Chapter 40040 Troublemaker
At four o'clock in the morning, the sky was as dark as ink, and the mountain village was still immersed in sleep.
Xue Yi got up quietly, put on a coat, left a note on the table, and pushed the door open.
She had just used her cell phone to illuminate the night road in front of her, and when she looked up, she saw a familiar figure not far away.
Yu Zeyuan was wearing the black and gray windbreaker he wore yesterday. His stern profile looked even whiter under the dim light, and his pair of bright black peach blossom eyes were particularly eye-catching.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I just arrived."
"Then let's go."
Xue Yi walked to his side, and the two of them walked side by side, stepping on the soft ground, towards the innermost part.
From time to time, I could hear the rustling of insects and the crowing of chickens in the distance.
After a brief silence, Xue Yi asked, "Are you used to living here these past two days?"
Yu Zeyuan's voice was low, "I didn't sleep well."
Xue Yi turned her head to look at the faint green in his eyes and continued, "The bed here is really hard..."
"It's not because of that," he interrupted softly, his tone revealing obvious helplessness. "Wang Wei and Liu Maosheng's snoring was too loud, and I couldn't sleep."
Xue Yi couldn't help but laugh out loud: "This... I really can't help it, you just have to bear with it."
Yu Zeyuan also smiled and asked, "What about you?"
Xue Yi frowned slightly. "It's okay. Although no one snores, Grandma Yang next door always coughs at night. It's heartbreaking to hear. I heard it's emphysema, an old problem."
…
The sound of their footsteps and voices melted into the hazy morning mist, and before they knew it, they had reached the door of the Li siblings.
Xue Yi stepped forward and knocked gently on the wooden door: "Xiaochun, it's me, Xue Yi."
The door was quickly opened from the inside, and Li Chun had already packed everything.
In the yard stood three large snakeskin bags of chili peppers, tightly tied with twine and a shoulder pole. Next to them was a large bamboo basket containing an old-fashioned weight and a stack of crumpled plastic bags.
Li Qiang trotted out of the kitchen, holding a few steaming potatoes in his hands. He stuffed them into his pockets, then took out two boiled eggs and stuffed them into Xue Yi and Yu Zeyuan's hands without saying a word: "Brother and sister, here are some for you!"
Xue Yi quickly refused: "We are not hungry, you can eat by yourselves, it is the time to grow."
Yu Zeyuan walked straight to the carrying pole, lowered his shoulders, and tried to pick up the three bags of peppers.
It was indeed quite heavy, and even an adult like him had difficulty carrying it, let alone two half-grown children.
Xue Yi immediately followed and said, "I'll help you share one bag."
Li Chun hurried over and said, "Yes, brother, this weighs more than 60 kilograms, it's very heavy!"
Yu Zeyuan whispered, "It's okay."
Xue Yi stood in front of him, looking up and saying, "Now is not the time to be brave. The way down is steep. You feel okay now, but what about an hour from now? If you run out of energy and get hurt, it will only delay things and the gain will outweigh the loss."
"Sister, you're right," Li Chun quickly replied, "This bamboo basket of mine can still hold about 20 kilograms. Usually, I carry 40 kilograms and my brother carries 20 kilograms. This is just right."
Yu Zeyuan looked into Xue Yi's persistent eyes, weighed the weight on his shoulders, and finally gave up his stubbornness and silently put down the shoulder pole.
Xue Yi took action, untied one of the bags of chili peppers, stuffed it neatly into the bamboo basket, and put it on his back.
After the distribution was completed, the group set out in the morning dew.
"The town market usually starts at six o'clock," Li Chun explained as they walked, his voice particularly clear in the quiet mountain air. "So we all set out around four o'clock and walk for over an hour. Once we get there, we find a good spot and set up our stall, just in time to catch the first wave of people."
Xue Yi asked: "How much can you earn after working hard for a day?"
"If we're lucky and sell out everything, we can get around 60 or 70! Normally, we can get around 30 or 40."
Xue Yi nodded.
Yu Zeyuan frowned.
Walking such a long mountain road, carrying such heavy goods, and only earning 30 or 40 yuan a day? In his opinion, the effort and reward are really not equal.
The group walked and stopped many times and finally arrived at the market before six o'clock.
Unfortunately, it was still too late. The better stalls had already been occupied, leaving only some remote corners.
