The Happy Farmer Wanderer-Chapter 80: The Path to Wealth_1

"No way!" Han Mei’s answer was as resolute as ever.

Li Qing’s face immediately turned into a bitter gourd, if it’s a no, it’s a no, why the need to be so forceful about it.

Perhaps realizing that her attitude had been too harsh, Han Mei softened her voice and said, "Qingzi, you’re the only man in the family now, you can’t afford to slip up, understand? You must take care of yourself."

"The Li family’s lineage and future are all resting on your shoulders, if you really got into trouble, your sister-in-law would be to blame. I can tolerate this much, wait until you’ve practiced enough and can endure more, then your sister-in-law will give it to you."

"It’s precisely because I see my sister-in-law like this that I feel bad," Li Qing said, his head down.

Han Mei’s heart suddenly softened, "Wait a bit, good things come to those who wait."

Seeing this, Li Qing didn’t dare to continue persuading her.

Keep training.

After going through the motions with Tian Yue’e a few more times, his sister-in-law might not be so resistant.

Han Mei washed the little panties and jeans in no time.

As she was hanging them up to dry, she casually asked, "Qingzi, how’s your job search going?"

Li Qing, whose gaze had been orbiting Han Mei’s round buttocks, shook his head upon hearing the question.

"Don’t worry, take it slow. Our place is remote, we don’t have companies or factories, honestly, besides thinking of going to work on a construction site, I can’t imagine what else I could do," Han Mei said.

Li Qing paused, then revealed his plan, "Sister-in-law, I still want to figure out a way on this patch of land. Working construction might make some money in the short term, but it’s not sustainable."

"It’s unlikely that I’ll go elsewhere to make a living in the future, and I can’t abandon the modest family business we have here."

Han Mei nodded, saying seriously, "I was going to advise you the same. Our roots are here, even if you find something to do elsewhere, you can’t give up on our family business. If we lost it, we’d be like rootless duckweed."

"Sister-in-law, do you remember what Grandpa used to say, that every part of the Wenguan Fruit is a treasure and even the leaves are medicinal?" Li Qing nodded and suddenly asked.

"I’ve heard of it, but it’s of no use," Han Mei said with a smile and shake of her head, "You better not set your hopes on such things. If you decide to keep bees, you can keep that forest. If not, better cut it down for firewood."

"Having grown for thirty years and still not enough for a winter’s firewood, I don’t know what Grandpa was thinking planting so many!"

Most families in Sanhe Village have their own orchards.

Others have various types of fruit trees, like Han Mei’s family, which has a yard full of Apricot Trees.

But the Li family had the biggest orchard in the village, planted with over a hundred Wenguan Fruits that can’t even be eaten.

Only in spring is the entire village filled with the fragrance of Wenguan Flowers.

It was something of a scenic creation for the village.

Wenguan Fruit, scientifically known as ’Firmiana simplex’, blooms before the leaves appear and is an excellent source of nectar.

Li Qing’s grandfather used to keep many bees and was a well-known beekeeper in the surrounding areas.

He planted the Wenguan Fruits specifically for beekeeping.

Planting a dozen or so a year, over time, it became the biggest orchard in the village.

But those Wenguan Fruits in Li Qing’s care had become useless.

"Sister-in-law, I want to find some time to inquire about it," Li Qing said, "I saw in the newspaper before, the thing seems to be quite valuable, just not sure about the market. If there really is a buyer, it would solve two problems at once."

If that whole orchard of Wenguan Fruit could actually bring in some income.

Li Qing wouldn’t have to worry about finding work elsewhere, nor would he need to worry about what to do with the orchard full of Wenguan Fruits.

"That sounds like a good plan. However, you can go out and take a look, if there really is a buyer, it would be a good thing," Han Mei said after hanging the clothes, "Living in the village, we’re a bit isolated from news, you should start by asking around."

The cloudburst that had just rained down was now over.

Not only had the clouds dispersed and the rain ceased, but the sun had come out as well.

Li Qing, watching the skies clear, suddenly found himself restless.

There wasn’t much else to do right after the heavy rain, so it was the perfect time to go out and take a look around.

He informed Han Mei with a shout and, borrowing a cart, set out for the county town.

In the eastern part of the city was a large medicinal market, which Li Qing decided to visit first.

After asking around for a while, he found that there indeed were buyers for Wenguan Fruit, and the price was not low.

However, they were all asking for the dried nuts. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Li Qing didn’t have any dried nuts on hand; the fruits were still hanging on the trees, far from ripe.

He had never even considered harvesting them in the past.

Nevertheless, this gave Li Qing some hope, knowing at least there were buyers out there.

But there was also some regret.

If he had known there were buyers, he should have collected the fruits in previous years; he had wasted quite a bit of money not doing so.

Li Qing, having a market but no goods to sell, was somewhat disheartened and was preparing to leave the market to look for other opportunities when suddenly a small, dark-skinned and short old man approached him.

"Young man, I just heard that you have Wenguan Fruits to sell?" he asked.

Li Qing was wary of the dark-faced old man and tentatively asked, "Are you looking to buy?"

There were all sorts of people in the market, many of whom were full of scheming.

He was worried about running into a cheat.

"Buy!" The old man offered Li Qing a cigarette.

"We buy the young leaves, the fruits, and even the seedlings. How much do you have?"

"I don’t smoke," he said, waving off the old man’s offer and continuing, "I don’t have a lot. The leaves can be picked right off the tree, but the fruits are this year’s crop and they’re not yet mature."

"Since you don’t have a lot, we’ll start with the leaves, we’ll take as many as you have. Remember to pick the tender leaves from the middle, don’t take the old leaves, I’ll give you thirty for a tael (liang)," said the old man, counting on his fingers.

"Thirty for a tael, that’s three hundred for a jin (catty), right?" Li Qing was somewhat shocked.

"Tree leaves don’t weigh much; you can’t pick a lot off one tree. If you have many trees, it’s worthwhile, but with few trees, you won’t earn much," the old man explained. "If you have a lot of trees, I would suggest you pick some green fruits too; we need those as well."

Li Qing, listening to the old man’s detailed explanation, felt that he didn’t seem much like a cheat.

But while everyone in the market wanted ripe nuts, this man wanted even the leaves, leaving Li Qing quite puzzled.

"Could I ask why you’re collecting differently than others?" Li Qing inquired.

The old man laughed, "Everyone else is a medicinal dealer, they’re looking for herbs."

"I’m a second-hand dealer who specializes in selling information. Of course, I need everything!"

"You must have heard of Wenguan Tea? It’s made from the tree leaves, but the profit margin is thin due to the low volume. On the other hand, green and ripe fruits have a substantial market. Whether it’s for direct consumption, use in medicine, or oil extraction, there’s a significant demand."

"As for doing business, don’t worry about me cheating you. If the price is right, bring your goods, and we’ll exchange money for the product. Simple as that."

"So, do you want to sell?"