Let's go back to 2008, starting with a recreational fishing park.

In the office, after Jiang Xia brought up the topic of a raise herself, she did not ask Wang Guifen to change the subject.

She grasped Jiang Xia's hand and asked earnestly:

"Xiaxia, there's no one else in the house right now. Tell me the truth, do you have feelings for Qingqing?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia almost spat out the tea he had just drunk. He had brought up the topic of opening a restaurant, so how did his mother steer the conversation in such a strange direction?

To be honest, I do like Su Qing quite a bit, but then again, we've only known each other for a short time, so it seems a bit premature to start talking about this kind of thing.

Seeing Jiang Xia's reaction, Wang Guifen immediately released her grip on his hand and said, "Let me tell you, you're not getting any younger. It's time to find someone and start thinking about marriage!"

Jiang Jianguo chimed in, "That's right. You'll be 25 after the New Year. If you develop your career in Shanghai, it'll be too far for your parents to keep an eye on you. But since you're developing your career at home now, there are some things you really should consider."

Even her second uncle, Jiang Jianjun, said seriously when he heard this topic: "Xiaxia, your parents are right. Now that we're at home developing our careers, finding a suitable partner is a serious matter. Look at your younger brother, he's several years younger than you and he's always with his girlfriend. You need to hurry up too!"

Faced with the onslaught of the group, Jiang Xia felt an urge to flee the room.

Left with no other choice, he could only assure the others that he would definitely hurry!

Seeing this, the group stopped talking about finding girlfriends and started discussing serious matters.

Jiang Jianjun took a sip of tea and asked, "You want to open a restaurant? Are you going to do it right there in the courtyard house your dad built? Or do you want to rebuild it?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xia finally felt that he had regained the initiative:

"Second Uncle, I'm thinking of renovating the courtyard house that my dad built in the east and turning it into a farmhouse inn. It's just that it might be a bit troublesome to build."

Upon hearing that Jiang Xia had ideas about the courtyard house in the east, Jiang Jianguo stroked his chin and said, "That courtyard house is fine, but it's too troublesome to renovate. It might even have to be demolished and rebuilt."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia also calmed down and began to think.

The idea of ​​opening a restaurant only came to him today; many things were just vague thoughts.

After his father said that, he really felt he needed to make some plans.

The courtyard house that the group mentioned is where Jiang Xia is currently living. In addition, the kitchen where Su Qing and Wang Guifen cook, as well as the reservoir warehouse, are all located there.

That courtyard house was built many years ago when Jiang Jianguo was raising fish. Back then, single-story houses weren't common; they were tiled houses, with three main rooms plus east and west wing rooms, a standard folk house style from Shandong Province.

However, because no one has lived there for many years, the entire courtyard house is quite dilapidated.

Jiang Xia wouldn't have stayed in this old house if he wasn't worried about someone causing trouble at night.

Thinking about it carefully, this old house is great for living in if it's renovated, but it might not be suitable to turn it into a restaurant.

Just as Jiang Xia was racking his brains without finding a solution, Jiang Jianguo lit a cigarette, looked at Jiang Jianjun, and said:

"Jianjun, are there any prospects for developing these wastelands around the reservoir?"

When Jiang Jianguo mentioned the wasteland next to the reservoir, Jiang Xia's eyes lit up.

How could I have forgotten about the wasteland around the reservoir?

It's important to understand that the area around our reservoir isn't just the reservoir itself; there's also a vast expanse of wasteland surrounding it.

These wastelands are far from the village and troublesome to manage, so not many people are paying attention to them yet.

But a decade or so later, small tricycles became common in rural areas, and with the support of livestock farming and planting, things were different.

Jiang Xia remembers that the wasteland around the reservoir, as well as the barren mountain not far away, were all contracted and divided up by out-of-town bosses and villagers in just a few years.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jianjun thought for a moment and said to Jiang Jianguo, "Brother, this land isn't worth much, and it's easy to grow crops and raise livestock. However, if you want to open a restaurant, you might have to ask Old Chen to help you with the paperwork."

When Jiang Jianjun mentioned Lao Chen, Jiang Xia recognized him; he was the scalper who had been processing various documents for him.

However, if it were that wasteland, Jiang Xia's thoughts would go beyond just a restaurant.

"Second Uncle, how many acres of wasteland are there in total around here?" he asked curiously.

Jiang Jianjun thought for a moment and said:

"It must be about 40 or 50 mu. This piece of land is actually quite good, but in recent years, because it is too far from the village, the villagers have tried to lease it out, but no one wants to."

Hearing that it was forty or fifty acres, Jiang Xia was a little excited. If he could take over the whole thing, the business would be huge.

If it can be properly managed, it will be far superior to my current fishing spot.

"Uncle, do you think there's any explanation for if I take over the whole thing?" Jiang Xia handed Jiang Jianjun a cigarette.

Jiang Jianjun took the cigarette and said directly, "What do you mean there's no explanation? This is a huge deal! The village has been struggling to figure out what to do with this land! If you really dare to take it on, not to mention anything else, I'll be a huge help to you!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Jianjun frowned again: "Xiaxia, farming doesn't make money these days. You can contract it out, but you have to think carefully about what you're going to do."

What would you do with this land if you leased it out? Hearing Jiang Jianjun ask this, Jiang Xia wanted to just say, "Do nothing with it, leave it there for a few years, and then lease it out again to make a profit."

However, since he was his own second uncle, Jiang Xia didn't dare to say that. He didn't rush to answer the other party's question, but instead took a sip of tea and thought about it carefully.

After a long pause, he turned to his father and second uncle and asked, "Dad, Second Uncle, what do you think of Bai Gen now?"

Upon hearing the name Bai Gen, both Jiang Jianguo and Jiang Jianjun were startled.

This "Baigen" is actually what the locals in Qingshan Village and the Linjiang area call it.

Its formal scientific name is Xu Changqing, and it is a Chinese medicinal herb that is very suitable for cultivation in Shandong Province.

In recent years, many people in the neighboring Taixin City have been planting Cynanchum paniculatum on a large scale. Although no one in Qingshan Village has planted it yet, the two Jiang brothers, who are well-informed, have both heard of Bai Gen's reputation.

Because the profits from this are so high; under suitable conditions, the profit per acre can even reach 10,000 yuan. Compared to growing crops, it's like heaven and earth.

However, because white root is difficult to cultivate and the seeds are expensive, many people know about it but don't have the energy to grow it.

Hearing Jiang Xia suddenly mention Bai Gen, the two brothers couldn't help but be surprised. This brat really wants to make things big!

If you really manage to cultivate forty or fifty acres of white ginseng, the annual income would easily reach several hundred thousand.

However, the initial investment would likely be even higher.