng Fugui on the Sky-Breaking Eagle to White Python Lake, he wouldn't have dared, no matter how brave he was.
People riding on the back of birds flying in the sky, this is found in legends and stories, but who has ever seen it in real life?
After lunch, Cheng Xiaofan immediately went to the back mountain, called the Sky-Breaking Eagle, and took the Mischievous One to fly to White Python Lake.
When they arrived at White Python Lake, as soon as Cheng Xiaofan dismounted from the Sky-Breaking Eagle, the date-red horses grazing nearby immediately ran forward, surrounding him and swishing their tails, jumping with joy.
These horses seemed to be thanking him for giving them such a beautiful home.
Cheng Xiaofan, seized by a whim, leaped onto the back of a horse.
"Neigh—"
The horse let out a long neigh, raised its front hooves high, leaped with all its might, and plunged directly into White Python Lake...