Qu Mingli was not exaggerating when he said there would be resistance to new initiatives. Even without Director Liu working against him within the bureau, pushing for change was never easy.
After all, new attempts meant uncertainty, and uncertainty meant risk. In the past, people might have taken chances, but these days, no one dared to risk handing their opponents an advantage.
Moreover, since arriving at the town bureau, he had noticed how severely some local units suffered from an aging workforce. Many cadres preferred doing less—or even nothing—rather than taking on more responsibilities.
Why bother? Their salaries remained the same regardless of effort. With no promotions in sight and age working against them, why invite trouble? More work only meant more room for mistakes.
Unsurprisingly, when the proposal was brought up for discussion, opposition dominated. Even those who usually stayed neutral expressed skepticism.
Director Liu wasted no time challenging Qu Mingli. "First, you wanted to modify tractors, and before that was even finished, now you’re pushing for mushroom cultivation. Aren’t you moving too fast?"
The implication was clear—Qu Mingli was being impulsive, chasing one idea after another. Though others didn’t voice it, many likely shared the sentiment.
Qu Mingli paused before responding, "Let’s take another look. I truly believe this is feasible." He flipped the proposal to the yield estimates. "A single log can produce four to five catties of fresh wood ear mushrooms, and even dried, it’s six or seven taels. Isn’t that better than burning the wood as firewood?"
"What about the investment?" Director Liu pressed. "The fungal culture alone requires three stages, not to mention labor costs. Can you guarantee such high yields?"
This time, he turned directly to Secretary Lang. "Were these figures verified by your forestry station, or are they just claims from that comrade of yours?"
Secretary Lang hesitated, a hint of unease showing. "Yan Xue is a reliable comrade. She wouldn’t submit false data to the bureau."
Clearly, he hadn’t verified it either. Director Liu frowned. "This isn’t about whether she’s reliable. It’s about facts."
Flipping through the proposal, he quickly found another flaw. "And she’s only cultivated for a year, hasn’t she? How can she be sure the harvest lasts three years?"
Secretary Lang faltered further. "She must have observed it in the mountains. Wild wood ear mushrooms don’t just grow for a single year."
Director Liu scoffed inwardly. Exaggerations like this were nothing new—he’d seen far more outrageous claims in the past.
Just as he prepared to seize the moment and corner Qu Mingli, he noticed Secretary Lang casting a discreet, pleading glance at him.
Qu Mingli stepped in smoothly. "I think Lang Zhongting’s suggestion is worth considering. Their forestry station contributed significantly last year."
The argument wasn’t particularly strong, yet Director Liu hesitated. "Well… it’s not entirely out of the question."
This unexpected shift surprised everyone, especially his usual allies, who exchanged puzzled looks.
Acting oblivious to their reactions, he added, "But since Secretary Qu insists on pushing this, he should take full responsibility. I simply don’t have the bandwidth to oversee it."
The message was clear: if things went wrong, Qu Mingli alone would bear the blame.
With that, the others lost their objections. If the project failed, they could always say Qu Mingli had forced it through against their advice.
Yet, as the opposition faded, Qu Mingli himself hesitated before finally agreeing. "Fine. I’ll take responsibility."
Director Liu, unwilling to let him off easy, added, "But remember, you’ve already spent bureau funds on tractor modifications. There’s little left to allocate…"
He was implying no financial support. Qu Mingli’s expression darkened. "Are you suggesting they operate at their own profit and loss?"
Self-sufficiency meant the forestry station would rely entirely on sales, distributing earnings based on work points—just like their agricultural teams. In good years, profits were shared; in bad ones, like last year’s floods, they barely scraped by.
Director Liu hadn’t initially considered this but now saw an opportunity. "Times are tough for the bureau too."
After lengthy negotiations, it was decided: Jinchuan Forestry Station would become the first wood ear cultivation pilot site, fully self-funded.
Their scale would depend entirely on their own investments. The bureau’s only role was securing official approval.
