From that day on, Zhou Jiao relied on these little girls to get to know their mothers and bought a batch of mountain products and local specialties from those old ladies.
In the end, one family introduced another, and soon many people were selling all their eggs to Zhou Jiao. Going to the county town was a huge waste of work points, and the price was one cent higher than at the purchasing station, so they were eager to spread the word and get the neighbors to come.
Zhou Jiao did not leave the village at all during the journey. Even for lunch, a warm old lady brought her a bowl of corn porridge and two large pancakes to fill her stomach.
As five o'clock approached, Zhou Jiao nearly burst into tears as she watched the growing pile of baskets and sacks pile up on the roadside. It was truly her own fault! How could she possibly take them back? She couldn't possibly perform a magic trick in broad daylight.
She had greatly underestimated the inventory of a village of around 2,000 people. And yet, people kept delivering goods. With the idea of a broken jar, Zhou Jiao simply accepted everything, readily using a borrowed scale to weigh and pay.
As for how to get it back, she didn't want to think about it anymore. Anyway, it was far away from Lin Quan's village in both directions, so she could only wait until dark.
Leaning against a big tree, Zhou Jiao continued to purchase things while secretly collecting some things and putting them into the space when no one was around. Otherwise, she doubted that a car would be able to carry them away after dark.
Around six in the afternoon, the sun had set, but a lingering hue of red still lingered in the sky. The farmers in the fields along the road began to leave their work and head home for lunch.
Zhou Jiao welcomed another wave of customers. This wave of old women, probably from the next village, came in a noisy rush. After Zhou Jiao weighed them, paid them, and sent them away, the sky gradually darkened.
After about ten minutes, when the place was truly plunged into darkness, Zhou Jiao saw that there was no one around, so she immediately released the car, quickly put all the goods on the ground into the car, stepped on the accelerator and drove away immediately.
She knew very well that it wouldn't be long before the villagers would go out to enjoy the cool air and watch the fun after dinner, and she really wouldn't be able to leave then.
As I left, with the sound of the car starting, many people were misled by my words that someone would come to pick them up soon. With the cover of darkness, there was less danger.
In a hurry, Zhou Jiao stepped on the accelerator all the way until she was close to Lin Quan's village. Then she got out of the car, carrying a basket of twenty eggs and a piece of cloth, and walked quickly towards the Lin family.
Before they reached the Lin family's house, a figure holding a torch appeared in the distance and called out, "Is that Jiaojiao?"
Zhou Jiao recognized Aunt Lin's voice and responded quickly.
Aunt Lin ran up to her quickly and said, "Where have you been? I was so worried. If I had known, I would have followed you during the day. Oh, I almost died to atone for my sin."
Zhou Jiao said embarrassedly, "I took the wrong road on the way back. I couldn't find any cars along the way. Auntie, I'm sorry for making you worry."
"Ah... I guess that's what's going on. It's a good thing their men haven't come back yet, otherwise things would have gotten really bad."
Zhou Jiao followed her home, raising her eyebrows in surprise. How could Zhang Guoqing leave her alone in a stranger's house? How strange!
"Aunt, didn't uncle go up the mountain with them?"
Aunt Lin scooped a bucket of water into the basin and said, "Hurry up and wipe your face. Let's eat first. Don't mention your uncle. That dead man is already old, almost as old as my eldest son. Before I came back, he left a note saying that he went up the mountain to look for them. He told us not to worry at home."
Zhou Jiao chuckled to herself. No wonder Zhang Guoqing was so confident in her staying in a stranger's house!
In the outer room, Aunt Lin brought out three plates of meat dishes and a soup, as well as a dozen large pancakes.
Zhou Jiao subconsciously looked around the rooms.
Aunt Lin smiled and said, "Apart from the two of us, no one's home tonight. Are you scared? Do you want to sleep with me?"
Zhou Jiao shook her head. "It's just the two of us, why did you cook so many dishes? Auntie, you're so polite. I'm embarrassed to pick up my chopsticks."
"Silly girl, don't I need to eat? You must be starving today. Eat quickly and rest early. Those people who went up the mountain will have to come down tomorrow morning at the earliest."
Zhou Jiao nodded.
"Are you worried that your child won't be able to sleep well in the mountains?" Aunt Lin handed her chopsticks and looked at her face. "There are wooden houses on the mountain with everything. When my kids were little, they often stayed there with their dad for a few nights."
Zhou Jiao smiled at her.
"You don't have to get up so early tomorrow morning. Sleep a little longer. During the day, there are many little girls picking wild fruits in the south of the village. You can go there and have a look. Tomorrow I will ask the little girl at home to go out for a walk with you."
"No, I don't plan to go out these two days. My feet can't stand walking today, so I need to have a good rest." Zhou Jiao knew that she was worried that she would walk around like she did today.
"It's boring to stay at home. Walking around here won't make you feel bored. By the way, do you want to buy some mushrooms or mountain products? If you need any, go to the courtyard at the entrance of the village and find Aunt Miao. She's the village women's director. If you go to her, she'll definitely help you out.
Don't go to the county town to buy these things; they're very expensive there. In our village, we can buy them at the purchasing station, and even some of the lower-quality ones won't cost much. Aunt Miao is a good person; she knows you're a relative and won't cheat you."
Zhou Jiao nodded.
"The items have been weighed. Don't carry them yourself with your tiny arms and legs. They will deliver them to you."
The meal ended with Aunt Lin muttering to herself. Zhou Jiao returned to her room, washed her feet, and finally collapsed on the kang, breathing a sigh of relief. She'd been so busy all day, it really shouldn't have happened.
That night, without Zhang Guoqing and the child by her side, Zhou Jiao couldn't sleep well. She was always worried that someone would jump into the yard, and she was always paying attention to listen for any wolves howling in the mountains.
She woke up at noon the next day and went out of the room, only to find that she was the only one in the yard. Aunt Lin had already left, and there was still porridge and pancakes left for her in the pot.
After a quick lunch, Zhou Jiao had no plans to go out, spending the entire afternoon sorting out yesterday's harvest. She'd been too rushed to do so then, but now that she had some free time, her obsessive-compulsive disorder kicked in again.
When night fell again, Zhang Guoqing still hadn't returned. Zhou Jiao knew that this guy must have taken the children and gone up the mountain with them.
If they were really at the cabin, and Aunt Lin's words implied they weren't far away, why wouldn't they go down the mountain first? Plus, Lin Quan, the accountant, also took leave. It didn't take much thought to understand that these men were out having fun.
Indeed, on the afternoon of the day they had agreed to meet the He brothers, a group of people came down from the mountain in high spirits. And there were more than just them; a large group followed behind them. It was unknown when these people had entered the mountain, but they had caught a good deal of prey, plunging the entire village into a sea of joy.
Zhou Jiao looked at her son, his eyes sparkling as he excitedly recounted everything he had seen and heard on the mountain. She felt a headache coming on. Could this child have become a wild kid under his father's care?
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