Chapter 13

When she woke up in the morning, Grandma Yun watered the vegetable garden and found that the vegetables in the garden were still growing rapidly. They could not finish eating them so they could only sell them at the vegetable market.

Yunyu got up early to help Grandma Yun pick vegetables. They cleaned the vegetables and put them in a big bamboo basket.

After breakfast, Grandma Yun wanted to go to the fields to have a look first, so Yunyu offered to help sell vegetables in the town’s vegetable market. Grandma Yun hesitated before asking, “Can Xiao Yu’er do it?”

Yunyu patted her chest and assured her, “Don’t worry, grandma. It’s very easy to sell some vegetables. I can do it. I’ll come back when it’s sold out.”

The fields at home have been watered with spiritual spring water. Once was enough. She did not need to go there all day.

If it was watered every day, it would grow like the vegetable garden, growing at a crazy pace.

Grandma Yun told Yunyu the price of the vegetables, and told her to be careful on the road. She reminded her not to conflict with others when she went to the vegetable market and to come back as soon as they were sold out.

Yunyu nodded to reassure Grandma Yun. She carried the bamboo basket to take the bus. When she arrived at the vegetable market, she carried it all the way to the door. When she put down the bamboo basket, she found that the palm of her hand had a red patch and there were deep red marks on it. After consuming spiritual spring water for more than half a month, her skin was much fairer and more tender.

She put the vegetable basket on the ground, and regardless of other people’s strange eyes, she took out a wooden sign from under the vegetable basket with the word “Fortune Telling” written on it.

Someone sneered next to her, and she responded with a smile. This made these people feel embarrassed.

She was acting strangely, so when people saw her, they just shook their heads and refused to buy the vegetables in front of her.

Yunyu was not in a hurry and slowly sold them.

After half an hour, some of the vegetables in front of her were sold. The price of the vegetables was the same as in the market, and an aunt also bargained with her, “Little girl, how can you sell the vegetables at the stall outside as expensive as the ones inside? Thay have to pay for the booth fee, but you don’t have to pay anything. What’s more, you’re selling home grown vegetables. Why don’t you sell them to me at a cheaper price?”

Yunyu reasoned to her in a leisurely manner, “Auntie, this is not right. Our vegetables are free from pesticides and pollution and are purely natural. The taste is many times better than the ones grown in the greenhouse, so if you miss them, you would no longer be able to find them. What’s more, my family is only selling this because we can’t finish eating them. You won’t be able to get them after this period.”

When the wheat is harvested, she planned to let Grandma Yun open a small shop in the town to do some small food business. There was no need to worry about the sale of food raised by her spiritual spring.

People are living good lives these days, and are willing to spend money on delicious food.

This was a profitable business. The family was poor, so it had to be done step by step.

Yunyu sighed a little at the thought of this.

“What the little girl said is true. If vegetables nowadays aren’t sprayed with pesticides, they will all be eaten by insects.” The aunt wasl picking and choosing. The vegetables all looked very fresh, she just wanted to bargain as she was a habit.

Yunyu let her choose, but she rejected her bargain. The price she sold these vegetables was like a pie falling from the sky and it was really a waste to tell them so cheaply.

Just as she was thinking about it, a man in his forties with a loya countenance came to the vegetable market. He did not enter the vegetable market, but stood at the door looking for someone.

His name is Dong Jianhai, and his family was in the tile business. Back then, he was more decisive than others and was the first batch of people in the town to be in the business and made a lot of money. Even though numerous people entered the industry, his business was not affected by much.

He was a dutiful son. His mother took care of several of his brothers and sisters when he was young. When she got older, her body collapsed and they went to the hospital for an examination. The doctor said that it was due to old age and she had no serious illness. Her body’s organs were slowly aging, and would only hold on for a limited time. It was better to go back to nurture and let the old lady have a peaceful end.

He took his mother back for several days, and the old lady did not eat and drink much.

Yesterday, he went out to buy some vegetables in person, and happened to meet Grandma Yun selling vegetables. Seeing that her vegetables were fresh and dewy, he bought some and asked his wife to make them for his mother. Who would have known that his mother would have such a big appetite. With only a plate of steamed egg plates, she managed to finish half a bowl of porridge. She also ate some cucumber salad. The family was stunned. Finally, they tasted the dish, and found that it tasted really good. He had never tasted such wonderful flavors in his life.

Steamed eggplants (蒸茄子 Zhēng qiézi) and cucumber salad (凉拌黄瓜 Liángbàn huángguā)

He decided to head out today to buy some again. However, he did not see the seller. At the spot the grandma was yesterday stood a beautiful young lady.

He could not find anyone and was a little anxious, so he could not help but ask Yunyu, “Miss, where is the old grandma at this stall yesterday?”

Yunyu looked at him and said, “That’s my grandma. I’m responsible for selling the vegetables today.”

Dong Jianhai looked at the vegetables in the basket and asked, “Are these vegetables the same as yesterday’s?”

Yunyu nodded. Without thinking, Dong Jianhai took out 500 yuan from his wallet and handed it to Yunyu, “Miss, I will buy all these vegetables. Are these vegetables grown by your family? Will you be selling more in the future?”

“Uncle, these vegetables are grown in our vegetable garden for our own consumption. It is green and pollution-free. , I won’t be selling them in the future.” She also did not plan to sell vegetables every day.

