These young people weren't shy at all; each of them grabbed a piece and stood by the cashier to eat.
"This watermelon is delicious, much better than the ones I bought."
"I also think that the watermelons bought in the supermarket are all too sweet, so sweet that they don't taste like watermelons at all."
"Yes, that's right. Homegrown watermelons taste just like this. When we lived in the countryside, my dad's watermelons tasted just like this..."
The group ate and praised their food, and their hearty eating attracted even Si Mao, a little foodie, who jumped onto the cashier's counter.
Er Mao was pressing the large calculator on the cash register. To make it easier for his father to use, the calculator was set to make a sound when pressed. It was the first time Er Mao had encountered such a novel gadget, and he was having a great time playing with it. When he saw his younger sister coming over, he thought she was coming to take the toy from her, so he immediately shoved the calculator into a corner and hid it.
Foodie Simao completely ignored his second sister's little scheme, not even bothering to glance at her. Instead, he squatted on the cashier's counter, watching everyone eat watermelon with a bewildered look.
That little face of his was just like a well-behaved and sensible child craving candy—I want some too, but I won't say so.
He already looked so pitiful, and with Si Mao's naturally sour, orange-faced expression, it only made him more heartbreaking.
"Sister, does she...the Fourth Princess...want to eat too?"
Stephen Chow was taking this opportunity to promote the authentic watermelon in his live stream. Upon hearing this, he glanced at Simao and said absentmindedly, "Among the kids, Simao has the biggest appetite. If you don't mind, you can feed her some."
Upon hearing this, the group rushed to offer the watermelons they were holding to Simao's mouth.
When it comes to food, Simao never refuses anything offered to her; whoever puts it to her mouth first, she eats it.
"The Fourth Princess really ate watermelon..." The group watched as if they were watching a spectacle.
Stephen Chow shrugged. "Si Mao can eat a little bit of anything."
As they were talking, Sanmao, who was squatting in the gap between the shelves, couldn't sit still anymore. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she had no choice but to find a way to get down from the shelf. She secretly jumped down and meowed, but no one paid any attention to her.
She pouted, then walked over with elegant little cat steps, stopping a step away from the pretty older sister. She tilted her head back, trying to make her presence known again: "Meow~"
"Does the Third Princess also want to eat watermelon?"
Sanmao didn't say anything, but she showed it through her actions—she licked her lips and stared intently at the bright pink watermelon in her hand.
The watermelons that Er Aizi planted were Kirin watermelons; the flesh wasn't the bright red color of a typical watermelon, but rather pink.
The young woman immediately bent down, ready to feed her the watermelon.
Just as the watermelon was handed over, Da Mao appeared beside her.
The young woman then saw the Third Princess, who had already moved close to the watermelon, suddenly pull her head back, just like a child caught stealing food by an adult.
However, the young woman didn't think much of it, and she deliberately moved the watermelon a little closer to Sanmao.
Looking at the watermelon that was about to be eaten, Sanmao didn't dare to move. After several seconds, he licked his lips with a very small arc.
The young woman was confused. She clearly looked like she really wanted to eat it, so why wasn't she going to?
"Third Princess, please eat this. I haven't had any of this piece yet..."
Seeing that this foolish human was still trying to seduce his sister, Da Mao got a little annoyed and gave her a haughty look: "Meow~"
It carries a strong warning connotation.
To be honest, Da Mao looks really delicate overall, but when she unleashes her power, her watery eyes are strangely lethal.
She glanced at the young woman, who felt inexplicably uncomfortable and instinctively withdrew her hand. She stood up and jokingly said to Stephen Chow, "The princess is indeed the princess; she does look a bit fierce."
Zhou Xingxing had already finished introducing the watermelon, and now he was also enjoying a slice of watermelon. He glanced at Da Mao and said, "Da Mao is the most obedient boy, but the eldest sister's authority cannot be challenged. You were just feeding San Mao watermelon, which was a challenge to her authority as the eldest sister."
"Huh?"
Zhou Xingxing quickly finished one slice, then grabbed another, and then ordered the pitiful Sanmao, "Baby, go pick another one, this watermelon is really delicious." After the second slice of watermelon was finished, she explained to the young woman, "Our little Sanmao loves to eat watermelon the most, but she has a delicate stomach and gets diarrhea every time she eats it, so her family usually doesn't let her eat watermelon."
"So, the eldest princess can really take on the responsibility of disciplining her younger sisters?" The group of people expressed disbelief.
Stephen Chow, however, was already used to it. "With Da Mao around, I can keep an eye on the five pups. If it weren't for Da Mao, I might not even be able to keep an eye on San Mao, one of the pups."
Hearing her say that, the group looked at the seemingly weak Da Mao with new respect.
Although Zhou Xingxing has been bringing his kids along for his live streams these past few days, Da Mao doesn't appear on camera often. Most of the time, she's on the sidelines with Ah Shu, watching over her girls' every move.
While they were chatting, more and more people arrived outside.
As more people entered the supermarket, the first few people felt embarrassed to stay inside. Before leaving, they bought watermelons and tried bayberries. They were so excited, as if they had discovered a new continent, that they each carried two baskets, even though they couldn't find a place to park their cars.
