Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 91

Wu Lan moved quickly, skillfully managing her time. She sterilized all the jars before dinner and kept them warm with a sieve over the residual fire. By the end of the meal, the jars were dry, crystal clear, and ready for use.

These hexagonal glass jars, purchased by Song Tan during her vegetable sales, were not expensive, costing only two yuan each when bought in bulk. Each jar could hold 500 milliliters, roughly one jin (500 grams) of honey.

Since Qiao Qiao’s efforts were particularly impressive today, the whole family pitched in. Song Sancheng held the bucket, Wu Lan handled the double-layered sieve, Song Tan used clean chopsticks to stir and speed up the filtering process, and Qiao Qiao was in charge of filling the jars.

Their home operation was becoming a well-coordinated assembly line.

Suddenly, a voice called from outside the gate, “Is Song Tan here?”

The voice was distinct. Song Tan, without stopping her work, replied, “Yes, come in.”

As expected, it was their young village secretary, Zhu Jun.

Zhu Jun entered the yard, immediately exclaiming, “I could smell the honey from a distance! It’s so fragrant!”

“Aunt Wu, do you sell this honey? Can you spare me two jars?”

Wu Lan instinctively looked at Song Tan.

According to their village’s honey prices, a jin (500 grams) ranged from fifty to a hundred yuan. But in Song Tan’s hands, who knew how much it would cost?

Without looking up, Song Tan said, “Not for sale. It’s already reserved.”

Zhu Jun laughed, “No worries. I’ve saved up a bit. Just tell me the price, and I’ll see if I can afford it.”

Clearly, she understood the usual refusal tactics.

Song Tan hadn’t decided on the price yet. She paused her work, rinsed her chopsticks in a water cup, and tasted the honey.

Then tasted it again.

“This is a bargain. Let’s say, a thousand yuan per jin.”

Zhu Jun clutched her chest in shock.

But she seemed well-off. After a brief hesitation, she said, “Since I made the effort to come here, could I at least have a cup of honey water? And perhaps taste your famous tea as well?”

Song Tan raised an eyebrow and, despite the pained looks from Wu Lan and Song Sancheng, agreed, “Sure.”

Zhu Jun, feeling at home, found a chair and sat down.

Wu Lan, her hands now free from straining the honey, hurried inside to fetch a cup, “I’ll pour it for you.”

Honey should be mixed with warm water, but the tea pot was still too hot from the freshly boiled water. It needed a bit of cooling. Meanwhile, the tea was perfect for brewing.

The courtyard was spacious, with a gentle breeze carrying away the tea’s aroma. Unlike a closed room where the scent might invigorate, the open air provided a refreshing sensation, catching Zhu Jun’s attention.

“How much for the tea leaves? I’ll take two jin as well.”

Wu Lan paused, thinking her daughter agreed so quickly because she knew the village secretary had money!

Song Tan, seeing an opportunity, said, “Alright. My mom has invited some aunts over tonight to help sort the tea. If you’re in a hurry, I can deliver it tonight. If not, you can pick it up tomorrow.”

Then she asked, “Do you need gift boxes?”

As a cultivator, she preferred to minimize unnecessary expenses.

Zhu Jun thought for a moment, “Just a simple seal and a tea box will do.”

Song Tan nodded.

“As for the honey, it’s freshly filtered. Which jar would you like? You can choose.”

Zhu Jun curiously looked at the tempting jars of honey, “Is this from the vetch flowers?”

“Your bees are quite diligent. Just a few days ago, I saw them gathering nectar, and now you’re already harvesting honey.”

Qiao Qiao proudly said, “I did the harvesting.”

“Oh, what a good boy.”

Zhu Jun smiled and took out some chocolates from her pocket, “Qiao Qiao, last time you gave me some bubble gum, and I really liked it. Here are some chocolates for you.”

Qiao Qiao was delighted!

Since his playmates grew up, he hadn’t received such gifts in a long time!

If not for his honey-collecting duties, he would have run over immediately.

Song Tan, observing Zhu Jun’s sociable nature, thought, “This person is a social master, making connections everywhere.”

She asked, “Is there something you need?”

Surely she didn’t just come by for a chat.

Zhu Jun hesitated before saying, “Actually, yes. Song Tan, are you aware of the country’s push for rural revitalization?”

Song Tan nodded, “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know the details.”

She was telling the truth. After all, she had only been back for a month, focusing on her land and farm, with no time to delve into national policies.

Zhu Jun smiled, “That’s okay. I’m here to explain it to you.”

“This rural revitalization plan is very beneficial for your family.”

“Firstly, if you open an online store, you can apply at our village office to establish a family farm.”

“This will allow you to apply for tax exemptions online. You won’t have to pay value-added tax, land use tax, or deed tax.”

“Agricultural electricity will also be subsidized by sixty percent.”

“Secondly, the state encourages local farmers or returning young people to start businesses, which applies to you.”

“Moreover, banks will be more willing to grant you loans.”

Hearing this, Wu Lan and Song Sancheng shook their heads vigorously, “No loans! We’re fine as we are.”

Villagers were wary of loans, and Zhu Jun understood. She smoothly changed the topic, “Then, do you have enough land for your needs this year?”

They had plenty of land.

Wu Lan didn’t quite get it, but Song Tan was thoughtful.

Her initial goal for returning home was to satisfy her culinary desires. Currently, she was meeting some of her needs for staples, vegetables, and meats. But fruits were still missing.

The reason was simple: not enough land.

Their family’s land was quite compact, with a tea garden and a chestnut forest being the main areas.

But she didn’t plan to heavily use the back mountain.

The trees there were growing well, and every winter, the family needed firewood for heating. Unless necessary, Song Tan didn’t want to disturb the area.

Zhu Jun, smiling, added, “Yes, Yunqiao Village has few people but plenty of land and mountains.”

While this seemed ample when left unused, once they began to develop it, it became apparent how limited it was for scaling up operations.