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The two shook hands.

Qing Mengzhu: "Long time no see."

Di Xing looked him over. "It feels like a long time. You've changed a lot in just three days. You're completely different from last year."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "I'm still the same person, not much different. Come in and have some tea."

Di Xing had visited their courtyard last year, and now that he was back, the courtyard was still so tidy.

Compared to last year, the yard has a more weathered feel to it. Whether it's the two big dogs lying down or the plants placed at the base of the yard wall, they all fully demonstrate the vitality of life.

Qing Mengzhu pressed the electric water pump, drew water from the well, and then boiled it to make tea. "Brother Di Xing, this is tea we made ourselves. It has a bit of a rustic flavor. Why don't you try it and see if you like it?"

Di Xing sat down. "You're even roasting your own tea now?"

Qing Mengzhu laughed, "Not only are we going to process tea, but we've also hired technicians and plan to cooperate with the villagers to grow tea. Maybe in a couple of years we'll be able to sell our tea."

Di Xing: "Your businesses are really extensive now. Let me count, you have six or seven businesses, right?"

Qing Mengzhu: "More than that. Anyway, we're in a development phase now, so we're open to doing all sorts of business, as long as we can make a profit."

Di Xing: "My small company was like that when it was developing. We did whatever made money. Speaking of which, our small company is still standing today, all thanks to the chili peppers you sold us."

Qing Mengzhu: "That's too modest. Come, Brother Di Xing, have some tea."

Di Xing wanted to say something, but after taking a sip of tea, the rich aroma lingered in his mouth and nose, and the warm tea made his whole body feel relaxed.

This comfortable feeling made Di Xing swallow the words he wanted to say, and he could no longer recall what he wanted to say.

After a while, Di Xing finally found his voice and exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of tea is this? It tastes so fragrant and so pleasant!"

Qing Mengzhu: "I'm not sure what variety it is, it's just the wild tea we grow here. If you like, you can take some back with you later."

After saying that, Qing Mengzhu added, "Not only is our tea excellent, but our well water is also superb; it's the combination of the two that creates this effect."

Di Xing finished his tea in one gulp, then picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup. "No wonder. Ah, I'll pour myself some tea. It's been so long since I've had such delicious tea."

Qing Mengzhu did not refuse and handed the teapot to him.

Di Xing boiled water again to brew a second infusion of tea, and emphasized to Qing Mengzhu, "Really, I've traveled all over the country and been to many countries, but I've never tasted tea as good as yours."

Di Xing tried to organize his thoughts. "Your tea isn't just about taste and smell; it has an indescribable charm—ah, I guess I haven't been back to China in a long time, my language skills have gotten a bit rusty."

Qing Mengzhu knew what he wanted to say. The tea leaves grown from the Spirit Pearl Dregs the spirit pearl, brewed with the Spirit Spring Water, had a fragrance that was not just delicious, but also somewhat mysterious.

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "It can only be understood intuitively, not explained in words, right?"

Di Xing: "Yes, yes, that's the word. Your tea is really good, can I buy some?"

Qing Mengzhu politely declined, "I'm afraid that won't work. We don't have much; it's only enough for you to take a little back to try. We don't have any left to sell. Maybe next year? We should be able to grow more tea here next year."

Di Xing: "Then it's a deal. I'll look forward to coming back next year for your tea."

After discussing tea, Di Xing quickly got down to business. "Mengzhu, your chili peppers are better than last year's. How do you plan to sell them this year?"

Qing Mengzhu had already discussed it with Ming Chunxi, and Zhou Yan had also given his word. She then said, "Fresh chili peppers are about 1200 yuan per jin, and dried chili peppers are about 9600 yuan per jin."

Di Xing was taken aback for a moment. "Not as expensive as I imagined? It's probably about the price of those top-grade chili peppers on the market."

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "We price our chilies based on their quality; we don't just arbitrarily set prices."

Top-quality chili peppers from several regions across the country can sell for this price; theirs isn't considered expensive.

