mesbooks Chapter 65
Chapter 65
"The official document will be released in mid-January, at which time you can come and sign the contract."
We'll discuss the contract fee later.
However, the principle is to minimize the contractor's burden in the early stages, allowing you to invest funds in equipment upgrades and factory renovations.
By the time the first move was made, it was already nearly dusk.
Chen Zheng bought two steamed buns from a street vendor and ate them as he walked towards the bus station.
Baiyang Town Agricultural Machinery Repair Shop.
He had a memory of this factory from his past life.
After the factory ceased production, the factory buildings remained vacant until the entire town was developed.
The factory buildings were demolished and replaced with residential buildings.
For a while, only a few scrapped tractor trailers were piled up at the factory gate, rusted beyond recognition.
But now, in the winter of 1985, these two factory buildings, each about 300 square meters, were just sitting there, waiting for someone to contract them out.
Chen Zheng swallowed the steamed bun.
He was already planning what he would do after taking over the contract.
The factory needs renovation.
Part of it is used as a seafood processing workshop, another part as a medicinal herb cleaning and drying workshop, and there is also a small warehouse in between.
Equipment needs to be added.
Drying machines, vacuum packaging machines, and freezing equipment.
Where does the funding come from?
The money that could be used in the previous promotion station's account, plus the provincial demonstration point support funds.
Including the supporting loan for the tiered fishponds, the total came to less than seven thousand yuan.
The money spent on contracting factory buildings, renovating workshops, and purchasing equipment was simply not enough.
But he now has three lines.
Meng Guangfa's vegetable market exclusive sales, Lao Jin's medicinal herb purchases, and Zhao Mingyi's export intentions.
If all three lines are successfully established, the income from the fishpond and medicinal herbs will also be substantial.
In another year, I will be able to save up a large sum of money.
If the contract can be signed for five years, the initial investment can be spread out, and the cash flow can be eased.
With the county government explicitly stating that it would provide support in terms of contract fees, this matter can be accomplished.
The key is that he wants to hold onto this position.
At the end of 1985, it was still a novelty for individuals to contract out township enterprises.
Many people are afraid to do it, fearing policy changes.
But Chen Zheng knew that the policy would not change.
Reform and opening up will only expand further, and the contracted management of township and village enterprises will be the main theme of the next stage of rural economic development.
Whoever jumps in first and secures the spot gains the first-mover advantage.
The agricultural machinery repair shop in the town was the first pit he fell into when he started his industrial venture in Baiyang Town.
It was already late at night when I got home.
When Chen Zheng pushed open the courtyard gate, the black cat jumped down from the edge of the water tank and meowed.
Zhang Cuihua was still awake, mending clothes in the kitchen by the light of a kerosene lamp. Hearing the noise, she poked her head out and asked, "Have you eaten?"
"I ate. I had a bowl of noodles in the county."
"We still need to eat some more."
Zhang Cuihua put down her needlework, went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of hot corn porridge, along with a dish of pickled vegetables.
"I went to the provincial capital for several days and lost weight."
Chen Zheng squatted on the doorstep, holding a bowl, and drank his porridge.
The corn porridge was cooked until thick and sticky, and the pickled vegetables were radish strips that Zhang Cuihua had pickled herself, which were crisp and refreshing.
After a few mouthfuls of hot porridge, most of the chill in my body dissipated.
"What's the provincial capital like?" Zhang Cuihua sat on the low stool next to her, picking up her needle and thread again.
"Tall buildings, lots of people. The streets are full of bicycles, their bells ringing all around."
Zhang Cuihua smiled and continued sewing.
She was sewing a pair of Chen Feng's pants, which had a hole in the knee and was covered with a blue cloth patch.
The next morning, Chen Zheng went to Zhao Deming's house and told him about the results of his talks with Lao Jin and Zhao Mingyi at the trade fair.
After listening to the lecture while leaning back in his bamboo chair, Zhao Deming pulled out the book "Identification of Chinese Medicinal Herbs" from the bookshelf.
He turned to the page about Poria cocos and handed it to Chen Zheng.
Poria cocos.
