After asking, Zhuang Qixiang remembered he was no longer the manager of the cultivation center.
Having worked there for over two years, hearing that someone wanted to reduce their order—by 5,000 bottles, no less—he couldn’t help but feel concerned out of habit.
Yan Xue, aware of this, glanced at him and replied in her usual calm tone, "May I ask the reason?"
She then added, "After all, our previous collaborations have been smooth, and you’ve never been the type to go back on your word."
If it had been Secretary Hu from Liuhu Town, she might not have bothered asking. But with Wugang Town, their partnership had indeed been pleasant.
The representative from Wugang Town didn’t hide the truth. "It’s not that we want to reduce the order, but we won’t be able to procure enough wood next year."
Secretary Zhang’s voice carried helplessness. "Originally, we planned to expand production next year—that’s why we placed an order for 10,000 bottles. But when we reached out to our usual wood suppliers, two had already sold their stock, and the third wanted to raise prices."
The man was clearly competent, judging by how well he had hosted Yan Xue and Zhou Wenhui before, but even he seemed at a loss now.
"The prices they’re asking are too high. I did the math, and it’s just not cost-effective. Trying to source wood from farther away might not even work."
Transportation was the main issue. Beyond the nearest city, shipping costs would skyrocket—wood was heavy, after all.
Secretary Zhang from Wugang Town’s forestry bureau sounded apologetic. "We’ll manage the 5,000-bottle reduction. Thankfully, we only had a verbal agreement, nothing signed yet, so I wanted to inform you as soon as possible."
The contract had been on the verge of signing, but if they couldn’t secure enough wood, scaling back was understandable.
Yan Xue smiled and assured him it was fine. The other party still apologized repeatedly before finally preparing to hang up—until Yan Xue stopped him. "Secretary Zhang."
"Is there something else? Go ahead."
His tone remained warm, so Yan Xue continued, "We’ve developed another cultivation method—one that doesn’t require wood. Sawdust works just as well. Would you like to try it?"
"Sawdust?" The shock in his voice mirrored Zhuang Qixiang’s initial reaction, who also turned to look at her now.
"Yes, sawdust," Yan Xue confirmed. "The center has been researching this for two years, and it’s been very successful."
But hesitation lingered. The idea of growing mushrooms on sawdust was still too unbelievable for most.
Then again, cultivating mushrooms itself had once seemed impossible to many. Yan Xue wasn’t in a rush. "You could send someone from your base who understands cultivation to take a look."
Wugang Town had been growing mushrooms for two years now, and their team was eager to learn. Surely, someone could assess the feasibility.
Yet Secretary Zhang hesitated. "This is a significant decision. We’ll need to discuss it carefully."
After hanging up, Yan Xue finally answered Zhuang Qixiang’s earlier question. "It’s Wugang Town. They said the wood was either already sold or the prices had gone up."
"Wugang Town." Zhuang Qixiang had some recollection of their forestry bureau. "You don’t think this is just an excuse, do you?"
Yan Xue couldn’t be certain. With mushroom cultivation booming these past two years, some might be trying to inflate prices for profit.
But it wasn’t guaranteed. "We’ll see if they come to inspect. If it’s truly about wood shortages, there’s no harm in looking."
Secretary Zhang was pragmatic—otherwise, Wugang Town wouldn’t have started mushroom cultivation last year.
Hearing this, Zhuang Qixiang nodded and didn’t press further. But soon, his brow furrowed again. "Is wood really that hard to source now?"
He had just taken over Liuhu Town’s forestry bureau and was still organizing operations. If wood became scarce, Wugang Town wouldn’t be the only one affected.
With that thought, he couldn’t stay any longer. After a quick word to Yan Xue, he left for the bureau to contact suppliers.
Two days later, Secretary Zhang called again. "About that sawdust cultivation method you mentioned..."
Interest meant sincerity. Yan Xue smiled. "The center has a new batch ready for harvest. You’re welcome to visit anytime."
And so, Wugang Town’s delegation arrived—Secretary Zhang, along with the heads of various forest farms and their technical staff.
Yan Xue led them straight to the cultivation room, where rows of shelves held glass jars, each filled with growth medium and clusters of mushrooms.
"It really works?" someone blurted out in astonishment. The others, though silent, wore similar expressions.
"Sawdust comes from wood—it’s the same composition," Yan Xue explained with a smile.
But the sight still left them impressed. This was professional expertise at its finest.
The method was also space-efficient, eliminating the need for outdoor plots. Someone asked, "Do the jars have to stay indoors?"
"Not necessarily," Yan Xue said. "Once the mycelium fully colonizes the jar, they can be moved to a greenhouse. We just have extra rooms here, so we didn’t relocate them."
Hearing that greenhouses would suffice, the group mentally noted the cost savings compared to building structures.
