Seeing that the others were still somewhat skeptical, Xu Milu quickly came up with a plan:
"These are expensive things for us, but other people eat them every day. Our boss is tired of them, okay? Besides, these are varieties that the suppliers themselves have developed. You can't buy them without our boss's connections. Think about it, if everyone else takes them, wouldn't it seem like I'm not fitting in if I don't?"
Liu Hongmei sighed, "That's good. I was worried you'd start showing off and spending money recklessly right after getting your internship. But your boss is really nice; it's true that people you know are reliable."
What could Xu Milu say? She could only force a smile and say yes.
Liu Hongjun opened another styrofoam box and found small cherries the size of eggs, and exclaimed in surprise:
"These are cherries, right?! They're so big!"
A whole box of egg-sized cherries, each one the size of an egg, with a thin pink skin that exudes sweetness, much larger than the large cherries commonly found in the market.
Hao Chen didn't dare to touch it, and kept taking pictures with his phone: "Wow, wow, this is huge! Is this a cherry? How can a cherry be bigger than a grape?"
Liu Hongmei smiled and said to Liu Hongjun with a sense of pride:
"Oh my, rich people really know how to eat. We've never even heard of cherries this big. Look, I was just telling you that Da Mi was running around everywhere, but now you see they have pretty good benefits."
Liu Hongjun chimed in, "Dami is a very decisive girl, so don't worry about her. The child is already so grown up, why are you still worrying about this and that? They can send out such expensive fruit so easily, I think their mountain produce company is pretty good."
Xu Milu smiled sheepishly, deeply understanding the meaning of how one lie requires a hundred more to cover it up.
...
...
Liu Hongmei wasn't stingy either. She immediately washed a plate of ping-pong grapes and egg cherries. The washed fruit pieces were juicy and round, looking like two kinds of gemstones reflecting each other on the plate.
Hao Chen eagerly grabbed a ping-pong grape and popped it into his mouth. Juice splashed everywhere, and the sweet taste immediately won him over.
"Sis, are these grapes a grafted variety from abroad? I just searched online but couldn't find any."
Xu Milu has become quite adept at lying:
"This is a new variety that was grafted by the winery itself. You can't find it anywhere online, not even on foreign websites."
"Ping Pong Grapes, Egg Cherries, hey, these names are easy to pronounce."
Liu Hongmei preferred the taste of cherries, but after eating two, she stopped and pushed the plate towards Liu Hongjun.
"Is this the taste of those wild cherries we used to find to eat when we were kids? Try it, it tastes just like it did when we were kids."
Liu Hongjun tasted it and nodded excitedly:
"Yes, they're sweet and sour. I remember we used to search the whole mountain for ripe wild cherries. I never imagined that technology would be so advanced now that we can have cherries this big. Oh, don't take any for my family. Keep them for Dad; he'll definitely like them."
Hao Chen pouted, said nothing, but grinned at Xu Milu.
Xu Milu pretended not to see: "This should be some kind of new variety. Their base has grafted new varieties of fruit, but the quantity is small, so they haven't been released to the market yet. Let's just try it out. Maybe we can buy it when the supply is stable later."
...
...
Xu Minian hadn't finished school yet, and Liu Hongmei was cooking in the kitchen, occasionally taking a bite of an egg and a cherry, her face full of amazement:
"Hey, you know what, these cherries are really delicious, and they don't even have pits. If they did have pits, we could even grow them."
Liu Hongjun was sitting on a stool peeling garlic when she heard this and laughed:
"If you could grow it, how would the boss make money? This fruit is so fresh. I just posted it on my WeChat Moments, and a lot of people are saying if the picture is photoshopped. It's so good to have a daughter; she's so thoughtful."
Liu Hongmei sighed and nodded: "I knew it. If it weren't for our poor family circumstances that burdened the children, our Dami might be able to go to a better school right now..."
Liu Hongjun comforted her:
"Who doesn't have some debt these days? Look at Hao Xu and me, we still have a mortgage on a house, don't we? Dami has graduated from university now, and Xiaomi will be taking the college entrance exam soon. Once they're successful in the future, what are you still worried about?"
Liu Hongmei picked a handful of green beans and lowered her voice:
"...If it weren't for making more money, Da Mi wouldn't have to run around reselling mountain products. It's so hard for a girl to run around all over the place, exposed to the wind and sun. You see, she brings home all the good things and never mentions anything about what's happening outside. Sigh, I'm just worried that she'll suffer."
"You should be secretly happy that Da Mi is so filial." Liu Hongjun rolled her eyes at her sister.
"Look at all the fruit they're giving out. Do you think they're short of money? Rice has a better future working for others. Don't overthink it, or you'll upset Rice."
The two glanced at Xu Milu outside the kitchen and simultaneously shut their mouths.
...
...
Xu Minian returned during dinner, and upon seeing the ping-pong grapes and egg cherries, he naturally exclaimed excitedly and took a lot of photos to show off.
"Sis, your company has such great benefits?!"
Xu Milu flicked the little fat boy's head: "Wash your hands before eating. I've saved some for you. Eat fruit after you finish your meal."
While larger fruits are certainly more enjoyable to eat, they can also be very filling. Didn't you see that Liu Hongmei and the other two couldn't eat their meals?
But Xu Milu didn't feel full. She ate three bowls of rice during the meal. If she wasn't afraid of scaring her mother and younger brother, she probably would have eaten two more bowls.
Liu Hongmei felt extremely sorry for Xu Milu, but was also worried that she might overeat and upset her stomach, so she simply took away her bowl:
"Take a break before eating, don't stretch your stomach. If you feel uncomfortable later, take a digestive tablet... Hey? You seem to have grown taller since you came back from Sichuan and Chongqing?"
A mother knows her child best, and Liu Hongmei noticed the change in Xu Milu at a glance.
"Maybe so. Isn't it said that girls still have a chance to grow taller before the age of 25? Maybe I went through a second puberty."
Xu Milu changed the subject with a smile.
She has indeed grown quite a bit taller, from 1.62 meters to 1.67 meters, a full 5 centimeters taller – a true medical miracle.
My strength has increased, my appetite has changed, and even my height has started to change. Could this be a side effect of time travel?
Xu Milu fell into deep thought.
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