She excitedly waved her little hands, releasing a dozen rabbits one moment and picking a large plate of cherries the next.
The rabbits are raised in the backyard; if we can sell them, it will lighten the burden on our little yard.
As for the cherry tree, it originally grew in the corner of the yard, half-dead.
Jiayin didn't take it seriously, but unexpectedly, the cherries sprouted and blossomed this year, and now the tree is full of cherries.
It looks pretty good, and tastes sweet and sour.
At this time, taking advantage of the novelty, one can probably sell it for some money.
When Grandma Li saw that there were no green vegetables, she asked cautiously.
"Fu Niu, do you still have any green vegetables? Can you sell them every day from now on?"
"Ah, ah." Jiayin nodded, pointing at Cherry and frowning.
The cherries were too small and very difficult to pick.
Grandma Li was delighted and asked, "Are there as many green vegetables every day as there are today?"
Jiayin nodded again, and the old lady felt reassured.
Li Laosi was also happy. Although he didn't understand his daughter as well as his mother, he still understood some of what she said.
"Mother, I'll head back right away. My second brother and Chief Escort Liu are still waiting for me."
"Okay, remember to be careful on your way back. If anyone asks, just say you went to help out at the security escort agency."
Grandma Li carefully instructed, "If anyone in the city asks where the vegetables came from, just say that there is water in your well and the vegetable garden hasn't withered. You can also say that you planted some near a spring in the deep mountains when you went into the mountains in the spring."
Li Laosi nodded repeatedly, though his words didn't really hold up to scrutiny. But at times like this, having anything to eat was already a blessing.
Who can keep pressing the issue until they get to the bottom of it?
He returned in a hurry and left quickly. The villagers, curious, asked Old Lady Li questions while queuing to fetch water.
"Auntie, why is Fourth Brother running so fast? Is something wrong at home?"
"No, it was the escort agency that asked him for help. The natural disaster is severe, and the man-made disaster is also serious. Perhaps there are bandits or mountain thieves somewhere, but I didn't quite understand what they said."
Grandma Li waved her hand, speaking vaguely.
The villagers immediately started imagining things. They used to envy Li Laosi for making so much money on each escort mission. Now it seemed that this money wasn't so easy to come by.
Bandits and outlaws are all desperate criminals; dealing with them is extremely dangerous.
They may not earn that kind of money, but they also don't need to work themselves to the bone.
Thinking about it this way, many people felt better.
Grandma Li saw everyone's expressions but wasn't angry.
That's human nature; no matter how well you get along, you can't help but compare yourself to others.
Comparison breeds jealousy.
It's always been this way: I hope you're doing well, but you can't be doing better than me.
Although the Li family tried their best to keep a low profile, they were still too conspicuous among the villagers...
But she was unwilling to gather her children and grandchildren and live a life of idleness and waiting for death like the villagers.
So, keep a low profile in your actions, but be a high-profile person in your life.
Jiayin nestled in her grandmother's arms, unaware of all the thoughts swirling in her mind. Her grandmother was busy tending to the vegetable garden in the small courtyard.
If you do a simple calculation, even if it rains immediately tomorrow, it will be another half month before everyone can grow their vegetables.
In other words, the golden period for selling vegetables at home is only half a month.
You reap what you sow.
The seeds she had previously scattered in the fields are now ready to be harvested.
But most of the vegetables were spinach, bok choy, and rapeseed, while the vegetable garden in the courtyard didn't have many cucumbers, eggplants, or green beans.
Now I'm starting to regret it; I should have set aside an acre or two to grow vegetables...
But one shouldn't be too greedy.
If we sell these things successfully, it will be enough to cover our household expenses for a year.
In the county town, Li Lao Er and Steward Zhou eagerly awaited the arrival of Li Lao Si.
Hearing that the Li family could send so many vegetables every day, and even fresh cherries, Steward Zhou was delighted and quickly made some calculations.
