Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 1016 - 996. South A7 Zone

Chapter 1016: 996. South A7 Zone

Compared to those bustling large exhibition areas selling fruits, the small booths of various cultivation bases appeared much more low-key.

The staff were already used to it, and at this moment, they dared to say anything.

"Don’t be fooled by those fruit-selling exhibition areas boasting large inventories and lots of goods—it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll make it through the selection."

"But, you know, as long as they get into the next round, it’s already a great gimmick. It proves that the taste is guaranteed, and all the major suppliers will start paying attention."

"With that, as long as their reputation doesn’t decline in the next few years, sales should generally be no problem."

The person sighed, then perked up again: "So, even though your booth is small, make sure to pay attention today. These days, even the best wine can go unnoticed if it’s hidden away."

Song Tan understood.

If it weren’t for Qiaoqiao, even the best products from their family wouldn’t have seen such rapid returns in the early stages. That’s why, in the beginning—even though she possessed Spiritual Energy—she only dared to use the family’s twenty thousand yuan to scrimp a little, making small moves.

Looking around at the other small booths, the setup was really simple: mostly just several tables pushed together, covered with free red nylon cloth provided by the venue, and accompanied by trays... To be honest, it wasn’t much different from a supermarket.

Nearby were some portable stoves, pots, small fruit knives, cutting boards, and a box of toothpicks. For safety reasons, the fruit knives were really small.

The staff also reminded her: "Oh, by the way, there’s a stall selling these small plastic forks at the exhibition area entrance. If you think toothpicks don’t look appealing enough, you can go buy a box."

These things weren’t expensive, so most people used forks. Although Song Tan knew her product was strong, there was no need to stand out unnecessarily in this aspect, so she nodded and made a mental note of it.

Then she asked: "What about the disposable plates? Do we need to buy those too?"

"Not really. Those are provided by logistics as paper tableware—they’re all about being eco-friendly."

So, while plastic forks weren’t provided, better tableware was... Thinking this through, Song Tan decided to scratch the idea of buying the plastic forks.

The venue was truly huge, and South A7 Zone was indeed very remote. Nearby, the agricultural machinery area was still undergoing adjustments, and any movement caused loud rumbling noises.

"Wow!" Qiaoqiao gaped at the green-painted agricultural machinery and curiously asked, "Can we use this in our area?"

A staff member in a green vest immediately approached: "Definitely. Our equipment supports multi-terrain coordination and can even be customized based on local topography. The prices are reasonable—just a down payment of twenty thousand can secure one... Oh? Are you purchasing privately?"

He hesitated: "For private purchases, if the location is too far, the factory might charge a shipping fee."

Qiaoqiao curiously stared at him and then earnestly asked, "Can it really be used anywhere?"

He cheerfully waved at Song Tan: "Sis! This vehicle looks great!"

At this point, the staff also began to realize something was off and, instead of continuing his sales pitch, asked: "Do you like this vehicle? It’s a small agricultural rotary tiller... Come, hop on, I’ll give you a ride!"

"Really? Can I?" Qiaoqiao was somewhat incredulous.

"Of course you can!" The staff patted his chest and said, "This is exactly my job—look, here’s my ID!"

He raised his badge, which indeed identified him as an agricultural equipment presenter. Except there was a whole string of suffixes attached:

XX High School "Agriculture-Based Education" Classroom Practice Experience Officer

Ah, turns out he was a high school student volunteering. No wonder his age didn’t seem that old, and it was so easy for him to connect well with Qiaoqiao.

Song Tan relaxed.

Meanwhile, the staff continued to eagerly call on a rare kindred spirit:

"Come on! Besides, the machine has safety measures—the rotary connection underneath is just a model. We’ll only feel the controls from up top."

He climbed onto the ladder first and then reached out to Qiaoqiao: "Come on!"

Qiaoqiao’s joy was practically overflowing. Seeing this, Song Tan quickly walked over:

"Sure, go play, but be careful not to cause trouble for others."

At the same time, she gave a polite smile to the green-vested staff member: "Thanks! Once our booth is set up, I’ll treat you to some food."

"Alright!" The staff member didn’t stand on ceremony. After all, for the workers, everything in the venue was available to try—he was only interested in Qiaoqiao:

"Come on, come on! Some people came by earlier asking about it, and they wanted to experience it too—but ended up being shy and not interested at all... Come, I’ll guide you!"

The two huddled together, muttering and fiddling with the controls—clearly, they got along well.

Song Tan decided to let them be, focusing instead on hauling the vegetables and fruits stored from the previous day over to the booth using carts, while also prewashing some leafy greens.

At 8:40, red barricades were immediately set up around the area, and South Zone quieted down all of a sudden.

Meanwhile, the center grew increasingly crowded.

Although the media didn’t necessarily care about this project, whether or not they covered the event was a separate matter. After all, it was a major government-led initiative—despite the ongoing heat cooling off, it still warranted a mention.

Soon after, the ten judges of this competition were invited onstage one by one in the center area of the venue. Speeches, photos... a series of routines wrapped up precisely by 9:00.

The efficiency was impressive.

Song Tan’s booth, however, was still not fully set up.

But there was no rush. There were over 50 participants in this round, each showcasing at least one variety—some boasting as many as seven or eight. By the time all the tastings were done, it would probably be noon.

After all, South A7 Zone truly felt isolated—at this rate, they were practically the big finale.

She leisurely arranged the tables, fruit trays, and disposable cutting boards... Pausing, she adjusted the cutting boards properly and took out the small fruit knives.

With some idle time, she decided to slice up a few cucumbers in advance.

...

Meanwhile, at the eye-catching 88th booth, the judges strolled around this particularly refined setup, chatting casually:

"This pomelo is nice—the balance between sweet and sour is just right."

"It’s not bad, kind of similar to last year’s No. 35, though this one’s skin is slightly thicker, which might make it better for storage."

"Wasn’t Old Song swearing up and down that there’s an S+ rating today that’ll blow our minds? Let’s try that one later."

"Hmph, he says it’s S+? I’m skeptical—I’d rather taste it last on purpose."

"Why argue about it? He already said his own product is scheduled for the finale, so it doesn’t affect the earlier scores."

"Hey, hey, hey! We’re still sampling other booths—tone it down a bit. You’re making it sound like a shady deal."

"How could this stuff be rigged? Rigged how? If it doesn’t taste good, it doesn’t taste good. If it doesn’t meet the grade, then it doesn’t meet the grade..."

"Alright, alright, you talk too much... Hmm, after finishing this pomelo, there’s this intense lingering fragrance in my mouth—that’s a big plus! I’ll add two points for that."