Chapter 36 Live-streaming Vegetable Sales (Part 2)...
At night, Su Tangtang and Huo Yizhou took their newly bought flashlights into the grove to catch grasshoppers. They thought there wouldn't be many people at this time, but when they arrived, they saw that the grove was already bustling with activity, with lights flashing and people moving about.
"Brother Zhou, look at this tree, there are two!" Su Tangtang whispered and waved to Huo Yizhou beside her.
Huo Yizhou walked quickly closer.
Su Tangtang reached out and pinched the one that had climbed lower into the small bucket, then looked up at the one that was higher up. "This one is a bit high, I can't reach it."
Huo Yizhou tiptoed, stretched out her arm, and easily picked the grasshopper, gently placing it into her small bucket.
Su Tangtang laughed, the light making her eyes shine. "Being tall is definitely an advantage."
Huo Yizhou also raised the corners of his mouth slightly, "Yes, being a little higher is indeed much more convenient."
The two chatted and laughed in hushed tones as they carefully searched each tree.
"You're so stupid!" Suddenly, a familiar voice came from not far away, with obvious impatience in its tone.
Su Tangtang paused, "Is that Meng Meng? She's here too?"
Huo Yizhou nodded.
Su Tangtang held up her flashlight and shone it in that direction; sure enough, it was her.
Ke Tangshu was holding a short twig, trying to reach a grasshopper that had climbed very high. He tried several times, but not only did he fail to reach it, the grasshopper climbed higher and higher. Meng Meng was so anxious that she stomped her feet. The flickering shadows cast by the lamplight on the tree trunk looked rather comical.
Su Tangtang glanced at it and then looked away, saying softly, "Let's go over there." Huo Yizhou nodded, "Okay."
-
Ke Tangshu and Meng Meng had only come out for a walk when they saw figures moving and lights flashing in the grove. Out of curiosity, they went closer to take a look and found that everyone was catching grasshoppers. They then remembered that they had flashlights in their house, so they went back to get the tools and joined the grasshopper-catching team.
But after searching for a long time, I found nothing.
After finally spotting one, it had climbed incredibly high. By the time Ke Tangshu found a short branch, it had moved even higher. He tried to reach it with his stick for a long time, but still couldn't.
Ke Tangshu's arms were getting sore from holding the stick up, so he simply put it down and said indifferently, "I don't want it anymore."
Meng Meng refused, "No, I want it!"
Ke Tangshu glanced at her indifferently, "Then you do it."
He didn't indulge her at all.
Meng Meng: "..."
Since she got together with Ke Tangshu, the thing she heard most often was his rejection.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She couldn't help but glare at him. "Ke Tangshu, if you can't reach this today, you're not going home!"
Ke Tangshu stood silently in place, saying nothing.
The grasshopper climbed higher and higher.
After a long stalemate, Meng Meng finally gave in.
She's always the one who gives in first. She said sullenly, "Forget it, let's find something else."
Ke Tangshu only responded with one word, "Okay."
Just as the two were about to continue walking, Su Tangtang's clear voice suddenly came from not far away, "Wow, amazing!"
Meng Meng instinctively shone her flashlight in the direction the light passed, and as it illuminated several familiar faces, she blurted out, "Su Tangtang?"
Su Tangtang turned around and smiled, "Oh, it's you guys, here to catch grasshoppers too?"
Meng Meng pouted, her tone slightly sarcastic, "How much did you touch?"
"Not many, maybe twenty or thirty."
Meng Meng's face stiffened. They hadn't gotten anything yet, while the other side had already captured so many? It was truly infuriating to compare oneself to others.
At this moment, Huo Yizhou spoke up, "We couldn't find that one after we knocked it down with a stick."
Su Tangtang then pointed to Huo Yizhou's left, in the direction where Meng Meng was standing, "It seems like it fell around here."
Upon hearing this, Meng Meng immediately bent down and swept the ground with her flashlight.
She had only looked at the water twice when she spotted her target, quickly bent down to pick it up, and triumphantly tossed it into her small bucket.
“That’s what we dropped,” Su Tangtang reminded her.
Meng Meng raised her chin, her tone defiant, "Did you write your names on it? If I found it, it's mine."
Su Tangtang simply smiled and said, "Alright, you can keep it."
She didn't want to waste her time on a grasshopper; she could have caught several by now.
