Double-Cut During the War of Resistance: My Wife Came from 1937

After lunch, the two went their separate ways.

Li Jianguo and Ma Weihong drove back to their home in the city.

Ma Hongwei, on the other hand, took Xia Weiwei, Zhang Aiying, and the two little ones back to their rural home.

After returning home, Ma Hongwei selected some photos of local mountain products and posted them in the group chat.

[Ma Hongwei: "I recently acquired some wild mountain products, including wild Codonopsis pilosula aged 8 years or more. Are there any business owners or executives interested?"]

[Mr. Wu: "Hey, your rhizome is dense, uneven in thickness, and has been twisted by stones for many years. The skin is deeply wrinkled with many spots, and the color is brownish-red. The roots are messy, thin, and irregularly distributed. It definitely looks like wild Codonopsis pilosula, not semi-wild grown in the forest!"]

[General Manager Jin: "Boss Ma is really something, managing to get wild Codonopsis pilosula that's over eight years old!"]

It is important to know that wild Codonopsis pilosula grows extremely slowly. For the first three years, it is only taking root, and it takes more than five years to develop medicinal value. Moreover, it only grows on the shady slopes of deep mountains at an altitude of 1200-1800 meters.

Codonopsis pilosula plants in the wild may encounter wild animals, pests and diseases, drought, and flash floods. It is estimated that out of a dozen or so seedlings, only one will survive for more than eight years.

Due to continuous harvesting during the War of Resistance against Japan and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the population of Codonopsis pilosula has continued to decline. The amount of wild Codonopsis pilosula in the country today is less than one-tenth of what it was in the 50s, and it has been protected and its private harvesting and sale are prohibited.

Those areas are patrolled and guarded year-round, so even if ordinary people wanted to steal, they couldn't get in at all.

It can be said that in later generations, ordinary people could not buy real wild Codonopsis pilosula at all; at most, they could buy Codonopsis pilosula grown in forests in a semi-wild manner.

[Chairman Liu: "Boss Ma, I wonder how much you have?"]

[Ma Hongwei: "This is confidential. Message me privately if you want it!"]

Soon, Ma Hongwei received a series of private messages.

[Mr. Liu: "Mr. Ma, my wife just gave birth and needs to nourish her blood, replenish her vital energy, and strengthen her spleen and stomach. I wonder if you could sell me 5 jin? I'm willing to pay 2000 yuan per jin."]

"wife?"

Upon seeing the other party's statement, Ma Hongwei was immediately taken aback.

He remembered that Chairman Liu looked to be over fifty years old.

His real age is probably over fifty, and his wife is still having children?

Suddenly, Ma Hongwei thought of something.

The other party is so rich, he must have taken a concubine later.

Seeing that Ma Hongwei did not reply immediately, Chairman Liu asked another question.

[Chairman Liu: "If Boss Ma thinks it's too little, how about 3000 yuan per catty?"]

"Holy crap, they're loaded!"

Upon seeing this, Ma Hongwei immediately swore.

He never expected that the other party would be willing to pay 3000 yuan for something that cost 1000 yuan per kilogram.

But thinking about it, it makes sense.

Wild Codonopsis pilosula that is 8 years or older is now prohibited from being harvested, and it is very difficult to obtain.

This falls into the category of having a market but no price.

Many people who are not short of money want to buy genuine wild Codonopsis pilosula, rather than those "fake" products that are grown under forest cover in a simulated wild environment.

[Chairman Liu: "The highest price is 3500 yuan per jin, no more than that!"]

Ma Hongwei: "Okay, 3500 yuan per jin!"

[Ma Hongwei: "But isn't 5 jin too little? I can give you 100 jin!"]

[Chairman Liu: "Boss Ma is willing to sell me so much? Are they all genuine wild Codonopsis pilosula? Don't try to fool me with those semi-wild forest-grown ones!"]

[Ma Hongwei: "How could this be? I've sold so many goods already, are there any counterfeit items among them?"]

[Chairman Liu: "Boss Ma, please don't take offense. It's just that this wild codonopsis is a bit different."]

Ma Hongwei: "It's alright, Chairman Liu will know once he gets his hands on it."

Chairman Liu: "I'll transfer the money to you now!"

Chairman Liu has transferred 350000 yuan to you!

[Ma Hongwei: "We haven't received the goods yet, so why has Chairman Liu sent the money?"]

[Chairman Liu: "It's just a small amount of money anyway, so I'm not worried about Boss Ma being greedy."]

"Is 35 a small amount of money?"

Ma Hongwei shook his head, thinking to himself, "These rich people really do have money!"

"But thinking about it, it makes sense. The luxury goods they buy for their wives and mistresses, like LV and Hermes, can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of yuan for a single bag."

"Some sellers won't sell you the bag just because you want it; you have to buy other items to match, and those matching items alone can be worth tens of millions!"

Those luxury goods are specifically designed to fleece the wealthy.

However, the wealthy are happy to buy these items in order to show off their status.

This is called "Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai"—one is willing to hit, and the other is willing to be hit.

Compared to those luxury goods that are only for showing off, the ginseng he sells can actually nourish the body.

Although its medicinal effects are not as good as wild ginseng, Codonopsis pilosula has a milder medicinal effect.

[Ma Hongwei: "Since that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony. Chairman Liu, please send me your location, and I'll send it to you by express delivery!"]

Chairman Liu: "It's inconvenient to send this by courier, I'll send someone to pick it up!"

Ma Hongwei: "Then I'll trouble Chairman Liu to find someone to pick it up himself!"

I had just finished talking with Chairman Liu when Sun Yaqian sent me another private message.

Sun Yaqian: "Brother Ma, could you leave some more for others?"

[Ma Hongwei: "Is 100 jin enough?"]

Sun Yaqian: "You actually agreed to sell me 100 jin? I absolutely adore you!"

[Ma Hongwei: "Ahem, I'm a married man!"]

[Sun Yaqian: "If I were ten years younger, I would definitely compete with you!"]

Ma Hongwei: "..."

It has to be said that wild Codonopsis pilosula sells very well.

Everyone in the group chat has a need.

Even Yin Weimin and his son bought 20 jin (10 catties).

They are all priced at 3500 yuan per kilogram.

"It's a pity we didn't dare sell too many!"

Ma Hongwei shook his head and said, "Only 1750 jin were sold!"

That's 6125000 yuan!

If it's originally priced at 1000 yuan per kilogram, then 6000 kilograms would be worth 600 million yuan.

But right now, less than 2000 jin (1,000 catties) has exceeded 6 million.

Ma Hongwei then asked in the group: "Does anyone know anyone who buys mountain products? I have a batch of forsythia, kudzu root, almonds, millet and other mountain products here. They are all naturally grown and have not been treated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides."

During the Republic of China era, even if people wanted to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the Taihang Mountains, there was nowhere to use them.

[Mr. Jin: "My friend here deals in mountain products; he's also from Central China. Mr. Ma, you can add him on WeChat!"]

[Mr. Jin has recommended a friend to you!]

Ma Hongwei: "Thank you, Mr. Jin!"

Ma Hongwei thanked him, then requested to add the other party as a friend, noting that he was recommended by Boss Jin.

With the note attached, the other party quickly added the contact successfully.

[Ma Hongwei: "Hello, boss. I heard from General Manager Jin that you're in the business of selling mountain products? I have a batch of mountain products here that I need to sell."]