Gourd Farm Chapter 92
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 92: Preparing for the Temple Fair
On the field, Xia Tian and Xia Ying were sitting and chatting. When they saw Yang Feng approaching, Xia Tian ran over. "Brother Feng, I was about to fall asleep waiting for you."
Yang Feng was also in a hurry. If he hadn't been delayed by a group of old men, he would have arrived earlier.
After laying out the lines, Xia Ying followed behind and sprinkled some white flour as a marker. Xia Tian was responsible for arranging the steel frames one by one, which would save a lot of time when it came to inserting the poles.
After half an hour, the preliminary preparations were almost complete. The next step was to insert the poles, a task Xia Ying couldn't help with due to her limited strength.
Yang Feng picked up a pole, exerted force with both hands, and inserted it into the designated position. He explained to Xia Tian the depth at which the poles should be inserted, and the two of them began working in tandem.
Xia Tian managed to insert the first dozen poles vigorously, but as he continued, he struggled to keep up with Yang Feng's pace.
Observing Yang Feng's enduring effort, Xia Tian couldn't help but ask, "Brother Feng, what do you eat? You're so tenacious."
Chuckling, Yang Feng, holding a pole ready to be inserted, couldn't help but laugh at Xia Tian's interruption, losing the strength he had been holding back.
"I must say, your way with words is improving," he remarked.
Xia Tian gestured for Yang Feng to be more discreet with his words, as Xia Ying was not far away. If she overheard, she would surely give them an earful.
After an hour and a half of hard work, the entire frame was almost complete, and it was getting dark. "Xia Ying, let's tidy up and call it a day."
Originally, he had planned to complete the construction, but with the early onset of darkness, and considering Xia Ying's family situation, he always made sure to let them leave early. As long as the work was efficient, he didn't mind losing half an hour.
After two days of working overtime, the three greenhouses were neatly completed. Yang Feng now had a total of six greenhouses and was considering what to plant next.
The fifty acres of land were also ready, and he planned to temporarily use thirty acres to grow onions and garlic. The market for garlic had been optimistic in recent years, with prices reaching up to eight yuan per kilogram.
As Xia Ying finished tidying up some tools, she walked over and asked, "Yang Feng, what do you plan to plant in these greenhouses?"
"I haven't decided yet. I plan to reserve one of the greenhouses for cultivating mushrooms," Yang Feng replied.
"What about the matsutake mushrooms you were researching the other day? How did it go?" Xia Ying inquired.
At the mention of this, Yang Feng blushed. "Don't mention it. I bought a bag of matsutake mushrooms, but they all ended up rotting. I couldn't figure out the right method."
Xia Ying didn't seem to mind. "That's normal. It's rare to figure it out on the first try."
Yang Feng suspected that Xia Tian didn't know about this, otherwise this food lover would surely complain about the waste.
Changing the subject, Xia Ying suggested, "Yang Feng, the annual temple fair is coming up in a few days. Should we prepare some goods to sell?"
"The temple fair?"
"Yes, it's just a few days before New Year's Day. It's an annual event," Xia Ying explained.
Yang Feng pondered for a moment. There used to be a temple fair, which typically lasted three to five days. People from all over would come, and there would be a wide variety of goods for sale.
He hadn't been back for several years and wasn't sure if the temple fair was still as lively as before. If it was, his third greenhouse's strawberries could fetch a good profit.
"Xia Ying, is the temple fair as lively as it used to be?" he asked.
"You don't know. Since last year, the police station has been sending a lot of officers to maintain order on the day of the temple fair. Otherwise, the large crowds could easily lead to stampedes," Xia Ying explained.
After hearing Xia Ying's remarks, Yang Feng was looking forward to the upcoming temple fair. He remembered the excitement of attending the fair in his childhood, with circus performances and various oddities that left him dazzled.
Suddenly, Xia Tian appeared out of nowhere. "What are you guys talking about?"
"We're discussing what to have for lunch. We've been discussing for a while but haven't reached a decision," Xia Ying explained.
At the mention of food, Xia Tian immediately perked up. "Brother Feng, why don't you just ask me? I can decide what to eat."
Seeing his brother's enthusiasm for food, Xia Ying couldn't help but chuckle.
Yang Feng walked out directly, ready to get to work. He didn't have time to engage with this food lover.
Confused, Xia Tian muttered, "I don't see what's wrong with what I said. What's got into everyone?"
As the temple fair approached, every household was busy preparing items to sell. Missing out on this event would be a missed opportunity.
While inspecting the strawberries in the greenhouse, the door curtain was suddenly lifted, and Yang Feng saw that it was Liu Wan'er.
"Miss Wan’er, what brings you here today?" he asked.
Liu Wan'er replied in a hurry, "The village chief asked me to inform you that all greenhouse owners are to gather at the village office for a meeting."
"Why the rush?" Yang Feng inquired.
Liu Wan'er rolled her eyes. "If it wasn't urgent, would I have rushed over to inform you?"
Although Yang Feng was curious, he didn't want to delay the meeting. It was likely related to the upcoming temple fair.
Upon arriving at the village office's meeting room, a few people had already arrived. He found a seat and waited for the meeting to begin.
Several minutes later, the village chief and Liu Wan'er arrived.
The village chief scanned the room and, seeing that most people had arrived, he tapped the table to signal for quiet.
"As you all know, this year's temple fair is about to begin. It's a local tradition with unique characteristics. Unlike previous years, almost every household in our village now has a greenhouse. Let's discuss how to maximize the benefits of this event," the village chief announced.
As he spoke, the attendees began to whisper among themselves.
"I plan to sell our vegetables this year. They're the freshest around."
"I doubt that. Our tomatoes are big and sweet."
"Our strawberries are ready for picking. I'll have my wife prepare some to sell."
These were all genuine farmers. They had spent their lives either farming or working as laborers and had never engaged in business.
The village chief was pleased to hear their discussions, but he felt that their mindset had not fully opened up. They were still focused on individual interests, lacking a collective mindset.
"Quiet down, everyone. Yang Feng, what do you plan to do for this event?" the village chief asked.
Sitting in the corner, Yang Feng felt a bit embarrassed as everyone's attention turned to him.
"Well, I plan to assess the scale of the event. If there's a large turnout, I'll organize a ‘pick-your-own’ activity. This will not only increase our visibility but also enhance customer interaction," he responded.
The people in the room reacted differently to Yang Feng's proposal—some nodded in agreement, while others seemed puzzled, perhaps not fully understanding his idea.
At this point, Liu Wan'er took over the conversation. "Yang Feng, your idea is good, but I wonder if you have the capacity and manpower to keep up with the demand?"
"The quantity is not a problem. My batch of strawberries is just ripe, and as for the manpower, it will depend on the crowd at the time," Yang Feng responded.