Seeing that Su Tangtang had no intention of arguing, Meng Meng felt like she had punched a cotton ball, which was completely pointless.
After returning home, Su Tangtang fried the grasshoppers she had caught, and the two of them enjoyed a delicious late-night snack.
Freshly cooked grasshoppers are fragrant and crispy, making a satisfying crunch with every bite and leaving a lingering aroma in your mouth—truly a perfect late-night snack.
-
The morning sun shone on the fields. Su Tangtang and Huo Yizhou arrived at the vegetable garden early in the morning. It was July, and the corn in the field had already grown to fifty or sixty centimeters tall. The cucumbers in their field were lush and plump, and the tomatoes were hanging from the branches, some slightly red, exuding the sweet fragrance of early summer.
Su Tangtang bent down and carefully selected cucumbers from among the cucumber vines, picking a few that were just the right length and putting them into her basket. The tomatoes next to her were also growing densely, and she carefully selected a few bunches that were much redder and gently picked them.
"I want to eat one right now," Su Tangtang said, picking up a plump tomato, eager to try it.
Huo Yizhou reminded him from the side, "Go back and wash up before you eat."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Su Tangtang pick up a tomato, wipe it on the corner of her clothes, and take a big bite.
Huo Yizhou was speechless for a moment: "..."
Su Tangtang frowned slightly at the sourness, but couldn't help nodding, "So sour! But it really tastes like tomatoes, much better than what you buy!"
Huo Yizhou couldn't help but laugh, "Is it clean to just wipe it like that and then eat it?"
Su Tangtang chuckled, unconvinced, "A little dirt won't hurt!" She then picked up another tomato and offered it to him, "Would you like to try one?"
Huo Yizhou hesitated for a moment, then took the tomato, wiped it on his clothes like she did, and took a big bite. The tangy juice spread in his mouth, and he couldn't help but nod, "You're right, a little dirt won't hurt you."
The two looked at each other and smiled, their joyful laughter echoing through the fields.
Qu Xian and his group, who happened to be passing by, looked over curiously and muttered, "What are they laughing at? They seem so happy."
A short while later, Su Tangtang and Huo Yizhou came out of the greenhouse and saw Zhou Yan and her husband, along with Gu Qingke and Shen Yingying, walking ahead of them.
"Sister Yan!" Su Tangtang called out.
Zhou Yan turned around at the sound of her voice and replied with a smile, "Tangtang!"
Su Tangtang walked up quickly with a basket in her hand. "Sister Yan, would you like some cucumbers? They're freshly picked."
Zhou Yan unceremoniously picked up a cucumber and a tomato from the basket, wiped them on her clothes, took a bite, and praised them repeatedly, "Your plants are so good, we can eat them directly. Our green beans have to be cooked before we can eat them."
Su Tangtang smiled and handed the basket to Shen Yingying and Gu Qingke.
Gu Qingke glanced at it, then coldly turned her face away. "I won't eat it."
He recently realized that he would unconsciously pay attention to Su Tangtang, and seeing their interactions made him uncomfortable. This made him feel a little flustered. In addition, when Shen Yingying asked him if he had developed feelings for Su Tangtang, he panicked even more. He knew he would never like Su Tangtang; he should hate her.
So during this time, he deliberately avoided paying attention to her, partly for his own sake and partly for Shen Yingying's.
Shen Yingying has been with him for so many years, he can't let her lose.
Shen Yingying took a cucumber somewhat awkwardly and whispered a thank you.
Su Tangtang still had a smile on her face, but in her heart she was thinking: If you don't want to eat, fine, I'm already giving you face by letting you have it.
-
That evening, the production team gathered everyone together.
Once everyone was present, the director got straight to the point, saying, "The vegetables in our fields are almost ripe, so the production team has decided that starting July 10th, everyone will be doing live-streaming to sell vegetables."
Su Tangtang asked curiously, "Selling vegetables via livestream?"
The director nodded and then explained the rules, "However, each live streamer's shopping cart doesn't just display their own produce. For example, if your live stream features Zhou Yan's green beans, then Zhou Yan will have to pay you a 20% commission after they're sold."
"The program team will officially announce tonight that the live broadcast will sell vegetables this Saturday and Sunday, for two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Each user is limited to purchasing 3 jin of each type of vegetable."
“That sounds interesting,” Meng Meng interjected.
