Chapter 63: The reborn of paranoid boss cannon fodder wife
Chapter 63: Named Protection
Unexpectedly...
The situation on Xiao Zhihai's side was similar to Li ShuiXian's. Just as they had negotiated the purchase with the villagers, Xiao Cheng turned the tables with a single sentence.
After hearing this, everyone raised their glasses to Xiao Cheng, completely ignoring Xiao Zhihai. Even the good cigarettes he had distributed earlier were given to Xiao Cheng, who didn't even pay attention, just putting the cigarettes behind his ear. No one offered him a match.
Realizing that the people at this table were not reliable, Xiao Zhihai had no choice but to wait until after the meal to find other villagers to purchase chestnuts.
When it came to purchasing conditions, he had to align himself with Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu. Wanting to pay only a deposit and take away all the goods was impossible; none of the villagers would agree to that.
After the meal, the chestnuts in Xiao Village were all spoken for.
The chestnuts purchased by Xiao Zhihai and Li ShuiXian were from villagers who had some connections with them, those who had interacted with them during recent town gatherings. The quantities were significantly lower compared to Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu.
In the prosperous city of Longcheng, some insiders had heard the news and also secretly purchased quite a lot.
However, they only paid partial upfront payments due to concerns about potential losses, especially since they didn't master the core technology of candied chestnuts. The rest opted to pay a deposit, secure the goods, and settle the final payment upon delivery.
Guided by Grandpa and Grandma, Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu met many elders in the family. Each family reserved tens of thousands of jin of chestnuts for them. With the prestige and status of Grandpa and Grandma in the family, some elders even agreed to postpone the payment of the deposit. The chestnuts would be reserved for Xiao Cheng and Bai Lu until they came to collect the goods, at which point the full payment would be made.
The family members who returned from the southern city naturally heard the news, but they looked down on this kind of street-side business. They believed the sales potential was limited, the future prospects were average, and it would soon be copied by the market. It wasn't worth investing in.
Once everything was settled, it was time to go up the mountain to pay respects to another ancestral tomb.
Bai Lu's foot injury had not healed, so Xiao Cheng didn't let her go up the mountain. He also left Xiao Wei behind.
They justified it as protecting her belly.
The chestnuts from Grandpa and Grandma's place would be collected by Xiao Cheng after the Tomb Sweeping Festival, and they would be paid with rice and piglets.
Perhaps because of the upcoming arrival of piglets, Grandpa was in high spirits. His rheumatic legs didn't hurt anymore, and he walked particularly briskly. In the afternoon, he went up the mountain to pay respects to the ancestors along with Grandma. On the way, they marked the location with abundant grass for the pigs. Once the piglets returned, they would go there to cut grass to feed them.
Bai Lu and Xiao Wei, along with Li Hongying and several other women from Xiao's family, carried large baskets and went to the riverside at the foot of the mountain to wash vegetables.
Li Hongying had also gone up the mountain to pay respects to the ancestors in the morning, so she stayed behind in the afternoon to prepare dinner.
The mountain path was rugged and not easy to traverse. Returning to town, the city, or the market would take a considerable amount of time, so dinner needed to be prepared early. After the family paid respects to the ancestors and returned, they could finish dinner quickly and set off before it got dark.
Li Hongying and the women washed Chinese cabbage, lettuce, celery, and large radishes by the riverside.
Bai Lu washed garlic sprouts, and Xiao Wei, who squatted beside her with a small knife, helped peel the roots of the garlic sprouts.
Auntie praised Xiao Wei for being industrious. "This little guy is really capable. Our troublemaker runs around like a wild horse as soon as he's on vacation, knowing that everyone will come back for the Tomb Sweeping Festival. He's so excited he can't sleep all night. He came to the square early this morning with a hoe."
"But he ran down the mountain too fast when he came back, didn't pay attention, and fell. Both his knees were scraped. In the afternoon, I didn't let him go up the mountain. He couldn't sit still and limped over to the orchard near the river to pick green plums."
"Why don't you go pick some fruits too?" Auntie asked bai . Xiao Wei didn't go.
Xiao Wei's personality was similar to Xiao Cheng's – silent and reserved. He rarely interacted with neighbors. Auntie's lengthy speech only elicited four words from him: "Don't like to eat."
"Don't like to eat green plums? There are also mulberries over there; mulberries are sweet and delicious."
Li Hongying pointed to the upper stream of the river. "There's a small wooden bridge over there, and it's very close on the other side."
Still crouching and peeling garlic sprouts, Xiao Wei replied with those four familiar words, "Don't like to eat."
Kind intentions were repeatedly rejected. Feeling a bit awkward, Li Hongying and the aunties thought that perhaps the fruits in the countryside weren't as good as those in town, and they were being rejected by Xiao Wei.
A smile played on Bai Lu's lips as she handed the washed garlic sprouts to Xiao Wei. "Xiao Wei's personality is similar to Xiao Cheng's. He doesn't talk much and doesn't mention what he likes to eat. Usually, I buy various things and put them on the table. He takes what he likes."
"He and Xiao Cheng also rarely chat with people. They usually don't have much to say to me either. After school, he goes back to his room to do homework and rarely goes out to play with others."
So, it wasn't about rejection due to preferences; it was just his personality.
Feeling relieved, Li Hongying and the aunties put on smiles again and continued chatting happily with Bai Lu. They felt that, as a boss who came to the countryside to buy chestnuts, Bai Lu didn't have the slightest sense of superiority. Her personality and temperament were good, and she knew how to talk.
Unlike the previous chestnut buyers who were arrogant and disrespectful, throwing and discarding chestnuts randomly while selecting, claiming that this was not good and that was not good. When leaving, they would insist on everyone sharing the travel expenses.
When Li ShuiXian presented the purchasing conditions, her tone was condescending and disdainful, with a face full of arrogance.
They understood, but for the sake of their livelihoods, they had to swallow their bitterness and flatter her.
Fortunately, their elders in the family eventually reserved the chestnuts for Bai Lu, and everyone was happy.
In Li Hongying's family, there were also over ten thousand jin of chestnuts. However, due to the indecisiveness of her husband, Xiao Guofu, Li Hongying had changed her mind. At this moment, she wanted to sell the chestnuts to Bai Lu.
If Xiao Guofu disagreed, let him talk to Grandpa. Grandpa and Grandma would teach him how to be a good person.
The Chinese cabbage, lettuce, radishes, and garlic sprouts were easy to wash and were quickly cleaned by the many hands. Li Hongying told Bai Lu, "These green vegetables may not be enough. We can pick some fresh greens from the vegetable field. You can wash them; if there's anything, call me. The vegetable field is not far; I can hear it."
Bai Lu agreed.
Li Hongying and the aunties then walked upstream. Their vegetable fields were on higher ground, separated by layers of terraced fields.
It wasn't very high; standing up, you could see it clearly.
"What's this?"
Staring at the small creature crawling slowly in the river, Xiao Wei showed a curious expression for the first time and asked Bai Lu.
He had seen it when they arrived, thinking it was a small stone. However, after a while of peeling garlic sprouts, the position of the small stone had changed, obviously moving. It wasn't a small stone.
It just crawled very slowly.
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