32

Lin You thought for a moment and then pulled Yao Jiu to the kindergarten to find Yao Yun.

Yao Yun was busy in the kitchen, preparing ingredients. After buying the vegetables, she had already decided that the main dish for lunch would be rice. The tomatoes would be cooked with fish meatballs, and some of the cucumbers would be made into cold dishes while the rest would be pickled as small salted vegetables. Since the temperature was still not too high, they could be stored in the fridge and would last about a week. She also planned to make some leek pockets, adding some starch scraps inside to absorb the juices and enhance the texture.

In the midst of her busyness, Yao Yun was also watching short videos for tutorials. She had enrolled in a chef certification course and, recently, was not only watching tutorials but also frequently reviewing test questions and exam content.

When Lin You mentioned it, Yao Yun immediately agreed.

“This is easy. I can go to the village to get the vegetables every morning, or I can stay at my parents’ house overnight and come back in the morning.”

In fact, she had been planning to take her son to stay at her parents’ house for a few days. Everything at work was going smoothly, and her son had become more and more well-behaved. However, things at home were not peaceful.

Yao Yun’s husband had discovered that his wife had taken over his work and was doing it very well. His once calm attitude had turned into nervousness. Even her mother-in-law no longer dared to claim that she could control Yao Yun. Yao Yun had clearly shown that she wouldn’t give the work back to her husband, but since he was idle at home, her mother-in-law subtly expected Yao Yun to help out, even if it was just washing vegetables at the kindergarten, to replace a helper and save some money.

Yao Yun didn’t intend to cause any issues. She had married her husband out of love, and though she wouldn’t give him her work, she didn’t want too much conflict with her in-laws either.

However, she wouldn’t allow her husband to come to the kindergarten. Instead, she suggested an alternative path for him.

“You see, there are many people in our town selling breakfast in the morning. You could set up a stall too. I’ve looked around, and no one is selling buns at the morning market. Selling buns could be a good idea.”

But her husband’s response was disappointing.

“Sell buns? You want me to sell buns? That early?”

Selling breakfast was the hardest work, especially selling buns. The market opened at five or six in the morning, and you would have to wake up around two or three in the morning to prepare the dough, fillings, and steaming pots, and then work until after nine in the morning selling everything. You’d still have to clean the steaming baskets, buy ingredients, and prepare for the next day.

Just thinking about it, Yao Yun’s husband felt exhausted.

Yao Yun looked at him with confusion. “Who isn’t busy? Everyone lives like this. Not to mention others, don’t I buy ingredients, prepare meals, and clean every day?”

“…I’m not doing it!”

A bun only sold for a few cents, and after all the hard work in the morning, it was uncertain whether he could even make two hundred yuan.

At this point, Yao Yun’s husband grew more resentful of her hot-tempered mother. It was just a small matter, but she had sold cows. If it weren’t for selling cows, their family wouldn’t be in this situation.

Yao Yun did want the family to work together, but seeing her husband’s uselessness, she couldn’t be bothered anymore.

Anyway, she wasn’t home most of the time, and her son was with her, so it didn’t matter much.

Her husband had grown distant and had started throwing temper tantrums. Every day when Yao Yun returned home, she faced cold faces from both her mother-in-law and her husband.

She didn’t care.

Yao Yun decided to take her son to stay at her parents’ house. She finished work early in the afternoon and thought it would be good to rest there for the night. The next day, she could collect the vegetables and not have to wake up early to buy them.

With Yao Yun’s situation settled, Yao Jiu no longer had any concerns. The two of them went back to the village to share the news, and everyone was happy.

“That’s great! The tomatoes in my garden ripened early, and I over-fertilized them later on, so now the fruits are hanging, and it’s making me anxious. So many tomatoes—what a pity if I can’t sell them!”

“That’s true. If you ask me, the cows raised by Xiao Chuan are the best. It’s strange though, could it be that the cows were raised at the temple and gained some spiritual powers? Otherwise, how could they be so amazing?”