Lin Lang nodded, "Indeed, I'm starting to look forward to it too."
Qu Xian was more concerned about the rewards and asked, "Is there a reward for the best-selling product?"
The director announced with a smile, "The top seller will win a trip to Sichuan and Tibet, with the production team covering all expenses!"
"Wow!" someone exclaimed, "This is amazing!"
“I’m even more excited now,” Lin Lang said with a smile.
Meng Meng frowned at this point and raised a concern, "But we're just ordinary people, we don't have as many fans as them, we definitely won't be able to sell as well as them, isn't that a bit unfair?"
The director had clearly thought of this beforehand. "Don't worry, the production team also considered this, so they require each live stream to display all the vegetables from everyone to ensure balanced exposure."
Meng Meng thought for a moment, her friend was a big star with so many fans, her tomatoes would definitely sell well, so she asked again, "Is there only a prize for the first place winner?"
"The second place winner will receive five golden vegetables, the third place winner will receive two, and only the top three will receive prizes," the director added.
Everyone started discussing it.
Su Tangtang immediately pressed on, "Director, is the gold real? How many grams does one piece weigh?"
The director was both amused and exasperated. "Of course it's true! Each one weighs five grams."
Qu Xian did some calculations and said, "Going on a trip costs a lot, so being number one is the most cost-effective. Director, should we go during filming or after it's over?"
“During the recording period,” the director replied, “when the busy farming season ends and everyone starts working, the first place winner can go on a five-day trip.”
"This is so awesome! We have to go for first place!" Qiu Nan said excitedly.
Shen Yingying was also tempted.
Aside from filming, endorsements, and variety shows, she really hasn't had a proper relaxing trip in a long time.
She looked at Gu Qingke, who immediately understood her meaning and nodded confidently, saying, "Don't worry, we'll definitely get first place."
He was indeed confident that, given his and Shen Yingying's fan base, the vegetables might sell out in just a few hours.
Over the next few days, everyone focused on preparing for the live stream: ordering vegetable packaging boxes, contacting courier companies to negotiate cooperation, and promoting and warming up the event on Weibo in advance... Everything was arranged in an orderly manner.
Once everything was ready, the day of the live broadcast arrived as scheduled.
On the morning of July 10th, the live streaming equipment was tested and the camera lit up on time, and the live stream officially began.
After days of promotion and hype, many viewers flooded into the live stream the moment it started, and the barrage of comments began to scroll.
Su Tangtang and Huo Yizhou faced the camera, smiling and greeting everyone. Regardless of the number of people, the necessary sense of ceremony was essential.
After exchanging greetings, Su Tangtang watched the number of online users steadily increasing and the order notifications popping up on the screen, a strange sense of joy welling up inside her.
At first, she was worried that her live stream wouldn't have many viewers. After all, many of her fans were haters, and many people seemed to follow her just to hurl insults at her. It was considered good if they didn't criticize her, let alone buy anything.
Unexpectedly, the result was completely different from what she had anticipated.
She quickly browsed the comments section. Although a few negative comments still occasionally appeared, the majority were surprisingly positive. It turned out that during this time, she had unknowingly accumulated quite a few fans who genuinely liked her.
[Oh my god, Su Tangtang's skin looks amazing!]
[Did you really grow these cucumbers yourselves?]
[Could it be that the production team rented another location?]
[Huo Yizhou is so handsome!]
[Tangtang looks so beautiful today~]
The comments scrolled by incredibly fast; in the blink of an eye, the comments I had just seen had already been pushed up the list.
Su Tangtang couldn't help but smile sweetly and answered the camera earnestly, "The cucumbers really were grown by our own hands."
She turned her head, her gaze falling on Huo Yizhou, a smile playing on her lips, "The audience is all praising how handsome you are."
Huo Yizhou raised an eyebrow slightly, meeting her gaze. "Then tell me, am I handsome or not?"
Su Tangtang's expression immediately brightened, her eyes curving into crescents. "Handsome, of course handsome, super handsome."
Before the words were finished, their eyes met, and neither of them looked away for a moment.
The live chat exploded instantly:
[Ahhh, they're so sweet!]
[That look in his eyes...it's so intense!]
[Are they about to kiss?!]
[Wake up! You're here to sell vegetables, not to find love!]
[This isn't nearly as sweet as Yingying's livestream next door! I don't believe it!]
