sbdcsierra Chapter 483 Planting Some Medicinal Herbs
Chapter 483 Planting Some Medicinal Herbs
The news of the household responsibility system spread like a spring breeze to every corner of Xiaoliang Village.
A few days later, the village committee sent people with tape measures and small flags to measure the land and begin allocating it according to the plan decided at the previous meeting.
Li Xiangyang brought Li Xiaoyun and Li Wangchen to the edge of their family's contracted field early in the morning.
"Our land is here!" Li Wangchen ran ahead excitedly, waving a small red flag in his hand.
Looking at the three-acre plot of land marked with a small red flag, Li Xiangyang repeatedly expressed his gratitude and accepted the precious land ownership certificate.
Li Xiaoyun stood to the side, her face full of joy.
She looked at the land ownership certificate in her hand, then at the land in front of her, and her eyes welled up with tears.
"What's wrong?" Li Xiangyang noticed the change in his wife's mood and asked softly.
Li Xiaoyun shook her head and wiped her eyes: "It's nothing, I'm just... just so happy. From childhood to adulthood, the land we farmed was collectively owned. Now we finally have our own land, this feeling..."
Li Xiangyang took her hand and gently squeezed it: "I understand."
Li Wangchen, standing nearby, seemed to sense his parents' emotions, and his little face turned serious: "Dad, is this our own land?"
“Yes,” Li Xiangyang squatted down to be at eye level with his son, “this is our family’s contracted land. We hand over the portion of the grain we grow to the state, and the rest is ours.”
"Then we can grow lots and lots of food and have plenty to eat, right?" the little guy asked innocently.
Li Xiangyang and Li Xiaoyun exchanged a smile.
“Yes,” Li Xiangyang ruffled his son’s hair, “not only do we need to eat our fill, but we also need to eat well.”
As they were talking, Wang Ergou and Ma Hongxia arrived at the edge of their family's contracted farmland.
"Brother Xiangyang, Sister-in-law!" Wang Ergou shouted excitedly, "Look, our land is right next to yours!"
Li Xiangyang looked over and, sure enough, Wang Ergou's family's contracted farmland was right next to theirs.
"That's great," Wang Ergou said with a smile, "Our two families' land is next to each other, so it'll be easier to help each other out when we're working."
“Yes,” Li Xiangyang nodded, “and we can discuss planting plans together to see which crops are more suitable for this land.”
Four adults stood on the edge of the field, having a lively discussion, while the two little ones, Li Wangchen and Wang Yaozong, ran happily in the field.
On this day, the entire Xiaoliang Village was immersed in joy.
The land allocation work continued until evening, and the villagers gathered in twos and threes, enthusiastically discussing their respective planting plans.
"Brother Xiangyang," Wang Ergou asked, "what are you planning to plant?"
Li Xiangyang thought for a moment and said, "I plan to grow grain in most areas, but set aside a small plot to try growing some cash crops."
"Cash crops?" Wang Ergou asked curiously, "What's good to grow?"
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Li Xiangyang said. “The climate here is suitable for growing medicinal herbs, such as astragalus and ginseng. These things fetch good prices and are easy to preserve.”
Wang Ergou's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! I want to try it too."
Ma Hongxia, however, was somewhat worried: "We're not familiar with this kind of thing. What if we don't make it right?"
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "That's why I said we should try planting a small plot first and see how it goes. If it succeeds, we can expand; if it fails, it won't affect our livelihood."
……
The next morning, Li Xiangyang rode his bicycle out the door. On the way, he ran into Wang Ergou, who was also heading to the county town.
"Brother Xiangyang, are you going to the county town to buy medicinal herb seeds?" Wang Ergou asked as he rode his bicycle.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Yes, besides grains, I'd like to try growing some medicinal herbs like astragalus and codonopsis. What about you?"
“After hearing your idea, I’d like to give it a try. Anyway, it’s just a small plot of land to test it out; if it doesn’t work out, I won’t lose too much,” Wang Ergou said with a smile.
The two chatted and laughed all the way, and soon arrived in the county town.
Upon arriving at the supply and marketing cooperative, in addition to grain seeds, the two also bought some seeds of astragalus and codonopsis, as well as fertilizer.
"Boss, when will these medicinal herbs be ready for harvest?" Li Xiangyang asked.
The owner of the supply and marketing cooperative was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing reading glasses and with a kind face.
"Astragalus takes two years to harvest, and codonopsis takes one and a half to two years," the shopkeeper replied. "But the advantage of these herbs is that once planted, they basically require little care, saving you time and effort."
Li Xiangyang nodded: "So, what's the approximate acquisition price?"
"It's hard to say," the shopkeeper shook his head. "The price of medicinal herbs varies every year, mainly depending on market demand. But generally speaking, prices have been rising in recent years, making it much more profitable than growing grain."
Wang Ergou also chimed in: "Boss, are there any special precautions we need to take when planting these medicinal herbs?"
The shop owner thought for a moment: "The most important things are site selection and watering. These medicinal herbs prefer well-drained soil and cannot tolerate waterlogging. Also, they need frequent watering when they are first planted, but once they have taken root, you don't need to worry about them too much."
The two listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
After buying the seeds and tools, the two went to the medicinal herb purchasing station to learn more about the purchasing situation and prices of medicinal herbs.
On the way back to the village, Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou discussed the planting plan.
"Brother Xiangyang, I plan to start preparing the land for planting tomorrow," Wang Ergou said.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "That's what I was thinking too. Let's take advantage of the good weather and clear the land first."
Back home, Li Xiangyang carefully arranged the seeds and tools he had bought in the house.
Looking at all these things, Li Xiaoyun's worry lessened somewhat: "You bought so much stuff, it seems you've made up your mind?"
Li Xiangyang laughed and said, "Give it a try. Even if it doesn't work out, you won't lose much. You can rest assured and leave the farming to me."
Li Xiaoyun smiled and shook her head: "Okay, I believe you. But I still think it's a bit risky."
“There are risks in everything we do,” Li Xiangyang said earnestly. “Anyway, we’re not doing many kinds; what if it’s profitable?”
The next morning, Li Xiangyang brought his tools to the field he was responsible for.
He carefully measured out the area of six-tenths of an acre, marked it with small wooden stakes, and then began to turn over the soil and prepare the land.
Although it was already spring, the morning air still carried a hint of coolness. Li Xiangyang wielded his hoe, and sweat quickly soaked his back.
Not far away, Wang Ergou was also busy tending to his field. The two would occasionally look up, exchange a smile, and then go back to their work.
At noon, Li Xiaoyun and Li Wangchen brought lunch.
"Dad, aren't you tired from digging such a big piece of land?" Li Wangchen asked curiously.
Li Xiangyang wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled, "I'm not tired. It's all worth it, no matter how tired I am, for the sake of making our family's life better."
Li Xiaoyun handed her a damp towel: "Wipe your sweat first, so you don't catch a cold."
Li Xiangyang took the towel and wiped his face and hands. "Thank you, honey. Look, I've already done more than half of the work; I should be finished this afternoon."
Li Xiaoyun looked at the prepared land and nodded: "Hmm, it looks good. When do you plan to plant it?"
"Tomorrow," Li Xiangyang said. "Let's prepare the land today and let the soil aerate. We'll sow the seeds first thing tomorrow morning; apparently, that increases the germination rate."
After lunch, Li Xiangyang continued working. By around 3 p.m., all six plots of land had been cleared.