PDLP Chapter 63
Chapter 63
On December 17th, before dawn, Chen Zheng got up.
A thin layer of frost had formed in the yard, and the rim of the water vat was covered in white frost.
The black cat crouched at the kitchen door, its neck tucked in, its tail completely covering its four paws.
Zhang Cuihua was already busy in the kitchen, where corn porridge was simmering in an iron pot, bubbling away.
The heat melted the frost on the kitchen window.
Chen Zheng squatted by the well, brushing his teeth. The well water was ice-cold, making his gums ache.
He held his mouth in water for a while before daring to swallow.
Today I'm going to the provincial capital to attend the provincial agricultural products fair, which will last for five days.
"Is everything packed?" Zhang Cuihua poked her head out from the kitchen, her apron covered in cornmeal.
"All done." Chen Zheng stuck his toothbrush into the enamel mug, wiped his mouth, and said.
"Dried fish, smoked fish, dried mushrooms, acorns, and gastrodia elata are all packed."
"Did you bring enough money?"
"I've brought enough."
Zhang Cuihua was still worried, so she took out a handkerchief pouch from her inner pocket and stuffed it into Chen Zheng's hand.
The handkerchief was blue with white flowers, and the edges were frayed.
When Chen Zheng opened it, he found a stack of small bills inside, some five mao (50 cents) and some one yuan, neatly folded.
"Mother, I have money."
"When you're out and about, it's always good to bring extra. In the provincial capital, a bowl of noodles costs several cents."
Zhang Cuihua placed the handkerchief in his hand, "Take it."
Chen Zheng didn't refuse again and put the handkerchief bag into his pocket.
The handkerchief still carried his mother's body heat, it was warm.
Chen Laosan came out of the house, carrying the pair of sewn shoes in his hand.
The soles were thickly stitched, and two layers of old cloth were sewn onto the uppers.
He handed the shoes to Chen Zheng: "The roads in the provincial capital are hard; these are more comfortable than wearing canvas shoes."
Chen Zheng took it and looked at it.
The stitches are fine and even.
His father's shoe-sewing skills were among the best in the whole village.
Back when we were in the production team, we would weave straw sandals for everyone in the team every winter. A pair of straw sandals could be exchanged for two kilograms of sweet potatoes.
"Dad, did you stay up all night sewing this?"
Go early and come back early.
It was just four words, but Chen Zheng understood the meaning behind them.
His father was a man of few words his whole life.
When I injured my leg that year, I came back from the hospital, squatted on the doorstep, and smoked all night without saying a word.
Later, Chen Zheng asked him if it hurt, and he said it didn't, but his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
This man doesn't like to talk to anyone, not even his son.
But Chen Zheng knew that his father had carefully considered every word he said.
Chen Rong and Chen Feng also came out of the house.
The two were heading back to school today, and they walked to town with Chen Zheng to catch a ride.
Chen Rong carried a schoolbag on his back and a cloth bag in his hand, inside which were steamed cornbread and a jar of pickled vegetables made by Zhang Cuihua.
Chen Feng rubbed his eyes, still yawning, and only woke up when Chen Rong slapped the back of his head.
"Brother, what's the provincial capital like?" Chen Feng asked.
"The buildings are taller than in the county, and there are more people than in the county," Chen Zheng said.
How tall is it?
"It's several stories high."
Chen Feng counted on his fingers for a long time, but still couldn't figure out how tall several floors were.
The tallest building in their Lutang Village is the two-story brick building housing the village committee.
The father and his two sons left the village and walked along the dirt road toward the town.
The rice paddies on both sides of the road have been harvested, leaving only withered yellow stubble standing in the fields.
A thin mist rose over Baiyang Lake, and the reed beds appeared and disappeared in the mist.
Several wild ducks emerged from the fog and flew south in a line.
Upon arriving at the town's bus station, Chen Rong and Chen Feng boarded a bus bound for the county seat.
Chen Rong rolled down the car window and leaned halfway out: "Brother, write to us when we get to the provincial capital."
"Why write a letter? It's only five days. I'll tell you when I get back." Chen Zheng waved his hand.
