Chapter 41: Dreams are beautiful, reality is cruel

“I don’t need your apology. You’re not the one who wronged me.” Ji Ling glanced at Ji Jingyuan before continuing, “But never mind. You helped me before, and she’s your sister, so I’ll let it go.”

“Ji Ling, let me buy you a meal.” Ji Sigui had no intention of apologizing and took advantage of Ji Jingyuan’s inattention to run off. Ji Jingyuan was deeply embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’ll discipline her when I get home and make her apologize to you.”

Ji Ling looked at the tightly locked gates of the Agricultural Bureau, then at Ji Jingyuan. She did not want to waste any more time with him. “I still have things to do. See you next time.”

Seeing what she intended, Ji Jingyuan hurried forward and told her that he knew someone who might be able to help her find what she needed.

At last, Ji Ling was willing to spend some time taking a proper look at Ji Jingyuan. The last time, he had said he knew reporters; this time, he actually knew someone at the Agricultural Bureau as well. It seemed Ji Jingyuan really was a powerful ally.

With Ji Jingyuan accompanying her all the way, Ji Ling successfully obtained forty catties of sweet sorghum seeds. She planned to reclaim ten acres of land. The sweet sorghum could yield roughly two thousand catties of stalks, which could be used to make brown sugar and sweeten the New Year for every household in the village. Any surplus could be sold to bring in a little extra profit.

What was more, planting sweet sorghum and forage grass could improve the soil of the sandy land. After the crops were harvested, their roots, stalks, and leaves could be returned to the fields. Once broken down by microorganisms into humus, they would increase the soil’s organic matter and strengthen its ability to retain water and fertilizer. In the end, the grain yield of the sandy soil would rise as well. It was truly a way to accomplish several things at once.

Besides the sweet sorghum seeds, Ji Ling also bought two hundred sheep. The people at the Agricultural Bureau had initially refused to approve the sale. They believed Shixi Village lacked the conditions to raise two hundred sheep and that bringing them back would only waste money. Fortunately, Ji Ling had quietly read books about raising sheep beforehand and consulted people with experience. She immediately began discussing the matter with the bureau officials.

Only after conducting a thorough investigation did the people at the Agricultural Bureau finally nod and agree to sell the sheep to Ji Ling. Even so, she was still buying them on credit and would settle the entire sum at the end of the year. There were so many lambs that Ji Ling could not transport them back herself, so she discussed with the bureau officials whether they could wait a couple of days and deliver them after she had hired a truck.

The officials had no objection, merely reminding Ji Ling to hurry a little, since another shipment of sheep was due to arrive soon.

After leaving the Agricultural Bureau, Ji Jingyuan walked with Ji Ling for a while. “Do you need me to help you find a truck?”

People who ran transport fleets were extremely proud these days, and few were willing to take on a small job like Ji Ling’s.

Ji Ling stopped and thought it over. In the end, she still declined Ji Jingyuan’s offer. “No need. Once our production line gets running, we’ll need vehicles for far more than one or two trips. I’d better negotiate it myself.”

Zhao Xianghong’s house was rather small, so that night Ji Ling went alone to rent a room at a modest hotel. There were few guests at this time, and the place was unusually quiet, giving Ji Ling the perfect opportunity to sort through her recent accounts.

Her original plans had been beautiful, but reality was harsh. After recording the various transactions that had come in and gone out recently, Ji Ling once again began racking her brain over how to get hold of a truck. With one hand she scratched her head, while with the other she tapped her pen against the tabletop.

“Landlady, do you have anything to eat? Bring me whatever you’ve got.”

“At this hour? Where would I find anything to eat? Where did you come from? You look as though you haven’t eaten in days.”

“We were delivering supplies to the southwest. Then there were aftershocks, and we got trapped. It took us ages to clear the rocks blocking the road ahead. We didn’t dare stop, so we drove like mad all the way back. We haven’t eaten for three days.”

The pen in Ji Ling’s hand came to a halt.

An earthquake?