Since no funds were allocated, the station wouldn’t need to surrender all profits like other factories. Instead, they’d follow the rural model—keeping 80% of the harvest and submitting 20%.
In this era, grain-producing regions typically handed over 10% to 25% to the state (some provinces, like Henan and Hebei, even up to 30%). But unlike crops, mushrooms carried higher costs. If yields were low, they could end up in the red.
As the meeting adjourned, Qu Mingli looked troubled, Secretary Lang was grim, and Director Liu seemed unusually pleased.
If the pilot failed, Jinchuan would lose money, Qu Mingli would take the fall, and Director Liu would remain unscathed.
He’d been itching for a way to undermine Qu Mingli—and now, his rival had handed him the perfect opportunity.
But back in his office, Qu Mingli and Secretary Lang’s expressions weren’t what he’d expected.
Qu Mingli even poured Secretary Lang a cup of water. "If I’d oversold this, it would’ve been harder to push through."
Then he asked, "If you’re self-sufficient, can the station manage financially?"
"That depends on whether Yan Xue is willing to supply the fungal cultures on credit," Secretary Lang said. "It’s already March—there’s no time to start new cultures."
Aside from the cultures, the main expenses were setting up the site and paying workers—costs Jinchuan could handle for now.
When Secretary Lang relayed the plan to Yan Xue, she agreed without protest. "We can settle the accounts after the autumn harvest. No rush."
She couldn’t cultivate alone anyway and had always intended to sell her half-prepared cultures to the bureau.
"Still, let’s fix the price and draft a receipt," Secretary Lang insisted. Fairness mattered—he wouldn’t take advantage of her.
"Fifty cents per jar," Yan Xue said. "One jar can inoculate three or four logs. But I can’t guarantee the exact number yet."
"Agreed. But your formal transfer will have to wait until the pilot’s official approval comes through."
Unlike tractor modifications, launching a new industry required county-level approval, not just the town bureau’s decision.
As Secretary Lang prepared to leave, Qi Fang returned, hauling a makeshift chicken coop packed with birds—so many that they blocked the path entirely.
"You planning to raise chickens?" Secretary Lang asked, momentarily stuck.
Qi Fang gave a noncommittal "Hmm," stepping aside. Only after Secretary Lang left did he turn to Yan Xue. "Which one should we eat first?"
Qi Fang had the day off, so the two of them went to the town hospital to have a doctor check Yan Xue’s pulse—it was confirmed: she was pregnant.
Yan Xue noticed that Qi Fang seemed even more tense than when they’d gone for her arm injury, asking the doctor repeatedly if there was anything wrong with her.
The doctor was the same one who had prescribed them herbal medicine before and clearly wasn’t used to Qi Fang’s blunt way of speaking. “What exactly are you referring to?”
Qi Fang pressed his lips together, regretting the cold war he’d had with Yan Xue earlier. “Before… I didn’t know she was pregnant…”
Before he could finish, the doctor immediately understood. “There’s nothing wrong. Your wife is in good health—just avoid anything too strenuous.”
At first, the couple didn’t catch his meaning, but then the doctor added, “But you’ll need to be careful from now on. If you must, wait until after the fourth month.”
Their expressions froze. Explaining would only make it seem like they were trying to cover something up, but not explaining wasn’t quite right either.
Fortunately, neither of them was the type to dwell on awkwardness. They quickly moved on to discussing precautions, finished their questions, and left soon after.
Once home, Qi Fang went out and returned with an absurd number of chickens. Yan Xue was speechless. “Who did you buy all these from?”
“Aunt Liu’s, Aunt Guo’s, Uncle Xu’s…”
Qi Fang listed off a string of names, making Yan Xue even more exasperated. “And what exactly did you tell them?”
His tone and expression were completely neutral. “I said you needed chicken to build up your strength and asked if they had any to sell.”
He hadn’t said anything explicit, yet he’d said everything. If Liu Weiguo had been there, he would’ve applauded the sheer finesse.
Yan Xue watched as Qi Fang seriously prepared to let her pick one to slaughter on the spot. Instead, she went across to see the Second Old Lady. “Grandma, do you want to raise chickens?”
