The younger generation, starting from where the wind blows...

Chapter 218 Jia Wangcai Sells Peaches

The entrance to the village store.

Yang Muyi, Xie Zhiyao, Yang Guanjun, and Xie Qiang sat in a row, each holding a stewed plum popsicle, their favorite childhood treat.

After discussing matters at the Xie family's house, the four of them sat here and chatted.

Yang Guanjun took a bite of his popsicle and looked up at the azure sky.

"Time flies. I remember when I was in junior high school, we would sneak out time every day to go to the internet cafe in town to play Counter-Strike for a while. Now, sitting in an internet cafe, no matter how fun the game is, I can't find that same joy as before."

Xie Zhiyao laughed, annoyed, "You have the nerve to say that? You were the one who was most addicted back then."

Xie Qiang added insult to injury: "Your key skills are still lacking!"

Yang Guanjun did not refute, but instead chatted enthusiastically about interesting things that happened in junior high school.

"Do you guys remember Wangcai from junior high? He was the fat guy who always climbed over the wall with me to go to the internet cafe for all-nighters."

"You mean Jia Wangcai? I remember back then, if anyone in the class called him Wangcai instead of his full name, he would get angry with them."

Xie Zhiyao replied with a smile.

"Who told his dad to give him such a tacky name? And coincidentally, there's a dog in Stephen Chow's movie named Wangcai. No wonder he's so upset!"

As soon as Yang Guanjun finished speaking, Yang Muyi suddenly spoke up:
Do you still keep in touch with your junior high school classmates?

Yang Guanjun immediately replied:

Are you asking about male or female classmates?

"Is there a difference?"

"The difference is huge. You can ask me about the male classmates; I still keep in touch with several of them. As for the female classmates, you'll have to ask A-Yao."

Xie Zhiyao immediately sat up straight, stopped eating her popsicle, and just stared at Yang Guanjun.

"Don't spread rumors. What makes you think I'm still in contact with the girls in my class?"

Yang Guanjun laughed and said, "Is it okay because you're handsome and popular with the female classmates?"

"Makino is more handsome, why don't you talk about him?"

"Because Makino is aloof, all the girls in the class know they have no chance with you, so they all go to you."

Xie Zhiyao couldn't hold back any longer.

So you're just a substitute for Yang Muye, and a lower-level substitute at that?

"Tell me, didn't all the girls in your junior high class add you on QQ?"

Yang Guanjun's single sentence was a checkmate, leaving Xie Zhiyao speechless.

Finally, under Yang Guanjun's persistent questioning, Xie Zhiyao stammered and admitted that he did indeed still have two junior high school girls as friends on QQ.

Ma Xiaotang and Du Dan.

One is the best student in the class, and the other is the prettiest girl in the class.

Ma Xiaotang got into a 211 university outside the province, while Du Dan, the class beauty, didn't even get into a junior college and is said to have no intention of continuing her studies.

Yang Guanjun immediately teased, "You know so much about 'Black Peony,' are you still hung up on them?"

Xie Zhiyao looked at Yang Guanjun with annoyance:
“Ma Xiaotang told me all of this. During the summer vacation, I went to the ancient city on business and saw Ma Xiaotang working a temporary job at a restaurant. I chatted with someone for a few minutes and learned about Du Dan from Ma Xiaotang.”

"And another thing, Du Dan is just a little dark-skinned. Don't call her by her nickname all the time. You were ignorant when you were in junior high, but you're still ignorant now?"

Yang Guanjun argued that he just said it offhand.

Besides, what's so bad about the nickname "Black Peony"?

Listening to the two bickering, Yang Muye was reminded of some people and things from his junior high school days.

At that time, Yang Muye's mind was not on getting along with his classmates at all.

After all, in his eyes, they were just a bunch of little kids.

After graduation, we'll go our separate ways, and even if we end up in the same place, the chances of us running into each other are extremely slim.

Although only three years have passed, Yang Muye has forgotten what most of his junior high school classmates look like, let alone their names.

Yang Muye only vaguely remembered the few junior high school classmates that Yang Guanjun and Xie Zhiyao had just mentioned.

"I remember Ma Xiaotang, Du Dan, Jia Wangcai, and I think there was another one named Lai something—"

"Lai Yazhou, back then we all called him 'Lai Han'!"

Xie Qiang offered a suggestion.

"Yes, it's Lai Yazhou. We remember that the four of them, like the four of us, are from the same village."

"Qiangou Village, they all grow winter peaches. Jia Wangcai even brought me a few to eat back then, they were so sweet."

Yang Guanjun added.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Guanjun's cell phone rang.

When I took it out, I saw it was an unfamiliar number.

Upon seeing that it was a local caller from Dali, Yang Guanjun finally answered the phone.

"Hello, is this Yang Guanjun?"

A man's voice came from the other end of the phone; it sounded somewhat familiar.

