Although the bayberries were delicious, they didn't keep well, so Secretary Fang and the others didn't fight over many. Each of them took two small baskets and left satisfied. In the end, they even had about ten baskets left over.
There was definitely more than enough to eat, so Shen Wuqiu asked Uncle Zheng and Duan Guodong to take them back. The two of them only took one basket each. Just as she was wondering where to send the extra ones, Duan Guodong said, "Don't worry about the bayberries going bad. The people who came to see the flowers haven't left yet. Just put them on the side of the road and I guarantee that our bayberries will be sold out in less than three minutes."
"It's not as exaggerated as you make it out to be."
"Boss, I'm not exaggerating. Didn't you hear? Today, that shorty from your village carried a load of cantaloupes and watermelons, and before he even got to the Gesang flower area, they were all snatched up. And Grandma Si took a basket of zongzi to sell, and it sold out in no time either..."
At this point, Gu Miaomiao suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, this afternoon when you were coaxing Sanmao, your phone rang. I answered it for you. It was Boss Du calling you. He asked if we could pick some bayberries to sell to the tourists. He also wanted to buy some... I was a little sleepy at the time and forgot to tell you after I hung up."
Shen Wuqiu: "..."
Duan Guodong: "I knew it. I've seen plenty of people coming to see the flowers these past few days. Boss, why don't you pick some bayberries tomorrow to test the waters?"
"Let's talk about this tomorrow." Shen Wuqiu mainly disliked the hassle; with a large family and business, she didn't really like doing business with individual investors.
Chapter 159
Waxberries don't keep well, so Shen Wuqiu was too lazy to take the extra ones home. After coming down from Xishan, she happened to see Er Aizi's mother washing a mop by the river, so she stopped the car and greeted her, asking her to take two baskets of waxberries home to try. After all, Er Aizi had been sending her a lot of things grown in his greenhouse recently, so it was only fair to return the favor.
"Oh my, Wuqiu, you're too kind. These beautiful bayberries must have cost a lot of money." Er Aizi's mother looked flattered and quickly put down the mop, taking the bayberries with both hands.
"It hasn't started selling yet, no rush." Shen Wuqiu just didn't want to owe anyone a favor, so he chatted with her perfunctorily for a few minutes before driving away again.
The remaining baskets were intended to be sent to the old house so that Su Yunzhi could share them with Shen Xianghua and the neighbors near the old house, and also pick up the children. In the afternoon, when Shen Wuqiu took Secretary Cao and others to Xishan, Shen's father and Su Yunzhi also went down Huashan and brought the children to the old house.
As soon as Shen Wuqiu turned into the intersection near the old house, she saw Lao Du coming from that direction.
"Boss Du."
"So you've just returned. No wonder I went to Huashan and came up empty-handed." Old Du rushed over to them as soon as he saw them.
"Did Mr. Du need something from us?"
"Of course something's up. I just told your dad about it." Boss Du was slightly overweight, and in this weather, he was sweating profusely after walking just a few steps. He had to wipe his sweat every few words. "When we first set up the Gesang flower base, we didn't expect so many people to come and see the flowers. We also didn't expect everyone to like the rural scenery of our village. Now, people who come to see the flowers stay for a while, but there's no restroom and nothing to eat, so they start complaining."
Gu Miaomiao: "No wonder some family members came to our house for a free meal today."
"..." Old Du choked for a moment, but immediately put on a big smile again, "So I was thinking, why don't we set up a temporary mini supermarket or restaurant or something in the next few days?"
“Boss Du’s idea is pretty good.” Shen Wuqiu nodded, but she didn’t understand why the other party was discussing something with her so seriously.
"You think it's a good idea too, right?" Old Du rubbed his hands together. "Then let's go together as partners."
"Hmm?" Shen Wuqiu raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and refused, "I'm afraid it won't work. The bayberries in the bayberry orchard are ripe, and I definitely won't have time for a while."
Old Du seemed to have anticipated her response, and waved his hand dismissively, "I just talked to your dad about this, and he said he can help, so don't worry."
"..." Shen Wuqiu pinched her brow bone with a headache, "So you've already reached an agreement with my father?"
Old Du looked at her and said, "Your dad is quite happy about it."
Shen Wuqiu wasn't sure what her father had said to others, so she didn't say much, only saying, "Then I'll ask my dad later."
Old Du nodded, then, as if remembering something, smacked his lips and said, "By the way, how did you grow these bayberries? They're really delicious. Even someone like me who can't handle sour flavors can enjoy them."
Shen Wuqiu smiled and said, "Boss Du likes it?"
"Who doesn't love bayberries?" At this point, Boss Du leaned closer again. "The bayberries are ripe now, why don't you get some to sell in smaller quantities? There are a lot of people coming and going in the village these days. Today, Grandma Si from your village was selling zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) for five yuan each, and everyone was scrambling to buy them. I bet if you sell your bayberries for fifty yuan a pound, they'll be snapped up like crazy."
Shen Wuqiu shrugged and glanced at the trunk. "Okay, I'll sell you some first."
“That’s easy,” Mr. Du said generously. “I’ll buy as many as you have.”
"There are a few baskets left in the trunk. Since you like them, you can have them all."
Boss Du immediately went around to the trunk and looked inside. There were still five or six boxes left. "Okay, take them to my car and I'll take them back later."
Shen Wuqiu knew that his car was parked near the village committee, in the same direction as her return to Huashan, so she asked him to wait a moment while she went to her father's place to pick up the children.
Old Du didn't stand on ceremony, opened the car door and got in, then went to Shen's father's place.
At this moment, Mr. Shen was sitting on a rattan chair under the eaves, looking at his phone with his reading glasses on. Da Mao was squatting on a stool next to his grandfather, staring at the osmanthus tree in the yard. Ah Shu was like a dutiful bodyguard, protecting Da Mao.
As for the other three cubs, Si Mao was scratching the trunk of the osmanthus tree, probably sharpening his claws, while Er Mao and San Mao, the two little rascals, were making a ruckus in the osmanthus tree. Before Shen Wuqiu went over, the two sisters chased each other from branch to branch. As soon as they saw their beloved mother, the two sisters rushed down to get down.
Sanmao was probably in too much of a hurry. When she jumped down from the top, she accidentally missed a step. Luckily, she reacted quickly and stuck her feet on a small branch below. Just as the little one was holding tightly to the branch and trying to climb back up, her wicked second sister swaggered onto the branch she was hanging on. Then, as Sanmao struggled to climb up, this wicked second sister maliciously grabbed at her two little feet hanging on the branch.
Under the wicked harassment of her two sworn sisters, Sanmao had no choice but to let go of her feet. As expected, Sanmao fell flat on her backside, howling in pain. When Ermao jumped down from the tree, she pounced on her, forcefully knocking Sanmao, who was about to pull up her long johns, to the ground. Then she began to bite and beat her second sister in a chaotic and disorderly manner.
Damn it, even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Don't think that the gentle and beautiful Princess Sanmao is a sick cat.
Internal squabbles among the kittens are common, but Sanmao's fighting prowess this time is astonishing. Shen Wuqiu couldn't help but chuckle, picking up his angry third daughter with a gentle yet helpless expression, "Baby, what's wrong?"
Sanmao wasn't satisfied with the beating and was still glaring angrily at Ermao. He was so angry that the hair on his head was standing on end.
Stephen Chow couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Oh my, our third princess is all flustered, who provoked her?"
"Aww~" After being teased by Stephen Chow, Sanmao's mentality collapsed even more.
Shen Wuqiu quickly and gently patted her head, "Okay, okay, our baby, don't be angry, we won't talk to Aunt Xingxing..."
Comforted by her mother, Sanmao broke down, her beautiful eyes instantly welling up with tears. She turned her head, hooked her little paws around Shen Wuqiu's neck, and nestled her head on Shen Wuqiu's shoulder, meowing softly.
This amazed Lao Du, who exclaimed in astonishment, "Are your cats all sentient beings? They're even more affectionate than children!"
Shen Wuqiu gently stroked Sanmao's fur, comforting the aggrieved little girl. She just smiled and didn't respond to Lao Du's words.
"But I really didn't realize you had so much patience with your little ones."
"Maybe she's a mother now."
“That’s true. Girls need to be patient after they become mothers.” Old Du responded, then seemed to think of something else, “You say you’re a mother, but I think you take care of these cats more than you take care of your own children. If you didn’t know better, you’d think these kittens were your babies.”
"...Hehe..." Shen Wuqiu chuckled dryly, "Is that so?"
"Isn't that right? Look how much you cherish these cats. You're so at ease letting your in-laws take care of Zaizai." Old Du was just saying it casually, not really thinking about it. After all, what normal person would think that a normal person could have a litter of cats? After saying that, he changed the subject and said to Shen's father, "Uncle Le, I just asked Wuqiu about setting up a temporary supermarket. She said she'll discuss it with you later."
“What’s there to discuss?” Mr. Shen looked at Shen Wuqiu. “Our village isn’t close to the town. Now that Lao Du has suggested it, I think it would be good to set up a small, permanent supermarket in our village.”
Shen Wuqiu knew her father's temper and didn't argue with him. She patiently explained, "Although our village isn't close to the town, transportation is convenient now. Almost every household has a motorcycle, so it only takes half an hour to go to town and buy something. Besides, although our village is considered a large village, it doesn't exceed 1,500 households. The total permanent population, including the elderly and children, is probably less than 6,000. If you open a supermarket, do you expect people from the town to come here to buy things?"
“Why not?” Mr. Shen said calmly. “We’re opening a small supermarket, not selling things from the city. We’ll just sell things from our village.”
"???" Shen Wuqiu was truly exasperated. "You're really optimistic. What from our village are you going to sell?"
“It must be a specialty of our village. I saw that the vegetables grown in Er Aizi’s greenhouse were very well received. Everyone said that his vegetables are organic and fresh. And the chickens and ducks raised in the village, those free-range eggs and duck eggs, now that there are a lot of people coming to see the flowers, isn’t it a good thing to set up a seasonal temporary supermarket to benefit the whole village?”
