Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 457: The price of the ginseng in the garden will drop? Don't lose your pants
Wangxing, the car was running on a straight road. Chai Bing pointed to the fields on both sides and explained to Xu Ning the difference between plantation ginseng and crops.

Xu Ning turned his head and could see many ginseng farmers carrying hoes and shovels, and some even driving four-wheeled vehicles pulling straw mats.

This straw mat is very useful. Ginseng in the garden does not like sunlight, so after the first spring rain falls, ginseng farmers will build a small plastic shed for the ginseng in the garden. When it is close to the beginning of summer, they will put another layer of straw mat on the shed, but they cannot cover the entire shed with it. They must leave a few openings for ventilation.

Growing ginseng is a very tedious process that requires weeding, watering, loosening the soil and fertilizing, but it has a high return on investment!
Generally, it takes 5-6 years for the ginseng to be harvested, and it is sold at a price per catty. Although the price of ginseng can reach 4 yuan in the future, it is still more than 30 yuan per catty now, but this money is the harvest of 5 years...

"It will take a long time to estimate the price of ginseng this year. Last year, Jilin Province added 1200 million square meters of ginseng land. Now the market for garden ginseng is getting better and better."

Xu Ning blinked his eyes and said, "Third brother, according to what you said, it will take five years for these 1200 million square meters of ginseng land to mature, right?"

"correct."

"Five years from now will be 89. Where will we sell these 1200 million square meters of ginseng? How many ginseng fields did Jilin Province and Heilongjiang Province have in total before..."

Chai Bing was stunned when he heard this. He slowed down the car, thinking about Xu Ning's words, turned around and said, "Er Ning, what you said makes sense. When you get back, you can talk about it with my grandfather and my eldest brother."

Xu Ning smiled and said, "Okay, you start."

"Well, the more I think about it, the more I feel something is wrong..."

The Dongfeng bus drove into Wangxing Village. Many people waved to Chai Bing along the way. When the bus stopped at the door of Old Chai's house, Chai Bing jumped out first and shouted into the house. Then Chai Liangyu, Chai Shao, Chai Feng, the eldest sister-in-law and the third sister-in-law came out.

When Chai Liangyu saw Xu Ning, he couldn't stop smiling. "Hahaha, Er Ning! I've been waiting for you to come. You're the honored guest today. Come in!"

Ever since Chai Bing sent the letter, he has been talking about how Er Ning helped a lot this time. If the Chai family were to find a husband for Chai Hongyan themselves, it would be worse than having Xu Ning introduce one, because the people they knew were basically all of lower or higher class, and they were not a good match at all. The Sun family in Sandaohe just fit the bill!
"Uncle, please don't flatter me. If you do, I won't dare to enter the door."

Chai Liangyu knew he was joking and laughed out loud: "Hahaha! You kid... hurry up and go into the house. Why aren't Qiangzi and Huzi here?"

"They are working at home."

Chai Bing shouted from the back of the car, "Dad, look what Erning got you. A live doe!"

"Oh my god! What happened?"

Xu Ning said, "We caught it in the mountains. My third brother, Uncle Sun and I went there the other day. We ate the male deer yesterday, and we brought the remaining female here."

"Good! This is a good thing! It happens that the Sun family will come over tomorrow, so we can kill them then."

Chai Shao smiled and said, "Erning, follow your uncle into the house."

"Let's go, let them unload it."

Chai Liangyu put his arm around Xu Ning's shoulder and walked into the house, while the eldest and third sisters-in-law pushed Chai Baotong aside and held Chai Hongyan's arm to chat in private.

There were many dishes waiting to be fried or mixed on the stove in the outer room, including Xu Ning's favorite cucumber shreds mixed with pig ears, which was enough to prove the care of Lao Chai's family.

The third sister-in-law filled the teapot with water, brought it into the house and placed it on the edge of the kang, saying, "Erning, drink some water first, and we'll eat later."

"Hey, I'm not hungry yet, Third Sister-in-law."