They mostly parasitize the roots of Masson pine trees, and the sclerotia usually penetrate the soil to a depth of one to two feet.
The best time to harvest Poria cocos is from after the first frost to before the beginning of spring, when it is firm and powdery.
Zhao Deming wrote a small note in the blank space of the book page with a brush.
Wild Poria cocos is best found in sunny, well-drained old pine forests.
The older the pine tree, the greater the probability of it producing Poria cocos.
The pine forest on the north side of Eagle's Beak Cliff behind Baiyang Lake has trees that are about fifty to eighty years old and can be explored.
Finished.
He added, "You already know the price of wild poria cocos; good quality ones cost five to eight yuan per jin (500 grams)."
But this thing has a long growth cycle, and once you harvest a batch, there will be one less batch left.
Relying solely on harvesting wild resources is not a sustainable solution.
"Teacher Zhao, can Poria cocos be cultivated artificially?"
Zhao Deming said, "Yes."
People have been working on this technology since the 1950s, and there is readily available information on strain cultivation and log cultivation.
But the problem now is that no one in rural areas dares to try it.
First, the cycle is long, taking anywhere from six months to a year to harvest.
Secondly, there are indeed technical hurdles, such as strain purification, temperature and humidity control, and pest and disease control.
If any one of these things is done poorly, the entire harvest will be lost.
Farmers plant two crops a year; who can patiently wait a whole year?
He put down his pen and looked at Chen Zheng: "You're different."
You have a fishpond, a promotion station, and a stable cash flow.
You can wait. If you want to cultivate Poria cocos, Old Zhou at the county agricultural research institute has the inoculum; I can help you get in touch with him.
"Old Zhou?"
"Zhou Jimin, my old classmate."
He spent half his life cultivating microbial strains at the county agricultural research institute.
He has an eccentric temper, and most people can't get him to do anything.
But if you bring him a sample of wild poria cocos, he will definitely see you.
Chen Zheng wrote down Zhao Deming's words in his notebook. Poria cocos cultivation is a long-term project and cannot be rushed.
The most important thing right now is to find the wild poria cocos nests on the back mountain before the peak winter harvesting season is over.
"Teacher Zhao, you said you'd take me into the mountains to identify local medicinal herbs. Does that promise still stand?"
"That's right." Zhao Deming stood up, walked into the courtyard, and looked up at the sky.
"The weather will be nice tomorrow, let's go tomorrow. Call your dad, let's go together."
That evening, Chen Zheng told his father about going into the mountains.
Chen Laosan was squatting on the threshold sharpening his fishing spear when he heard Chen Zheng's words, so he pushed the whetstone aside.
"Is Zhao Deming going into the mountains?"
"Okay. Teacher Zhao said that every day is good, let's go to Eagle's Beak Cliff together."
He's recovering well and has no problem walking on mountain paths.
Chen Laosan remained silent for a long time.
He leaned the harpoon against the wall.
Chen Zheng noticed that his father's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the tobacco pipe.
"Your teacher Zhao has never done any hard labor in his life. His legs aren't strong enough to walk far."
The road to Eagle's Beak Cliff has a section of scree slope that's difficult to walk on.
I sprained my ankle there when I was young.
"I'll cut two bamboo sticks for him to lean on tomorrow morning."
Chen Laosan got up early the next morning.
He picked an old bamboo pole used for drying clothes in the yard and split it in two with a machete.
Then, use sandpaper to smooth the cross-section.
He held the bamboo cane in his hand and weighed it in his hand. Then he found two pieces of old cloth and wrapped them around the handle of the bamboo cane twice.
Tie it tightly with hemp rope.
Two bamboo canes, the same length and with the handles wrapped in the same way, were placed side by side by the gate of the courtyard.
Zhao Deming arrived just as the sun was rising.
He was wearing a gray cotton-padded jacket, high-top canvas shoes, and a canvas bag slung over his shoulder.
It contained a notebook, a magnifying glass, and several cloth bags.
He saw the bamboo cane leaning against the door and paused for a moment.
"Did the third brother prepare this for me?"
Chen Laosan took the pipe bowl off the door frame and put it in his mouth.
