Chapter 17

【Mutter the Saitu website three times, do you remember? If you haven't memorized it, I'll ask again in the next chapter. It's best to share it on Facebook.】

That evening, the seven of them were busy for most of the night. Zhao Xinyu, Han Li, and Lu Ming were responsible for picking, while Han Jun, Wang Yulong, Huang Zhijun, and Chai Jinquan were in charge of transportation.

Around four in the morning, the seven gathered at the soon-to-open vegetable shop, looking at the shelves piled high with vegetables. Han Li, with a hint of worry, asked,

"Xinyu, the shelves are already so full, why do we need to fill the warehouse as well? If we can't sell them, the vegetables will wilt by tomorrow."

"Han Li, in business, there are losses and gains. These are all vegetables we grew ourselves. If we can't sell them today, we'll give the leftovers to the elderly in the village."

"Xinyu, the courtyard is about ten acres, and we've picked about two acres this time. It would be a waste to give them all away. If we can't sell them, let's lower the price and sell them off."

Han Li glanced at Huang Zhijun, who had spoken, "What two acres? Not to mention the rape and spinach, we only picked a small corner of the tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, eggplants, and peppers. You really don't know how quick Xinyu is. While we pick one basket, he can pick four."

"I've been selling vegetables every day recently, and all the vegetables are on my own. A cart can carry about two thousand pounds, so how could I be slow?" Zhao Xinyu said with a smile, though he knew that it wasn't just his speed but that most of what he picked came from the space.

Lu Ming looked at Zhao Xinyu, "Don't get me wrong, everyone grows vegetables, but I've never seen vegetables like the ones Xinyu grows. A single tomato plant has over ten ripe tomatoes, and it keeps flowering. I estimate that one plant can yield at least a hundred pounds. This vegetable garden might not even be enough to supply just our shop."

Zhao Xinyu laughed, "Alright, everyone, stop talking. It's almost dawn. Let's rest."

As the first light of dawn appeared in the east, the sound of fireworks and firecrackers echoed. The villagers of Xihanling turned their attention to one direction, many wondering who was having a celebration, as they hadn't heard of any such event. ...

With nothing better to do, many people headed toward the source of the fireworks. When they arrived, they were stunned. They saw a crowd gathered in front of the new house Han Tianliang had prepared for his son, and the streets were lined with cars.

"Han's eldest son is getting married," many people immediately thought. However, some were puzzled, as they had a good relationship with the Han family and hadn't been invited to the wedding.

But as they approached, they realized it wasn't Han Jun's wedding. The people in the crowd were unfamiliar, and each of them was carrying a large bag of vegetables. This reminded them of the strangers who had been asking around the village for a vegetable shop in recent days. ...

The villagers were confused. There were vegetable shops in the city and even in the neighborhoods, so why were so many people coming to the village to buy vegetables? Curious, they wanted to go into the shop, but even getting to the entrance was a challenge.

At that moment, the six people in the vegetable shop, including Han Jun, were overwhelmed. Three were weighing the vegetables, and three were transporting them, but they still couldn't keep up. What surprised them was that no one was buying just a pound or two; everyone was buying at least five or ten pounds, and some even asked for fifty pounds of each type.

Only then did they understand why Zhao Xinyu had insisted on picking more vegetables the night before. When the shop opened, he had gone back to pick more, having predicted the high demand.

By mid-morning, Lu Ming, drenched in sweat, brought a box of tomatoes to Han Li, "Han Li, we're running low on tomatoes and cucumbers. We can't leave this place, what should we do?"

Han Li looked at the crowd almost bursting into the shop and the queue outside. His eyes flickered, "Lu Ming, quickly call my father and the others to help transport more vegetables. The success of the shop depends on today."

Han Li and his brother had the full support of Han Tianliang, but the other four families were hesitant. They thought it was better for their children to work in the city, where it was easier to find a partner. Opening a vegetable shop in the village seemed like a losing proposition, so they didn't even leave their homes that morning, fearing ridicule from the villagers.

When they received the call, they were reluctant to help, but as parents, they eventually went to Zhao Xinyu's place.

When they entered Zhao Xinyu's courtyard and saw the vegetables growing there, they understood why their children had chosen to work with this young man who had been collecting scrap just last year.

They had been farmers all their lives and had grown vegetables every year, but even after decades, they were ashamed to compare their crops with those in the courtyard. The difference was stark.

"Wang Hong, what are you all standing around for? The shop is overwhelmed. Lu Ming just called me to hurry and send more vegetables," Han Tianliang shouted as he loaded the truck, seeing the group approaching.

With more hands, the work became easier. Zhao Xinyu had been working non-stop since he returned, and now Wang Hong and Han Tianliang could directly load the vegetables onto the tricycles without picking them.

When they delivered the vegetables to the shop, Wang Hong and the others were stunned. The entire street was filled with strangers, and there was a long queue at the shop's entrance. Their worries were completely alleviated.

Even with the help of five families, there was no time to rest. By the end of the day, Han Li and the others had no idea how much they had sold.

It wasn't until around nine in the evening that they sent off the last customers, and the shop was almost empty of vegetables.

Han Jun looked at the five families, exhausted but excited, "Let's clean up and go to Xinyu's place. He's already prepared dinner."

In the courtyard, looking at the table full of dishes, Han Li turned to Zhao Xinyu, "Xinyu, do you have any alcohol? I'm exhausted, and a drink would help."

"Of course, I prepared some."

"Han Li, there's no stock left. We need to pick more vegetables. Drink a little less,"

"Right, after these few busy days, we'll have a good drink," Huang Zhijun said with a smile.

"Alright, I'll drink a little less."

Han Jun and the others had spent most of the New Year at Zhao Xinyu's place and were familiar with his cooking. However, Han Tianliang and the others had never tasted it before, and they were surprised by the quality of Zhao Xinyu's dishes.

After dinner, they counted the day's earnings. When they finished, everyone was stunned. In just one day, they had made over 96,000 yuan.

"Xinyu, you've already recouped the renovation costs. You're making a fortune," Han Li said excitedly, placing a large bag of money in front of Zhao Xinyu.

Zhao Xinyu smiled and looked at the six of them, "Han Li, how much do you earn in a month outside?"

Han Li didn't hesitate, looking at Huang Zhijun, "Zhijun earns the most, about 6,000 yuan a month. The rest of us earn around 4,000, and after a month, we take home about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan."

"Here's the deal. I'll give each of you 10,000 yuan a month, covering all your expenses. Grandpa Han, you and the others can also help out when you have time. Each family will get 6,000 yuan a month, and all your expenses will be covered. What do you think?"

"Ah," Zhao Xinyu's words stunned not only the six of them but also the ten others, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Initially, they had only hoped their children wouldn't ask for money from home. Now, Zhao Xinyu was offering 10,000 yuan a month, a top salary not just in the village but even in the city. Each family would also get 6,000 yuan a month, covering all their expenses, meaning they would take home 16,000 yuan a month without any additional costs. This was beyond their wildest dreams.

"Xinyu, that's too much. If you hired people to sell and transport vegetables, you'd only pay 2,000 to 3,000 yuan a month. We can also...?"

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