1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 178 Am I really that good?
The emergency warning was still being repeated on the radio, and the three families of Yi Dinggan all came out and started discussing it amongst themselves.

"Holy crap, this typhoon can actually change direction?!"

"Damn, I thought the typhoon wasn't coming. There's still more than half an acre of small greenhouses that haven't been reinforced."

"Only six hours left! Stop arguing and hurry up and check the fields one last time!"

The vegetable farmers were caught off guard by the news and went out one after another, noticing the car that had come in.

But this definitely has nothing to do with them.

Chen Jiazhi checked it this morning; all the preparations in the field are complete. We just need to cover it with plastic film and netting later.

However, upon seeing the familiar car, he turned around and greeted Li Xiu.

"Xiu, I'll go out and take another look too~"

Seeing him leave, Ao Dehai, Qi Yongfeng, and Ao Deliang also grabbed their tools and followed him out.

As soon as Xu Wenxiang, dressed in white, got out of the car, she saw this scene: vegetable farmers were running towards their fields.
She smiled at Li Xiu and asked, "Hello, what's wrong?"

Li Xiu also knew her, but he was still unconsciously attracted by her temperament.

"A typhoon is coming."

Xu Wenxiang paused for a moment, then discreetly pondered the meaning of the dialect before she understood its implications.

"A typhoon? Isn't it supposed to be quite far away?"

"They said it's a turn." At this moment, Li Xiu understood Jia Zhi's meaning and realized he didn't want to see this woman.

"Jiazhi is busy right now, you guys should head back early, it's dangerous if you get back late."

As she spoke, Li Xiu looked at the vegetable field, pretending to want to go out and help, but she was worried about the baby in the cradle.

"It's fine to wait a while." Xu Wenxiang smiled. "Why don't you go work in the fields? I'll watch the baby for you."

Li Xiu shook her head. "No need. You can sit for a while, please sit wherever you like."

She pointed to a few small wooden stools on the steps.

"Thank you." Xu Wenxiang and Xu He sat down, then watched her rocking the cradle and gently asked, "Growing vegetables must be hard work, right?"

"You get used to it, it's alright."

Xu Wenxiang was taken aback by the answer, but she quickly smiled warmly.

"You guys from Sichuan are really hardworking, and you're very popular with the bosses here."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiu lowered her guard slightly, and her beautiful eyebrows curved into a smile.

Xu He sat to the side, staring intently at the vegetable field, but he didn't miss a single sound or movement around him.

Both women were beautiful, but their styles were completely different. One was like a thorny rose, full of scheming, while the other was like a camellia, also thorny but mainly for self-defense.

Xu Wenxiang added, "Especially Mr. Chen, he's outstanding. I saw he switched to a truck; that truck must be expensive. He's really impressive!"

Li Xiu laughed and said, "It's alright, it's all hard-earned money, it's very tiring."

"It really wasn't easy!" Xu Wenxiang gazed at the figures in the vegetable field.

"Every time I see Mr. Chen, he always seems busy. He's thinner, much tanned, and his eyes are often bloodshot. Maybe it's because he got a haircut today, but he looks much fresher."

She naturally withdrew her gaze from the distance and turned her head to see Li Xiu's slightly flickering eyes.

"By the way, how many hours does Mr. Chen sleep a day? He's so young, staying up too many nights a day isn't good."

Li Xiu said blankly, "Seven hours a day, I guess. He said seven hours of sleep is enough, but sometimes when he's busy, he doesn't even get seven hours."

Xu Wenxiang was also taken aback, and said, "That's a bit too little. No wonder your eyes are often bloodshot. Xu He, how many hours do you sleep a day?"

Xu He pondered for a moment and said, "I usually start sleeping around four or five in the afternoon and get up around one or two in the morning. With my days and nights reversed like this, I feel like I'm never getting enough sleep. I've only been doing purchasing for half a year, and I've already lost more than ten pounds."

Li Xiu looked him over. Where had he lost weight? She couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. Jia Zhi had indeed lost a lot of weight and gotten much darker. If her in-laws saw him, they would be heartbroken too.

Xu Wenxiang then asked, "What time of day does Boss Chen usually go to sleep?"

Li Xiu thought for a moment and said, "It's not fixed. Sometimes I come back early from selling vegetables and take a nap. Most of the time I sleep from noon to evening, get up to eat, and then go back to sleep. Sometimes I'll do some work, like sowing seeds or helping the workers spray pesticides, before I go to sleep. Then I get up again at night..."

After hearing this, Xu Wenxiang and Xu He felt their heads buzzing, as the dialect was still somewhat difficult to understand.

But after thinking about it for a while, Xu Wenxiang became more and more surprised.

"So, sometimes those seven hours of sleep weren't even a full night's rest?"

"Hmm~"

"Aren't there any entertainment options?"

"I went eel fishing for a few days last month, but I haven't gone since."

"You've just been growing and selling vegetables all along?!"

“I also went to learn to drive, and you guys called me out several times. I didn’t get a good night’s sleep every time I went out.” Li Xiu’s voice choked up a little as she spoke.

Xu Wenxiang and Xu He were also shocked after understanding the situation. This guy was going all out!
It is also harder to understand why he has been coldly rejecting better options given to him.

“Actually, Mr. Chen has a better option.” After a long pause, Xu Wenxiang said again, “I don’t know if he discussed it with you.”

