Chapter 93: Limitless Money Prospects

The joy of the newly completed house rose like cooking smoke in Shanwan Village, yet it never gave Lu Qingshan's inner fire a moment's rest.

That fire had already spread toward more distant forests, broader lands.

Three main rooms and four side wings enclosed a spacious courtyard.

Blue bricks and red tiles glistened with a fresh brilliance under the May sunshine.

This is stability, this is solidity.

Moreover, it is the foundation he, Lu Qingshan, laid with his own hands for his wife and daughter in his two lives.

But what he wants goes far beyond this.

"Yue E, you and Xiao Xue tidy up the new house for these few days."

Lu Qingshan stood outside the newly built courtyard wall, gripping a freshly sharpened wooden stick, sketching on the yellow earth.

"Move the things in the house slowly, no rush."

Lin Yue'e held a small bundle of old clothes brought from the old house, watching her husband dive once again into new busyness.

Her eyes held a hint of barely noticeable heartache.

Yet more so, it was an inseparable sense of reassurance and trust.

"What good thing are you pondering to plant now?" she asked gently; nowadays Lu Qingshan always seems like a magician, bringing her unexpected surprises.

Lu Qingshan turned his head at the sound and grinned.

In the sunlight, his face was tanned dark, reflecting a healthy glow.

Yet his eyes were brighter than the early summer sun.

"There are plenty of treasures in our Guandong Mountain!"

"Before, we just lacked the ability to coax them out of the mountains."

He used the stick to draw a rough square outline on the ground.

"I'm thinking of first creating a few mu of 'Medicinal Herb Test Field'."

"Right here, the six mu of land west of the new house is flat, close to the river, convenient for water."

"I plan to try planting some ginseng, salvia, astragalus, bupleurum, scutellaria, schizandra, plus platycodon, rehmannia, atractylodes, honeysuckle, and pinellia."

Lin Yue'e had only heard the names of these medicinal herbs mentioned occasionally by the pharmacy owner when she went to the market in town.

She vaguely knew they were all very precious things.

"I intend to entrust this work to Tiezhu," Lu Qingshan continued, his tone firm.

"You know him—he's got brute strength, but he's honest, can work diligently, solid and willing to exert himself; he's the perfect fit."

Having received Lu Qingshan's word, Zhao Tiezhu hoisted his long-used elm-wood stick and came running.

When Lu Qingshan laid out his plan in full, then carefully poured out some shriveled seeds from a patched cloth bag, telling him these were extremely precious ginseng seeds and schizandra seedlings, Zhao Tiezhu's bull eyes widened round.

As if he had seen some rare treasure.

"Qing, Qing Shan brother… this… this thing is too precious!"

Zhao Tiezhu rubbed his big, fan-like hands, looking somewhat at a loss, his honest face full of nervousness.

"I… I'm afraid my hands are clumsy; if I mess up, I'll ruin things for you…"

He knew Lu Qingshan was now the village's capable person, a mainstay.

But regarding these medicinal herbs, he had never even heard how to grow them.

"What's there to fear!" Lu Qingshan slapped his shoulder with his big, fan-like hand, his tone carrying unquestionable trust.

"I'll teach you step by step!"

"From how to raise seedlings, how to transplant, to how to manage this field, I've broken it down and explained it clearly."

"As long as you kid do what I say, you're guaranteed not to go wrong!"

"If we pull this off, from now on you won't have to scramble for money to buy medicine for your mother."

Those last words were like a red-hot branding iron, fiercely striking Zhao Tiezhu's heart.

His mother's constant need for medicine was the biggest stone weighing on his heart.

He suddenly lifted his head; a flash of resolve passed through his bloodshot eyes.

He nodded firmly, his voice thick and muffled, replying: "Qing Shan brother, rest assured—I'll definitely get this job done clear and clear!"

Thus, over the next few days, the long‑silent land west of Shanwan Village sprang to life.

Lu Qingshan, with Zhao Tiezhu, deeply turned the soil and built neat seedbeds.

He carefully scattered those seeds bearing hope.

The perception of the Mountain Wild Heart was pushed to its extreme by Lu Qingshan at this moment.

He closed his eyes, as if he could "smell" the different aromas emanating from each inch of soil.

Some were warm and moist, some carried a hint of dryness.

He could even faintly "hear" the weak, yearning‑to‑grow "breath" of the dried seeds when they touched suitable soil.

This profoundly mysterious ability let him, when instructing Zhao Tiezhu, always pinpoint the key with a single needle.

"Tiezhu, this plot's soil leans cold; plant more ginseng and salvia."

"Over there, sunny, the soil is looser; schizandra, bupleurum, and platycodon love to grow there."

