Chapter 149 (continued)

Zhao Hexi: "Even if you select the right rice, you might not be able to find out the rice variety."

Qing Mengzhu replied decisively, "Impossible! In business, as long as you have enough money, you can definitely handle it."

As she spoke, Qing Mengzhu nudged Ming Chunxi with her elbow. "Isn't that right?"

Ming Chunxi nodded. "It's not anything particularly confidential, it shouldn't be difficult."

Zhou Yan smiled and raised his glass, "Then I wish you every success!"

After tasting the rice, Qing Mengzhu contacted one of the top five rice sellers and asked them to send him rice seeds.

If he paid enough money, the shopkeeper actually sent him the rice seeds.

Qing Mengzhu placed the rice seeds in a small bag on the long desk and looked at them with Ming Chunxi.

Ming Chunxi: "How is it?"

Qing Mengzhu pointed them out to him. "These four are all 'Good Grade+' rice varieties, and this one is a 'Fine Grade-' rice variety."

Ming Chunxi: "The results are quite obvious. So, should we select this 'Fine Grade' rice variety now?"

Qing Mengzhu shook her head and gently picked out three rice seeds with her fingers. "No, here are three 'Fine Grade' rice seeds."

The three rice seeds were of medium length, looked very round and plump, and were golden in color. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were different from ordinary rice seeds.

Ming Chunxi asked curiously, "Where did this come from?"

Qing Mengzhu pointed to another type of rice. "It's mixed in with this 'Good Grade+' rice variety. Maybe the store grows its own rice, so the quality isn't very consistent. Some are 'Good Grade+', while others are 'Fine Grade'."

After a pause, Qing Mengzhu said, "It wasn't entirely me who figured it out. I used the Mall Assistant to scan it, and it helped me pick out the 'Fine Grade' rice seeds."

Ming Chunxi sat on the armrest of the chair. "Then what should we do? Should we choose this 'Fine Grade-' rice variety, or buy more 'Good Grade+' rice varieties and then pick out the 'Fine Grade' varieties from them?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I'm currently leaning towards the latter. I've already asked the online store owner, and he gave me the address, saying we can discuss it offline."

Qing Mengzhu looked up at Ming Chunxi: "I might have to go on a business trip."

Ming Chunxi wasn't surprised, and simply asked, "Can we go on this business trip together this weekend?"

Qing Mengzhu chuckled and slapped his thigh, "If you're willing, I definitely have no problem with it."

Ming Chunxi smiled and said, "Let's take care of things at home first, then we can go together this weekend."

Qing Mengzhu: "Okay, I'll tell the online store owner."

Qing Mengzhu and his family wanted to fly out to buy rice seeds themselves, and Zhao Hexi expressed his understanding and promised to help take care of his pets.

Zhao Hexi has helped take care of the family more than once or twice, so Qing Mengzhu is quite at ease with her.

They said they were going on a business trip over the weekend, so on Friday night they flew to a city near the online store owner's home, checked into a hotel, and planned to take the high-speed train to the city where the online store owner was located the next day.

As April approaches, everything in Vine City is coming back to life, and everywhere is lush and green, a scene of spring.

In the Northeast, the ice hasn't completely thawed yet, and snow is piled up along the roadsides. However, the early plum blossoms in the park have already bloomed, and their fresh green color is a delight to behold.

They specifically sought out a barbecue restaurant to eat barbecue.

The barbecue at that restaurant didn't come with garlic, but with onions instead, Qing Mengzhu found very novel.

After tasting it, Qing Mengzhu drank several sips of tea to cleanse her palate, then whispered, "Our onions are still the best. If we could sell our onions here, they would definitely be a hit."

Ming Chunxi: "That day will come. Once we've successfully cultivated the Good Grade, relevant people will definitely come to import it. Come and try their lamb chops; they roast them very well."

Qing Mengzhu took a bite from Ming Chunxi's hand. "It's better than the lamb chops we have back home. It's tender and juicy, with a stronger meaty flavor, and not gamey at all."

