Chapter 409 - 343: Wang Meilan’s Ambition
When Zhao Jun unwrapped the moss, Wang Meilan froze. Then, she anxiously asked, "Son, where did you get this?"
Zhao Jun smiled. "I got it in the mountains."
"'Got it?'" Wang Meilan grew even more anxious when she heard that and pressed, "Who did you get it from?"
Zhao Jun burst out laughing. He hurried over to help Wang Meilan sit down, then said, "Ma, 'getting it' is ginseng hunters' slang. It means 'dug it up.' Your son dug all these up himself."
"Huh?" Wang Meilan looked at Zhao Jun and blinked, feeling as if she were dreaming.
"Son!" Wang Meilan grabbed Zhao Jun's wrist. "But don't people hunt for Ginseng in the fall?"
Zhao Jun said with a smile, "The Mountain God, the Elder Leader, wanted to give your son a fortune. Who are we to question the timing? If he gives it, we take it."
As Zhao Jun spoke, he unwrapped the other four Ginseng Buns for Wang Meilan to see.
Wang Meilan stared at the Ginseng before her. She wanted to reach out and touch them, but her fingers recoiled as if from an electric shock just as she was about to make contact.
Zhao Jun pointed to the biggest Miao Ginseng and said with a smile, "Ma, guess how much this one is worth?"
"How much?" At the mention of money, Wang Meilan's eyes lit up, and she looked up to ask.
Zhao Jun raised his left hand, pressing his thumb against his pinky, and held up the three middle fingers for Wang Meilan to see.
"Three hundred?" Although Wang Meilan didn't hunt for ginseng herself, she had heard people in the village talking about it. Mountain Ginseng sold for a good price down the mountain.
Zhao Jun chuckled, shook his head, and told Wang Meilan, "Add a zero!"
"Three thousand!" Wang Meilan shot up from the kang, frowning at Zhao Jun. "Son, who told you that? How can this thing be so expensive?"
When Wang Meilan heard the villagers chatting about Mountain Ginseng, a price of over a hundred yuan was already considered high. She'd never heard of one fetching over a thousand, let alone three thousand.
Zhao Jun smiled and raised his hand, making a chopping motion from the Ginseng's Rush Head downward. He said to Wang Meilan, "Ma, the quality of this Miao Bangchui is flawless. Three thousand is a conservative estimate.
The day after tomorrow, Baoyu and I are going to Lingnan. They have Supply and Marketing Cooperatives and pharmacies there. I'll see who offers the highest price and sell it to them."
Hearing this, Wang Meilan stood at the edge of the kang, hunched over to examine the Miao Sixth-grade Leaves. After a long while, she looked up and asked Zhao Jun, "Son, what about the other Ginsengs?"
"Those few are just average," Zhao Jun said with a smile. "Together, they might sell for two or three hundred."
"There's that big of a difference?" Wang Meilan asked, surprised.
Zhao Jun nodded. "With these things, it all depends on the quality. There are a lot of details to consider."
At his words, Wang Meilan beamed at Zhao Jun. "My son is really something now, he can even hunt for Ginseng!"
Before, she'd heard from Li Ruhai that Zhao Jun and an older friend of his had discussed digging for Ginseng in the mountains once autumn arrived. But Wang Meilan had only heard it in passing and hadn't taken it to heart.
But now, Zhao Jun had given her a huge surprise.
Zhao Jun started wrapping the Ginseng again. As he worked, he told Wang Meilan, "Ma, that Sixth-grade Leaves, I dug it up with Baoyu and Brother Zhang. When it's sold, they get a share of the money."
"Oh, Son, you handle it." Wang Meilan smiled. "I trust you to take care of business. You're more capable than your father."
"I think so too." Zhao Jun laughed heartily, then added, "Ma, when I get back, I'll give you all the money."
Actually, Zhao Jun's initial plan was to secretly sell these five Miao Ginsengs, keep the money, and not tell Wang Meilan.
He wasn't doing this for any other reason; he was afraid his mother would spend all the money on his wedding.