Zhang Cuihua, however, chased after Zhao Deming from the kitchen with an old vest, insisting that he put it on.
"The wind is strong in the mountains, Teacher Zhao, you're not dressed warmly enough."
Chen Zheng carried a bamboo basket containing a wood-chopping knife, hemp rope, a cloth bag, several flatbreads, and a bamboo tube of herbal tea.
Chen Rong also came out of the house, carrying the thin bamboo pole in his hand.
He carries this bamboo pole wherever he goes; it's become a habit.
"Rongzi, aren't you supposed to go back to school today?" Chen Zheng asked.
"I took half a day off." Chen Rong planted the bamboo pole on the ground.
"I'll go into the mountains with you. We'll take the shuttle bus back to school this afternoon."
Chen Zheng glanced at him but said nothing more. The four of them left the village and walked along the dirt road towards Eagle's Beak Cliff.
The mountains are much quieter in winter than in summer.
Most of the leaves had fallen, and the forest was brightly lit.
Sunlight filtered through the bare branches, scattering golden fragments on the ground.
The fallen leaves rustled underfoot, and occasionally a pine cone would fall from the tree, landing with a dull thud in the pile of leaves.
Zhao Deming walked slowly with his bamboo cane, stopping whenever he came to a place with medicinal herbs.
Pointing to the plants, he taught Chen Zheng to recognize them.
"This is Paris polyphylla."
The rhizome is used in medicine and is remarkably effective in treating snake bites.
But it has a unique characteristic: next to a Paris polyphylla, there will always be a Podophyllum 'Octagonum'.
Two plants grow together.
He used his bamboo cane to push aside the fallen leaves and found a small aralia plant nearby.
He placed the two plants side by side on the withered leaves, allowing Chen Zheng to carefully observe their leaf veins and root structure.
Chen Zheng squatted down and drew the shapes of the two plants in his notebook, marking their growing environment and symbiotic relationship.
"Teacher Zhao, what does the rhizome of Paris polyphylla look like?" Chen Rong, who was walking behind, suddenly asked.
Zhao Deming turned and glanced at him, a hint of approval in his eyes.
"It looks like a bamboo whip with segments. The cross-section is white, and it has a numbing sensation on the tongue when chewed."
Chen Rong squatted down and gently brushed away a bit of soil from the base of the Paris polyphylla with his fingers, revealing the rhizome underneath.
He looked at it for a while, then stood up and said, "White roots, a numbing sensation on the tongue. I'll remember that."
Continue walking forward, cross a mountain ridge, and you'll reach the back of Eagle's Beak Cliff.
The light here suddenly dimmed.
The trees on the cliff top blocked out the sun, and mountain springs seeped out from the cliff face, dripping down.
"This is it."
Chen Zheng pointed to a grove of Masson pine trees in front of him, "The gastrodia elata we found last time was in this grove."
Zhao Deming walked to the base of an old pine tree and tapped the trunk with his bamboo cane.
The tree trunk made a dull thud, and the bark was covered with a layer of grayish-green moss.
He looked at the tree canopy and the vegetation around the roots.
"This pine tree is at least sixty years old. The soil around its roots is sandy loam, which drains well and is sunny."
In this environment, if Poria cocos is present, it will most likely be found two to three feet below the tree roots.
He drew a circle around the tree roots with a bamboo cane, saying, "Dig around the roots, but don't dig too deep, explore the shallow part first."
Chen Zheng took a machete and cleared away the shrubs and weeds around the tree roots, revealing the dark brown humus underneath.
Chen Rong helped from the side, using a thin bamboo pole to probe the soil, changing direction when encountering stones.
Old Chen squatted on a rock not far away, smoking a pipe, but his eyes never left the soil under the tree roots.
After digging for about 15 minutes, the tip of the knife hit something hard.
Chen Zheng stopped and cleared away the loose soil.
A grayish-brown sclerotium was exposed in the soil, its surface rough, as if covered with a shell of pine needles and soil.
"Found it."
Zhao Deming squatted down and gently peeled away the soil around the sclerotium with his hands.
More and more sclerotia were exposed, gradually transforming from a fist-sized clump into a large, irregular block.
