Chapter 56: The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife
Chapter 56: Half for Each
Bai Lu received the large orange handed to her by the big shot, curiously asking, "Do you always carry this with you when you go out?"
Xiao Cheng casually replied, "It's an offering."
Bai Lu was shocked, even the ancestors haven't eaten it, and he's giving it to her. Is this... appropriate? Shouldn't she be pleasantly surprised?
Her heart raced uncontrollably.
Bai Lu, seemingly nonchalant, patted her chest and said with a normal smile, "Xiao Wei is hungry too."
Xiao Wei, standing like a transparent man, was called out, really wanting to find a hole to hide in.
He's not hungry! Not hungry! Not hungry!
Xiao Cheng then pulled out another orange, half the size of the one Bai Lu had, and gave it to her.
Bai Lu immediately handed it to Xiao Wei.
Xiao Wei: "..."
Okay, maybe he's a bit hungry.
Bai Lu peeled the already cracked orange, divided it into two halves, giving one half to Xiao Cheng and keeping the other for herself.
Xiao Cheng glanced at the orange pulp in his hand, furrowed his brows ever so slightly, then relaxed, lips curving as he savored the sweetness.
The more Bai Lu ate, the more she felt that the orange in her mouth was sweeter than what Aunt Wu sold. Probably because it's an offering.
Just as she finished the last slice, the big straw hat on her head suddenly made a "popping" sound, as if something had hit it.
And yet, nothing fell to the ground.
Oh no!
Could it be bird droppings???
The mountain is densely covered with trees, perfect for birds to build nests.
Just as this terrifying thought crossed her mind, a slender, bony hand reached out from behind her and picked up a dark red to almost black object from the top of her head.
About to toss it away casually.
"Wait!"
Bai Lu grabbed Xiao Cheng's hand, took the dark red object, and sniffed it near her nose.
Indeed, a fragrant aroma wafted, a bit too close.
"Isn't this star anise?" Bai Lu pinched the star anise and looked up. The trees were too tall to see, only lush green leaves, occasionally a few dark objects hanging on the branches.
Star anise, also known as fennel, can be used to make spices, braising sauces, hot pot bases, etc., and has considerable medicinal value.
"It is star anise," Xiao Cheng affirmed her answer.
Bai Lu, surprised and puzzled, asked, "Isn't the ripe season for star anise similar to chestnuts? Both ripen around July or August. Why are there still star anise falling now?"
"Because no one picks them when they ripen. Star anise just hangs on the tree until the wind blows them down."
A thin, white-haired old lady with rosy cheeks appeared from behind a big tree.
After answering Bai Lu's question, the old lady turned to Xiao Cheng with a kind smile. "Young man, thank you for the oranges. My teeth almost rotted from the sweetness."
"They were given by Xiao Dazhuang," Xiao Cheng said honestly.
Not taking credit for what wasn't his, he didn't even accept thanks.
The old lady wanted the oranges when she saw Xiao Dazhuang holding them. Xiao Dazhuang hesitated, so she insisted. Xiao Dazhuang then went to ask Xiao Cheng. Since Xiao Cheng didn't say anything, Xiao Dazhuang assumed he agreed, sneaked one orange, and gave it to the old lady.
When he turned around, he found Xiao Cheng also holding two. The old lady happened to see this, so she believed the oranges were from Xiao Cheng to Xiao Dazhuang, and Xiao Dazhuang gave them to her.
"Oh..."
The old lady nodded after hearing Xiao Cheng's explanation. "So, your name is Xiao Dazhuang. Granny remembers."
Xiao Cheng: "..."
Xiao Wei suppressed a laugh, tightly biting his little mouth.
Bai Lu, already leaning on Xiao Cheng's shoulder, couldn't stop laughing.
Seeing him about to speak in rebuttal, she quickly tugged at the clothes on his arm, controlling her laughter and shaking her head.
It took quite a while before she changed the subject for him: "Granny, isn't star anise worth money? Why not pick it? Leaving it on the tree for so long, it must have been damaged by the rain."
The old lady, in a good mood after eating the orange from Xiao Dazhuang, smiled and replied, "Star anise is not valuable, so no one picks it. Even if they do, it's just a little for making the braised pork during the New Year."
"How much is the purchase price?" Bai Lu asked.
The old lady shook her head and sighed, "Eight cents."
"So low!" White Lu couldn't believe it.
The old lady explained, "People from outside come to buy star anise. Every time, they say our star anise is no good, not uniform in size and color, and doesn't have the strong fragrance like the ones outside. They even talk about misshapen melons and cracked dates. They say eight cents is the highest local purchase price."
"The children have to climb high trees to pick star anise, it's hard and dangerous. Even if they pick for a whole day, they won't make much money, harder than farming. So, they just leave it on the tree. If the birds like to eat it, they can have it. If not, it stays."
"Anyway, it was planted during the days of the production team. Star anise trees here, cedar trees on that hill, chestnuts, lychees, and pomelos on the other hills... all kinds of trees. Later, after the land reform, the hills were allocated to the villagers. Since no fertilizers were used, and there was no care, everyone just stopped bothering."
If it weren't for the oranges from Xiao Dazhuang, the old lady wouldn't have explained it so thoroughly. She's usually not talkative. After explaining, she turned to Xiao Cheng with a kind smile.
Dazhuang is such a filial child.
Xiao Cheng: "..."
He wanted to leave, but Bai Lu pulled him.
Bai Lu remembered that in the future, although the price of star anise fluctuated, the demand was high, and the purchase price was never so absurdly low.
Moreover, this province is the hometown of star anise, accounting for ninety percent of the country's star anise production.
There are processing plants for star anise in many places in the province. However, due to immature processing technology, they can't ensure the taste and quality of the products, preventing prices from rising.
From the 1990s to the 21st century, the price of star anise fluctuated several times but eventually reached a stable and record high.
Even now, the price is not too low, and buyers are selective. Most likely, they are being suppressed by the big snakes in the southern market.
Outsiders who want to come in for purchases have to pay a high price. The star anise prices of the mountain folks are hard to increase.
The giant snakes in the southern market,
with overwhelming power, collectively suppress specific industries, monopolizing the market prices.
External businesses wanting to purchase face substantial costs, making it difficult for the mountain people's star anise prices to rise.
Bai Lu looked around at the endless hills covered in star anise trees, faintly curving her lips. Star anise...
Another road to wealth!
If they can open up external markets, sell to other regions during the season, the big shots will become rich, advancing by many years.
The ancestral elders of the Xiao family are really good to Xiao Cheng. They don't blame him when he doesn't come, but when he does, they give him a fortune.
Moreover, these continuous hills not only have chestnut and star anise trees but also many fruit trees, all allocated to the private land of the villagers of the Xiao family.
If they can open up the market, sell to other regions during the season, the big shots will become rich, advancing by many years.
Bai Lu, excitedly unable to control herself, shook Xiao Cheng's arm. Xiao Cheng was puzzled, unable to understand despite pondering.
"Children, let's go worship the ancestors. May the ancestors bless you with good health and success in your careers."
The old lady, hearing the calls from Xiao Guofu and Li Hongying, reminded Xiao Cheng, White Lu, and the little boy who had been quietly standing beside them.
After the reminder, she ran ahead.
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