20demayo Chapter 138 Rice
Chapter 138 Rice
"That's true. So when do you plan to officially submit the materials to the bureau?"
Li Mu thought for a moment and said, "Let's do it in the next couple of days. I've already prepared everything. Once we submit the materials, we can start preparing for planting and raising livestock."
After chatting for a while, Li Jianjun took his leave.
Li Mu continued to work, and before he knew it, the day to submit his materials arrived. He arrived at the Municipal Agriculture Bureau early in the morning and submitted all the prepared materials. The person handling the matter was Xiao Liu, whom he had met before, who was also Director Zhang's secretary.
Xiao Liu took the materials and carefully checked them over.
"Okay, come back next Monday. Someone will review your submitted materials in detail. If everything goes smoothly, we can move on to the next step."
"Then thank you for your help, Xiao Liu. So, does this mean I've taken the first step in this matter?"
"Director Zhang takes this matter very seriously and specifically instructed us to carefully review your materials. As long as your plan is reasonable and your materials are complete, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Li Mu felt more at ease: "That's good, that's good. I've been so busy lately, just to get this done."
Seeing that no one was around, Li Mu slipped an envelope into his hand and whispered, "Xiao Liu, this is just a small token of my appreciation. If you ever need any help in the future, just let me know."
Upon seeing this, Xiao Liu quickly declined, saying, "Oh, Brother Li, what are you doing? This is unacceptable; I cannot accept it."
Li Mu insisted on shoving the envelope into his hand: "Xiao Liu, don't be so polite. You've helped me so much, you should accept this small token of your appreciation. From now on, we're brothers, let's look out for each other."
Seeing this, Xiao Liu couldn't refuse any longer and had no choice but to put the envelope away.
"I can't accept this. It's my job, and I should do my best. Don't worry, Brother Li, I'll keep an eye out for you."
With Xiao Liu and Director Zhang making connections, the document quickly entered the review process.
Finally, on a sunny afternoon, Xiao Liu called Li Mu: "Brother Li, your materials have been approved. Director Zhang said that as long as your plan is implemented properly, he can sign it off."
Li Mu was so excited he almost jumped up: "Really? That's great! Xiao Liu, thank you so much! I'll definitely thank you properly once this is done!"
Xiao Liu joked with a smile, "Brother Li, don't be so polite. Once your planting and breeding businesses are up and running, don't forget to save some good stuff for me to try."
Li Mu repeatedly assured him, "Don't worry, don't worry, I definitely will."
Li Jianjun and his brothers, who were also involved in the planting and breeding program, were all thrilled to hear the good news brought by Li Mu.
"Brother Mu, if this works out, we'll be rich!"
Tian Xiaohu patted Li Mu on the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.
Li Chuzi chimed in, "Yeah, Mu Zi, when the time comes, the blueberries we grow and the rabbits and foxes we raise will fetch a good price, and we'll benefit from it too."
"Blueberries and rabbits don't grow on that land."
"That kind of thing?"
Li Jianjun thought he was going to grow some weird and deformed fruits: "You don't mean to grow some worthless stuff, do you?"
Li Mu shook his head and smiled mysteriously: "No, what I want to plant is gold!"
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, not knowing what Li Mu meant.
Li Mu didn't keep them in suspense. "Think about it. That land, although the environment is harsh, is precisely because of this that it can grow something that others can't. What I'm going to grow is rice!"
"What?! You want to grow rice?!"
As soon as Li Mu finished speaking, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, and everyone stared at him with wide eyes and incredulous expressions.
Li Jianjun was the first to react: "Are you kidding me? Mu Zi, you're going to grow rice on that land? Are you sure?"
"That's right, I'm going to grow rice. And I'm going to grow rice that's different from everyone else's, so that our village's rice can become a unique brand."
"But can rice really be grown in that area?" Even though he didn't farm, Tian Xiaohu knew that the environment in the Greater Khingan Mountains was harsh, the climate was frigid, the soil was barren, and the ground was frozen for most of the year, making it impossible for ordinary crops to grow there.
“You don’t understand. That area is all black soil. The rice grown there will definitely be high-yield and high-quality. Think about it, black soil is one of the most fertile soils. It has a high organic matter content and a strong ability to retain water and fertilizer. It’s land that no one else dares to plant on. The rice I grow there is unique.”
"Ha, great! You're so clever! You have so many ideas, I'll listen to whatever you say!"
Li Jianjun had no objections. He had a good understanding of Li Mu's temperament and knew that once Li Mu made a decision, it would be difficult to change it.
He has always been bold and decisive. Since he dared to propose planting rice on that land, he must have his reasons and plans.
"Let's go then, let's see where we can find rice seeds in the city and buy some to try."
Li Mu slapped his thigh and stood up: "That's right, let's go right away. Let's go to the city now and see if we can find rice seeds suitable for planting in that area."
The group arrived in the city in a grand procession and began asking around where they could buy rice seeds.
After some inquiries, they finally found an inconspicuous agricultural supply store. Although the store was somewhat dilapidated, there was a sign hanging at the entrance that read "Complete Guide to Agricultural Seeds".
They pushed open the door and went inside. The store was filled with all kinds of seeds, from vegetables to grains.
The shop owner was a middle-aged woman, dressed in a clean and tidy blue work uniform. Her hair was tied up at the back of her head, making her look very capable. Her eyes were long and narrow, and when she squinted, they revealed a shrewdness.
Li Mu stepped forward and politely asked, "Ma'am, do you sell rice seeds here?"
The older sister looked them over and saw that they were all dressed simply and were young people.
What are you trying to do?
"What else can it be used for? Of course, it's for planting."
Upon hearing this, the older woman was somewhat dismissive of their idea: "Planting? Do you even know where the rice seeds here are suitable to be planted? The seeds are very expensive, so don't mess around with them. If you can't grow anything, it will be a waste."
Rice seeds are very rare. Not only do ordinary seed shops not have them, but even if they do, they are very expensive.
Are you sure you want to buy it?
Li Mu nodded: "Yes, we're sure we want to buy them. Don't worry, big sister, we know these seeds are precious, that's why we came here specifically to buy them. We're well-prepared and won't make a fuss."
Seeing their sincere attitude, the older woman stopped talking and took out a packet of rice seeds from under the counter, handing it to Li Mu: "These are the best rice seeds we have here. They were imported from elsewhere. They cost five yuan a packet."