Chen Feng squeezed in too: "Brother, bring me some good food from the provincial capital!"
"All you ever think about is eating," Chen Rong said, pulling him back.
The shuttle bus sputtered away, leaving a puff of black smoke in its rear, and disappeared around the street corner.
Chen Zheng stood at the entrance of the bus station, waiting for the bus to the provincial capital.
The town's bus station was just a single-story building with a wooden sign hanging at the entrance.
The words "Baiyang Town Bus Station" were written on it, but the paint had all peeled off.
Several people were squatting at the base of the wall, waiting for the bus.
Some were smoking, some were dozing, with snakeskin bags and bamboo baskets at their feet.
Chen Zheng checked his luggage.
A snakeskin bag contained a change of clothes and a few cornbreads that Zhang Cuihua had stuffed inside.
A bamboo basket containing samples for the exhibition.
Five catties of smoked fish, three catties of dried fish, two catties of dried mushrooms, a few pieces of oak mushrooms, and a few pieces of gastrodia elata.
There's also a bag of dried wood ear mushrooms, which I picked in the wild forest last time. They're dried and look quite good.
The bamboo basket lid was tied tightly with hemp rope, and an oiled paper was placed on top to protect it from rain.
He mentally reviewed the exhibition plan.
This trade fair was hosted by the Provincial Department of Agriculture and was much larger in scale than the county's trade fair.
Agricultural products from all over the province must come.
The county agricultural bureau provided each participating representative with a booth.
It was called a booth, but it was really just a long table with a folding chair.
The event lasted five days, with the first two days dedicated to exhibitions and exchanges, and the last three days for order negotiations.
Director Mo of the county's agricultural bureau specifically instructed that...
Wholesalers and restaurant purchasing agents from the provincial capital will be coming; let them prepare accordingly.
Chen Zheng's idea was not to sell in retail.
Retail sales don't yield much profit, and it takes a lot of effort.
He came to recognize someone.
Wholesalers in the provincial capital, purchasing agents for large hotels, and managers of medicinal herb companies.
Once we get to know all these people, we won't have to worry about selling our goods from Baiyang Lake anymore.
He carried a notebook in his pocket, which he used specifically to write down contact information.
The shuttle bus arrived. It was an old Jiefang brand bus, painted green, with the paint bubbling up.
The bus was already more than half full. Chen Zheng squeezed on with his luggage and found a seat by the window.
He placed the bamboo basket at his feet and held it between his legs to prevent it from breaking.
The car swayed and bumped its way out of Baiyang Town, heading towards the provincial capital along the gravel road.
The roadside was initially lined with rice paddies and fishponds, which gradually transformed into hills and mountains.
Pine and fir trees flashed past the car window, and occasionally a few houses could be seen nestled in the valley.
Smoke rose from the tiled roof and drifted gently in the morning light.
Chen Zheng leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, but his mind was racing with the words Zhao Deming had said to him the day before yesterday.
That afternoon, he went to Zhao Deming's house to deliver samples of Gastrodia elata.
Zhao Deming was drying medicinal herbs in the yard when he saw Gastrodia elata. He picked it up and examined the cross-section against the sunlight.
He nodded. "The quality is good. Where did you find this cluster of gastrodia elata?"
"The place where water seeps into the rock face below the cliff on the north side of Eagle's Beak Cliff."
"I know that place."
Zhao Deming put down the gastrodia elata and leaned back in the bamboo chair. "There should be quite a few good things below that cliff."
Gastrodia elata grows parasitically on Armillaria mellea. Where there is Armillaria mellea...
This indicates that the humus layer in that forest is quite thick. Where the humus is thick, something else grows.
"What is it?"
"Poria cocos".
Chen Zheng's heart skipped a beat.
He knew about Poria cocos; it was commonly found in Chinese medicine shops and was used to strengthen the spleen and calm the mind, and was used in very large quantities.
However, wild Poria cocos is much more expensive than cultivated Poria cocos.
Last time at the county medicinal materials company, the old manager mentioned that wild Poria cocos is large, firm, and has a high starch content.
If you take it to the provincial capital, you can sell it for more than five yuan per kilogram.
