Jiang Shu took a closer look.
The child was panting from running and his little face was red. The pear held in both hands has a well-proportioned shape and beautiful skin. It looks delicious at first glance, but...
Walking through an orchard to taste one or two, Jiang Shuji's belly was so full that she couldn't eat any more, no matter how delicious they were.
But the child’s pure and simple heart cannot be let down.
Jiang Shu took it and said softly: "Can I take it back to eat?"
The child nodded his head fiercely and said with a bright smile: "Okay."
A-niang said that the young master in front of them was their hope. Only if he bought all the fruits could they exchange for food for the winter and make new cloth for cotton-padded clothes.
Thinking of this, the child looked at Jiang Shu expectantly.
Children of several years old will not hide their thoughts, and whatever they are thinking is written on their faces.
Jiang Shu looked into his bright eyes and talked to him while walking.
"Your fruit is so good, no one comes to harvest it?"
"Yes, many people have come here in the past few days. My mother-in-law said that the price she gave me was too low, and the money she sold was not enough to exchange for food. My father was so worried that he sighed every day and couldn't sleep."
Jiang Shu's heart sank when she heard this. What she worried about happened.
Most businessmen are only interested in profit, and some profiteers are even more ruthless. They do not care about the life and death of others in order to make more money for themselves.
Jiang Shu held the pear in his hand and felt it weighed a thousand kilograms.
After walking out of the orchard, the village chief and a group of villagers were waiting under the straw shed guarding the orchard. They saw Jiang Shu coming, pouring tea and bringing snacks.
A girl was afraid that the stool would stain Jiang Shu's clothes, so she wiped it with a handkerchief again and again. After confirming that there was no dust, she asked Jiang Shu to sit down.
"Master Jiang, please eat something first and drink some tea." The village chief's wrinkled face was filled with a smile.
Jiang Shu took a sip of tea and saw several children staring at the snacks on the table, swallowing secretly.
Jiang Shu turned his head and glanced around. There were a few pieces of oil paper scattered on the corner of the table. The three plates of snacks beside the teapot were not large in quantity. They should have been specially bought to entertain distinguished guests.
Jiang Shu remembered what her child had said to her, and when she looked at the specially prepared snacks and tea, she felt sad.
How do they feel when they collect money to buy refreshments when they don’t even have food for the winter?
Jiang Shu couldn't bear to think about it, so he called over a few children and distributed snacks to them.
A woman hurriedly stopped her: "This won't work. The child doesn't know whether he's full or not. It's a waste if he eats it. Mr. Jiang, you eat it."
Jiang Shu said: "I don't like cakes, let them eat them."
The woman was anxious and wanted to say something else, but was stopped by the village chief.
"Isn't my father back yet?" Jiang Shu asked.
There were too many orchards, so Jiang Shu and Father Jiang checked separately, wondering what the situation was like on Father Jiang's side.
The village chief estimated: "They should be back soon."
After that, the village chief sent a young man to check it out.
After a while, the young man came back, followed by Father Jiang and others.
Judging from Jiang's father's expression, he should be very satisfied with the fruit.
The village chief observed the situation and said with a smile: "It's already noon. We have prepared food at home. Let's have lunch first."
After running in the orchard for nearly an hour, Jiang Shu and Jiang's father were hungry. Hearing this, he did not refuse and followed the village chief to his house.
"Don't be dissatisfied with the simple meal." The village chief's wife put the food on the table and greeted awkwardly.
A bowl of stewed bacon, a plate of leek omelette, a plate of fried vegetables, and a plate of pickles.
It's a simple dish, but it's the best thing they can come up with.
The village chief looked at Jiang Shu and Jiang's father anxiously, fearing that they would be dissatisfied.
After all, the first few wine merchants who came to see the orchard scoffed at the food, saying it was too simple.
"No, it's very good." Jiang Shu picked up the chopsticks and ate deliciously with Jiang's father.
