The truck bed is already full of vegetables that were picked this morning.

"Brother, are you going back to the city today?"

As Su Jianjun started the tractor, he turned around and asked.

Su Jianguo wrapped his coat tighter around himself.

"Yes, everything's almost arranged here. Let's go back and take a look."

The tractor chugged out of the village, and a cold wind blew in, so Su Jianguo wrapped his cotton-padded coat even tighter.

"How's business at the shop these past few days? Are those three girls doing a good job?"

Su Jianguo raised his voice, drowning out the engine noise.

Su Jianjun stared intently at the dirt road ahead.

"Li Hongmei is quite capable; she's quick and accurate at accounting. Wang Li is efficient, but a bit timid. Zhang Meili..."

He paused.

"That girl is great in every other way, except..."

"What is it?"

"Yeah, I guess I was scared by that knife you gave me that day."

Su Jianjun couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Every time I mention you in the shop, that girl turns pale with fright."

Su Jianguo smiled and shook his head, saying nothing.

The tractor drove onto the main road and began to pick up speed.

As dawn broke and the tractor entered Beijing, there were already a few pedestrians on the streets.

"arrive."

Su Jianjun applied the brakes, and the tractor came to a steady stop in front of "Su's Vegetable Shop".

The shop door was closed, but the lights were already on inside.

Su Jianguo jumped out of the car and stretched his frozen hands and feet.

He was about to knock on the door when it opened from the inside.

Li Hongmei stood at the door, holding a broom, and was visibly startled when she saw Su Jianguo.

"Boss Su!"

Her voice suddenly rose, and the broom in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

She hurriedly bent down to pick it up, nearly hitting her forehead on the door frame.

Su Jianguo bent down to help her pick up the broom.

Good morning, Hongmei. You've worked hard these past few days.

Li Hongmei took the broom, lowered her head, and dared not look Su Jianguo in the eye.

"It's not hard work, it's not...it's not hard work."

She finished speaking haltingly, then quickly stepped aside to make way for Su Jianguo.

Inside the store, Wang Li and Zhang Meili were organizing the shelves.

Upon seeing Su Jianguo enter, the two simultaneously stopped what they were doing.

Wang Li unconsciously covered her mouth with her hand, while Zhang Meili hid behind the shelf.

Good morning, girls.

Su Jianguo tried his best to make his voice sound relaxed.

"I've been away for the past few days, has anything happened at the shop?"

The three girls looked at each other, and finally Li Hongmei spoke up.

"No...it's nothing, Mr. Su. It's just..."

She hesitated for a moment.

"People keep coming to ask about you."

"Ask me about me?"

"Um."

Li Hongmei nodded, finally daring to look up at Su Jianguo.

"They asked if your injuries had healed, when you would be back... and also about that day..."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

Su Jianguo understood.

The performance he gave that day went even better than he had imagined.

He waved his hand.

"Alright, let's get to work. Jianjun, let's unload the vegetables first."

The three girls felt as if they had been granted a pardon and immediately threw themselves into their work, but Su Jianguo could sense the awe they occasionally cast at him.

Zhang Meili, in particular, would unconsciously take a longer route whenever she passed by him.

After unloading the truck, Su Jianguo sat behind the counter organizing the ledgers.

At six o'clock sharp, the shop door was pushed open, and Wang Xiulan walked in with Su Yuzhen, followed by two neighbor children who were helping to push the tofu cart.

"Master!"

When Wang Xiulan saw Su Jianguo, her eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over.

"Why are you back so soon? Is your leg better?"

Her gaze unconsciously drifted towards Su Jianguo's right leg.

Su Jianguo stood up and deliberately moved his right leg.

"Everything's fine now. Everything's been arranged at the greenhouses in the village, so I just came back to check."

He turned to Su Yuzhen, who was standing behind Wang Xiulan.

"Yuzhen, how's work these past few days?"

Su Yuzhen lowered her head and remained silent.

Wang Xiulan glanced at her daughter, then at Su Jianguo, and hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just sighed.

"Yuzhen...Yuzhen is quite efficient at work and learns quickly."

Su Jianguo keenly noticed the hesitation in his wife's tone.

He stared into Wang Xiulan's eyes.

"real?"

Wang Xiulan avoided his gaze and forced a smile.

"Really. It's just... sometimes..."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

"Sometimes what?"

Su Jianguo pressed for an answer.

"Sometimes the movements are a little slow."

Wang Xiulan finally spoke.

"But overall it's pretty good, really."

She added hastily, as if trying to convince herself.

Su Jianguo glanced at his daughter, who was bowing her head and remaining silent, and then at his wife, who was clearly covering for their daughter. He understood about 70-80% of what was going on.

But he didn't ask any further questions, he just nodded.

"That's good. Yuzhen, go help your sister Hongmei organize the shelves."

Su Yuzhen felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly slipped away.

Wang Xiulan watched her daughter's retreating figure, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Xiulan."

Su Jianguo said softly.

"Children need to be taught slowly."

Wang Xiulan nodded.

Su Jianguo patted his wife on the shoulder.

"Go ahead and get busy, I'm going out for a walk."

Stepping out of the store, the Dongdan Market was already bustling with activity.

Vendors set up their stalls, and housewives with baskets slung over their shoulders weaved through the crowd, their voices a constant chorus of bargaining.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!