Dong Jianhai had some regrets, “Then, miss, could we do this instead. Give me your address and I will go over to your house to buy vegetables in the future. My mother is quite old and does not have much time left. I would like to let her eat some good food in her final days and she really likes your vegetables. Would you mind if I personally went over to buy some vegetables in the future?”

Yunyu quickly gave her home address. Dong Jianhai thanked her, and carried the whole basket of vegetables to the car.

The aunt, who was still picking, was anxious, “Where’s my vegetables? I haven’t picked any yet.” The vegetables have been sold and you are still picking?

Yunyu smiled, “Auntie, my food is sold out. I’ll head home first. Goodbye.” She stuffed the five hundred yuan into her pocket and went elsewhere with her fortune-telling sign.

When Yunyu left, there were still several customers who bought groceries yesterday looking for Grandma Yun. They left in disappointment when they found that there was no one there.

Yunyu went to a crowded shopping mall to continue setting up her fortune-telling booth, but she did not meet any customers today. So, she went back in the afternoon.

Grandma Yun was not at home, and there was still food in the pot in the kitchen. After eating, she went to see Mother Yun. Seeing that she was resting, she went back to her room.

The next day, Yunyu did not go to sell vegetables, and Dong Jianhai came to buy them in person. After he went back yesterday and left enough food for his family, he distributed the remaining to his elder sister’s and younger brother’s family.

Yunyu asked Dong Jianhai to go to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables by himself. He also brought yesterday’s vegetable basket, and left after picking a full basket. He also paid 500 yuan, which was a lot than the normal vegetable price.

Yunyu gave yesterday’s 500 yuan together with today’s to Grandma Yun.

On Friday, after dinner, Grandma Yun could not hold back and asked, “Xiao Yu’er, you don’t have to worry about Xiuzhen’s legs. After taking off the pastler case, it’ll be fine after two months of care. There’s still me at home who has nothing. When will you be going back to the capital to look for a job? It’s graduation season now. It’s better to find a job earlier.”

Yunyu said pitifully, “Grandma, I want to spend a few more days with you and my mother. Furthermore, Xiao Seng will come home from school tomorrow. I want to see him. I haven’t seen him for months.”

Yun Sheng was a second-year high school student. The school was in town. This high school had strict management and required students to stay on campus. They got off on Saturday mornings and went back to school on Monday mornings.

He would be back the next morning.

Grandma Yun sighed and said nothing.

Yunyu was also a little sad. She wanted to truthfully tell her family that she did not want to go to the prosperous imperial capital, but wanted to stay in her hometown instead. She had the ability to support herself and her family and she wanted to give it a try.

But it was not the right time now. She first had to earn some money and allow her family to see her efforts.

Yunyu did not head out today. Grandma Yun went to see the wheat. Some people had already started to harvest the wheat.

Grandma Yun was anxious and did not want her granddaughter to know.

On Saturday, Yunyu woke up early and went to the vegetable garden to take a look. The vegetables were growing at a rapid pace, and the new fruits and vegetables were much larger. The leeks that had just been cut a few days ago could be eaten again, which was really fruitful.

Yunyu saw someone harvesting wheat in the field two days ago. She thought of the wheat field at home and planned to wait for Yun Sheng to come back. She went out to find someone to help with the harvest but found that hiring someone would cost 200 yuan while the machine only cost about 60 or 70 yuan. After harvesting, they can save a lot of trouble by tying it up themselves and finding a car to transport it back. If it was only her and grandma harvesting, she did not know when they would be done. She was also afraid that her grandma would be tired.

It was just dawn, Grandma Yun was busy in the kitchen. Yun Sheng was going to come back later, and Grandma Yun planned to cook something delicious.

The green onions in the vegetable garden were growing well, and Yun Sheng likes to eat green onion pancakes.

Grandma Yun kneaded the dough and washed and chopped the shallots. After rolling out the dough, she sprinkled it with oil, salt and five-spice powder, before spreading a thick layer of chopped green onion. She rolled it up and flatten it thinly before brushing on some oil and frying them. Not long after, the strong aroma of chopped green onion pancake drifted through the garden and spread far and wide.

Yunyu was not idle either. She fetched some water from the well to fill up the kitchen tank. When she was drawing the water, she glanced at the pots of roses that Grandma Yun picked up in the corner. Grandma Yun thought that none of them would survive, but to her surprise they survived. After a few days of watering them using the water from the well, the flowers bloomed delicately and charminingly. There were two uncommon variants. They had and were large flowers. One was light pink, while the other one was bright red. They had the tendency to climb the wall, and the newly grown shoots were also climbing the wall.

After Yunyu filled the water tank, Grandma Yun was still cooking porridge and baking green onion pancakes. The half-grown could eat a lot and his appetite was not small.

After Yunyu finished her housework, she went out for a jog. The original body seldom exercised and her body was very weak. She had to do it step by step.

After running around the village, when she came back, she saw a thin figure walking towards her on the road in the distance. She recognized her brother Yun Sheng, and she felt uncomfortable seeing him so thin.

Yunyu’s eyes were a little red, and she was afraid that Yun Sheng would see it, so she went home and waited for him. She did not enter the house, but stood at the gate of the yard to wait.

After a few minutes, Yun Sheng came over with his backpack on his back with a lowered head. When he walked to the door, he realized that someone was waiting for him in front of him. He lifted his head and saw his second sister before slowly lowering his head again.

Yunyu’s original bright smile gradually faded. She looked at the blue and purple marks on Yun Sheng’s face and asked, “What’s going on on your face?”