Su Tangtang only looked at him for a moment before turning her gaze back to the camera. Unexpectedly, a quick glance at the comments section revealed the phrase "I want to see them kiss," which immediately caught her eye. Her ears burned, and she almost choked.
She coughed lightly, trying to remain calm as she continued her recommendations, "Our cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, green beans... are all freshly picked today, they're especially fresh."
Huo Yizhou responded naturally, casually picking a cucumber, washing it in the bucket next to him, breaking it in two to reveal the plump flesh, taking a bite and saying, "That's right, crisp and juicy."
Su Tangtang smoothly picked up the subject, her tone light and cheerful, "And we promise 'next-day delivery,' so if you order today, you can enjoy the freshest vegetables tomorrow!"
As she introduced the dish, she picked up half a cucumber, took a bite, and continued, "Cucumbers have a crisp texture and are suitable for stir-frying or making cold dishes. They're absolutely delicious with preserved eggs! It's a healthy food that's high in water and low in calories, so you can eat as much as you want without feeling guilty~"
She glanced down at the question in the live chat and replied quickly, "Don't worry, friends in Suicheng, it will definitely be delivered tomorrow!"
"Three pounds yields about seven or eight cucumbers. We select only straight and plump cucumbers, guaranteeing both their appearance and taste."
After introducing the cucumber, she picked up a plump, red tomato and said with a smile, "Next, I'd like to recommend this tomato to everyone. It has a really authentic flavor, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour. If you're interested, you can also check out Meng Meng's live stream. The tomatoes she grows are absolutely amazing; they really have that tomato flavor."
Then Su Tangtang introduced green beans, peppers, and eggplants.
But the main thing they were introducing was their cucumbers.
Seeing the orders coming in one after another, Su Tangtang was in a great mood. She realized that selling the fruits of her labor was so joyful.
Before the live stream, Su Tangtang and her team hired workers to pick and pack cucumbers, as they had promised next-day delivery and couldn't break their promise.
-
Gu Qingke's group's live stream had the highest popularity and sales, but upon closer inspection, the best-selling items were actually cucumbers and tomatoes. Although chili peppers ranked third in sales, they were significantly behind. After all, the chili peppers were grown by Gu Qingke and his team themselves, and their long-time fans were willing to support them.
The reason why cucumbers and tomatoes are so popular is largely because in hot weather, people prefer fruits and vegetables that can be eaten raw and are refreshing and thirst-quenching.
Shen Yingying was seething with anger, but she couldn't show it on camera, so she just kept promoting the chili peppers, while briefly mentioning the other vegetables.
The two-hour live stream finally ended. Although the fans were on in the tent, they were blowing hot air, and everyone was drenched in sweat.
The live broadcast continued in the afternoon. Meng Meng had heard early on that Su Tangtang's cucumbers and their own tomatoes were selling far ahead, while her own were slightly behind. She immediately became competitive and spent the whole afternoon focusing on promoting tomatoes, barely mentioning any other vegetables.
At this moment, viewers from other live streams came over and noticed that she was only focused on promoting tomatoes, so they couldn't help but ask:
[Why are you only introducing tomatoes? Aren't you selling other vegetables?]
Meng Meng caught a glimpse of it but ignored it. However, the other person persisted, spamming the chat with questions, which gradually prompted other viewers to also raise their own questions. Their livestream wasn't particularly popular to begin with, and now the chat section was almost entirely filled with similar comments:
[I've been waiting all afternoon. Other live streams introduce everything, but you guys only talk about your own company. Isn't that selfish?]
Meng Meng grew increasingly angry as she read on, and promptly blocked the person who had initiated the question.
Unexpectedly, not long after, the other party logged in again with a different account:
[Blocked me? Can't I even ask one question?]
[Are you guys hiding something?]
Meng Meng couldn't help but blurt out, "Why are you haunting me like a ghost? Are you here specifically to smear me?"
The other party immediately retorted: [I'm just asking one question, what's wrong with that? Are you feeling guilty?]
Meng Meng's tone sharpened, "What do I have to be ashamed of? I planted the tomatoes, so what's wrong with promoting my own first?"
The two started arguing back and forth in the live stream, and soon hashtags such as #MengMengOnlySellsHerOwnFood# and #MengMengCriticizesViewers# quickly became trending topics.
A large number of viewers flooded into the live stream, mostly fans from other groups, who criticized her for being selfish: [How petty of her!]
