Chen Lishu smiled, "Of course, pick whatever you like. Just tell Lin Qi."
Xie Dani bowed gratefully to Chen Lishu, "Thank you, Sister Chen."
...
Meanwhile, Hu Si'er and Lin Da Zhong went to the village separately to gather people. Unsure of how many people would be needed or how long the work would take, they decided to hire people for one yuan per day, with the option to replace anyone who wasn't performing well.
Upon hearing that they would be paid one yuan a day to work on the mountain road, everyone was invigorated and eagerly signed up.
With little to do during the harsh winter, finding work that allowed them to earn some money without leaving home was a perfect opportunity.
"What? You want my eldest grandson to go repair roads?" Old Mrs. Chen exclaimed, instantly outraged upon hearing Hu Si'er. "Didn't Lishu tell you? She asked Baozhu to manage you all. We're all family, how could she possibly let him do heavy labor? You must have misheard."
Hu Si'er coughed awkwardly, "Auntie, Lishu asked me to come get Big Niece to repair roads. She didn't mention anything about management."
Hu Si'er knew Old Mrs. Chen's temper well, having lived in the same village. Her favoritism was as vast as the Southern Heavenly Gate. If he relayed Chen Lishu's words exactly as they were, it would surely lead to an argument. Therefore, he only conveyed Chen Lishu's intentions subtly.
"Impossible. You wait here, I'll go talk to Lishu. We're family, why bring an outsider into this?" Old Mrs. Chen said, reaching for a headscarf by the kang.
Hu Si'er: "..." And he was indeed an outsider.
Old Mrs. Chen visited both the Gu family and Chen Man Tong's family but couldn't find Chen Lishu. However, she did inquire about something else that almost made her lungs explode.
That darned girl, Chen Lishu, had handed over all the road repair work to Hu Si'er and Lin Da Zhong!
"I've never seen someone so biased. I knew she wasn't good-hearted. If she doesn't make me angry to death, she won't be satisfied!"
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Grandma, who made you angry this time?"
Chen Baozhu and Zhang Qin were waiting for news. Seeing her return in a huff, they rushed forward to ask.
"Who else could it be!" Old Mrs. Chen gritted her teeth in anger. "I knew she was up to no good, fooling us into signing, promising the moon. Thirty yuan a month, and it turns out she just wants our Baozhu to do hard labor. She gives all the good opportunities to others and would rather give the road repair work to Hu Lao Si than to our Baozhu."
If there were no benefits involved, Hu Si'er and Lin Da Zhong wouldn't have been so eager and busy fussing over it. She wouldn't believe it even if she were beaten to death.
Zhang Chunhua's expression also turned grim. The signatures had already been given, and it was too late to go back on their word. The only hope now was for Old Mrs. Chen to secure a good position for Chen Baozhu.
"Mom, what should we do about this now? Our Baozhu has never done heavy labor. You're right, Lishu, she never thinks of our Baozhu for any beneficial opportunities."
Chen Baozhu said with a sullen face, "In any case, I won't go digging earth and repairing roads with everyone else. The ground is already frozen solid in this winter. Putting in so much effort for only one yuan a day, isn't she treating us like fools?"
Old Mrs. Chen couldn't bear to let Chen Baozhu do such tiring work.
"My good grandson, don't you worry. Once I find that darned girl, I'll definitely have her arrange a good job for you. Anyway, she won't be home after the New Year to attend school. With such a large mountain, who else can she entrust it to if not you?"
With Old Mrs. Chen's assurance, Chen Baozhu's mood finally improved significantly.
...
After leaving the shop, Chen Lishu did not return directly to the village but went to the nursery.
As the end of the year approached, there were almost no inquiries about saplings. People usually only came in the spring, so the staff there were surprised when Chen Lishu expressed her desire to visit the base.
"Our village wants to develop the mountainous areas, so I've been specifically sent to see what varieties are suitable for planting here, and to inquire about prices."
Upon hearing that she was from a village below and intended to develop barren mountains, the staff immediately became more attentive. They even called in a technician named Zhao to specifically introduce the situation to Chen Lishu.
"What are the conditions of your barren mountains? Do you want to plant trees, or are there other needs?" Zhao Guangbin asked, adjusting his glasses as he led Chen Lishu towards the base.
"Besides fruit tree saplings, the village also wants to intercrop some medicinal herbs."
Zhao Guangbin nodded, "There aren't many fruit trees suitable for the North. Common ones are crabapple trees, plum trees, and apricot trees. Besides these three common ones, I also recommend sea buckthorn trees. They are not only adaptable and cold-resistant, but also easy to care for, and their fruits have many uses and medicinal value."
Chen Lishu was familiar with common fruit trees but knew very little about sea buckthorn.
"... If you're worried about slow returns within three years, I suggest intercropping other medicinal herbs. Evening primrose and Isatis root are also very good choices."
As they spoke, they quickly arrived at one of the bases. Zhao Guangbin specifically pointed out the varieties he had mentioned to Chen Lishu.
Although she had initially only intended to take a look, Chen Lishu found herself learning a lot about agriculture through Zhao Guangbin's patient explanations. She even learned about many plants she had never seen before.
Apart from selecting saplings, Chen Lishu's biggest concern was the price.
After inquiring about the prices in detail, Chen Lishu's mouth felt a little bitter, and her smile became strained.
Common fruit tree saplings were eighty cents each, with a minimum order of five thousand. Sea buckthorn trees were relatively cheaper at thirty cents each, with a minimum order of ten thousand. Adding other costs like evening primrose and Isatis root saplings, and various miscellaneous expenses, she would need at least ten thousand yuan to fill the few vacant plots on the mountain.
This did not include the cost of building houses and pigpens, buying chicken, duck, and goose chicks, and various labor costs.
If all of that were added together, the budget would be at least thirty thousand yuan!
When she left the nursery base, it was already close to three o'clock. Chen Lishu dared not delay and headed directly towards the village.
By the time she reached home, it was already dark outside. Zhang Qin and the others had already prepared dinner.
"Mom, a very fierce old lady came looking for you today. Grandma and Auntie said you weren't home, and she even scolded you," Rui Rui said indignantly, running over to report as soon as he saw her.
An old lady, and she scolded her? Besides Old Mrs. Chen, Chen Lishu couldn't think of anyone else.
"Third sister-in-law, how did you offend your grandmother again? I saw her demeanor; if you had been here, she probably would have pounced on you," Liu Yuemin said, holding her child and standing at the doorway, looking at her with schadenfreude.