Yang Guanjun frowned, unable to recall for a moment who the voice belonged to.

"you are?"

"Jia Wangcai, we just talked on QQ a while ago, and you even sent me your phone number, have you forgotten?"

Yang Guanjun was stunned for a moment.

Is it such a coincidence?
Just as they were talking about Jia Wangcai, Jia Wangcai called him.

Yang Guanjun asked instinctively, "You wanted to see me...? Is there something you need?"

Jia Wangcai on the other end of the phone was speechless.

Isn't that obvious?
I'll call you, even if it's just a phone call to your Shenzhen number. Long-distance calls are expensive, you know.

However, Jia Wangcai still explained to Yang Guanjun politely over the phone.

"I heard that a big boss from Shanghai is investing and developing in your Yunmiao Village and is going to give every household in the village a three-story house with a yard. Is that true?"

Yang Guanjun switched hands to hold the phone.

"No, where did you hear this news?"

“The owner of the village store, we all call her Auntie Fatty. She has relatives in your village, and she heard about her from them.”

“Her relatives are bragging. It’s true that a big boss is coming to invest in our village, but it’s not as exaggerated as she said. The new house isn’t free; they have to exchange the old house for land in the village.”

"That would be awesome! I heard that the boss is going to build a March Street for your village. In the future, if we want to go to the market or sell something, we won't have to go to the town anymore, we can just go directly to your village."

Jia Wangcai started working in society after graduating from junior high school, dabbling in small businesses, so he paid special attention to news in this area.

"It's still a long way off; it will take at least one or two years to complete."

"Your village is really good. Not only will every household live in a new house in the future, but you can also receive dividends without even having to do anything."

Jia Wangcai said with genuine envy.

Yang Guanjun joked, "If you really think our village is great, how about you come and marry into our family? I know several families are planning to take in sons-in-law."

"I envy you guys, but I'd rather not marry into your family. My dad only has one son, and if I dared to become a live-in son-in-law, he'd break my legs."

"Stop pretending. I know what you're thinking. Are you still secretly eyeing our junior high class beauty, Black Peony?"

"I'm not secretly eyeing her anymore. I'm pursuing her openly now, and she'll be mine sooner or later!"

"So confident? Then I must give you a serious reminder: is it Xie Zhiyao from our class?" "The class heartthrob?"

"Yeah, he's right next to me right now. We were just talking about Black Peony. Xie Zhiyao said he still has Black Peony as a friend on QQ. Be careful, or she might steal your boyfriend!"

Xie Zhiyao reached out to snatch Yang Guanjun's phone.

What nonsense are you spouting!

Yang Guanjun stopped Xie Zhiyao, protected the phone, and continued rambling on the phone with Jia Wangcai.

"Didn't Xie, the most handsome guy in class, get into Peking University along with Yang, the most handsome guy in school? Did you go to Peking University to find him?"

"No, we went back to Yunmiao Village these past two days."

"Is Yang, the school heartthrob, back too?"

"He's back—"

Yang Guanjun turned and glanced at Yang Muye.

Xie Zhiyao can make up jokes and stories as he pleases, but Yang Muyi can't.

To Yang Guanjun's surprise, Yang Muye actually reached out to him for his phone.

"Jia Wangcai, do you still remember my voice?"

"Hey, Yang, the school heartthrob, I thought the champion was joking with me! Remember, remember, I can forget you no matter who else I forget."

Jia Wangcai on the other end of the phone was like a completely different person; his voice was incredibly enthusiastic.

I even felt a little flattered.

Of course, it's not an exaggeration for Jia Wangcai to have this reaction. Back in junior high school, Yang Muyi was one of the top "tall, handsome, rich, and successful" guys in the school.

He's good at basketball and is also the school's most popular guy.

Most importantly, his family's financial situation was exceptionally good.

Back in junior high, Yang Muye was actually very low-key and never showed off or flaunted his wealth. However, Jia Wangcai still managed to find out from Yang Guanjun that Yang Muye's parents were doing big business in Shenzhen.

That's what you call truly keeping your abilities hidden.

Now that Yang Muye has actually taken the initiative to call him, Jia Wangcai has no choice but to fawn over him.

Yang Muye chatted casually with Jia Wangcai on the phone for a couple of minutes, then asked if the winter peaches in Qiangou Village were ripe yet.

Normally, winter peaches don't ripen until November, but according to Jia Wangcai, the winter peaches in Qiangou Village ripened early this year, and a batch has already been picked and sold.

It just so happens that Jia Wangcai bought a van a while ago, and he's been using it to haul peaches for sale lately.

Upon hearing Yang Muyi mention this, he immediately suggested that he would send Yang Muyi and his group a batch of peaches to try sometime when he had some free time.

"No need, no need. I have some friends coming over in the next couple of days, and I'm planning to take them to your village to experience picking peaches on the spot. Could you help me contact an orchard in your village?"