Another attendee caught the key detail. "Before the mycelium fills the jar, it has to be cultivated indoors?"
Yan Xue nodded. "Yes, and the temperature must be controlled—between 22 to 25 degrees Celsius."
She preferred full transparency. "Our cultivation rooms have underfloor heating ducts connected to boilers. But during mycelial growth, the jars can be packed more densely."
Indoor cultivation, heating ducts, boilers—some frowned, already calculating the costs and hassle.
"This method may be more labor-intensive, but the yields are high," Yan Xue said, as if reading their thoughts. "A single jar can reliably produce seven or eight taels of fresh mushrooms."
"Seven or eight taels?" The farm heads seemed unfazed, but their technicians gasped. "That much?"
Without fuss, Yan Xue handed them her logbook. "Here’s two years of data. The numbers don’t lie."
As they passed it around, she continued, "And while this method doesn’t allow for three-year harvests like wood cultivation, the entire cycle—from planting to harvest—takes just forty days."
"That short?" The people from several bases were shocked again. Log cultivation typically took a full two months before the mushrooms would gradually appear.
"The shortest record is forty days," Yan Xue flipped another page in her notebook. "Thirty days for the mycelium to fully colonize the jar, then ten more days for fruiting. You can harvest continuously for over a month."
That was indeed very fast. And with such a high yield from just over a month of harvesting, it was clear that the mushrooms matured densely during the fruiting stage.
"Can this only be planted in spring?" Someone immediately seized the key point. With such a short harvest cycle, they could easily grow more than one crop a year.
Yan Xue looked and recognized it was one of the two bases she had first instructed. She smiled, "Of course not. You can also plant in autumn."
Seeing the person's eyes light up, she added, "Summer's high heat and humidity increase the risk of rot and spoilage, so we avoid it."
But this was still excellent. If funds were limited, they could simply build fewer cultivation rooms and plant once each in spring and autumn—still achieving impressive yields.
Unexpectedly, there was more. Yan Xue soon pointed to another shelf of jars. "These were all planted using the substrate from this spring's harvest."
"The substrate can be reused?" The staff from Wugang Town's Forestry Bureau were practically turning into a barrage of questions, having been asking nonstop all day.
"Yes," Yan Xue replied with a smile. "But you have to empty it out, process it, and then refill it."
She then pointed to the center's backyard. "You can also turn it into organic fertilizer. We’ve even set aside a test plot for it."
The spent substrate was rich in organic matter and microorganisms. After fermentation, it could significantly improve soil organic content, alter soil structure, reduce pests and diseases, and boost crop yields.
One revelation after another left the Wugang Town delegation stunned. Unable to resist, they turned to Secretary Zhang. "Should we go take a look?"
Soon, a group of Forestry Bureau officials, big and small, trooped to the backyard to inspect the crops and vegetables the center had grown. They did look quite healthy.
After all these calculations, compared to the outstanding yields and low-cost raw materials, the expense of building cultivation rooms didn’t seem so high—especially since it could be amortized over many years.
Finally, Yan Xue showed them both dried and rehydrated mushrooms. Given the short growth cycle, no one was surprised if the texture and quality were slightly inferior.
Their minds packed with information—some even taking notes—they needed time to digest everything. After finishing their questions, they bid farewell.
On the way back, they continued discussing the pros and cons of the jar cultivation method. "You can tell the mushrooms are smaller and thinner than those grown on logs. They might not sell as well."
"That depends on the price," Secretary Zhang said. "If they’re priced the same as log-grown ones, of course they won’t sell."
But the advantage of this method was its short growth cycle, high yield, and the fact that sawdust—the raw material—was far cheaper and easier to obtain than logs. Even at lower prices, they could still turn a profit.
Secretary Zhang glanced at the group. "Go back and run the numbers. See if this is really feasible. We can’t keep letting others control our fate."
The two towns that had already sold their logs had clearly been scooped up early, while the remaining suppliers seemed to have collectively raised prices.
They weren’t working hard all year just to line someone else’s pockets. That’s why, after doing the math, he’d rather plant less next year.
Unexpectedly, Yan Xue had given him a new idea. If logs were hard to buy, they could use sawdust instead—something their town had in abundance—and even reuse it.
"Besides, Jinchuan Forestry Farm has already built a reputation for log-grown mushrooms. No matter how well we do, at best we’d just be riding on the coattails of 'Jinchuan Mushrooms.'"
Secretary Zhang reminded them, "Since this jar method was only developed in the last couple of years, no forestry farm has adopted it yet, right?"
Among so many people, some caught on quickly—especially those from the earliest cultivation bases. They understood almost immediately.
They couldn’t compete with Jinchuan Forestry Farm, especially since Yan Xue was from Jinchuan. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t seize the initiative elsewhere.
If this worked, being the first to adopt it meant they could market their product under the "Wugang Mushrooms" brand.
