"Hello? Who is this?" Gao Yang's voice sounded tired on the phone.
“It’s me, Mr. Gao,” Xing Zhaozhao said.
Gao Yang was taken aback: "Sister Xing? Is something the matter?"
"I've brought you the dried wild vegetables and dried wild mushrooms you asked for before," Xing Zhaozhao said.
Gao Yang apologized, "Business is bad, Sister Xing. I'm not in Lanyuan right now and can't come to see you."
"It's okay, we can talk about it next time when we have time," Xing Zhaozhao quickly replied.
Gao Yang thought for a moment: "Lian Zhou is still in Lan Yuan, should I have him go and find you?"
“That works too.” Xing Zhaozhao said, and arranged a place with him. “Just have him go to the vendor I met before to find me. He knows where I am.”
"Okay," Gao Yang replied.
Xing Zhaozhao wanted to ask him about her grandfather, but before she could speak, Gao Yang hung up. She had no choice but to give up and decided to ask Gao Lianzhou later.
After returning the phone to Mr. Lu, Xing Zhaozhao packed her things and left.
She hadn't gone far from the Xunlan Teahouse when a man caught up with her from a distance and followed behind.
When Xing Zhaozhao returned to the pedestrian street and stood in front of Xiao Xu's stall, she didn't know what to say.
The first time I met Xiao Xu, he was selling thermal underwear. The second time, he was selling bed sheets. The third time, he was selling socks. This is the fourth time, and he has changed his tactics again. This time, he is selling radios. The first three times, at least, they were textiles, which was somewhat in line with his status as a third-generation textile factory owner. Why is he selling radios this time?
When Xiao Xu, the street vendor, saw Xing Zhaozhao arrive, he immediately greeted her with a smile: "Welcome, sis, would you like a radio?"
Xing Zhaozhao looked at him speechlessly: "Why are you selling radios again?"
Little Xu, the street vendor, sighed helplessly and said, "I have no choice. Many of my grandfather's uncles and grandfathers' old factories can't keep up with the times, and they don't have the ability to transform. Their sales channels are limited, and they still have many old workers to support. They are reluctant to close down and are barely keeping it going. I can only do my bit to help as much as I can."
Xing Zhaozhao was somewhat surprised: "Then you're quite good."
The peddler, Xiao Xu, puffed out his chest smugly: "That's for sure."
Xing Zhaozhao: "..." She takes advantage of a little kindness.
"Want a radio, sis?" the vendor persisted.
Xing Zhaozhao picked one up and looked at it. It was indeed quite nice. Its appearance was considered outdated here, but it was just right where they lived.
"How much is it?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
"35 yuan a unit is the cheapest I can get. If you want three, I'll give you three for 100 yuan," said Xiao Xu, the street vendor.
Xing Zhaozhao glanced at him: "Isn't it 30 yuan per movie, or 100 yuan for three movies now?"
The vendor, Xiao Xu, chuckled憨厚ly: "I would never lie to you, sister."
Xing Zhaozhao: "..." Then I have to thank you.
"Give me thirty units first, and also some more of the previous fabric," Xing Zhaozhao said.
"Okay," the vendor replied, and immediately prepared the goods for her.
"By the way, sister, do you want any other kinds of things?" Little Xu, the vendor, couldn't help but ask again.
Xing Zhaozhao quickly guessed: "Those uncles and great-uncles from your factories?"
Xiao Xu, the street vendor, nodded.
"What kind of things are there?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
"Soap and watches used to sell quite well, but now the market has shrunk, and as small manufacturers, we can't compete with the big manufacturers, so they're not selling well anymore," said Xiao Xu, a street vendor.
"Soap and watches aren't selling well anymore?" Xing Zhaozhao asked in surprise.
"That's right. Now that we have washing machines, who wants to hand-wash watches? People who like to wear watches will choose high-end luxury brands. Who would even look at our cheap little watches that cost twenty or thirty yuan?" said Xiao Xu, the vendor.
Xing Zhaozhao looked shocked: "Watches only cost twenty or thirty yuan each now?"