"Of course! When does your friend plan to come?"

"Tomorrow or the day after is fine."

"How about tomorrow? I'm free right now. I'll drive over to pick you up, and I'll also invite Yang Guanjun and Xie Zhiyao along."

Yang Muyi glanced at Xie Zhiyao, Yang Guanjun, and Xie Qiang to make sure all three were willing to go before agreeing to Jia Wangcai's request over the phone.

The phone was back in Yang Guanjun's hands.

"Jia Wangcai, not bad, you've even driven the car."

"I bought the Wuling Sunshine to haul goods, I just hope you don't mind."

Yang Guanjun thought to himself that if Yang Muye didn't mind, he had no right to complain.

The two arranged a time to meet the next morning over the phone, chatted for a few more minutes, and then hung up.

Yang Muye then took out his phone and notified Zhu Suosuo and Jiang Nansun that he would take them to the mountains to pick peaches early the next morning.

The next morning, Jia Wangcai arrived at Yunmiao Village half an hour earlier than the agreed time.

The car was parked in an open space at the entrance of the village, and Jia Wangcai made a phone call to Yang Guanjun.

A short while later, Yang Guanjun, Xie Zhiyao, and Xie Qiang arrived together.

Yang Guanjun also brought two meat buns for Jia Wangcai, which Aunt E specially steamed this morning.

Jia Wangcai was slightly disappointed that he did not see Yang Muyi.

Jia Wangcai didn't show his emotions. While eating steamed buns, he asked Yang Guanjun about the development of Yunmiao Village.

As the two were talking, Xie Zhiyao suddenly said:
"coming!"

Jia Wangcai and Yang Guanjun turned their heads to look together.

A taxi was parked at the entrance of the village.

Yang Muye got out of the passenger seat.

The two girls in the back got off the bus, leaving Jia Wangcai and Yang Guanjun stunned.

This girl is clearly from a big city; her demeanor and style are distinctly different from those of local girls.

If Du Dan hadn't been favored by Jia Wangcai, she wouldn't have been able to compare to the two girls at all.

Before the three people came over, Jia Wangcai turned around, intending to ask Yang Guanjun about the origins of the two girls.

When he saw that Yang Guanjun also looked like he had never seen the world, he felt strange.

Dude, you've lived in Shenzhen for a while, why are you just spacing out like that?
At this moment, Yang Muyi had already led Jiang Nansun and Zhu Suosuo over. Jia Wangcai could only suppress his doubts and greet them with a bright smile.

Upon meeting, Yang Muye introduced Jiang Nansun and Zhu Suosuo:
"This is my junior high school classmate, Jia Wangcai. The place we're going to pick peaches today is in his village."

Jiang Nansun and Zhu Suosuo smiled politely at Jia Wangcai.

Jia Wangcai originally wanted to shake hands with them, but seeing that neither of the women intended to, he immediately and tactfully withdrew his hands.

With a broad smile, he introduced himself: "My dad's name is Duofu, and my name is Wangcai. These names weren't given to me because he watched Stephen Chow's movies."

Jiang Nansun and Zhu Suosuo couldn't help but nod, finding Jia Wangcai quite interesting.

Yang Muyi then introduced Xie Zhiyao, Yang Guanjun, and Xie Qiang to Jiang Nansun and Zhu Suosuo.

Having learned from Jia Wangcai's example, Xie Zhiyao and the other two simply nodded politely to the two women, which was their way of greeting them.

Once everyone was there, Jia Wangcai quickly finished his meat bun, drank some water, and then called everyone to get on the bus.

Jia Wangcai's Wuling Hongguang minivan has three rows of seats. To sit in the third row, you have to fold down the backrests of the second row and step over them.

It's obviously inappropriate to have two girls sit in the last row, and it would be inconvenient for them to get on and off the bus.

Xie Zhiyao, Yang Guanjun, and Xie Qiang could only squeeze into the back row.

After the backrests of the second row seats were raised, Jiang Nansun and Zhu Suosuo got into the car.

Jia Wangcai closed the car door and got into the driver's seat and passenger seat with Yang Muyi.

The car drove along the country road leading into the mountains, heading towards Xiangou Village.

On the way, Yang Muye asked about the recent situation of another junior high school classmate, Lai Yazhou.

Jia Wangcai gripped the steering wheel and raised his voice:

"Do you remember when your classmates called him 'Lai Han' back in junior high? I've realized that this guy only has a wrong name, not a wrong nickname."

“Lai Yazhou and I both failed to get into high school. At least I’m working now, so it’s not a waste of my time. But Lai Yazhou has accomplished nothing except for his glib tongue.”

This guy is like a toad trying to eat swan meat, trying to steal the Black Peony from me.

I bother!

Jia Wangcai thought to himself with disdain.

(End of this chapter)