I See through Everything

While Jiang Miao was at Yandun Mountain Farm in Magong Town.

In Gongping Town of Hai Feng County, on the edge of the ethereal Lotus Mountain, autumn had arrived, unveiling a dreamlike and enchanting vista.

However, a corner of this beautiful tableau was marred by a large, barren patch of mountainside, stark and conspicuous.

As one stepped onto Lotus Mountain, an autumn breeze swept through, carrying a hint of coolness.

A dozen or so farm workers had already headed up the mountain early in the morning. Fortunately, the road had been improved, allowing them to ride motorcycles to the top.

Some of the flowers and trees along the road, seemingly touched by nature’s deft hand, burst with brilliant colors, dotting the evergreen broadleaf forests of Lingnan like colorful ornaments.

Walking along the mountain path, the fallen leaves crunched crisply underfoot, as if whispering tales of autumn.

The patches of grass at Old Wu’s feet were speckled with nameless wildflowers, blooming tenaciously in the autumn wind and adding a touch of vitality to the seasonal landscape.

From halfway up the mountain, one could gaze into the distance and see Gaoshan Village spread out below.

At the foot of the mountain nearby, the rice paddies were a sea of gold, as if the earth were draped in silk. The figures of diligent laborers could be seen moving through the fields.

Averting his gaze, Old Wu and his party arrived at Nanshe Ridge, west of Gaobei Village. This was one of the mountain plots contracted by Hailufeng Company—Nanshe Ridge Farm.

The farm covered 5,000 mu. To date, over 750 mu had been redeveloped, nearly 400 of which were already planted with beautiful floss-silk trees and white clover.

Old Wu and his colleagues were the farm workers responsible for planting the beautiful floss-silk trees and sowing white clover.

As they passed the terraced fields where white clover seeds had been sown two months ago, they saw that a dense carpet of clover had already sprouted.

Typically, white clover germinates within 7 to 14 days. It then takes only another 28 to 42 days for the plants to mature and begin sending out creeping stems.

The white clover was not yet flowering, however, as it typically blooms in late spring or early summer for a period of one to three months.

They arrived at the farm’s newly constructed, three-story concrete office building. Beside it stood two rows of two-story housing units made from shipping containers.

Seven managers had been dispatched from company headquarters to oversee the site, along with forty local employees like Old Wu. The actual redevelopment of the terraced fields had been contracted out to a local construction crew.

Forestry Director Gao Xiangyang took a head count, then issued his orders. "Team One is responsible for South Block 3 today. Team Two, stop planting the floss-silk trees. Starting today, you’ll focus exclusively on sowing clover seed. Try to cover the remaining 350 mu of terraces within a week to prevent weeds from growing back."

"Got it."

"Yes, Director."

The two team leaders replied promptly.

"Team Three, continue planting floss-silk trees in North Block 4. Team Four, you’ll follow the agricultural technician’s lead to fertilize and spray the previously planted trees."

"Alright."

Old Wu was in Team Three.

His team of ten, plus their leader Xie Ming, each drove a motorized tricycle, hauling three-meter-tall saplings and their tools toward the planting area.

Although it was mountainous terrain, a six-meter-wide gravel road had been constructed in advance. Following it along the base of the mountain, they soon reached the planting area.

Not far away, five excavators, three bulldozers, a rock breaker, and four dump trucks were already hard at work.

After all, it was a fixed-price contract, so there was no room for slacking.

As for farm workers like Old Wu, in addition to their base salary of 3,500 yuan, they also received performance bonuses tied to various tasks around the farm.

For example, when planting the beautiful floss-silk trees, for every sapling confirmed to have survived after one month, each person in the team would receive a one-yuan bonus that month.

In the future, once the farm officially went into production, each team would be assigned an area of responsibility. Each team would manage 100 mu, and 10% of the annual profit generated from that 100-mu Durian Plantation would become their performance bonus.

In truth, a 100-mu plot in the Durian Plantation wasn’t just 100 mu of durian trees; it also included nearly 80 mu of Purple Alfalfa and white clover planted as undergrowth.

Under ideal conditions, 100 mu of durian trees could produce 200 tons of durians annually, and the 80 mu of Purple Alfalfa and white clover could yield 800 tons of fresh fodder.

As for the income from honey produced by the orchard’s nectar flow, 10% of the profits would be shared between the farm and the beekeeping team, typically at a 3% to 7% split, respectively.

Even though they weren’t yet receiving bonuses from the durian yield, the performance pay for the plantation’s initial construction phase was still quite good.

As a result, villagers from the surrounding areas were all asking about job openings at the farm.

After all, the farm offered a base pay of 3,500 yuan a month, plus full social insurance and housing benefits. With the performance bonuses on top of that, it was an excellent deal, even if the work was a bit tiring.

Granted, short-term rural laborers in the Shanmei area—doing jobs like pruning lychee and longan trees or helping with tomb repairs and house construction—could typically earn 150 to 200 yuan a day.

The problem was that such work wasn’t steady; it might last for only a few days, or a few months at best.

Even at 200 yuan a day, working a full month would only bring in 6,000 yuan. Besides, for those kinds of jobs, people tended to hire friends and family first, rarely looking for strangers.

In reality, many rural people preferred stable employment.

After setting down a sapling, Old Wu walked over to a tricycle, grabbed a bottle of water, and took a sip. He then turned to Gao Xiangyang, who was operating a nearby cable lift, and asked in a low voice, "Forestry Director Gao, I heard the farm is planning to hire more people?"