Chapter 396

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

After doing all this, everyone went back into the house to stay put.

Otherwise, it really was impossible to work.

After about nearly half an hour, those three sticks of incense were about to burn out.

"Look! They're leaving!" Song Qiushui suddenly shouted.

Everyone went out to look.

Only to see the scene at the bottom of the pit beginning to change!

That large snake, accompanied by several slightly smaller black snakes, drilled out of the soft soil one after another, following the big snake, forming a winding thin line, moving silently toward the back of the courtyard!

Then they drilled into the back of the courtyard and disappeared without a trace.

"Left... left? Really... really left?"

"Oh my... truly divine..." Zhu Shukun muttered to himself.

Ceng Xiazi's words actually proved so accurate!

People say blind people might see things ordinary people cannot see, and it seems this saying is indeed true.

If building houses in the future, asking someone to inspect the incense, this Ceng Xiazi is indeed a very good choice.

Chai Mi's tense body finally relaxed, and she let out a long, silent breath.

"Ceng Xiazi... no, Jiu Gu Ye... thank you." She silently recited in her heart.

"Alright, it's done. Shall we continue?" Chai Mi asked.

Zhu Shukun came back to his senses, nodded vigorously, and his voice recovered its loudness: "Good! Continue working! Old Wang, Little Li, Little Zhang, down into the pit! Level the bottom of the pit, then keep digging! According to the original plan, dig deep enough!"

In the afternoon, the sun slanted westward. Zhu Shukun called over three temporary workers from the village again. With sufficient manpower, progress was even faster. Iron shovels flew. The foundation, through everyone's efforts, deepened and widened at a visible speed.

By evening, the foundation was thoroughly dug, and steel bars were placed at all four corners as well.

The next day early in the morning, a piercing horn sounded at the gate of Chai Mi's courtyard. A Liberation truck covered with a green tarp, its truck bed caked with gray-white mud, chugged to a stop, kicking up dust.

"Chai Mi's family? The cement has arrived! Where to unload?" The driver was a dark-faced man with a loud voice, jumping down and patting the dust off his trousers.

Chai Mi came out upon hearing the sound, pointing to the empty space reserved beside the foundation pit on the east side: "Master, you've worked hard! Just unload it here, place it next to that pile of stones! Come in for a drink of water and a rest?"

"No rest, no rest, there's still work! The roads in this poor and remote place, one trip is enough." The driver waved his hand and nimbly lifted the rear baffle of the truck bed. Two loading and unloading workers who came along jumped onto the truck and began rolling down the heavy cement bags.

"One bag, two bags..." Chai Youqing came over with a notebook, counting carefully, afraid of miscounting.

Chai Mi watched the cement bags being unloaded and stacked, feeling more reassured in her heart. Bricks, sand, stones, purlins, cement—now everything was truly complete.

Zhu Shukun, along with Master Wang, Master Li, and Little Zhang, also arrived. He walked around the newly unloaded cement with his hands behind his back, gently kicked the bags with his toe, and nodded: "Hmm, Old Wu's brand, the grade is sufficient, not damp. Alright, let's work!"

He directed the workers: "Old Wang, Little Li, take Little Zhang and those two workers to first clean the bottom of the foundation pit dug yesterday, sweep out any loose soil and debris. Then, according to the lines I laid yesterday, place the large stones first and build the wall foundation! Mix the cement and sand, and apply the mortar smoothly! This is the foundation of the house, no carelessness allowed!"

Masters Wang and Li responded and led the people to get busy. Pickaxes and iron shovels cleaned the pit bottom, and as they lifted the heavy foundation stones, they began building with clanging sounds.

Zhu Shukun watched for a while, saw the process was correct, then turned to Chai Mi and said: "Chai Mi, they can handle this side; they're all experienced hands and know the rules. I need to go to Old Wu at the building materials store in the township to check some small construction drawings, and by the way, settle the remaining cement payment for you? Give me the money, I'll take it there."

Chai Mi took out the prepared money from her bosom and handed it over: "Alright, Uncle by marriage, trouble you to make a trip. Count the money, the amount is correct."

Zhu Shukun nimbly counted the money and put it away: "No mistake. I estimate I can return late this afternoon. Once the foundation wall base is built here, they can also set up the wooden forms for the ground beam above; just take a look when I return. Look after yourselves for lunch today." After speaking, he patted his buttocks, mounted his Honda motorcycle, and leisurely rode away.

The sun gradually climbed higher, and everyone worked without slack, the wall visibly rising.

Song Qiushui had a piece of grass in her mouth, squatting beside Chai Mi watching the excitement: "Tsk tsk, this large stone, one piece must weigh over a hundred jin? Master Wang and the others have great strength! Hey Chai Mi, you say that earth dragon... really left cleanly? Won't it drill out again?"

