Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 776 - Chapter 776 766. Do chestnuts make money _1

Chapter 776: 766. Do chestnuts make money? _1 Chapter 776: 766. Do chestnuts make money? _1 Zhang Yanping, looking at the live stream viewer count that had now surpassed a hundred thousand, felt a moment of bewilderment, followed by a sneaky thrill:

Could it be that I have the talent to become an internet celebrity?

But soon, the barrage of comments gave him a lesson in humility.

[Brother, could you move aside a bit so I can see that guy’s fishing rod?]

[Brother, can you turn the camera around? I want to see your family’s pond… It’s really beautiful!]

[Brother, look quick, is there a duck laying eggs in that patch of water plants?]

[Oh no, duck eggs can spoil easily in water, Brother, why don’t you sell a batch of eggs like that? I’ve watched Teacher Qiaoqiao’s live stream, and I should be able to pickle them.]

[Brother, where’s Teacher Qiaoqiao? Didn’t you say she was up in the mountains picking chestnuts?]

[Brother…]

[Brother…]

The repeated calls of “Brother” filled Zhang Yanping with despair: Such a superficial world! Ever since he had become tanned and more muscular, aside from Tantan’s family, no one dared joke with him anymore!

He wiped his face, then turned the camera: “Alright, alright, I’ll take you to see the chestnuts…”

He had been planning to come up with some sales pitch to warm up the live stream and sell something, but seeing this reaction… forget it, better leave it to Qiaoqiao.

…

Qiaoqiao was up in the mountains, merrily pushing along with the villagers, using a fruit-picker among the trees!

Close by was the chatter of uncles and aunties.

“You know, why didn’t we have something like this years ago? It’s round and rolls on the ground, and the chestnuts just fall right into it.”

“Exactly! I used to dread going to the mountain to pick chestnuts. My back would hurt so much after a day.”

“Your thing can only pick up the fruits by rolling them. Look at my tool, though. The handle can be extended or shortened and it’s not heavy… it’s so handy for picking up these chestnuts!”

“That’s true! We used to use tongs and scissors before. With scissors, you had to bend your back. And tongs, they’re heavy. Whatever you use, after a couple of hours your palms would be raw, even with gloves on…”

“Wu Lan’s Chestnut Garden is only this big, and with so many of us here, we could almost pick them all in one day. In a couple of days, I’ll ask if he still needs this little gadget. If not, I’ll borrow it to use.”

“Aiyo, we’re thinking the same thing. I wanted to ask about it too. There are over twenty acres of forest at my house that hasn’t been managed for a few years because of work, and I’m planning to clean it up this year.”

“Oh? You want to sell the chestnuts? Isn’t your husband gone? Each of these things can easily weigh over a hundred pounds; you won’t even be able to carry them.”

“Not selling! Who would bother with that these days? The markets don’t take them anymore. The price they offer is so low, just over two yuan per pound, and they only pick the good ones…”

When it came to chestnuts, everyone had complicated feelings.

Could you make money from them? Definitely, otherwise why would so many local farmers grow them?

But farmers aren’t fools. Chestnuts require grafting, fertilizing, and maintenance, and after toiling away for an entire year, you would earn just a thousand yuan or so per mu, not even accounting for the costs!

Compared to that, going out to work seems a bit easier for those who have the choice.

Indeed, among those who were helping out today, some had just returned from working elsewhere, while others still had family members away at work.

So when it came to selling chestnuts, nobody was really keen on the idea.

Chestnuts aren’t like other fruits that you can sell right after picking. They have to be hammered, peeled, then selected, and, in the end, they can’t be stored. Once prepared, you have to carry around bags weighing a hundred pounds or so to the town…

When transportation used to be inconvenient, it was truly backbreaking work for farmers to earn some money!

Unfortunately, most of those who came to work today were the only person available at home. Without anyone to lend a hand, they couldn’t even carry the load, so it was better to just give up.

For this reason, everyone wasn’t worried about making money from the chestnuts at Chestnut Garden. As they worked, they felt more at ease and the conversations became more cheerful.

“I’m not selling, I just go up the mountain for a stroll, pick a hundred or so pounds, sun-dry some, roast some, and freeze them. When guests come over during the New Year, we’ll have snacks to offer.”

“Hey, that’s a good idea! If you’re not selling your chestnuts, I might as well come over to your place and pick about a hundred pounds myself. You’ve seen my chestnuts, growing alongside tea plants–it’d be such a hassle to look for them!”

“Sure! Let’s ask Wu Lan later if we can borrow that thing to use. If it’s not too expensive, we might buy one next year.”

Everyone chuckled and laughed, their hands moving swiftly as the baskets gradually filled up, until someone wearing a motorcycle helmet shouted from farther away:

“Don’t come this way! They’re still being knocked down here, watch out for chestnut burrs hitting your head!”

Qiaoqiao, puzzled, watched and listened, and for some reason, felt incredibly happy inside.

…

That was when Zhang Yanping came up the mountain.

His timing was off; just as he found Qiaoqiao, Wu Lei and Zhang Wang rode by on a tricycle.

Just like Brother Yanping, Zhang Yanping looked robust but had no intention of doing any physical labor. Now he was openly shirking his duties under the guise of handling various miscellaneous online shop tasks.

And Wu Lei? Even without a girlfriend, his dream of a down payment had inexplicably not yet been shattered.

Right then, as Zhang Yanping talked to Qiaoqiao, Wu Lei stood beside them, enviously holding a heavy basket, and being careful to avoid the spikes of the chestnut burrs poking through the gaps in the bamboo basket and pricking him…

Feeling the intensity of his gaze, Zhang Yanping: …

He sighed, “Ah, Qiaoqiao, your sister is too stingy. I only make a little over two thousand yuan a month; when will she give me a raise to three thousand?”

“Although I don’t do physical work, my efforts aren’t any less. I even stay up late to work!”

Wu Lei paused in his steps: …He wasn’t wrong.

He earned higher wages, and it was only right for him to put in more effort. Nowadays, they no longer needed to pick vegetables to sell, and farm work ended at dusk, allowing him to play video games for several hours every night.

In comparison, Zhang Yanping, who had to act as customer service until midnight, might not be living as carefree as himself.

Contented, he picked up his basket and got into the vehicle.

The buzzing of the tricycle faded as it drove away, and just as Zhang Yanping was secretly feeling smug, he saw Qiaoqiao looking at him plaintively:

“Brother Yanping, my sister isn’t stingy at all…”

Zhang Yanping: …one problem solved and another pops up! What could he do but apologize promptly:

“I was wrong, just joking–But Qiaoqiao, do you really think your sister isn’t stingy? All right, enough said! Here, take my phone, your students haven’t seen chestnut picking, have they? Come on, show them!”

“Ah, right!” Qiaoqiao suddenly remembered, and adeptly took the microphone from Zhang Yanping’s hand, clipping it onto his collar.

Once the wires were threaded through his clothing and plugged in, he took the phone and aimed the camera towards the tallest chestnut tree in the center of Chestnut Garden:

“Kids, today I’ll teach you something new–look, this is my family’s Chestnut Garden!”

“Doesn’t that largest tree in the middle look about three stories tall? It’s wild, and not ripe yet. Once it’s ripe, its chestnuts will be small but incredibly fragrant!”

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