Gourd Farm Chapter 93
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 93: The Temple Fair Begins
After a lengthy discussion, everyone wanted to sell their own goods, but the village chief's intention was to promote the village's distinctive products. Just like other regional specialties, mentioning a certain item should evoke the name of the village, thus enhancing the village's reputation.
However, after half a day, the results were not very promising. Perhaps it was due to the lack of experience and the wide variety of products.
As the meeting concluded, Liu Wan'er reminded, "Yang Feng, prepare a large signboard to place at the village entrance. It will significantly improve the effect."
The village chief added, "Liu, later, tally up how many households are interested in this approach. The village will fund the signboard, as a way to encourage them."
The village was bustling with activity, with people of all ages busy preparing. The number of vehicles on the roads leading to the village had increased significantly. What used to be empty roadsides were now filled with parked cars.
The next day marked the beginning of the temple fair. People from out of town had also begun their preparations.
As the day broke, Yang Feng was awakened by the bustling noise in the village. It was only 5:30 am, and the sound of police sirens could already be heard.
After quickly getting dressed, he opened the door to find villagers carrying shoulder poles, hauling hemp sacks, and loading tricycles with goods, likely food items, all heading towards the village entrance.
After breakfast, Xia Ying and the others arrived. They were planning to set up their own stalls today. Xia Ying stayed back at the greenhouse, just in case someone came to pick strawberries.
"Feng, why don't I go with you first? It's the first day, so there probably won't be many people. I can come back if it gets crowded," Xia Tian suggested.
Yang Feng agreed. Having an extra person would make things easier, and he could always call for help if needed.
Their main focus for the day was selling strawberries. They picked two baskets from the greenhouse. The strawberries were even better than they had been in the summer—large and round, making them irresistible.
Xia Ying, who used to be generous with store-bought strawberries, now hesitated to eat the ones she had grown herself. Meanwhile, Xia Tian enjoyed one with a look of pure bliss on his face, which made him look quite mischievous.
"Xia Ying, if you want to eat, just pick some yourself. You grew these, so there's no need to be so polite," Yang Feng advised.
"Okay, got it," Xia Ying replied.
After a while, the strawberries were sorted. They were delicate, and a little force could cause them to bruise. Despite their appearance, they were still edible. Yang Feng handed the bruised ones to Xia Ying, knowing she wouldn't want to waste them.
Riding their electric bikes, they arrived at the temple fair site. It was only 8 o'clock, but the place was already bustling with people. Several police cars and an ambulance were parked on the roadside, indicating that security measures were in place. As they rode further in, they were stopped by a voice.
"What are you doing? Vehicles are not allowed to enter."
As they were about to proceed, a security guard in uniform approached and pointed at himself, sternly stating, "This area is under lockdown. No vehicles are allowed to enter."
Yang Feng explained, "We're here to set up a stall inside. You see..."
The security guard remained serious and said firmly, "This area is under strict control. No vehicles are allowed to enter, only exit."
Realizing the situation, Yang Feng and Xia Tian exchanged a glance. It seemed they had no choice but to comply. They would have to arrive earlier the next day to avoid such inconvenience.
After several trips, they finally managed to transport all the strawberries to the fairground. Despite searching for a while, they could only find a relatively remote spot to set up their stall.
The fairground was filled with a variety of vendors, with the most prominent being the game booths, offering activities like ring toss and lottery draws. There was even a group of geese, which at first seemed to be for sale, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a game.
The creativity of the vendors was evident, and it was clear that without innovation, one would be left behind.
"Yang Feng, why did you arrive so late?" Liu Wan'er approached as Yang Feng was arranging the strawberries, wearing a red armband on her arm.
Yang Feng pointed at Liu Wan'er's armband and asked, "Liu, what's with the armband?"
"Hey, there are a lot of people here today. I was called in to help maintain order. The village office staff have all been mobilized," Liu Wan'er explained.
"I see. No wonder I saw members of the Women's Federation from the village earlier," Yang Feng remarked.
Observing the crowd, Yang Feng noticed that there were many people, but not many were buying. Most of the stalls were offering games and toys.
"Yang Feng, you focus on your stall. I'll go over there and take a look. Call me if you need anything," Liu Wan'er said before heading off to patrol.
"Would you like some strawberries, Miss Liu?" Yang Feng offered, feeling obliged to reciprocate Liu Wan'er's warmth.
Seeing Liu Wan'er's enthusiasm, Yang Feng couldn't help but respond politely.
Liu Wan'er waved her hand and said, "I'll have some later. You focus on selling for now."
With the strawberries arranged, Xia Tian was left to watch over the stall while Yang Feng took a stroll. Many familiar faces from the village had brought their own produce to sell.
While walking, Yang Feng spotted Aunt Hua nearby. It wouldn't be right to not greet her, so he raised his hand and said, "Aunt Hua, how are you?"
"Xiao Feng why are you wandering around when you should be at your stall?" Aunt Hua asked.
"Oh, I've just finished setting up my stall, so I'm taking a walk around," Yang Feng explained.
Aunt Hua approached and spoke softly, as if she didn't want anyone to overhear, "Yang Feng, your produce is so good. You should secure more spots. Look, we've set up three stalls directly."
"Ah!" Yang Feng was surprised. It seemed like everyone was taking advantage of the opportunity, but he didn't have enough manpower to manage multiple stalls, even if the produce was good.
After chatting with Aunt Hua for a while, Yang Feng returned to his stall. The temple fair was now officially underway, with various performances, singing, and bustling sales activities.
"Feng, look at them selling those geese. They're making hundreds of yuan per sale, and they haven't even lost a single feather. We haven't made a single sale in the past half hour," Xia Tian remarked.
Yang Feng was feeling anxious too. Many people had inquired about the prices, but as soon as they heard the price, they walked away.
"Tomorrow, you should bring a few geese to sell as well. It's a high-profit item," Yang Feng suggested.
Xia Tian grinned. "Feng, don't laugh, but I was actually thinking the same thing. We happen to have two old geese at home. If all else fails, we can bring them over to try."
As they were talking, a young mother with a child approached and inquired about the strawberries.
"How much are your strawberries?" she asked.
"They're 45 yuan per pound, freshly picked this morning," Yang Feng replied.
The young mother frowned. "Can you make it any cheaper?"
"Miss, this is the price, but you can let your child taste them first. If they like it, then you can buy," Yang Feng said, handing over two washed strawberries.
The young woman had been attracted by the beautiful appearance of the strawberries, and her child had been asking for some. She felt compelled to accept the offer and tasted the strawberries.