The thought made them eager to return and hold a meeting, already brainstorming the feasibility on the way back.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Qixiang had been making calls and found that logs were indeed hard to come by—prices had skyrocketed across the board.
Those that hadn’t raised prices much already had long-standing buyers. Naturally, they wouldn’t abandon their regular customers to sell to him.
This was a problem. At most, their town’s timber output could support inoculating 3,000 jars. What about the remaining 7,000?
They couldn’t just back out after paying the deposit. And 3,000 jars alone wouldn’t be enough to achieve any meaningful scale.
At the meeting, Zhuang Qixiang brought up the jar cultivation method. "If all else fails, we can use sawdust. The center’s been researching it since last year, and it’s viable."
But Liu Lake Town’s team wasn’t like Wugang’s—they had no prior experience or confidence. Hearing this, they all hesitated.
One even asked outright, "We’ve never done this before. Jumping straight into such a new method—isn’t that too big a leap?"
"Then what do you suggest? Just plant 3,000 jars and abandon the other 7,000?" Zhuang Qixiang shot back.
These strains had only been secured thanks to Zhuang Qixiang’s efforts. The man quickly laughed. "I trust Secretary Zhuang will find a way to handle it."
They wanted Zhuang Qixiang to solve the problem and shoulder the responsibility, yet balked at his proposed solution.
It was only after becoming Liu Lake Town Forestry Bureau’s head that Zhuang Qixiang realized how much easier it had been to lead the cultivation center. "Then arrange a visit to the center."
He cut off further objections. "If you still think it won’t work, ask the county to replace me. I’ll return to the center—the manager’s position is still open anyway."
That would be disastrous. Not just next year, but they’d never get strains again, let alone funds to repair the bureau’s tractors.
No one dared speak up after that, though privately, some grumbled about the new secretary’s authoritarian style.
Grumbles aside, when the day came to visit the center, not a single person missed it. They’d barely exchanged greetings when Yan Xue’s office phone rang.
With Yan Xue tied up, Lang Yue'e answered. She soon returned to report, "Wugang has decided to order 10,000 jars after all. They also have some questions about the jar method."
At the mention of the jar method, Liu Lake’s team pricked up their ears. So Wugang was also looking into this? Hadn’t they been cultivating for two years already?
Yan Xue noticed but pretended otherwise, calling Guo Chang'an over. "I’m busy here. Chang'an, go help answer their questions."
Guo Chang'an nodded and went inside. "Right, it's similar to the inoculation method used in log cultivation... We have all the blueprints here and can guide you through the setup..."
The door closed tightly behind him, muffling the rest of the conversation. But the less they could hear, the more restless the staff from Liuhu Town's Forestry Bureau became, itching to know more.
From the sound of it, Wugang was planning to adopt the bottle cultivation method. Did that mean it was actually viable?
They'd been cultivating for two years already—surely they had a good grasp of its feasibility. If it wasn’t profitable, why would they bother switching?
After returning from the cultivation center, the team’s tone had shifted somewhat, though most still preferred sticking with log cultivation. Only a few were willing to experiment with the bottle method.
Finally, Zhuang Qixiang grew impatient. "Fine, we’ll draw lots. Each forestry station gets assigned a method, and those who refuse can opt out."
By the time they finalized their decision, Wugang had already paid in full, and Yan Xue had taken a team to guide the setup of two new cultivation bases.
As a result, Liuhu had to wait until Wugang finished construction and Yan Xue returned—falling further behind step by step.
Still, neither side reduced their orders for fungal strains. By the time the final contract was signed in November, the total reached nearly 50,000 bottles.
Zhou Wenhui brought the finalized accounts to Yan Xue. "This much—are we going to need more staff next year?"
"At least one more," Yan Xue said. "If the spring harvest of bottle-cultivated wood ears sells well, we’ll have to prepare another batch of strains in the summer."
"That means we’ll be busy—spending half the year just cultivating strains." Though Zhou Wenhui mentioned the workload, her eyes sparkled with amusement.
Being busy was proof that their center was growing, thriving, and gaining more reliance from an increasing number of people.
She packed up her things. "Tomorrow’s our day off. Come over for dinner—Weiguo managed to get some lamb."
In those days, beef and lamb were harder to come by than pork. Unless you were Hui and had access to special supplies, you needed connections with shepherds to get any.
Liu Weiguo had carried over his knack for making friends from his forestry days—wherever he went, he blended right in. Yan Xue chuckled. "We’ll have to come in the evening. Qi Fang said he’s taking Yan Yu to see the cars."
"Evening’s fine. Bring Yan Yu along too, or Airong will keep asking about him," Zhou Wenhui laughed. "So your little one likes cars?"
"Loves them. His dad even installed a toy steering wheel in front of his child seat, but it’s not enough—he wants to touch the real thing. He’s always staring at cars on the road."
