The next day, at dawn, Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing rushed to the town's cultural department.

As soon as she entered the office, the atmosphere of "serving the people" that hit her almost choked her.

There are various slogans on the wall and old-fashioned teacups on the table, it is a typical scene from a period drama.

Zhao Wenhua, a middle-aged man with black-framed glasses and thinning hair, saw them coming and warmly invited them to sit down.

Shen Qiqi went straight to the point and told them their folk culture activity plan in detail. Her voice was so vivid and emotional that it was comparable to a live speech.

Lu Qing also added that the two of them cooperated seamlessly.

They vividly described the bright prospects of the event, hoping to get financial support from the cultural department.

The air seemed to be filled with expectations for a beautiful future, and we were about to successfully reach the shore.

However, what the cultural official Zhao said next poured cold water on them.

He spread his hands apologetically, his tone filled with helplessness: "Hey, comrades, your activity plan is very good, and I really want to support it, but our department's funds are really not very sufficient recently."

The air froze instantly, and Shen Qiqi felt as if ten thousand alpaca horses were galloping through her heart. This plot development was simply the reversal drama of the year!

The two men, having hit a wall, had to find another way out.

Shen Qiqi gritted her teeth and dragged Lu Qing to find Wang, the props dealer in town who specialized in props for folk activities.

Wang, the prop dealer, a middle-aged man with a beer belly and a shrewd gleam in his eyes, smiled brilliantly when he heard that they were going to hold a folk activity.

"Hey, you two, you've found the right person. What props do you need? I have them here. I'll arrange them clearly for you." Prop dealer Wang rubbed his hands, looking like a profiteer.

Shen Qiqi was no pushover, she asked straight to the point about the price.

"As for the price, that depends on what you want." Prop dealer Wang quoted the prices one by one with a smile. The numbers were so high that it seemed as if the props were gilded.

"Boss Wang, isn't your price a bit outrageous?" Shen Qiqi frowned, with a hint of displeasure in her tone.

"Outrageous? How could that be? This is a fair price. Look at the quality and workmanship. It's definitely worth the money!" Prop dealer Wang argued, and the smile on his face became even more cunning.

Shen Qiqi sneered and directly exposed his lies: "Boss Wang, you are asking for an exorbitant price, just sit back and ask for a higher price!"

When Wang the prop dealer saw that his trick was seen through, the smile on his face faded and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Shen Qiqi continued, "Boss Wang, if you do business like this, be careful not to ruin your reputation."

Prop dealer Wang narrowed his eyes and felt a little scared when he saw the woman in front of him who seemed weak but was actually very determined.

"Hey, business is all about mutual consent, isn't it?" Prop Merchant Wang said helplessly. He thought these two people were easy to deal with, but he didn't expect that this girl would be such a difficult character.

Shen Qiqi's eyes were firm and her tone was tough, "Boss Wang, we really want to do a good job in folk culture activities, please show your sincerity!"

Prop Merchant Wang looked at Shen Qiqi with a flickering look in his eyes, and suddenly said, "How about this, I'll calculate the cost price for you..."

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Shen Qiqi: "Boss Wang, your abacus is really loud..."

"Boss Wang, you're really calculating..." Shen Qiqi said with a half-smile, her eyes sharp as if she could see through Wang the prop dealer's thoughts. "Do you really think we're just newbies? With this price, I'm afraid you're treating us like fat sheep!"

Wang the prop merchant was so angry at Shen Qiqi that his face turned red and white, and he laughed dryly: "How can I do that, little girl, I'm just running a small business..."

"How can a small business earn so much?" Shen Qiqi mercilessly exposed him, "Boss Wang, let's not beat around the bush. Just give us a real price. Otherwise, we'll have to find someone else."

Prop dealer Wang rolled his eyes, wondering whether he could do this deal.

Shen Qiqi didn't urge him, but just looked at him with a half-smile, which made him feel uneasy.

Finally, prop dealer Wang gritted his teeth and quoted a relatively reasonable price.

Although the price was agreed, the funding gap remained huge.

Walking out of Wang the Prop Merchant's shop, Shen Qiqi was gloomy and looked like an eggplant hit by frost - wilted.

Raising money is harder than climbing to the sky!

Anxiety surged over her like a tide, making it hard for her to breathe.

Lu Qing saw it with his own eyes and felt pain in his heart. He could only comfort her softly: "Qiqi, don't worry, we will think of a solution."

Back in the village, Shen Qiqi sat in the yard, looking at the chickens, ducks and geese in the yard, and suddenly an idea flashed in her mind!

She stood up suddenly and said to Lu Qing excitedly, "I got it! We can encourage villagers to donate their unused items in exchange for the right to participate in folk cultural activities!"

When Lu Qing heard this, he also thought it was a good idea.

So the two of them took action immediately and went door to door to promote their "barter for tickets" plan.

Unexpectedly, the villagers were very interested in this activity and responded one after another by donating their unused cloth, grain, handicrafts, etc.

The news spread quickly in the village as if it had wings, and the originally depressing atmosphere was swept away, replaced by excitement and expectation.

Looking at the piles of items, Shen Qiqi was full of confidence, with a confident smile on her lips.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!