Chapter 226: Chapter 222: Only a True Heart Wins a True Heart

As soon as she returned from her parents’ village, she heard people saying that the eldest Zhou household had two respectable relatives visiting, who had even given candy to the village kids. After asking around, she learned it was Qiaohui’s male cousin, female cousin, and cousin’s husband who had arrived.

’I’d asked Wu Shufang last time to help find an opportunity for Qiaoyan, to take her out to the city to earn some money. If things went well, she could find a husband there, and I’d even give them a share of the bride price.’

’But that cheapskate Wu Shufang was probably afraid Qiaoyan would steal opportunities from her own daughter, Qiaohui. So Qiaohui and her male cousin just left on the quiet.’

Wu Shufen’s expression immediately soured. “Aunt Zhou, finding a husband isn’t that easy. Besides, they’ve been traveling all day and are already asleep. You should head home.”

Aunt Zhou tugged at her arm. “Come on, just let Qiaoyan meet her cousin. We’ll only say a few words and then we’ll go.”

Wu Shufen gave her an impatient look. “They’re already asleep. What if they catch a cold in this weather? Go home for now. I’ll ask for you in the morning.”

Seeing her impatience, Aunt Zhou could only nod. “Well, you remember to ask for us, then!”

Wu Shufen grunted, shut the door, and returned to the main hall. She told Lin Lan what Aunt Zhou had wanted, then added in a low voice, “That Qiaoyan of theirs is spoiled rotten. No matter how busy you get with your business, don’t you agree to take her along.”

Lin Lan nodded. “I know, Auntie.”

They all chatted for a while longer. Thinking about how Lin Lan and Li Xiangyang had never walked such a long way on mountain paths before, Wu Shufen worried their legs would be sore. She prepared hot water for the three of them to soak their feet.

After soaking their feet, the three of them went to their separate sleeping arrangements, as organized by Wu Shufen.

Lin Lan slept with Wu Shufen in her room. Wu Shufen had specially taken out two of Xu Hongju’s prized dowry quilts for Lin Lan, the kind Xu Hongju herself was reluctant to use.

A charcoal brazier was burning in the room, so it didn’t feel cold at all.

Lin Lan took out a pen and paper and jotted down the purchasing prices for several types of beans. She then pulled a hundred yuan from her bag and handed it, along with the paper, to Wu Shufen. “Auntie, here’s one hundred yuan. I’m lending it to you for capital.”

“The price for winter squash is high in the winter. When they hit the market in large quantities next year, just buy them at the going market rate. The beans can’t be shriveled or rotten. As for the squash, size doesn’t matter, but the starchy, floury kind are the best.”

Wu Shufen’s hand, holding the money, trembled. Her eyes grew red as she looked at Lin Lan. Her lips quivered, and suddenly, tears streamed down her face. “Little Lan, the best luck your auntie ever had was having a good little sister like your mother. I’m an old woman, and I’ve never seen this much money in my life. Little Lan, I’ll never forget this immense kindness from you both.”

Lin Lan smiled. “Auntie, please don’t say that. My mom always said you were the kindest to her when you were all living at home. Relatives are supposed to support each other.” ’There’s always a reason for kindness, just as there’s always a reason for hate,’ she thought. ’Only sincerity begets sincerity.’

Wu Shufen nodded. “Thank you, Little Lan.”

Lin Lan smiled and lay down on the bed.

Wu Shufen put the money away safely, then looked at Lin Lan and asked, “Little Lan, we’ve never sold winter squash before. What price should I offer them per pound?”

Lin Lan smiled. “Auntie, my next-door neighbor and my cousin are also helping me buy winter squash. They make a profit of two cents per pound. You can use that as a reference and set your own price. Just remember, in business, it’s the slow, steady profits that lead to long-term success.”

Wu Shufen thought for a moment. “How about I offer them five cents a pound?”

Lin Lan nodded. “That works.” ’The mountain roads are tough,’ she thought. ’A round trip takes two days, and they can’t haul much at once. They deserve that extra cent of profit.’

