Chapter 67: Dealing with the Red-Eyed Monster

Chapter 67: Dealing with the Red-Eyed Monster

Aunt Wang was stunned on the spot.

The villagers around, upon seeing this scene, were also quite frightened.

Then they started to blame Qin Xiaoyao one after another.

Seeing this, Aunt Wang knew she had the upper hand in public opinion and immediately began to wail loudly.

"Wah-wah... What have I done to deserve this! I came here with good intentions to give you vegetables, but you just refuse them without a second thought!"

"You even nitpick and find fault with me! We're neighbors, must your Song family make things difficult for an old woman like me?! Wah-wah..."

"Wah-wah... There's no justice in this world!"

Her shrill voice cut through the air, stirring up the crowd even more.

Qin Xiaoyao, upon seeing this, furrowed her brows.

She wanted nothing more than to rush over and kick that hooligan of an old woman to death, but after some thought, she decided to hold back.

"Shut up!" she shouted loudly.

Her voice was so powerful that it drowned out Aunt Wang's crying and the murmurs of the crowd around them.

"Song Dalang's family—" At this moment, an old woman stepped forward, intending to mediate and say a few words to Qin Xiaoyao.

But when Qin Xiaoyao gave her a sharp look, the old woman stopped in her tracks, not daring to come any closer.

"You—well, she is still your aunt. You shouldn't—" The old woman couldn't hide her embarrassment, yet despite being afraid of Qin Xiaoyao, she still managed to say something.

However, the chill in Qin Xiaoyao's eyes grew even colder.

"What aunt? She's just an old troublemaker!"

Ignoring the shocked expressions on the faces of those around her at her use of foul language, Qin Xiaoyao pointed to the basket of vegetables she had thrown aside earlier.

"Our family has always been clear about our terms for accepting vegetables. First, the quality must pass muster, at least comparable to what's available in the market. Second, if you want to sell us farm-fresh vegetables, you need to let us know in advance."

"This person didn't even bother to inform us beforehand, just showed up at our doorstep with these vegetables."

"And everyone, take a look, what kind of vegetables are these?!"

Only then did the crowd turn their attention to Aunt Wang's vegetables.

They realized that the vegetables indeed hadn't been processed; even the old leaves hadn't been removed.

"To bring such vegetables to my house and expect us to accept them, do you think we're fools?" Qin Xiaoyao glared angrily at Aunt Wang.

"You—you cut the price in half to buy vegetables, why should I only sell you the tender hearts?!" Seeing the change in the onlookers' gazes, Aunt Wang retorted.

At this, Qin Xiaoyao nearly burst into laughter from anger.

"So, am I supposed to earn nothing from you and deliver the vegetables to Lai Fu Building for free?"

Without waiting for Aunt Wang to respond, Qin Xiaoyao's face darkened again.

"Am I supposed to waste my time sorting out your vegetables and then push them all the way to town early in the morning, selling them at a loss to Lai Fu Building?"

As she spoke, Qin Xiaoyao kicked Aunt Wang's basket.

"If you don't like me making five li per catty, you can carry the vegetables yourself, pay the city entrance fee, and try selling them at Lai Fu Building or in the market."

"See if Lai Fu Building will buy them from you. And see if you can sell them all at one wen per catty."

Qin Xiaoyao then looked at the people around her.

"The same goes for all of you, my fellow villagers. If you think my Song family shouldn't be making money from this, you don't have to sell your vegetables to us. I, Qin Sanyao, will never force anyone to sell to me!"

Upon hearing this, the onlookers took a step back.

Some of them were jealous of the Song family for making money this way.

But upon reflection, first, they had connections with Lai Fu Building, and second, they had to put in the effort to deliver the vegetables into the city—it wasn't as if they were just sitting there collecting money.

In short, they truly deserved to earn this money.

"True, but Song Dalang's family—she is still an elder, and you are a junior—" The old woman stood up once again.

Before she could finish her sentence, Qin Xiaoyao's gaze silenced her once more.

"What does being an elder or a junior have to do with anything? Whoever comes to my house to cause trouble deserves to be taught a lesson!"

"If Grandma Wang doesn't like it, don't come to my house in the future!"

"And also, your Wang family shouldn't come to our house to sell goods anymore. Your money, we Song family won't earn!"

Yes, this old woman was also from the Wang family. In fact, she was Aunt Wang's mother-in-law.

Although she now lived with Uncle Wang's second family, she wasn't far from Aunt Wang's home.

She stepped forward to speak on Aunt Wang's behalf not because she believed her eldest daughter-in-law was right, but because she couldn't stand seeing a junior like Qin Xiaoyao bullying an elder, tarnishing the reputation of their Wang family.

But she never expected that Qin Xiaoyao would show her no respect and say such words instead.

Upon hearing Qin Xiaoyao's words, Grandma Wang's expression changed.

"The same goes for the rest of you. If you look down on our Song family, you don't have to come to sell us goods." Qin Xiaoyao repeated this sentiment for the second time.

"When I decided to collect goods in the village, my original intention was for the convenience of our neighbors, and to earn some hard-earned money along the way."

"But since some have succumbed to envy, don't blame me for shutting them out."

"To put it bluntly, whether our Song family sells straw shoes at a low price or buys mountain produce and vegetables from our fellow villagers, we do so out of consideration for our community ties."

"Otherwise, I could simply lower the prices further and collect goods from the neighboring Shang Shui Village, without worrying about supply. It would merely require more effort."

"Taking it a step further, even if the Song family were to quit this business, with our skill in making straw shoes and the harvests from my mountain expeditions, we wouldn't struggle to make a living."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of some changed.

"Oh, Third Daughter! Don't let those narrow-minded people get to you. We all support your family's business," one woman stepped forward to say.

"Yes! It's such a hassle to take the excess vegetables from the fields to town, not to mention there's no guarantee they'll sell. It's better to bring them to your place for some cash than to feed them to livestock or let them rot in the field!" another woman added.

"And the mountain produce too; just by picking them up on the way, we can exchange them for money at your place. Who wouldn't be happy about that?"

"You've built a relationship with Lai Fu Tower and gone out of your way to collect goods for everyone's sake. Earning some money is only right! Those envious ones aren't worth your attention!"

In an instant, public opinion shifted dramatically.

Primarily because some had long been annoyed with Aunt Wang, and after hearing Qin Xiaoyao's words, it seemed as though the Wang family was blaming the entire village.

Unable to hold back, they began to speak up for justice.

The women who stood up to speak had all sold vegetables to the Song family in recent days.

Some of their family members had also sold mountain produce to the Songs.

Having tasted the benefits, they felt they could maintain a long-term relationship with the Song family. How could they allow the Songs to stop this business?

"You—You—" Old Lady Wang was so angry she nearly fainted.

But Qin Xiaoyao didn't take her seriously.

"Aunties, sisters, it's good that you understand! The Song family still welcomes all reasonable fellow villagers."

"If any aunties and sisters are willing to sell us vegetables, feel free to bring them over."

"Of course, the rules remain the same. First, the quality of the produce must pass muster, and second, selling farm produce requires prior reservation."