Xue Yi blamed herself a little: "I'm sorry, we were slow and wasted time."
Li Chun smiled nonchalantly: "Brother and sister, it's okay, it's great to have a seat!"
Li Hu also said, "Yes, you also helped us pick peppers and talked to us!"
Yu Zeyuan silently took off the peppers from his shoulders and poured them out little by little from the snakeskin bag.
After spending these two days together, Xue Yi has realized that Yu Zeyuan is the type of person who doesn't talk much and works quietly.
She stopped him distressedly and said, "Don't be so busy. You've been picking all the way here. Take a break."
"Yes, brother!"
Li Qiang snatched the pepper from Yu Zeyuan's hand, took out a plastic bag and spread it on the ground skillfully, "Take a break."
Yu Zeyuan sat down on the spot. In fact, he had long since given up, but the thought of being able to lighten the burden on the two children gave him a surge of energy. As he relaxed, his whole body ached, and he couldn't even straighten his waist. After a short rest, he gritted his teeth and stood up again: "I'll take a look around."
Xue Yi thought he was curious about the market, so she said, "Okay."
She continued to help Li Chun pick out the good quality peppers and put them in the front to attract customers.
Not long after, Yu Zeyuan came back with a big bag of buns, mineral water and milk.
"Let's have some breakfast first."
Li Chun and Li Qiang quickly waved their hands: "Brother, we brought potatoes, no need!"
Xue Yi took the milk and stuffed it into their hands: "This is all a little gift from my brother. Besides, I bought so much and it's so hot. If we can't finish it, it will go bad. Just consider it as helping to share the burden, okay?"
The brother and sister looked at each other, their eyes slightly red, and whispered, "Thank you, brother and sister."
Yu Zeyuan took out a pack of wet wipes from his pocket and said, "Wipe your hands before eating."
Xue Yi couldn't help but secretly complain, this kid, mysophobia is really ingrained in his bones.
At this time, a woman carrying a vegetable basket stopped in front of the stall and asked, "Little girl, how much are these peppers?"
Li Chun quickly swallowed the bun in his mouth: "One dollar and five cents a pound."
The middle-aged woman frowned and said, "It's too expensive. Can you make it cheaper? I'll buy two kilograms."
Li Chun explained, "Auntie, these peppers were picked by my brother and I from the fields yesterday. They are super fresh!"
Xue Yi also helped out: "Yes, big sister! These two children are working to support their studies. They came all the way from the other side of the mountain before dawn. Please take care of them."
The middle-aged woman hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, okay, then weigh two kilograms for me."
The store finally opened, and everyone was immediately filled with fighting spirit.
Yu Zeyuan took the opportunity to say, "I just saw when I was walking around the market, there's an empty spot at the back. If we sell it in two batches, maybe we can sell it out sooner."
"But...we only have one scale."
"It's just a small problem." Xue Yi stood up. Because he had been squatting for too long, his eyes went dark and his body swayed.
Yu Zeyuan quickly supported her and asked, "Are you okay?"
She shook her head: "It's okay, I just got angry."
The two picked up another bag of chili peppers and went to the empty stall that Yu Zeyuan mentioned.
It's true, in the center of the market, there is a vendor selling vegetables on one side and an old man pushing a cart selling fruits on the other side. The empty space in the middle is barely enough for a small stall.
Can this be missed?
This kid is so lucky.
She walked up and asked, "Grandpa, is this seat taken?"
The old man looked at her and moved aside: "No one is here, little girl, come in."
"That's great, thank you Grandpa!"
Xue Yi had just finished pouring out the peppers and arranging them when a bald stall owner in his thirties or forties said sarcastically, "The space is small to begin with, and you're still trying to squeeze in. Aren't you feeling stuffy?"
She pretended not to hear and signaled Yu Zeyuan with her eyes not to take it to heart.
This kind of place is full of all kinds of people, and they are unfamiliar with the place, so it is better to stay out of trouble.
After arranging the peppers, Xue Yi took out the small spring scale that he had just bought at the market for fifteen yuan.
Xue Yi nudged Yu Zeyuan lightly with her shoulder and jokingly said, "Shout out."
Yu Zeyuan tilted his head, his face full of confusion: "What are you shouting?"
