The lead vehicle was Lin Xiaolong’s beat-up tricycle, followed by a box truck, and trailing behind them all was a bright red Mercedes. As soon as the three vehicles entered Longyang Village, they immediately drew the fervent attention of the villagers.
"Isn’t that Lin Xiaolong? What on earth is he doing driving a tricycle this early in the morning?"
"It looks like those two vehicles behind him are following him."
"Look, that’s a Mercedes in the back. That car must cost hundreds of thousands!"
"There’s a beautiful woman inside. She’s just as pretty as the one from yesterday."
"The one yesterday was driving a Mercedes, too—a G-Class."
"Good heavens, has Lin Xiaolong hit the jackpot with the ladies?"
"How can a big fool like him have such good luck?"
The villagers had never seen such a stunning beauty, and the fact that she was driving a fiery red Mercedes made Su Yaxian appear all the more beautiful and mysterious. Many of the village men’s eyes nearly lit up, and they were practically drooling, only to have their ears twisted by their own wives for staring.
Lin Xiaolong didn’t have the time to listen to their idle gossip. He drove his tricycle, leading the two vehicles to the main road by the edge of Longyang Reservoir. There was no other way; the box truck and the Mercedes would never have fit on the narrow path leading to the cherry orchard. Once there, Lin Xiaolong, with his load of fruit crates, guided Su Yaxian and Zhang Yong to the orchard.
"This is it, Sister Yaxian, Brother Yong," Lin Xiaolong said, gesturing toward his family's orchard.
Su Yaxian and Zhang Yong examined the orchard by the roadside. Upon seeing the cherry trees that had been poisoned with Paraquat, they couldn't help but frown. How could such trees possibly produce high-quality cherries? Seeing the doubt in their eyes, Lin Xiaolong smiled faintly. "Follow me."
The two exchanged glances and followed Lin Xiaolong into the orchard.
"Who is it?" Lin Xiaoxue’s voice called out from within.
"Xiaoxue, it's me," Lin Xiaolong replied.
"Brother, you’re back already?" Lin Xiaoxue was picking cherries; seeing her brother return, she immediately climbed down from the tree. She then saw a beautiful, charming woman and a burly, honest-looking man standing there, staring at the cherries on the trees in utter disbelief.
At this moment, Su Yaxian and Zhang Yong were truly stunned. When they were out on the road, they had suspected Lin Xiaolong was pulling their leg, as the cherry trees didn't look any different from those elsewhere—and some even looked like they were dying. But upon entering, they found a hidden gem: a row of cherry trees laden with the same large, round, deep-purple cherries Lin Xiaolong had delivered to the supermarket.
"Lin Xiaolong, what variety is this? This is too tempting," Su Yaxian exclaimed in wonder.
"Xiaolong, you’re going to be rich," Zhang Yong added with an honest grin.
"Many thanks to Sister Yaxian and Brother Yong for your support," Lin Xiaolong said.
"So you know I’m supporting you?" Su Yaxian stepped forward and looked at him.
"I do. If it weren't for you, how could I have sold them at such a high price and saved so much time?" Lin Xiaolong replied, feeling a bit self-conscious under her gaze.
"Good that you know. You aren't allowed to sell these cherries to anyone else. They must all go to me, understand?" Su Yaxian commanded imperiously.
"Haha, understood." Lin Xiaolong realized his cherries must be in high demand; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so insistent.
"How about we sign an exclusive contract?" Su Yaxian suggested, still feeling uneasy.
"Sister Yaxian, don't worry. I, Lin Xiaolong, keep my word. From now on, all cherries like these will go to you. Not a single one will be sold to anyone else," he promised.
"That’s what you said! If I find out you’ve sold them to someone else, see how I deal with you!" Su Yaxian threatened, shaking her small fist. It held no real intimidation, however, and only made her look quite adorable.
"Brother, is this the lady who is buying our cherries?" Lin Xiaoxue asked, walking up.
"Yes, this is Sister Yaxian. She’s going to take all of our cherries from now on at seventy yuan a catty. Sister Yaxian, this is my younger sister, Lin Xiaoxue," Lin Xiaolong introduced them.
