Chapter 18: Pulling Off Something Big Before Heading to the Countryside

Chapter 18: Pulling Off Something Big Before Heading to the Countryside

After the debriefing was finished and the entire plan was confirmed to be without issue, Ye Qing started stirring up trouble.

She went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a ream of white paper, then headed to the post office to purchase some envelopes. After finding a quiet and deserted pavilion in the park, she began to laboriously write.

Ye Qing had little experience writing accusatory letters, and it took her two hours of constant revisions to finish the letters.

By then, it was almost 5:00 PM. Ye Qing calculated the timing carefully and, taking advantage of the revolutionary committee's off-hours, quickly sent out the two letters she had written.

That's right, two letters.

Since she had said she would take revenge on the entire Ye family, she couldn’t show favoritism.

She had already handed Ye Hong’s diary to the neighborhood committee director, and Ye Hong’s retribution would come soon. Ye Qing’s mother’s departure to the great northwest was also set in stone. That left only Ye Qing’s father, Ye Zhi Gao, and the twin boys.

Ye Qing wasn’t just planning to use a borrowed knife to kill; she intended to write a signed accusation letter in Ye Qing’s father’s name. Additionally, she planned to expose Ye Zhi Gao’s “hoarding of banned books and damaging publications related to the great leader.”

In this era, reading illicit books was illegal, and the random destruction of items related to the great leader was considered a grave offense and disrespect.

The hand-copied book Ye Qing had found happened to violate both rules. If reported and evidence was found, Ye Zhi Gao would be guilty of both offenses without a doubt!

Once the four adults in the family were taken care of, there would be no need for Ye Qing to deal with the twin boys. The neighbors and the Ye family relatives would tear them apart.

Considering that she had signed her parents up for aid to Xinjiang in the morning, Ye Qing was worried she might be recognized if she went to the revolutionary committee in Yanpond Old Street. So, she crossed through several alleys and dropped the letters into the mailboxes of two nearby neighborhood revolutionary committees.

Once the letters were sent, all that was left was to let time do its work, and Ye Qing would watch the fate of the Ye family unfold!

After finishing this important task, the depression in Ye Qing’s heart finally cleared, and her mood instantly brightened.

Remembering her plan to meet Chen Youde the next day at Chun Shen Pu, she turned towards the supply and marketing cooperative.

The last time in People’s Park, she had no choice but to borrow fishing gear from Old Man Wu due to tight finances. But this time, she was going on a group fishing trip and couldn’t rely on borrowed equipment.

So, she needed to buy her own set from the supply and marketing cooperative.

The fishing gear would come in handy not just tomorrow but also when she went to the Great Northern Wilderness.

In these times, most fishing enthusiasts were reluctant to spend money on gear, making their own hooks from sewing needles, weights from toothpaste tubes, and fishing lines from pigmented nylon ropes. Even the floats were made from thin bamboo tubes. Basically, if it could be made by hand, they wouldn’t spend money to buy it.

But Ye Qing neither had the time nor the skills to make her own gear, so she had to buy it from the supply and marketing cooperative.

Fortunately, the market demand for such items wasn’t high, and they were sold cheaply, without requiring ration tickets. A few dimes would get you a complete set of materials and tools.

Of course, a telescopic lure rod was out of the question. It hadn’t been invented yet, and no material strong enough for it was available. People usually went into the mountains, cut a bamboo pole, and removed the branching shoots to make do.

As it was nearing dinner time, Ye Qing packed two meat dishes and some steamed buns from the state-run restaurant and shamelessly borrowed lodging at Song Chunhua’s house again.

When Song Chunhua saw Ye Qing returning with food, she still looked upset.

“Even if you’re staying with me, I won’t let you go hungry. The resettlement funds from the revolutionary committee aren’t much, and if you keep spending recklessly like this, you won’t have enough money to buy what you need for the countryside!”

Ye Qing smiled and pointed to the pile of things in the corner of the living room.

“I’ve already bought almost everything on the list you gave me today!”

Song Chunhua was surprised and quickly went over to help Ye Qing check.

“How did you manage to buy everything so quickly? Where did you get the ration tickets?”

Ye Qing explained, “I was lucky. A few days ago, while I was on the tram, I helped an elderly woman who suddenly fell ill. Today, her family came to find me and insisted on giving me a thank-you gift of money and ration tickets.”

“So, I have enough money now, don’t worry! The food will get cold if we don’t eat it soon!”

Hearing this, Song Chunhua became interested and immediately asked for more details.

While eating, Ye Qing shared what she could. As for the part about the elderly woman being in a special care ward and her daughter-in-law looking down on people, she didn’t mention a word.

But the 200-yuan thank-you gift spoke for itself. Even if Ye Qing didn’t say anything, Song Chunhua could guess that the elderly woman Ye Qing saved was someone important.

However, Song Chunhua felt nothing but pride that her student had done a good deed and was rewarded for it.

“Just make sure you’re careful with your money. Don’t spend recklessly, especially in the countryside. Keep a tight hold on your finances and remember, don’t show your wealth!”

Song Chunhua had originally planned to take Ye Qing to the canteen, but since Ye Qing had already bought food, she sat down to eat with her. However, she didn’t want to take advantage of the young girl, so she pulled out a bunch of ration tickets from her pocket.

“Since you have money now, I’ll give you my ration tickets. Make sure to exchange them for nationwide ration tickets at the grain station the day after tomorrow, or you won’t be able to use them in the countryside.”

