Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 1049 - 1029. Attending to a Drunkard

Chapter 1049: 1029. Attending to a Drunkard

The old pickup truck had transported pigs and vegetables before. Song Tan never imagined that one day it would be used to carry people...

The forests on both sides of the road were pitch black, and the solar-powered streetlights barely illuminated the pale road surface. Winter nights were quiet and easily sparked imagination...

But Song Tan wasn’t afraid of anything, and Qiaoqiao wasn’t thinking about much either. Instead, she squatted in the truck bed, wobbling happily with her hat on:

"Sis, it feels like we’re selling piglets!"

After a moment, she corrected herself: "No, wait, they’re big pigs now."

The "big pigs," with the warmth of alcohol long dissipated in the courtyard, were now huddled and crouching to keep their balance as the chilly night wind swept over them. At this moment, they were as obedient as statues.

Hearing snippets of what was being said up front, Song Tan couldn’t help but laugh—this wasn’t hauling pigs; it was quite literally selling people!

Drinking causes trouble!

The dormitory on the mountain had been tidied up, but compared to the lively warmth of the stove at the foothill, it felt much colder. Currently, the only people staying there were Aunt Lianhua, Professor Song and his spouse, and Master Jiang and his wife...

Wait, what?

Song Tan suddenly realized: "Where are Professor Song and Master Jiang?"

Qiaoqiao hopped off the truck and curiously said, "Sis, did you forget? They passed out after just half a glass of wine, and the rest of it got polished off by a few of the brothers."

Song Tan: ...Let’s not dwell on this. I really did forget!

Honestly, who would even remember those who passed out in chairs snoring after just one round when everyone was busy showing off their food? They’re probably still sitting in the dining hall!

She beckoned to Qiaoqiao: "Secretary Xiaozu just gave you the keys. Go open the doors and turn on the air conditioning."

In the depths of winter, nobody in the village used air conditioning. Starting one or two units wasn’t a big deal, but during summer, if all the dorms started their ACs at the same time, the transformer would instantly overload.

That’s why Secretary Xiaozu was always eager to invite higher-ups to visit—upgrading electricity was one of those things that needed official approval from above to get done.

The rooms were all lined up in a row, and this big group of people wasn’t too picky. As long as there were enough beds to sleep on, they were fine. So Qiaoqiao moved quickly—

Opening the door, turning on the lights, switching on the air conditioning—all done in one go.

When Qiaoqiao returned to the gate, she found Song Tan impatiently judging someone’s slow, waddling disembarkment, which resembled a penguin. So Song Tan hopped back onto the truck, grabbed the person by the underarm, and plopped them straight to the ground.

"Alright, take them in, pull off their shoes and jacket, and just throw a blanket over them."

The old men were one thing, but those younger ones crawling and wriggling on the ground? Their clothes were completely coated with dirt!

Seeing how obediently they were crouching now, Song Tan couldn’t help but sigh and add, "Make sure to pull those jackets off cleanly, or we’ll have to wash the blankets, too."

"You take care of them first. I’ll head back down the mountain to round up the others."

As she spoke, the hum of a tricycle engine sounded from not far away.

Song Tan took a few steps ahead and saw Wu Lan riding her family’s chestnut-colored tricycle up a slope. In the truck bed behind her, there were a few more people piled in.

Only when the tricycle approached did it become clear—these weren’t really sitting people; they were sprawled out, passed out, and leaning against the side panels. It was Professor Song and his wife, alongside Master Jiang and his wife!

Aunt Lianhua was pitifully crouched in a corner, with barely any space to plant her feet.

"I mean, this old lady!" Wu Lan stopped the tricycle and couldn’t help but complain,

"I told her our homebrewed liquor is strong and just wanted her to take a sip as a gesture. But no, she insisted that she used to sip red wine regularly back in the day... Pfft, I know that wine! How could it possibly compare with our grain liquor?"

And there you have it—everyone full of confidence, chugged it down like a champ, and then collapsed from the alcohol.

They didn’t even get to enjoy the great dinner. If it weren’t for us watching them, they would’ve slid under the table already.

Aunt Lianhua also wiped off some sweat, struggling to drag people off the tricycle—after all, if someone’s passed out drunk, moving them becomes exhausting!

Thankfully, Song Tan quickly took over: "Auntie, let me carry them. You and my mom go ahead and tidy up the rooms."

The two women fumbled about for a bit before finally fishing the keys out of their pockets.

...

After a whole evening of chaos, it was already past 8 p.m. when everyone was settled. Wu Lan joined Song Tan, Qiaoqiao, and Grandma by the fire to snack on strawberries. Unable to hold back her curiosity, Grandma asked:

"These strawberries are so tasty. How much do you think we can sell them for per pound next year?"

Song Tan thought for a moment: "A hundred... no, wait, Boss Chang is so greedy; he’ll want to buy them all. Let’s set wholesale at 130, and online at 188."

Grandma let out a sharp "hiss," evidently shocked.

But as the head of the household, she had her own kind of wisdom—she didn’t earn money herself and hadn’t earned much before, so she wouldn’t go around giving unhelpful advice to her capable grandchildren.

So she simply said, "If I’d known radishes and cabbages could make money, I’d have planted some this year too."

Song Tan burst out laughing: "Grandma, I’m using your vegetable plots for seedlings, remember? Where are you going to plant anything? Plus, radishes and cabbages are for the villagers to plant. That way, if they want seedlings later, they’ll look out for me."

"If you’re interested, tomorrow I’ll ask Tian Tian to take you to her family’s plot to check out the strawberries."

"Once you’ve learned, next year I’ll return the vegetable plots to you and bring you some seedlings, and you can plant strawberries."

Though strawberry farming involves numerous small details to keep an eye on, it’s not particularly labor-intensive, and seniors can handle it. Moreover, strawberries fetch a higher price, making it more lucrative.

Grandma grew curious: "So how much do you think the strawberries we’re growing will sell for per pound?"

That, Song Tan wasn’t sure about yet: "The ones here were delayed in fruiting because of the seedlings. Only a few have ripened now, and I haven’t even tasted them. Tian Tian cleaned up today, and tomorrow, Old Zhao’s coming over to try some and name a price."

"But my guess is, no less than 40 per pound."

This season, decent strawberries were already selling for 15-20 per pound in the market. Lower-quality ones at roadside stalls could be had for as little as 7 bucks.

However, as the Chinese New Year approached, strawberry prices were bound to soar. Even ordinary varieties could hit 40-50 per pound by then.

But these strawberries weren’t to be sold to Old Zhao. The quantity was too small—barely enough for a single meal—pointless to mix in with his usual radishes and cabbages.

"Let Boss Chang have them. When we host the pig feast, we’ll let him set a price. Maybe also list a few batches on the village’s online store."

This weaker batch of "radish-and-cabbage-level" strawberries, Song Tan planned to sell mainly through the village’s online store. Only by doing so could the store maintain its appeal.

As for Boss Chang, his big-spending habits meant that if he took some back to give to clients, there was no way the price would be lower than 60 per pound.

"60?"

Grandma’s enthusiasm ignited instantly. She mentally calculated the numbers—

Didn’t Professor Song mention that well-grown strawberries could yield several thousand pounds per acre? At 60 per pound, wasn’t that way more than what Grandpa and his crew earned weaving straw mats?

"Great!" Grandma was thrilled: "Tomorrow, I’m definitely going to check out the strawberries with Tian Tian. Tantan, get me a notebook and pencil—I’ve been learning to write on Douyin lately, and I’m getting better at it."