Chapter 110

Gu Xixi passed several villages along the way that had survived the plague's devastation, with all undertakings lying in waste, awaiting revival.

The holiday had just ended, yet these places showed no trace of lingering joy.

The children gathering firewood, upon seeing strangers, curiously stopped to watch; their little faces were thin and sallow, yet they could not hide the pure vitality of life.

A woman carrying a baby, one hand leading a sheep and the other holding a wooden bucket, her face already bore the imprint of sorrow from years of hardship. Yet when she lifted her gaze toward her distant home, hope glimmered in her eyes.

: "……" not.

What they saw and heard along the way strengthened Gu Xixi and others' resolve.

Northwest appears. Also agricultural flower.

Cloud Ridge County.

From time to time, horse-mounted caravans passed by, and occasionally one could see camels.

It was just the time when the city gates opened in the morning; going further ahead, it became increasingly bustling.

Residents near the county town carried loads on poles, various agricultural products, livestock of all sizes, live chickens and ducks, and even live fish soaked in water buckets…

They spoke in the local accent, discussing with acquaintances today's prices in the city.

Qing Tian County appears. Also Western Regions appears. Also around Qing Tian County.

Gu Xixi, Meng Dangni. Also map.

Central Street. Also horse carriage.

Cloud Ridge County.

four small markets. Also exotic goods. Also seedlings.

These four markets, like satellites surrounding the central street, appear unrelated, yet in fact they have some little-known connections.

Seedling Market.

Western Regions merchants. Also Seedling Merchants Association.

Inn.

Central Street.

Therefore, outsider merchants and tourists mostly choose to stay nearby, not far from the central street, but the prices are much cheaper.

: none.

Seedling Merchants Association.

Local merchants.

Pinfuo fruit tree.

Pinfuo fruit.

Similarly the vibhitaki fruit appears later.

We'll include "Pinfuo fruit tree" as named entity.

Wanting to buy so many Pinpo fruit tree saplings at once, and also selecting the best among them, it's unlikely to be as smooth as buying ordinary saplings.

: none.

Gu Xixi this time intends to act ostentatiously.

She lives on Central Street; first, it's convenient to blend in and become familiar, and second, it gives her a respectable appearance.

Afterwards, whoever notices her and wants to assess her abilities will find it convenient, right?

In the afternoon, Gu Xixi went to the sapling market as planned.

The sapling market is large; each stall is actually a small nursery.

Shop with an 'An' character lacquer sign.

Shopkeeper.

His tone was relaxed, obviously not in a hurry about whether he could close this deal with Gu Xixi.

Gu Xixi walked a few steps inside, looked around, and said, "I have a piece of empty land at home; I always feel something is missing."

: none.

The shopkeeper laughed and said, "Then you've come to the right place."

Pear, crisp pear, fragrant pear, snow pear, apricot, plum apricot, red apricot, golden apricot.

"Pear trees symbolize longevity, apricot trees sound like 'luck'; both are auspicious, and when they bloom in spring they are especially elegant. They are the most suitable fruit trees to plant at home."

Gu Xixi carefully examined the several saplings recommended by the shopkeeper.

Although it's this season and the saplings have no leaves, an expert can still tell whether the goods are genuine.

Peach tree, flat peach.

Flat peach, Governor's manor.

At this moment, Gu Xixi had already formed an opinion of this shop in her mind.

Pinfuo fruit.

Retail business.

An Nursery.

If the shopkeeper weren't idle right now, he wouldn't be giving such a lengthy recommendation.

The shopkeeper sized up Gu Xixi, his expression turning serious, and said, "From your accent, you're not a local, are you?"

Gu Xixi said, "I'm also from the northwest; I live in Qing Tian County, not far from here."

The shopkeeper said, "We do have Pinpo fruit trees; how many do you want? Our shop doesn't do retail to individual customers."

Two hundred trees.

"Any additional orders later will only be more, not less."

The shopkeeper stared in surprise, his posture becoming upright.

He cupped his hands toward Gu Xixi and said, "I can't decide this myself; I still need to inform the boss."

"May the customer kindly tell us your address? Another day our boss can visit to discuss this formally."

"Still need to postpone?" Gu Xixi lightly laughed and shook her head, "Looks like the efficiency of the business community in Yunling County is nothing more than this."

"Forget it, I'll go check another shop." She said, turning and heading out.

"Guest, please wait!" The shopkeeper, after a brief struggle, said, "Please wait a moment, I'll fetch the boss right away."

Gu Xixi watched the shopkeeper hurry inside, the corner of her mouth curling into a sly smile.

Before coming, she already knew that the Western Regions Pinpo fruit trees of Cloud Ridge County were sold only to three kinds of people: nobles, acquaintances, and those with connections.

She belonged to none of those three categories.

So she deliberately quoted a price of two hundred, at least making the shopkeeper reluctant to refuse outright.

Not long after, a man dressed in exotic attire walked out.

The man was much younger than Gu Xixi had expected, tall and straight, his full beard hiding his original features, only his high nose bridge and a pair of gray-blue eyes standing out.

The man looked at Gu Xixi, his eyes lighting up, he enthusiastically opened his arms and ran over, "Oh, beautiful Eastern rose, may I ask how I can be of service to you?"

Gu Xixi was speechless: "……"

She had thought the other party would directly refuse, possibly even order her to leave.

But what is this situation now?

Gu Xixi asked, "Are you An Qingyu, Boss An?"

An Qingyu tilted his head, happily asking, "You know my name?"

Gu Xixi relaxed, bowed, and said, "I've long heard of your great name. My surname is Gu; as for my purpose, I assume your shopkeeper has already told you."

An Qingyu nodded with a chuckle, "Although I personally would very much like to agree to your request."

"But, unfortunately, no."