Chapter 8 ： Apples are in demand
Chapter 8 : Apples are in demand
On that sunny afternoon, Li Shaofan's mother looked at him sideways with a hint of disdain at the corner of her mouth. "At that time, I asked you to learn to say, but you refused to admit it. Now you know how difficult it is, right?" There was a trace of reproach in her voice.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Li Shaofan's face. He scratched his head and looked at the scale in his hand. In fact, he did not understand the scales and nouns. In his eyes, it was just a scale bar, weight and hook. But he said,"Mom, why don't you come into town with me tomorrow?" He wanted his mother to see that his apples sold for a high price. That must have been the happiest thing for her.
Mrs. Li's heart stirred. Although she wanted to go, she still shook her head." I won't go. I have something to do tomorrow."
Li Shaofan smiled bitterly helplessly." Then what should I do? Should I use my hands as a weight?"
"Leave this to me. I'll go out for a while. You stay at home and watch the apple." Mother said, turning to leave.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Li Shaofan shouted, but his mother didn't answer. She just walked away without looking back, leaving Li Shaofan confused. What happened to his mother today? Why was she so mysterious?
After his mother left, Li Shaofan began to get busy. He divided the apples into three categories according to their size: the large ones were about one jin, the medium ones about eight liang, and the small ones about half jin. Although there was some trouble, he did it in good order.
"Do I have to sell it tomorrow?" After sorting, he touched the sweat on his forehead and drank a mouthful of cold water. He looked at the motorcycle full of apples and muttered to himself.
At this time, the mother came back, she brought a let Li Shaofan surprised people-Liu Zihan. "Fan Zi, I'll find you a helper. I'll go with you tomorrow." his mother introduced.
Liu Zihan greeted Li Shaofan shyly," Brother Shaofan." She is wearing a white dress and pink slippers today, looking fresh and lovely. Li Shaofan replied awkwardly.
"Zihan is here." Although he felt a little uncomfortable, Li Shaofan still greeted him. He looked at Liu Zihan and suddenly felt that the sun seemed to be especially bright today. Even her smile was especially dazzling. In Li Shaofan's mind, that pink underwear was always lingering. Every time he closed his eyes, that image would appear before his eyes. This pair of underwear was a secret memory that happened between him and Liu Zihan by the small river ditch in their village.
Brother Shaofan, tomorrow I'll go with you to sell apples in the city." Liu Zihan's voice rang out again. Her eyes were a little evasive, as if she was still haunted by the accident that day.
Li Shaofan looked at his mother with a trace of doubt in his eyes. His mother smiled knowingly, as if she had seen through his thoughts." Zihan, this child, although she is young, she is very smart and capable. She often goes to fairs with your Aunt Liu. She has experience."
Liu Zihan blushed shyly when she heard the praise." Auntie, I'm just helping my mother. Please don't praise me like that."
Li Shaofan smiled and took out a few apples from the basket." Come, Zihan, have an apple to quench your thirst."
Liu Zihan waved her hand hurriedly." No, no, I just need some cold water. I think I'll keep the apples for sale." She was obviously afraid that she would eat these apples that could be exchanged for money.
"Alright, alright. Just eat it. Take it as my salary." Li Shaofan teased.
Thank you, Brother Shaofan." Liu Zihan said softly and took the apple." Then I'll go back first. I'll look for you tomorrow morning." After saying that, she turned around and left. Her skirt fluttered like a blooming lotus flower.
Mother Li looked at her son's expression and couldn't help but tease him." What's wrong? Are you stupid? Do you like it?"
Li Shaofan came back to his senses and smiled." Mom, what are you talking about? Zihan is still young." During that harvest season, the Li's apple orchard became the focal point of the village. Li Shaofan's mother, a passionate middle-aged woman, had already drawn a perfect picture of her son's daughter-in-law in her heart, and that girl named Liu Zihan was the ideal candidate in her heart.
"What's wrong with being two years younger? It's been said on TV that age isn't a problem." Mother Li's words were filled with confidence and enthusiasm. She glared at Li Shaofan as if she was blaming her son for not being flirty. "The image of my daughter-in-law is like Zihan."
Li Shaofan smiled bitterly in his heart. He knew his mother's impetuousness too well. If he made any changes, his mother would definitely go to matchmaker Zhang immediately. He quickly changed the topic and talked about his big apple harvest, hoping that his mother would shift her attention to more important things.