Just as Shen Wuqiu was about to speak, Gu Miaomiao, who hadn't said a word until now, jumped out and said, "I think it's feasible."
"..." Shen Wuqiu looked at her as if she were a lunatic.
Stephen Chow quietly raised his hand as well, "Me too..."
"..." So she thinks this is a thankless task. Shen Wuqiu took a deep breath and said, "Then tell me, where should we set up a temporary supermarket?"
Mr. Shen glanced at her and said, "As long as you have no objections, I can get the place sorted out in a bit."
"Ha. What objection could I possibly have?"
Mr. Shen: "Daughter, we can't be too narrow-minded. We need to have a broader perspective. The main purpose of setting up a small supermarket is to make things more convenient for the villagers and for everyone."
Shen Wuqiu was almost amused by her father's words. "Fine, whatever makes you happy."
"Isn't this because I want you to be happy too?"
Shen Wuqiu waved her hand, "I'm quite happy too." Then she called the children to go home.
Back in the car, Shen Wuqiu remained silent, creating an awkward atmosphere. Old Du felt uneasy and tentatively asked, "If you're not willing, we don't necessarily have to do this."
Shen Wuqiu forced herself to calm down: "It's not a matter of whether I'm willing or not, but I feel that some things are not so easy to do. Actually, I understand what you and Dad mean. We just want to use the flower viewing to motivate the villagers and boost the economy of the whole village."
Old Du was quite surprised to hear her say that.
Although he is a businessman, he is not simply a shrewd one, nor is he entirely driven by his own selfish desires. In other words, once a person achieves financial freedom and has enjoyed the pursuit of material things, they will genuinely seek social value.
Just like now, he suddenly had the idea to open a small supermarket, not entirely to serve his Gesang flower base, but because he saw the development opportunities in the village from the needs of tourists.
Jingrong Village is said to be a large village, but in reality, its population is not that large. It mainly consists of mountains, forests, and land. There are too many mountains and forests in the village, and too much wasteland was reclaimed by the older generation. Apart from the land that Shen's father rented, a lot of land that actually belongs to the village is still abandoned.
If development is guided well, villagers can turn wasteland into treasure and empower the entire village. This is why he hurriedly chose Jingrong Village to plant Gesang flowers. Besides the fact that the local leaders wanted to achieve political achievements, he also felt that the village had great potential for development.
"Since you understand, why not..." Old Du didn't put it too bluntly, "To be honest, I think you are also a person with a lot of vision."
Shen Wuqiu smiled and said, "Having a broad perspective doesn't mean I have the heart to heal the sick and save lives."
Old Du laughed, "You're really good at joking."
Shen Wuqiu glanced back at him briefly and said seriously, "It's probably because I feel I haven't convinced the whole village of my personal charisma yet. When it comes to interests, Boss Du will understand the deeper meaning of the saying 'bad people come from poor and remote areas.' I hate trouble the most, so I won't be as easygoing as my father."
"I do have your concerns. But life is full of ups and downs, that's what makes it interesting."
After thinking about it carefully, Shen Wuqiu had nothing to say. "What you said makes sense."
"So, does that mean you agree?"
Shen Wuqiu smiled helplessly, "I'm quite puzzled, why does Boss Du want to drag me into this?"
"You're too kind to call me Boss Du. Just call me Uncle from now on." Boss Du said honestly, "After dealing with you for so long, I still admire you. I think you have the responsibility and courage to do great things. As for me, I like to join in the fun, but I can't get along with those scheming people."
"Then I must thank Boss Du for thinking so highly of you." No one dislikes praise.
"You can't say that. It's my good fortune to have met such a heroine like you."
Gu Miaomiao, who was listening from the side, was a little annoyed by this. "Boss Du, have you eaten too many of our bayberries?"
"Huh???" Old Du looked puzzled.
Shen Wuqiu couldn't help but chuckle and secretly reached out to gently pinch her thigh.
Gu Miaomiao was still a little sour, "You're so sweet-talking, you must be sweetened by the bayberries from our family."
"I see." Old Du laughed heartily and said to Shen Wuqiu, "Young Madam Shen is quite humorous."
The title "Madam Shen" was rather unique, and Gu Miaomiao's droopy face looked a little better. "You're getting on in years, you should have some self-respect."
"Spirit Jade!"
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Old Du didn't take Gu Miaomiao's words to heart at all. In his opinion, Gu Miaomiao was just like a child, speaking without thinking. "I think it's just that Madam Shen likes you very much."
Gu Miaomiao gave a soft snort.
As they were talking, Shen Wuqiu took Lao Du to the parking lot near the village committee.
After taking the bayberries, Lao Du really wanted to pay, but Shen Wuqiu said no. Lao Du didn't stand on ceremony. Finally, he patted Sanmao and discussed with Shen Wuqiu, "Could you lend me these cats for a few more days to advertise? Today, everyone told me that I was doing fake marketing. I said I would use Sanmao to advertise and then lure them here, but when we got to the flower field, there wasn't a cat in sight."