Chapter 37: Don't Even Think About Making a Single Cent Here

In the village, it's always like that: whenever something happens, the whole village gets stirred up; even the smallest thing, after being passed around by a few mouths, gets blown up into an earth-shattering big deal.

Especially when it comes to buying, selling, and making money, the villagers with meager incomes pay extra attention.

Soon, the three small vegetable plots around the six elders' homes were surrounded by villagers from Lin Jia Cun.

Wang Dama's family also came, worried someone might bully Lin Meng, and hurried to her side.

"Wang Dama, how did you guys come?"

Wang Dama smiled honestly and nodded.

"I heard you're collecting vegetables, so we came to have a look. It turns out it's the elders' place; their three households' vegetables are really good—no pesticides, and they do the weeding and pest control themselves."

Wang Dama helped introduce Lin Meng while greeting the six elders.

Wang Dama's daughter-in-law also quietly told Lin Meng:

"Their children are all unfilial, and because they spoke the truth they've been isolated by others, living a hard life."

"Speaking the truth?" Lin Meng exclaimed in surprise.

Wang Dama's daughter-in-law explained why the three elders had been ostracized; Lin Meng then learned that they had seen many villagers spraying pesticide on their own vegetables to make the leaves look greener, and had stopped them.

Thus they earned a grudge.

After hearing this, Lin Meng became even more certain she should buy vegetables from those three households.

The six elders stood awkwardly in the field, afraid the villagers would spit at them, and worried that if Lin Meng misunderstood something and refused to buy their vegetables, what would they do?

As expected, quite a few villagers who disliked them started splashing dirty water.

Especially a few villagers who liked to use high-tech harsh methods to boost the vegetables' 'freshness' cursed the harshest.

Wang Dama stepped in to reason with them, but was also loudly cursed by the villagers.

"You damned women, you sell your own pumpkins but won't let Lin Meng buy ours—you black-hearted wretches, sooner or later you'll get run over by a cart!"

"Lin Meng, whose vegetables aren't better than theirs? Don't look at them being honest and simple—they're actually rotten to the core; otherwise, how could their children abandon them?"

"Those who are pitiful must have something hateful about them!"

"Exactly, unfilial children mean the parents are at fault—don't be fooled."

The villagers had their own set of slanderous arguments, which at first hearing seemed somewhat reasonable.

If Lin Meng hadn't learned beforehand why the elders and the villagers were at odds, she probably would have been dragged into the ditch as well.

The elders already resented their children's unfiliality, feeling bitter and wounded; now, being blamed by this bunch of villagers, they were so angry they could only beat their chests.

But with just six mouths they could never outtalk so many people, so they could only suffer in silence.

Lin Meng, fearing the elders might be angered to the point of harm, raised her voice to shout at everyone to shut up.

"My business is none of yours to meddle in; I'll buy vegetables from whoever I want—what business is it of yours?"

"Besides, I've got every one of you noted; since I returned to the village, you've hardly missed a chance to insult me openly or secretly—don't think I don't know; right and wrong can't be twisted just by your few mouths."

"I can tell you plainly: anyone who has insulted me, Lin Meng, or spoken ill of my parents, forget about earning a single cent from me!"

Lin Meng completely dashed their fantasies; in an instant, a torrent of insults poured down.

"What are you even? Who cares about your few stinking coins?"

"Someone three million in debt—what face do you have to say these things? I'm waiting to see you get hacked to death by your creditors; whatever you do, don't come begging us for money!"

"Tch, it's just buying some pumpkin vegetables—don't think it's a big deal. Without you we can still sell our produce; let's go!"

After the villagers finished cursing and left, Lin Meng finally got some peace.

A bunch of troublemakers, seeing no profit to be made, turned hostile, each saying something nastier than the last.

"Don't bother with them; that's just how they are—when they can't get any advantage, they start biting at random, maybe they'll all end up regretting it."

Wang Dama's daughter-in-law comforted Lin Meng, but Lin Meng wasn't actually upset.

She had many purchasing channels; she would only have bought their vegetables if she were feeling troubled.

"Elders, don't worry about them; keep the vegetables you normally eat for yourselves, and pick the rest for me—I'll take it all."

Lin Meng didn't even check carefully what was in the vegetable plots; she just bought the whole lot.

Over on Ye Heng's side, even Chinese cabbage is considered a treasure, so these fresh leafy greens will definitely be even more popular.

Moreover, the elders' produce is absolutely safe and harmless; she'll also set aside a bit for herself to eat later.

When the six elders heard this, they were overjoyed; they had thought the deal would fall through, but Lin Meng was reasonable and completely unlike those foul-mouthed villagers.

"Great, old lady, let's get started quickly."

"Pick out the bad ones, don't sell them to Lin Yatou."

Wang Dama and her husband, along with her daughter-in-law, also came to help pick the vegetables, chatting with the elders as they worked.

Lin Meng, on the other hand, didn't go into the field—first, she'd never done farm work before; second, she was the one paying, so she had no reason to feel embarrassed.

The three plots together yielded barely five large baskets of vegetables.

The elders were very conscientious, shaking off all the dirt from the vegetable roots and never shortchanging the scale.

Wang Dama helped weigh and calculate the price, showing no favoritism to the elders nor giving Lin Meng a discount, offering a fair price that came to 350 in total.

Five large baskets of fresh vegetables, each basket half a person tall, worth only 350—Lin Meng once again felt the hardship of these old farmers.

She pulled out the cash she had prepared in advance, knowing many elderly villagers don't use smartphones, and gave them six hundred yuan in cash.

"Keep this six hundred; the remaining two hundred fifty will be your deposit—next time I come to buy your vegetables, be sure to hold some aside for me."

The elders took the six hundred with their trembling, withered eyes, their eye sockets already slightly reddened.

Seeing this, Wang Dama was especially glad for the elders; everyone has it tough, she can't help others, but Lin Meng can.

"Great, elders, from now on you won't have to struggle carrying loads to town to sell vegetables; just give all your produce to me, and I'll connect you with Lin Meng."

"Thank you so much, little Lin Meng; we few old geezers managed to earn six hundred all at once, all thanks to you."

Lin Meng waved her hands repeatedly:

"No need to thank me, elders; I'm also collecting for a friend—we're all from the same village, let's make money together."

Only after the six elderly people thanked her profusely did Lin Meng leave.

On the way back, she kept feeling emotional, as just six hundred yuan almost brought them to tears—life was indeed very hard.

From now on, let's prioritize purchasing vegetables from their three families; we can consider it a good deed.

As usual, the five big baskets of vegetables were moved to the village granary for storage by the kind-hearted Wang Da Ma's family.

Lin Meng didn't dare delay; upon returning home she immediately rode her little donkey toward Clear Pond Town.

With so many pumpkins to move, we definitely need to find a small warehouse to use as a transfer point.

In the future we might need to provide Ye Heng with even more material support; working in Lin Jia Cun is always inconvenient, leaving us feeling restricted.

She needs to hurry to Clear Pond Town and rent a warehouse.

The warehouse lease went smoothly; the renovated old factory, with three spacious bays, rents for only two thousand yuan a month in Clear Pond Town.

The boss handed over the key and then left.

Lin Meng tidied up quickly by herself, then immediately went to the market to look for a hauler.

The next morning, a blue-painted small truck rumbled into the village, and Lin Meng sat in the passenger seat.

The passing villagers saw it, and their faces grew worse and worse…