That's just how people are; they love to join in the fun. The more people buy something, the more it attracts other buyers.
This makeshift supermarket didn't have a cash register, and with so many people buying things, Dad was overwhelmed. He was busy calling for people to bag the fruit, others to cut the watermelon, and still others to pay at the checkout counter.
There was no other way, so Mr. Shen had to send Zhou Xingxing to help pack and cut the watermelons. He was busy weighing and paying by himself. Just as he was getting dizzy from all the work, he was loudly reminding himself to keep track of the numbers while weighing the watermelons, "Two watermelons weigh sixteen pounds, that's thirty-two yuan, and the bayberries weigh three and a half pounds, that's thirty yuan per pound, that's one hundred and five, that's... um, thirty-two plus one hundred and five..."
Er Mao slammed the calculator on the counter, typing away: "[32 plus 105 equals 137.]"
Mr. Shen was too far from the cashier to hear it, but the person closer to the cashier did. Curious, they shouted at Mr. Shen, who was still mentally calculating, "Boss, 137, you still haven't figured it out? Your cat has calculated it for you with a calculator."
"The cat can use a computer? What a coincidence, right? It must have just been pressing random keys..."
"Don't believe me? Come and see, boss, try saying another string of numbers..."
"Come on, little kitty, can you calculate this for me? The cantaloupes I bought here cost four yuan and fifty cents a pound. Five pounds, can you calculate how much four yuan and fifty cents multiplied by five equals?"
Er Mao pouted, then stretched out his little feet and typed numbers one by one on the computer: "32 plus 105 equals 137."
"See? I told you it wouldn't happen. This little cat knows how to press this button. I think it's just a coincidence."
"Even if it's a coincidence, don't you still find it amazing? Pressing it once might be a coincidence, but pressing it twice exactly the same time is already quite remarkable..."
Er Mao craned her neck, staring at Chen's father's direction. Seeing the people buying bayberries and watermelons approach the cashier, she pressed the calculator again: [32 plus 105 equals 137.]
The person buying bayberries took out their phone to scan the QR code on the cashier, but stopped when they heard the number. They looked at Er Mao in disbelief, then turned to Chen's father and shouted, "Boss, your cat is really a genius!"
Mr. Shen was very proud. “Our kitten is smarter than other people’s.” Seeing that he hadn’t paid yet, he added happily, “One hundred and thirty-seven, I’ll give you two yuan off, you can just give me one hundred and thirty-five.”
As soon as Dad finished speaking, Er Mao started pressing the calculator again: "Subtract 2, equals 135."
The people around were even more astonished, exclaiming, "See? This cat has become a spirit!"
The customer buying watermelons and bayberries quickly scanned the QR code, and after the payment was confirmed, Ermao continued pressing the calculator: "[4.5 multiplied by 5 equals 22.5.]"
"!!!" This amused the person buying bayberries, who couldn't help but reach out and pat Er Mao's head, teasingly saying, "So it was because you saw I hadn't paid that you refused to pay for the others?"
"That's exactly how I see it..."
At the same time, Mr. Shen said to the person buying cantaloupes, "Five catties of cantaloupes cost twenty-two yuan and fifty cents, so please give me twenty-two."
People around them joked, "Okay, boss, you don't need to calculate it. I think you just weigh it for us and we'll pay at the cashier ourselves."
"Yeah, I think your cashier cat is pretty efficient at its job..."
So, when Su Yunzhi rushed over to help, this was the scene she saw:
In the bustling, shabby little supermarket, Da Mao, along with Ah Shu and San Mao, sat on bamboo chairs at the entrance, trying to attract customers. Zhou Xingxing helped people bag their purchases, while Chen's father stood at the scale weighing the items. At the checkout counter, Er Mao was typing away on the calculator, while Si Mao, the little piglet, was fast asleep on the counter. People were spontaneously queuing up at the checkout counter to scan their QR codes.
The whole scene looked strangely harmonious.
"..." After wandering around inside, Su Yunzhi walked over to Mr. Shen, scratched her head, and said, "I don't think I need to help..."
Mr. Shen glanced at the cashier and said, "When there were a lot of people, we couldn't keep up with the checkouts. I was thinking of having you collect the money, but Er Mao learned how to use the calculator after watching me press the buttons a few times."
Su Yunzhi: "Do I still need to help?"
Mr. Shen glared at her.
"..." Su Yunzhi cursed under her breath, then went to help at the cashier.
A kitten that can work as a cashier is quite a feat, much more interesting than simply looking at flowers. Suddenly, Jingrong Supermarket became a new must-visit spot.
Many people originally just wanted to come and check it out and join in the fun, but the charm of the cat cashier was too great. In addition, the products displayed in the supermarket were indeed genuine, especially the bayberries. Regardless of whether you like them or not, after tasting them, you would want to pack some to take home.
So, after Stephen Chow and his kids showed up at the supermarket, which had been deserted all morning, the already empty shelves became even emptier before 2 p.m., with only a few wilted vegetables left.