Eat? If she ate too well and the baby grew too big, giving birth would be difficult—especially in these times when a C-section was hard to come by.
The Second Old Lady, upon hearing Yan Xue was indeed pregnant, immediately started digging through old clothes and fabric to make diapers and swaddling blankets. She hadn’t noticed the commotion outside until she stepped out and was startled by the flock of chickens. “Where did all these come from?”
When Qi Fang explained they were for Yan Xue to eat, the old lady was equally exasperated. “You can’t just eat like that, especially since Little Xue has a petite frame.”
In the end, the chickens took up residence in Yan Xue’s backyard. Since she wasn’t planning to grow mushrooms this year, the extra space would’ve gone unused anyway.
But one rooster, at Qi Fang’s insistence, was tied up in the main room, destined to sacrifice itself for the greater good the next day.
Watching the cheerful rooster pecking at its last meal, Yan Xue suddenly remembered something and asked the Second Old Lady, “Grandma, do you still want to hatch chicks?”
The old lady, clearly nostalgic for her lifelong skill, immediately perked up. “Can I?”
“Next month, after I finish cultivating my mushroom spawn, the incubation room will be empty,” Yan Xue said. “You could try using that.”
It would be even more convenient than using the heated kang. The old lady immediately declared she’d start collecting fertilized eggs and went off to feed the backyard chickens.
Yan Xue finally returned inside, where Qi Fang looked up at her with his peach-blossom eyes.
Though they’d suspected for days, this was the first time they’d been alone together since confirming the pregnancy.
It felt strange. The tension from their cold war had inexplicably faded, but the atmosphere wasn’t quite back to normal.
After a long silence, Qi Fang finally stepped forward, carefully pulling Yan Xue into his arms and resting a hand on her stomach.
There was nothing to feel yet, but with this little life between them, it was as if they’d gained another bond.
After a while, Qi Fang suddenly asked, “Do you think this happened last year?”
Clearly remembering her “this year” remark, Yan Xue couldn’t help but laugh. “Close enough. Probably around New Year’s.”
Qi Fang fell silent again, and this time, Yan Xue poked him. “Not mad at me anymore?”
“Not for now.” He lowered his gaze to meet hers.
His anger hadn’t just been about her hiding her injury—it was also about her neglecting her health.
Yan Xue raised an eyebrow, but before she could speak, he murmured, “Yan Xue, we’re family now.”
The words made her pause, the retort on her lips fading. “Yeah,” she said softly. “We’re family now.”
At the very least, they were family enough for him to get angry when she hid her pain, to care when she wouldn’t admit she was hurting.
That evening, when Yan Jigang came home from school and heard he was really going to be an uncle, he grinned nonstop all night.
The next day, he whispered to Liu Weibin, “I-I’m gonna be an uncle!”
He decided to save his new pencils and erasers for his future niece or nephew.
“I’ll be an uncle too,” Liu Weibin said, indifferent. Whether Yan Jigang had a niece or nephew, he’d have one of his own.
But Yan Jigang was still overjoyed—until recess, when he spotted Teacher Liu on the playground.
She was scolding one of her students under the eaves, instantly reminding him of her son and the things she’d said to him in the office.
If not for her, would her son have known those things? Would he have come to taunt him?
Yan Jigang glanced at her, fidgeted, glanced again, then clenched his little fists and marched over.
Teacher Liu, still fuming from reprimanding her student, turned and saw him staring at her.
Her eyebrows shot up, but before she could speak, Yan Jigang blurted, “T-Teacher Liu, I-I have good news.”
His voice was small, his stutter worse than usual, but he pushed through. “M-My sister’s having a baby. It happened that night… after…”
Then he turned and bolted, hiding behind Liu Weibin before daring to peek at her.
It took Teacher Liu a second to process—then fury exploded in her chest.
That night?! That little brat had come just to throw it in her face?!
Yan Xue had no idea her shy, timid little brother had grown a spine—not just fighting back, but now delivering savage burns.
