Collaboration
Rows of flickering lights, a gentle evening breeze. The weather was pleasant today, so the Su family decided to have dinner in the courtyard. Several mosquito-repelling plants were strategically placed around the corners, emitting a unique fragrance that kept the insects at bay.
Before each person was a large soup bowl, containing a varying number of dumplings—ranging from a dozen to several dozen. These dumplings, plump with meat, floated in the broth, their oily sheen adding an irresistible allure.
No one raised their heads as they ate. With every bite, the succulent meat juice mixed harmoniously with the refreshing taste of mustard greens. The addition of the greens helped balance the richness of the meat, transforming the dumplings into a delightful and refreshing treat. The flavors lingered on the tongue, leaving a satisfying aftertaste.
Su Mu hadn’t had mustard greens dumplings in a while. The dumplings she made at home were generously filled, with the thin skin revealing the bright green stuffing. They were small and cute. Her appetite soared, and she easily consumed over thirty dumplings, her stomach now pleasantly round.
Father Su and Fu Da were the main eaters, consuming even more. In the end, they drained every drop of soup from the table.
As night fell and everyone grew drowsy, Father Su arranged accommodations for Fu Da and his father. They were welcomed to spend the night and head back to the city the next day.
Fu Qingming didn’t want to leave the countryside environment and fresh air. Staying for an extra night was a welcomed opportunity for him. Fu Da, having left behind his piled-up work to rush here, decided to stay as well. He was genuinely interested in Su family’s wild vegetables and the twenty acres of farmland. He planned to inspect the area personally tomorrow.
The quality of the mustard greens dumplings was enough for him to invest his time.
As the day’s excitement waned, fatigue settled in. Father Su led their guests to the guest rooms. Su Mu helped her mother clean up the kitchen before returning to her room, her steps shuffling in slippers.
The new building was designed to combine the features of a city villa with the needs of the countryside. Each room had its own bathroom and a small balcony, making them spacious, bright, and incredibly comfortable.
Fu Da helped his father settle down, and then he entered the guest room arranged by Father Su. Observing the decoration and style of Su’s home, he could tell that their family was well-off. He had initially wanted to repay their lifesaving favor with money, but he dismissed the idea now.
Perhaps a cooperative partnership was a more suitable way to show gratitude than mere money.
Night enveloped the surroundings in silence. Su’s parents, accustomed to early nights and early mornings, had already fallen asleep. Fu Da handled his company’s affairs on his phone in his room.
In Su Mu’s room, however, it was lively. The Orchid Fairy and African Violet Fairy had gathered, both eager to express their grievances. They bickered animatedly.
“Mu Mu, you’re really unfair. You’re completely focused on the vegetable garden and pay no attention to us!” Talkative Little Orchid was chattering non-stop.
“The seeds we sowed a few days ago are growing well now. They’ll bloom in a few more days. Such beautiful flowers shouldn’t only blossom in the countryside. So, I have a suggestion, Mu Mu. Can you sell them nationwide?” Under the influence of Little Orchid’s persuasive words, Little Violet spoke fluently, her mouth spouting various business propositions.
Su Mu stared, dumbfounded. Wait a minute, something doesn’t seem quite right. She frowned in thought.
Seeing her owner lost in thought again, Little Orchid continued, indignant, “Mu Mu, look, your heart is clearly not with us. Maybe we should run away from home!”
“Little Orchid, calm down a bit. Mu Mu is just a little slow.” The good-natured African Violet Fairy patted the agitated Little Orchid fairy with its tiny feelers, its expression incredibly gentle.
Su Mu finally snapped back to reality and witnessed this scene. The corners of her mouth twitched. Familiar dog food? She felt strangely choked up. But what kind of combination was African Violet and orchid from two different families? She was starting to get curious.
Thanks to them, she finally figured out what was wrong. During the interstellar era, most of the fairies Su Mu created had the intellect of a four or five-year-old, at most seven or eight. But now, the two in front of her, with their sharp wit and clever behavior, were probably around ten years old or even older. No wonder they were so hard to fool!
With both fairies teaming up against her, and her alone, she was naturally pushed back step by step, feeling utterly defeated by their persistent complaints.
Su Mu waved her hand wearily, “Alright, alright. I understand your demands now. In the next few days, I’ll gather more orchids for Little Orchid, and I’ll also apply to register a flower shop to sell the violets carefully tended by Little Violet.”
“Besides these, do you have any other requirements? Speak up, but I want to make it clear that I won’t be able to fulfill any overly unreasonable requests, so don’t bother asking.”
Little Orchid’s request was simple: it wanted more orchids, as many as possible, or else it would get bored every day.
Little Violet had a pricing strategy in mind. It spoke up, “I have a rough understanding of the current prices in the flower market. So, my demand is that each flower should be priced at 99 yuan, not a penny less!”
Su Mu rubbed her ears, seemingly unable to believe what she was hearing, “Did you say how much?”
Little Violet gave her a speechless look, then repeated the price seriously, “99 yuan! Master, you heard right.”
Oh my, Little Violet was even more cunning than her! She had initially thought that pricing her water spinach at 59 yuan per kilogram was already sky-high. But Little Violet’s perspective was even broader than hers. She admired it and was completely in awe.