In order to celebrate this rare harvest, Li Shaofan's mother specially made dumplings for Li Shaofan. The next morning, Li Shaofan drove Liu Zihan into the city.
On the long way into the city, Liu Zihan curiously asked: "The whole village is discussing, why your family's apples can be like this, others can not?"
Li Shaofan pretended to be confused and joked," Maybe there's smoke coming from our ancestral grave." However, his heart began to become vigilant. Liu Zihan seemed to have sensed something, which made him feel a little uneasy.
Liu Zihan pondered for a moment and said doubtfully,"Strange, this thing must be strange." How can there be no reason why the apple became like this overnight?" Her eyes sparkled sharply. Clearly, she was not an ordinary village girl.
Li Shaofan praised her in his heart. This girl was indeed intelligent. On the surface, he seemed relaxed, but his heart had already stirred up waves. He knew that there was a bigger secret behind this mystery, and that this secret might change the fate of him and the entire village. Li Shaofan and Liu Zihan walked side by side on the sunlit path. The air was filled with a faint fruity aroma. Li Shaofan couldn't help but think of the red apples in the car. He decided to change the topic and no longer delve into the mystery of Liu Zihan's trip.
"Oh right, Liu Zihan, what price do we plan to sell the apples for this time?" Li Shaofan blinked and asked tentatively.
Liu Zihan frowned slightly, obviously thinking about how to answer. She said softly," The quality of apples this year isn't very good. There are very few good apples."
Li Shaofan nodded, feeling the same way. After thinking for a moment, he decided to sell them one by one. "The big ones cost ten yuan each, the medium ones cost eight yuan each, and the small ones cost six yuan each."
Liu Zihan's eyes widened when she heard this. She was obviously a little surprised. "Ah? Aren't we selling by weight?"
Li Shaofan smiled and patted her shoulder gently. "Selling by weight? I don't know my name. How tired would your arms be if you sold all the apples in this cart? Your mother will hunt down half of my village with a kitchen knife."
Liu Zihan couldn't help but laugh when she heard that. She lowered her head and a trace of shyness appeared on her face. "Actually, I'm going to buy some things for girls."
Li Shaofan was stunned and immediately felt a little embarrassed. He scratched his head and laughed dryly." This…I'm sorry, I didn't know."
The two of them smiled at each other, and the awkward atmosphere instantly dissipated. They continued to chat about Apple's business, as if the incident had never happened. In the waves of life, Liu Zihan and Li Shaofan grow up together, they understand each other, know that life is not easy. Liu Zihan's mother, a virtuous woman in the past, became strong and stubborn because of her husband's death. All her changes were to protect young Liu Zihan. Li Shaofan knew all about it and never misunderstood it.
The apple harvest was not good that year, but the price of apples on the market remained high. However, Li Shaofan bought it at a high price, and his behavior was puzzling. He smiled and explained,"That's how it works, girl. You see, although our apples are expensive, the demand is even greater." His prediction was accurate, and the apples sold out that day in just an hour.
When they arrived at the stall again, people were already waiting there. When Li Shaofan's car stopped, they rushed forward. He soothed everyone loudly: "Don't crowd, there are many apples today." He offered apples at three prices: ten dollars a piece, eight dollars a piece, and six dollars a piece. People rushed to buy, shouting one after another, bustling.
Zhao Dexiang, a manager of a large enterprise, was also in the crowd. He bought all the remaining apples without hesitation and threw out a sheaf of money. Li Shaofan realized that he had a little too much money. "Manager Zhao, this money is a little too much." he reminded. Zhao Dexiang looked at him and smiled." This is a compliment to your business vision, little brother." Li Shaofan had never expected Zhao Dexing to be so generous. He had spent thousands of gold at a time, which was simply beyond his imagination. Zhao Dexing said nonchalantly," This ten thousand is considered as a deposit for the next apple purchase. As long as there are the same apples, Blue Sea and Blue Sky will buy them all. The price is negotiable."
Liu Zihan was stunned by what she saw. How could this be selling apples? It was clearly someone else rushing to deliver money to her door. In just one hour, they sold out all the apples and earned more than ten thousand yuan. This was simply unbelievable. Li Shaofan and Liu Zihan felt ecstatic.