Reborn in 1994: Starting from the Autumn Harvest

Zhuang Changhe has lived half his life and only loves three things: smoking, drinking, and good food.

He especially loves the "steamed mandarin fish". He can't get enough of the garlic-clove-shaped meat. The mandarin fish costs more than ten yuan per catty, which is unaffordable for ordinary people, but it is completely acceptable for a small business owner like him.

However, mandarin fish is quite special. No one in Fengyuan County can farm this fish in large quantities, and the restaurants don't receive many wild mandarin fish. The supply can't meet the demand, which sometimes makes him feel helpless.

He had just finished inspecting the factory and was walking out when he overheard someone mention "catching mandarin fish," which immediately whetted his appetite.

"Mandarin fish?!"

"Who went fishing for mandarin fish?"

Upon seeing Zhuang Changhe approaching with his large pregnant belly and gait swaying from side to side, Huang Guiying and the other two, being shrewd individuals, rushed over to greet him.

Zhuang Changhe simply responded casually, his gaze fixed on Chen Mian, who was two meters away.

He knew the factory workers too well. There was only a small ditch around Daokou Village, and not many people in the village liked to fish, let alone catch rare fish like mandarin fish.

Moreover, the voice of the person who spoke just now sounded unfamiliar, so it could only be this unfamiliar young man.

Huang Guiying had a sharp eye and immediately thought of Zhuang Changhe, who had eaten all sorts of delicious food and drinks, and had a particular fondness for fish.

He hurriedly and enthusiastically introduced, "Brother, these are the two brothers from Jia Hua's mother's family, Chen Mian and Chen Shu. That mandarin fish was caught by Chen Mian."

"Oh, it's Jia Hua's brother." Zhuang Changhe nodded knowingly. He had also attended Zhuang Chengzhu's wedding, but he didn't have a deep impression of the Chen family.

He then asked, "Where's the mandarin fish?"

Chen Mian sized up Zhuang Changhe, recalling a famous saying by a ruthless man: "Big head, thick neck, either a tycoon or..."

Zhuang Changhe was clearly a real tycoon, dressed in a white shirt, black trousers, brown belt, and low-top leather shoes—the kind of smart and successful person he was.

That extremely prominent belly looked like it could fit a large ship inside.

Chen Mian pointed to the wine box in Huang Guiying's arms: "The wine has been changed; that bottle of Lao Baigan is it."

Seeing that Zhuang Changhe's joy had completely vanished, Huang Guiying couldn't help but glance at the bottle of wine again. She quickly pushed the wine into Chen Mian's hands and urged, "Take it back and return it to get that mandarin fish back. Hurry up."

"It's too late to change it." Chen Mian spread her hands. What a joke, there's no way to get this back. "It's probably all in my stomach."

Zhuang Changhe appeared extremely magnanimous and told Huang Guiying that it was nothing, just a fish.

But then he asked Chen Mian in detail where she had caught the fish and if she could get a few more mandarin fish, promising that the price he would offer would be no less than anyone else's.

"Chen Mian, go back and take this seriously. Hurry up and catch a few for your uncle and send them over. Business deals are all about food."

Huang Guiying could tell from Zhuang Changhe's expression that he cared a lot, so she gave him a serious lecture.

Many people would love to curry favor with Zhuang Changhe but never get the chance. If he's made happy with the meal, it will leave a good impression on him.

Chen Mian almost laughed; Huang Guiying had just opened her mouth and she'd thrown him into a corner.

However, considering that her older sister and her husband were working for someone else, Chen Mian also had her own thoughts.

He didn't know much about Zhuang Changhe in his previous life. He had only met him once from afar and knew that he was good at eating and drinking and had a good reputation.

Plastic factories are not a special industry; many factories have gone bankrupt. But Zhuang Changhe is the only one that has stood the test of time, though it has never grown very large.

I just didn't expect them to care so much about mandarin fish.

However, one should not speak too confidently, lest it seem boastful, nor should the fish be delivered too quickly; the easier it is to obtain, the less one should value it.

And most importantly, mandarin fish are prone to dying.

He pretended to hesitate before replying, "Uncle, I really can't guarantee that I'll catch any mandarin fish, but I'll definitely do my best to catch some when I get back. If I really can't get any, I'll go around the area and see if I can buy some for you."

Then, Chen Mian abruptly changed the subject: "However, transportation is a major problem. In this weather, mandarin fish are prone to dying soon after being taken out of the water, otherwise they wouldn't be so scarce. This..."

"Why is it so difficult to catch just a few mandarin fish?"