The skin is grayish-brown and covered with fine cracks.
I pinched the surface of the sclerotium with my fingernail; the cross-section was pale pinkish-white, firm in texture, and very powdery.
"Wild Poria cocos. Excellent quality."
Zhao Deming stood up, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out. "This nest is quite large, let's keep digging."
Only then did Chen Laosan stand up from the rock, walk to the edge of the pit, and take a look.
Take the tobacco pipe out of your mouth.
"Dig down along the roots. Don't use a machete, use a stick, so as not to damage the sclerotium."
Chen Zheng switched to a sharp wooden stick and dug down inch by inch along the direction of the tree roots.
The sclerotia of Poria cocos spread along the tree roots, some embedded in the crevices of the roots, and some wrapped around the outside of the roots.
He carefully peeled it off, trying to keep the sclerotium intact as much as possible.
Chen Rong took the dug-out sclerotia one by one, wrapped them in moss, and gently placed them into the bamboo basket.
After digging for nearly an hour, they finally dug out the entire nest of Poria cocos.
Dozens of pieces, large and small, were laid out on the withered leaves to dry.
The largest piece weighs several tens of kilograms and requires two hands to lift.
If all of them were weighed, they would weigh at least over 100 jin (50 kg).
Zhao Deming picked up a medium-sized piece of Poria cocos and examined it carefully under a magnifying glass.
He then weighed it in his hand.
"It has a firm texture, is powdery, and has a uniform color on the cross-section."
This batch of Poria cocos is of superior quality; according to the provincial medicinal materials company's standards, it can sell for over five yuan per kilogram.
It weighs over 100 jin (50 kg), and at five yuan per jin, that's over 600 yuan.
In addition to the money earned from selling Gastrodia elata and Ganoderma lucidum at previous trade fairs.
The income from medicinal herbs alone exceeded one thousand this winter.
Chen Laosan squatted by the pit, picking up the scattered pieces of Poria cocos one by one and putting them into a cloth bag.
He picked them up very carefully, not even letting go of small pieces the size of a thumb.
He suddenly raised his head and said to Zhao Deming:
"Deming, keep two small pieces of this Poria cocos and bury them back. The mycelium is still there, and it can grow again in a few years."
Zhao Deming nodded and picked out two intact sclerotia.
Rebury it in the soil near the tree roots, cover it with decaying leaves, and mark it.
On the way back, Chen Laosan walked in front.
Zhao Deming walked behind and whispered to Chen Zheng, "Your father's eyes are still intact."
He gazed at Chen Laosan's slightly hunched back.
"Back when he was in the production team, he could see what kind of fish were swimming in the water from dozens of feet away."
We all say that the third brother's eyes are from an osprey.
Chen Zheng looked at his father's back and remembered going fishing with his father in Nanwan when he was a child.
He stood at the bow of the boat, pointed to the water, and said, "There's a grass carp over there, in the crevice between the rocks."
His father had a bad leg, but he kept him by his side until he could see the fish at the bottom of the water himself.
Back home, Zhang Cuihua was feeding the chickens in the yard.
She was taken aback when she saw Chen Zheng's bamboo basket full of Poria cocos, wiped her hands with her apron and walked over.
He picked up a large piece and weighed it in his hand: "How much did you dig up?"
"Over 100 jin (50 kg)."
Zhang Cuihua stood at the kitchen door, hesitated for a moment, and then pushed the door open and went in.
Soon, the clanging sound of water being added to an iron pot came from the kitchen, a little louder than usual.
The poria cocos was spread out in the yard to dry.
Chen Zheng divided the pieces into four piles according to size. The seven or eight largest pieces were placed on a bamboo sieve, while the medium-sized pieces were piled on a stone platform.
Small pieces were laid on the oilcloth.
Chen Rong brushed off the surface dirt of each one with a soft brush, wrapped them in straw paper, and wrote down their numbers and weights.
After drying for two days, some moisture evaporated, but the appearance was not affected at all.
Chen Zheng made a phone call to Lao Jin from the provincial pharmaceutical company.
Old Jin's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with barely concealed excitement as he said that this batch of wild poria cocos was of excellent quality.