“Lin You is the best. She doesn’t hide anything when she knows something…”

Lin You blushed upon hearing the praise and quickly waved her hand. “This has nothing to do with me, Uncle and Aunt, you’re making me embarrassed with all the compliments.”

She didn’t raise the cows, nor did she grow the vegetables. All she did was tell everyone that fertilizing with cow manure worked well, and then Bo Chuan had no hesitation agreeing to it.

Hong Po’s face was full of happiness. “That’s true. If it weren’t for you, no one would come to buy my eggs.”

Du Xun’s egg collection had also helped a few families in the village who raised chickens make some money. Recently, Hong Po had sold quite a few baby chicks as well.

“Exactly! As soon as you came back, a big investor came in.”

“Those cows too, if you hadn’t mentioned it, who would have known it was the cow manure…”

Lin You, being shy, couldn’t take any more compliments and quickly left. Although she left, the people in the village, with their simple and warm-hearted nature, continued to express their kindness.

“Youyou, our family made some fried dough sticks today. You should try them.”

“Xiao You, last time you said you liked your aunt’s pickled beans, right? Here, I brought you some more.”

“Sister You, your cow likes tomatoes, right? I’ll go pick some more for it!”

The last speaker was none other than the now-recovered Xiao Shitou, Yao Lei.

Yao Lei had narrowly escaped death and now wore a red string around his neck with a string of coins attached. Since Bo Chuan spoke up, Yao Lei’s grandmother had treated the string of coins as a protective amulet, tying it with the red string and insisting that her grandson wear it close to his body.

Yao Lei was watching Mengmeng eat tomatoes, his face beaming with joy, blowing bubbles from his nose. He dashed back to his family’s vegetable patch, and before long, he returned carrying a dozen or so slightly green tomatoes.

Lin You thought he would only take a few, but she was surprised to see that the child was carrying a whole bunch!

She quickly stopped him, gave him some crackers, and coaxed him to sit down. After their last meeting, she hadn’t had the chance to check on Yao Lei’s family. She only knew that the boy had stayed in the hospital for quite a while and still looked a little pale.

“Xiao Shitou, are your parents at home?”

Yao Lei nodded. “They’re at home. My grandma chased them out with a broom, but my dad said… he said he’s not leaving anymore.”

The matter with the son had completely frightened Yao Xiangjun and Wang Xianghua. After some consideration, the couple felt it was better to stay in their hometown. Doing a small business would be better than going outside and getting tricked.

“My grandma says my dad is a fool. Fools are the ones who get tricked… My dad also says he’s a fool…” The little boy propped his chin up, looking very troubled. “My classmate said fools are hereditary. What if I become a fool too when I grow up?”

Lin You couldn’t help but laugh. “Then you just need to eat more things that can make you smarter, like vegetables.”

The least favorite food of little Xiao Shitou was vegetables, and he reacted as if facing a great enemy. “Vegetables won’t make you smarter!”

“Who says they won’t? Don’t believe me? Go home and ask your parents. They’ll probably tell you the same thing.”

Xiao Shitou’s snot was hanging from the philtrum, ready to drop but not quite falling. “I’ll go home and ask right now!”

Hearing their son’s words, Yao Xiangjun and his wife were both amused and exasperated. Still, Aunt Yin Hua had no pressure when it came to deceiving children. “Your sister Youyou is right, your dad only eats meat. That’s why he’s dumb.”

Yao Xiangjun: …No, it’s because when I was young, I ate only vegetarian food and got sick of it, so now I’m overcompensating!

Xiao Shitou felt like the sky was falling. Could it really be true?

He thought for a while, wavering between getting dumber and eating things he didn’t like. After a long pause, he said with difficulty, “Then I’ll eat a little bit of vegetables for lunch… just a little bit, okay?”

The whole family couldn’t help but laugh.

Recently, Sun Qing’s life had been getting better. He had successfully found a source of goods in the mountains, and with this, he no longer spent his days at the vegetable shop. Instead, he drove around aimlessly.

Although driving a ^[1]“Jinbei” (金杯) is a brand name of commercial vehicles in China, often associated with light vans, minibuses, and other small utility vehicles. Jinbei was a bit shabby, having a car was still better than not having one.