Qi Yanyu had always been fascinated by fast-moving vehicles. Even when his grandfather mailed him toy guns that shot pellets, he’d play with them briefly before losing interest.
Now that the little guy was turning four, Qi Fang decided to take a day off and bring him to the machinery factory to see the big vehicles up close.
The only problem was that the chubby little fellow was growing too fast. Bundled up in winter clothes, the child seat he’d been using since he was one looked uncomfortably small.
Yan Xue adjusted his hat. "I don’t think this seat will last another year. We’ll need a bigger one."
Qi Fang glanced at his son, who was grinning at Yan Xue with squinted eyes. "Next year, he can ride on the front bar."
Clearly, he had no intention of building another seat or letting the boy ride in the back—or worse, be carried by Yan Xue.
But given the little car enthusiast’s obsession, he’d probably prefer the front bar anyway, where he could reach the handlebars, rather than sit in the back with nothing to see.
The family of three arrived at the machinery factory. Qi Fang had already arranged things with the guards, so they rode straight in and parked in the bicycle shed.
It was a shame the factory was closed today—otherwise, rows of parked bikes would’ve kept the little one occupied for hours.
Then again, maybe not. Something else immediately caught his attention—a small locomotive displayed in the factory’s front square.
From the moment they entered, the boy’s head turned like a sunflower, his gaze locked on the train no matter where they rode.
When his father’s broad frame blocked the view, he craned his neck, almost shoving at Qi Fang to move aside.
The second Qi Fang set him down, he bolted for the locomotive. Qi Fang, however, took his time, casually reaching for Yan Xue’s hand to check its temperature.
Then, under the pretense of warming her up, he slipped her hand into his coat pocket. "Your hands are cold."
Cold? Hardly. She’d been holding onto his waist the whole ride, her hands safely tucked in his pockets the entire time.
But this man had a way of being utterly serious about these little gestures. Up ahead, their son turned to hurry them along, completely oblivious to his father’s sneaky affection.
So Qi Fang slowed down even more, fingers interlacing with Yan Xue’s as if he wanted to stretch those few steps into eternity.
Yan Xue studied his composed expression and couldn’t resist teasing. "Found the perfect way to handle your son, huh?"
Qi Fang didn’t reply, just gave her fingers a light squeeze and subtly pulled her closer while the boy wasn’t looking.
Meanwhile, the little guy was starting to wonder—were his parents getting old? Why were they walking slower than his great-grandma?
He glanced back. Still far away. Another glance. Still lagging. His dad’s long legs might as well have been for show.
Finally, he dashed back, grabbing Yan Xue’s hand. "Car! Big car!"
The couple took the opportunity to separate, Yan Xue explaining, "That’s a train engine, Yan Yu. You’ve ridden one before."
But Qi Yanyu clearly didn’t remember. After a moment’s thought, he let go of his mother and tugged at Qi Fang instead. "Daddy, train! Can it move?"
"No, but you can climb up and look." Qi Fang hoisted him up—finally putting those long legs to use.
The locomotive had been decommissioned after repairs became unfeasible. Since the factory produced train components, they kept it as a mascot.
Besides the train, the factory housed diesel engines, along with retired cars and tractors used for research and retrofitting.
The moment the boy saw the tractor, his eyes lit up. "Tank! Mommy, tank!"
For his birthday, Qi Fang had made him a toy tank, and the sight of treads instantly triggered the association.
"That’s not a tank—it’s a tractor," Yan Xue corrected. His little face fell with a disappointed "Oh."
But Qi Fang patted his head. "Close enough. Factories that made tractors used to make tanks too."
"Really?" The boy perked up. Even Yan Xue didn’t know that and glanced at her husband.
Qi Fang lifted their son onto an RT-12 he used for research, then reached back to help Yan Xue up. "Back in the ’50s, our country imported an 80-horsepower Stalin-80. The same factory that made those tractors also produced tanks."
Many of these factories serve dual civilian and military purposes—producing civilian goods in peacetime and military equipment during wartime. With a few modifications, a tractor can be driven straight onto the battlefield.
Qi Fang knew all these details like the back of his hand, and the little chubby boy looked at him with newfound admiration. "Daddy, can you turn this into a tank?"
"Can you get out of your mom’s lap first?" Qi Fang glanced at him, sidestepping the question. "You’re a big five-year-old now. You can’t cling to Mom all day."
"But Daddy’s a grown-up in his twenties, so why do you still hog Mom’s blanket?" the little chubby shot back without missing a beat.
Qi Fang froze for a moment, eyeing his son with a look that very much resembled someone debating where to land a smack.
Before he could say anything, though, his gaze caught on something in the periphery. He strode over abruptly and began inspecting the parts carefully.
Yan Xue noticed the shift. "What’s wrong?"
"Someone’s tampered with these," Qi Fang said after just a quick scan.
