Chapter 27 Part 2

[Every time I think Shen Qingqing can’t surprise me anymore, she does something amazing again!]

[She always thinks outside the box. While others struggle to sell a few vegetables, she finds restaurant owners and sells in bulk. Even though the price per unit is lower than retail, she saves time and effort, selling large quantities at once.]

[Not only that, but she’s also taking the buyers straight to the program crew’s storage site. She doesn’t even have to worry about transportation!]

Standing to the side, Zhou Jiayan was also taken aback by what just happened. These uncles really bought all the cabbages?

He looked at Shen Qingqing in surprise. His stepmother had done it again!

But then he realized something—if she had already found buyers, then asking him to “sell cabbages with kisses” was just her teasing him!

Thinking of this, he became angry again. His stepmother was too much!

Shen Qingqing, focused on the restaurant owners, didn’t notice the little boy fuming at her.

She led the restaurant owners directly to the storage area where the program crew kept the cabbages, feeling satisfied as she saw the staff’s surprised expressions.

Then, everyone saw restaurant owners pulling away cartloads of cabbage, and the program crew also delivering more. Meanwhile, Shen Qingqing had more and more red bills in her hands.

[Shen Qingqing is really lucky to win. I thought she would lose for sure.]

[Who understands? I completely believe in Sister Shen now. She always turns the tide and surprises everyone!]

[Came from another live broadcast room. Announcing that Shen Qingqing won first place with a huge lead, making the most money among all the families!]

[We already know that, no need to repeat it.]

Seeing Shen Qingqing selling endless cartloads of cabbage, the staff of the program crew started sweating nervously.

For her, selling cabbage was completely free of cost, but for the program team, it was bought with real money. The more she sold, the more they lost.

This…

The staff quickly reported the situation to Xu Xiang, and soon after, someone whispered to Shen Qingqing, “Teacher Shen, how about stopping the cabbage sales? You’re already in first place with a big lead. Please go easy on the program team.”

Shen Qingqing counted the red bills in her hand, feeling that she had earned enough. She nodded, “Alright, I’ll stop for now. But remember this favor, because not everyone is as easy to talk to as I am.”

The staff member smiled apologetically and said, “Of course, Teacher Shen. We’ll remember your kindness.” However, deep inside, he thought: Not everyone is as good at finding loopholes as she is.

[What a pity! I say Sister Shen should cheat them again.]

[Exactly! The program team got sponsorship money in the hundreds of millions, and they can’t even afford this?]

[Sister Shen is too soft-hearted. If it were me, I’d keep selling until nightfall!]

Shen Qingqing didn’t stop out of kindness but because the sun was getting too high. Instead of continuing to sell, she thought it would be better to head back for lunch, take a nap, and wait for the guests from the other groups.

She smiled and told the restaurant owners, “Sorry, that’s all the cabbage we have for today.”

Realizing that they were on a show, the restaurant owners were already satisfied with the money they had made and didn’t push further. They nodded, thanked her, and one of them said, “If you need to sell fruits or vegetables in any future missions, you can come to us.”

Shen Qingqing responded with a smile.

Zhou Jiayan watched everything unfold. It seemed like those uncles had really bought a lot of cabbage. The pink bills in his stepmother’s hands were more than he had ever seen.

Though only five years old, he already understood money and knew the difference between 100 yuan and 1 yuan.

He still remembered that when he was selling cabbages, the highest amount he saw was ten yuan, and there were nowhere near as many bills as the ones his stepmother was holding now.

Then he recalled his stepmother’s shameless act of “selling her son for fame.” To sell just two cabbages, he had to blow two flying kisses! Now that she had sold so many cabbages, shouldn’t she have to do the same?

Thinking this, Zhou Jiayan grabbed the corner of Shen Qingqing’s clothes just as the restaurant owners were about to leave. Looking up, he said, “Yanyan’s kiss isn’t valuable, but Mom’s kiss is. Since the uncles bought so many cabbages, doesn’t Mom need to give them a kiss too?”

In an instant, everyone on-site froze. Even the cameramen hesitated on whether to adjust their lenses.

The restaurant owners’ faces showed expressions of shock or embarrassment, while Shen Qingqing’s previously smiling face completely stiffened.

Unlike the awkward silence at the scene, the live chat was filled with laughter.