Before Zhuang Changhe could even speak, Huang Guiying's face hardened with displeasure. So many people wanted to curry favor but never had the chance; wasn't this just asking for trouble, making her lose face right in front of him?

Seeing this, Zhuang Changhe quickly stepped in to comfort him, explaining that mandarin fish are indeed rare, and it wouldn't be good if people were unhappy because of a fish.

He was quite satisfied with Chen Mian's answer. He had met too many people, and the more someone patted their chest and made promises, the more likely they were to be unreliable and have unrealistic expectations.

On the contrary, those who don't make promises they can't keep and who do their best are the most likely to get things done for you.

The same thing would be wrong if Chen Mian said it.

As soon as Zhuang Changhe started talking, Huang Xiuying nodded repeatedly.

"Here's what we'll do: let me know when you get the fish, and I'll have someone come and pick it up. I promise you won't have worked for nothing."

After Zhuang Changhe finished speaking to Chen Mian, he said a few words to Huang Guiying, telling her not to blame the child for such a small matter, and then walked away with a swaying gait.

Chen Mian didn't plan to stay any longer. Huang Guiying's opinion of the Chen family had changed after receiving the gifts, and with Zhuang Changhe's persuasion, she became much more amiable and offered to let Chen Shu follow her.

He also repeatedly urged Chen Mian to focus on fishing and treat it as a serious matter.

……

When Chen Mian returned to the village, she took a detour to the fields to check on the cotton and watermelon harvest.

The seed melon, also known as the watermelon, is a close relative of the watermelon, but its taste is rather bland. Its core value lies in the seeds inside.

The watermelon harvest is now in season, but a strong gust of wind and rain is expected on the 24th.

Some drainage ditches were not properly cleared in time, causing some watermelons to spoil and crack, and the seeds inside became moldy and deteriorated.

The watermelon harvest only affected five mu (approximately 0.8 acres), but the 45 mu (approximately 6.8 acres) of cotton were the most affected. This rain shower meant that the pesticides were basically wasted, and the waterlogging caused a variety of problems.

After the rain, there is still the problem of pests to deal with. The cotton bollworm is the main reason for the reduced yield in recent years.

These unexpected events are the problems that Chen Mian urgently needs to solve, as they are related to the future autumn harvest. He works himself to the bone all year and his livelihood depends on these few dozen acres of land.

With only three days left until that rain shower, humanity is insignificant in the face of nature, especially in the extraordinary year of 1994. All we can do is minimize the damage.

When Chen Mian got home, it was almost seven o'clock, and the sun was about to disappear on the horizon.

Upon entering the courtyard, I found the main room door open, and a rich, savory aroma wafted out, making my appetite surge just from the smell.

"Wow~ I can smell meat right here on the street, are we having a meat feast today?!"

Tang Xiuyun was bent over by the stove, kneading corn flour in a ceramic basin. When she heard her son's voice, she paused and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he whispered to his eldest daughter-in-law, who was sitting by the stove, "Xiaocui, go inside and rest. Let Chen Mian do the work. He's so talkative, always taking what's readily available."

"It's okay, I've only been pregnant for a little over a month, I'm not that delicate."

As Liu Xiaocui was speaking, Chen Mian entered the house with a smile.

"Sister-in-law, you go watch TV in your room for a while, I'll start the fire."

When Chen Mian saw her mother for the first time after her rebirth, she didn't want to cry but only wanted to laugh. She still had that shoulder-length short hair, with two shiny silver hair clips that made her hair look exceptionally black and shiny.

He was still wearing those homespun trousers, clearly having just returned from working in the fields and too lazy to change them while cooking.

Watching her mother gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear with her little finger, then continue rhythmically kneading the yellow dough, Chen Mian felt an overwhelming sense of bliss.

Seeing her son shaking his head and grinning foolishly, Tang Xiuyun couldn't help but laugh, "Tell me, who do you take after for your shamelessness?"

Chen Mian chuckled sheepishly and plopped down on the stool. The fire in the stove was burning brightly, and his mood was even brighter than the fire.

Tang Xiuyun was not used to her son's listless and silent state.

Today, Chen Hongguo told her that her son had changed, and she didn't take it too seriously. But now that she feels it, it really is a bit different. Normally, he would have been quiet for a while and then get a scolding.

But after thinking about it, it's better to be sensible. I'm not getting any younger, and I still need to find a wife in the future.

Then he instructed Chen Mian: "Your sister-in-law's older brother went out to move goods, and the host gave him ten catties of pork ribs, saying that your sister-in-law should bring back five catties to nourish her body. Your sister-in-law didn't say a word and just brought them to this room."