Chapter 68: 68. Want a dog?
Zhang Yanping didn't even want to talk about the taste of the purslane buns anymore; if he did, he'd start drooling.
The sour and spicy purslane, combined with small bits of marbled meat, allowed the fragrant, crispy fat to soak into the dough. With every bite—
Sigh!
It was all his fault for being too conservative. What was there to fear about eating until full? If he were full, he could have eaten four more!
Now, having only had two buns to tide him over, he was feeling even hungrier.
However, those two buns hadn't been eaten in vain. By the time he finished them, the nursery had sent a reply.
"Brother, the stuff you're asking for this time is quite niche. I'm telling you, among all the nurseries in the surrounding cities, only mine has this kind of seedling!"
"And I'm giving you a real honest price—15 yuan. You won't find it anywhere else!"
Regardless of whether the man was exaggerating, it was clear that the original species of *Rubus rosifolius* (Golden Rose) was indeed difficult to purchase on a large scale.
The only issue was that the nursery was busy; the owner refused to deliver and would only ship via logistics. But in two days, Song Tan's family would officially begin breeding, and she wouldn't have time to deal with it then.
It was only a matter of these next two days of odd jobs; once the logistics arrived, it would take at least three to five days.
After thinking it over, Song Tan realized it was about a three-hour drive to the other person's city, so she simply asked Zhang Yanping
"Come with me to pick up the goods tomorrow."
The little pickup truck was incredibly spacious; a mere two hundred seedlings were nothing to worry about.
Zhang Yanping thought about it: "It's not really worth it. Just use logistics. Worst case, you can just hire someone to plant them later!"
Song Tan shook her head. "Let's make the trip. It's not far. I heard there's a fish seedling seller nearby with a good reputation, so I want to check it out on the way."
Zhang Yanping thought for a moment—he indeed didn't seem to know any fish sellers. His contact list was incomplete; he had to go!
"When we leave, steam me a basket of those buns!"
"By the way, do you want a big dog? These three little things at home—" they weren't quite up to the task!
He pointed at the three little silly dogs that were currently stuck to Qiaoqiao, inseparable. Now, they were chubby and wobbly, their little tails wagging as they whimpered, even tripping over themselves when they walked!
Expecting them to guard the house was a pipe dream.
But since Song Tan had expanded her stall so much in the village, it wouldn't be safe without a few dogs watching over things.
Song Tan raised an eyebrow. "You have connections for that too?"
She had ideas, but she hadn't seen anything suitable yet, and she couldn't find the time right now.
Zhang Yanping raised his eyebrows proudly
"Of course! If your brother didn't have some skills, where do you think I found all those fruit channels from all over the country?"
He pulled out his phone and opened the map
"See? On the way back from that nursery we're visiting, if you go another three kilometers to the side, there's a very good dog kennel."
"They specialize in large breeds. They aren't easy for ordinary people to raise."
"A friend of mine brought three dogs back from there before. During the New Year, they actually teamed up and killed two wild boars."
This was truly a pillow delivered right when one was feeling sleepy!
At this moment, Song Tan truly began to see her cousin in a new light.
As expected, in modern society, a person's capability wasn't judged solely by physical strength.
She nodded. "Alright, I expect I'll need to pick out a few more."
Zhang Yanping nodded. "Actually, right now, raising several dogs is most suitable."
"There aren't many able-bodied young men in the village, and there's certainly no one with the guts to actually rob you. The main role of the dogs is alertness and sentry duty; having strong deterrent power is enough."
Rubbing his stomach, he spoke truthfully: "I'm taking you there because I have a selfish motive too—the owner of that kennel is an old classmate of mine."
"I thought, you can go pick them out, and it'll be like giving those dogs a good home in our village."
To maintain the fitness of such dogs, they needed meat at every meal. An ordinary family couldn't afford it, nor would they be willing to spend it.
However, although he had only stayed at home for half a day, he could vaguely see that his cousin had become the backbone of the family. Combined with her ability to make money, these dogs wouldn't be mistreated.
Song Tan didn't care about his selfish motives; if there were truly suitable ones, what harm was there in picking up a few more?
She calculated carefully. The three puppies were useless and could be excluded.
For the back mountain to watch the pigs, chickens, and ducks, three dogs would be most suitable; after all, there were many pigs, and fewer wouldn't be able to hold them off.
For the chestnut forest, anywhere from one to two, or perhaps three or four, depending on how much of the hilly land she could utilize.
The fields and ponds also needed dogs watching, otherwise, it would be too easy for people to sneakily fish there.
Even if she hadn't scaled up her operations yet, she needed to prepare at least five adult large dogs.
After all, the price of these goods was so high; she would feel the sting of even the slightest loss.
When the time came, she would set up dog houses in every area that needed guarding. The village was open; as long as the dogs barked at any sign of movement, people would hear them.
That was much more reliable than Song Tan constantly using her spiritual energy to signal warnings.
She had only been practicing for a short time, and her spiritual energy was thin; she had to save it whenever possible!
However, dogs of this quality wouldn't be cheap, right?
Song Tan thought about the money flowing in and out of her bank account, never quite able to save up, and felt a pang of heartache.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yanping peeked at her
"What? Running low on money? I've got some!"
"Are you selling those five pounds of tea? Give it to me for 8,000 yuan a pound. At least we're relatives; let me flip it and make a profit."
"I'll make the money, you just relax."
Zhang Yanping knew people who could afford 10,000 yuan a pound for tea, but those willing to throw money away on tea with no fame or promotion were truly rare.
He also had to consider the loss from having people taste it; no matter how expensive it was, the hassle wasn't worth it.
He had been mulling over this price in his head since he tasted that cup of tea at noon.
It was quite a fair price.
Song Tan shook her head. "That won't work. Spring tea is very expensive right now. Summer tea can go for 8,000. If there's extra, I might leave some for you."
As she spoke, she simply composed a message and sent it to the group
"New tea is now on the market. Simple packaging, special price: 10,000 yuan per pound. Limited quantity, act fast."
Setting everything else aside, the people in her group were die-hard fans. They might not believe the price, but they would absolutely believe in the quality.
However, the price of 10,000 yuan for nameless tea was truly shocking. After a long time, someone spoke up cautiously
"I only want to buy one tael. Are you selling?"
Song Tan was amused: *So fast?!*
Someone actually dared to trust her this much!
She replied without hesitation
"Yes!"
"Come find me tomorrow morning when I'm selling vegetables."
Just for the sake of this trust, she should make a start.
With this reply, the group became lively
"Boss, what kind of tea are you daring to charge this much for?"
"When you sell vegetables tomorrow, can you brew a cup and let us try it?"
Song Tan thought to herself: *I've been selling vegetables for so long, if I have to go to the market to invite you all for a tasting, it'll be too much work!*
*Later, you'll all be buying in increments of one tael; I won't even have time to pack it. This is just a one-time thing to get started.*
"No, no, I have to sell vegetables quickly tomorrow. I have to go on a trip, so I won't have time."
And at that moment, a person saved as "Secretary Wang" sent her a private message
"I want half a pound. Is that okay?"