Since there were no other goods to sell, in the afternoon, Shen's father wanted Er'aizi to take some fruit or something to the supermarket, but Shen Wuqiu persuaded him to give up. He thought he would discuss it with the villagers again tomorrow.
The next morning, instead of letting Mr. Shen go door-to-door asking people to leave their goods at the supermarket for consignment, the villagers automatically brought their goods over. Even Sister Yun, who had initially opposed Mr. Shen starting the supermarket, brought over a bundle of dried bamboo shoots.
The weather was good this year, and there were many wild bamboo shoots on the mountain at the end of April. Many women in the village who had nothing to do went up the mountain to pick bamboo shoots every day. Sister Yun's family didn't have many people. They used to be considered a wealthy family in the village. She only had one son, but unfortunately, her son was a good-for-nothing who was always out fooling around. His wife had run away a few years ago, leaving Sister Yun to raise her daughter.
Nowadays, many people in the village are living better and better lives, except for Sister Yun's family, whose life is getting worse and worse than before. But she is a strong-willed woman, which is why she has become more and more mean and shrewish.
Although most people don't farm anymore, they still live in the countryside, and every household still has some things. They send over a lot of pickled vegetables like pickled green beans and dried eggplant.
Father Shen didn't care whether anyone bought these things or not; as long as people brought them over, he would put them up.
Before building the supermarket, he had already made it clear to everyone that the supermarket he built was just a consignment shop for them. So, the villagers would set their own prices for the goods, and he wouldn't care whether they sold or not. He would only take a commission from the goods they sold. If he helped someone sell 100 yuan worth of goods, he would take 10 yuan.
Yesterday was the opening day, but no one wanted to send anything over. First, they were like troublemakers; seeing the Shen family getting better and better, they couldn't stand seeing their family doing even better and wanted to go against them. Second, they felt that Shen's father had taken advantage of them.
However, they saw that so many people came to the supermarket to buy things yesterday, and that Er Aizi's goods sold well and he made a fortune. Er Aizi's mother, being a chatterbox, never hesitated to say nice things when she needed someone's help. Yesterday evening, while strolling in the yard, she praised Shen's father for running the supermarket well and also complimented Shen Wuqiu's children on how lucky they were.
After her elaborate and mysterious boasting, how could everyone not be tempted? So early in the morning, everyone contributed their own things to fill the shelves.
Around nine o'clock, people started to arrive at the supermarket one after another.
Today, Stephen Chow and his kittens don't need to come and help. Many villagers who have nothing better to do are sitting outside the supermarket. As long as they can sell their own things, they are happy to lend a hand.
Unfortunately, people come to this small supermarket not for any genuine products, but simply to see the cat that can check out the cashier and see if it's really that amazing.
So, Mr. Shen had no choice but to have Stephen Chow bring the kittens to the supermarket again, so that the little ones could continue to help with the work.
However, Zhou Xingxing didn't need to do any work. She just sat at the door with her phone. Since most of the villagers spoke dialects, which she only understood a little, she was too lazy to bother chatting with them. So she simply took out her phone and started a live stream.
"Sigh, life's tough," sighs the cat. The kittens are working hard today to earn money for their milk powder...
With the boost from the cubs, Jingrong Village's popularity soared, becoming even more bustling than the town every day.
With more people, there are more buyers, and the things the villagers brought to test the waters sell out every now and then. Of course, the most popular items are Shen Wuqiu's bayberries and Er Aizi's watermelons; no matter how much of these are sold in a day, they are all gone by the morning.
Because of this, Shen's father once complained that Shen Wuqiu sent too few bayberries to the supermarket. Every time Duan Guodong sent bayberries to him, he would ask him to send more.
Unfortunately, this year's bayberries are in high demand. Before they even went on sale, Shen Wuqiu was worried that when the bayberries ripened and were harvested in large quantities, it would be difficult to find buyers who could consume so many.
Who knew that this year's bayberries were so plentiful that she didn't even need to contact buyers; they all came to her to purchase them. The small amount of bayberries she supplied to Mr. Shen's supermarket was all obtained through hard bargaining with the buyers.
Just as Uncle Zheng predicted, there are no bayberries on the market as good as theirs. Anyone who has tasted bayberries from their orchard will never want to eat any other bayberries again. Such a good thing is naturally in high demand.
In mid-June, two-thirds of the bayberries in the bayberry orchard had already been picked. Then, Secretary Fang sent another message asking her to send a batch of bayberries to participate in the bayberry festival.
Therefore, Shen Wuqiu suspended external orders and sent a batch of bayberries to participate in the bayberry festival.
As expected, the bayberries she sent immediately won over the judges, but they were not included in the ranking of this year's bayberries. Instead, they were treated as special guests.
This is mainly because of the size of Shen Wuqiu's bayberry orchard, and she has no plans to expand it, so participating in the selection is not very meaningful, since the output cannot meet those large orders.
However, attending as a "special guest" adds a layer of prestige to Xishan's bayberries. Furthermore, scarcity increases value, which indirectly raises the price of Xishan bayberries.