"Oh! Little Xiaoxue, you are truly beautiful," Su Yaxian said, taking a liking to her immediately.
"Not at all, Sister is the one who is truly beautiful," Lin Xiaoxue said shyly.
"Alright, Sister Yaxian, Brother Yong, why don't you go hang out by the reservoir while Xiaoxue and I pick the rest?" Lin Xiaolong felt bad asking them to help, especially since he had secured such a great price.
"What are you saying? We’ll all pitch in," Su Yaxian insisted.
"How could I let you do that?" Lin Xiaolong said, feeling embarrassed.
Su Yaxian waved her hand. "Don't dawdle. Get to it! I want to see the customers' reactions to these."
"Alright."
The four of them began to pick, but before long, Su Yaxian had to stop, exhausted. She hadn't realized how tiring it was; her waist ached and her neck hurt. Her pace was slow, and she kept getting scratched by branches, leaving marks on her fair arms and pretty face. Angry, she tossed her basket aside. "I'm going to wait by the reservoir. Don't worry about me."
She stuck her tongue out sheepishly and left the orchard. Outside, she saw many villagers lurking about, sneaking looks at the orchard. When they saw her emerge, they scattered, pretending to just be passing by. Su Yaxian found it amusing and ignored them, heading off to the reservoir.
Seeing her leave, the villagers gathered again to whisper.
"What's going on? Why did she go into Lin Xiaolong’s orchard?"
"Could his cherries really be ripe this early?"
"They even brought a box truck to pick them up. No one has ever come to our village to collect produce before. That kid must have connections."
"City folk don't know what good cherries are. You don't think Lin Xiaolong is scamming them, do you?"
"Forget it. Xiaolong is quite honest; how could he scam them?"
"That woman is so beautiful. If I could have a wife like that, I’d die happy tomorrow."
"Damn! If you die tomorrow, what use is a wife like that? Leaving her for someone else to enjoy?"
"It’s like a ghost story. How did Lin Xiaolong suddenly get so lucky?"
Although they were full of questions, none of them dared to go inside. That was just how the villagers were: the more they were in front of outsiders, the more they tried to keep up appearances so as not to be looked down upon. In reality, this behavior only made them more annoying; after all, no one likes a sneak.
With the three of them working together, the picking went much faster. An hour later, they had cleared another tree.
"Brother Yong, let’s use the tricycle to haul these to the truck."
As Lin Xiaolong and Zhang Yong carried the crates out, the villagers who were loitering were struck dumb, looking as if they’d seen a ghost.
"My goodness, are these cherries?"
"Lin Xiaolong’s cherries are actually ripe, and the quality is amazing!"
"I’ve never seen cherries like these in my life."
"No wonder a box truck came to collect them."
"Xiaolong, what variety is this?"
"We’ve never heard of you planting any other varieties."
"Xiaolong, you can't just keep the good stuff to yourself."
"Exactly, be careful you don't choke on it."
Lin Xiaolong couldn't be bothered with them. He and Zhang Yong loaded the cherries into the box truck. When they returned to the orchard, the villagers were gone. Once inside, however, he found the villagers had all come in to help pick.
Lin Xiaolong wasn't the fool he used to be. He knew exactly what they were after—they wanted to find out the variety so they could plant it themselves. Lin Xiaolong wasn't about to spill the secret, but he wasn't about to turn down free labor, either. There were over twenty villagers helping out now.
Once finished, before anyone could ask, Lin Xiaolong headed them off. "Aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters, thank you all for the help. Here is one hundred yuan for each of you as a thank-you fee. Please don't think it's too little." He then went around transferring the money to them via his phone, leaving the villagers feeling rather awkward, as they knew their true motives.
"To be honest, our cherries are the same 'Big Red Lantern' variety as everyone else's. I don't know why this year’s crop turned out like this. You all know when I planted these trees and what they produced before. I couldn't have replanted such big trees halfway through without you noticing."
Though they still found it incredible, they knew he was telling the truth. It seemed Lin Xiaolong had simply hit a streak of good luck. Aside from being envious and jealous, they could only watch.