Di Xing's eyes gleamed. "So, do you still offer takeout now?"

Qing Mengzhu roughly understood what he meant; although the price of chili peppers was relatively high at the moment, he still wanted to buy them.

Qing Mengzhu thought for a moment and said, "Sell it. Brother Di Xing, you're Old Gu, I'll give you a 10% discount."

Di Xing's eyes lit up with delight. "That's great! I'll buy it weekly, just like last year."

Seeing his expression, Qing Mengzhu suggested, "Our company has planted new chili peppers this year, all bred from seeds cultivated by our own family. Although the quality of our company's chili peppers isn't as good as ours, they're still very good. If you're interested, Brother Di Xing, I can take you to see them."

Di Xing: "What's the current pricing for your company's chili peppers?"

Qing Mengzhu: "It's not on the market in large quantities yet; it's just included in vegetable packages. But if there are any extra chilies to be sold later, they should cost around 50 or 60 yuan per jin (500 grams)."

Di Xing was stunned for a moment. "How much?! The price difference is so big?"

Qing Mengzhu: "If the price is set too high, it won't be competitive. This price was set based on our market research."

Di Xing immediately said, "Then I want to go and take a look."

Qing Mengzhu specifically set aside time today to take him to see the chili peppers in the field, and also to promote other vegetables. Seeing that he was interested, she simply invited him to go see them now.

Di Xing agreed, quickly finished the tea in his cup, and then followed Qing Mengzhu to the vegetable garden.

Zhuxi Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.. cultivates a lot of land. Driving along the road, you can see a vast expanse of fields stretching out before you, all belonging to the company.

As Qing Mengzhu drove, she pointed out the fruits and vegetables they had planted this year to Di Xing.

Di Xing was amazed, both by the size and variety of their produce and by the quality of their fruits.

When they reached the field, Qing Mengzhu simply took Di Xing down to pick tomatoes and cucumbers to eat.

Di Xing looked at the insect traps in the field. "This is organic farming, right?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, we basically don't use pesticides or chemical fertilizers; we rely more on biological control methods."

Di Xing: "The vegetables in your company's fields look different, so should I just eat them directly?"

Qing Mengzhu demonstrated by taking a bite of the cucumber first. "You can eat it, it's pesticide-free."

Di Xing took a bite, then was captivated by the refreshing aroma of the cucumber. "So delicious!"

Qing Mengzhu led Di Xing around in the fields, and Di Xing had a thoughtful expression on his face.

Qing Mengzhu thought he would buy some other vegetables, but to her surprise, he didn't say anything in the end.

When they arrived at the chili field, Qing Mengzhu introduced him to this year's chilies.

Chili peppers have a relatively long growing cycle. This batch of chili peppers is the first batch produced by their company. Not many have turned red yet, but the peppers have thick flesh and thin skin, and are fresh, spicy, and sweet, making them taste very good.

This is one of the reasons why they dare to set the price at fifty or sixty yuan per kilogram.

The same type of chili pepper in the market is now priced at about five or six yuan, only one-tenth of their price.

Di Xing walked back and forth in the chili pepper field. "You didn't spray pesticides on your chili peppers, did you?"

Qing Mengzhu: "No, we didn't spray any. Chili peppers don't attract many insects; they're one of the vegetables that least need pesticides."

Di Xing: "I understand, capsaicin. Shall I try some?"

Qing Mengzhu was taken aback. "Eat it raw?"

Di Xing eagerly picked out the chilies. "I want to try them raw."

With Qing Mengzhu's permission, Di Xing picked a chili pepper, twisted it off, and took a small bite, just like biting into a cucumber.

Watching his actions, Qing Mengzhu felt the spiciness and hissed softly.

Di Xing narrowed his eyes, but seemed to tolerate the spiciness quite well.

Di Xing: "The taste is very good, much better than the chili peppers on the market, and not much different from the chili peppers your family had last year."