[I've already ordered tomatoes, but I want to cancel them now...]
Meng Meng panicked and turned to look at Ke Tangshu, "What should we do..."
Ke Tangshu lowered his voice, "Stop being so confrontational, hurry up and introduce the other dishes too."
So the two had to make a last-minute change and started recommending other vegetables, but the comments section wasn't buying it: [Now you know to recommend them? Why didn't you do this sooner?]
These two are really dramatic...
The barrage of criticisms kept coming in, but few people actually placed orders. Even those who did deliberately avoided tomatoes and only bought other vegetables.
And so, the afternoon's live stream ended amidst a flurry of activity. That evening, the production team compiled the day's sales data, and the final rankings were released:
The first place went to the cucumbers from Su Tangtang and Huo Yizhou's group, which sold exceptionally well in every live stream. The second place went to the chili peppers from Shen Yingying and Gu Qingke's group. Although their chili pepper sales weren't as good as their cucumber sales, they had a large fan base and still managed to sell quite a few.
The third place went to Meng Meng and Ke Tangshu's group. Their tomatoes were selling well initially, but the controversy in the afternoon affected their subsequent sales.
Fourth place went to Zhou Yan's group for green beans, and fifth place went to Lin Lang's group for eggplants.
Lin Lang sighed with a pained expression, "We're in last place..."
Zhou Yan patted her shoulder, her tone calm, "We're second to last, it seems we won't be getting the reward tonight."
She turned to look at Su Tangtang and said with a hint of envy, "Your cucumbers sold really well this afternoon, with orders coming in one after another."
"If only we had drawn cucumbers from the start. This kind of vegetable that can be eaten raw and is refreshing is definitely the most popular this season."
Su Tangtang nodded and explained, "It's hot, so everyone does prefer refreshing cucumbers. Actually, tomatoes sell very well in the morning too, but in the afternoon..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but her gaze swept lightly over Meng Meng's side, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Zhou Yan understood and glanced at Meng Meng, her tone becoming indifferent, "Yes, after what happened this afternoon, tomato sales were clearly affected."
Meng Meng glared at her immediately and said in a sharp tone, "Sister Yan, what do you mean by that? Are you saying we're deliberately causing trouble? It's clearly some fans stirring up trouble and spreading rumors!"
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, and none of them responded.
Zhou Yan chuckled lightly and replied calmly, "Flies don't land on eggs without cracks. If you present the vegetables in a balanced way and treat them all equally, what grounds will others have to criticize you?"
Meng Meng bit her lip, her hands unconsciously clenched into fists, her face filled with resentment and anger, but she was speechless for a moment.
She abruptly turned her head and glared at Ke Tangshu, her tone filled with grievance and resentment, "She talked about me like that, and you just stood by and watched, not saying a word in my defense?"
Ke Tangshu gave a faint "hmm" in a calm tone, "What she said does make sense."
These words completely ignited Meng Meng's grievances, and her eyes instantly reddened. She felt isolated and embarrassed that even her own people weren't on her side.
After everyone had gathered, the director announced the final sales figures, and everyone immediately went to the fields to pick, pack, and ship the produce. They were busy until after 1 a.m. before finally finishing work and resting.
The live stream continued the next day. Although the number of orders was not as high as the first day, shipments remained stable. By the end of the day, Su Tangtang could clearly feel that most of the large, high-quality cucumbers and tomatoes in the field had been picked, and the rest would need some more time to grow.
The two-day live stream has come to an end, and the next one is scheduled for seven days later.
It was late at night when the shipment was completed. Su Tangtang and Huo Yizhou dragged their tired bodies home, but instead of resting, she pulled Huo Yizhou aside to discuss the income from the past two days.
She held a calculator and typed as she read aloud, “I sold 10,000 jin of cucumbers at three yuan a jin, totaling 30,000 yuan. After deducting platform and commission fees, I made a net profit of 24,000 yuan.”
Huo Yizhou chuckled, "The income is not bad."
Su Tangtang nodded repeatedly, her eyes sparkling, "Yes! And we can harvest another 10,000 jin from our field!"
She became more and more excited as she talked, and couldn't help but cheer, "We're rich! We're rich!"
Looking at her adorable expression, Huo Yizhou couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, "Little money-grubber."
Su Tangtang raised her chin and said matter-of-factly, "Who doesn't like money?"
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