Since she’d decided to sell mushroom spawn to the state-run pilot program, she needed to cultivate more. She collected another batch of jars and bought even more from the town’s recycling depot.
The depot bought scrap but also resold usable items. If someone needed nails or screws but didn’t want to splurge on new ones, they could find them there.
Of course, buying from the depot wasn’t as cheap as collecting them herself. Yan Xue spent over twenty yuan to gradually acquire five hundred jars from various depots.
The haul was transported back using the bureau’s internal combustion engine truck. After thorough cleaning and sterilization in the pressure cooker, she filled them with growth medium and arranged them in the incubation room.
All four shelves were packed, with two more hastily built on the side. Guo Chang’an had to tread carefully, terrified of knocking anything over.
"Why do you suddenly need to cultivate so many?" he asked, puzzled, since there wasn’t much space left in Yan Xue’s backyard.
The official approval hadn’t come through yet, so Yan Xue couldn’t explain much. Still, she smiled and said, "It’s fine, I have a place for them."
Guo Chang'an didn’t press further. Instead, he checked the surroundings. "The shelves on the sides don’t seem as warm as the ones in the middle, and the lower parts are hotter than the top."
"Just keep most of them around 24 or 25 degrees. As long as the rest stay within the temperature range, it’s fine. We can’t plant all the fungal strains in one day anyway."
The two had just stepped out of the cultivation room when someone pushed open the courtyard gate, ignoring the barking dogs as they looked around—it was Wang Lianfu’s wife.
Honestly, it wasn’t surprising. A couple of days ago, when the forest clearing progress had reached the halfway point, both Li Shuwu and Old Man Wang’s families had rushed to claim their share of the leftover tree stumps.
Li Shuwu’s wife, unable to hold back, had come again immediately. Seeing that Yan Xue wouldn’t budge, she had left in a huff, her face dark with anger.
Now, it was unclear whether Wang Lianfu’s wife had come for the same reason. Yan Xue deliberately hardened her expression and asked, "What do you want?"
Taking one look at Yan Xue’s face and where she had just come from, Wang Lianfu’s wife immediately understood—Yan Xue still hadn’t secured the tree stumps she needed.
Feeling more confident, Wang Lianfu’s wife lowered her voice. "I have something to discuss with you. Don’t worry, it’ll definitely be to your benefit."
What could she possibly want with Yan Xue?
Guo Chang'an instinctively frowned. Seeing Yan Xue hesitate for a moment but ultimately say nothing, he excused himself and headed to the boiler room.
As soon as Wang Lianfu’s wife stepped into Yan Xue’s house, she was taken aback. "Why is your place so warm?"
Yan Xue didn’t bother explaining, nor did she offer her any water. She simply waited to hear her out.
Wang Lianfu’s wife, however, acted as if she had just dropped by for a casual chat. "You know, our families could’ve been neighbors. It’s just a shame that my father-in-law… Well, there was nothing we could do."
Her tone was full of resignation, as if she had long been dissatisfied with Old Man Wang but couldn’t voice it since he was her husband’s father.
Yan Xue listened without responding. After a while, when the woman finally ran out of small talk, she got to the point. "You haven’t gotten your tree stumps yet this year, have you?"
So it was about this after all. Yan Xue paused briefly before replying, "I’m not in a hurry. The forestry station said they’d give me any extras as soon as they have them."
"And how long will that take? What if they never give you any? Won’t all your fungal strains go to waste?"
It was unclear whether she had been spying or just guessed, but she somehow knew Yan Xue had extra fungal strains for growing mushrooms.
When Yan Xue remained silent, the woman lowered her voice even further. "How about this? Sell us the strains. We’ll pay you to cover your losses."
So their appetite was even bigger than Li Shuwu’s family—they didn’t just want to sell her tree stumps, they wanted to buy her fungal strains.
No wonder Old Man Wang had been so patient. He wasn’t just after a quick profit from selling her firewood. Yan Xue feigned hesitation. "How much are you offering?"
