Disasters from heaven can be avoided, but one cannot escape the sins one commits oneself.
Chen Qingqing reached out and helped Liang Fugui up. "Uncle Fugui, please get up and talk to me."
"Qing girl, does that mean you agree to help us?" Liang Fugui's eyes lit up.
Chen Qingqing shook her head and sighed, "Uncle Fugui, Aunt Fugui, it's not that I don't want to help you, but the quality of your beets is really bad, they're not worth three coins at all."
Liang Fugui was completely panicked. He didn't want to get rich overnight. He would be grateful if he could just turn the beets into money.
He said in a negotiating tone, "Qing girl, those beets aren't worth three coins, but could you give me a little less?"
“Yes, yes, give me whatever you want.” Madam Liang nodded repeatedly from the side.
Before Chen Qingqing could reply, Da Bao laughed and said, "We'd have to think twice about charging a penny a pound for your kind of beets."
"What? One coin per pound!" Liang Fugui was stunned and turned to look at Liang Shi beside him.
Mrs. Liang stamped her feet anxiously, "Why are you looking at me like that? Just agree already!"
After regaining his composure, Liang Fugui nodded repeatedly, "Alright, alright, one coin it is."
"Who agreed to take it?" Da Bao frowned, somewhat confused. "I meant we'd have to consider it even at one cent per pound, but we didn't agree to take your beets."
"Don't be like that, Da Bao. What do you want to buy with just one penny?" Liang Fugui said, bowing deeply to Chen Qingqing. "Qing girl, please help me. As long as you accept my family's beets, I'm willing to be your slave."
As the old saying goes, even killing someone is just a matter of beheading them; one shouldn't go too far in life or in one's actions.
Although those beets were of inferior quality, the price was still reasonable.
Since they've gone this far, it's not a good idea to refuse.
Chen Qingqing said, "Although the quality of your beets is not good, it doesn't affect the production of brown sugar. As long as it's made into sugar, it's much better than selling it to me at a loss!"
Liang Fugui shook his head. "What's the use of making more brown sugar? We can't even sell a pound of it. I don't want to bother with that. Let your aunt come work for you instead!"
Upon hearing this, Da Bao scoffed disdainfully.
"You've got a dream come true. You want to work at my house? We can't afford you. Last time I learned how to make brown sugar, you were so ungrateful that you started your own business, almost leaving me with nothing to do."
Luckily, my sister Qingqing had the foresight not to reveal the method for making sugar, otherwise we'd be the ones crying now. If your wife were to come work for us now, she'd be asking for trouble.
Chen Qingqing looked at Da Bao with admiration and gave him a thumbs up in her heart.
Once unfaithful, always untrustworthy. As the saying goes, if there's one, there's bound to be two, and even three. Betrayal is either a one-time occurrence or an endless cycle.
“Uncle Fugui, Dabao is right. I can keep your beets, and I can help you sell the unsold brown sugar. But it’s absolutely impossible for you to come work for me.”
Liang Fugui looked at Chen Qingqing with pleading eyes, "Qing'er, I know my request is a bit excessive, but if your aunt doesn't come to work, our family won't have any income. Please, be a good person and let your aunt stay!"
"Impossible. Don't bring this up again." Chen Qingqing's tone was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.
"I......."
Liang Fugui was about to say something when Da Bao interrupted him sharply, "Alright, that's enough. If you dare to dawdle any longer, we don't want your beets anymore. Do whatever you want with them!"
Liang Fugui turned pale with fright. "No, no, Da Bao, Qing'er has already agreed, you can't go back on your word."
Chen Qingqing smiled and said, "Uncle Fugui, don't take it seriously. Dabao is just teasing you. You should hurry back and bring over your family's beets and brown sugar."
"Okay, I'll go right away." Liang Fugui turned around to leave, but then suddenly stopped and frowned as if he remembered something.
Seeing him standing there in a daze, Liang tugged at his sleeve. "Come on, what are you standing there for?"
"Wife, don't worry," Liang Fugui said, then looked at Chen Qingqing with a mournful face again, "Qing'er, I have another request..."
"Are you ever going to stop?" Before Liang Fugui could finish speaking, Da Bao objected, shouting, "That's enough! Don't push your luck!"
"No, Da Bao, if you don't help me, I might end up in jail."
Liang Fugui was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"As you all know, Zheng Xi and I signed a one-year sales contract. If she comes to deliver goods again next time, could you leave the beets with us?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qingqing shook her head and smiled. She had already learned from Zheng Zhong that Zheng Xi had started gambling again after winning some money last time, and had lost it all in just two days.
In an attempt to recoup his losses, he borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates, but he only lost more and more. To pay off his gambling debts, he resorted to theft, only to be caught and taken to the authorities, where he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Thinking of this, Chen Qingqing waved her hand, "Don't worry, Zheng Xi shouldn't come again."
Liang Fugui's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"You're such a dawdler." Madam Liang quickly nudged him from behind. "Qing'er said she won't come again, so she definitely won't. Why are you still asking?"
"Yes, yes, it's good that they're not coming, it's good that they're not coming." Liang Fu nodded repeatedly, finally letting out a long sigh of relief. Then he asked, "Qing girl, we have four hundred catties of brown sugar that we've boiled. How much do you plan to pay me per catty?"
Hearing his question, Chen Qingqing felt a surge of dissatisfaction. This man was petty and cunning, and she could never work with him. Fortunately, Liang Shi couldn't hold back and chose to go solo early on; otherwise, she would have been a ticking time bomb if she had stayed at the sugar shop.
"Don't worry, since I'm planning to help you sell them, I naturally won't lower the price maliciously. I deliver to town at eighty coins per catty, and I'll give them to you at eighty coins as well. If you think it's reasonable, send them over together. If not, then you can keep them!"
“Perfect, perfect, why not? I’ll go get the beets right now.”
Liang Fugui nodded repeatedly in agreement; the brown sugar in his hand was a hot potato.
He couldn't sell them for fifty coins a pound in town, but people were practically offering eighty coins a pound. If he didn't sell, wouldn't he look like a complete idiot?
Watching Liang Fugui and his wife leave, Da Bao was a little unhappy. "Sister Qingqing, brown sugar isn't selling well either. Why should we keep it? Even if we want to keep it, we can't keep it at such a high price!"
Chen Qingqing shook her head and smiled, "Since I've agreed to help them, what would others think of me if I withheld that little bit of money?"
Even if I save a few dozen taels of silver, I'll be talked about for the rest of my life, as if I've gotten a huge advantage.
If I were to become cunning and treacherous for a few taels of silver, what difference would there be between me and Liang Fugui?
To live a fulfilling life, one must be upright, honest, and open-minded; only then can one be fearless.
These words made Da Bao nod vigorously. "Sister Qingqing, I understand. I want to learn from you and be an upright person and do things clearly and honestly, so as not to let others down!"
...
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