Chapter 16

【Recite the Sito website three times silently. Do you remember it? If not, I'll ask again in the next chapter. It would be best to share it on Facebook.】

Du Mengnan's body suddenly stiffened. She knew that from childhood, except for those closest to her, no one had ever touched her, let alone in such an intimate manner.

Now, however, she was being held by a young man she had known for only a short time. Although Zhao Xinyu was trying to prevent her from falling, her instinctive reaction was one of discomfort.

Lifting Du Mengnan, Zhao Xinyu glared at Han Li, "When did you come back, you little rascal? You're still so reckless even as an adult."

"I came back yesterday. Xinyu, you're quite the man, finding a girlfriend already. Introduce her to me, will you?"

As soon as Han Li said this, Du Mengnan's face turned bright red, even her neck was flushed. At that moment, if there were a crack in the ground, she would have wanted to crawl into it.

"Don't talk nonsense. This is Du Mengnan. I was able to sell my vegetables thanks to her help."

"Du Mengnan, this is my good friend Han Li."

Du Mengnan, with a red face, greeted Han Li. Han Li laughed, "Sorry, I misunderstood you two."

While speaking, Han Li looked at the large courtyard and his eyes lit up. Although the tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and beans had only been mature for a few days, the entire courtyard was full of life, completely different from what he had imagined a vegetable garden to be.

The tomato plants were thick and sturdy, with tomatoes of various colors—green, light red, and bright red—hanging from them. Each plant, about 1.6 meters tall, had at least forty to fifty tomatoes, almost covering the leaves, with only the top leaves visible.

The cucumber trellis was over two meters high, covered with green, spiky cucumbers. The mist condensed on the cucumbers, making them look as if they were painted.

The eggplants and peppers were also abundant, not only large in size but also vibrant in color. The beans were so numerous that the leaves were barely visible, and the beans were over a foot long.

Han Li swallowed a few times, picked a cucumber, and without even wiping it, took a big bite. It was crisp, sweet, and refreshing, with a faint fragrance in his mouth.

"Did you grow all this?" Swallowing the cucumber, Han Li was a bit dazed. He was from a rural area, and had been working outside for several years, but he had never seen such vegetables before. He had only tasted such vegetables during the New Year at Zhao Xinyu's place.

With the vegetables growing successfully and his injuries almost healed, Zhao Xinyu was in high spirits, and his past feelings of inferiority were gradually fading.

Han Li's surprise made Zhao Xinyu feel confident. He laughed, "Han Li, you promised me after the New Year that if my vegetables had a market, you would come back to help me. Do you remember that?"

Han Li took another bite of the cucumber, "No need to remind me. My dad told me that many hotels in Pengcheng are looking for your vegetables. I've decided to work with you from now on. By the way, my brother and his fiancée will be back in a day or two. Have you thought about what to do?"

Du Mengnan, who had recovered, listened to Han Li and Zhao Xinyu's conversation and sighed softly. Zhao Xinyu's vegetables were extremely delicious, and she was confident that if his vegetables were consistently supplied to Pengcheng hotels, they would surpass other hotels. This was why she wanted to order all the vegetables from the courtyard.

"Zhao Xinyu, people in Pengcheng are looking for your vegetables everywhere. You could open a vegetable stand nearby. The area has low housing prices and is close to here. As long as you have vegetables, the business will definitely thrive." Du Mengnan said softly.

Zhao Xinyu's heart stirred. He looked at Han Li, "Han Li, your house is nearby, right?"

(In the past, in rural areas, it was a custom for parents to provide a house for their sons before they got married, to be used as a wedding house.)

Han Li was slightly stunned, nodded subconsciously, and pointed to the west side of the courtyard, "It's just two ditches away from your courtyard, but it's just a rough house, nothing is done yet."

"Didn't your brother say he was engaged? What about his house?"

"Our houses are in the same courtyard, four rooms each. The dowry money has drained my father's savings, leaving no money for renovation. Xinyu, why are you asking this? You're not thinking of using that courtyard for a vegetable stand, are you? Our village hasn't had a vegetable seller in years."

Zhao Xinyu laughed, "Let's go inside first."

Du Mengnan smiled faintly, "You talk, I'll go back first. If you need funds, call me."

After seeing Du Mengnan off, Han Li looked at Zhao Xinyu, "Xinyu, Du Mengnan is a beauty, and she seems nice. You should act quickly."

"What are you talking about? She drives a sports car and lives in a high-rise. I'm just a vegetable seller. Do you think she would look at me?"

In the room, Han Li exclaimed, "You seem to have made a fortune. You have all the appliances, even a new bed."

Zhao Xinyu shook his head. He didn't want to say that Du Mengnan had bought all these things for him, as he was afraid Han Li would start talking nonsense again.

"Han Li, find people to clean up the courtyard you and your brother own. I'll cover all the expenses. The vegetable stand will be there."

"Xinyu, will that work?"

"What, are you reluctant to give up your new house?"

"Don't say that. The houses in our village aren't worth much. I'm not worried about the house. The vegetables are good, but this place...?"

Zhao Xinyu chuckled, "Han Li, don't worry. Go find people and start working right away. By the way, does the courtyard have a south-facing room?"

Han Li smiled bitterly, "Not only is there no south-facing room, there's not even a fence."

"Perfect. I'll transfer you 50,000 yuan. Find people to enclose the courtyard and build two south-facing rooms. We'll work on the rest later."

Even as he left the courtyard, Han Li was still in a daze. He tried to calm down, took out his phone, and saw the 50,000 yuan added to his bank account. He was shocked and looked back at Zhao Xinyu's courtyard, feeling suddenly excited.

He had returned because his father, Han Tianliang, had urged him. His father said that Zhao Xinyu's vegetables were very popular, and he was making enough money to match half a month's salary. Han Li didn't believe it at first, but seeing the money in his bank account, he finally believed his father.

Zhao Xinyu, who originally didn't plan to go to Tianyi Garden to sell vegetables, decided to go a few more times after Han Li's return. This was to accumulate funds and to promote his business.

While Zhao Xinyu delivered vegetables every day, Han Jun, Lu Ming, Huang Zhijun, Wang Yulong, and Chai Jinquan also returned. Like Han Li, they were convinced by Zhao Xinyu and joined him in preparing for the vegetable stand.

After a few days of promotion, not only the residents of Tianyi Garden but also the hotels and vendors who had been inquiring about the news knew that the vegetables would be available at a stall in Xihanling. As a result, many people were coming and going from Xihanling every day.

In the villagers' eyes, Han Li and Han Jun were busy preparing for Han Jun's wedding house, while few knew that Zhao Xinyu was growing vegetables. Zhao Xinyu's courtyard, which was once a scrap yard, was now full of vegetables, but many villagers didn't know this.

Because of this, many people who came to inquire about the location almost turned the village upside down but couldn't find the place Zhao Xinyu mentioned.

One day, after selling vegetables, Zhao Xinyu looked at the people still waiting to buy and said with a smile, "Everyone, I won't come here tomorrow. Our stall will open in Xihanling. If you need vegetables, come there. For the first three days, all vegetables will be at a 30% discount."

"Xiao Zhao, I went to Xihanling the day before yesterday, but I didn't see any shop. Are you joking?" a regular customer asked with a smile.

"Uncle Li, how could I joke? You might have gone to the wrong place. I'll give you the exact location..."

As Zhao Xinyu went back, the news spread quickly. Many hotel and restaurant owners became excited, and some even went to the location immediately. They indeed saw two large, newly renovated shops and several young men making final preparations.

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