Gourd Farm Chapter 96
Translated by Etherna
Chapter 96: The Final Day
Today marks the fifth and final day of the temple fair, and the strawberry greenhouse has seen an increasing number of visitors each day.
Many of them were referred by others, and it's now apparent that more strawberries are being picked than sold.
Under normal circumstances, selling strawberries at the market would fetch around fifty yuan per person, and a hundred yuan would be considered expensive. However, those who come to pick strawberries themselves end up spending close to two hundred yuan after a round of picking.
"Boss, can you bring us another basket?"
"Hey, we're done picking. Can you weigh them for us?"
"Excuse me, can you help us pack them in a box?"
Yang Feng is now feeling overwhelmed, not knowing where to focus his attention. Xia Ying is in the greenhouse with the strawberry pickers, Xia Tian is still manning the booth at the fair, and Yang Feng himself is at the entrance, handling the weighing and packaging.
He continues to work until noon, and his stomach is growling. After weighing the last batch, he sits down on a stool, feeling exhausted.
Sitting down has never felt so enjoyable. These past few days have been spent standing all day, and he rubs his lower back to relieve the strain.
Xia Ying emerges from the greenhouse, her head covered in sweat, and her hair drenched.
"Xia Ying, you should rest in the greenhouse for a while. It's easy to catch a cold with the strong wind out here," Yang Feng advises.
"It's okay. I'm not that delicate," Xia Ying responds with a smile, gathering her wet hair into a bun. Her fair face is flushed, and with her hair tied up, she exudes a certain indescribable beauty.
Yang Feng takes a drag from his cigarette and exhales. "Xia Ying, you've worked hard these past few days. I'll give you a bonus at the end of the month for your efforts."
Xia Ying shyly lowers her head and smiles. However, the non-stop work over the past few days has indeed left her feeling quite tired.
As for Xia Tian, he hasn't been home for the past few days due to the busy fair and meetings, so he has been staying with Yang Feng.
"Yang Feng, the turnover should be good today, right?" Xia Ying asked. Yang Feng looked at the paper box beside him, filled with a substantial amount of colorful banknotes, along with several transactions made through mobile payment.
After counting, he found that there was over four thousand yuan in cash, and with the mobile payments, the total exceeded six thousand yuan. This was just half a day's earnings, and for the past few days, they had been making over ten thousand yuan in sales each day.
With this money, he could barely cover the expenses for the fifty mu of land. Once this crop was harvested, he would be able to expand with a few more greenhouses.
"Today's sales are similar to yesterday's, but with the afternoon sales, we should exceed yesterday's total," Yang Feng replied, surprised by the significant profits brought in by the temple fair.
"I'll go home and cook. There aren't many people left now," Xia Ying said.
Yang Feng patted his head. "I've been too preoccupied with counting money."
Xia Ying smiled, as if she had grown accustomed to Yang Feng's behavior.
He took out some money from the box and handed it to her. "Xia Ying, buy some meat dishes today. It's a good opportunity to treat Xia Tian. He's been working hard these past few days and hasn't been eating well."
Xia Ying took the money and nodded. Over time, she felt that the three of them were more like a family, and the relationship didn't feel like that of a boss and employees.
Not long after, Xia Ying brought over a steaming hot meal and then went to the fair to deliver it to Xia Tian.
The aroma indicated that there was meat in the dish. Upon opening it, a rich fragrance of braised pork with vermicelli filled the air. Feeling hungry, they couldn't resist the temptation and started eating heartily. After a satisfying meal, they let out a contented burp.
In the afternoon, as the fair was coming to an end, many people and vehicles had already left.
As evening approached, Yang Feng realized that he hadn't had the chance to explore the fair. He locked up and headed to the fair, where both Xia Tian and Xia Ying were still present.
Upon arriving at the fair, he noticed that although there were fewer people, the stalls were still open. The previously busy stall owners were now tallying their earnings, and their smiling faces indicated a fruitful day.
Seeing that things were not too busy, Xia Ying took the opportunity to browse and find things she liked. Meanwhile, Yang Feng spent some time and bought a fruit knife and some small tools for daily use.
Sitting on a tricycle, Xia Tian called out, " Brother Feng, come over here."
Yang Feng walked over. "What's up?"
Xia Tian pointed to the owner of a stall with large geese. "Feng, you haven't been here for the past few days, but I've been watching. The owner has sold about forty to fifty geese and made a few thousand yuan. He's only a few geese short."
Seeing Xia Tian's eager expression, Yang Feng realized he was keen to try it out. "Are you interested in giving it a try?"
Xia Tian nodded. If it weren't for his stall duties, he would have gone over earlier.
Seeing Xia Tian's childlike excitement, Yang Feng couldn't help but feel curious. He decided to give it a try. He had played games like claw machines and coin pushers before, but he had never tried his hand at catching a large goose.
"Let's go. I'll show you how it's done," he said.
The two of them approached the stall. "Boss, give us each twenty yuan worth of rings," Yang Feng requested.
The boss promptly handed them twenty rings each. Xia Tian couldn't hold back. " Brother Feng, it's so close. I could hit it even with my eyes closed."
Yang Feng rolled his eyes. "It looks simple, but it's not as easy as it seems. Otherwise, the boss wouldn't be making any profit."
With a ring in hand, Xia Tian half-closed one eye and aimed.
"Whoosh!" The ring flew out, but it didn't even touch the goose's head. He threw five or six more, with the same disappointing result.
"Brother Feng, this thing keeps moving. It's so damn tricky. I'm always just a little off," Xia Tian complained. He was getting frustrated, and his accuracy was getting worse with each throw. It didn't take long for him to finish all twenty rings.
After throwing the last ring, he was so frustrated that he trembled all over. He lit a cigarette and muttered, "Damn silly goose, stop moving."
Seeing his frustration, Yang Feng knew that if the boss hadn't been there, Xia Tian would have lost his temper.
"I'm done. It's up to you now, Brother Feng. Help me get that one with the big bow on its head. It's really getting on my nerves," Xia Tian said.
At that moment, Xia Ying returned from her stroll and saw Yang Feng and Xia Tian acting like children. She couldn't help but run over to see what was going on.
Yang Feng also took a shot, throwing seven or eight rings, each one just missing the mark. At first, he didn't understand Xia Tian's frustration, but now he was getting so worked up that he almost wanted to jump in and grab the goose himself.
With only two rings left, he was about to continue throwing when he saw Xia Ying's eyes light up. He handed the rings to her directly.
"Xia Ying, give it a try. Don't just watch," he urged.
Xia Ying took the ring and prepared to throw it back, but she shook her head. "I don't know how to do this. You guys go ahead."
Xia Tian grinned. "Come on, give it a try. Just aim for its head and throw."
Xia Ying nervously threw a ring, closing her eyes. When she saw that she had missed, she didn't say anything, but her disappointment was evident.
