Era: I was a farmer at the foot of Yaoling Mountain

"Ok."

Binbin didn't object and readily agreed.

Xiao Jie was the happiest one. Since starting university, she has become much more outgoing and is more willing to go out and about often instead of always staying at home reading.

"Third brother, I'll go with you too, to see the wild herbs in the mountains."

Unexpectedly, Master Sun suddenly chimed in, saying that he also planned to go into the mountains together tomorrow.

"Master, can your body handle this?"

Fang Wei pondered for a moment, but Pan Lianhua was still a little uneasy.

The old Taoist priest is not young. Although he usually looks quite energetic, climbing mountains and crossing valleys is still a physically demanding job.

"It's okay, my body can handle it."

Sun Daoren replied nonchalantly, "It seems we have no choice but to go."

Fang Wei had no choice but to nod in agreement. With so many people around, any situation could be dealt with promptly.

The next day.

Fang Wei and his wife, along with Binbin and Xiaojie, got up early, called Sun Daoren, and went into the mountains.

Sun Daoren wasn't exaggerating; he could barely keep up with the group. Of course, this was only because Fang Wei and Pan Lianhua deliberately slowed down; otherwise, not only the old Daoist, but even Binbin and Xiaojie wouldn't have been able to keep up.

Since they weren't in a hurry, they walked and rested, and the group arrived at the herb cultivation base without incident.

Sun Daoren hadn't been here for many years, and looking at the rare herbs covering the mountains and fields, he couldn't help but marvel. He knew very well that Fang Wei must have played a part in this; being an old and shrewd man, he had long since discovered Fang Wei's extraordinary abilities.

However, he had never asked before, and he did not ask this time either.

They picked some herbs that Master Sun urgently needed before heading to the pine forest.

Along the way, Pan Lianhua caught several wild rabbits, while Fang Weize caught two pheasants. Upon arriving at the field, instead of immediately picking wild mushrooms, they prepared their game by the stream and began cooking lunch.

Pan Lianhua made bamboo tube rice, while Fang Weize started a fire to grill it, and soon the aroma wafted through the mountains and forests.

Binbin and Xiaojie beamed with joy. The picnics they used to have on the mountain were a wonderful memory for them, and they were so happy to finally have that opportunity again today.

Later, everyone sat together to eat bamboo rice and barbecue, which was incredibly delicious.

After dinner, Fang Wei had Xiao Jie stay with Sun Daoren to rest, while he, Pan Lianhua, and Binbin began picking swan mushrooms. There were a large quantity of mushrooms in this area; he would have Wang Songlin send people to pick them all later.

Waste is shameful; if they are not picked soon, these mushrooms will rot in the pine forest.

evening.

Fang Wei, Pan Lianhua, and the others returned home with a full load of seafood. That evening, they enjoyed an incredibly delicious meal of swan mushrooms, and Binbin and Xiaojie both wore satisfied smiles.

This is the taste they remember; being able to eat it even once a year is a blessing.

After the meal, neither of the children wanted to move, since they had walked too far up the mountain today. Even Master Sun had gone back to rest early.

Fang Wei and Pan Lianhua acted as if nothing had happened, strolling along the riverbank under the bright starlight, their mood instantly lifted.

"Third brother, Binbin doesn't look for a partner or date. He's about to graduate from university, and I'm worried about him."

The act of arranging lotus flowers always involves children. Her daughter is only a sophomore in college, so there's no rush. But Binbin will be graduating soon, and she can't help but start worrying about her son's marriage.

Fang Wei laughed and said, "Actually, very few college romances last. Most couples go their separate ways after graduation. Instead of worrying about our son's marriage, we should be more concerned about his plans after graduation."

"We need to be concerned, Third Brother. Do you really agree to let Binbin go to Guangzhou?"

Pan Lianhua felt that her future career path after graduation was a big deal, but she didn't know much about it, so she wanted the man to make the decision.

"He can go wherever he wants. Guangzhou isn't that far from here, so let him go."

Fang Wei is quite open-minded. She believes that children will eventually grow up and fly away, so there's no need to go to great lengths to keep them by her side.

Pan Lianhua nodded, then silently took the man's arm and walked him home.

The next day.

Fang Wei received a call from Cai Tong, who said that the Electrical Appliances Group Co., Ltd. had requested a shareholders' meeting to review its development plan for the next three years.

"Secretary, is there anything you need to explain?"

"Actually, there's not much to explain. As long as the company focuses on the refrigeration equipment market, everything else will be fine."

Fang Wei didn't set too many rules for Cai Tong, but emphasized one point: it is essential to focus on developing our own advantageous industries.

In the refrigeration equipment sector, Yaoling Electric Group was one of the earliest companies to enter the industry, and its product sales and influence are among the best in the industry. It must maintain its leading position.

As for small appliances, electric fans, etc., Zhang Wenyuan and his team can use their creativity freely.

"Okay, I understand. We'll keep in touch."

Cai Tong immediately hung up the phone and prepared to head to Fragrant Hills.

The electrical appliance group is a rather special company. First, it is very large in scale, and second, it is not a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yaoling Agriculture.