Chai Liangyu personally picked up the teapot and poured water, and asked very patiently: "How is the construction of your house? Is there any trouble?"

"It's nothing, the foundation has been laid, and it will be time to lay the bricks in a few days."

"That's great. If you haven't found a date yet, when are you going to get married? It's already mid-June, why aren't you in a hurry?"

Xu Ning said with a smile: "My mother said to wait until the new house is finished before choosing a date. I estimate that we will get married in mid-September."

The eldest sister-in-law asked, "I heard Huzi is also getting married. Are you two going to get married together?"

"That's bullshit. Even brothers don't get married together. They have to be married half a month apart."

After Chai Liangyu finished speaking, he turned around and asked with a smile, "Isn't that right, Erning?"

"Well, we have to tie the knot at different times, otherwise no one in the village will be able to give gifts. How can you give two gifts and enjoy one feast?"

"Not so good!"

At this time, Chai Shao, Chai Feng, Chai Feng and Chai Baotong came into the house. After finding a place to sit down, they looked at Xu Ning and smiled.

Chai Feng said: "Erning, my Yanzi is grateful to you for finding such a good in-law family."

Chai Liangyu turned his head to take a look and nodded: "There is no doubt about this matter. It all depends on Erning's words. If it depends on you guys, it will take forever!"

"Hahaha, I just happened to do it..."

Chai Feng asked curiously: "Erning, I heard that you bravely performed heroic deeds in Sandahe? What happened?"

Afterwards, Xu Ning recounted his experience on the way to Sandaohe. Everyone was surprised and said it was too dangerous. They should avoid it if it happened again and not rush forward, even if they had guns in their hands, because bullets have no eyes.

The old Chai family chatted honestly, and there was nothing wrong with what they said. Xu Ning understood it, so he said with a smile: "If this happens again in the future, I will run as far away as I can and will definitely not get involved!"

Chai Liangyu smoked a cigarette and said, "Your uncle in the city will definitely find a good place for you to live. It will be a good opportunity for you to focus on your work and make a living."

"OK!"

On the side, the eldest sister-in-law asked Chai Hongyan secretly: "Did you like that boy?"

Chai Hongyan nodded: "It's pretty good, but a little smaller than me."

The third sister-in-law asked: "It doesn't matter if he's young, as long as he's mature and sensible. What's the boy's personality like?"

"He's very straightforward. He says what he thinks and takes responsibility for what he does. He's just a little impatient. His sister has the same personality, but she's quite forthright. Didn't Uncle Xu just say that his sister even shot those two gangsters?"

"Ah, that's his sister? Oh my god, your elder sister-in-law is quite..." The third sister-in-law left the sentence unsaid.

Chai Hongyan said: "She is quite powerful, but she listens to Uncle Guan. If Uncle Guan glances at her, she will be silent. Uncle Guan is Uncle Xu's sworn brother and Uncle Wang's eldest brother-in-law."

"I know. How about your Third Uncle Sun?"

Chai Liangyu, who was sitting on the kang, heard the old ladies chatting but didn't interrupt them. He looked at Chai Bing and asked, "What did you say about the ginseng field just now?"

Chai Bing said: "Before we came back, I mentioned the ginseng land issue to Erning. I said that Jilin Province added 1200 million square meters of ginseng land last year. Erning said that in five years, all the ginseng in these lands will be mature, and what will happen if they all flow into the market..."

Chai Feng blinked and asked, "Yes, what should we do?" Chai Liangyu frowned and glanced at Chai Shao, who also looked puzzled. He raised his head and asked, "Erning, what's the meaning of this?"

Xu Ning took a sip of tea and said, "Uncle, let's take an example. We now have 2,000 mu of ginseng land in Wangxing. If the two nearby villages also added 2,000 mu of ginseng land last year, what will be the result in five years? The same six-year-old ginseng, the same quality..."

Chai Shao pinched his cigarette and said before Chai Liangyu could react, "The price will drop, and it will drop significantly."

