Chapter 110 - 108: The Helper Is Back
The farm was leased for a year in advance with a rent of five hundred thousand. The Base Commander advised not to pay the full amount at once, but to settle the accounts annually. This way, the cash flow could be used for building factories and covering subsequent expenses, allowing for a steady progression.
Li Pan followed the arrangements of the Base Commander, and Gao Wenbin stayed temporarily at No. 9 Farm to help set up the electrical network and other communication devices, along with water pipes and drip irrigation systems.
Professional personnel had already been hired to divide the land into grain planting areas, wheat straw areas, vegetable gardens, and fruit orchards, and they planned to plant some trees in the upcoming forest area to stabilize the soil and water and possibly grow medicinal materials.
There was also the possibility to raise free-range chickens, ducks, geese, and other poultry, which could easily be integrated into the orchards.
The farm was vast, but the land was extremely fertile. It required professionals to carefully divide the areas so that the pipe system and irrigation could be arranged efficiently, otherwise subsequent work would become inconvenient and might lead to repeated expenditures and a waste of resources, which would be counterproductive.
The factory was to be built on higher ground to prevent water logging during rain, and houses were also to be built nearby to facilitate easy access and reduce unnecessary commuting.
Li Pan visited No. 9 Farm daily; each morning and evening, she also had to take care of the Spirit Plants. Two of the plants had been repotted and moved to the forest area of No. 8 Farm and also needed care—skipping even a single day or meal was not an option as they were crucial for the ongoing financial support of No. 9 Farm.
No. 9 Farm had a freshwater lake and a tributary of a river, and they had also dug reservoirs in several remote locations. The mountain was solid, and discussions were had among Shi Lei, Qin Jianzhong, and others about excavating part of the mountain to create storage spaces, which would save some construction costs.
Money was spent like running water; goods were delivered daily, and the installation of water pipes began. Jiao Ming, Cui Yanjun, and Gu Ye started busily harvesting wild grass, tilling the land, and hastening the planting of the first batch of crops, including wheat straw, which needed to be sown quickly as the spring plowing season waits for no one. Prompt replanting was essential for an early harvest, and all this was tied to money.
Watching Li Pan pay bills and buy things daily made everyone anxious. No. 7 and No. 8 Farms had already been handed over to Liu Qian and a few others to manage. The store was left to the Patrol Team to handle and sell miscellaneous items, and the roast shop was temporarily closed.