Chapter 60: Order 1,000 Fruit Seedlings

Chapter 60: Order 1,000 Fruit Seedlings

A guesthouse in Lingshan County.

After a satisfying meal, Deng Shirong approached the guesthouse staff. "Hello, I'd like to ask you something."

The staff member responded politely, "Comrade, how can I assist you?"

Deng Shirong said, "I'd like to know if there's a lychee farm nearby."

It was the 1980s, and individual lychee cultivation was virtually unheard of. Before coming to Lingshan County, Deng Shirong had set his sights on state-owned farms.

The staff member smiled and replied, "Of course there is. There's a large farm called Fresh LightFarm, several dozen miles from here. As far as I know, Fresh Light Farm has planted at least several thousand acres of fruit, with lychees accounting for over 70% of the crops."

Deng Shirong's eyes lit up. "Could you tell me how to get to Fresh Light Farm? Is there a bus that goes there?"

The staff member explained, "Fresh Light Farm is in Luwu Commune. You can take a bus to Luwu Commune first, and then ask the locals for directions."

After getting the information he needed, Deng Shirong thanked the staff and returned to his room to rest.

Compared to the hotels of later generations, the sanitary conditions of guesthouses in this era were far from ideal. The room had four beds (in those days, unless you were a high-ranking official, you wouldn't be given a private room, no matter how wealthy you were). Deng Shirong was the only occupant for the time being, but the quilts on all four beds emitted a strange odor—a lingering smell accumulated over years of use. One whiff was enough to leave a lasting impression.

Guesthouses in this era were generally like this. Quilts and mattresses were used by countless people, and the establishments charged a few cents merely to ensure you didn't sleep on the streets. The idea of changing quilts after each guest's stay, as in later generations, was unthinkable.

People staying in guesthouses during this time often slept in their clothes, half-awake and half-asleep, mainly because they shared rooms with strangers. No one dared to sleep too deeply unless they were utterly exhausted.

Deng Shirong kept all his money and belongings in his system space, so he wasn't worried about theft. However, having experienced the clean and hygienic hotels of later generations, he found it impossible to sleep soundly in such conditions.

Fortunately, the weather was warm enough that he didn't need to use the quilt. Deng Shirong slept in his clothes, drifting in and out of sleep for the first half of the night. He was aware that another guest had entered the room but didn't bother to greet them. By the second half of the night, he had grown accustomed to the unpleasant smell and finally fell asleep.

In the morning, Deng Shirong woke up on time, thanks to his biological clock. He washed his face, rinsed his mouth, checked out of the guesthouse, had breakfast, and then headed to the bus station to catch a bus to Luwu Commune.

It wasn't until two in the afternoon that Deng Shirong finally arrived at Fresh Light Farm.

The transportation of this era was truly something to complain about. After this experience, Deng Shirong vowed to avoid unnecessary travel unless absolutely necessary—at least until transportation improved and accommodations became more comfortable.

Fortunately, it wasn't difficult to contact leaders in this era, and Deng Shirong managed to meet the leaders of Fresh Light Farm without much trouble.

After exchanging greetings, Deng Shirong got straight to the point. "Leader, I'm from the Help and Correct Brigade, Pine Mountain Commune, Bobai County. I came here mainly to buy some fruit seedlings from your farm to plant back home. Is that possible?"

The farm leader smiled and said, "Of course. What kind of fruit seedlings are you looking for, Comrade?"

Deng Shirong replied, "I'd like to buy one thousand Cinnamon Flavor lychee seedlings. Does your farm have them?"

The farm leader exclaimed, "Comrade, you have a good eye. The Cinnamon Flavor lychee is one of the best fruit trees on our farm. We don't currently have the 1,000 seedlings you're asking for, but we can start propagating them now through air layering. They'll be ready for planting by early spring next year."

There are three main methods of propagating lychees: sowing seeds, air layering, and grafting. These techniques have been used from ancient times to the present, both in China and around the world.

Sowing seeds involves planting lychee kernels after eating the fruit. If they germinate and grow normally, they can develop into lychee trees. This method is the most traditional and was widely used in rural areas in ancient times. The advantage is that it's simple and convenient, but the downside is the long growth cycle—it can take over a decade for a tree to reach peak fruit production. Additionally, seed-propagated lychee trees can mutate, producing fruits that differ from the parent tree.

Air layering, on the other hand, involves selecting strong branches from mature lychee trees, stripping a ring of bark, wrapping it with nutrient-rich soil, and covering it with straw or plastic to retain moisture. After one to two months, roots form, and the branch can be cut off and transplanted. This method preserves the genetic purity of the variety and allows the new tree to bear fruit within a couple of years. However, it can't be done excessively, as it may harm the parent tree.

Grafting combines the strengths of both methods. It involves using hardy lychee seedlings as rootstocks and grafting them with high-quality lychee varieties. This technique allows for mass production of seedlings with the survival advantages of the rootstock and the fruiting qualities of the grafted variety. However, the genetic purity isn't as high as with air layering.

Deng Shirong was familiar with all three propagation techniques. His preference was air layering, as it best maintained the purity of the variety. Additionally, the mountain at home had just been divided, and it would take time to prepare the land. The farm leader's suggestion aligned perfectly with his plans.

Deng Shirong nodded in agreement and began negotiating the price of the seedlings with the farm leaders. After reaching an agreement, he signed a purchase contract and paid a 30% deposit upfront.

(End of Chapter)