Chapter 24: Destined by Fate

If Zhang Ping'an were here, he would likely recognize that this woman is none other than a young version of the Thirteenth Aunt, Qin Huairu.

"Ahem, young man, you're going the wrong way if you're headed to the village chief's house. As it happens, we're going there too; let me take you."

"Alright, alright, alright, many thanks, big sister."

"Call me Auntie. My daughter is about your age. By the way, this is my daughter, Qin Huairu."

"Oh, oh, right. Auntie, miss, have some candy."

"Good, thank you, young man."

The two chatted off and on along the way, with the woman doing most of the asking, probing into Jia Dongxu's family background.

Jia Dongxu did not hide anything, and he would steal a glance at the girl beside him from time to time. The girl was the same, and occasionally their eyes would meet, both guiltily looking away.

The middle-aged woman naturally saw everything. If this could really work out, she would naturally be pleased; her daughter was a beauty for ten miles around, and quite a few people had their eyes on her.

This young man was handsome, had a good job, was a city dweller, had a house, and both parents were still alive—he was simply the ceiling of son-in-law material.

Before they even reached the village chief's house, Jia Dongxu saw the tricycle at the entrance.

"Big Brother, do you have relatives visiting?"

"Little Sister, Huairu, why are you here? This is a Purchasing Agent from the city."

"Oh? Dongxu, you have a colleague? Big Brother, I was just bringing Huairu here for the market and happened to pass by, so I came to take a look." Just look, in these few minutes on the road, she was already calling him Dongxu.

"That's right, Auntie, he is my colleague and also my uncle."

"Dongxu, I was just talking about you to the village chief."

"Yes, yes, yes, Ping'an, this is my little sister Zhang Lan and my niece Qin Huairu."

Zhang Ping'an felt a jolt. He had just thought Qin Huairu looked a bit familiar, but he wasn't sure, after all, the Qin Huairu from the drama version was already nearly forty.

He hadn't expected the young Thirteenth Aunt to be so beautiful, though her figure was a bit on the Western side, not his preferred type. Looking at his nephew's expression, he feared he had already fallen for her; it really was fate.

"Hello, Auntie." He also nodded to Qin Huairu.

"Hello. Dongxu, are you two really uncle and nephew?" Zhang Lan took one look and saw another handsome young man; it seemed this family had good genes. Qin Huairu's reaction was lukewarm, and she also nodded to Zhang Ping'an in acknowledgment.

"Yes, Auntie, my uncle is two years younger than me." After Zhang Ping'an changed his age, the family had unified their story.

"......" Zhang Lan had just wanted to say that his grandfather was quite impressive, but felt it wasn't appropriate.

Before long, notified by the village chief's youngest son, many villagers also came over to see the novelty. They lived too far from the city, and Purchasing Agents rarely came by.

"Xiaozhuang, is there really a Purchasing Agent from the city?"

"Yes, my dad has already started weighing the things at home."

"The village chief has started selling already? It seems the price is even higher than in our county town."

"Right, I'm going back to pack up my things and come straight over. Xiaozhuang, tell the village chief."

"Okay."

"We're going back to pack up too." People who had walked halfway suddenly all returned home to pack, fearing the Purchasing Agent would leave.

"Xiaozhuang, why are you the only one here?"

"Dad, the uncles have all gone home to pack their things; they'll bring them over directly."

"That's fine too, saves running back and forth."

"Ping'an, let's continue weighing."

"You got it."

Before long, the two finished their work: two cured Wild Boar legs at sixty jin, one cured wild deer leg at twenty jin, five cured pheasants at eight jin, thirteen cured wild rabbits at forty-three jin, and seventy jin of various dried wood ear mushrooms.

Three live roosters at fourteen jin, five jin of eggs, three live ducks at eleven jin, and three jin of duck eggs.

The village chief's family sold nearly two million worth.

"Zhang Daye, please count it."

