Chapter 61: Face Like a Lotus

The girl in the red skirt cast a quick glance and said, “Things like this outside aren’t clean. Besides, there are plenty sent by others at home. Don’t buy it, brother.”

Not far away, a group of vendors selling their farm products pushed past.

The girl’s beautiful brows furrowed slightly, and she immediately stepped back, afraid of getting contaminated.

She coldly continued, “Those country folks come to the hospital to scam money, crowding at the entrance, dirty and disorganized. It’s really bothersome to see.”

The young man maintained a calm expression, indifferent, glancing at the bustling country vendors.

He didn’t mention buying goji berries again and asked for a bowl of soup, preparing to leave.

Xia Li lifted her head, holding the soup, and caught his eye just as he glanced over.

The girl’s exquisitely fair and flawless face fell into his sight, her bright eyes and red lips supple like cherry blossoms.

A hint of surprise flashed in his gaze, momentarily taken aback.

Xia Li naturally heard their conversation; however, whether they bought or not was their decision.

The girl’s words were uncomfortable to hear, but she didn’t plan to argue, merely showing a faint expression and averting her gaze as if she hadn’t seen them.

The young man, however, stopped in his tracks, hesitated for a moment, and called out in a clear voice, “Excuse me, how much are the goji berries?”

The girl in the red skirt was surprised and grabbed his arm, “Brother, are you really going to buy?”

Xia Li softly responded, “Wild goji berries grown ourselves, one yuan a pound.”

The girl in the red skirt frowned, glanced at the bamboo basket, and then looked at Xia Li.

Although her outfit was simple and rustic, it was clean and tidy, and her face was exceptionally radiant, pure white, almost blinding.

She scoffed softly, “How much do the finest wild goji berries sell for at the pharmacy? You can’t be selling goji berries, can you? What are you really selling?”

The implication was very clear.

The young man replied in a neutral tone, “Wanran.”

He turned to look at Xia Li again, a hint of embarrassment on his handsome face, and politely said, “Excuse me, comrade. In that case, your price is reasonable, and I see the quality of these goji berries is good; I’ll take two pounds.”

The girl in the red skirt silently looked at him, her proud expression icy, seemingly too lazy to stop him any further.

Xia Li didn’t care about the thoughts of these siblings; if they wanted to buy, she certainly wouldn’t push the business away.

As she picked up the pre-packed oil paper bags from her basket, her tone was indifferent as she casually said, “Whatever you want to buy, I will naturally sell.”

One bag was just right for a pound, so she tied two bags together for easier carrying and handed them over, saying, “Comrade, here are the two pounds you wanted, a total of four yuan.”

After a pause, she added, “The quality of my goji berries is definitely better than those sold at the pharmacy; I won’t just make empty claims. You can take them home to make tea or wine, or use them as ingredients in cooking; you’ll know the difference once you try.”

The goji berries she sold outside the hospital had a good business and were already at a reduced price, comparable to those in the pharmacy, but the quality was better, and a discerning person could clearly see that the price was not high at all.

The young man accepted the bags, noticing her lotus-like face looking at him; he nodded slightly and took out his wallet to pay.

Seeing Xia Li’s open and generous attitude, the girl in the red skirt pursed her lips but didn’t say anything further.

At this moment, a middle-aged woman approached the stall, asking Xia Li about the prices and quality of the goji berries.

Xia Li naturally smiled warmly at the average customer. Hearing her inquiry, she gave a detailed introduction about how wild goji berries differ from regular ones used in medicine, highlighting their benefits. The woman was there to visit someone in the hospital and soon ordered half a pound.

The girl in the red skirt stood aside, listening to Xia Li’s explanations. She appeared more enthusiastic than before, studying her with a cold expression and silently huffing.

As the young man counted out the money, he had just started to hand it over when he couldn’t help but cough twice, turning his face aside and quietly saying, “…Sorry.” Suddenly his expression changed, and he clutched his stomach, dropping the soup he was holding directly onto the ground