Chapter 240

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, the earthworms in the orchard are more effective; they make for better fishing results."

Zhao Hexi was about to cry her eyes out in the bathroom, "Why didn't you invite me to such a great opportunity?"

Qing Mengzhu: "You weren't here, I'll definitely call you next time."

Zhao Hexi paused for a moment. "I've started recording. Say that again, I want to record it."

Qing Mengzhu: "... Alright."

Qing Mengzhu repeated herself, then said, "We're going back the day after tomorrow. Is there anything you need to bring?"

Zhao Hexi: "Bring me back half a bucket of earthworms?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Weren't these earthworms brought from Vine City? Are we going to bring them back again?"

Zhao Hexi: "Maybe if they grow separately, the earthworms on both sides will be different? I used earthworms to fish in Vine City, and the results weren't as good."

Qing Mengzhu retorted, "You doubt earthworms but not your skills?"

Zhao Hexi: "What's there to doubt about my fishing skills? Besides, didn't you say we need to be scientific and rigorous, and eliminate distractions?"

Qing Mengzhu's head ached from his nagging. "Okay, I'll bring it to you when I go back."

Author's Note:

Happy Lunar New Year's Eve! See you tonight! There will be a small giveaway in tonight's chapter, feel free to join!

Chapter 240

After the sea fishing trip, Qing Mengzhu, filled with fond memories of the experience, took Ming Chunxi back to Vine City.

By mid-June, Vine City was getting hotter and hotter, and the rainfall was increasing.

Qing Mengzhu led people to manage the farmland, and the rain did not have any impact on their farmland.

He discovered that, perhaps due to good soil and water conservation efforts in the past two years, the village river still rises after rain, but it is no longer as muddy as before.

It also prevents the river from carrying all sorts of tattered clothes, plastic bags, pesticide bottles, and other debris down the river whenever it rains.

The village has truly improved.

Qing Mengzhu thought with relief.

That day, after the rain, Qing Mengzhu put on his rain boots and rode his motorcycle up the mountain to check on the cattle and hazel grouse.

The cowshed and hazel grouse shed were both very large, and the animals were clever enough to know to take shelter inside when it rained.

Qing Mengzhu took a look but didn't find anything wrong.

It rains all the time, but one good thing about summer rain compared to other seasons is that it doesn't get cold after it rains, and the animals rarely catch a cold from the cold.

After inspecting the mountain and confirming that the hazel grouse and cattle were fine, Qing Mengzhu went up to the top of the mountain to take a look at their "Supreme Grade-" mother bamboo. After looking at it, she also picked some bamboo leaves for making tea.

The mother bamboo is similar to before; its quality hasn't improved recently, perhaps it's reached its limit.

Qing Mengzhu checked the surrounding fences and surveillance cameras and found nothing wrong with them, so he went down the mountain.

The weather was quite cool after the rain, and everyone was making the most of their time to work. Some were draining water, some were filling in soil, and some were weeding. The groups of people were clearly divided and were working according to the work plan.

Qing Mengzhu, seeing that there was nothing wrong with the company's fields, went to his family's fields.

The tomatoes and peppers are now bearing fruit, and the Rice is tillering; everything is thriving.

He went around, dug up the ridges, and drained the excess water from the field.

There were no problems in the other fields. When the water in the rice paddies was drained, he saw the silvery-white bellies and dark backs of the small fish.

This year, to make management easier, they stopped raising anything in the rice paddies, but they were surprised to find so many small fish and shrimp still there.

Qing Mengzhu watched for a while, feeling a bit envious, so she simply went to the company and borrowed a dustpan, placing it at the drain.

The dustpan is made of bamboo with many gaps, allowing water to flow out smoothly through the gaps, while small fish and shrimp will stay inside.

Qing Mengzhu used a dustpan to catch a handful of small fish and shrimp in a short time.

After finishing their work, the employees who were taking a break came over to smoke.

"Wow, there are so many small fish and shrimp here, it's like the 1980s."