Water spinach could be used as a dish, while flowers…well, they could provide emotional well-being.
Su Mu couldn’t help but pour cold water on the idea, “With this price, I’m afraid the sales volume… Little Violet, you need to be mentally prepared.”
But Little Violet was unflustered. With a delicate expression on its face, it calmly replied, “It’s okay. I can ensure that the flowers remain fresh for a month.”
So, was it implying that her water spinach was just mediocre? It would go bad if not picked?
Waving her hand, she shooed them away. These little fairies were too shrewd. She seemed to have received a pre-written script to follow. She had even thought about creating another fairy to manage the vegetable garden, but now she abandoned that idea. She would consider it again later; she couldn’t even handle the two right now.
Beaten up badly, Su Mu didn’t sleep well at night. When she got up the next morning, the dark circles under her eyes caught Mother Su’s attention, who glanced at her several times and said, “Mu Mu, don’t play with your phone for so long at night. It’s not good for your health.”
Yawning, Su Mu casually nodded.
After a satisfying breakfast, she felt fully recharged. She smiled at Fu Da and said, “Big Brother Fu, do you want to come with me to the vegetable garden?”
Fu Da, who woke up refreshed, became even more convinced of his initial guess. The Su family was indeed well-off in every way.
No one’s realization was stronger than Fu Qingming’s. As people age, bodily functions decline, and various health problems arise. However, after a good night’s sleep here, he felt light and agile, as if he had returned to his younger days.
If he could, he’d want to stay here and not leave.
Energized, Fu Qingming stood with his hands behind his back, indicating that he would join them in visiting the vegetable garden. Fu Da’s attempts to persuade him were in vain, so he just went along with it.
The Su family’s paddy fields had already been partially planted yesterday. In the next two days, the rice seedlings would be fully planted. Su Mu felt sorry for her parents who, despite their age, still had to work in the fields. When she suggested hiring help, her parents vetoed the idea.
Father Su confidently explained, “I’m not that old! Look at Grandpa Li; he’s over seventy and still making and selling tofu around the village every day. I’m not incapable either. Why waste the money?”
He wasn’t wrong. In the city, some industries allowed retirement at fifty, but in rural areas, fifty was still the prime age for being the main labor force at home. Even at seventy-plus, elderly people with mobility would help with tasks they were capable of.
The group quickly arrived at the village entrance. Father Su and Mother Su went to the fields to plant rice seedlings.
Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.
Su Mu led the father and son to the vegetable garden. Grandma Li and Grandma Chen had been busy for a while already, piling fresh wild greens into two piles.
“Good morning, Grandma Li, Grandma Chen.”
“Good morning, Mu Mu.” The two elderly ladies greeted her energetically and then continued their work, not asking anything about the unfamiliar faces.
As soon as Fu Da saw the fresh and vibrant vegetables, his eyes couldn’t help but light up. Top-grade, all of them were top-grade vegetables!
He even picked a few leaves and tasted them from time to time. The juice was refreshing and abundant, lacking the bitterness of raw vegetables. Strangely, there was a sweet aftertaste. A satisfied and delighted expression appeared on Fu Da’s face.
Watching him, Su Mu’s teeth felt sour. Really?
As for that! Fu Da couldn’t wait to discuss cooperation with her.
The vegetable garden wasn’t the best place for a conversation, but that didn’t matter. The two of them sat directly on the edge of the field.
“I want all the vegetables from the field, including the wild greens,” Fu Da vaguely felt that these vegetables might be an opportunity. Perhaps he could elevate his chain of supermarkets to a higher level with these vegetables.
Su Mu shook her head. “Mr. Fu, your appetite is too big. And don’t you want to ask about the prices?”
“What price are you offering?”
“Baby bok choy at forty-nine yuan per kilogram, water spinach at fifty-nine yuan, chili peppers…” Su Mu went through the prices of the vegetables in the field and smiled. “Mr. Fu, are you still willing to take all of them?”
Fu Da’s expression was quite complicated. This price was practically equivalent to robbing money.
With wholesale prices this high, if he wanted to earn more profit, he would have to sell at a high price. His supermarket was a high-end one, but this price was too much for the average wealthy person to bear.
However, he also understood that the added value of these vegetables was far higher than the price indicated.
Seeing that he was about to say something, Su Mu shook her head directly. “Mr. Fu, you tasted the wild mustard greens produced from the field yesterday. Whether it’s worth this price, I’m sure you should have a clear understanding.”
In the end, Fu Da reluctantly agreed. One, the quality of these vegetables was indeed excellent. Two, it was also a way to repay the favor. After all, someone had saved his father’s life, and that was something no amount of money could buy.
“Mu Mu, once you sell the produce from this field, you might become rich overnight,” Fu Da sighed.
“Mutual benefit.” Businesspeople pursued profit, and Fu Da would probably earn two or three times more than her.
After reaching a preliminary cooperation agreement, Fu Da returned to the city with his father. When leaving, they took away not only dumplings and vegetables but also samples from the vegetable garden.
Before signing a contract, everything was subject to change.
After seeing off the major investor, Su Mu began to prepare for various matters related to the flower shop.
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