[Hahaha! Yanyan is so brave! Does he even know what he just said?]

[Yanyan, sweetheart, your kiss and Mom’s kiss are very different!]

[“Shen Qingqing’s face turned green! I bet she’ll punish Zhou Jiayan later.”]

[“But it’s fine if Shen Qingqing’s face turns green—as long as Mr. Zhou’s hat doesn’t! (In this context, ‘a green hat’ symbolizes infidelity.)”]

[“Honestly, I think the most furious person right now isn’t Shen Qingqing, but Mr. Zhou. His own son is practically encouraging his wife to cheat on him?”]

[Zhou Yexuan: Yanyan, you are no longer my good son!]

Zhou Jiayan still looked innocent. Could his words really have such an impact? Why did all the adults freeze in shock?

Shen Qingqing was stunned for a long while before finally snapping out of it. Was this brat rebelling?!

She quickly decided to get rid of the restaurant owners first. After all, if Zhou Jiayan continued causing trouble, she would be the one to suffer.

With an awkward but polite smile, she said, “Bosses, please excuse him. He’s just a child and likes to joke around. Please don’t take him seriously. If you have other things to do, please go ahead. Don’t let me delay you.”

The restaurant owners immediately understood and laughed. “Hahaha, alright, we’ll head back. We still have restaurant work to do.”

One man gave Zhou Jiayan a thumbs-up before turning to Shen Qingqing, saying, “Your young master is quite something. Even at such a young age, he has the mindset of a great general. He understands that ‘you can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.’ ^[1]means that success sometimes requires bold risks. He’ll definitely be a great businessman in the future.”

Shen Qingqing: …

[Hahaha! Honestly, for most people, a kiss from a beauty like Shen Qingqing is indeed worth more than one from a child like Yanyan. Plenty of men would pay for it.]

[As the saying goes, dying under the peony flowers is still romantic. ^[2]is a phrase that means it’s worth it to die for beauty.]

[Zhou Yexuan: You all think I’m dead, huh?]

[Don’t be mad, Mr. Zhou. Just be happy that someone else will carry on your business.]

After sending the restaurant owners away, Shen Qingqing looked at Zhou Jiayan, who still had an innocent expression, and gritted her teeth, “Zhou Jiayan, you’ve really grown bold.”

Turning her head, she decided she wouldn’t bother with her mischievous son anymore! This kid knew too much—he must have done it on purpose!

Fortunately, their mission was completed, so the mother and son returned home. However, on the way back, they ignored each other, making them seem like “the most familiar strangers” ^[3]phrase used to describe people who are close but act distant..

When Shen Qingqing and the others returned to Zhuangyuan Mansion, the other guests were still outside working under the hot sun.

Out of curiosity and sympathy, Shen Qingqing took out her phone, opened the live broadcast, and started watching the progress of others.

Xie Bing and Ao Liangjun were picking grapes and had the most success among the four groups. They worked together to carry a basket of grapes. Though some were crushed due to inexperience, Xie Bing was quite popular, even in the countryside. Thanks to this, most of their grapes were sold.

Shen Linyan displayed her knowledge as always, explaining to passersby the health benefits of peaches. She sometimes performed alongside the little boy Liang Tianyi. Her many talents attracted local uncles and aunts, and most of their peaches were sold.

Since the weather was hot, Mo Man and his friends’ watermelons sold well. However, each watermelon was heavy, and they could only carry a few at a time, spending much of their time on the road.

Cui Xia’s cucumbers were also selling well. Although Song Yiyi was small and couldn’t help much, she sat quietly and helped her mother collect money.

After checking on the progress of other groups, Shen Qingqing wanted to show off her intelligence and bravery to Zhou Jiayan. Otherwise, he would still be stuck outside selling cabbages in the sun.

However, as soon as she turned around, she remembered how that brat had tricked her earlier. The smug smile on her face vanished, and she turned her back on Zhou Jiayan.

Zhou Jiayan looked calm, but he was actually nervous and kept sneaking glances at Shen Qingqing. Seeing her cold expression, his little mind buzzed. Had he really offended his stepmother? Was she really ignoring him?

At only five years old, Zhou Jiayan was already experiencing the struggle of many adult men who don’t understand why their girlfriends are upset. He sighed internally, wondering how he could coax his stepmother back.