"Of course I'm shouting!" Xue Yi demonstrated, "Fresh green peppers! 1.5 yuan a pound! Freshly picked from the fields! Don't miss them if you pass by!"
When Yu Zeyuan heard this, his fair cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment: "Does it have to be like this?"
"It's okay not to shout, but I'm afraid we won't be able to sell them all by the time the sun goes down."
Yu Zeyuan pursed his lips and clenched his fists, as if he had made a great decision.
After a while, he closed his eyes and whispered, "Selling peppers... one dollar and five cents a pound."
Xue Yi followed with a smile: "Fresh green peppers! Freshly picked from the ground!!"
After the first breakthrough, Yu Zeyuan gradually loosened his restraints and his shouts became louder.
Their young and outstanding looks attracted many curious eyes, but no one came forward to ask the price.
The stall owner next to him said sarcastically, "You're young and healthy, yet you insist on competing with us old guys for business."
Yu Zeyuan's patience had reached its limit. Just as he was about to stand up and argue, Xue Yi grabbed his arm and said, "Business is coming."
An old woman came over and said, "Young man, can I buy more and get a discount?"
Yu Zeyuan subconsciously looked at Xue Yi.
She smiled and said to the old woman, "Grandma, how much do you want? We don't charge a high price. Our peppers are the freshest in the whole market."
"I'll buy three pounds. It's cheaper."
Xue Yi took advantage of the old lady's preference for bargains and said, "Grandma, the price really can't be reduced, but I can give you a few more taels."
"Then... okay."
Yu Zeyuan tactfully took out the bag and bent down to help the old woman pack the peppers.
"Hey boy, don't pick out the bad ones for me!"
"Don't worry, grandma. We won't do anything against our conscience..." Xue Yi picked up the spring scale. "It's three pounds and three ounces in total. I'll charge you three pounds."
The old woman pulled out a small handkerchief from her bosom, which contained some scattered coins. "Four dollars and a half, right?"
"That's right, Grandma. There's a brother and sister on the other side of the market, and we're selling it for them. You can come to them next time you want to buy chili peppers."
"Okay, thank you, little girl."
The old woman put the peppers into the cart behind her and left with satisfaction.
With a good start, the rest went much smoother.
After a while, the twenty kilograms of peppers that were distributed were almost gone.
Xue Yi stood up and said to Yu Zeyuan, "I'll go get some more peppers. You keep an eye on it."
"good."
She returned to Li Chun's stall and found that they were also very active and had almost sold out a whole bag.
Xue Yi gave all the money she earned from selling peppers to Li Chun and moved another ten kilograms of peppers. Not long after she walked back, she saw a small circle of people gathered in front of her stall, and there was a faint sound of an argument among them.
"You're blocking my business, and you don't allow people to say a word?"
"You call that 'say a few words'?"
Xue Yi squeezed into the crowd and saw the bald stall owner next door suddenly stand up. He was short but sturdy and shouted provocatively: "Yo, you want to fight, right? Come on!"
Yu Zeyuan's 1.86-meter height and broad shoulders already made him extremely intimidating, and his stern expression at the moment made him even more oppressive. "Do you think I don't dare?"
He had a hot temper and if Xue Yi hadn't warned him in advance, he would have probably taken action long ago.
Xue Yi felt something was wrong and pulled Yu Zeyuan back behind her, whispering, "Don't be impulsive."
Yu Zeyuan suppressed his anger and spoke in a low voice through his teeth, with a hint of grievance, "He just threw our peppers on the ground!"
"I know, I know," Xue Yi said, steadying him. "We live in a civilized society now. Let's try to solve this problem rationally."
The old man selling pears nearby patted Xue Yi on the shoulder and kindly advised, "Little girl, don't bother with him. He's a notorious troublemaker here, his name is Wu Yong. I'm almost sold out of my pears, so I'll give you my stall."
Xue Yi glanced at the small basket of pears left in the old man's cart and shook her head. "Thank you, uncle. We can handle this." She turned to Yu Zeyuan and instructed, "I'll be back soon. You watch the stall and don't cause any trouble."
After giving her instructions, she turned and walked towards the other direction of the market.
Not long after, Xue Yi came back.
About ten minutes later, a middle-aged man wearing a short-sleeved shirt and with a capable temperament came over.
