Chapter 91

Since Di Caiyong couldn't get all the tomatoes, and Qing Mengzhu was reluctant to sell them directly to vegetable vendors at market price, she entrusted the company to act as her distributor.

They couldn't sell all the fresh tomatoes, so they mainly sold tomato sauce and canned tomatoes.

They found a contract manufacturer to process the products, and the raw materials, formulas, and designs were all their own. They originally planned to sell them gradually, but they didn't expect them to sell out as soon as they were launched on the market.

Observing Qing Mengzhu's expression, Zhao Hexi asked excitedly, "Are you selling fresh tomatoes?"

Qing Mengzhu: "See if you have any free time. If you're busy, you can try selling it on a small scale. If you're not, then forget it."

Zhao Hexi: "I can manage. I just find people to pick, pack, and ship them. It doesn't take much effort."

Qing Mengzhu reminded her, "You should have your Old Gu try them first. My tomatoes have very thin skins and are ripe at a high level, so they might not be easy to transport. I hope they arrive rotten."

"Okay!" After thinking for a moment, Zhao Hexi added, "Actually, it's not a big problem. Look at how well the skins of peaches sold elsewhere don't break. Our tomatoes can't possibly be more fragile than peaches."

Qing Mengzhu: "Then let's give it a try. Anyway, you're the boss, so this is your responsibility."

Zhao Hexi: "With your words, I'll go ahead and do it."

Zhao Hexi excitedly agreed, then looked up at the side and asked, "Speaking of which, aren't the peppers next to the tomatoes still in peak season? Is Brother Di Xing still able to eat them all? Should we sell the peppers too?"

Qing Mengzhu: "We don't need to for now. We'll talk about it when he stops buying. Our chili peppers are too expensive, and our reputation hasn't taken off yet. It might not be easy to sell them outside the region."

Zhao Hexi said regretfully, "That's true. The brand hasn't made a name for itself yet, and the market probably won't accept it."

Qing Mengzhu's tomatoes have become famous. Many people have come to ask him about them in private. Even Ming Lexin joked that they are about to become the Tomato Kings.

He knew it was far from that point; in fact, their tomatoes were still a niche product, and there were many good tomatoes and good tomato products on the market.

Unexpectedly, on this day, as soon as Qing Mengzhu opened his social media, content related to his tomatoes popped up on the screen again.

The internet is constantly evolving, and the trend of using his tomato products in cooking has passed. Now, the homepage recommends videos of him growing new tomatoes using his tomato seeds.

I don't know if it's because of the power of big data, or if their tomatoes are genuinely famous.

Qing Mengzhu scrolled down, and the bottom was full of various recommendations, including videos and articles.

[5 jin of tomatoes for 49.9 yuan – watch me grow them directly in flowerpots and achieve tomato freedom!]

The "Zhuxi" tomato plants I planted have already sprouted, and the tender leaves are so cute!

[The "Zhuxi" tomato seeds are of such high quality! Look how many tomato seedlings I grew from just one tomato seed!]

The more Qing Mengzhu looked, the more pictures, texts, and videos appeared below.

These images, texts, and videos have also garnered considerable popularity, with some receiving a few hundred likes and others even reaching tens of thousands. Many people commented that they had gotten a great deal.

Qing Mengzhu hadn't expected things to turn out this way. He sat up straight and continued scrolling.

Ming Chunxi appeared beside him without him noticing. "It seems our tomatoes are quite popular. Should we produce seeds?"

Qing Mengzhu was startled. "You've finished working overtime?"

Ming Chunxi: "No, let's not add it. We'll talk about it at the company tomorrow."

As he spoke, Ming Chunxi tapped the phone screen, gesturing for Qing Mengzhu to look at the content on the screen.

Qing Mengzhu, holding her phone, said, "Our seed production and sales license hasn't been issued yet, so we can't produce them even if we wanted to. Besides, this is just a temporary buzz; by the time our seeds are produced, the hype will have long since died down."

Ming Chunxi: "Once the hype dies down, the quality of our seeds won't deteriorate. Once production begins, the market will quickly pick up again."