Sun Qing often went up the mountain to fetch vegetables after he was done sightseeing.

The money he received from his sister each day was divided—one-quarter for buying goods, and the rest he kept for himself. In just a few days, Sun Qing went from living paycheck to paycheck to having thousands of yuan in hand.

With some money now, Sun Qing became even more carefree. He invited a few friends and drove to Lu City to play every day.

Zhang Ming knew that his brother-in-law had probably been skimming some money, but seeing how the business was thriving, he kept quiet.

As the weather gradually warmed, seasonal vegetables became more abundant—cabbage, eggplant, zucchini…

The amount of vegetables Sun Qing brought back each time wasn’t large, but at least he always had four or five different types. Even if nothing else, there were always some green onions and leafy greens.

Thanks to these vegetables, business at the store was getting better and better.

Sun Ling divided up the vegetables without weighing them, giving them a fixed price that was slightly higher than the market but not unreasonable. She even introduced a purchasing limit—each of these special vegetables could only be bought in small quantities. If someone wanted to buy ten or eight kilos, they were out of luck.

The residents of the neighborhood grumbled, but there was nothing they could do about it.

It was also strange—there was no other store in the entire county that sold the same vegetables. Even at Huihe, when people asked, they didn’t have them.

Recently, it wasn’t just the people from Yulan neighborhood who came to buy vegetables. People from other areas had started driving in as well.

With such a boom, it wasn’t long before long lines started forming at the store during peak hours.

With the queues, the vegetables got worse.

People had a herd mentality. If they saw a line at a store, they felt the need to see what was going on. Those with enough time would join the line, just to see if the reputation was really deserved.

At this moment, on the other side of the city, in Huihe Fresh’s office, a few small leaders from various supermarkets were gathered for a meeting.

On the table were a few types of vegetables, and the leaders looked on with great seriousness.

With a creak, the door opened, and the supermarket boss, Xiao Fengyun, walked in. She dressed casually, and although she was over fifty, she looked as energetic as someone in their forties.

Xiao Fengyun: “Is everyone here? Let’s begin.”

A small leader nodded and bowed, taking the few vegetables on the table to the other side of the long table, where several induction cookers and pots were set up.

The tomatoes and cucumbers were cut in half, with one half raw and the other half simply cooked: cucumbers stir-fried with eggs, tomatoes stir-fried with eggs. Green onions were fried for onion oil, and the eggplant was steamed, then torn by hand and drizzled with sauce…

The dishes were all simple, and of course, the goal was not for eating.

Xiao Fengyun patiently waited for the dishes to be prepared. Once the small leader placed the dishes in front of her, she gestured for everyone to try.

“Hmm, this onion oil is nice, the flavor of the onions is rich.”

“The cucumber is also good, crunchy and watery, and the skin is not thick.”

“The eggplant is also good…”

The small leaders all gave high praise.

Xiao Fengyun put down her chopsticks. “Now that everyone has tasted it, I’ll be straightforward. The quality of these vegetables is excellent, even better than the green, pesticide-free vegetables we import from other provinces.”

Xiao Fengyun narrowed her eyes slightly. “I hope everyone can find out where these vegetables are sourced from as soon as possible.”

Xiao Fengyun had been a powerful woman in the county for decades, only venturing into the fresh produce industry when she was nearing middle age. From the start, she had positioned herself as the supplier for wealthy people’s grocery baskets.

Now, Zhang Ji’s vegetable shop had undoubtedly taken a large group of target customers away.

Although it was only a small vegetable shop with limited supply, Xiao Fengyun didn’t dare gamble.

It wasn’t that difficult for a small vegetable shop to grow into a large fresh produce supermarket. As long as they found a partner, they could manage everything.

Therefore, Xiao Fengyun currently had two plans. One was to find the source herself and negotiate with them. She wouldn’t ask the other side to cut ties with Zhang Ji, but it would be nice to have one more supplier. If this path didn’t work, Xiao Fengyun would decide to become Zhang Ji’s partner. If neither option worked, she would give up. But until the last moment, she was determined to try.