Chai Mi gave her a look: "Ceng Xiazi said, once the courtesy is observed, they will leave on their own. Stop being a crow's mouth, get to work."

By noon, the wall base of the foundation had been built to about one person's height, straight and even. Master Wang wiped his sweat and said to Chai Mi: "Chai Mi, the foundation wall base is done! Just waiting for the wooden forms for the ground beam to be set up, then waiting to lay bricks. Laying bricks is fast; your house will be topped out in two days. We have no big work this afternoon, just tidy up the tools and clear out the broken stones?"

Chai Mi looked at the foundation taking shape, feeling happy in her heart: "Alright! Master Wang, you've worked hard! Lunch will be sufficient; after eating, you can rest this afternoon, just put the tools away properly. Let's talk when my uncle by marriage returns."

Lunch was simple and hot, four dishes and one soup, the workers eating with sweat on their heads. After the meal, Masters Wang and the others indeed just tidied up the tools, cleared the broken stones to the corner of the courtyard, greeted Chai Mi, and then went home first.

The courtyard suddenly became quiet.

Chai Mi looked at the newly arrived cement, calculating the upcoming expenses and schedule. Suddenly, she remembered the greenhouse mentioned at the wine table yesterday.

"Qiu Shui," Chai Mi called out to Song Qiushui, who was picking her teeth, "Don't lie there, come out with me for a trip."

Song Qiushui lazily opened her eyes: "Go where? Just finished eating, sleepiness is coming..."

"Go to the Zisha Factory to chat with Zhou Fang. By the way... inquire about outside news." Chai Mi said while going into the house to change into a clean outer jacket.

Hearing "inquire about outside news," Song Qiushui became a bit spirited: "Zhou Fang? That kid has many flowery intestines, can he know anything proper? But... if we go to the Zisha Factory, can he get me two sets of teacups or something?"

"Yes, I'll get you a whole roomful." Chai Mi pulled her, "Hurry up."

The Zisha Factory in the industrial zone was not too far from the village; the two rode an inverted donkey and arrived in over ten minutes.

Since last seeing Chai Mi selling dumplings, Zhou Fang had not seen Chai Mi for quite a long time.

Seeing Chai Mi again, he found that Chai Mi's spirit and energy had improved greatly.

How was that phrase used again?

A refined bearing added to her person.

Zhou Fang was not out of the way; after leading Chai Mi and Song Qiushui into his office, he asked: "Have you been well recently..."

"Fine, anyway still alive?" Song Qiushui hehehe laughed: "You like this, first give me two sets of purple clay tea sets, right... yes, tea sets, then later give me some wine glasses, bowls, plates, and such."

Zhou Fang smiled shyly: "When leaving in a while, I'll give them all to you. Now in our factory, teapots, flower pots, sand pots, medicine jars, etc., are all available. Previously the factory wasn't producing those higher-value crafts, now it mainly follows the poor people's route. Produce whatever is cheap..."

Song Qiushui gasped: "You've made the factory low-end, then I don't want it. I just remember the purple clay in our county was damn expensive before, couldn't afford it, but you, directly lowered the grade."

Zhou Fang laughed: "What I give you will naturally be good. Now the trend of the times is like this, the more plebeian, the better the sales. When going high-end, the factory was almost going bankrupt."

What Zhou Fang said was indeed the truth.

Previously, the Zisha Factory mainly targeted some relatively high-end markets, but in this aspect it couldn't compete with Yixing's Zisha.

Now the main products are some relatively affordable things.

On the contrary, they sell exceptionally well.

In recent months, they've already started receiving many foreign orders.

The production lines also run day and night without stopping.

Zhou Fang brewed tea with a teapot, then pointed at the teapot and said: "This one of mine is the expensive kind, looks decent doesn't it? Just can't sell it..."

The teapot Zhou Fang held, however, had extremely fine workmanship.

It looks like a good thing at a glance.

It's just that market sales are very average... and the craft is complex, not suitable for common people.

Nor suitable for large-scale production.

"Give it to me..." Song Qiushui said: "With our relationship..."

Zhou Fang gasped: "Deal."

Chai Mi smiled and said: "Looking for you is to ask you about something, you've been outside for so many years, your experience should be quite extensive. I've never been to the Capital, I want to know, if winter vegetables arrive at the Capital, what are the prices now."

Speaking of this, Zhou Fang really has some experience. He said: "No kidding, last winter I actually passed through the Capital on the way to Shan Xi. Passed a vegetable market, and since I had nothing to do, I went for a stroll. Asked about prices, guess how much cucumbers were per catty at that time?"