"Xiaolong, how much are you selling these for?" a villager asked.
Lin Xiaolong laughed it off. "The boss hasn't said yet, but probably a bit more than usual." He left for the truck, leaving the tricycle for his sister.
"Finished?" Su Yaxian asked as he approached.
"All done. How do you like the scenery, Sister?"
"It’s lovely, especially the air," she said. She was starting to like this place, though the roads were difficult.
"If you like it, come visit often," Lin Xiaolong said.
"I will," she replied happily.
"But it’s a pity your orchard only has a few trees of this variety. It’s far from satisfying my appetite, or else I’d be here every day watching you harvest," she said with a sigh of regret.
"Sister, who said it was only these few?" Lin Xiaolong smiled mysteriously. "There will be just as many tomorrow."
"Really?" she asked, pleasantly surprised.
"Of course. Just come back tomorrow."
"Fine. Come with me now to get them weighed so I can pay you."
"Sister Yaxian, just take them back, weigh them yourself, and wire the money. I trust you."
"That won't do. I have many questions for you. Get in the car!" Su Yaxian grabbed him and shoved him into the passenger seat of the Mercedes.
Half an hour later, they reached the Guoran Supermarket in the county town. The cherries weighed over two thousand catties. At seventy yuan per catty, the total came to over 145,000 yuan. Su Yaxian transferred the money on the spot.
Looking at his phone balance, which now exceeded 150,000 yuan, Lin Xiaolong felt a bit overwhelmed. It had only been two days, yet he had earned a fortune that once felt unattainable. He quickly calmed himself, however. Since receiving the inheritance of Master Longyang, he knew his potential was limitless. This was only the beginning; he couldn't afford to be arrogant over such a small sum.
"Handsome, now that you're rich, shouldn't you treat me to something?" Su Yaxian joked, patting his shoulder.
"No problem, order whatever you like today," Lin Xiaolong laughed.
"How about a picnic and barbecue at your reservoir? Can you handle that?" she asked.
"No problem at all. You're always welcome."
"It's a date. Tomorrow," she said immediately.
"Sister, you have over two thousand catties here. How many days will it take to sell them?" Lin Xiaolong asked, looking at the cherries.
"You really are inexperienced. Look at my social media."
Lin Xiaolong opened her feed and saw an exaggerated post: "Come and grab them! Super cherries you've never seen before—a feast for your taste buds! Limited supply, so don't be late!"
The post had hundreds of likes and dozens of comments within minutes.
"Sister, it looks popular. How much are you planning to sell them for?"
"I’m thinking of a 'cheap' price—one hundred yuan," she said nonchalantly.
*Gasp!* Lin Xiaolong nearly choked. *One hundred a catty, and that’s cheap? Sister, I think you have a misunderstanding of the word 'cheap'.*
"What? Can't handle me making thirty yuan a catty off you?" she asked with a smile.
"No, I’m just worried if anyone will buy them at that price."
Su Yaxian smiled confidently. "Just wait and see."
By noon, people were already arriving. A middle-aged woman on an electric scooter approached. "Beauty, where are those cherries you posted?"
"Right here, Sister," Su Yaxian said. "The latest variety, one-of-a-kind. Taste one first; if you don't like them, don't buy them."
The woman tasted one and her eyes lit up. "Delicious! How much?"
"One hundred a catty."
"That expensive?"
"There's no help for it. The supply is extremely limited, and this is the only place in the whole county that has them."
"Well, I've never seen cherries this good. Give me two catties."
Two catties sold for two hundred yuan instantly. As soon as that woman left, more people arrived—some on scooters, some walking dogs, some driving cars. They all looked wealthy, and no one left empty-handed. Some bought twenty catties at once to share with friends and family.
Soon, the Guoran Supermarket was packed. People were pushing to get their share before they sold out. Su Yaxian took photos of the frenzy and posted them, drawing even more people. Lin Xiaolong watched in amazement. At this rate, the entire stock would be sold out by tonight. While he had made a good profit at seventy yuan per catty, he realized that Su Yaxian would likely make over sixty thousand yuan in pure profit by the end of the day.