Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 154: The Lin Family’s Orchard (3)

Lin Feng Shou couldn’t help but shake his head slightly, feeling sorry in his heart.
He said, “Why does miss only need persimmon trees? There are many other types of trees too! If you want something else, you can make up the difference!”

Lian Fang Zhou smiled and said, “Naturally, I will buy others as well but not so much.
I only plan on planting a few other varieties in the persimmon orchard.
I wanted persimmons to make dried persimmons in the future!”

Suddenly realizing her plans, Lin Feng Shou nodded and smiled, “So that’s it! Someone in Miss Lian’s family knows how to make dried persimmons? They seem simple but in fact there are many different ways and not all of them taste very good.
They also can’t be stored, so in reality they’re not so easy to make.”

Lin Feng Shou’s words sounded like compliments on the surface, but in fact they were a warning, either intentional or unintentional.

Lian Fang Zhou wanted to plant so many persimmon trees to make dried persimmons.
Of course, they couldn’t eat them all at home so obviously she planned on selling them.

He was reminding her that it was not easy to sell persimmons and it would be better to have a variety of fruit to sell.

Of course, Lian Fang Zhou already knew that dried persimmons were not easy to make.
The persimmons needed to be picked when they were mature and there was special consideration during handling.

As Lin Feng Shou said, poorly prepared persimmons not only looked dull and ugly in color, they also tasted very astringent.
Well prepared ones, on the other hand, were plump and translucent, like amber, with a slight snow white stain on the surface.
The layers were soft and sweet with a lingering aftertaste.

However, Lian Fang Zhou knew how to do it!

She smiled and didn’t answer Lin Feng Shou.
His words were a kind reminder but if she responded, they might appear malicious.

“For now, I have decided on these 1,700 trees and I will pick them up in spring.
For the other trees, you can give me twenty trees of each type… actually, I want 20 more peach trees and 10 more pomegranate trees.
I will pick them up at the same time.” Lian Fang Zhou said with a smile.

She intended to plant the extra trees around the wooden house.

In spring, when she pushed open the window, she could admire the splendid peach blossoms and the colorful flowers.
In late spring and early summer, the burl flowers would bloom red like fire.
It was be a very pleasing sight.

Lin Feng Shou nodded and said, smiling: “Alright, the tree year persimmon saplings are 15 coins, the four-year saplings are 20 coins, and the five years are 25 coins.
For the other fruit trees, I will choose some good five-year saplings for you, 20 coins each.
Since you have bought so many persimmon trees, I’ll give you a discount! You should know that our best five-year peach saplings are 30 coins!”

“Excellent,” Lian Fang Zhou nodded happily, “then let’s calculate the price.
How much is the total? I’ll just pay it now and come for the saplings in the new year.
Oh, also, the roses by the orchard, can you give me a few?”

Lin Feng Shou hadn’t expected her to pay so promptly, so he smiled and said, “Of course, Miss Lian you are very easy going, I will definitely give you the best saplings! As for the roses, you can cut a few with scissors when you come in the spring and take them back with you.
They’re very easy to grow and you can plant them wherever you like!”

Lian Fang Zhou was very happy and hurriedly smiled and thanked him.

Lin Feng Shou smiled back, saying: “Now that this is settled, please follow me back to the house to settle the accounts!”

She agreed and Lin Feng Shou walked over to talk to his father and wife before returning.

Lian Fang Zhou looked around and frowned.
Lian Fang Qing, Lian Che, and Lin Zao’er were long gone.
She smiled at Lin Feng Shou and asked, “Uncle Lin, my sister and your Zao’er don’t know where we are going…”

Lin Feng Shou laughed.
“Don’t worry, Zao’er grew up in this orchard and the land is very flat, nothing will happen.
I’ll call them over!”

He cupped his mouth and shouted a few words, “Zao’er! Time to go home!”

After a few minutes, the three children appeared with Zao’er leading them out of the forest, waving and shouting hey!

Lian Fang Qing was obviously still having a lot of fun.
Though they were both tired from playing in the fruit forest, their small faces were rosy and their big, beautiful eyes had become even more watery, like a clear spring.

“Sister,” she happily took Lian Fang Zhou’s hand and said with a smile: “Sister Zao’er said that she will take me to her orchard next spring to see the fruit trees bloom, and in autumn she will bring me to pick fruit!”

Lian Fang Zhou glanced at Lin Feng Shou, and saw that he was smiling and had nothing to say, so she smiled: “If you want to come, come and play with Zao’er, just don’t be naughty!”

“Yes! I won’t be naughty!” Lian Fang Qing nodded quickly and said with a smile: “When our Xiao huaguo Mountain has fruit trees planted, I will also invite her to our house for fun!”

“Good!” Lian Fang Zhou nodded with a smile.

The two little girls cheered, giggling and laughing, very lively.

“Zao’er doesn’t like to go to the village to play most days, who knew she’d find a good friend with the little girl of the Lian family!” Lin Feng Shou laughed.

Lian Fang Zhou smiled and said, “Our girl is really naughty!”

After walking back to the house, Lin Feng Shou invited them inside to sit down.
He asked Lin Zao’er to pour tea and serve them fruit from their orchard while he went to change his clothes and wash his hands and face.
When he returned, he brought a book with him.

He quickly calculated the accounts.
The persimmon saplings were 3,125 tael and the rest of the trees, which were about 300, cost about 600 taels, so the final total was 3,725 taels.

Even Lian Fang Zhou couldn’t help but secretly envy the Lin family when she looked at the accounts.
No wonder their family was twice as powerful as any other farming family just buy selling fruit trees.
Not to mention selling the fruit, the saplings could make a lot of money in a year!

Of course, a big customer like her probably didn’t come around every year but it was still profitable to sell them piece by piece.

Lin Feng Shou smiled and said that he would add in another ten or so three year saplings when she came back and she could pick which ones she wanted.
He also told them that if the saplings died within a month of planting, as long as the number was less then fifty, they could get new ones at half-price.

He specifically said this because she had requested such a large amount and had paid in full, so she was getting extra discounts that no one else would get.

No matter whether this was true or false, it was nice to hear and would improve your mood.

Lian Fang Zhou happily paid the amount with a silver ticket and some broken silver, smiling.
“Uncle Lin is very good at doing business, look how much I’ve bought!”

TN: These look delicious!

Dried Persimmons