Wu Shufen smiled and nodded. “You’ve had a tiring day, so I won’t bother you any longer. Get some sleep. I’m going to go talk to your uncle.”

“Okay!” Lin Lan had thought she’d have trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, but she must have been exhausted, because she fell asleep almost as soon as she lay down.

Full of excitement, Wu Shufen went to the room where Zhou Dashan and their son were sleeping. She told the two of them the thrilling news about Lin Lan lending them a hundred yuan. “Old man, Shi Tou, you two better be sharp about this. Make sure you only collect good quality products for Little Lan.”

Zhou Shitou’s eyes went wide as he stared at his mother. “My God! A hundred yuan! What if we lose it all and can’t pay her back?”

Zhou Dashan shot him a glare. “Do the math. We make three cents of profit for every pound of squash. If we cover all of Shishanling, we’ll earn enough to pay Little Lan back. Just work hard and don’t be like your second brother, messing things up when it counts.”

Zhou Shitou puffed out his chest. “Mom, Dad, don’t you worry. As long as it makes money, I’m not afraid of a little hard work.”

Wu Shufen nodded. “Old man, I’ll get some things ready for you. First thing tomorrow, you and Shi Tou take them over to the team leader’s house. Ask him to help gather everyone…”

The father and son agreed excitedly. Even after lying back down, they were too worked up to sleep and kept talking until just before dawn.

「Early the next morning」

Just as the sky began to lighten, Zhou Dashan and his son, Zhou Shitou, took a pack of Da Chong Jiu cigarettes, some pain-relief plaster, and a packet of brown sugar and headed to the home of the team leader, Zhou Xiangui.

Zhou Xiangui was a clan uncle to Zhou Dashan. He had become the team leader after leaving the army. During the Great Famine, he had led everyone to secretly plant ginger, taro, and sweet potatoes in the mountains. This allowed the village’s bachelors to haul the produce out of the mountains and trade it for enough wealth to find wives.

Zhou Xiangui’s hair was completely white, and his bronze-tanned face was etched with deep wrinkles. He looked cheerfully at the father and son. “Heard you’ve got relatives over!”

“Yes!” Zhou Dashan handed over the gifts. “Uncle, these are from Shufen’s niece and her husband. I brought them over for you.”

“Da Chong Jiu, pain-relief plaster, brown sugar… all good things!” Zhou Xiangui chuckled, extending two large, calloused hands as big as small fans. He accepted the gifts from Zhou Dashan and looked at the father and son. “So, they really want to buy beans?”

Zhou Dashan said with a smile, “That’s right! Not just beans, but also winter squash, dried mushrooms… they want to buy it all. For dried mushrooms and wood ears, their price is five percent higher than what the supply and marketing co-op pays.”

“For things like beans and squash, if we deliver them to Shilian, they’ll pay us the same price they offer there. I heard from Guoliang that they’re paying ten cents a pound for beans and five cents a pound for winter squash!”

Zhou Xiangui took a drag from his tobacco pipe and thought for a moment. “Did they mention what their standards are? How do they price top-grade stuff versus the average kind?”

’Large white beans would fetch three cents more per pound than at the co-op,’ he thought. ’And the winter squash… the people up here are sick to death of eating it. Folks from the city are something else! Even old squash can be traded for cash.’

Zhou Dashan said, “Little Lan said the beans need to be plump, with no shriveled or rotten ones. For mountain goods, as long as they aren’t too old or haven’t gone bad from moisture, the same quality we give the co-op is fine. They’ll also take spices like Sichuan peppercorns, green Sichuan peppercorns, wood ears, tsaoko cardamom, and galangal.”

Zhou Xiangui looked at the father and son. “Good! I know they’re doing this to help your family out, coming all the way here to buy our dried goods and beans. It also saves us the trouble of hauling everything to the co-op. In a little while, I’ll call a meeting at the brigade office. You bring your niece and her husband over, and we can all discuss it face-to-face.”

“Right! We’ll go tell them now.”

The father and son left the team leader’s house and headed into the mountains, intending to check the traps they’d set to see if they had caught anything.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep