Lin Xiaolong took out his phone, searched for a clip of a ghost grinning eerily in a horror movie, and turned the volume down to the lowest setting to listen. Sure enough, the effect was exceptional; hearing that suddenly out in the wilderness in the dead of night would undoubtedly scare the living daylights out of anyone.
Then, he paused the clip and turned the volume all the way up.
After that, he slipped the phone into his pocket and walked silently toward the edge of the cherry orchard.
On the dirt path outside the orchard, Wang Yanhong was holding a flashlight in one hand and a thin bamboo pole in the other, hurrying toward Lin Xiaolong's family cherry orchard.
To be honest, coming to a place like this in the middle of the night scared her to death.
It was just that that little bastard Lin Xiaolong had actually dared to speak to her like that today, and the crucial point was that he had actually brought such a gorgeous, wealthy young girl home and even chased Liu Erhu away.
He had stolen all the spotlight, which was simply infuriating.
Wang Yanhong was naturally a malicious and vicious person. Because Lin Xiaolong’s grades were better than her son Lin Yongqiang’s, and he had been accepted into a far superior university compared to her son, she had always been green with envy and constantly made things difficult for Lin Xiaolong’s family.
After Lin Xiaolong was beaten into a simpleton and forced to drop out of school, Lin Qiusheng became disabled, and Wang Ju suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Not only did Wang Yanhong feel not a shred of sympathy, but she even gloated, gossiping everywhere that it was retribution for Lin Xiaolong’s family.
To reach such a pinnacle of being a terrible aunt was truly unmatched.
"I’ll teach you to scare me with calling the police. I’ll teach you to show off and bring such a pretty woman home. I won't spray your cherries with Paraquat; I'll knock all the cherries off your trees instead. Let's see what the hell you'll sell then!"
Muttering to herself to pluck up her courage, she looked around.
Plagued by a guilty conscience and superstition, she kept feeling as though someone was following right behind her.
Just a few days ago, two elderly people who had passed away were buried in the nearby graveyard, and she was genuinely terrified.
Finally reaching Lin Xiaolong’s cherry patch, she let out a sigh of relief.
Wielding the bamboo pole, she sneaked inside. Circumnavigating the cherry trees she had poisoned with Paraquat herself, she raised the pole, preparing to strike the fruit on one of the trees.
"Hehehe, hahahahaha, hehehehehe haha..."
Suddenly, a gloomy, spine-chilling ghostly laughter exploded right beside her ear.
The sound felt as though it were ringing directly against her eardrum.
Wang Yanhong’s body gave a violent jolt, and every hair on her body stood on end.
At that moment, everything in the world seemed to vanish.
Only this eerie, terrifying ghost laughter remained, as if it were about to swallow her whole.
A shrill scream suddenly tore through the air.
The bamboo pole flew out of Wang Yanhong's hand, and she whirled around, running wildly toward the exit.
Unable to bother dodging the tree branches, Wang Yanhong bolted out in a reckless, blundering dash.
Fortunately, she had only been on the outer edge of the orchard; otherwise, running the way she did, she probably would have crashed straight into a tree and killed herself.
The ghostly laughter seemed to be right on her heels, rapidly closing the distance.
So terrified was Wang Yanhong that warmth spread between her legs, and she peed right in her pants.
Just as she reached the path, she stumbled and took a heavy, face-first tumble onto the ground.
Instantly, her two front teeth were knocked out.
Yet now, she could no longer feel the pain.
Scrambling up in a frantic panic, she began screaming in terror like a mad person as she ran at top speed along the path back toward the village.
With his phone still tucked in his pants pocket, Lin Xiaolong strolled leisurely out of the orchard. Watching the figure that looked nearly frightened out of her wits, a trace of disdain crossed his face.
This time was just a small lesson for her; if there is a next time, it won't be nearly this simple.
That night, the entire Longyang Village heard the terrified screams of a woman.
As for Lin Xiaolong, he simply returned to the shack, went inside, and fell soundly asleep.
He still had to wake up early tomorrow to pick cherries.
He completely forgot about the jade bottle left lying on the ground outside.
Spiritual energy continued to pour endlessly into the jade bottle. Much like humid air condensing into dew, tiny droplets of green spiritual liquid slowly began to appear inside the jade bottle once again.
Though extremely sparse, it was steadily and slowly increasing.
Chapter 24: About to Strike It Rich
At the first light of dawn the next day, Lin Xiaolong got up.
As soon as he stepped out of the shack, he caught sight of the jade bottle.
A jolt went through Lin Xiaolong's heart, and he silently berated himself for being so careless.
Such a precious item had completely slipped his mind, left discarded on the ground without a second thought.
If someone else had picked it up, it would have been a huge hassle.
He hurriedly picked up the jade bottle.
