Chapter 254: 254 little thoughts
Feng Baoshan sighed. Their farm used to grow cotton, but since the yields were not impressive and could not compete with other crops in terms of profitability, no one had grown it for six or seven years.
Seeing others earn money from it over the years created some imbalance in their hearts. Knowing there was cotton this year and they had none, they wanted to drop the price.
From this, one can see a person's true nature. At the meeting, it was mentioned that the two children donated all their money. Yet, that did not deter people's jealousy.
"Alright, it's yours, you can decide for yourself."
When Feng Baoshan sighed, Su Yuanyuan roughly understood the situation. Fortunately, she had less land this year, so even if she earned something, it wouldn't be a significant amount.
"Alright, I will still donate this year, so there's no need to keep much grain at home. However, I also plan to donate the cotton, so I won't give it to the farm."
What a joke, to take advantage of someone, they must be willing.
"Director Feng, can I still directly hand over corn cobs this year?"
"This year, it was decided at the meeting that if you want to hand them over like this, there will be a 25% deduction, but you can hand them over now."
Su Yuanyuan thought about it. Currently, the moisture content can be 17 or 18, and the rest of the 7 or 8 is just the corn cob.
Although it would definitely be less profitable, it's still acceptable. Furthermore, threshing corn is too time-consuming, and the farm department would have to hire people to do it. So in fact, the 25% deduction isn't high.
"Okay, I'll start handing over the corn tomorrow, otherwise, it'll be too troublesome to set up a corn drying shed."
"Xiao Su, you're still young, and you've donated all your money. What will you do in the future?" Feng Baoshan couldn't help but ask with concern.
Su Yuanyuan smiled. Feng Baoshan was indeed a good person. "Director Feng, I have enough grain to be self-sufficient, and I can eat pretty well.
What can I do with just so much money in hand?"
Feng Baoshan wanted to say she could save it, but he knew Xiao Su was making a contribution to the country.
So he said no more.
After seeing Feng Baoshan off, Su Yuanyuan continued. She thought about sending a cart over every morning. In this way, she could use her superpower to load the cart, saving a lot of effort.
Thus, during the noon time, she could also pick cotton bolls. This year couldn't be like last year, when all the cotton bolls were mixed together. She would keep the first-grade cotton for herself and sell the rest in the city, not worrying about not being able to sell it.
The next day, she started loading the cart before dawn, a task that only needed a wave of her hand to complete.
At this time, she didn't hitch the cart to avoid tiring the little donkey, deciding to hitch it only after daybreak.
She picked all the vegetables in the courtyard at this time. Su Yuanyuan wasn't waiting for them to grow old to pick, since they would be eaten anyway, why wait until they're overgrown and less tasty? Especially the cucumbers, they were all in their prime with blossoms and prickles. The space already had a lot of vegetables, and since she planned to go to the seaside this time, she'd sell them if given the chance—how much could one person eat?
After breakfast, she drove the cart to the farm department.
People had just started work when she arrived.
Many were grateful to Su Yuanyuan; after all, the wheat seeds were hers. Although money was spent, the credit ultimately went to her.
And regarding the fertilizer, Director Feng had mentioned that this year it might not be available.
Therefore, Su Yuanyuan was given much convenience when she came to hand over her grain.
Each cart was about three thousand two hundred jin.
"Accountant Zhang, can I hand over the wheat at noon?"
"Sure, take some burlap sacks with you so that you don't have to use your own."
Su Yuanyuan gratefully smiled. Before leaving, she took a hundred burlap sacks from the farm department.
Back home, she hurriedly began shelling corn, realizing that she indeed had quite a bit of work to do.
After lunch, she packed thirty sacks of wheat and sent them over.
Thus, a week later, she handed over nine thousand jin of wheat, which didn't require any moisture deduction as her wheat was up to standard.
The corn she handed over was also nine thousand jin, but with a 25% moisture deduction, it amounted to six thousand seven hundred and fifty jin.
There was still quite a bit left at home, but she didn't plan to turn it in, considering she was planning to raise pigs next year.
In the evenings, she started milling flour and cornmeal, thinking it would be considerate to ask Zhao Yanli to help take care of the livestock at home since it would require a lot of grain; it would be better to be prepared.
The family had also marinated many salted duck eggs, which were left for Zhao Yanli to eat, while the rest were taken away. The space already housed over three hundred boiled salted duck eggs. If she met Tan Shaoting again, she would give him some.
That day, she drove to find Zhao Qingxiang, regarding the pig slaughtering. If it could be done here, there was no need for outsiders; that would pose a problem.
"Yuanyuan, I've never done it before, but I do know how to handle it."
"Alright then, let's give it a try. Can you and my Second Brother spare a day to help me slaughter two pigs?"
"Slaughter the pigs now?"
Su Yuanyuan nodded, "Yes, I still need to go out this year, and the pigs I raised are now over two hundred jin. Slaughtering them now would be fine,"
"Alright, we'll come over tomorrow morning at four. You should get the hot water ready beforehand."
"Big Brother, I have knives."
Having settled the arrangements, Su Yuanyuan drove to find someone to card cotton. Not all the cotton at home had been picked, but what was left were unopened cotton bolls. Those were not urgent and could wait till later.
Of course, they agreed to card the cotton, since it also earned them quite a bit of money.
They arranged to card the cotton five days later. Only then did she drive back home, realizing not all the corn stalks had been laid down.
Su Yuanyuan genuinely disliked this task, having to continuously wield a small pickaxe. She worried her arms would become very muscular.
So she planned to use her superpower to tackle it slowly at night.
That night, Su Yuanyuan didn't feed the pigs, so it would be less strenuous to work the next day.
She got up at three the next day to start a fire, having already set up the structure the day before. She had seen it before, so it wasn't difficult for her.
Zhao Qingxiang and his brother arrived before four o'clock.
The three of them began catching pigs before dawn.
By seven o'clock, the pigs' bristles were already being scraped off.
"Yuanyuan, these knives are really easy to use."
"Big Brother, I'll give one to both you and Second Brother, this is from Blacksmith Yang."
Neither refused, as there were two more pigs at home.
While cutting the ribs, Su Yuanyuan wanted to leave more meat; after all, this was for herself, what was the point if it was all bones?
No need for Su Yuanyuan here, she started cleaning the small intestines. She had decided to keep the pig head and small intestines, and the rest could be taken back by the Zhao Brothers.
By ten in the morning, all the meat had been sorted.