The timeline system has gone awry; they insist that steamed buns are a magic pill.

"Mom, why are you pinching me? He's just a temporary worker at the agricultural technology station. Who does he think he is? Don't hit me, don't hit me. I'm serious, Mom. Temporary workers do a lot of work, take the blame a lot, and get low wages. Your son can't take this kind of suffering..."

"You still say that, you still say that, you're going to make me so angry! So many people want temporary jobs but can't get one, and you still look down on them? Who do you think you are, a peasant, looking down on temporary workers at the agricultural technology station... I'm so angry, so angry..."

Let alone Shi Lanhua, Li Fuyuan and Li Fulu almost couldn't resist taking action. Good heavens, this kid from the agricultural technology station actually looks down on the temporary worker. Tell me how high your standards are. Who in our brigade would dare to say they look down on the temporary worker from the agricultural technology station?

Apart from Li Fuyuan, the team leader, who else dared to say that? But this kid said that temporary workers do a lot of work but the wages are low, so he doesn't want to do it. This is too infuriating. The two of them wanted to fight, but they didn't see Shi Lanhua make a move. Neither of them stopped her. She deserved to be beaten. If they didn't beat her enough, she would be out of control.

Li Qingqiu broke free from Shi Lanhua's grasp and hid behind Li Fuyuan. "Mom, let me tell you, I really can't do that lousy job. Going to the countryside every day is not as good as being in the brigade, where you can get some rewards now and then. It's so much more comfortable."

Upon hearing this, Li Fuyuan and Li Fuluo exchanged a glance. "Good lad, so that's why he asks for work points every day. He's really lazy. He deserves a beating." The two immediately moved aside.

No, you two old bastards, Sixth Brother, you're really something, you want me to get beaten up, huh?

"Uncle Fuyuan, I kept half of the mushroom spawn. Maybe I should give it all to the agricultural technology station. They might just give me a full-time job."

Li Qingqiu thought to himself, "You think you can't handle this sixth brother?" Sure enough, when Li Fuyuan and Li Fuluo heard this, they realized they had forgotten about it. If this kid goes to the agricultural technology station, the mushrooms in Lijia'ao might not be able to be grown.

"Alright, alright, this is the brigade headquarters, not your home, Shi Lan Hua, that's enough."

Li Fuyuan slammed his hand on the table, regaining his imposing demeanor as the brigade leader. Shi Lanhua, after all, was just an ordinary commune member, and she was still somewhat intimidated by Li Fuyuan's stern face. "Captain, you heard it too, this good-for-nothing boy should have been working properly, but he didn't want a stable job. He's so lazy. Tell me, why did I give birth to such a good-for-nothing..."

Shi Lan Hua collapsed to the ground. Li Qing Qiu, no longer avoiding her, rushed over to help her up. "Mom, I really can't do that. You know my temper. In the production team, if I cause trouble, I'll just criticize myself at most. But if I really go to the agricultural technology station and cause trouble, I'm afraid I won't be able to come back."

"Can't you just give me a break? What, are you going to work or go to war?"

"That's hard to say. With my temper, isn't it normal for me to get into fights?"

"you……."

Shi Lanhua sighed deeply and slapped Li Qingqiu hard. "I can't control you anymore."

"Hehe, Mom, you can still keep an eye on things occasionally."

"Go away, whatever. You might drive me crazy one day."

"How could that be? Look, you've hit me and cursed me, but I won't fight back or talk back."

"What, you want to hit your mother back?"

Shi Lanhua grabbed Li Qingqiu's ear and said, "Well, you little rascal!"

"No, Mom, I really didn't mean that, I was just saying." Li Qingqiu said, turning to look at Li Fuyuan. "Uncle Fuyuan, the strain, the strain..."

"Alright, kid, Shi Lanhua, this is the brigade."

Li Fuyuan thought to himself how many times he had slammed his fist on the table today; his hand was sore from it. He really had run into this rascal.

I'll deal with you when we get home.