Qing Mengzhu hesitated.

Ming Chunxi started a new topic. "It seems that seed production and sales licenses are divided into 'Major Crop Seed Production and Sales License' and 'Non-Major Crop Seed Production and Sales License'?"

Qing Mengzhu: "That's right! Tomatoes are not a major crop."

Ming Chunxi: "It should be easier to apply for a seed production and sales license using tomato seeds, right? Such good seeds, it's a pity not to try creating a brand."

The tomatoes from Qing Mengzhu's family are second-generation tomatoes.

For his previous batch of tomatoes, he bought pre-grown seedlings from someone else. Only after the tomatoes grew and tasted good did he start sowing and cultivating his own seeds.

The second-generation tomatoes have a richer and more complex flavor than the first generation. Even people who don't like tomatoes or are unfamiliar with the taste of tomatoes can tell the difference between them and other tomatoes.

However, Qing Mengzhu is unsure whether their tomatoes taste exceptionally good because of the fertilizer fermented from fertilizer powder and pond water, or whether, through accumulation and mutation, the second-generation tomatoes have formed a new variety.

If it's just that they grow good tomatoes, rather than the seeds being good, then there's little need to develop tomato seeds.

After discussing it, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi decided to Zhao Hexi to join them for a meeting of the three shareholders.

Upon hearing the idea of producing tomato seeds, Zhao Hexi immediately expressed his approval. "I think it's a good idea!"

Zhao Hexi: "Many people want our tomato seeds. If we can actually produce them, they'll definitely sell well."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's just that the production process is quite troublesome."

Qing Mengzhu has already checked. "We need to compare this batch of tomato seeds with other tomato seeds to determine its variety. If it has already been designated as a new seed, we still need to apply for approval and conduct trial plantings, submitting the materials for review by the relevant departments. It won't be done in a short time."

Zhao Hexi: "Then let's take it slow. Our income has been pretty good lately, and I was thinking of discussing with you guys whether we should set up a new department specifically for this."

Meeting the questioning looks from the two men, Zhao Hexi shared his idea. "The Science and Technology Department should currently focus on pesticide research and development. We could establish a dedicated seed production department to research and produce seeds."

Zhao Hexi: "When our company was founded, we already had the idea of entering the seed industry. Now that we're starting to build up our department, it's not too late."

Ming Chunxi: "I agree. Let's establish the tomato project first, and if things go smoothly, we can try to finalize the chili pepper project as well."

Zhao Hexi: "Yes, yes, our chili peppers are good too. Professor Nian and his team haven't made any research results yet, but we can try later if we have the ability. Let's not waste such good chili peppers. And lotus root, Mengzhu, didn't you say you wanted to promote lotus root? We can arrange to promote lotus root there too."

Qing Mengzhu was quite optimistic about her own varieties, but she worried that she would be too busy and produce shoddy work, which would damage her reputation and quality.

Hearing them say that, Qing Mengzhu said, "Since that's the case, I agree. Let's recruit another batch of people during the autumn recruitment season."

Zhao Hexi readily agreed, "No problem, I already have experience. We'll go together, and we should be able to recruit some good people."

Although their company is small, the benefits are quite good, and now that their reputation has increased, applicants should have fewer concerns.

Zhao Hexi: "Gu Benshu are a bit short-handed, shall we recruit them all at once this time?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "Let's hire them, more people means more work."

Zhao Hexi: "Hehe, let's finish this before New Year's Day. Once we get the land, we'll immediately put our skills to use!"

Author's Note:

See you this afternoon!

Chapter 91

While Qing Mengzhu and his team were busy recruiting and applying for a seed production and sales license, the Polygonatum sibiricum seedlings in the seedling cups sprouted.

This batch of Polygonatum sibiricum has a very good germination rate, probably because it was soaked in the juice of the Luring Grass. Qing Mengzhu glanced at it and found that the germination rate was at least 99%, with no more than 100 seeds failing to sprout.

After sprouting, the Solomon's Seal grows very quickly, producing two leaves in just a few days, which look plump and appealing.