Many vendors in the market greeted him enthusiastically when they saw him, but the bald Wu Yong avoided his gaze and lowered his head.
The middle-aged man walked straight to Xue Yi's stall and said in a friendly tone, "Hello, comrades. I am the supervisor of this market. My last name is Cai."
"Hello, Director Cai," Xue Yi stood up and responded. "My name is Xue Yi, and this is Yu Zeyuan. We're volunteers visiting Zhizhou Village, and we're also helping a brother and sister sell some produce there. Perhaps our approach isn't right, and that's causing dissatisfaction among the older brother next door, so we're hoping someone can help mediate."
Director Cai nodded, then turned his gaze to Wu Yong, his tone becoming serious. "Old Wu, it's you again? What's going on?"
Wu Yong quickly pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and handed it over with an apologetic smile: "Hey, Director Cai, how could I dare to do that! It's just that I spoke a little loudly, and I didn't expect to alarm you."
Yu Zeyuan didn't intend to give up and said coldly: "He doesn't just target us, he does this to others as well."
Wu Yong immediately glared at him fiercely: "Don't spit blood at me, kid! I just have a loud voice, what's wrong with yelling a few words?"
"Alright!" Director Cai interrupted him, his expression serious. "I don't know who you are, don't I? I came here today to deal with this matter. We're all neighbors making a living in the same market. If you still want to set up a stall here in peace, then you better control your temper! Otherwise, if these two comrades report this to the higher-ups, I won't be able to save you!"
Wu Yong got anxious when he heard this, and the fat on his face trembled. "That won't do! Director Cai, my family depends on my income to make ends meet, and I haven't even managed to collect enough money for the children's tuition! We can't let this business go to waste!"
Xue Yi saw that the time was right and spoke at the right time, "Director Cai, Brother Wu, do you think this will work? Brother Wu, please write a letter of guarantee, promising to make money through harmony and not to clash with any other stall owners. We will let this matter go today, and we won't report it to the higher authorities."
When Wu Yong heard this, his attitude immediately changed 180 degrees, and he nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay! I'll write it, I promise! I will definitely control my temper!"
At the same time, Director Cai also took advantage of Wu Yong's inattention to cast a grateful look at Xue Yi and whispered, "Comrade Xue, thank you very much. This Old Wu has really given me a headache for a long time. Your trick is a great help."
It turned out that Xue Yi had just gone to the market management office to find Director Cai. The two of them had agreed to take this opportunity to deal with the "troublemaker" in the market, hence their coordinated actions just now.
Xue Yi said loudly, "Since Director Cai has testified and we have this letter of guarantee, this matter ends here today."
Many vendors around witnessed the whole process and showed relieved smiles on their faces, as if a huge stone had been lifted from their shoulders.
Xue Yi took advantage of the situation and moved his stall a little closer to Wu Yong, leaving more space for the old man: "Grandpa, please come closer, this is a better spot."
The remaining ten kilograms of peppers they had were quickly sold out.
Xue Yi paid out of his own pocket and bought all the remaining pears in the old man's car.
"Girls, this is too much, you can't finish it!"
"Not many, not many. We have about ten people over there!"
The old man hesitated and said, "Well... okay. These pears are fifty cents a pound, and there are about twenty pounds left. Just give me ten yuan!"
Xue Yi directly took out a hundred-yuan bill and stuffed it in: "Grandpa, no need to change, the rest is our little token of appreciation."
"That won't do! Let's put things in perspective!" The old man insisted on not charging more.
Seeing this, Xue Yi no longer refused, but while the old man turned around to get the bag of pears, he secretly stuffed the hundred-yuan bill into the basket where the scale was placed.
This scene happened to be seen by Yu Zeyuan who was standing by.
He tacitly turned sideways, blocking his view with his body, and took the bag from the old man's hand: "Grandpa, let me help you pack it."
"Oh, okay, thank you, young man."
"You're welcome."
After everything was packed up and they were about to leave, Xue Yi picked out a few of the largest and best-looking pears from the basket of pears she had just bought and gently placed them next to Wu Yong's stall.
"Brother Wu, try some of these pears from Grandpa's house. They're sweet and juicy."
Wu Yong stared at the golden pears for a long moment, then lowered his head and whispered, "...Thank you."
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The author has something to say: I wish everyone a happy Qixi Festival!! [Heart]
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