Shi Lan Hua snorted, and Li Qing Qiu rubbed his ears and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uncle Fuyuan, let's get down to business. Although I promised the agricultural technology station about the mushroom cultivation, our production team can still manage to cultivate some on our own," Li Qingqiu said with a smile. "However, the mushroom spawn needs the snow mushrooms to mature. I originally planned to sell them all. The purchasing station is offering 45 cents per pound, and I can easily sell them for 50 or 60 cents outside..."

"Hey kid, you're asking us for money?"

Li Fuluo laughed at Li Fuyuan. "Listen to this, it's 45 cents and 50 cents again."

"But you know the situation in the team, so it might be a bit difficult to get that money."

"If you don't have money, work points will do. I don't need many, just five hundred work points."

Li Qingqiu immediately quoted five hundred. Li Fuyuan was about to say that was too much when Li Fulu waved his hand, saying that five hundred work points really wasn't much money. According to the work point price in Lijia'ao this year, one work point was less than two cents.

Five hundred work points, when calculated in detail, amount to only about ten yuan.

"Any other conditions?"

Li Fuluo knew that this kid probably had more than just this one condition.

"besides?"

Li Fuyuan was about to slam his fist on the table again, but Li Qingqiu didn't tolerate the old man's rage.

"Of course, Uncle Fuyuan, five hundred work points are only a few dollars. Do you know how much I made selling mushrooms today? A whole fifty dollars!" Shi Lanhua couldn't resist grabbing his hand as soon as Li Qingqiu finished speaking. "Fifty dollars, you leave me five dollars."

"Mom, we're talking about serious matters."

Li Qingqiu was helpless, but fortunately Shi Lanhua knew that she shouldn't make a fuss at this time.

"Alright, tell me, what other conditions do you have?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fuyuan realized that selling it for fifty yuan was easy, and five hundred work points wasn't much.

"There are no other conditions, except that I will provide the bacterial strain and take responsibility for it, but the members will have to pay for it. I don't want to be a sucker," Li Qingqiu said.

"Buy it with money?"

"Yes, of course you don't have to buy it, whatever. It's up to me. After all, cultivating the strains takes a lot of effort, and implanting them isn't an easy task either." Li Qingqiu waved his hand dismissively.

"Then you can guarantee there won't be any mishaps?"

"I can guarantee what you buy from me, but I can't guarantee what you buy from others. After all, snow mushrooms are a newly discovered strain, and strains are unstable, so it's normal for problems to occur. I can only guarantee that mine won't have any problems." Li Qingqiu made it clear in advance that if anyone's seed spawn had any issues, they shouldn't blame him.

Li Fuyuan and Li Fuluo exchanged a glance and nodded. "Alright, tell me, how much does this strain cost?"

Sold by the branch.

Li Qingqiu briefly explained the branch cultivation method. "A branch inoculated with spawn costs 50 cents and can produce about five kilograms of snow mushrooms."

"Five pounds, can you guarantee that?"

"Uncle Fuyuan, this can only be guaranteed to weigh around five jin, no less than three jin."

"Isn't 50 cents a bit expensive?"

"Five cents isn't expensive. Aside from the bacteria, you also have to implant it, which takes a lot of time and effort; it's a skilled job," Li Qingqiu said with a laugh. "I'm afraid there aren't many people in the whole Lijia'ao area who can do this besides me. Actually, I really don't like doing it; it's exhausting."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Shilan Hua patted Li Qingqiu, saying that it cost five cents a branch and was tiring.

"Let's discuss this. Wait a minute, bring me a branch."

"Okay, I'll have Xian'an bring it over later."

Li Qingqiu clapped his hands. "That's settled then. I won't be involved with the commune members."

"No way, you can't just wash your hands of this. Here's what we'll do: we'll form a Mushroom Squad, and you'll be the captain."

"No, I've had enough of being the captain."

Li Qingqiu refused outright. He was joking. The treasure hunt had left him extremely unhappy, and now they wanted him to be the team leader? What, did they expect him to work for free? He was kidding. He refused.