Li Xiu also calmed down: "What choice? Working for you?"

Xu Wenxiang stood up. The two were actually about the same height, but Li Xiu felt that the other person had a better figure.

"I wouldn't call it working for someone else. I see it more as a partnership, as friends. We all put in our efforts, do what we're good at, and then split the profits."

Xu Wenxiang smiled and said, "Boss Chen is good at growing vegetables, and we have sales channels. We can sell our vegetables to Hong Kong and Japan. If we cooperate, we will only make more money, and it will be very easy."

"Just think about it, Mr. Chen easily earns over 100,000 or 200,000 yuan a year, always dresses impeccably, and still has time to take you and your son to the movies, to Western restaurants, and even to Hong Kong. Isn't that wonderful?" Xu Wenxiang paused, then sighed resentfully, "But Mr. Chen doesn't appreciate it at all; he won't even give me a chance to talk."

Without a doubt, Li Xiu was moved. It was just that he was easygoing, respectable, and clean that made her fall for him.

Only those who have grown vegetables know the hardships involved.

But she soon calmed down again.

Jiazhi refused, and he must have his reasons, but she was indeed very tempted.

Even if this woman is lying, earning less than 100,000 or 200,000 a year, 30,000 or 50,000, or even 20,000 or 30,000 a year would be more than enough, as long as Jiazhi isn't too overworked.

Just then, Yi Long poked his head out of the room, and Li Xiu called out, "Xiao Long, come and watch Dou Dou, I'm going out for a bit."

"Yes, Auntie."

Yi Long showed no fear and naturally took the cradle, his eyes fixed on Xu Wenxiang.

This woman is so beautiful.

...

After Chen Jiazhi went to the vegetable field, he kept an eye on his home.

Ao Dehai and his two companions also figured out what the boss was thinking: he just wanted to avoid people, but since the people weren't leaving, they couldn't go back.

They wandered around the field, pulling up any weeds they didn't like.

Immediately, Chen Jiazhi saw Li Xiu come out. When he got closer, he could see that her eyes were a little red, so he quickly went up to her.

"What's wrong? Did you get bullied? I'm going to settle the score with that old hag!"

"No." Li Xiu shook her head, her eyes scanning him up and down, and there were indeed bloodshot veins in her eyes.

"What's going on then?"

"I just feel like you're working too hard."

Chen Jiazhi glanced at Xu Wenxiang in the courtyard, meeting her smiling gaze, and then turned back to smile at Li Xiu.

"It's much better now than it was two months ago. We've hired so many people. Once Dehai and the others are more skilled, we can hire even more people. It will be much easier for me in the future."

"You're lying to me again."

"Why would I lie to you?" Chen Jiazhi asked. "What did that old woman tell you?"

"What's wrong with her?" Li Xiu stared and said, "You talk to her later and hear what she has to say."

Chen Jiazhi slapped his forehead. Damn, could it be that we've been breached from within?
We can't hide anymore.

After yelling at Ao Dehai and the others, he went home, while Yi Dinggan and the others were still busy. After a while, the Jiangxi folks also came out.

It was already 11 a.m.

Upon arriving in the courtyard, Xu He greeted them, dressed neatly and respectably.

Chen Jiazhi, despite wearing worn-out yellow rubber shoes, dirty clothes, and dirty pants, did not lose any of his imposing presence.

Li Xiu looked him over; he would look very handsome if he changed into decent clothes.

Xu Wenxiang was still teasing Xiaodoudou with her head down. Xiaodoudou woke up but didn't cry. She looked at Xu Wenxiang with her big eyes.

Chen Jiazhi said, "Mr. Xu, you are really amazing, so persistent."

Xu Wenxiang then looked up and said, "Because Boss Chen is a capable person, it's worth it for me to do this."

"Putting everything else aside, you have a really good eye for people."

Seeing that the other person's expression hadn't changed and remained a gentle smile, Chen Jiazhi felt a little bored.

"The typhoon is coming soon, and we need to hurry up and cook. Mr. Xu, please get to the point so we can get back sooner, or we won't be able to get back."

"Then I won't go back." Xu Wenxiang smiled. "How about I have a meal at Boss Chen's house? I'll treat you to another meal at Yunshan another day."

"And there are typhoons."

"Typhoons eventually pass."

"I'll go cook right away." Li Xiu ran towards the kitchen, but Chen Jiazhi grabbed her hand and almost couldn't hold her back.

Li Xiucai turned around, and Chen Jiazhi quickly said, "Remember to add more chili peppers, Mr. Xu likes spicy food."

"Sure, Brother Yi just bought some small red chilies this morning." Li Xiu blinked, realizing that people from Guangdong also eat chilies.

Xu He almost stumbled.

Xu Wenxiang also looked unwell, but still showed no intention of leaving.

Chen Jiazhi cursed inwardly: "What a lunatic!"

Am I really that good?

It almost made me lose confidence.

But he had no choice but to let the two of them come in and sit down first. He then went to the kitchen to cook. He couldn't possibly let them eat spicy food. People from Guangdong are notorious for being bad at chili peppers. If they weren't careful, something bad could happen.

He's the only one in the family who knows how to cook Cantonese dishes.

Behind him, Xu Wenxiang carefully carried the baby cradle into the house, her heart melting.

But soon, two notebooks on the table piqued her curiosity.

(End of this chapter)