The best quality ones can sell for eight yuan.
"Teacher Zhao, what kind of environment does Poria cocos grow in?"
Zhao Deming took out the book "Identification of Chinese Medicinal Herbs" from the house, turned to the page about Poria cocos, and pointed it out to Chen Zheng.
The book page depicts a pine tree with a cluster of grayish-brown sclerotia at its base, labeled in tiny handwriting.
Poria cocos mostly grows at the base of Pinus massoniana, and prefers sunny, well-drained slopes.
Trees that are over twenty years old are preferred.
The best time to harvest Poria cocos is from after the first frost to before the beginning of spring, when the texture is firm and the powder is plentiful.
"From the time of Frost's Descent to the time of the Beginning of Spring," Chen Zheng calculated the days in his mind, "now is the perfect time."
Zhao Deming nodded: "That's right."
Moreover, the area around Eagle's Beak Cliff is filled with dense and old pine forests, with the oldest pine trees being at least fifty or sixty years old.
If you can find Poria cocos under those old pine trees, it won't be small.
"Teacher Zhao, could you..." Chen Zheng hadn't finished speaking when Zhao Deming laughed.
"Trying to drag me into the mountains again?"
"Your body..."
"My body is in better shape than you think."
Zhao Deming stood up and took a few steps in the courtyard.
"Last month, when I went to the county hospital for a follow-up examination, Dr. Wei said that my condition had stabilized."
The disease will not recur as long as you avoid overexertion.
A walk in the mountains isn't too strenuous.
He turned around, looked at Chen Zheng, and said, "But you're right, I shouldn't have gone into the mountains alone."
"How about this, when you come back from the provincial capital, call your dad, and the three of us will go together."
"My dad?"
"Your father went into the mountains with me when he was young."
His eyes are better than anyone else's at seeing things in the water, and they're just as good at seeing things in the mountains.
Zhao Deming said, "Once, he found a nest of wild bees near Eagle's Beak Cliff and took me to collect honey."
I collected over ten kilograms and went back to distribute them to the villagers, one bowl for each person.
Your father isn't a talkative man, but he understands things better than anyone else.
Chen Zheng couldn't help but smile as he recalled his father squatting on the threshold of the courtyard smoking.
The bus jolted, pulling Chen Zheng back from his thoughts.
He opened his eyes, and the view outside the window had changed.
The hills have turned into plains, with vegetable fields and orchards on both sides of the road, and occasionally a few two-story brick buildings can be seen.
We're almost at the provincial capital.
The passengers on the bus began to stir.
Some people were unloading their luggage from the overhead racks, while others were standing up to straighten their clothes.
A middle-aged man wearing glasses turned around from the front, glanced at Chen Zheng, and asked, "Young man, are you going to the trade fair?"
Chen Zheng nodded: "You too?"
"Yes. I'm from the Qingshui County Agriculture Bureau, my surname is Fang."
The middle-aged man handed over a business card.
Chen Zheng took it and looked at it.
The business card reads: Mo Wenbo, Head of the Technology Extension Section of the Qingshui County Agricultural Bureau.
"Director Mo, this is Chen Zheng."
Mo Wenbo paused for a moment, then laughed: "You're Chen Zheng? The head of the Baiyang Town promotion station?"
"So young?" He looked Chen Zheng up and down.
"I thought you were at least in your early thirties when I heard your voice on the phone. I didn't expect you to be so young."
"Director Mo, you didn't mention wearing glasses on the phone."
Mo Wenbo laughed heartily, took a document out of his briefcase, and handed it to Chen Zheng:
"This is the booth allocation table for the trade fair."
Your booth is in Section B, number 38, near the main aisle—a good location. Did you bring all the samples you're exhibiting?
"I brought some." Chen Zheng patted the bamboo basket. "Dried fish, smoked fish, dried mushrooms, and medicinal herbs, I brought some of everything."
"Medicinal herbs?" Mo Wenbo's eyes lit up. "You deal in medicinal herbs?"
"Gathered from the mountains. Wild gastrodia elata, agaricus, and ginseng, all in some form."
