Back to 1978: Getting rich starts with treasure hunting

Qi Xiaoyun had been in Xiaohe Production Team for five years and was already familiar with the people in the village. She and Lin Shu had gotten along quite well in the past.

Lin Shu waited until Qi Xiaoyun walked away, then hurriedly started digging. Wild Codonopsis pilosula is precious, and its roots are deep and a little difficult to dig.

Five or six plants were found in this area. It took Lin Shuquan almost an hour to dig them out. Although it was time-consuming, the harvest was not small.

Lin Shu sold five of the six wild Codonopsis pilosula to the system, bringing the balance to 25.4 yuan.

The income from two days is almost equal to a month’s salary for workers in the city’s textile factories.

Lin Shu hurried home excitedly. When passing by the well at the entrance of the village, he washed his hands in Well No. 2 and also cleaned the Codonopsis pilosula that was left behind.

"What tree roots did you bring back? Put them in a dustpan to dry like treasures. Don't get the peanuts in the dustpan wet."

When Liu Xiao'e came out of the kitchen, she saw Lin Shu fiddling with a tree root in front of a wooden rack. She was afraid that Lin Shu would get the peanuts drying in the winnowing basket wet.

The peanuts in the winnowing basket were the seeds she had saved, which she planned to plant in her private plot of land, so that in the fall she would have peanuts at home as snacks for the children.

"It's just right to wet it so it can sprout." Lin Shu went back to the house and poured himself a glass of water. "Mom, that's not a tree root, it's a medicinal herb. You've heard of Codonopsis, right? I'll put it there to dry. Don't throw it away."

"Codonopsis? It sounds quite precious. When did you know about medicinal herbs?" Hearing the word "shen" in it, I knew it was not cheap, but when did my daughter know about medicinal herbs?

"I learned it from a book, so don't ask me. You just need to know that the tree root is Codonopsis pilosula. Next time I'll stew a chicken for you and dad to nourish your body." There are many things in the world that cannot be delved into deeply.

"Okay." Liu Xiao'e frowned slightly, just don't poison the old couple.

At the lunch table, Liu Xiao'e talked about her afternoon plans.

"We don't have much firewood at home. You men go to work this afternoon, and we women go up the mountain to chop firewood. Each of us will chop a load and bring it back. This should be enough to last until after the spring plowing."

In rural areas, work points were exchanged for money and food, and no one wanted to waste time earning work points. However, every family in this era relied on wood stoves to cook, so they had to go to the mountains to chop some firewood every once in a while.

Lin Gang took a bite of his meal and suggested, "Mom, how about I go up the mountain with you guys this afternoon? If you need to climb trees or cut branches, leave it to me. I'm very good at climbing trees."

There are several continuous green hills behind the village, which are mainly covered with fir trees and miscellaneous woods. The village stipulates that trees cannot be cut down indiscriminately, but the branches at the bottom can be removed. For example, if the bottom layer of branches of a fir tree is removed, the tree will grow taller and straighter.

Liu Xiao'e glanced at him and said, "No need. You can go to work with your father and his family. Your sister and your two sisters-in-law will help you climb trees."

Father Lin nodded: "Your mother is right, just follow us to work honestly, don't think about going up the mountain to be lazy, we don't know you, don't you just want to go up the mountain to wander around."

"......What do you mean by wandering around? I'm going to set traps. If I catch a rabbit or a pheasant, it will improve our food supply." Lin Gang did not admit that he wanted to go out and play.

Going up the mountain to hunt is much more interesting than going to work. Not only is farming hard, but the key is that you will never make money in your lifetime.

Lin Shu finished the last bite of rice in the bowl. His stomach was full, but his mouth still wanted to eat. This was because there was no oil or water, so he didn't feel full no matter how much he ate.

"Don't argue. My sisters-in-law are all going to work this afternoon. Leave the task of chopping wood in the mountains to me. I'll be going up the mountain every day these days to chop wood."

She went up the mountain alone to chop wood and collect some medicinal herbs. After she was done with these few days, she had to find an excuse to go to the county town. Otherwise, the bland meals every day would make her want to vomit, and most importantly, her body couldn't take it.

But before she could find an excuse, the opportunity came in the evening.

When Lin Shu returned home from the mountain in the evening with a load of firewood, he heard laughter coming from the house.

"Mom, who's here?"

Liu Xiao'e came out from the main room and said, "It's your second aunt who's here."

Lin Shu brushed off the leaves stuck to her clothes and saw the woman who came out behind her mother.

She looked to be in her fifties. Her clothes had no patches and looked about 80% new. Her skin was also better than Liu Xiao'e's. From her clothes and complexion, it could be seen that she was living a better life than Liu Xiao'e.

This is Lin Shu’s second aunt, who married into the next town. Because there is a lead, zinc and silver mine in the next town, and the mine happens to pass by their village, the road at the entrance of the village is better built than the road in Xiaohe Production Team.

The road leading from their Xiaohe Production Team to the village was still the most primitive dirt road, but the road at the entrance of the second aunt's village had a roadbed and was paved with gravel all the way. It could be said that it was only missing cement and asphalt to make it no different from the roads of later generations.

But in this era, the road from the lead, zinc and silver mine to the county seat became the best road in the entire county.

At least when it snows or rains, the roads won't be muddy.

"Second Aunt, how come you have time to come here today?"

"I'll take some time to come and see you. Your cousin's baby will be one month old in a few days, so I'll come and give you the invitation."

After working in the mountains for an afternoon, Lin Shu felt uncomfortable and a little itchy. She nodded and said, "Aunt, talk to my mom slowly. I've been in the mountains for an afternoon and I'm very dirty. I'll go take a shower and change clothes first."

"Okay, the mountain is very poisonous, you should go wash yourself quickly and don't let your skin get allergic reactions." Second Aunt laughed with a deep smile on her face.

After Lin Shu fetched water and went into the bedroom, Second Aunt took Liu Xiao'e into the kitchen and helped to light the fire while asking, "I see that Lin Shu is getting prettier. Has she found a partner?"

"No, I haven't met the right one yet." Liu Xiao'e shook her head, then seemed to think of something and asked, "You ask this question, but do you have a suitable young man?"

"Yes, there is..." Second Aunt was a little hesitant, but still told the story of the man.

"There are two suitable young men in our village. One of them is the third of three brothers. His two older brothers are married and have families, leaving only this youngest. This young man is good-looking, tall and strong, and is also good at work. He gets full work points when working in our production team. If Lin Shu marries him, she will enjoy a happy life in the future."

"What about the other one?" Liu Xiao'e was quite satisfied with the conditions of this one, but she also wanted to know the situation of the other one and choose the best one.

"The other one is the only son in the family. He has five older sisters, all of whom are married, and a younger sister who is still unmarried. This young man's conditions are not as good as the first one. He is a little shorter, but he works in the mine and gets paid. This is his advantage."

"He works in the mines. Is he a worker in the mines?"

It is obvious that Liu Xiao'e prefers the last young man.

Second Aunt rolled her eyes at her and said, "How is that possible? The Lead, Zinc and Silver Mine doesn't hire just anyone. You need a very close relationship to get in as a temporary worker. I heard that one of her brothers-in-law works there, and she used her connections to get him in."

"He also has a brother-in-law who works in the mine. Is he a leader?" Liu Xiao'e's eyes lit up.

For rural people who have never traveled far in their lives, having a relationship that provides them with food from the government is something to brag about, and having relatives who work in a company and receive food from the government is even more amazing.