A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 32 Mountains and Forests

The lunch lasted until 1 p.m. The village chief, having drunk too much, immediately lay down on Zhang Niu's bed and fell fast asleep. Old Zhang, on the other hand, had a much higher alcohol tolerance than the village chief, though his face was slightly flushed. They devoured the delicious duck and boneless fish. It seems the food was good, and the meal lasted a long time.

After lunch, Boss Wang pulled Zhang Niu aside and mentioned wanting to buy fish. Zhang Niu, who was a bit tipsy, realized that he'd been pulled aside to discuss his boneless fish. While tasting the boneless fish, the astute Boss Wang must have already become interested in this business opportunity; in a businessman's eyes, every opportunity is there.

After deliberately pondering for a moment, Zhang Niu said, "The fish in this pond won't be ready for netting for a while longer. The one I caught today was one I kept in the pond a while ago. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to eat this live fish today."

Boss Wang thought it made sense. Although he didn't know how long fish usually needed to be raised, small fish had little meat and wouldn't sell well. What were they going to do with fish that had no meat, dry them into dried fish and sell them? "Alright, just let me know when you're ready to sell your fish. With your live fish that don't even have a tiny bone, you'll sell like hotcakes in the county," he said happily.

Zhang Niu still had some doubts. Fish raised in his spatial dimension could have small bones removed. But the fish raised outside, although also released into the spatial pond for a shorter period, were different. Therefore, Zhang Niu didn't dare sell the fish to Boss Wang; if the fish from outside developed small bones, it would ruin his reputation. He could only wait until later to see if he caught any fish. It seemed he should also buy a fishing net. It would be more convenient than fishing directly. Zhang Niu wasn't bragging; his net-casting skills were exceptionally good, almost like hitting a target from a hundred miles away.

That was something Zhang Niu learned from his grandfather when he was a child. From initially casting flat nets to later casting perfectly round ones, he put in a lot of hard work. If his grandfather hadn't passed away and abandoned the skill, Zhang Niu's net-casting skills would be unmatched by many in the surrounding villages.

Just after answering Boss Wang's question, the bespectacled man, Wei Jian, came out of the house again and walked towards them. Zhang Niu felt that he needed to talk to him about something again! He had a vague idea but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He guessed it was related to something on his contracted land.

"You guys are here. I've been looking for you for nothing. I drank too much at noon and went to the toilet a few times. When I came out, you were nowhere to be seen."

The sound came before I even got there.

Actually, after using the restroom, the bespectacled man, Wei Jian, went to the duck shed to check on the large white ducks in the pond. He felt these ducks truly lived up to their name, "Fairy Ducks." He then went to the feeding area and saw only some rice stalks lying on the ground. This made the bespectacled man suspicious. Could it be that simply using rice stalks and free-range farming could produce such large white ducks? If that were true, he thought, "I'll go back and try raising them using that method."

Zhang Niu said to the bespectacled man, "Look, you drank the most at noon, didn't you? I thought your belly was an invincible hole. Turns out you're just a lousy drinker. You're only good for scaring people."

At first, Wei Jian didn't quite understand what he meant, but Boss Wang next to him laughed heartily. It wasn't until Boss Wang explained that he understood. However, he wasn't angry; he still wore a playful expression.

"Your jokes are really something. I'm completely confused. How about you teach me something so I can go out and charm people?" the bespectacled man pressed.

"What's so great about learning rural dialect? It's all just stuff you hear in the village. These days, everyone in the countryside is thinking about moving to the city. It's nothing like the bustling atmosphere of the old days when the idea of ​​'surrounding the cities from the countryside' was promoted."

"That's quite true, but times have changed, and so has life. Back then, I was clinging to my secure job. If I had taken a leave of absence without pay and started my own small business after my wife's urging, I don't know how I would be making a living now," said Mr. Wang, as if he had returned to his early days in business.

Zhang Niu sighed in disbelief. He never imagined that something like this would happen to Boss Wang, who was middle-aged.

Boss Wang seemed to realize he had gone a bit too far and quickly said, "I'm really sorry. I started rambling on about myself. But then again, dealing with all sorts of people every day is a bit tiring. Xiao Zhang, when your place is built, you have to save me a good spot. I'll come here for a vacation." He then changed the subject and returned to Zhang Niu.

"Look at what you've gotten yourself into. You're going off on a tangent. Right now, I just want to focus on getting things done right in front of me, one step at a time. As the saying goes, 'Haste makes waste.' Even a rabbit will bite when cornered," Zhang Niu said.

"Xiao Zhang, I think the mountains behind you are quite nice. Haven't you thought about leasing them out? I see they haven't been developed yet. It really is a treasure trove," said Wei Jian, the bespectacled man, pointing to the mountains behind him.

"A mountain? Zhang Niu hadn't thought of that. But Wei Jian's suggestion really piqued his interest. No wonder he always felt something was missing from this contracted land. It turned out it was the mountain he could see every day. He really was unaware of the treasure right in front of him."

"Weijian's words really hit the nail on the head. Xiao Zhang, I've wanted to say this to you for a long time, but I just couldn't remember it," Boss Wang said, lightly tapping his head.

"Thanks for reminding me. Yes, it's really foolish not to use such a valuable resource right in front of us. It might just get taken over by some other guy. I'll talk to the village in a few days. I wonder what the current policy is regarding leasing out forest land. Do you know anything about it?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure about that. You could ask Weijian. He might know more!" Boss Wang casually passed the question to Weijian.

"This problem isn't too difficult to solve. It depends on your village committee's opinion. Generally, it can be contracted out. I contracted my barren mountain a few years ago. Back then, forest management was strict, and I had to pull a lot of strings to get it done. Now it's much more relaxed than before."

"Thank you. I guess I'll have to go back and talk to my family. I'll also go ask the village chief."

"When you're ready to lease this mountain forest, be sure to let me know, brother. I haven't really been out and about much. I've heard there are plenty of wild animals in the mountains," Boss Wang said excitedly. For a city dweller like him, the mountains were a great place, just a bit dangerous.

After chatting for a while, Wang Laoben and the bespectacled man, Weijian, prepared to go back, saying they both had things to do at home. Before leaving, the bespectacled man offered to buy a large white duck for his family to try, but Zhang Niu refused, saying he had been a great help in transporting the ironwood. How could they accept his money? "This duck is free for you," he said, and the bespectacled man had no choice but to accept.

Zhang Niu didn't feel there was anything wrong with giving away the big white duck, after all, the other person had helped him a lot. Giving away just a duck felt like too little.

I woke up this afternoon to find that I had lost a lot of points for some reason. I'm a bit annoyed. Please recommend and bookmark this post; I hope everyone continues to support me. Tomorrow is National Day, happy holiday everyone! Have a pleasant trip!