"Yes! Because the market is so big. Right now, the ginseng grown in Jilin Province can supply the whole country. It can barely be considered as in short supply. But what about five or six years later? If the supply exceeds the demand, the price will plummet. I don't know how much it will drop, but I think it will definitely drop!"

Xu Ning continued, "It's just like when we go hunting. Why are the prices of medicinal herbs, bear gall, deer antlers, and musk rising this year? Isn't it because there are fewer and fewer black bears? There are fewer livestock in the mountains too. In the past, you could see musk deer when you went into the mountains, but I haven't seen any since I went into the mountains..."

"That makes sense!" Chai Bing nodded.

Chai Liangyu took a puff of cigarette and asked, "Erning, just like you said, if the supply is small, the price will go up, and if the supply is large, the price will go down. Is there any way to avoid the price reduction?"

Xu Ning waved his hand: "Uncle, I can't think of this. Unless you control the entire industry, the price increase or decrease will depend on the market environment."

"If you hold it in your own hands, wouldn't it become capital?"

Chai Liangyu turned his head and looked at Chai Feng, scolding him: "Then what are you thinking about? We are raising ginseng and opening a winery. If we put it in the past, we will have to eat peanuts. Why are you still thinking about good things?"

Chai Shao nodded and said, "Dad, do you think we should discuss this with everyone? We villagers invest a lot of money in ginseng fields every year. If we lose money all at once, all our efforts for four or five years will be in vain."

Chai Bing said: "The current price of ginseng is 30 yuan per catty. What if it drops to 5 yuan in the future? Not only will we have worked for four or five years in vain, but we will also have to lose all the money we earned before. We will be left with nothing!"

At this time, the eldest sister-in-law, the third sister-in-law and others stopped chatting and sat on the end of the kang, listening to the masters chatting silently. In fact, they were also anxious in their hearts, because if they really lost money, their whole family would have to starve.

Chai Liangyu sat cross-legged and drank a sip of tea, then looked up and asked, "Erning, do you have any ideas?"

"Master, what can I do?"

"Erning, you must have some ideas, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see so far. When I saw the news that Jilin Province had added 1200 million square meters of ginseng land, I laughed at them for having good vision and knowing what to do to make money. But I just didn't think about what to do after five years when this batch of ginseng land matures."

Chai Shao clapped his hands and said, "Just tell me, the more I think about this, the more I feel something is wrong."

Xu Ning scratched his head and said with some embarrassment: "If it were me, I would not continue to invest. I would just sell the ginseng I have planted and then look for transformation in the meantime."

Now we have the word transformation, and reform and opening up is the first step in transformation, which is to change ideas and concepts, and transform the economic and social structure.

Chai Liangyu frowned and said, "Transformation is fine, but 80% of the people in the village are ginseng farmers. They don't know how to do anything except farming."

"Uncle, I don't know much about ginseng farming, so I said just sell the remaining ginseng, but you know about ginseng farming. I just want to ask you one question, if the price of ginseng drops to three yuan per catty next year, can you afford it?"

Chai Shao raised his head suddenly and asked, "Can the price of ginseng go back up next year?"

"It can go up, but it can only go up to five dollars. Can you bear it?"

Chai Shao gritted his teeth and said, "Yes! If it's five yuan per catty, we can still make a lot of money. The cost of raising ginseng is land, seeds, labor, pesticides and fertilizers. One mu of land costs more than two hundred yuan per year, which is twelve thousand yuan in six years. Each mu can produce at least eight hundred catties of fresh goods, and one catty of fresh goods can produce three taels and five cents of dry goods. One mu of land can produce 280 catties of dry goods. At five yuan per catty, it is one thousand four hundred yuan. With this calculation, we can still make two hundred yuan a year!"

Xu Ning was stunned when he heard that. He thought that it would take a lot of investment to grow garden ginseng, but he didn't expect that the investment was so little. If he went to the old pickled ginseng farm this year, then he would take back the ginseng seeds from the old pickled ginseng farm and throw them to the back mountain of the new homestead. After waiting for twenty or thirty years, wouldn't it be considered as the flying seeds of the forest ginseng? By then, this batch would at least be worth some money.

