A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

The northwest wind whistled through the nursery.

Some people wrapped themselves tightly in their fur coats and complained, "Why did you call us here on such a cold day?"

Others chimed in, "Yes, what can't be said at the Chamber of Commerce?"

"If not in the Chamber of Commerce, a private room in a teahouse would also work."

Among them were some well-informed individuals who looked at An Qingyu and said, "I heard that Little An has encountered a master. Today, we would like to ask this master to give us some advice?"

His tone was entirely mocking.

An Qingyu only took over his father's position last year. He is the youngest and least experienced member of the seedling association.

Everyone else always regarded him as their uncle or elder, and no one believed that this young man could really find a master to guide him.

An Qingyu could see through this disdain, and he smiled and said, "Whether or not to offer advice is a matter of opinion."

"After all, she's a merchant. Two hundred Bodhi seedlings aren't a lot, but they're not a small amount either. Why don't you all listen to what she has to say, just as a casual chat?"

Someone scoffed, "Xiao An, you should know the rules of the Chamber of Commerce. I heard that the person you've found doesn't have any background..."

Before he could finish speaking, a mule cart slowly pulled up a short distance away.

The woman driving the carriage, wearing a white fox fur cloak, stepped off the carriage and gracefully approached this direction.

Before I could even see her face clearly, I heard her hearty laughter, "Sorry, sorry to have kept you all waiting."

"The purple radishes sold by the roadside were so fresh and delicious that my son Laifu couldn't wait to eat them. So I bought a basket of radishes to coax him, which is why I'm late."

An Qingyu suppressed a laugh and introduced the animals to the others, "This is Miss Gu, and Laifu is her beloved mule."

The merchants looked Gu Xixi up and down, all of them somewhat disdainful.

A mule as a pet, and even a name for it? Humph, she's just a woman!

Gu Xixi walked closer and greeted them with a cupped hand.

She deliberately made an excuse to be late, just so that these people would be left out in the cold.

Regardless of their prejudices, calming down beforehand makes it easier to understand what people are saying.

Now the two sides can be considered acquainted.

However, none of the nursery owners spoke up, clearly intending to leave Gu Xixi hanging.

An Qingyu quickly changed the subject, "What exactly is the meaning behind the temperature difference that Miss Gu mentioned?"

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "Instead of just talking, let's look at some empirical examples."

She pointed to two orchards, one on higher ground to the north and the other on lower ground to the south, and asked, "Whose orchards are these?"

A short, stout middle-aged man stepped forward. "The north side is mine, and the south side belongs to Boss Yuan. What's wrong with that?"

An Qingyu said, "Miss Gu, this is Boss Ge Shu. Next to him is Boss Yuan."

Gu Xixi nodded slightly to the two of them, "The same variety of Pinpo fruit, planted in similar places, fertilized with the same fertilizer, and irrigated with the same water, yet the fruits taste very different."

Boss Geshu and Boss Yuan exchanged a glance and said, "The fruits of each tree are different, so what's so strange about that?"

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "If they are different, it means that the quality control is unstable, which can be resolved by human intervention, but that's a matter for later."

"Let's just talk about natural temperature differences for now."

"Boss Geshu's Pinpo fruit has a crisp texture and a very unique, rich aroma. Occasionally, when the fruit is cut open, a semi-transparent center can be seen, like rock candy embedded in it, crystal clear."

"Unfortunately, it lacks sweetness and has too much sourness."

"Boss Yuan's Pinpo fruit is sweeter, but the texture is firm and hard, not crisp, and the fruit flavor is not strong enough."

Judging from the expressions of the two bosses, it was clear that Gu Xixi had hit the nail on the head.

Boss Ge Shu glared at An Qingyu, "Did you find out her background beforehand, allowing her to play these tricks?"

Before An Qingyu could answer, Gu Xixi said, "I don't need to be mysterious."

"Making the above judgment based on the terrain and temperature difference is as simple as it gets."

Boss Yuan became somewhat interested. "Temperature difference? That means either cold or hot."

Gu Xixi said, "Why is it that the Pinpo fruit, which is abundant in your Western Regions, becomes of different quality and unstable when it enters Daye territory?"

"That's the most basic problem."

"During the fruit-setting period, it is cool in the morning and evening, but warm and sunny from noon to afternoon."

"The fruit of the Pinpo fruit undergoes such temperature changes every day, so that it can have both good taste and sweetness."

The bosses all fell into deep thought.

Mr. Yuan said, "I live in the south, where the terrain is low-lying and relatively warm, so the taste is not as good, which is easy to understand."

"But the terrain in the north is high, and it's colder in the mornings and evenings. The temperature difference is enough, so why isn't it sweet enough?"

Gu Xixi smiled, "That's the next question."

She looked around at the group and said, "It's fate that we met, so I might as well answer one more question."

"Although the north side doesn't lack sunlight, the soil is different from this side. To improve it, we need to start with fertilizer."

Boss Geshu blurted out impatiently, "What kind of fertilizer?"

Gu Xixi sighed, "If I teach everything to everyone, how will I make a living in the future?"

"You are all business people, you should understand the value of things, right?"

The group exchanged glances, and Boss Yuan said with a smile, "Although what the young lady said earlier makes sense."

"But how do we know that the solution you're offering isn't a scam?"

Gu Xixi smiled enigmatically, "Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you."

"Back then, you didn't hesitate to leave your hometown and invest time and money to develop seedlings in Yunling County. Wasn't that all due to your own vision?"

While the others hesitated, An Qingyu was the first to speak up, "I believe in Miss Gu!"

Gu Xixi said calmly, "In that case, I'll teach you another trick for free."

"Bagging the fruit not only eliminates the problem of pests, but also makes the fruit smooth and beautiful in shape."

Someone immediately retorted, "Nonsense! Bag the fruit? Without sunlight, how can the Bodhi fruit grow into a beautiful red color!"

"Don't rush," Gu Xixi said. "After bagging, the bags need to be removed at a specific time so that the fruit can be sun-dried, colored, and have sugar deposited."

"The bags only need to be made of the cheapest kudzu cloth, and are slightly larger than a ripe Bodhi fruit. Compared to the price the fruit will fetch when it's in perfect condition, this cost is negligible."

Boss Geshu stroked his beard and nodded, "That's a good idea."

Every year, just dealing with pests on the Bodhi tree is enough to give them a headache.

In addition, a large number of fruits with spots and deformities could only be sold cheaply upon delivery.

Simply covering the fruit with a small cloth bag can both prevent insects and make each fruit look beautiful.

It really is a sure-fire way to make money.

An Qingyu, however, realized the key point: "Miss Gu said to remove the bag at a specific time. What exactly is that time?"

"And there must be a time limit for when to bag the bags, right?"

"Smart!" Gu Xixi praised with a smile.

"Actually, your current seedling cultivation methods are a bit slow. If you want to satisfy your ambition to expand outwards..."

Overjoyed, they exclaimed in unison, "You have a solution?"