Song Qiushui knows nothing about this. There are cucumbers for sale at home now, but they're all quite old: "Two mao per catty."

Chai Mi felt that after all they're winter vegetables, they should be more expensive than this: "Two yuan per catty?"

Zhou Fang shook his head: "Eight or nine yuan per catty."

Song Qiushui directly blurted out: "Wo cao!"

"What thing? Eight or nine yuan per catty, that's damn enough to buy two catties of mutton. Are Capital people stupid? Spending eight or nine yuan to buy cucumbers to eat, not as good as eating two catties of mutton, how nice would that be."

"Not the same." Zhou Fang explained: "This is mainly rare goods command high prices. How many people are on our side? How many people in the Capital? Besides, do those people lack money?"

"In ancient times, they were all royal relatives and nobles in there, right? Could they lack your two catties of mutton?"

Song Qiushui frowned: Look down on me!!!

Then you read me right!!!

Chai Mi was also shocked by this price.

Her heart also jumped violently, but her face was still fairly calm: "Then... what about others? Are others expensive too? For example... flowers?"

"Flowers?" Zhou Fang blanked for a moment, then revealed a "you've hit the nail on the head" expression. "Flowers are even more bizarre. A slightly decent red rose, one stem! Just one stem!" He extended his index finger this time, shaking it hard. "Over ten yuan! Not a bunch, one flower! Over ten yuan! Take it or leave it! Said to be... what, carefully tended in greenhouses, rare and precious!"

Chai Mi's breathing became slightly rapid. Over ten yuan per catty for cucumbers! Over ten yuan per flower! This is completely not the same concept as the "expensive" in her imagination! This is simply sky-high prices! Her mind rapidly calculated: A greenhouse investment of several thousand yuan, if it can grow winter fresh vegetables...

That profit?

Is really quite bizarre.

After all, Chai Mi now sells dumplings at seven or eight yuan a portion, she herself feels that's expensive.

But those vegetables, at least they're a bit less trouble than wrapping dumplings, and you don't have to keep getting up early and staying up late. The key is the cost issue.

Chai Mi's dumplings, at least cost takes up half, not counting labor and such.

But if growing vegetables, the cost is only two or three mao per catty, but this profit is bizarrely high.

And this has an advantage that selling dumplings and fried chicken don't have: large volume.

Chai Mi wrapping dumplings alone is limited.

Being able to wrap out a hundred eighty portions is already very not easy. Basically reached the limit of what Chai Mi can physically do.

But one greenhouse, one crop of vegetables might be several thousand catties. This gap is still extremely large.

"Zhou Fang, flowers are rare things, prices too floating. Vegetables are solid, meals can't do without them. You say cucumbers in winter can sell for eight or nine yuan per catty? Really really? When was this? Where in the Capital did you see it? Besides cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, green peppers these, what's the approximate winter market? Also... how much spoilage on the road? Hauled over and rotted, frozen wilted, how many tenths lost?" Chai Mi asked a long string of relatively practical questions.

Zhou Fang saw Chai Mi's reaction, one pole stabbed right to the point. He sat up straight, seriously recalled:

"Chai Mi, this matter I slap my chest and guarantee! Really really! Just around the 20th of Lunar December last year, I was strolling in a big agricultural market in HD District and saw it with my own eyes! Those cucumbers, green enough to drip oil, topped with tender yellow flowers, bearing small thorns, placed in baskets lined with red velvet, rare and precious! I asked five shops in a row, all about this price! Tomatoes... uniform size, bright red, I remember six or seven yuan per catty? Beans even more expensive, that kind of slender 'Frame Bean King', fifteen yuan per catty! Green peppers seemed like four or five yuan too? Don't remember too clearly, anyway all dozens of times more expensive than summer!" He paused, added, "As for spoilage... this is indeed the big head, also the big pit in costs. Heard those vegetables mostly come from further south, like Shandong Shouguang that side, two or three days on the road, wrapped in cotton quilts, hauled in special big insulated trucks. Even so, quite a few rotten, frozen wilted. But can't stand the high selling price! After deducting losses, profit is still scarily big! You didn't see that snatching scene... like grabbing free money!"

Chai Mi knows what's more practical to grow. Generally growing tomatoes is better. This thing is relatively more cold-resistant. Beans and such forget it. Beans are hardest to grow, and yield too low. Cucumbers aren't bad either, but cucumbers aren't that easy to grow either.

Among these vegetables, highest yield is cucumbers, but easiest to grow is tomatoes.

Although looking like tomato prices are lower, but it has high yield, short cycle, worry-free and trouble-free.