I couldn't take it anymore; when I went home for Chinese New Year, the family genealogy book ha

The packaging plant is quite efficient.

Two days after Jiang Chen placed the order, the first batch of sample bottles arrived.

The driver carried the cardboard boxes to the entrance of the shed, unpacked them, and lined them up in a row.

Under the sunlight, the row of glass bottles gleamed, each with a piece of raw linen cloth around its mouth, tied with a slipknot by a thin hemp rope, and a white label in the center bearing the four small characters "Jiang Family Spring Greeting," all quietly and peacefully.

Su Qing stood to the side with her arms crossed, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction.

Jiang Chen picked up a bottle, examined it from front to back, and found nothing wrong with it.

Just then, I heard the sound of a cane tapping on the ground behind me.

"Tap—tap—tap—"

Third Grandfather Jiang Wanhai has arrived.

Today, the old man was wearing his faded gray cotton jacket, his hands behind his back, slowly strolling this way. When he got closer, he glanced down at the row of bottles, didn't say anything, took his reading glasses out of his jacket pocket, put them on, and looked closely.

This look lasted for almost two minutes.

Jiang Chen stood to the side waiting.

Grandpa San took off his glasses, looked at them again, put them back on, and looked again.

Finally, the old man straightened up, pointed to the row of bottles with his cane, and asked:

"Chenzi, why didn't you draw a big strawberry on it?"

Jiang Chen: "..."

Grandpa San continued, "Just by writing these two characters, who would know what's inside? If I hadn't seen it made with my own eyes, I would have thought it was some kind of medicine."

Su Qing, who was standing nearby, turned her head away.

Just then, my second uncle, Jiang Jianmin, appeared out of nowhere, carrying a thermos cup, and came over as soon as he heard the noise.

He glanced at his third grandfather, then at the row of bottles, and immediately understood the situation. He then thumped his chest loudly.

"Third Uncle, you don't understand."

My second uncle waved his hand, his tone carrying a sense of certainty that "I'm already a veteran in this industry."

"This is called high-end. This is called minimalism. This is specifically for the rich people in the city."

As he spoke, he tucked the thermos under his arm and gestured, "Those people just love buying things they don't understand. If you draw a big strawberry on it, they'll think it's tacky and won't bother buying it."

Third Grandfather turned and glanced at him.

"Jianmin, do you even believe what you're saying?"

"I believe you!" Uncle said without hesitation. "I'm a die-hard minimalist now!"

Third Grandfather shook his head.

"Have city dwellers ever had their brains squeezed by a door?"

He looked down at the row of white bottles again and sighed.

"Spending a lot of money to buy a white bottle... If I had to choose, a big red lantern would be more pleasing to the eye."

Second Uncle: "Third Uncle, those red lanterns are for pasting on doors during the New Year!"

"So what?" Third Grandfather said dismissively. "It looks festive and reassuring; it makes me feel at ease buying it. This white bottle of yours looks like a medicine pot on the table. What daughter-in-law would want to buy it and put it in the kitchen?"

Uncle was taken aback by these words and was about to retort when he heard footsteps behind him.

Aunt Wang arrived, followed by Aunt Li and Old Lady Zhang. The three of them had just finished buying vegetables and were passing by when they saw a crowd gathered at the entrance of the greenhouse, so they immediately came over.

"What's this?" Aunt Wang hung the vegetable basket on her elbow and peered inside.

"The strawberry jam jar," Su Qing replied.

Aunt Wang looked down for a long time but couldn't figure it out. Finally, she focused her attention on the burlap lining around the bottle opening and frowned.

"There's a rope tied around the neck of this bottle..." She reached out and poked the slipknot. "Is it to prevent the sauce from leaking out? Is this rope strong enough? What if it comes undone after a while, and the sauce leaks out?"

Su Qing: "...That's just decoration."

"Decoration?" Aunt Wang mumbled the word "decoration" over and over, not quite understanding. She turned to Aunt Li and asked, "Do you think this rope is sturdy?"

Aunt Li took a closer look and answered very seriously, "This rope is thin; I don't think it's very strong."

Old Mrs. Zhang added insult to injury, "If you ask me, it would be better to tie it with wire; that would be much more secure."

Su Qing took a deep breath and remained silent.

She glanced down at her design draft, then looked up at the faces of the people in front of her, and silently made an assessment in her mind:

Promoting modern aesthetics in Jiangjia Village is harder than getting my second uncle to quit smoking.

It's much harder now.

Jiang Chen stood to the side, watching the whole scene unfold, his expression quite composed, showing no intention of stepping in to save the day.

Su Qing turned to look at him, her eyes screaming, "Say something!"

Jiang Chen gave her a "what's the rush?" look, then picked up a bottle from the row of bottles and walked over to his third grandfather.

"Third Grandpa, don't worry about what the bottle looks like, just taste the flavor inside first."

He unscrewed the bottle cap and handed the bottle opening over.

Third Grandfather lowered his head and sniffed, his eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything.

Jiang Chen found a small wooden spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and handed it over.

Grandpa San took it and put it in his mouth.

Then he stopped talking.

Plop, plop.

After chewing a few times, the old man's brows slowly relaxed.

After a while, Third Grandfather twirled the wooden spoon in his mouth, looked up, and said:

"The taste is really good."

He paused for a moment, then added, "It tastes much better than what we make at home. That sweet and sour flavor, yes."

Several middle-aged women nearby immediately reached out, saying, "Let me try some too!"

"I'll have a spoonful too!"

Jiang Chen handed the bottle over so they could pass it around and taste it.

Aunt Wang took a bite, moved her lips, and then nodded: "Okay, this tastes real."

Aunt Li tasted it and nodded, "It's delicious."

After tasting it, Old Lady Zhang thought for a moment and gave her final evaluation: "It tastes better than the strawberry jam in town."

Third Grandfather returned the wooden spoon to Jiang Chen, clapped his hands, and tapped the ground twice with his cane.

"Alright."

The old man put those two words very sincerely.

"If the product is good, even if it's packaged in a chamber pot, I reckon someone would still buy it."

"Third Grandfather," Jiang Chen stopped laughing, "your assessment is more effective than what the experts say."

Third Grandfather waved his hand dismissively.

"I'm just a farmer, what do I know about experts? All I know is that good quality is what truly matters. Packaging is just for outsiders. We locals appreciate the taste."

As he spoke, he turned around, leaned on his cane, and walked back. After taking two steps, he stopped and looked back at the row of bottles.

"but……"

The old man paused for a moment.

"Your white bottle really does look good on the shelf. It's not flashy. It looks clean."

After saying that, without waiting for anyone to reply, he walked away, leaning on his cane.