So, Zhao Jun had thought about hiding some money, just in case Wang Meilan fell ill. That way, even if she had to go to the provincial capital hospital, he would have the money for her treatment.
But just now, something had stirred in Zhao Jun's heart. He wanted to show his mother the Ginseng, first to make her happy, and second, to put her mind at ease.
'As for future medical expenses, aren't the dozen or so Bear Galls in the storehouse enough?'
Besides, Zhao Jun was confident he could earn another large sum of money before autumn arrived.
Wang Meilan sat to the side, watching with a smile as Zhao Jun tied the Ginseng Buns. She tilted her head in thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed out loud.
"Ma, what are you thinking about? You look so happy." Hearing her laugh, Zhao Jun looked up and asked.
He felt very content at that moment. 'As long as I can make my mother this happy, it's all worth it.'
"Son!" As Wang Meilan spoke, she shifted back a bit, then reached down, lifted her legs, and crossed them on the kang. She said to Zhao Jun, "Ma has decided. Before you get married, I'm going to throw you a magnificent wedding, one that will set the standard for all the surrounding villages."
"Heh heh..." Zhao Jun chuckled at this and also sat on the edge of the kang. He looked at Wang Meilan and asked, "Ma, how much would that cost?"
"However much money we have, that's how much we'll spend!" Wang Meilan made a grand, pushing gesture with her right hand. "You're my only son, and you have two younger sisters. What am I saving money for? I have to make your wedding..."
She paused, pointed out the window, and added, "The best one this Forest Farm has ever seen, from the day it was founded until now. That's what your wedding will be."
"Alright," Zhao Jun said with a smile. "Ma, you're the boss!"
...
That evening, Zhao Youcai got off work early and even brought back two lunch boxes from the cafeteria.
As soon as he pulled the door open, he saw Wang Meilan at the stove counter, slicing wild boar meat.
"Lan, look what I brought back for you!" Zhao Youcai presented the lunch boxes to Wang Meilan as if he were showing off a treasure.
But his warm gesture was destined to be met with a cold shoulder.
Wang Meilan shot him a glare and said irritably, "Can't you see my hands are busy?"
"Oh." Zhao Youcai quickly placed the lunch boxes on the stove. He opened the first one to reveal a box full of seven raw eggs.
Zhao Youcai opened the other lunch box, which contained a piece of beef shank.
This was a real rarity!
In all of Yong'an Village, few people got to eat beef from one year to the next.
"Oh!" Wang Meilan was also taken aback and instinctively asked, "Where did this come from?"
"It's leftover from cooking for Plant Manager Xiao."
"Just put it over there." Wang Meilan pointed casually. "I'll cut it up and blanch it in a bit. Tomorrow morning, I'll stew it with daikon radish for you all."
The piece of beef wasn't even a full pound, so it wasn't enough to stew on its own.
Zhao Jun's family liked to stew beef with large Da Hong radishes. They would start by stir-frying aromatics and then stew everything in a clear broth, resulting in a white soup and tender meat.
Zhao Youcai naturally had no objections. He put the lid back on the lunch box and stood to the side.
Wang Meilan glanced at him curiously. "Why are you just standing there like a post? Go on inside."
Zhao Youcai gave a small laugh and whispered, "Lan, I helped our son buy some things yesterday, and there were over three yuan left. I put it in my pocket, but how come it's gone?"
Wang Meilan didn't beat around the bush. "I took it," she said directly.
"You..." Zhao Youcai's confidence faltered, and he put on a placating smile. "So you're the one who took it. You could have at least left me twenty cents for my trouble."
"Leave what? Nothing to leave," Wang Meilan said. "From now on, our family needs to be more careful with spending. I have to save up for our son's wedding."
"What?" Zhao Youcai was stunned to hear this, because he immediately thought of the thick stacks of ten-yuan bills in the kang cabinet.
Zhao Youcai couldn't help but ask, "How much could our son's wedding possibly cost?"
Wang Meilan lifted her chin slightly, a proud look on her face. "That's none of your business."