Especially in the provincial capital, this is the time when demand is at its peak.
He said he would send a purchasing agent over directly, and the price would be the same as the five yuan per kilogram that was originally agreed upon.
Two days later, people from the provincial pharmaceutical company arrived in Baiyang Town.
The purchasing agent was a young man surnamed Zhou, wearing a blue Zhongshan suit, who arrived on a bicycle.
He saw the poria cocos spread out on the oilcloth, squatted down to examine it piece by piece, and made notes as he looked at it.
After finishing the last small section, I stood up and adjusted my glasses:
"Director Jin said that this batch of wild poria cocos is of superior quality and will all be sold at five yuan per kilogram."
"From now on, if you have any wild poria cocos, just send it over directly; you don't need to wait for the buyer anymore."
The weight is 116 jin in total. At five yuan per jin, that's 580 yuan.
Xiao Zhou counted out fifty-eight ten-yuan bills from his briefcase and placed them on the table.
He then pulled out an acquisition list from his bag and asked Chen Zheng to sign it.
After signing the papers and seeing Xiao Zhou off, Chen Zheng returned to the courtyard.
Old Chen was squatting on the threshold, holding the pipe in his hand, his eyes looking at the tarpaulin in the yard, which was mostly empty.
A puff of smoke slowly escaped from his nostrils, turning pale blue in the winter sunlight.
"Father, this is the nest you found."
Old Chen tapped his pipe on the threshold, stood up, and went into the kitchen.
After a while, his voice could be heard talking to Zhang Cuihua inside. His voice was very low, and it was impossible to hear what he was saying.
That evening, Zhang Cuihua cooked a table full of dishes.
Stir-fried cured pork with garlic shoots, braised crucian carp, stir-fried chives with eggs, stewed cabbage with vermicelli, and a big bowl of fish head tofu soup.
She served food to everyone, holding her own bowl, with a smile playing on her lips.
Chen Feng ate the fastest, finishing two bowls of rice before reaching for a cornbread pancake.
Chen Rong patted the back of his hand, telling him to eat slowly.
For the first time ever, Chen Laosan poured himself half a bowl of rice wine and slowly drank it all by himself.
When he put the wine bowl back on the table, his gaze lingered on Chen Zheng's face for a moment.
It was very brief.
Then he got up and went to the yard to chop firewood.
On the third day after selling the poria cocos, Chen Zheng got up early and took a bus to the county agricultural research institute.
Zhao Deming wrote him a note with only one line on it.
Old Zhou, this person is my student. Please meet him.
The document was signed by Zhao Deming and stamped with Zhao Deming's personal seal.
The county agricultural research institute is located in a drab three-story building in the west of the city.
When Chen Zheng found the laboratory, there was a smell of disinfectant mixed with the sweet aroma of fermenting mushrooms.
A tall, thin man in a white lab coat was operating the equipment at the lab table. Most of his hair was white and sticking out in a messy manner.
He heard footsteps but didn't look up.
"Wait until I finish this batch."
Chen Zheng stood at the door waiting.
More than ten minutes later, the other person put the petri dish into the incubator, took off their rubber gloves, and turned around.
Who are you looking for?
"I'm looking for Professor Zhou Jimin. Professor Zhao Deming sent me." Chen Zheng handed over the note.
Zhou Jimin took the note and looked at it, his expression relaxing a little.
Which village are you from?
"From Lutang Village."
"Lutang Village..." Zhou Jimin thought for a moment.
"The old pine forest behind your village should have a good source of Poria cocos."
Chen Zheng took the wild poria sample he brought out of the cloth bag and placed it on the lab table.
Zhou Jimin picked up a piece, held it up to the fluorescent light to examine the cross-section, and pressed it with his finger.
Then I held it under my nose and smelled it.
"Wild. Excellent quality. Where did you find it?"
"Pine forest on the north side of Eagle's Beak Cliff".
"I've been to that wood."
Zhou Jimin put down the poria cocos and leaned against the worktable.
"There are several old pine trees in that place, growing on the sunny side of the hillside, where drainage is good and there is plenty of sunshine."
