Gourd Farm Chapter 94
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 94: Meeting a Troublemaker
As the strawberry entered her mouth, the juicy pulp and sweet flavor mixed with a hint of milk fragrance, creating a delightful sensation.
The child tugged at the young woman's clothes, saying, "Mom, I want more."
Satisfied with the taste of the strawberry, the young woman reluctantly said, "Give me 50 yuan's worth."
She had only intended to taste it, and she couldn't bring herself to eat more, but she wanted to satisfy her child's desire.
After a brief walk around, she noticed several other vendors selling strawberries, mostly elderly individuals carrying baskets. It seemed they had obtained the strawberries from elsewhere, as this season, strawberries were typically only available from greenhouses.
After completing the sale, three or four more people approached. They didn't seem to be locals, dressed quite elegantly, and appeared to be tourists.
Two stylish and attractive young women approached and expressed their desire to purchase two boxes of the large, round strawberries.
Yang Feng was taken aback, as customers usually inquired about the price first, but these women were making a direct purchase. It seemed they were quite affluent and assertive.
He quickly packed the strawberries, and the two young men with the women rushed to pay. "How much is it?" they asked.
"That will be 100 yuan," Yang Feng replied.
The two men were momentarily stunned by the price, but the two women simply took the strawberries and left without acknowledging the men.
"Feng, do those two guys look like they're being led around by the women?" Xia Tian asked.
Yang Feng shrugged. Everyone had different interests and preferences, and it wasn't his place to judge.
He made a few more sales, but the strawberries were not selling as well, likely due to the higher price.
The morning passed without much fanfare. Yang Feng asked Xia Tian to bring some food and decided to stay at the fair instead of returning home.
Liu Wan'er approached and asked, "How's business this morning?"
Yang Feng pursed his lips, gesturing for Liu Wan'er to see for herself.
"It's not bad, but it's slower than this morning," Liu Wan'er observed.
Yang Feng lit a cigarette and said, "It's not great. There were plenty of people this morning, but not many were buying."
"It's not a big deal. The first day is usually just locals coming to join in the fun. It should be much better tomorrow, with more out-of-town visitors," Yang Feng reassured.
The news about the temple fair had been released by the relevant authorities a week ago, but the turnout was disappointing.
"Yang Feng, I heard from Xia Ying that you were thinking of growing mushrooms?" Liu Wan'er asked.
"Yeah, but I couldn't figure it out after a few days of trying, so I put it on hold," Yang Feng replied.
Liu Wan'er picked up a strawberry and took a small bite. "How about this? After these busy days, I'll teach you how to grow them."
Yang Feng had been planning to ask for guidance, but he hadn't expected Wan'er to actually know how to grow mushrooms.
"Miss Liu, do you know how to grow matsutake mushrooms?" Yang Feng inquired, considering the potential profitability of that variety.
Liu Wan'er finished the strawberry in her hand. "You'd better not. It's best to start with something simple. I do know how, but that variety is quite tricky to cultivate, and the spores are difficult to nurture."
It seemed he couldn't rush into things. He had initially hoped for a quick success, but it seemed he would have to take it one step at a time.
As they were talking, Xia Tian arrived with a lunchbox. "Feng, have some while it's hot. This is my specialty dish."
Yang Feng took the lunchbox. "Miss Liu, would you like to join us?"
Lui Wan'er waved her hand. "We have boxed lunches. Besides, I've had my fill of strawberries."
Yang Feng didn't hesitate and opened the lunchbox to eat.
"Hmm, this taste is so familiar," he thought. When he looked down, he realized it was instant noodles, but it had been cooked.
"Xia Tian, is this your specialty dish?" Yang Feng asked with a dark expression.
Fortunately, Lui Wan'er had left. Otherwise, it would have been embarrassing to serve her instant noodles.
"Feng, having this to eat is already good. I even added an egg for you. I've never cooked at home," Xia Tian explained.
Yang Feng's stomach was growling, and he didn't hesitate to dig in. When you're hungry, anything tastes good.
"Xia Tian, how's it going at home?" Yang Feng asked.
Xia Tian shook his head. "Don't even mention it. My sister waited all morning, but no one showed up."
"No way," Yang Feng thought. With so many people around, it was hard to believe that not a single person had come.
"It's true. My sister even had her lunch in the greenhouse, just in case someone came and she missed them," Xia Tian confirmed.
"That's strange. Where could everyone have gone?" Yang Feng wondered.
In the afternoon, the temple fair became even livelier than in the morning, with the number of people increasing by half, mostly families with children.
A couple approached the stall. "Honey, these strawberries look fresh. Should we buy some to take home?" the wife suggested.
The husband replied, "I saw a strawberry picking farm when I parked the car. I'll go there to pick some later."
Yang Feng listened to their conversation and thought, "At least there's a potential sale at the farm."
As his phone rang, Yang Feng checked and saw that it was Xia Ying calling. He answered, "Hello, Xia Ying. Is everything okay?"
"Yang Feng, if you're not too busy, can you come back alone? We suddenly have a lot of people here, and I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it all," Xia Ying requested.
Yang Feng hung up the phone and said to Xia Tian, "I'm going back for a bit."
"Okay," Xia Tian replied, understanding that Yang Feng needed to attend to something at the greenhouse.
Sweating profusely, Yang Feng struggled through the crowded streets. The short distance took a whole twenty minutes to cover due to the large number of people.
As he arrived, he overheard a group of people arguing. "Miss, can't we just taste a few? You're being stingy," one person said.
Another person chimed in, "Exactly! We paid so much, and we can't even taste a couple?"
Seeing Xia Ying's flushed face, Yang Feng asked, "What's going on, Xia Ying?"
Frowning, Xia Ying explained, "These people were picking and eating strawberries in the greenhouse. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen. Some even tried to sneak some into their pockets."
Hearing this, Yang Feng was furious. These strawberries were expensive, and allowing people to taste a few was one thing, but eating and pocketing them was unacceptable.
Before he could respond, a middle-aged woman interjected, "Young lady, you need to be responsible for what you say. When did we ever pocket any strawberries?"
Turning to the woman, who appeared wealthy but had a shrewish demeanor, Yang Feng said, "This is a picking farm, not a buffet. Okay?"
Before the woman could respond, a middle-aged man stepped in, saying, "Who are you to interfere? What business is it of yours?"
Yang Feng took off his gloves, glared at them, and said in a stern voice, "I am the owner here. What's the problem?"
The middle-aged woman stepped forward and assertively said, "So what if you're the owner? You've come at the right time. We came here today for a pleasant visit, but now you're accusing us of stealing your strawberries. How are you going to handle this?"