"That's true. I was in elementary school in the 1980s. We were poor back then, and there wasn't much to eat. I would catch fish around noon when they were so hot they were practically floating on their bellies. I'd just stick them in the pan, add some chopped chili peppers, and that was my meal."

"You know what, I was pretty much the same way back then. Every Saturday and Sunday, I would go out with my friends to catch fish and shrimp to eat. If we couldn't finish them, we would take them to the market to sell, and then we could buy a few popsicles with the proceeds."

Qing Mengzhu went to the pond and picked a lotus leaf, transferring the small fish and shrimp onto it. She then tossed the smaller fish that could still grow back into the ditch. "Were there so many fish back then?"

"There were so many fish and shrimp in the rivers, ditches, and mud. If it weren't for the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers later on, I think we could have kept having so many fish and shrimp all along."

"Fish and shrimp are the easiest things to raise; they reproduce quickly, and one fish can have thousands or even tens of thousands of offspring."

Seeing that everyone was interested, Qing Mengzhu encouraged them to pick lotus leaves and share small fish with them.

These small fish are quite small, and you definitely couldn't eat them every day. But having a fresh one occasionally is quite nice.

Qing Mengzhu plans to take it back later, remove its head and internal organs, fry it in hot oil, then stir-fry it with green garlic and chili peppers to make a side dish.

Qing Mengzhu used a basket to catch small fish and shrimp for a while, then let everyone else catch their own.

It was getting late, and he needed to go back and prepare lunch.

When Qing Mengzhu leisurely returned home, she just saw Zhao Hexi walking over, carrying a bag in her hand.

Zhao Hexi spoke first, "I just saw in the WeChat group that you guys caught a lot of small fish and shrimp while you were working in the fields?"

Qing Mengzhu: "After the rain, the water rose, so I simply used a basket to catch some of it. Where did you come from?"

Zhao Hexi: "In Jingnan Town, didn't we buy mulberry trees there before? Later, our mulberries became famous, and many people started growing mulberries too."

Zhao Hexi followed behind Qing Mengzhu and continued, "There are many mulberry trees and many mulberry leaves, so some people have taken up silkworm rearing again. This is the silk produced by this year's spring silkworms, woven into silk fabric and made into clothes. I brought two sets according to your sizes, you can take a look later."

Qing Mengzhu went to the kitchen, put down the fish, washed her hands, and came out. "You brought us silk clothes; is the company interested in getting involved in this kind of business?"

Zhao Hexi: "Not so fast. If you think it's feasible, I'll arrange for someone to conduct research and see if we can create another sub-website specifically for selling premium agricultural products, making some money while also boosting the development of the township."

Qing Mengzhu: "Let me see."

Qing Mengzhu examined it carefully and found that the silk garment was of very good quality, light, breathable, and finely woven, definitely a high-quality product on the market.

With this level of quality, cooperation is definitely worth considering.

Qing Mengzhu said, "Then let's do it. Just remember to separate the brands and not associate them too closely with our main brand."

Zhao Hexi: "I know."

Qing Mengzhu hadn't seen Zhao Hexi for several days, so when he saw him come over, she invited him to stay for dinner.

Today's small mixed fish are of "Good Grade+" grade, which is pretty good for wild fish, and should taste quite good.

After finishing their meal, they could brew some bamboo leaf tea and enjoy it together.

After dinner, as everyone sat comfortably under the eaves drinking tea, Zhao Hexi couldn't help but sigh, "So relaxing! It's a pity I have to go on a business trip again tomorrow."

Qing Mengzhu recalled her work plan, "Tomorrow we're going to Ye'erqingele to see the tomatoes and peppers?"

Zhao Hexi: "Yes, more and more tomatoes and peppers are ripening now, I need to contact a factory to make tomato sauce."

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "You go first, I'll go in a couple of days, I want to check on the Rice."

They planted a whole farm of Rice, and now the Rice is in its peak tillering stage. Qing Mengzhu needs to go and see it for herself.

During this period, there are specific requirements for irrigation, fertilization, and weeding of Rice. Especially in hot weather, it is also necessary to prevent diseases and pests such as rice blast and rice planthoppers. However, he was not at ease if he went to see it with his own eyes.