Chapter 77 - 78: Fear of Trouble Often Causes Trouble
“Brother, we’re making quite a lot of money selling these vegetables,” Tang Zhinian knew exactly how much money they had at home, both brothers did.
“Bro, you know the saying- it’s not the theft that scares me, it’s the possibility. We invite our fellow villagers to help out of goodwill, but if it gets around that our family is making a lot of money, won’t that stir up trouble?”
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhinian broke into a cold sweat. It made sense- village gossip spreads like wildfire. When everyone’s poor, it’s no big deal; nobody can mock anyone. But what if their family suddenly had a lot of money? What would they do if people started asking for loans? If they refuse, they lose face. If they lend, and then can’t help everyone who asks, they won’t be seen in a good light either.
Everyone in the village knew that their family grew a lot of coriander, which brought in good money. But exactly how much, nobody knew for sure. If they let the villagers in to help, it wouldn’t be up to them to control the rumours.
“Brother, let’s just work a little harder for about a month. By the end of the year, we should have sold most of our crop,” they suggested.
The little shed in the field was already cleaned out, and an electrical line had been run from their home. This way, they could take turns for rest at night. All they had to do was prepare about 300 pounds of vegetables each day.
After thinking it over, Tang Zhinian nodded in agreement, leaving the matter of seeking help unsettled.
Whoever makes money in a family, it’s likely to make others jealous. They’d just have to work harder on their own to guard their gold mine- their vegetables.
Besides, it’s just one busy month- not too bad all things considered.
Tang Yuxin also moved over there. After all, who would look after such a big kid like her?
Every night, one of the brothers would sort the vegetables while the other rested up. Even though it was hard work, they made about 300 yuan a day. That made it worth the sweat.
During the day, Tang Yuxin would help her father and uncle pick vegetables and assist in other ways. Chen Zhong disapproved of this, but his unwillingness could only represent himself, not Tang Yuxin.
Don’t be fooled by Tang Yuxin’s age; she was mature beyond her years. Even though Chen Zhong grumbled and complained, he had no choice but to crouch in the greenhouse every day, listening to Tang Yuxin recite her lessons.
That’s right. He listened while she recited.
As for the Tang brothers, hearing this was like a constant hum in their heads. Could their young niece, Tang Yuxin, truly understand everything?
As days went by in the midst of their hard work, a steady stream of income, exactly 300 yuan, came in daily, not more or less. Then a few grocery vendors came by, stating their need for coriander. Since they were short-staffed and couldn’t prepare the vegetables in time, the vendors took matters into their own hands. They didn’t even bother picking up the yellow leaves and tied them up in bundles. They were so efficient, as if they feared someone might beat them to it.
There’s a saying: too many radishes, no need to wash the dirt. As long as there wasn’t any additional mud in their crops, they were honest enough people.
The Tang brothers didn’t mind. They were always straightforward- no added dirt or water in their vegetables. The vendors were welcome as long as they didn’t damage their crops.