Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 68

The taste of purslane buns was something Zhang Yanping couldn’t stop thinking about. The sour and spicy purslane, mixed with bits of fatty and lean meat, and the crispy, fragrant oil seeping into the dough with every bite—

Sigh!

He regretted being so conservative earlier. Who cares about being full? He could have easily eaten four more buns!

Now, with just two buns to tide him over, he was craving more.

But the two buns weren’t for nothing. After he finished, the nursery got back to him.

“Brother, you sure asked for something rare. Let me tell you, out of all the nurseries around, only ours has those seedlings!”

“And we’re giving you a fair price—15 yuan each. You won’t find a better deal anywhere else!”

Whether or not the nursery was exaggerating, it was clear that original species of golden cherry were hard to come by.

However, this nursery had its own issues. The owner wouldn’t deliver and would only ship via logistics, which would take at least three to five days.

Given that Song Tan’s family would be busy preparing for planting soon, they couldn’t afford to wait.

Song Tan found out that driving to the city where the nursery was located would take about three hours and asked Zhang Yanping, “Can you come with me to pick them up tomorrow?”

The small pickup truck could easily hold the 200 seedlings.

Zhang Yanping thought for a moment. “It’s not worth it. Just ship them and hire someone to plant them later.”

Song Tan shook her head. “Let’s make the trip. It’s not far, and I’ve heard of a reputable fish nursery nearby. I want to check it out.”

Zhang Yanping realized he didn’t know any fish suppliers—his contacts were incomplete. He had to go!

“Fine, but you have to heat me another batch of those buns for the trip!”

“Oh, and do you want a big dog? These three little ones here—” he pointed to the three puppies playing with Qiao Qiao. The chubby pups, with their wobbly tails and unsteady steps, were adorable but not yet useful for guarding.

With the farm expanding, having more dogs would be a good security measure.

Song Tan raised an eyebrow. “You have a connection for that too?”

She had thought about getting more dogs but hadn’t found the time.

Zhang Yanping smirked proudly. “Of course! How do you think I found all those fruit suppliers from all over the place?”

He pulled out his phone and opened a map.

“See? On our way back from the nursery, there’s a dog farm just three kilometers off the route.”

“They specialize in large breeds, not easy for regular folks to keep.”

“A friend of mine got three dogs from there last year. They helped take down two wild boars during the New Year.”

This was exactly what she needed! Song Tan now looked at her cousin with newfound respect.

In modern society, capability wasn’t just about physical strength.

“Alright, I’ll probably pick a few.”

Zhang Yanping nodded. “Now’s the best time to get more dogs.”

“With few young men in the village and no real threats, dogs mainly serve as a deterrent. Their presence is enough.”

He rubbed his stomach, speaking frankly. “I’m taking you there partly because the dog farm owner is an old friend of mine.”

“I figure if you like the dogs, it’s a good home for them.”

“These dogs need meat to maintain their strength, and most people can’t afford that.”

Though he had only spent a short time at home, he saw that his cousin was now the backbone of the family. She could earn money, so the dogs wouldn’t be neglected.

Song Tan didn’t mind his mixed motives. If there were suitable dogs, why not get a few more?

She carefully considered: the three puppies were not useful yet.

For the back hill, where the pigs and poultry were, three dogs would be ideal since there were many animals to protect.

The chestnut grove would need one or two, maybe even three or four, depending on how well they could cover the area.

The fields and pond also needed guarding to prevent theft.

Even without large-scale operations yet, at least five adult dogs were necessary.

The produce was too valuable to risk any losses.

Each area would have a dog house, and with the open terrain, the dogs’ barking would alert them to any intruders.

This was more reliable than relying solely on spiritual energy.

She hadn’t been cultivating long and needed to conserve her energy.

But dogs like these wouldn’t come cheap.

Thinking about the constant inflow and outflow of her bank account made her heart ache.

Zhang Yanping, seeing her hesitance, asked quietly, “Running low on funds? I have some!”

“Do you want to sell those five pounds of tea? I’ll give you 8,000 yuan per pound. We’re family, after all. Let me make a little profit.”

“I’ll make money, and you save trouble.”

People who could afford 10,000 yuan per pound of tea were few, especially without any brand or promotion.

He’d need to account for tasting and other costs, so he couldn’t offer more.

He had been mulling over this fair price since he tasted the tea at lunch.

Song Tan shook her head. “No, spring tea is expensive now. Summer tea at 8,000 is fine if we have extra.”

She then sent a message in her group chat:

“New tea available, simple packaging, special price of 10,000 yuan per pound. Limited quantity, first come, first served.”

Her loyal followers might question the price but never the quality.

However, the high price shocked them. After a while, someone cautiously asked:

“Can I buy just one tael?”

Song Tan was delighted: So quick?!

Someone actually trusted her that much!

She replied without hesitation:

“Yes!”

“Come find me when I sell vegetables tomorrow morning.”

Just for this trust, she had to start off right.

Her reply sparked more activity in the group:

“Boss, what kind of tea is worth that price?”

“Can we sample it when we buy vegetables tomorrow?”

Song Tan thought, I’ve been selling vegetables for so long, asking you to try it would be too much trouble.

If everyone bought just a tael, it wouldn’t be worth the packaging effort. She’d start small.

“No, I have to sell vegetables quickly tomorrow and go out of town. No time.”

Then, “Secretary Wang” privately messaged her:

“I’ll take half a pound. Is that okay?”