He was about to take Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si to find someone to sell vegetables, but Li Lao Si stopped him.
“Brother Zhou, we are just ordinary farmers. It would be too conspicuous for us to bring out vegetables at this time. If someone comes to our house and tries to buy them, we are afraid we won’t be able to handle it.”
"How about we ask you to help sell these vegetables from now on? We'll give you 10% of the vegetable sales as commission. What do you think?"
Manager Zhou paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up after a quick thought.
He originally helped make the connection, but now that he can benefit himself, it's even better.
But he couldn't agree so easily, as if he valued money too much.
So he shook his head repeatedly, trying his best to refuse.
Despite his rugged appearance, Liu the镖头 (bodyguard) was quite shrewd. At this moment, he realized that Manager Zhou was only doing this because of his personal relationship with him.
Seeing that the Li brothers were genuinely offering discounts, he patted Steward Zhou twice and complained.
“We’re all brothers, no need for formalities. Don’t you even keep a few coins for yourself when you buy things? Brother Li is being sincere, so don’t put on airs. Selling the vegetables is the important thing!”
Manager Zhou's back ached from being patted, and he reluctantly agreed with a pained expression.
"Okay, okay, I agree."
He rubbed his back and gave instructions to Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si.
"I'll take this truckload of vegetables with me now. Don't worry, I'll bring them back in an hour."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Brother Zhou."
Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si weren't worried, since with Liu the镖头 (bodyguard) around, Manager Zhou wouldn't dare to steal the goods.
After seeing off Steward Zhou, Head镖师 Liu and Li Laosi started gesturing.
The Liu family may lack other things, but they have a full range of weapons. After comparing their archery skills, the two then compared their fist and foot techniques.
Li Lao Er kept cheering as he watched, it was the first time he had ever admired his younger brother so much.
I usually only saw him going up the mountain to find bad luck with pheasants and rabbits, I never expected him to be so skilled.
It's no wonder that Chief Escort Liu was so protective of their family; having a skilled brother like his younger brother to help him must have been very beneficial to the escort agency.
Manager Zhou kept his word and returned in less than an hour.
His face was beaming with smiles, his lips practically reaching his ears.
"Second Brother Li, Fourth Brother Li, this is wonderful news!"
Hearing that he had changed his form of address, everyone guessed that the vegetables must be selling very well.
And that is indeed the case.
Manager Zhou drove the carriage to the door of a familiar teahouse. The city was short of water, and the teahouse was barely surviving and about to close down.
Manager Zhou gave the two young apprentices a handful of copper coins and sent them to fetch someone.
Junyang County is not large; in less than a quarter of an hour, five or six familiar stewards all came running over.
These people were purchasing agents for wealthy families in the city. They would occasionally meet, chat and drink tea together, and exchange information, which led to them becoming acquainted.
Manager Zhou was the least noticeable among them, because the escort agency was far less wealthy than the individual families.
If he hadn't mentioned having vegetables, these people wouldn't have arrived so quickly.
When you see the lush green vegetables, the crisp cucumbers and eggplants, and the bright green cowpeas and green beans with your own eyes.
Everyone was excited; the trip was definitely worthwhile!
These things used to be delivered to the manor daily from the farm.
However, with such a severe drought, even drinking water has become a problem in the village, and vegetables have only been delivered a few times since the beginning of spring.
Nowadays, the household relies on dried vegetables and wood ear mushrooms to survive. The young master throws a tantrum and refuses to eat, while the old masters develop blisters on their lips.
Making three meals a day is practically a nightmare for the cooks.
If we bring the vegetables back today, the master will be pleased.
The rewards they received were secondary; what mattered most was that by being registered in their master's eyes, they would reap many benefits in the future.
Half a cart of vegetables was devoured in the blink of an eye, and some even complained that it wasn't enough.
But upon hearing that it would still be available tomorrow, everyone was finally satisfied.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com