"Okay." Mo Wenbo made a note in his notebook.
"A group of purchasing agents from provincial capital medicinal herb companies will be attending this trade fair."
They specifically seek out wild medicinal herbs, which fetch significantly higher prices than cultivated ones.
If you have any good stuff, you can talk to them.
The shuttle bus entered the provincial capital, and the number of cars on the road increased.
Bicycles, tricycles, and occasionally a few cars.
There were five- or six-story buildings on both sides, with slogans painted on their gray walls.
Televisions and electric fans were displayed in the shop window.
Chen Zheng looked out the car window, silently memorizing the route.
The changes in the provincial capital were happening faster than he had anticipated.
By the end of 1985, seven years into the reform and opening up, some people along the coast had begun to get rich.
Although the provincial capital can't compare to the seaside, you can still feel a restless energy there.
Several small, individually owned restaurants have recently opened along the roadside, with red signs pasted on their glass doors, and some even have colorful lights hanging on them.
Clothing stalls stretched from inside the market all the way to the sidewalk.
Bell-bottoms, sunglasses, tape recorders, and a colorful array of items hung everywhere.
The shuttle bus stopped at the provincial capital's long-distance bus station.
Chen Zheng got off the car with his luggage, his feet landing on the hard cement ground.
He looked down at his shoes, then at the people coming and going around him.
Some people were wearing leather shoes, some were wearing sneakers, and some were wearing canvas shoes.
But he didn't care.
Mo Wenbo gathered several county representatives at the exit of the station.
There were six people in total. Besides Chen Zheng, the other two were from Chengguan Town.
A vendor selling vegetable seeds.
One sells canned fruit. The other is from Zhao Jiadu, and sells bamboo crafts.
Another one is from Liulin Village, which sells free-range chickens and eggs.
Mo Wenbo counted the number of people and led everyone towards the exhibition center.
The exhibition and sales center is located in the eastern suburbs of the provincial capital, and is a newly built three-story building.
The exterior walls of the building are covered with white ceramic tiles, which are dazzlingly bright under the sun.
A huge red banner hung at the entrance, which read: "Warmly celebrate the grand opening of the provincial agricultural products fair."
A row of cars and bread trucks were parked in front of the gate, along with several trucks loaded with goods.
A cadre in a Zhongshan suit and a purchasing agent carrying a briefcase.
Farmer representatives carrying snakeskin bags came and went, creating a lively scene.
Chen Zheng found his booth in Area B.
A long table covered with a white cloth, with a folding chair behind it.
He took out the samples from the bamboo basket one by one and arranged them on the table.
The smoked fish was wrapped in oil paper, and when you unwrapped it, you could smell a smoky, burnt aroma.
The dried fish were strung together with thin hemp rope, gleaming with an amber luster.
The dried mushrooms were packed in a small cloth bag, their fresh aroma mingling with the scent of pine needles.
The Gastrodia elata and Ganoderma lucidum were wrapped in straw paper and a handwritten label was placed on top.
It states the place of origin and the time of harvesting, and the handwriting is neat.
After setting up the samples, he began to observe the other booths around him.
On the left is a honey shop, on the right is a tea shop, and across the street is a cured meat shop.
Diagonally opposite is a booth selling Chinese medicinal herbs, which is filled with various samples of herbs.
Angelica sinensis, astragalus membranaceus, codonopsis pilosula, and wolfberry are just some of the many ingredients available.
The stall owner was a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing an old felt hat, and was negotiating prices with a man in a Zhongshan suit.
"How much is this Codonopsis pilosula?"
"Artificially grown, eight yuan per jin."
"What about wild ones?"
"Wild? Where are there any wild ones left now?"
The stall owner shook his head, "The wild ones have all been dug up long ago."
If you can find wild codonopsis, a good quality one, you can sell it for over ten yuan.
Chen Zheng's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't interrupt.
He wasn't in a hurry to sell anything. The trade fair lasted five days; the first day was for observing.
Look at other people's goods, market prices, and the people coming and going.
He took out his notebook, spread it on the table, and prepared to record any useful information at any time.
The trade fair officially opened at 9:00 a.m.