Under normal circumstances, Fang Wei and Cai Tong rarely interfered in the company's operations, but they were exceptionally strict in their supervision, conducting regular or irregular audits every year.

Fang Wei has been visiting Xiangshan less often in the past year or two, but the company's oversight remains strong. With his child at home, Fang Wei is too lazy to travel far, waiting until after the autumn harvest to make time to visit. Despite being far away, he actually controls the finances and sales of the electronics group, allowing him to stay informed about the company's details at any time.

Not interfering casually doesn't mean neglecting the issue; he understands this distinction.

in the afternoon.

Fang Wei took Xiao Jie to Xinlin Farm. His daughter preferred natural scenery, so he let her run around in the fields.

Accompanied by the farm manager, he carefully inspected the growth of the rice seeds and was very satisfied.

After the disaster, the weather has been favorable, and this season is sure to be a bumper harvest.

"Dad, you need to replace your car. Listen to this noise, it's incredibly loud."

On the way back, Xiaojie couldn't help but start complaining.

This Jeep has no air conditioning and poor suspension, making for a really bad riding experience.

“The county suffered a disaster this year, how could I have the time to replace my car? This thing is just a tool, as long as it works, it’s fine.”

Fang Wei laughed heartily, not caring about such things at all.

If he were only interested in enjoying life, why would he bother with a cooperative or a company? Even if he just stayed at home, he could earn over a million yuan a year, and buying a car would be a piece of cake for him.

Xiao Jie laughed too. She just said it casually, mainly because she felt that her father had been wronged.

When they got home, the food was laid out on the table, and Sun Daoren and Binbin had also returned, but Pan Lianhua was nowhere to be seen.

"Sister, has Lianhua called back?"

"No, if she says she'll be back late, I'll cook later."

Fang Wei was puzzled. After waiting for a while and seeing that his wife hadn't returned, he drove to the industrial park.

Halfway there, she saw Pan Lianhua. It turned out that her jeep had broken down on the road, and she had called someone to fix it, but it was still not fixed.

"Third Brother, the car has broken down. I'll go back with you first."

People from the factory also came, and Pan Lianhua got into Fang Wei's car. The two quickly returned home.

Fang Wei suddenly realized that her daughter was right; the condition of the two cars was indeed very poor, and it was time to consider replacing them.

As a result, when the furniture company learned that Pan Lianhua's car had broken down on the way, they urgently purchased a new car and sent it to the bamboo ware factory.

This is an imported SUV, so it's definitely expensive, but its condition is much better than a Jeep.

As a veteran of the furniture company, this is the treatment she deserves.

"Third Brother, you should replace the car too. It was bought during the cooperative era, and its condition is really problematic. Cars are different from other things; they're a matter of safety, so we can't be careless about them."

Pan Lianhua's words came from a feeling she had experienced. Her car broke down on the road that day, leaving her in a very embarrassing situation.

Fang Wei nodded. Once something escalates to the level of safety, he can't help but take it seriously.

His company then purchased an off-road vehicle identical to the Lotus. He didn't care much about the vehicle's appearance; he just felt that it would be more comfortable and safer for long-distance travel.

Time flies.

Binbin and Xiaojie returned to school one after another.

Fang Wei and his wife were both taken to Chenzhou by two people, and then they took a train from Chenzhou.

The county's disaster relief work has come to a temporary end, but post-disaster reconstruction is still ongoing. Fang Wei inspected various units and found that all the dilapidated houses in the three cooperatives under the company had been demolished, those that needed to be rebuilt were nearing completion, and those that needed repair had been fully repaired.

As for other losses incurred by the family, they must be borne by the individual.

Anyway, everyone's income is not low, and in addition to wages, bonuses and dividends, they should be able to absorb these losses themselves.

Fang Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had to ensure that all his commune members had a place to stay before winter. He couldn't manage other townships, but he had to take care of things in Qianjin Township, so he took some time to go and check on them.

Liu Fendou was quite pleased with the fact that the disaster relief work in Qianjin Township had been done well.

"Secretary Fang, please stay for dinner tonight. I'll have a few drinks with you."

"Never mind, I don't feel like drinking right now. I'll treat you next time."

After finishing his business, Fang Wei quickly made his escape.

The people in Qianjin Township like to force others to drink. He's not worried about getting drunk himself, but rather about making the people in the township sick.

When I got home that evening, I found Sun Daoren and my sister sitting there listlessly. My sister had already prepared dinner and was just waiting for him and Pan Lianhua to cook and eat.

This is the state the two people are in after their two children left.

Actually, it's similar with lotus flowers; they'll probably need a few days to recover.

Later, Pan Lianhua returned home, and the family began to eat.

“Third Brother, there’s a new craze for contracting out township enterprises. Some people are even coming to the factory to talk about contracting out. Tell me, why would our perfectly good company do this? So I chased them all away.”

While eating, Pan Lianhua talked about things at the factory.

Fang Wei smiled and shook his head. This trend would continue into the 1990s; this was just the beginning. (End of Chapter)