Chapter 43

“Hmph, what gratitude? You’re probably just trying to figure out their address so you can take revenge,” a man said.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? I’m not selling it anymore! I admit I was wrong, okay? I’m apologizing and admitting my mistake. I’ve stopped selling it. You didn’t lose anything, so what more do you want? Are you trying to scam money out of me?”

Wu Xiaoxiao said, “Ma’am, there’s no need to thank us. We were just passing by. But since you know this is counterfeit, you really shouldn’t sell it to others. Otherwise, it could cause trouble. Anyway, we’ll be on our way now.”

The woman tried to persuade them to stay. “Don’t go! Take another look. You came in to check out clothes, right? We’ve just got a lot of new styles recently.”

But they ignored her and quickly ran out. They kept running for quite a while before stopping.

Wang Qifang, panting as she caught up, asked, “Okay, okay, but why did we run? Xiaoxiao, do you really think that woman didn’t know she was selling fake goods?”

Chen Si replied, “Of course not. Did you see her expression when Wu Xiaoxiao mentioned the scam? It was obvious they do this often. Xiaoxiao, who in the village got scammed? How come I never heard about it?”

—-

Thirty-five yuan wasn’t a small amount. If someone had reported it to the public security bureau, he would have definitely heard about it.

Wu Xiaoxiao shook her head. “Someone did get scammed, but they didn’t make a big deal out of it. I just noticed that woman’s reaction seemed off, so I decided to test her. Turns out I was right.”

“Good thing you’re quick-witted, little comrade. Otherwise, I would’ve been tricked.”

Hearing the voice, Wang Qifang was surprised. “Huh? Uncle, you’re still following us?”

Shen Congshan said, “I haven’t even properly thanked you yet. You ran out just now to avoid being identified by the scammer’s accomplices, right? Don’t worry. I checked—no one was following you. Besides, even if they have accomplices, they wouldn’t be bold enough to retaliate. Failing to scam someone and then seeking revenge? That would be too much. Also, I’ll be heading to the public security bureau later to report them. They’ll definitely be arrested.”

Hearing that the scammers would be caught, Wu Xiaoxiao and the others were happy. Shen Congshan continued, “Let me introduce myself. My name is Shen Congshan, but you can call me Uncle Shen. I work at the Zhejiang Province Huanan Textile Factory and happen to be in Beixian County for business. It’s almost noon—let me treat you all to a meal! Don’t turn me down. You really helped me out today. If not for you, I would’ve been scammed and lost money. And if I had taken out that fake perfume later, I would’ve lost face too.”

Although Shen Congshan had been momentarily fooled earlier, he was an experienced factory business manager and far more socially adept than Wu Xiaoxiao and her friends. In no time, he convinced them to accept his offer of a simple meal as a token of gratitude for their good deed.

“You all came from a village under Beixian County to work in agricultural machinery? That’s great! I actually have a good friend who’s an agricultural expert. Let’s have lunch together, and I’ll introduce you.”

As they chatted on the way, they soon arrived at the restaurant.

Shen Congshan had chosen a state-run restaurant. Inside, the place was spacious and well-lit, with large, clean Eight Immortals tables. The benches were spotless, and the menu on the wall displayed a wide variety of dishes, showing that it was a high-end establishment.

By the time they arrived, Shen Congshan’s friend, Liang Yong, was already waiting.

“Old Liang! It’s been so long!” Shen Congshan greeted warmly. “Come, let me introduce some new friends.”

After exchanging pleasantries, he recounted the morning’s events. Liang Yong was astonished.

“I didn’t realize such scams were happening in the county. This needs to be stopped.”

Shen Congshan nodded. “I’ll talk to Old Xu this afternoon. I really have to thank these young folks—without them, I would’ve made a fool of myself.”

Liang Yong laughed. “You’re always looking out for others. Otherwise, how could a deputy factory manager like you, running such a big textile factory, not even get a sewing machine voucher? It’s ridiculous.”

Shen Congshan shook his head. “The younger generation has it tough. I was thinking about how I could gather enough vouchers for my eldest’s wedding. But he ended up surprising me instead.”

“Well, as long as things are settled.”

After some small talk, they turned their attention to Wu Xiaoxiao and her group.

To Wu Xiaoxiao’s delight, Liang Yong turned out to be an actual agricultural expert, just as Shen Congshan had said. He appeared to be in his forties, sharp-looking, and wore glasses, giving off the air of a well-educated scholar—nothing like the typical image of a farmer. But to her surprise, he was extremely knowledgeable about farming.

When Wu Xiaoxiao mentioned that they had applied compost to the vineyard, resulting in vigorous grape growth, Liang Yong’s eyes lit up.

“Really? That’s fantastic! I’ve always said that using raw manure carries risks and isn’t ideal, but since it’s been the norm for so many years, change is difficult. I can’t believe you all actually managed to implement an alternative! Could you do me a favor? When the grape harvest comes, record the growth and yield per acre for me. We can use it for comparative research.”

As he spoke, he pulled out some paper and a pen from his briefcase and immediately started writing at the dining table.

“Ah, you and your work!” Shen Congshan playfully complained. “At least let us eat first! These young folks should hurry and eat, too. Old Liang has been obsessed with farming since we were kids. Some people are obsessed with literature or martial arts, but him? He could talk about agriculture for three days straight without stopping!”

Liang Yong quickly finished writing his notes and handed them to Wu Xiaoxiao.

“Of course! Agriculture is the foundation of our country. If we don’t eat well, how can we do anything else? I really am a farming enthusiast. But you all shouldn’t stop eating either! This restaurant’s braised duck is famous. If it weren’t for Manager Shen treating us today, we wouldn’t have had the chance to enjoy it.”

As they ate and talked, Wu Xiaoxiao and her friends learned a lot about agriculture.

When it was time to leave, they repeatedly declined Manager Shen’s attempt to give them a reward. Instead, they simply took down Liang Yong’s contact information before parting ways.

—-

On the way back, Wang Qifang curiously asked, “So Professor Liang is a university teacher? Are universities even running these days? Who even goes to college?”

Chen Si hesitated to answer. In recent years, universities had been nearly stagnant, with only a few select students being recommended for admission. But for their group, getting on that recommendation list was nearly impossible.

Wu Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, didn’t care about Liang Yong’s status as a professor or even a vice principal. She wasn’t interested in the bureaucratic side of things. What excited her was that he truly understood agriculture.

She could learn a lot from him—knowledge far beyond what her abilities, unique to this era, could provide.