Go back to the past to plant trees

Two days later, Feng Cheng and Zhao Jinquan started making sweet potato starch. It took them a day to knead fifty pounds of sweet potatoes and finally produced more than five pounds of sweet potato starch.

After extracting the starch, Feng Cheng spent time processing it into sweet potato starch.

After the sweet potato noodles were made, Feng Cheng and Zhao Jinquan had a meal of stir-fried cabbage and sweet potato noodles, which was delicious and much tastier than radishes or pickled vegetables.

After we finished making sweet potato starch, it started snowing in Bashang. It wasn't light snow, it was heavy snow, a blizzard. In just one day, the snow outside was 30 centimeters thick.

Looking at the heavy snow outside, Feng Cheng went out in high spirits and built a big snowman.

Looking at his work, Feng Cheng was very happy. He had never seen snow in his previous life, but this time his wish had come true. It was just too cold, though; his body couldn't take it after being outside for a short while.

Even the best things will fade over time. After playing in the snow for a few days, Feng Cheng lost interest because it was just him and Xiao Liu playing alone. Without company, it was naturally boring.

Zhao Jinquan had been staying in the camp listening to the radio for the past few days. Feng Cheng had set up the crystal radio. It was a very simple thing to make. He had done similar small physics experiments when he was in school. In addition, Feng Cheng had bought some related books and followed the instructions. He set it up in no time.

When Zhao Jinquan learned that it was a radio, he was so excited that he couldn't speak. He would stay there every day to listen to the programs. However, because it was in Bashang, the signal was a bit poor. Even transistor radios didn't work very well here, let alone crystal radios.

The book said that you could set up an antenna to receive signals, but Feng Cheng didn't have the tools and didn't really know how to set it up, so he didn't do it.

Despite the poor signal, lots of static, and limited programming, Zhao Jinquan listened with great interest, like a child who had just received a new toy and wouldn't stop until he got tired of it.

"Brother Feng, when are you going to get that transistor radio out? The signal is so bad, sometimes it just cuts out."

"That can't be done here; we have to go to the county town to get it done, and we'll need to buy some tools to do it."

Feng Cheng had finished assembling the components for the transistor radio; all the parts were installed and the wires were connected. All that was left was to solder the components together, but there was no electricity in Bashang, and Feng Cheng didn't have a soldering iron. So, for now, the thing could only sit in a corner, looking at it.

When Zhao Jinquan was making the wooden box casing for the crystal radio, he also made a casing for this unfinished semiconductor radio. It was quite nice, but it wasn't painted. If it had been painted, it wouldn't have been any worse than those aluminum casings.

"Sigh, this radio is good, but the signal is too bad. Sometimes the sound is hard to hear. I can only hear people talking, but I can't understand what they are saying."

There aren't many radio programs available now, just some news programs, science and education programs, and some programs about celebrities and events. However, for someone like Zhao Jinquan who has never traveled far from home, these programs are enough to broaden his horizons and give him a good understanding of the outside world.

"If you have time, you can take a look at that book on radios. Once you learn how to use it, you can buy the parts and assemble it yourself. Then you can build one for yourself, one for your dad, and one for your brother. Wouldn't that be impressive?"

Seeing that he was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) in a daze again, Feng Cheng gave him a pep talk to keep him occupied.

Zhao Jinquan's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this, but they dimmed again after a short while. "I've read that book too, but it's like reading a book written in heaven; I can't understand anything in it."

Feng Cheng was able to understand this introductory book on radio because he had completed a university education in both his past and present lives, so he had a foundation in many things. In addition, he was also smart, so he learned quickly. But Zhao Jinquan was different. He was only a primary school graduate. To put it bluntly, he didn't know many words, let alone something like radio that he had never been exposed to before.

“Take your time learning. If you can’t understand it the first time, watch it several more times. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me and I’ll explain it to you. Winter is still several months away, so you can’t just stay cooped up like this forever! And think about it, a transistor radio sells for over forty yuan at the supply and marketing cooperative, and the accessories are only ten or so yuan. If you buy it and set it up, that’s a difference of twenty or thirty yuan. The money you spend on one radio can buy three.”

"Also, think about it, you'll be getting married, and you'll need a radio for the wedding, right? You can buy the parts and assemble one yourself, and then get one for your future in-laws. How impressive would that be! People will definitely give you a thumbs up when they talk about you!"

Feng Cheng's words were extremely tempting, making Zhao Jinquan's heart pound. Just thinking about others giving him a thumbs up and talking about him behind his back with envious expressions made his blood boil.

Moreover, Zhao Jinquan thought of another benefit: he could assemble them and sell them! He wouldn't sell many, just a few for his team, earning seven or eight yuan each. He could also sell a few to other teams. If he did that, he could make several dozen yuan!

Private sales are now prohibited, but this kind of thing can't be stopped. As long as it's not sold in large quantities, no one in this poor and remote area of ​​Bashang will pay attention to it.

The more Zhao Jinquan thought about it, the more he felt he had to learn this skill. Once he mastered it, it would not only enhance his reputation but also allow him to make money.

"Brother Feng, I'll learn, but there are many things I don't understand. You'll have to teach me then."

"Okay, you can ask me anything you don't understand. I'll teach you anything I know."

After spending half a year hibernating in Bashang, Feng Cheng wanted to find something to do. Teaching Zhao Jinquan was no problem, since he hadn't fully grasped many things himself. Teaching others was like reviewing himself, which would deepen his understanding.

In the following days, Zhao Jinquan began to study the introductory book on radio relentlessly, while Feng Cheng would sleep until he naturally woke up every day, then have a meal, make some tea, occasionally go out for a stroll, play with Xiao Liu for a while, and then go back to the kang (heated brick bed) to read.

In my previous life, I wouldn't have dared to imagine such a life. Without millions, I wouldn't have dared to be so leisurely.

In the first week after the snowfall, Feng Cheng began to store the seeds for next year's new nursery in the snow. He soaked them in potassium permanganate, then mixed them with snow and put them in a container, finally placing it on the snow-covered ground.

This task isn't much; it's just a bit of fun and can be finished in a day or two. After the seeds are stored away, all I need to do is check on their condition occasionally and make a record of it.

After studying the basics of radio for a few days, Zhao Jinquan became somewhat lax, mainly because there was too much to learn, and he wanted to give up as he studied.

However, with Feng Cheng urging him on, he managed to continue learning, albeit reluctantly. Given his current condition, it shouldn't be a problem for him to learn this introductory book on radio within six months.

In addition, Feng Cheng also took the time to talk to him about seedling cultivation. After all, he was just idling around. As an employee of the newly established mechanical forest farm, he couldn't just keep digging holes and planting trees all the time. That kind of work is not easy! It would be better to learn about seedling cultivation. At least he wouldn't have to run around everywhere and could just stay in the nursery.