Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 71

The nursery owner’s expression was a mix of emotions.

They even want a peppercorn tree? They’re not picky at all.

Then he thought, picky people wouldn’t be buying golden cherry anyway. He had been duped by a herbal company into thinking there was a huge market for it, so he propagated a batch, only to find out that thornless varieties were now in demand.

After three years, this batch was the first and only one he had grown and sold. He even included the mother plant!

He cautiously added, “I also have red peppercorn trees, about the same size as this green one… Interested?”

Seeing Song Tan’s eyes light up, he quickly added, “But you’ll have to pay!”

“Boss, that’s not fair!” Zhang Yanping slung his arm over the owner’s shoulder and handed him a cigarette. “Come on, let’s talk. The travel costs alone are a couple hundred.”

The two men walked off, leaving Song Tan to ponder other spices she might need…

And intercropping—nothing specific came to mind yet.

When they returned, they each carried a sapling.

“Let’s load up and head back.”

The saplings were healthy but covered in a layer of dust, clearly forgotten in some corner.

The owner scratched his head. “These… well, Yanping knows I used to cultivate agricultural seedlings. When that didn’t pay off, I switched to ornamental plants. These are leftovers…”

He tried to save face with a confident tone, “Don’t be fooled by their appearance. These five-year-old saplings go for a hundred to eighty yuan each.”

The price was accurate, but Zhang Yanping, still savoring his purslane buns, added with a smile, “Exactly, they’re expensive. So Uncle Zhou decided to give us the red peppercorn, the grafted star anise, and the green peppercorn.”

“Tan Tan, if you need more plants, come to Uncle Zhou!”

Song Tan smiled sweetly, “Thank you, Uncle Zhou!”

Uncle Zhou sighed, “Next time you come, I’ll think twice… Better to ship by logistics to save money.”

…

The drive back was joyful.

Zhang Yanping felt accomplished. Despite two years of being homebound, his networking skills were intact.

Song Tan was pleased too.

Although the golden cherry cost three thousand yuan and the trip was tiring, the peppercorn and star anise were mature saplings that would bear fruit this year. Excellent!

If not for this trip, she wouldn’t have thought of it! Imagine having grown grass carp but missing the right spices for pickled fish. That would be a blemish on perfection.

The atmosphere was cheerful.

As they neared the dog farm, Zhang Yanping pointed to a side road:

“Go straight, then turn right at the pond. You’ll see a large dog farm.”

The area was open, and the route was simple. Song Tan quickly found the place.

It was a large square area, surrounded by a two-meter-high wire fence. Inside were several buildings and various enclosed spaces.

It was spring, and sparse green grass indicated regular use by people or animals.

A minivan and a large SUV were parked at the entrance. A man in a trench coat leaned dejectedly against the SUV, smoking silently.

Song Tan frowned, “Is that the owner? He doesn’t look too well.”

Zhang Yanping squinted. “No. Probably a customer. The young man with the dogs is the owner.”

They got out, and as they passed the SUV, Song Tan noticed a massive, silent dog in the back seat. Its black face and yellowish fur filled the space.

The dog’s size suggested it was taller than a grown man when standing.

Both man and dog exuded a somber mood.

Just then, the owner noticed them.

“Yanping!”

He extended his hand to Song Tan with a laugh.

“This must be your sister! You’ve been hiding her well. So pretty! Does she have a boyfriend?”

Song Tan smiled, “Who needs a boyfriend when I need guard dogs?”

Ha!

The owner laughed too.

“You’ve got a point. I’m Sun Shouping. Call me Brother Sun. Yanping and I are good friends. Choose whatever dog you like.”

“What should I call you?”

“Just call me Song Tan,” she replied with ease.

Introductions made, Sun Shouping’s expression turned serious.

“Song Tan, I need to be clear. If you take one of my dogs and tie it at your door with a short leash, feeding it scraps and leftovers sporadically, that won’t work.”

Song Tan understood.

Many rural families tied their dogs with short leashes, leaving them there for life. While villagers sometimes fed bones, meat, or fish, it wasn’t sufficient for large dogs like these.

Sun Shouping needed assurance his dogs would be well cared for. Large breeds needed proper nutrition to stay healthy and effective as guards.

Before Song Tan could respond, Zhang Yanping interjected.

“Do you think I’d bring someone like that? My sister feeds milk to three little mutts! These dogs will guard the hills. They need to be well-fed.”

Seeing Yanping’s sincerity, Sun Shouping relaxed.

He led them inside.

“Don’t worry, all my dogs are trained and won’t bite. They’re safe.”

“Yanping said you want adult dogs for guarding, right? That’s even more important. A biting incident can be problematic and costly. And the dog’s fate isn’t good either.”

“So, my dogs are trained not to bite unless absolutely necessary.”

Song Tan nodded. “That’s good.”

In a lawful society, the consequences of a dog bite could be troublesome.