To put it simply, Poria cocos is a growth on the roots of pine trees. The older the tree, the greater the probability of it forming growths.
If you can protect that forest, you'll have something to dig for every winter.
"Teacher Zhou, wild ones will eventually be dug up all year round. I want to try artificial cultivation."
Zhou Jimin glanced at him, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"You want to cultivate Poria cocos? Do you know how long it takes to cultivate this stuff artificially?"
"Teacher Zhao told me. It could take anywhere from six months to a year."
"Knowing the cycle, you still want to do it?"
"I can wait."
Zhou Jimin walked to a metal cabinet in the corner of the laboratory and opened the cabinet door.
Inside were rows of glass petri dishes, each labeled with a number and date.
He took out a petri dish and placed it in front of Chen Zheng.
The surface of the culture medium was covered with a layer of white mycelium, which had a faint pearly luster.
The hyphae penetrate deep into the culture medium, forming dense mycelial cords.
"This is a pure strain of Poria cocos that I cultivated."
Number P-8 was isolated from the wild strain from your Eagle's Beak Cliff.
Its advantages lie in its fast growth rate, strong resistance to contaminating bacteria, and a sclerotium formation rate that is 30% higher than that of ordinary bacteria.
However, it has one drawback: it is sensitive to temperature.
Below 15 degrees Celsius, the mycelium becomes dormant; above 30 degrees Celsius, the mycelium will autolyze.
The temperature must be controlled between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius during cultivation.
Chen Zheng stared at the mycelium in the petri dish.
This is the core of artificial cultivation of Poria cocos.
Use pure strains to inoculate, allowing the mycelium to colonize the log, then bury it in the soil and wait for it to form sclerotia.
With pure strains, mass production becomes possible.
Wild poria cocos picked from the mountains is a rare find; once harvested, it's gone forever. In contrast, the bacterial cultures in the lab can be propagated as many times as needed.
"Teacher Zhou, could I have a sample of this strain?"
"for you?"
Zhou Jimin laughed, "Do you know how much this plate of bacteria is worth? It took me three years to isolate it."
Currently, in the entire Qingshui County, only my laboratory is capable of cultivating pure strains of Poria cocos.
"I won't take it for free."
Chen Zheng said, "I contracted a promotion station in Baiyang Town, which has a training room and a warehouse."
If you wish, the promotion station can cooperate with the county agricultural research institute to develop the artificial cultivation of Poria cocos into a promotional project.
The town provides the site and labor, while you provide the technology and the bacterial strains.
If the promotion is successful, the cost of the microbial inoculum will be shared with the project's revenue.
Zhou Jimin took off his glasses and wiped them with the corner of his white coat.
"Old Zhao has taken on a good student."
He put on his clean glasses, took a notebook out of his white coat pocket, and opened it.
He wrote a few lines, tore it off, and handed it to Chen Zheng.
"This is my private phone number."
When you get back, please prepare a document detailing the site conditions, equipment, and staffing of the promotion station and send it to me.
If conditions are right, I'll visit your area after the Chinese New Year to conduct an on-site inspection.
Chen Zheng took the slip of paper; it had a phone number on it, written in messy but forceful handwriting.
"Thank you, Teacher Zhou."
"Don't thank me yet."
Zhou Jimin waved his hand, "I can provide the bacterial strain and teach you the techniques, but you have to promise me one thing."
"Please speak."
"Artificial cultivation of Poria cocos is still a blank in Qingshui County."
If you succeed, you can't keep it to yourself; you have to teach the technology to others.
I cultivate microbial strains not to make money for myself.
The goal is to truly promote this technology at the grassroots level.
If you just want to make money quietly on your own, then don't come looking for me.
Chen Zheng: "Teacher Zhou, I come from the grassroots level."
There were no promotional sites, no training courses, and no one-on-one instruction from Teacher Zhao.
I'm still pretty much at the mercy of the weather when it comes to raising fish.
Technology is something you can't make a fortune by hiding it away. Only when everyone works together can the industry truly take off.
Zhou Jimin looked at him, his eyes flashing behind his glasses.
After a long while, he nodded and said one word: "Okay."