Yet the moment he lifted it, he froze in utter astonishment.
The jade bottle, which had been completely empty yesterday, now held a thin layer of spiritual liquid at the very bottom.
Indeed, it was undoubtedly spiritual liquid.
Lin Xiaolong sensed it carefully; the concentration of spiritual energy in this liquid was virtually identical to what had been in the bottle previously.
What on earth was going on?
A surge of joyful surprise washed over Lin Xiaolong. Could it be that simply leaving the bottle's cap open caused it to automatically absorb the spiritual energy from the air and condense it into spiritual liquid inside?
If so, this bottle was far too magical.
However, now that daylight had arrived, the spiritual energy inside began to seep outward.
Lin Xiaolong hurriedly plugged the bottle tightly with its stopper and tucked it into his pocket.
Based on this, it seemed likely that spiritual energy only condensed during the night.
He could completely test this out again tonight.
Filled with immense joy, Lin Xiaolong then went to check the ten cherry trees he had watered with the diluted spiritual liquid.
Although he was mentally prepared beforehand, upon seeing the massive, plump, purplish-red cherries hanging from the trees, Lin Xiaolong still almost couldn't help crying out in delight.
The fruit on these ten cherry trees was identical to yesterday's single tree, with cherries that looked mouth-wateringly tempting.
Yesterday's single cherry tree had sold for over 13,000 yuan.
Every single one of today's cherry trees was a match for yesterday's.
Wouldn't that mean that even at yesterday's prices, they could easily sell for over 130,000 yuan?
At this rate of making money, paying off Liu Erhu's 150,000 yuan would be absolute child's play.
Moreover, Lin Xiaolong didn't actually intend to pay back Lin Erhu the full 150,000.
With an annual interest rate of 100,000, if Lin Xiaolong really paid that, wouldn't he still be the same village idiot he used to be?
When it came to thugs and ruffians like that, Lin Xiaolong wasn't going to indulge their tempers.
After inspecting the ten cherry trees, though overjoyed, Lin Xiaolong didn't let the excitement cloud his judgment.
He still had those cherry trees sprayed with Paraquat lingering on his mind.
Furthermore, he held a faint expectation that the spiritual liquid would, to a greater or lesser extent, have some kind of effect on those trees as well.
With this thought, Lin Xiaolong could hardly wait to go check on them.
Upon looking, Lin Xiaolong was once again dumbfounded.
The cherry tree that had been watered with the diluted spiritual liquid had now completely returned to its former state—lush and vibrant, with its cherries restored to their original condition, showing not the slightest trace of having been sprayed with Paraquat pesticide.
This made Lin Xiaolong even wonder if he had miscounted the trees.
After carefully inspecting and verifying them, he confirmed that he definitely hadn't made a mistake.
Because the other nine trees in the same row as this one were in an even more wretched state, with many leaves and fruits already littering the ground.
The trees were washed in withered yellow, looking practically dead.
No wonder the state banned the use of Paraquat; it was truly ruthless.
These trees represented the hard work of his parents and younger sister; if they really died like this, it would be an absolute tragedy.
To irrigate the land, one had to find the person in charge of the pump house to turn on the generator.
The cherry orchard had just been watered, so getting Liu Sanchang at the pump house to turn on the generator again for just these nine trees was something he almost certainly wouldn't be willing to do.
Without hesitation, Lin Xiaolong grabbed two buckets and ran straight to the Longyang Reservoir, hauling water directly from it.
Fortunately, the cherry orchard was right next to the Longyang Reservoir. Though hauling water like this was exhausting, for the current Lin Xiaolong, it wasn't too difficult.
After running back and forth a few times, he had given each of the nine cherry trees a bucket of water.
At the same time, he dripped a single drop of spiritual liquid under each tree.
As for whether they would return to their original state by tomorrow, that wasn't something he could control.
Still, judging by his previous experience, it should be close.
However, the yield of cherries from these trees would probably do well to retain even a quarter of their previous amount.
Once he finished all this, Lin Xiaolong immediately called his younger sister.
"Brother, hurry home for dinner, I've already made it." As soon as the call connected, his sister's voice came through.
"Xiaoxue, borrow Aunt Zhang's tricycle and hurry over to the cherry orchard," Lin Xiaolong said.
"Huh? Brother, are there more cherries ripe?" Lin Xiaoxue asked skeptically.
After all, yesterday's tree seemed to her like a complete mutation, and such a phenomenon could surely never happen a second time.
"Just listen to me, you'll see when you get here," Lin Xiaolong said.
"Alright, I'm heading over."
Though she felt it was impossible, hearing her brother's tone made her feel that some good news must have occurred.
She quickly ran over to their neighbor Aunt Zhang to borrow the tricycle.