After finishing their barbecue, the two returned to the hotel, having already discussed what they would say when they went to see the owner the next day.

The next morning, they continued their journey by high-speed train and quickly found the owner's shop.

Qing Mengzhu had already told the boss online that she was coming, so the boss wasn't surprised to see them.

When the boss heard that they only cultivated five or six acres of land, he couldn't hold back anymore. "You only have a few acres, what are you making such a fuss about? I thought you were the kind of big farmers who were going to cultivate hundreds of acres of Rice."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "We're too busy this year, but we might try next year. Let me take a look at the rice seeds first."

The boss was somewhat disappointed, but still led them to the warehouse. "Let me make this clear first, this is our own old rice variety. We've been growing this rice here for seventy or eighty years, and it's very suitable for our soil and climate. As for whether it's suitable for your area, I can't guarantee that."

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "We know, we just want to buy it and try it out."

Boss: "How many kilograms do you want? I'll scoop them out for you."

Rice is divided into direct seeding and seedling raising. Direct seeding requires approximately six kilograms of seeds per acre, while seedling raising requires approximately three kilograms of seeds per acre.

Live streaming involves directly sowing seeds in the rice paddies.

The advantage of this sowing method is that it is convenient and quick, saving many steps. The disadvantage is that it requires more rice seeds, and the germination of the rice seeds is prone to be uneven.

This imbalance results in some rice seedlings growing to four or five centimeters while others are just sprouting.

Finally, the Rice matures at different times, making harvesting troublesome and reducing yield.

For seedling cultivation, robust rice seedlings of the same age can be directly selected for transplanting, while small and weak seedlings can be discarded. This artificial selection process ensures the best quality Rice is grown, making it easier to manage.

The downside is that it involves many more steps, making Rice much more tiring for farmers.

Both planting methods are good; it just depends on the farmer's personal choice.

Qing Mengzhu has high standards for seeds, doubling the amount needed for the live broadcast. "I need about sixty kilograms of seeds. I'd like to select some myself, is that alright?"

Sixty kilograms of seeds was already considered a big deal, and the shopkeeper's face lit up with joy. "Go ahead and pick. You're buying a lot, so take whatever you like. But let me make this clear first: our rice seeds are four hundred yuan per jin (500 grams), eight hundred yuan per kilogram. No bargaining."

Qing Mengzhu raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything, the shop owner quickly explained, "I'm not ripping you off. You can check online; this is the price for rice seeds of this grade."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "I know, your rice seeds are indeed excellent."

The boss was even happier to receive their approval. "Then take your time choosing. Come to my house for lunch, I'll stew some free-range chicken for you."

Qing Mengzhu: "Okay, let's choose carefully."

When picking rice seeds from the boss, it's impossible to carefully select each grain one by one. Qing Mengzhu scanned the fields one by one, and when she saw "Fine Grade" rice seeds, she scooped out that handful of seeds, intending to pick them out one by one when she got home.

If all else fails, you can use the Mall Assistant to scan it.

As for the leftover rice seeds, they can be planted in the company's fields; they won't be wasted.

Qing Mengzhu pondered for a moment and quickly came up with a suitable plan.

However, if this plan continues, he estimates that they will need to rent more land, and the company will also need to rent more land, otherwise it won't be enough.

These rice seeds were really expensive. The boss waited patiently by the side, and instead casually shared a lot of tips on Rice with them.

Qing Mengzhu listened while making her selections, and seemed quite happy to listen to this.

But as she listened, Qing Mengzhu knew in her heart that the Rice grown here was so good mainly because of the unique soil and climate conditions.

The soil here is fertile and less polluted. Although the climate is cold, the temperature difference between day and night is large, which is very conducive to the accumulation of flavor compounds.

In many places, temperatures are rising and the temperature difference between day and night is not significant, which is also an important reason for the decline in the quality of vegetables and grains.

Qing Mengzhu listened intently, a thought popping into her mind.

It would be great if we could rent a large plot of land here to Rice.

They definitely can't find the time now, but once their rice is cultivated, there might not be any problems.