"Alright, alright, alright, *ptui ptui*, ten thousand, twenty thousand..." Zhang Daye spat on his hand and began to count the money.

"Ping'an, why is there an extra four thousand?"

"I just rounded it up for you to make the accounting easier."

"Hahaha, you young man, fine, I won't argue with you. Eat at our place at noon."

"Alright, I'll do as you say."

Before long, villagers also arrived in twos and threes, basically all carrying things.

"Village chief, what are the prices?"

"Dongxu, pass out some cigarettes to everyone. Uncle, let me read them out for everyone: eggs are seven thousand per jin, or seven hundred each; cured meat is nine thousand per jin, deer meat is ten thousand, dried mushrooms and such..."

"These prices are good, about the same as selling them at the market."

"Alright, young man, you do the weighing."

"You got it."

With the village chief's help, Zhang Ping'an and the other were busy until nearly noon before they finished weighing everyone's goods.

"Come, come, come, wash your hands and get ready to eat." The village chief's wife saw they were finished and hurried over to host them.

Cured meat stir-fried with mushrooms, stewed chicken with mushrooms, Spicy Rabbit Meat, scrambled eggs, fresh fish soup—goodness, this was like a New Year's feast.

"Zhang Daye, this is too sumptuous."

"Hahaha, it's all just mountain goods, not worth much money. Don't be polite, just treat it like your own home, don't be a stranger."

"Then I won't be polite, Zhang Daye. Dongxu and I both have big appetites."

"Good, good, being polite is wrong. Eat, eat, eat, dig in, dig in."

Afterward, the uncle and nephew finished the last Steamed Bun under the stunned gazes of the crowd, then drank some soup to fill the gaps.

"Young men, you two can really eat."

"Hehe, Zhang Daye, we both practice martial arts, so our appetites are a bit large."

"No wonder then, my eldest son also practices a bit of farm-style martial arts, he hasn't returned from the mountains yet, his appetite, tsk tsk, but he still can't keep up with you two."

"......"

The two of them ate and drank their fill, then rested for over half an hour before preparing to head back.

"Zhang Daye, we are preparing to head back."

"That's fine, the road isn't short, it's better to head back early for peace of mind."

"Many thanks for your hospitality, Zhang Daye, we will come back again at this time next month."

"Good, good, good, we will save it all for you."

Both of them had their carts fully loaded, each with four or five hundred jin of goods; fortunately, having eaten and drank their fill, they had plenty of strength, and the two chatted as they swayed along the road back.

"Uncle, I..."

"What is it? Did you take a fancy to Qin Huairu? I felt you kept stealing glances at her while we were eating."

"......" I was being quite discreet, was it that obvious?

"Then Uncle, do you think my mother would agree to me marrying a country girl?"

"Shouldn't you be worrying about whether that girl has taken a fancy to you?"

"Uh, I think she should have a good impression of me too."

"Alright then, since you are confident, I will help you with San Jie; when we come over next time, we can just happen to ask the girl's side through Zhang Daye."

"Mm, good."

Back at Zhang Daye's place.

"Grandpa, this is what Uncle Ping'an gave me." Xiaozhuang walked over carrying a black cloth bag.

"What is inside?"

"I don't know either, Uncle Ping'an said to give it to you after he left."

"This young man..."

Zhang Daye opened it and saw four different packs of cigarettes, a bag of candies, six large meat buns, and twenty thousand yuan.

"Head of the house, what did Ping'an leave behind?"

"See for yourself."

"This young man is righteous."

"Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, what do you think of that Jia Dongxu?"

"He's a pretty good young man, why do you ask?"

"I think he and my Huairu have taken a liking to each other."

"Really?"

"Mm, when they were coming over, they were both secretly looking at each other. I know my girl, she is set on marrying into the city, and I think this Jia Dongxu is quite suitable."

"Mm~ that works, I'll help you ask about it when we come over next time."

"Good."