Chapter 138: Processing Seasonings

I woke up in the late afternoon. The journey back and forth, over such a long distance and along such rugged, undulating paths, had left Zhong Di feeling more mentally exhausted than physically tired. Fortunately, it hadn't taken too long; the moment he arrived at the farm, he had collapsed into bed and slept until now.

Right, the transfer was due. It was the prize money from the fishing tournament. Zhong Di hadn't planned on winning, but since he had, there was no need to be modest. After waking up, he decided to get up and stretch his legs.

Ever since the design for the greenhouse over the fish pond had been finalized, the materials had been delivered and the planning had begun. Installation would officially start tomorrow. Compared to building a permanent greenhouse, constructing a simple shed was much faster and less complicated—like the difference between building a brick house and a corrugated iron structure. A permanent greenhouse required masonry and the like, whereas a shed only needed piles to be driven into the ground before the materials could be assembled.

Apart from that, work on the permanent greenhouse foundation and the rear and side walls had already begun, though progress was slow. His father and the team weren't professional builders, and this was their first time building a greenhouse; they were learning as they went, so a slow pace was to be expected.

"Zhong Di, do you remember that person named Yang Meng I mentioned to you before?"

"Yang Meng? Hmm... yes, I remember. Go ahead," Zhong Di said after a moment of recollection.

"You previously suggested that they act as an agent for our farm produce, so we came up with a compromise. Dongyang helped out with this. The Yang Family Noodle Shop has closed, and we, along with Dongyang and the Yang family, have jointly invested in a small condiment workshop. Dongyang handles public relations and paperwork, we provide the raw materials, and the Yang family handles production and sales."

"As for the condiments, we are currently using free-range chickens, eggs, and other surplus farm products as raw materials, produced through simple proportional blending. Our target market is local—specifically catering outlets. We are refusing to allow monopolies and are implementing purchase limits and anti-scalping measures."

"We also incorporated your requirement: any merchant who purchases our condiments has two choices after a trial period: either keep buying our condiments and cancel their subscription to YouTuan, or keep using YouTuan and stop buying our products. What do you think? Is there anything that needs changing?" Zhong Hui briefly summarized the plan.

After listening, Zhong Di thought it was an excellent approach. The only surprise was the permanent closure of the Yang Family Noodle Shop and the inclusion of Dongyang. However, on second thought, it seemed like the most logical path. Since the Yang family was willing to process condiments, they must have thought it through, and the profit margins were far more attractive than running a noodle shop. As for Dongyang, having him involved made many things much easier, and he would surely be pleased as well. In recent years, local restaurants had been suffering under the burden of YouTuan’s aggressive profit-skimming. As a leader in the Shache County catering industry, even though Dongyang’s business was growing, he had been put through the wringer.

"Yes, that’s a great plan. Let's proceed with it," Zhong Di agreed. It was a win-win for all three parties, and the only one it didn't favor was YouTuan. It looked like a direct move against them, and in reality, it was. For a place like theirs, whenever there was a surplus of farm produce, it created an awkward dilemma—selling it was difficult, but not selling it was a waste. Processing it into condiments was the perfect solution. Beyond chickens, vegetables and other produce could also be processed this way.

"No other suggestions?" Zhong Hui asked with surprise.

"No, why would I have any? This plan is perfect." Zhong Di was genuinely satisfied. It required the least amount of effort, secured steady profits, and accomplished his goals. It was easy to foresee that soon, one might not even see YouTuan delivery riders in Shache County anymore. Many would argue that this would kill off jobs, but while the disappearance of YouTuan might reduce some roles, it would create even more elsewhere. YouTuan’s presence only served to strip away the profits of Shache County, funneling wealth toward the top.

"Alright then, I’ll continue with the implementation," Zhong Hui said before heading off to work.

Just then, Wu Qi called to inform him that the first installment of project funding had reached the account. This money came with strict requirements—it was earmarked specifically for the "Grain for Green" project and had a set budget. For instance, there were maximum standards for labor costs when hiring people to plant trees, designed to prevent the misappropriation of funds. For this reason, the money had been deposited into a separate account. Zhong Di acknowledged this and began planning when to start. He eventually decided on mid-to-late September, which seemed like an appropriate window. By then, the greenhouse construction would be on track, the guesthouse renovations would be underway, and the fish pond shed would be mostly finished, leaving Shao Hong to oversee the rest.

This would allow him to free up his father to help monitor the new project. It wasn't that he didn't want to hire others, but for a venture of this scale, family members were more trustworthy. This was the reason many small and medium-sized enterprises were family-run; they might not grow into conglomerates, but they were stable. Zhong Di wasn't arrogant enough to think he was above the methods used by seasoned entrepreneurs, so he followed the established path.

He continued his rounds, inspecting the farm and helping out where he could. He checked the chicken manure fermentation; it was basically ready to be used as fish feed. Since the chickens weren't fed commercial feed, it was safe and healthy. The composting was divided into three piles, forming a closed-loop cycle. After some time, he would control the water levels and dredge the pond mud to return it to the fields. Other manure was composted and fermented, then used either as feed or fertilizer. As for the rabbits, chickens, and pigeons, the distribution channels were handled by his older sister, with Shao Hong keeping an eye on supplies; whenever something was needed, he would notify her.

In the midst of this busyness, time slipped by. There were two tables of guests in the afternoon—a mix of new and familiar faces—and the overall vibe was pleasant. Just as it hit 6:00 PM, Zhong Di received a call from Su Rou.

"Zhong Di, do you still have room this evening?"

"Hmm... yes. Are you coming?" Zhong Di replied.

"Yes. Don't mind the short notice; it's my dad. It's his birthday today. He didn't plan on celebrating, but my mom insisted on a family dinner, and I immediately thought of your place. You have to give me a discount—I’m not as rich as Yang Yi and the others!" Su Rou explained.

"A family dinner? Of course, returning customers always get a discount. I’ll give you a big one." Zhong Di didn't mind at all; it wouldn't change much, and it was just a family gathering. He thought to himself that he could add a new rule: offering a significant discount once or twice a year for occasions like birthdays or family dinners.