The village chief was relieved when he saw this.
After the meal, Jiang Shu asked the village chief to call the villagers to negotiate the purchase price.
The villagers rubbed their hands and held the corners of their clothes, looking at the two of them nervously.
Jiang Shu asked softly: "What price did you sell it for last year?"
The village chief said: "The good fruit is three cents per catty, and the secondary fruit is two cents per catty."
The fruit is unsaleable this year and the price will definitely be lower than in previous years. The villagers are well prepared. As long as the price they offered was a little higher than the previous batches of wine merchants, they would grit their teeth and sell it.
Winter is coming soon. If we don’t sell it, let alone people, we won’t be able to bear the fruits.
This is the case with farming. The harvest depends on the sky, and the price depends on the person. How much can be exchanged for it.
After hearing this, Jiang Shu whispered a few words to Jiang's father.
The village chief and villagers stared at them for a moment, waiting for the result uneasily and expectantly.
The father and daughter discussed it, and Jiang's father looked up at the crowd and said, "Then based on last year's price, I will take three cents for the good fruit and two cents for the secondary fruit."
When everyone heard this, they were all dumbfounded and couldn't believe their ears. They didn't come back to their senses for a long time.
Or should the village chief be more experienced and calm, and be the first to come to his senses and say: "Seriously?"
Jiang Shu smiled and said: "Of course it is true. If you agree, you can sign the contract. The words are in black and white, and the fingerprints are the proof. It cannot be faked."
Hearing this, the village elder burst into tears, and the other villagers also blushed with excitement, with smiles on their faces.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Jiang, Boss Jiang. You are such good people." The village chief held Father Jiang's hand excitedly, as if he was meeting a long-lost relative.
Jiang's father twitched the corner of his mouth and said a little uneasily: "In business, it is the right thing to do."
The village chief shook his head and sighed: "You don't know the price offered by the wine merchant who came earlier."
"They said that if you get good results, then the results will be the same, one penny and one catty."
Jiang Shu and Jiang's father were horrified when they heard that these profiteers were so evil. No wonder they refused to sell.
Fortunately, it's not too late now, Jiang Shu decided to take action against such shameless behavior.
After signing a contract with the village chief and the villagers to agree on the picking time, Jiang Shu and Jiang's father returned to Beijing by carriage.
Before leaving, the village chief grabbed the only egg-laying hen from his home. The villagers brought freshly picked fruits and forced Jiang Shu to take them away.
Jiang Shu refused again and again: "No, I don't lack these at home, you can keep them..."
"I know that Mr. Jiang, Boss Jiang, is not interested in wealth, but this is a little thought from us. We would like to express our gratitude. We also ask Mr. Jiang not to dislike it. Only by accepting it can we feel at ease."
The village chief and the villagers were determined and held the car door open to prevent them from leaving.
The kindness was hard to refuse, so Jiang Shu had no choice but to accept it.
On the way back, the hen, whose feet and wings were tied and unable to move, was lying in the corner with two baskets of fruits. It crowed every time the carriage bumped.
"Click--"
The father and daughter heard it funny, and even Leng Xing, who was sitting on the shaft of the car, couldn't help but hold the corner of his mouth.
Accompanied by the occasional chicken crow, the carriage drove through the rugged mountain road and entered the flat avenue, and the hen became quiet.
Jiang Shu straightened his expression and discussed business matters with Jiang's father.
After listening to her words, Father Jiang frowned and said, "I'm afraid if you do this, you will become the target of public criticism and make people hate you."
Jiang Shu said firmly: "Don't be afraid. If I were just an ordinary businessman, I could not afford to offend her. But I am Princess Jing. With the support of the prince, I should do my best for the people."
"If even I turn a blind eye and dare not stop such evil deeds, then who else will dare?"
If a capable person only cares about himself and does not help the weak or uphold the righteous, what is the difference between him and an evil person?
Turning a blind eye is sometimes the same as helping others do evil.