After knowing the cost price of ginseng, Xu Ning finally understood why ginseng is so profitable. If we calculate it at 30 yuan per catty, how much can one mu of land earn? yuan! Of course, this is the total income for six years, and the net profit is yuan per year. What if there are ten mu of land, twenty mu of land, or fifty mu of land? That would be a lot of money, right?
"Brother, if you can make money even if the price drops to five yuan, then you might as well just throw the ginseng you carried out into the cellar. The price of ginseng will eventually go up. Wouldn't you make more money if you wait until the price reaches eight or ten yuan before selling it?"

Chai Bing patted his thigh and said, "That's right!"

Chai Liangyu smiled when he heard this: "That's true, this is called stockpiling, right, Erning."

"OK!"

Chai Shao smiled and said, "Now that I have this mental preparation, even if that day really comes, I can bear it. Dad, when will I talk about this with the villagers?"

Chai Liangyu tilted his head and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry? There are still four or five years left. Telling them so early will make them wonder. Pay more attention to the newspapers in Jilin Province. If you see any new information about the new land, cut it out and post it on the blackboard."

"Row……"

Chai Liangyu looked at his eldest daughter-in-law and said, "Hurry up and prepare the meal. It's almost noon."

"Hey! Okay, I was fascinated by your chat just now."

Chai Liangyu said with a smile: "You are just worrying about nothing. Just take care of the things at home. The masters will take care of the things outside. Today, you three should toast Erning. Look at how old he is. You have lived for thirty or forty years in vain!"

"Well, Erning, your uncle is right. Whether it's about Yan Zi or Shendi, I have to thank you."

Xu Ning waved his hand and said, "Brother, please stop messing around with us. We have a strong relationship, so let's help each other."

"Hahaha, okay!"

Chai Feng said: "Erning's words are really frank."

Why did a large number of ginseng farmers lose all their money in 1989, but Chai Shao made a little less profit after doing the calculation just now? The reason is that those ginseng farmers who lost all their money borrowed loans, borrowed from relatives and friends, or raised money.

What is "renting money"? It refers to the high interest rate of borrowing from wealthy households in rural areas. In Northeast China, there is a term called "yinzi money".

The reason why these ginseng farmers lost money was that they had no planting experience in the early stage, and the plastic sheds and other things were all newly purchased, so the investment was too huge. The investment for one acre of land was as high as three or four hundred yuan (including interest, labor, seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, ginseng seeds, and land costs). The cost of ginseng seeds was much higher than that of seeds. In order to harvest as soon as possible, most of them chose ginseng seeds. Moreover, the prices of pesticides and fertilizers are different every year, so they will not lose everything until six years later.

But Lao Chai's family was different. They already had plastic sheds and other things to maintain the ginseng field, and the seeds were also grown on their own ginseng field. They didn't need to invest too much. Only labor, pesticides and fertilizers were needed, and the cost was not very high. Therefore, even if the price of garden ginseng dropped to five yuan, they could still earn a little less.

Chai Shao took a sip of tea and said, "If the price of ginseng drops below five yuan, I will go to Ji Province to collect ginseng, bring it back and store it in the cellar, and then sell it when the price rises to eight yuan! Erning, will you share a share of ginseng with me then?"

Xu Ning smiled and said, "Okay, I'll pay and you can take care of the rest."

"That must happen!"

Chai Liangyu moved his body and went down to the ground, saying: "If the price really drops to five yuan, my family can afford it, but can other people in the village? We buy fertilizers, pesticides and other things at the lowest price, and they pay the normal price. Boss, you have to help them calculate it..."

"Dad, I know. I'll help them calculate it after I'm done with these days' work."

Chai Liangyu nodded: "You should figure this out yourself. Our family should keep what I just said to themselves and don't tell anyone else."

"clear."

(End of this chapter)