“Let’s have our people inquire more at the market and also check with Lu City to see if we can track it down.”

Xiao Fengyun made a decision: “If this is successfully handled, I’ll give everyone a bonus.”

With the prospect of a bonus, the small leaders were energized, but one day passed, then two days…

By the end of the week, Huihe still had no clue.

Just as Xiao Fengyun was preparing to give up and approach Zhang Ji for a partnership, Zhang Ji ran into trouble.

As business continued to improve, Sun Qing’s life also got more comfortable. He was happily collecting money and enjoying food, drinks, and fun with his friends. When he had no money, he could only be the little brother among his friends, now he had a car and money, and he could pretend to be the big shot.

As the vegetable shop’s reputation grew, friends began asking him where he got the vegetables.

Sun Qing hadn’t realized the value of these vegetables, and casually replied, “It’s from Yinxia Mountain. You know, it’s funny how rich people are—they treat things from the mountain as treasures, and they’ll buy a bunch of vegetables for such high prices.”

Recently, his sister had started gradually raising the prices of the vegetables in the shop. A bundle of chicken feather greens, as thick as a wrist, was now priced at five yuan.

Even though Sun Qing was used to seeing his parents work on the farm since he was a child, seeing a bundle of vegetables sold for such a high price made him think that rich people were crazy.

“That’s not how it went. A few days ago, my partner bought a bunch of vegetables, and I tried a few bites. They were really tasty.”

Sun Qing: “No matter how good it is, it can’t be as good as meat! I just don’t like eating this stuff!”

Recently, Sun Qing was rarely this successful, and he casually reassured his friends: “If you like it, I’ll save some for you next time.”

“Thanks, Brother Sun! You’re so generous. But your vegetables must be expensive, right? They seem like special, specially grown ones.”

Flattered, Sun Qing was so pleased he didn’t know where he was standing. Without any suspicion, he casually responded: “What? They’re just regular-priced… The old mountain folks up there sell them pretty cheap.”

“Wow, Brother Sun, you must be making a fortune! Your sister and brother-in-law must be doing well too, right?”

Sun Qing’s hand holding the wine glass paused for a moment as he suddenly realized.

Right!

His sister and brother-in-law had made quite a bit recently!

He only focused on the few hundred yuan he saved every day from selling vegetables, but his sister and brother-in-law were earning more than he was! Lately, whenever he went to the store, he would always see long queues. By 7 PM, the store would close because all the vegetables had sold out. Even the miscellaneous goods in the shop were flying off the shelves, and they had to restock several times in a short period.

With this comparison, Sun Qing felt a little uneasy.

The current success of the store was thanks to him. If he hadn’t gone into the mountains to find the source, how could the store have done so well?

If it came down to it, his sister and brother-in-law should show their appreciation.

His friend beside him asked, “What’s wrong, Brother Sun?”

Sun Qing’s eyes betrayed his frustration. He hadn’t realized it before, but now he saw it: his sister and brother-in-law were really in the wrong.

He’d put in so much effort—shouldn’t they give him some profit? At the very least, they should give him a raise!

Before, he only knew that his sister treated him well, but now he saw that her kindness had conditions. Words were useless, there was no action behind them.

“I’m thinking… how much money does it take to open a store?”

Feeling wronged and angry, a thought suddenly crossed Sun Qing’s mind. Since he was the only one with the source, why couldn’t he open his own store?

With his skills, making money would be a piece of cake.

He shared his idea with his friends, and as soon as they heard it, they were all on board.

“Brother Sun’s right. We’re this capable, why shouldn’t we open our own store?”

“If you need anything, just let us know. We’ll all go and support Brother Sun.”

“A vegetable store is really simple. The costs aren’t that high.”

“Even if the costs aren’t high, it still takes a few thousand, right?”

In the end, one sentence from this person made Sun Qing feel disheartened. Indeed, even opening a small store would require several thousand yuan—renting a storefront, renovating, and purchasing goods…

A few thousand yuan was already a conservative estimate.