Since Lin Xiaolong had returned the tricycle with its gas tank completely full yesterday, Aunt Zhang was in a very good mood.
The moment Lin Xiaoxue asked to borrow the tricycle, Aunt Zhang agreed without a second thought.
Anyway, the tricycle was only used to transport cherries to market after picking them, and her own family's cherries wouldn't be ripe for at least another week, so she didn't need it right now.
Riding the tricycle, Lin Xiaoxue quickly arrived at the cherry orchard.
Lin Xiaolong was waiting at the intersection. Seeing his sister arrive, he immediately took her by the hand and led her into the orchard.
"Brother, what's going on? Don't tell me there really are cherries like yesterday's," Lin Xiaoxue said with a smile.
"Look for yourself." Lin Xiaolong pointed to the cherry tree in front of them.
At that sight, Lin Xiaoxue's jaw dropped, her face plastered with shock and disbelief.
"Oh my god! How is this possible?" Lin Xiaoxue grabbed her brother's arm so tightly that she actually hurt him.
"Xiaoxue, the time for our family to get rich has arrived." Lin Xiaolong affectionately patted his sister's hair. "Stop staring, let's hurry up and pick the cherries. Today, your brother is going to sell them for even more than yesterday."
"Okay." Lin Xiaoxue nodded excitedly and stepped forward, eagerly beginning to harvest the fruit.
Picking cherries was undeniably a very tedious task.
The brother and sister spent another solid two hours picking all the cherries off just one tree.
Another dozen or so buckets—over two hundred pounds.
"Brother, the tricycle can only hold this much at most, and our family doesn't have any extra buckets left," Lin Xiaoxue said.
"No problem, I'll haul these to the county town to sell first. You stay here and watch the place, don't let anyone in," Lin Xiaolong instructed. "I'll buy some more buckets when I come back."
"I understand, brother." Lin Xiaoxue certainly knew the character of those people in the village; if they found out her family's cherries looked like this, they would probably start making trouble again.
Lin Xiaolong loaded the cherries onto the tricycle, covered them with a tarp, and then drove off rapidly toward the county town.
Chapter 25: Guoran Supermarket
Driving the tricycle, Lin Xiaolong arrived at the outskirts of the county town and called Su Yaxian.
After a long while, the call was finally picked up.
A lazy, pleasant voice sounded: "Who is it?"
"Sister Yaxian, it's me, Lin Xiaolong," Lin Xiaolong said.
"Lin Xiaolong?" The person on the other end seemed unable to recall who that was.
Lin Xiaolong couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. Just yesterday she had said his mouth was quite sweet, and today she had already forgotten who he was.
Were beauties in the city all this forgetful?
Just as Lin Xiaolong was feeling disappointed, the person on the other end suddenly sounded as though she had just woken up: "Oh, it's you, Lin Xiaolong. Why are you calling me this early in the morning? Do you know how annoying it is to disturb someone's sweet dream?"
Only then did Lin Xiaolong realize that Su Yaxian was still half-asleep and not fully awake yet.
Judging by her tone, however, she didn't seem angry in the slightest.
"Sister Yaxian, my cherries are here. Do you still want them?" Lin Xiaolong asked with a smile.
Actually, he wasn't really worried that Su Yaxian wouldn't want them. Even if she had money to burn, she couldn't possibly buy that many cherries just to eat for fun.
Even if he went back to sell them at the residential complex entrance, given how popular the cherries were, they would undoubtedly sell out fast.
"Same as yesterday's?" Su Yaxian's excited voice came through the phone.
"Yeah, exactly the same—big, round, and purplish-red," Lin Xiaolong said, baffled as to why Su Yaxian was so excited.
"Fantastic! Bring them straight to my fruit supermarket," Su Yaxian said excitedly.
A fruit supermarket?
Only then did Lin Xiaolong understand why Su Yaxian wanted him to sell all of them to her.
Turns out she owned a fruit supermarket.
That made things even better, saving him the hassle and effort of selling them in small batches.
"Alright, but where is your fruit supermarket?" Lin Xiaolong asked.
"Guoran Supermarket. Don't tell me you've never heard of it," Su Yaxian said.
Lin Xiaolong gave a bitter smile: "I really haven't heard of it."
"Fine, you win. I'll send you my location on WeChat, just head over there. I'm rushing to the store myself now," Su Yaxian said, sounding speechless.
"Okay, Sister Yaxian."
Hanging up, Lin Xiaolong soon received the location pin Su Yaxian sent on WeChat.
Starting up the tricycle, Lin Xiaolong turned on his navigation and headed toward Guoran Supermarket.
By the time Lin Xiaolong reached Guoran Supermarket, Su Yaxian had just arrived as well.
The store clerks had also just started their shifts, as it was still too early—not yet eight o'clock in the morning.