The vendor, Xiao Xu, nodded: "If you want something even cheaper, we have that too."
Xing Zhaozhao's heart skipped a beat. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Prepare some samples of whatever you have there. I'll come and take a look next time. If it's suitable, I'll place an order."
The vendor, Xiao Xu, immediately beamed with joy: "Okay, I'll definitely get everything ready for you."
As they were talking, the fabric that Xing Zhaozhao had asked for arrived, along with the thirty radios, which the peddler, Xiao Xu, had packed and arranged for her.
Xing Zhaozhao, however, was not in a hurry to leave.
"Is there anything else, sis?" the vendor, Xiao Xu, asked curiously.
"Waiting for someone," Xing Zhaozhao said.
The vendor, Xiao Xu, handed her a small stool: "Sit down and wait patiently."
Just as Xing Zhaozhao was about to reach out to take it, she saw Gao Lianzhou walking towards her in the crowd.
“No need, he’s here,” Xing Zhaozhao said.
Following Xing Zhaozhao's gaze, the peddler, Xiao Xu, exclaimed, "Why is it this kid again?"
Gao Lianzhou approached quickly, her expression listless. When she saw Xing Zhaozhao, she forced a smile and said, "Fairy Sister."
"Why do you look like that, kid? Something on your mind?" Little Xu, the street vendor, noticed Gao Lianzhou's expression and asked in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Xing Zhaozhao asked with concern.
Gao Lianzhou looked at Xing Zhaozhao, her eyes reddening, and said in a tearful voice, "My great-grandfather had an accident. He's been in the intensive care unit and hasn't woken up."
"What happened?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
Gao Lianzhou, who was usually unable to keep his thoughts to himself, surprisingly did not budge this time. He shook his head and refused to utter a single word. Born into the Gao family and having a great-grandfather who was a general, he still knew his limits.
Although Xing Zhaozhao was disappointed, she didn't press him. She patted his shoulder reassuringly and said, "Don't worry, your great-grandfather will definitely be alright."
"Mm." Gao Lianzhou nodded.
"Mr. Gao isn't here. Are you all alone here now?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
"Yes, I'm back to pack some things. I need to catch a flight back to Beijing soon," Gao Lianzhou said.
"Hurry up, don't delay." Xing Zhaozhao quickly handed him the things.
Gao Lianzhou took the things and waved to her, "Then I'll go first, fairy sister, I'll come to play with you again later."
After saying that, he left in a hurry.
Having known him for so long, this was the first time Xing Zhaozhao had seen him like this. She couldn't help but sigh, it seemed that the Gao family's matter was really serious this time. She hoped that his great-grandfather would be alright.
After seeing Gao Lianzhou off, Xing Zhaozhao turned around, picked up her things, and left as well.
"I'll come back in a couple of days," she said, waving to the vendor, Xiao Xu.
"Okay, I'll wait for you, sis."
Xing Zhaozhao left the town and headed towards the mountains along the highway.
She hadn't noticed anything amiss when there were many people in town, but once she came out and there were fewer people, she immediately sensed something was wrong, as if someone was following her.
Without making a sound, she quickened her pace and entered the mountain, turning and twisting until she quickly disappeared into the forest.
The man who had been following Xing Zhaozhao looked around in surprise when he realized his target was gone, even though she had just been right under his nose.
Suddenly, I heard the whistling of the wind behind my ears.
He immediately turned around and looked behind him, only to see a huge bundle coming straight at his face.
He tried to dodge, but it was too late. With a "bang," his head spun, his vision went black, and he instantly lost consciousness.
Xing Zhaozhao looked at the unfamiliar man in front of her, bent down and touched him, then pulled out a cell phone. She unlocked it with his fingerprint, casually flipped through it, and found a recent call in the call log with the contact name marked as "client". After hesitating for a moment, she dialed back.
The call was quickly answered, and Lin Wan's voice came through: "Hello? Did you find her house?"
Xing Zhaozhao: "..." She knew it.
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