Seeing Lu Qingshan just finish his big tile house, his rear not even warm yet, the villagers watched him start another new fad, and immediately began to chatter.

"What's up with Lu Qingshan? Just two days of peace, and now he's tinkering with some weird novelty in the field again?"

An old man squatted under the big locust tree at the village entrance, puffing on his dry tobacco, his face full of bewilderment.

"They say he's planting medicinal herbs! The kind that fetches a high price," a well‑informed woman nearby whispered.

"Medicinal herbs? Though wild ones aren't scarce in our mountains, can this… home‑grown work? Don't end up losing all the money you've earned!"

Facing such curious, worried, or gossip‑awaiting chatter, Lu Qingshan merely smiled and let it pass.

He is as clear‑minded as a polished mirror; any new thing, when it first begins, will face doubt.

The road is one you forge yourself.

The medicinal‑herb trial field has just gotten on track, and Lu Qingshan, without pausing, turns his gaze to another, much larger slope at the foot of the mountain.

That plot spans more than thirty mu.

Although it is somewhat barren, overrun with Thorn, it is close to a water source, already has some wild grass, and its terrain is relatively remote, so it is not easily disturbed.

He finds Village Chief Zhao Yongnian and Team Leader Zhao Dazhi and, getting straight to the point, puts forward his idea—rent this land for ecological planting and special breeding.

"Qing Shan, you kid, this venture... you've laid it out quite big!"

Zhao Yongnian watches Lu Qingshan sketch the plan on the ground with stones and branches, and clicks his tongue in amazement.

This kid truly dares to think, and truly dares to act!

"Village Chief Uncle, Dazhi Uncle, this is what I'm thinking."

Lu Qingshan points to the crude yet clear drawing and explains in a deep voice:

"This plot, I plan to sign an official land‑lease agreement with the village, paying a yearly rent to the village."

"This money can become village collective income, so later the village can undertake practical projects for everyone—repair a small bridge, fix a road—and be more financially comfortable."

"The land‑clearing and subsequent basic construction, I will prioritize hiring our village's able young labor, paying wages by work‑share."

"It's also a way for the big fellows to earn some extra money."

Zhao Dazhi now finds Lu Qingshan increasingly convincing.

A while ago, if Lu Qingshan hadn't forcibly dragged him to the county hospital, his old life might have truly ended on a smoking addiction.

Hearing Lu Qingshan say that, he immediately slaps his thigh and declares:

"Fine! This matter benefits our village; both the village chief and I support you!"

"Use the land without worry; if the village lacks manpower, I'll allocate it for you!"

The agreement is quickly signed, black‑on‑white and crystal clear.

The rent is set at 1,000 yuan, with both sides agreeing to pay at the end of the first year.

In an instant, the once‑quiet Shanwan Village becomes lively again because of Lu Qingshan.

Lu Qingshan leads a group of broad‑shouldered, sturdy youths, energetically working on the thirty‑plus mu slope with fists and feet.

They cut away weeds taller than a person and haul away the scattered stones.

They dig intersecting ditches and level usable plots of land.

Sweat soaks their clothes, and shouts rise and fall.

The few gentle slopes that are higher and receive ample sunlight are planned by Lu Qingshan for fruit trees.

He specially leveraged Chen Zhiguo's connections, inquired at the county agricultural bureau, and secured a batch of high‑quality cold‑resistant apple‑pear and mountain‑grape seedlings.

He also plans that once the fruit trees grow a bit, he will free‑range a batch of chicks beneath the dense canopy.

When the fruit ripens it can be sold, the chickens grown can be sold, and the chicken manure can fertilize the trees—a multiple gain.

"My dear, Brother Qing Shan, these fruit seedlings are really pricey! They cost over six hundred yuan at once."

Liu Fugui is now Lu Qingshan's capable aide; watching the trucks of seedlings arriving from the county and the chirping chicks packed in willow baskets, he feels both excited and a little pang of hunger.

"And these chicklings, they're precious, you must tend them carefully."

"Fugui, the chicken‑raising and fruit‑tree care are yours."

Lu Qingshan watches Liu Fugui's quick, gleaming eyes, sees a spark of cleverness, and knows the kid can handle it.

"You're dexterous, quick‑witted; observe more, ponder more, and if you encounter something you don't understand, come ask me."

"Alright, Brother Qing Shan! We'll do our best!" Liu Fugui pats his chest, answers loudly, his face full of eager excitement.

But the real highlight of the newly reclaimed land lies in the sturdy sheds and tall fences—over a person high, anchored with massive raw‑wood stakes—built on the remaining open ground.

This is the core of Lu Qingshan's grand undertaking—special breeding!