"Twenty yuan." Wang Lianfu’s wife held up two fingers. "Don’t say it’s too little. Since you can’t get the tree stumps, twenty is better than nothing, right?"
What a generous offer—twenty whole yuan, enough for Yan Xue to buy two cartloads of firewood and keep her family warm for two winters.
Yan Xue didn’t argue. She simply asked if the woman was done, then ushered her out.
As she was being escorted out, Wang Lianfu’s wife kept muttering, "You’re so stubborn! It’s just a small matter. Who turns down money?"
The moment she got home, she couldn’t help complaining to her father-in-law. "I told you she wouldn’t agree, not after what happened between our families. But you still made me go."
Old Man Wang frowned. "Didn’t I tell you to badmouth me a little? Did you do that?"
"I did, but she didn’t even react." Wang Lianfu’s wife glanced at him. "Do you think we offered too little?"
Old Man Wang snorted. "If twenty isn’t enough for her, just wait until she can’t get a single tree stump this year. She won’t even get twenty then."
He refused to believe Yan Xue wouldn’t panic eventually. Guo Chang'an was always at her place, and she had bought so many canning jars—she couldn’t possibly afford to take a total loss.
And if she tried selling the strains to someone else, he’d report her—accuse her of taking the capitalist road. The procurement station didn’t accept mushroom strains, so it wasn’t a state-approved side business.
So Old Man Wang decided to wait. And as he waited, the loudspeaker announced a meeting at the small square, with each household sending a representative.
All the men were still up in the mountains logging. Why would the forestry station suddenly call a meeting? Everyone was confused.
When they arrived and asked around, no one—not even the station staff—knew what was going on.
This was strange. If even the station staff were in the dark, could it be some sudden directive from above?
Amid the murmurs, the station staff brought out tables and chairs, setting up a microphone connected to the broadcast speakers.
After testing the mic with a few "testing" sounds, Secretary Lang took the center seat, flanked by the newly appointed Acting Director Ning on one side and…
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock. What was Yan Xue doing sitting up there? Especially those who had conflicts with her.
If she had been caught doing something wrong, she wouldn’t be seated so prominently. But if not, how could a temporary worker like her share the stage with the director and secretary?
Finally, Secretary Lang spoke. "We’ve called everyone here today to share good news. After a year of tireless experimentation, Comrade Yan Xue has successfully proven the feasibility of artificial mushroom cultivation and has contributed this knowledge to the bureau. The bureau has decided to establish a pilot program at our forestry station. Let’s thank the bureau for their support and Comrade Yan Xue for her dedication!"
He began clapping, and after a few beats, the crowd slowly joined in, though their expressions were still stunned.
Wait, hadn’t Yan Xue been growing mushrooms in secret? How had it suddenly become a contribution to the bureau and the forestry station?
But there was more. Secretary Lang continued, "The pilot program will be temporarily overseen by myself and Acting Director Ning. Due to her outstanding contributions, the bureau has decided to grant Comrade Yan Xue an exceptional promotion to full-time status and appoint her as the program’s technical supervisor, responsible for its overall operations."
While others were still waiting for promotions in the family teams, Yan Xue—after just one year—had not only been promoted but was now in charge of the entire pilot program.
Everyone knew Secretary Lang and Acting Director Ning were too busy with station affairs to manage the program themselves, which meant Yan Xue would effectively be calling the shots.
Sure enough, Secretary Lang then announced that each household would need to contribute labor to help set up the program. Those interested in working there could sign up with "Technical Supervisor Yan" at her home.
This meant a sudden influx of job opportunities. Many family members immediately began calculating—was the work hard? Would the pay be good?
Amid the excited chatter, only Old Man Wang’s expression remained sour from the moment he heard about the pilot program.
Li Shuwu's wife stood frozen for a long moment before suddenly slapping her thigh and exclaiming, "Oh no! If she’s not growing mushrooms anymore, what are we supposed to do with all those tree stumps?"
Qi Fang: I’m nothing like Liu Weiguo—I keep a low profile.