Guoran Supermarket was in a prime location right in the bustling commercial district. Its decor style was exceptionally fresh and natural, giving people the feeling of stepping into a wilderness, immediately suggesting that the fruit inside would be exceptionally fresh.
Su Yaxian clearly hadn't had time to put on makeup, but she was naturally pretty anyway, making her look like a lotus emerging from the water—fresh, sweet, and heart-stirring.
Seeing Lin Xiaolong staring blankly at her, Su Yaxian shot him a sidelong glance: "What are you looking at? Never seen a beauty before?"
Lin Xiaolong smiled sheepishly: "I've seen beauties, just never such a gorgeous one."
"Flatterer."
Hearing Lin Xiaolong say that, Su Yaxian looked thoroughly pleased.
She stepped over to the tricycle and lifted the tarp, instantly freezing in shock once again.
Although she had already seen this kind of cherry yesterday, that was only a handful of leftover berries.
Seeing so many massive, purplish cherries all at once today, Su Yaxian still found it somewhat incredible.
"Alright, I'll take all of them. Seventy yuan a pound, how about that? Sister is treating you pretty well, right?" Su Yaxian said happily.
"Sister, at seventy yuan a pound, won't you fail to sell them and end up with stagnant inventory?" Lin Xiaolong asked with some concern.
After all, when he sold them for sixty yuan a pound yesterday, he already felt he was pricing them rather high.
There were plenty of rich people in the city, but fruit costing sixty or seventy yuan a pound certainly wasn't something ordinary people could afford to eat.
Su Yaxian patted Lin Xiaolong on the shoulder: "Rest assured, sister doesn't do loss-making businesses."
"That's good then," Lin Xiaolong said, beginning to unload the cherries.
"Lili, come over and help," Su Yaxian called out to a clerk.
Lili ran over from inside the store and, seeing the cherries Lin Xiaolong had just unloaded, cried out in astonishment: "Oh my god, where are these cherries from? They look way too good."
"Hehe, heaven's secrets cannot be divulged," Su Yaxian said, then sighed, "It's just a pity there are too few."
"Too few? I have more back there," Lin Xiaolong said immediately.
"More?" Su Yaxian's pretty eyes practically lit up with sparks.
"Yeah, ones just like these. I've got about nine tricycles' worth left," Lin Xiaolong said.
"Wonderful! I want all of them. Why didn't you bring them all at once?" Su Yaxian was so happy she nearly jumped for joy.
"Sister Yaxian, my tricycle can only hold this much at most. Besides, can your little supermarket sell that many cherries in a day? This stuff doesn't keep well," Lin Xiaolong reasoned, looking out for her.
"Underestimating people, aren't you? Sister runs a chain of supermarkets; just here in the county town, we have fifteen locations. No matter how many you have, I can clear them all for you," Su Yaxian said.
"What? Fifteen locations? Sister, you're way too awesome!" Lin Xiaolong was genuinely stunned.
To be so young and yet own so many fruit shops—if a guy could marry a beauty like this...
Tsk tsk!
He could probably shave twenty years off his hard work.
"So-so," Su Yaxian said with rare modesty, though a smug air leaked through no matter how one looked at it.
"Alright then, let's unload quickly so I can head back and haul more. Looks like I'll have to make over ten trips today." Lin Xiaolong quickly resumed moving the cherries.
"Dummy, when would you ever finish delivering them with this tricycle of yours? I have a specialized refrigerated box truck here for transporting fresh fruit. I'll have him go with you to haul them, one truckload and it's done."
"Really?"
"Would I lie to you?" Su Yaxian immediately made a call: "Brother Yong, hurry over to the main store and help me haul some cherries."
"Then I'll go buy some more buckets," Lin Xiaolong chimed in.
"Dummy, my box truck has specialized crates for holding fruit, you don't need your buckets," Su Yaxian said with a smile.
Being called a dummy twice in a row left Lin Xiaolong feeling rather embarrassed.
Yet Su Yaxian wasn't really making fun of his intelligence; it was obvious she was just bantering with him.
Soon, a man in his thirties drove a box truck over. This man was the Brother Yong whom Su Yaxian had called—Zhang Yong by name, with an honest, robust face.
"Brother Yong, follow Lin Xiaolong to their village. I'll drive over too," Su Yaxian said.
"Sister Yaxian, you're coming too?" Lin Xiaolong asked.
"Of course I am. I have to go see what variety these cherries of yours are, and what's so special about that place that it can grow such amazing fruit." Su Yaxian's curiosity was truly piqued.
"Great, I was just lacking someone to help me pick cherries anyway," Lin Xiaolong joked.
"Sister is not going there to be your coolie. Asking me to pick cherries for you? No way in hell," Su Yaxian retorted playfully.
With that, the three of them set off in their vehicles toward Longyang Village.