Sun Qing sighed, “I wish I could save up some money faster.”

At this speed, it was still too slow, and he was also worried that over time, his brother-in-law might notice. Don’t think he didn’t know, his brother-in-law was a schemer. When he didn’t have any goods, his brother-in-law would have been happy to drive him out.

“Brother Sun wants to make money? There are plenty of ways!”

A group of young socialites immediately started feeding Sun Qing half-baked business advice.

“There’s no business without tricks, the bigger the store, the more they cheat customers. Aren’t you blocking the supply from their village? Go ahead, pressure them on the price. Those old mountain people, just tell them a few lies and scare them a bit. They’ll be afraid of losing you as a big customer and will do whatever you say.”

“First, lower the cost, then push the payment back. Think about it, if you only pay for the goods every half month, how much cash flow will you have?”

“Also, selling vegetables—your sister’s method is too dumb. Why not mix in some regular vegetables? After all, the vegetables all look the same. Mix the tomatoes together, who can tell the difference? You’ll make more by selling them that way.”

“Anyway, to do big things, you’ve got to be ruthless. A man isn’t a man if he’s not tough.”

Sun Qing was swept up in the excitement by these words, and his internal balance slowly tipped in this direction.

Indeed, if he wanted to make money, these were the ways—either reduce costs or ask his brother-in-law for more money. Once he saved up a few thousand yuan, he would start his own business!

With so many brothers, how could he not start his own store?

Determined, Sun Qing decided to put his brothers’ theories into action the next day when he went to Lianhua Town to collect vegetables.

When Lin You was called by Yao Jiu to the scene, most of the villagers had gathered, and even Bo Chuan had come, holding a young cow and standing at the back of the crowd.

Sun Qing stood in front of the car’s trunk, speaking confidently: “Your vegetables are too expensive. How much are vegetables in the county? If you keep them this high, we can’t even cover the cost…”

Yao Jiu was so angry that her face turned green. She never expected that so soon, the other party would start causing trouble.

“You’re really something! Our village’s vegetables are already cheap. If they were any cheaper, we wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of growing them!”

Sun Qing: “What does that have to do with me? I only know we can’t buy your vegetables for our store. If you’re not happy with that, I won’t take today’s vegetables.”

This was shameless. Recently, Sun Qing had been ordering a lot of vegetables, and every family had to wake up early to pick them. Cucumbers and tomatoes were fine, but the leafy greens couldn’t be stored. If Sun Qing didn’t take them now, they would just rot.

Yao Jiu was furious: “If you don’t want them, I’ll take them to the town and sell them!”

Sun Qing didn’t care and sneered at Yao Jiu before turning to leave. The morning market was over, and there was no way to sell them in the town.

This was also advice from his brothers—he had to push people a little, or they’d think he was easy to deal with.

Sun Qing drove away, leaving behind dozens of baskets of vegetables.

Yao Jiu’s face was a mixture of red and white as she couldn’t help but shed tears: “I’m sorry, everyone. I didn’t investigate well.”

She had originally thought she was doing something good for the village, but who knew it would cause everyone a greater loss? Sun Qing had previously patted his chest and promised to buy as many vegetables as they had, so everyone had recently expanded their vegetable fields.

Now, with so many vegetables unsold, were they going to rot in the ground?

The villagers understood Yao Jiu and hurriedly comforted her. No one blamed her, but that made Yao Jiu feel even worse.

Lin You was about to speak up, suggesting that she start a live stream and sell the vegetables within the province. She knew that people didn’t necessarily mind the money, it was just that after farming for so long, it was hard to see good vegetables go to waste.

She thought she could handle it like that and find a better way later. In such a large Jingshui County, surely there would be a store that could take all these vegetables.

But before Lin You could say anything, Bo Chuan pulled her aside and whispered something to her.

“^[2]“Doushu Huannan” could be interpreted as a cryptic way of saying something significant or fortuitous is coming from the south, or that fate is shifting in a positive direction.Doushu Huannan, noble people are coming from the west. Let Yao Jiu take the vegetables to the town. Today, a noble person will come.”