Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 96

There were many elderly people like Old Man Li in Yunqiao Village.

In a village with fewer than thirty households, people of Old Man Li’s age made up about one-third of the population.

The village wasn’t always so sparsely populated. There were once over two hundred households. However, with the times changing and prices rising, the village gradually fell behind. It only became lively during the few months around the Chinese New Year.

Anyone under sixty had gone out to work. Even those in their fifties and sixties, despite having tiring jobs with hourly wages of just a few yuan, relied on overtime pay to get by.

But with elderly parents and children just starting their own families, needing money for housing, cars, and education, who could afford not to work?

These children, far from being able to support their elders, struggled to make ends meet themselves. Working away from home was often a necessity for survival.

Because of this, even though Zhu Jun repeatedly assured them that agricultural loans were easy to approve and had low interest rates, and that Song Tan could easily apply…

Did Song Tan have the confidence? She certainly did.

But could she find the manpower?

Absolutely not.

The situation was the same in every nearby village. She couldn’t ask the elderly from various villages to help with the farm work. Their age meant that even a small fall could cause serious injuries, and no amount of wealth could cover such risks.

Hiring young, strong laborers from elsewhere would be prohibitively expensive.

It’s better to start small and gradually expand. Once the village develops steadily, young people who don’t want to leave their hometown might return.

This wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight.

Therefore, Song Tan never mentioned money when dealing with the elderly.

Song Sancheng chatted with Old Man Li about the weather this year, then went to inspect the fields, ensuring they were plowed thoroughly. Was his work done after this round of inspections?

Not at all.

The excavator, with its blades humming, was clearing the hillside, and people were needed to rake aside the shredded vines and branches.

If these leaves and branches were left in the soil, they wouldn’t decompose quickly, potentially hindering future planting.

Zhang Yanping, wearing a straw hat, stood numbly in the forest. He glanced at the rake in his hand and sighed deeply. Though he had requested to avoid fieldwork, working on the hill wasn’t any easier.

Song Sancheng climbed the slope, his eyes scanning the extensive area now under their care, filling him with determination.

Looking down, he saw their contracted pond, reflecting the blue sky and surrounded by lush greenery.

But the fish in this pond were notoriously elusive, hard to catch!

Song Sancheng suddenly remembered something important and quickly called:

“Tan Tan, didn’t we plan to buy some fish fry? Don’t forget!”

Coincidentally, Song Tan was at a fish farm at that moment!

It was a local fish farm, known for its reputation despite its small scale and common varieties.

The owner spoke rapidly in the local dialect:

“Is this your first time raising fish? Don’t get too many at once; no more than 1500 per acre. You might not handle it well without experience.”

He continued, “What’s the size and depth of your pond? Is it for selling fish or just for personal use?”

Song Tan, eager to learn, explained:

“It’s a small pond, about three acres, three meters deep, in a mountain hollow surrounded by water plants.”
“It’s mainly for personal use, but we plan to sell the surplus.”

The owner thought for a moment: “A pond in a mountain hollow is hard to drain in winter. Catching fish will be difficult.”

“Without other water sources nearby, it’s prone to drying up in summer and can easily get diseased.”

Song Tan nodded. If it were a high-quality pond, even in a remote mountain village, it would cost at least eight hundred yuan per acre. Now, it was only three hundred.

Why complain? It’s a reliable water source for the orchard. Song Tan contracted it for convenience and because the pond never dried up.

That was enough.

The owner didn’t bother showing her the lively fish and led her to a section with small fish fry in various tanks.

“Since you’re inexperienced, start with these: crucian carp, carp, grass carp, and silver carp. Mix them up. Grass carp will eat the water plants, preventing them from overgrowing, and the other fish will help keep the water clean and healthy.”

“Planning to eat them yourself, right? Your pond probably has big fish already. These small fry will do for now.”

“Fry?” Song Tan asked.

The owner laughed, “We call these newly hatched fish fry ‘fry.’ If you’re okay with it, I’ll mix them up for you. Three acres should handle about five thousand fry, accounting for losses.”

Song Tan agreed. She could manage with more or less, so the number wasn’t an issue.

“What’s the cost?”

The owner, uninterested, said, “Thirty yuan.”

Song Tan was taken aback. Fish fry were so cheap?

“The owner pointed to another batch of larger fry, ‘These two-centimeter ones cost five mao each (0.5 yuan or 50 cents), and the price goes up with size. What do you want?'”

“No need to choose. I’ll take the fry. And I need eight thousand more for a larger pond with better drainage.”

“Deal!” The owner was pleased, “You’re straightforward. Seventy-five yuan total.”

Song Tan calculated and smiled. Only three yuan cheaper for being straightforward, but seventy-five yuan for thirteen thousand fish fry was a great deal.

She paid and watched the owner pack the fry into plastic bags.

“This bag has eight thousand, the other five thousand. Trust me, they’re all there! If not, I’ll compensate you a hundredfold.”

Song Tan laughed, “No need, uncle. I trust you.”