Gourd Farm Chapter 54
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 54: First Encounter
"Did you grow these tomatoes?" the young lady asked, putting down the tomato she was holding and turning to Yang Feng.
"Yes, and who are you?"
Seeing that she didn't appear to be a vegetable vendor and certainly didn't look like a tourist, Yang Feng wondered why anyone would come to this remote village for work.
"Oh, I work around here," the young lady replied casually, but her attention seemed elsewhere. She wore stylish black-framed glasses and was peering into the greenhouse.
"Can I go inside the greenhouse and take a look?"
"Yes, you can."
As soon as Yang Feng agreed, the young lady walked into the greenhouse. Unlike the elderly women from the village who stared at the tomatoes, her eyes seemed to gleam with interest.
The young lady examined the tomatoes' roots, height, and even checked their fruit density. She habitually took out her phone, presumably to take photos.
"Wait."
As he followed behind her, Yang Feng became increasingly uneasy. However, he didn't stop her, and now that she had taken out her phone, it was clear she would have to be deterred.
"What's wrong?"
The young lady turned back, looking puzzled at Yang Feng as if she didn't realize she had done something wrong.
"We don't allow photos in our greenhouse because it involves some technical issues," Yang Feng explained, pointing to the young lady's phone.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just a professional habit."
The young lady finally realized her mistake. She had made a rookie error. The greenhouse was like a labor of love for each grower, akin to their own child.
"A professional habit? You seem quite interested in the greenhouse, and you seem to know a lot."
From the moment she entered, Yang Feng had noticed her strong interest in the greenhouse and her apparent knowledge of crops.
"My university major was related to agriculture. After graduating, I've been working in this field for the past few years."
Seeing that both Yang Feng and Xia Ying were cautious around her, the young lady hurriedly explained to avoid any unnecessary trouble that might inconvenience her future work.
"Oh, what brings you to our village?"
Greenhouses in Huangshi Village were becoming increasingly common, and just a few days ago, they had encountered so-called experts who came to promote seeds and nutrient solutions, claiming to have exclusive formulas that doubled yields.
Some of the salespeople even tried to peddle medicines claiming to cure all ailments with a single use. In plain terms, they were all charlatans. The rise of one industry inevitably led to the growth of related businesses.
"I'm here for work, but it's my first time coming here. I would've had a hard time finding this place without navigation."
"There are multiple intersections ahead within 500 meters. Please be careful when turning left."
The young lady had just finished speaking when her navigation app in her pocket started making noises. Although these devices could be diligent at times, they often struggled in remote mountain villages.
Yang Feng remembered a delivery driver who had used a smartphone navigation app and ended up driving in circles for hours, running out of fuel before finally finding his destination.
"Mr. Yang, I've loaded most of the goods here. I have one more delivery to make today. Please come over to settle the accounts."
Mr. Qi, on the other side, noticed that Yang Feng hadn't come over yet. With the goods now loaded on his truck, there wasn't much time left for additional loading. He shouted loudly to get Yang Feng's attention.
"Alright, I'm coming."
"If you want to take a look, you can, but remember, absolutely no photos."
Before leaving, Yang Feng reminded her once more. The young lady adjusted her glasses, smiled faintly, and signaled that she understood.
"Mr. Yang, you must be making quite a profit with this batch of tomatoes."
Mr. Qi continued to calculate with his calculator while puffing away on his cigarette, enjoying it immensely.
"Come on, making a personal profit on top of the greenhouse income is already good."
Although Yang Feng was inwardly delighted watching Mr. Qi's calculator adding up the money, he couldn't admit it. It was common knowledge not to flaunt one's wealth.
"You, young man, you're making quite a bit for your age."
Mr. Qi flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and stamped it out with his foot, all while maintaining his count on the calculator.
"What money? I'm just making a living."
"Alright, the accounts here are settled. Please double-check to ensure everything is correct. If there are no issues, I'll count the money."
The accounts were managed by Xia Ying, so Yang Feng felt confident that everything was in order. He double-checked the total, which matched Mr. Qi's amount. The total came to 3,800 kilograms, and at a rate of five yuan per kilogram, the amount added up to 19,000 yuan.
"Pah!"
Mr. Qi took out a thick stack of brand-new bills from his briefcase and counted them with ease.
"One, two, three..."
A few elderly women nearby couldn't help but glance at the thick stack of bills. Their eyes were fixed on the money, and their hands made furtive movements.
"Well, well, Yang's boy is getting rich."
"That's right. He made so much money this time, and I heard there's even more inside."
"If only I had started something like this. We've been tilling two acres of land every day, and it's still not enough to make as much money."
...
Yang Feng's cousin joined the conversation with a few other people nearby.
Watching their expressions, Yang Feng felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. For years, he had lived under the scrutiny and judgment of the villagers due to poverty. Today, he finally had a chance to hold his head high.
"Little Yang, the total is exactly 19,000 yuan. Count it yourself."
In no time, Mr. Qi had counted the two stacks of crisp bills and handed them to Yang Feng.
"Pah."
Yang Feng counted the money meticulously, one bill at a time.
"Hmm, why is there one bill missing?"
Although he had finished counting, the total amount didn't match the count Mr. Qi had mentioned. Yang Feng found it strange but didn't voice his suspicion.
He counted the money three times in total, and the last two times matched. Maybe he had made a mistake in the initial count due to the excitement of handling so much money.
"Yeah, the total amount is correct."
He confirmed with Mr. Qi, who was busy organizing the crates in his vehicle, checking if anything had been left unsorted.
"Alright, if you can deliver the goods quickly at the market today, we can pick them up tomorrow."
Watching Mr. Qi's vehicle drive away, Yang Feng deducted the amount he owed to Xia Ying from the cash.
It had been about two months since he had paid her last. Earlier, they had agreed to delay her salary because he had invested all the money into the greenhouse, with the plan to pay her once the tomato sales started.
The big truck had just left, and at that moment, Uncle Yang was coming up from his own greenhouse, carrying a hoe. For some unknown reason, he had a scowl on his face, as if someone owed him money.
"Hey, old Yang, finished with your work?" Aunt Yang held a radish and greeted him, waving her hand.
"Yeah," he replied.
"I've been meaning to ask you, why do you always have such a grim look on your face lately? Did that rascal Yang Meng get you all worked up again?"
In the entire village, the only person who could make Uncle Yang so angry was his own son, Yang Meng. It was like one troublemaker causing trouble for another.
"Sigh, that good-for-nothing son of mine, I swear he's going to drive me to an early grave with his antics. I'll come back, and he'll break my leg for sure."