Lao Lin didn't get to have breakfast after all, but Han Xiao brought a lot of dry food on the road and also filled a kettle wrapped in cowhide with some hot water.
On the way to the journey, heavy snow began to fall. Soon the sky and the earth were covered in white. Han Xiao looked at the scenery in front of him and could only sigh at the ingenuity of nature. This kind of scene could never be seen in modern times.
However, although the scenery is beautiful, the road is not easy to drive on. Fortunately, Lao Lin is an experienced driver. Considering the elderly, he added an extra windshield. It is not as warm as a horse-drawn carriage, but it is better than nothing.
"Brother Lin, thank you for taking the trip today. I'll treat you to a drink when you come back." Han Xiao sat next to Old Lin with his hands in his pockets.
Lao Lin glanced at him and said, "Hey, is this a bother? If I don't come out today, I have to go somewhere else. So if you have anything, just come to me. I know all the nearby villages very well."
Han Xiao smiled and said "OK". He could see that Lao Lin had a cheerful personality. Han Xiao was also happy to deal with such people. It was not difficult for the two of them to chat about some daily matters when they were bored on the way.
It was snowing heavily and the journey was slow. We didn't arrive at Lijia Village until noon.
Smoke is already rising from the village entrance, giving the impression of a peaceful and tranquil life.
Moreover, there are more people in the village these days, and there are a few children playing at the entrance of the village. When they see the ox cart coming, they all come over to watch the fun.
Fortunately, Old Li sent them back home.
Following the path pointed by Old Li, we arrived at his doorstep. It was actually a brick and tile house, but it was only half built. The remaining gate and walls were not built, but just randomly built with earthen bricks.
It was even more desolate when I walked into the house. The atmosphere was dead as it hadn't been a New Year's Day.
Suddenly, a few coughs were heard from inside the room: "Auntie Sun, is that you?"
Li Cui'er quickly jumped out of the car: "Daddy, we are back."
Old Li said a little embarrassedly, "Excuse me, it's winter, please wait a moment. I'll go boil some hot water. Please sit down for a while."
Han Xiao nodded: "Can I go see Uncle Li?"
Old man Li thought he was anxious and said yes, but Li Xiaocui was currently taking care of Li Sheng, so it was not convenient for them to go in now, so they could only sit in the main house first.
"Hey, Han, what on earth did you go to all this trouble to come here for? I don't think this place is anything special, so why are you so interested in it?"
There was no one around this time, so Lao Lin leaned over to Han Xiao and spoke softly.
Han Xiao rubbed his hands to keep them warm: "You'll know soon. I'm afraid you'll have to come here more often in the future, Brother Lin."
"Oh?" Lao Lin raised his tone, indicating that he didn't quite understand, but Han Xiao had a cooperative relationship with his boss, so he didn't dare to ask some questions. He was afraid that he would ask about confidential matters and ruin his boss's plans.
But Han Xiao didn't take it too seriously and just said to him, "Brother Lin, don't disbelieve me. If everything goes well this time, we'll still have to deal with the Li family in the future. Otherwise, it would be unfair for me to spend so much money. Speaking of which, you should talk to Uncle Lu and ask him to pay at least half of the money."
Old Lin listened and laughed, saying that he didn't dare to tell his boss and let Han Xiao go by himself.
Han Xiao shrugged: "It's okay, you just need to convey the message."
The two waited for a while before Li Cui'er finally came out from the inner room, carrying some things. When she saw Han Xiao coming, she gestured from a distance that he could go in to find his father.
As soon as I entered the inner room, I was hit by an unpleasant smell, a mixture of medicine, ointment and other smells. I didn't know what they were, but it was not a pleasant smell at all.
Li Sheng leaned against the bed with a pale face. There were at least two thin quilts on the bed, which was not much different from when Han Xiao first came here. He felt more worried about the Li family's predicament.
"I'm sorry, my two benefactors, I can't get up because I'm sick." Although Li Sheng looked a little pale, he was in good spirits and not so listless. It was probably because Li Cui'er told him about Han Xiao.
"My name is Han Xiao. Brother Li, just call me Han Xiao. Don't call me benefactor. I can help you because I have my own plans, so Brother Li, you don't have to be so polite." Han Xiao said.
Li Sheng shook his head. "No, no matter what, you are the benefactor of our Li family. It's a pity that I am not strong enough. Otherwise, I would repay you even if I had to work like a slave."
Han Xiao thought that Old Man Li and Li Sheng were indeed father and son, as they spoke the same way.
At this time, Li Cui'er brought over two benches for the two of them to sit on. "Brother Li, to be honest, the main reason I came here was to ask where these red bumps you planted came from? How many are left?"
Li Sheng listened to Han Xiao's words without any surprise. "This is quite a long time ago. I believe my father has told you about my story. I encountered this red lump when I was traveling with a caravan in the foreign lands. The locals were eating this thing. I thought that scarcity makes things valuable, so I learned from the locals how to grow and eat it, and then brought it back."
After a pause, Li Sheng coughed a few times and continued, "This is already the second year I've been growing them. The first year was the seedling stage, and I didn't think about selling them. This year is the first batch, and I was hoping to sell them and have a good year, but I didn't expect..."
As he said this, he hit his leg hard, but was stopped by Han Xiao.
Han Xiao pondered for a moment after hearing this: "How many are there now?"
"Three acres of land, there are probably about two to three thousand kilograms. The batch my father picked out was the first one he sold to me for medical treatment. I didn't expect to meet a benefactor."
Two or three thousand kilograms is not too much, but not too little either. It is indeed enough for Han Xiao to use at the moment. However, what Li Sheng said is right. At present, he is the only one who knows how to grow this thing and what to do in terms of planting. If he wants to ensure that there will be enough supply of beets in the future, he must cure Li Sheng first.
Han Xiao had an idea in mind when he thought of this: "Brother Li, I want all of your red bumps. How about we work out a price?"
Li Sheng knew that this red lump was very useful, but he didn't know what it was used for. Since Han Xiao wanted him to give it all to him, what could he do? He was already grateful that Han Xiao could help his family pay off all the debts. If he took more money, he would have no conscience. He, Li Sheng, would never do such a thing.
Thinking about it, he repeated what was in his mind to Han Xiao: "My benefactor, you have helped us a lot. Just find someone to take these red bumps away. I don't want a penny."
"It's not right to buy something without paying, and I won't buy just this once. These three thousand kilograms of red bumps are far from enough for me. So, Brother Li, I need you to get better as soon as possible. Let's talk about the price today. How about charging the same price from now on?"
Li Sheng was so excited after hearing Han Xiao's words that he was speechless. He thought that God must have heard his prayers and sent his benefactor to save them.
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