Chapter 448 – Holding On to a Lifetime of Happiness
Qinghe Village and the nearby villages had observed the success of the fruit Xu Xiangdong had previously cultivated.
It could be said that Xu Xiangdong had made a fortune.
Honestly, they were envious.
They wanted to make money too.
If only they could grow such fruit themselves.
As they were considering whether to visit Xu Xiangdong to buy some saplings and seek advice on cultivation, they heard a notice from the county leadership.
Once the news was announced, the entire Anren County was abuzz.
Especially when they learned that the saplings were of the same variety as Xu Xiangdong’s and that Xu Xiangdong had established a reputation for their fruit.
They immediately recognized it as a business opportunity provided by the county leaders and Xu Xiangdong—a chance to earn money.
Moreover, the price of the saplings was not high, and anyone with land could plant them.
Seeing Xu Xiangdong’s success in growing fruit, everyone was eager to seize this opportunity.
So, following the announcement, all interested parties flocked to the county to purchase saplings.
Now, two years later, those who had bought saplings and planted them had seen their fruit grow, and they were earning money from it.
With the fruit’s quality and reputation established, sales were not a problem.
The only issue was transportation.
The fruit was perishable; it was best enjoyed fresh, right after picking.
Although the fruit had gained a reputation and quality, buyers mostly came from nearby areas.
In more distant areas, buying fruit from Anren County would require a long time, a significant journey, and transportation costs, making it less cost-effective.
Thus, it would be better if people in these remote areas could buy the fruit locally.
So, Xu Xiangdong traveled to these areas and eventually established agreements with several local distributors.
He also purchased several large trucks specifically for transporting the fruit to these more distant locations.
Of course, due to the added transportation costs, the price of the fruit was somewhat higher.
However, despite this, many people still preferred to buy and eat the fruit, and the fruit growers in Anren County were able to make money.
Moreover, this wasn’t just a temporary gain; if the fruit could continue to be cultivated, the profits could be sustained over time.
Nevertheless, Xu Xiangdong still felt that this transportation method was too slow.
Upon returning home, Xu Xiangdong discussed the issue with Xu Jinning.
“…Right now, people in those areas order fruit by phone, and I have to answer each call individually. If I’m not available, I might miss an order.”
“I’m wondering if there could be a more convenient method in the future, one where even if no one is present to manage it, we could still know who placed an order, how much they wanted, and where it was located.”
“And is there another transportation method where, as soon as a customer places an order, I would be quickly informed? This way, we could deliver fruit directly to distant customers faster, keeping it fresh. That way, customers in remote areas wouldn’t have to pay high prices to get the fruit…”
Xu Xiangdong talked excitedly about his ideas.
Xu Jinning listened with increasing amazement.
She exchanged a glance with Xie Ting’an.
Xu Jinning silently thought to herself: This idea of Big Brother seems like modern online shopping and express delivery.
With online shopping, as long as there’s an internet connection and a computer, items can be listed online, and people can place orders remotely and check the status anytime.
And express delivery is the quickest way to achieve remote transportation.
However, right now, not only is the internet not available, but computers have only just begun to appear in universities.
Ordinary people don’t have access to them, and they are not yet on the market, making it impossible for the general public to buy or even see them.
So, online shopping might still be a long way off.
But perhaps the idea of express delivery could be discussed with Big Brother.
If online ordering isn’t possible, phone orders will have to do. Fortunately, phones are gradually becoming more common, and mobile phones will appear soon…
So, Xu Jinning shared her ideas about express delivery with her brother. The more Xu Xiangdong listened, the brighter his eyes became.
He thought he could gradually develop his transport fleet into the express delivery sector, just as his sister suggested.
He felt it was entirely feasible.
However, he also knew that it would require substantial funding and a large team, which would take time to establish.
But now that Xu Xiangdong had this goal, he began to envision the future.
At this moment, Xu Jinning did not know that her casual suggestion about express delivery would lead her brother, Xu Xiangdong, to gradually develop the express delivery industry alongside his fruit business.
Thus, the first domestic express delivery company was born.
Even as other express delivery companies emerged over time, this company became the industry leader, eventually expanding its services internationally.
Xu Xiangdong also became a prominent figure in the express delivery industry.
Who would have thought that Xu Xiangdong’s initial reason for entering the express delivery industry was simply to facilitate his fruit business?
Little did he expect that his unintended foray into this field would lead to the creation of a leading company in the express delivery industry.
Of course, that’s a story for another time.
…
This year, during Qingming Festival, the Xu family gathered together.
Xu Jinning and her family returned from Beijing, and Ning Di and Xu Ai’an also came back to pay respects to their ancestors.
This year, the ancestral hall in Qinghe Village was also under construction.
Whether for themselves or future generations, they would not forget their roots or their origins.
They honored their ancestors, cherished their forebears, and remained grateful, staying true to their beginnings.
On Qingming Festival, Xu Xiangdong accompanied his wife, Wen Yulan, to pay respects to her parents and grandparents.
They went with their three children.
In three years, a child who was once in swaddling clothes had grown into a toddler who could run around on short legs.
For example, Xu Yu, who was a small child three years ago, nicknamed Xiao Yu’er, had grown into a charming four-year-old girl with cute little pigtails.
Xu Xiangdong doted on his daughter, who resembled his wife the most, to the core.
After paying respects to the parents and in-laws, Wen Yulan held her two sons’ hands and walked back.
She looked down at her sons’ hands in hers, then at her husband holding their daughter, and reflected on their current life. She felt an immense sense of peace and satisfaction.
Her parents and grandparents were gone, but Yulan now lived a very happy and fulfilling life.
‘Dad, mom, grandpa, grandma, Yulan is living a very good and happy life now.’
‘Don’t worry, Yulan will take good care of herself and will continue to live well.’
Wen Yulan thought that if the happiness she was experiencing now could last through the rest of her life, then she would consider her life fulfilled.
“Yulan, what are you thinking about? Come, let’s have Xiao Jie and the others hold hands, and I’ll hold onto you,” Xu Xiangdong said, extending his hand while holding their daughter with one arm.
Wen Yulan looked at his large hand, smiled, and slowly took it, as if she were grasping a lifetime of happiness.
