Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 1056 - 1036. Tian Tian sends strawberries (the Chapter number was wrong in the previous - )

Chapter 1056: 1036. Tian Tian sends strawberries (the Chapter number was wrong in the previous Chapter)

The slightly yellow, boiling rock sugar syrup bubbled gently, rolling in the shallow small pot. The room was warm and cozy, and everyone gathered together, peeling oranges leisurely. The whole house was filled with the rich aroma of oranges.

Old Wang peeled another orange, carefully separating the segments one by one, and couldn’t help mumbling: "A pound of oranges, half a pound of peel – this peel is way too thick."

"Thick is better!" Secretary Xiaozu explained, "These are grown in the neighboring village, one yuan per pound. Stop being picky."

"Besides, thick skin makes them more durable for storage, and it’s easier to sell locally."

One yuan per pound?

At this point, Old Wang stopped complaining. Oranges grown in northern climates—when winter temperatures drop—develop thicker skins; otherwise, they wouldn’t last till this time of the year.

He glanced at Old Li next to him, who was meticulously removing the thin fibers from the orange segments. After a pause, Old Wang discreetly retrieved the segments he had previously taken apart...

Hmph, when it comes to meticulousness, Old Wang isn’t inferior either!

Over on the side, Wu Lan and her group were stringing orange segments together with bamboo skewers. Qiaoqiao, familiar with the process, deftly rolled one skewer through the pot and quickly transferred it to the nearby basin of cold water—

In no time, a rock sugar candied orange was ready.

The first candied orange, naturally, was for her dear sister! Qiaoqiao eagerly stared at Song Tan: "Does it taste good?"

Song Tan took two crisp bites of the sugary coating. The local oranges weren’t overly sweet, just cooling and juicy, blending with the melted sugary sweetness...

"It’s alright," she gave a fair assessment.

"Oh!" Qiaoqiao wasn’t discouraged; instead, she seemed quite confident: "Then I’ll keep making candied oranges and, once I’ve mastered it, I’ll try candied strawberries!"

Song Tan was intrigued by the idea and immediately encouraged her: "Alright, keep at it! We’ve got plenty of family here, and candied oranges keep well—make as many as you like!"

Wu Lan had picked dozens of pounds of oranges last time, and despite the family eating them for several days, there was still a small pile left. Song Tan thought it best to use them up quickly.

The group worked like a production line, quickly churning out candied oranges. Secretary Xiaozu tasted his nth piece and couldn’t help but lament:

"Shitou Slope... it’s really tough to grow anything there!"

"Who says so?" Song Tan disagreed. "When you convinced me to lease that persimmon grove, you didn’t say that."

Secretary Xiaozu replied earnestly, "If it weren’t connected to your rocky land, would I have convinced you?"

"Besides, the old persimmon trees still produce decent fruit. It’s just not convenient to sell, so you’d have to ripen them at home. Treat it as enjoying them yourselves!"

Song Tan understood this well. The land she leased was quite peculiar—if you viewed the mountains inside and outside Yunqiao Village like the letter ’O,’ Shitou Slope formed the bottom hook.

From above, the terrain resembled a small letter ’g,’ with the empty space between the ’O’ and the hook made up of cliffs, riverside beach, grassland, and the stretch of Jinhe.

Overall, it was reasonably manageable, and tending the land later wouldn’t be too laborious.

Except—

"Will the road to Shitou Slope be finished next year?"

This winter, time was tight, and road construction had paused as the ground froze. Next year, the surrounding branch roads also needed repairs.

Secretary Xiaozu nodded affirmatively: "Yes, once the road is done, it’ll be easier to access."

At this point, Old Li from the elders’ Tian Group chimed in: "You leased quite a bit of land. Are you planning on deep processing or just selling raw crops directly?"

Professor Song and Teacher Tang, who had been silent all morning, couldn’t help glancing over. Song Tan answered casually:

"We’ll see. For fresh produce, it’s obviously simpler to sell directly. But for places like Shitou Slope, I plan to spend a few years growing persimmon trees. Later, I’ll set up a small factory to make dried persimmons."

She thought for a moment and added: "The environment over at Shitou Slope is far from ideal compared to here. Overall, it’s best suited for processing—like the Ai Cao and wild chrysanthemums I’m planning to plant early next year."

These crops weren’t fussy about soil conditions; they would thrive easily and adapt well to that land.

"As for the land here at home... we’ll grow whatever we want to eat, and sell whatever we grow."

Her explanation was so straightforward that everyone present was momentarily speechless.

Just then, the rumble of a motorcycle sounded outside—it was Tian Tian arriving.

She had spent all winter running around everywhere, so her cheeks were naturally flushed red. Her overall spirit, however, seemed even more vibrant. She quickly unfastened the leather strap on the back seat of her motorcycle and brought out a foam box:

"I just picked these this morning; here, try them and see if they pass the test!"

Now it was the elders’ Tian Group who grew excited.

Last night, after drinking themselves silly, they woke up this morning regretting not getting to seriously discuss the strawberries’ flavor and price with Song Tan. Their hearts practically dripped with remorse!

But, if they were asked again last night whether or not they’d still drink, it’s clear none of them would hesitate.

They’d just promise themselves to savor things properly next time.

"Don’t get so excited," Secretary Xiaozu tried to calm them. "The taste level is probably comparable to radishes and cabbages you’ve sampled before—it’s not the same as what Song Tan grows at home."

Lao Zhu wasn’t bothered: "If there’s no fish, shrimp suffices."

After all, they’d arrived early, and there’d be plenty of chances to try the strawberries later. For now, they’d move step by step, starting with the lower-tier version!

Wu Lan took the foam box, and just as Tian Tian removed her gloves, Teacher Tang instructed: "Quick, rub your hands, rub your face, and warm your cheeks with your palms before letting go."

The elderly lady had her own ways of maintaining good skin, and even at her age, her complexion remained fair and smooth. Though Tian Tian had to live rough in the village, it wasn’t as if she wanted to look coarse forever.

She obediently followed suit, doing as she was told.

Only then did the elderly lady remind her: "After riding the motorcycle in the cold wind, and then suddenly coming into a warm room with heating, you must do this first to shield yourself. Otherwise, your skin will deteriorate, and your health will suffer too."

Unfortunately, no one else seemed interested in this advice; their eyes stayed fixed on the foam box being opened.

The foam box appeared to be repurposed from some random delivery parcel, with a piece of hard cardboard separating its center. On either side were two types of strawberries—white on one side, red on the other—and upon opening, a fragrant aroma filled the air, mingled with hints of mild peach scent.

"Oh my!" Lao Zhu exclaimed first, "These strawberries smell incredible!"

"Yes!" Tian Tian nodded. "I followed Professor Song’s techniques, adjusting little by little. Overall, it’s not overly difficult, but to achieve good appearance requires careful effort."

"But these strawberries are truly excellent. If planted slightly later next time, and if they hit the market during Chinese New Year, the prices would definitely skyrocket."

Speaking of this, she sighed: "Last year during the holiday, relatives drove back from the urban area, passing by a strawberry farm where the elderly woman carrying a basket intercepted cars midway..."

Well, no one wants trouble during the holidays, so buying the strawberries wasn’t the issue.

The problem? Sixty yuan per pound—it was infuriating!