Seeing Li Qingqiu's resolute attitude, Li Fuyuan and Li Fuluo exchanged a helpless sigh. This kid's temper... he's probably really angry about dismissing the treasure-hunting team's deputy captain. "Alright, let's put this matter aside for now."

"Wait a minute, let's go to the educated youth settlement and check on the mushrooms first."

"No problem, check anytime."

"No problem," Li Qingqiu patted his bottom and stood up. "Then let's say that, Mom, let's go home."

As soon as Li Qingqiu stepped out of the brigade headquarters, he was stunned. Good heavens, when did so many people arrive at the gate of the courtyard?

"What are you doing?"

Li Qingqiu glanced around and saw that Aunt Liu and the others were also there. He wondered if these old women were up to something again.

"Li Laosan, why did you hit your mother again? Tell us why and we'll all have a laugh."

"Damn it."

Li Qingqiu nearly choked on his own blood. These old women thought he was a clown, putting on a circus for them every day. "Fine, have some fun. Nothing much. The agricultural technology station wanted to give me a temporary job, a little over ten yuan a month. Ugh, really, I can do that kind of work. Ten yuan isn't even enough for a steamed bun. I refused on the spot. My mom's still angry about it. Tell me, is it worth it? A worthless temporary job?"

"Pfft."

Everyone was amused; this kid really dared to say that.

"Li Laosan, what are you talking about? You? The agricultural technology station wants to hire you and give you a temporary job? What a pipe dream!"

Wang Yulan knew she was about to collapse from her back. "Really, who are you? You're lazy, good-for-nothing, and you call yourself an agricultural technology station? Do you even know where the door to the agricultural technology station is?"

"That's right, Li Laosan, it's not even dark yet, how come you're already having sweet dreams?"

"An agricultural technology station? Why don't you just say a steamed bun shop?"

"Haha, if you said it was a steamed bun shop, we'd believe you a little."

"The agricultural technology station is full of real experts. You're the worst at transplanting rice in the whole team, and you can't even weed as well as a child. What would the agricultural technology station hire you for, to be a big shot?" Aunt Liu slapped her thigh. This Li Laosan, he can lie so easily. Does he really think everyone is stupid?

"Don't talk nonsense. My third son is very capable. What's wrong with the agricultural technology station? We don't want to go there."

Shi Lanhua couldn't hold back anymore. These old women were belittling Lao San like that, especially Liu's aunt and the others. It was outrageous.

"Mom, forget it. How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?"

Li Qingqiu looked disdainful. "A bunch of ignorant frogs in a well, old women, move aside, I need to go home, I don't have time to argue with you."

"Oh dear, you've been exposed, aren't you embarrassed?"

Damn it, is this Aunt Liu out of her mind? She doesn't understand anything, yet she's always the first to charge in. Li Qingqiu has already slapped her in the face enough. If Aunt Liu buys branches later, I'll teach her a lesson.

Just then, a little boy ran up and shouted, "Uncle Qingqiu, someone is looking for you!"

Who is it?

"The commune cadres and the agricultural technology station staff said they had already arranged for you to come and receive the bacterial strains."

Li Xianbao gasped for breath and said in a strained voice.

"So fast."

Li Qingqiu muttered to himself. "Do we need anyone to rest? Uncle Fuyuan, the commune and the agricultural technology station are here to receive the mushroom spawn."

"So fast? Okay, Fro, let's go take a look."

The onlookers were dumbfounded. The commune cadres and people from the agricultural technology station really came to find Li Qingqiu. Could it be that Li Qingqiu hadn't lied to them? But how could this be? He was a temporary worker at the agricultural technology station, and Li Qingqiu didn't want him.

"That's absolutely impossible. Temporary jobs at the agricultural technology station are such good jobs, who would be stupid enough not to take them?"

"Yeah, that's impossible. How could someone not want a job? It's a secure job!"