Saying that, Song Chunhua stuffed the tickets into Ye Qing’s arms.

Ye Qing was shocked.

“How can I take these? If I take them all, what will you eat?”

Song Chunhua waved her off. “Just take them. I don’t eat much anyway, and skipping a few bites at meals won’t kill me. Besides, I get a subsidy every month. If I run out of food, I’ll find a way. Don’t worry, I won’t starve!”

Holding the bunch of ration tickets, Ye Qing’s eyes welled up with tears, her throat tightening so much she could hardly speak.

She wasn’t stupid. Although Song Chunhua said these were her savings, Ye Qing could tell at a glance that these tickets, a mix of old and new, must have been gathered by Song Chunhua by borrowing from others.

In the city, most families didn’t have enough grain rations to get by, and only a few could save extra tickets. Ye Qing couldn’t imagine how many people Song Chunhua had to ask to borrow these tickets from.

And these tickets had to be repaid!

This meant that for the next few months, her teacher would have to tighten her belt.

The more Ye Qing thought about it, the more her heart ached, and tears uncontrollably rolled down her face. Sitting at the dining table, chopsticks still in hand, she couldn’t stop crying.

She didn’t lack ration tickets. With her wood-elemental ability, if she really needed food, she could just catalyze a few seeds and instantly harvest a barn full of rice.

Song Chunhua didn't know any of this, though. All she knew was that her student was about to go to the countryside soon, and while she couldn't change national policies, she would help as much as she could within her own capabilities.

At this moment, Ye Qing felt that her mindset and perceptions had been renewed and baptized.

The suffering of those ten years in the apocalyptic era had made her afraid to trust anyone easily again. But after coming to this new world and meeting someone as kind and pure as Teacher Song, she was both surprised by the attention and overwhelmed with shame.

Ye Qing was just a selfish, cold individual with no great ambitions. What merit did she have to deserve such unconditional and wholehearted dedication from a teacher like Song?

After dinner, Ye Qing did nothing but sit quietly by the table, accompanying Song Chunhua as she graded assignments.

When Song Chunhua became tired, Ye Qing, under the guise of massaging her shoulders, discreetly checked her physical condition and secretly channeled some of her special energy to heal some minor ailments in Song Chunhua's body.

Song Chunhua only found it strange that after the massage from Ye Qing, she felt much more comfortable all over and, unusually, didn't have nightmares that night, sleeping soundly until morning. She woke up feeling refreshed.

But Song Chunhua wasn't one to jump to wild conclusions and didn't suspect that Ye Qing's massage the previous evening had a hidden agenda.

The next morning, Ye Qing left the house early as usual.

She had made an appointment with several old men to meet at the South Gate street corner. As a younger person, it wouldn't do for her to make the elders wait by arriving late.

Ye Qing thought she had left early enough, but to her surprise, when she arrived at the meeting spot with her fishing gear, all the old men were already there, and it seemed they had been waiting for quite some time.

"Uncle Chen, why did you all come so early? Didn't you get more sleep at home?"

Chen Youde waved his hand. "As we get older, we sleep less. Unlike you young people who can fall asleep anywhere you lean on. We wake up around three or four in the morning and just lie there waiting for dawn."

Ye Qing casually replied, "That's either due to underlying health issues putting pressure on the nerves or a reduction in melatonin secretion in the body."

The old men gathered around Ye Qing as soon as they saw her. They had intended to ask about which famous fishing master she had trained under, but upon hearing her explanation for sleep reduction, they were momentarily stunned.

"Girl Ye, what was that about melatonin you just mentioned?"

Ye Qing had no choice but to explain patiently, "It's a hormone secreted within the body. This hormone acts on the sleep center through the bloodstream, inducing deep sleep. In simpler terms, it's responsible for regulating sleep. If the secretion of this hormone decreases, the duration of deep sleep shortens, leading to insomnia, less sleep, and restless nights."

The old men, having lived most of their lives, had never heard of such a thing. They were both confused and anxious.

"Really? There's actually something like that inside our bodies? If the levels decrease, can we take medication to supplement it?"

Ye Qing looked at the row of curious elderly people in front of her and hesitated for a moment, her expression difficult to describe.

For some reason, the scene reminded her of something oddly familiar.

It was as if she were one of those scam artists selling health products, giving a lecture to a bunch of unsuspecting old men before pushing the product.

Feeling slightly awkward, she couldn't help but clear her throat twice and said, holding her fishing gear,

"Well, uncles, the main focus of our trip today is to go wild fishing, so how about we continue the discussion while we walk?"

The old men finally came to their senses and hurriedly grabbed their things before taking the bus to Chunshen Pu.

As soon as Ye Qing got on the bus, she continued the previous topic:

"There are three ways to regulate low melatonin secretion."

"The first is to take Western medicine, which works quickly but may have some side effects."

"For younger people, this method would be suitable, but since you are almost sixty, I wouldn't recommend it. I'm also not sure if this kind of medicine is available in hospitals."

"The second method is acupuncture treatment, combined with traditional Chinese medicine for slow regulation. The treatment period might be longer."

"The third method is dietary therapy, which is truly a long-term process. You should eat more oats, tomatoes, grapes, walnuts, and such ingredients..."

Ye Qing was very familiar with all this and spoke with great confidence. As she spoke, she noticed Chen Youde staring at her intently. Feeling puzzled, she couldn't help but touch her own face:

"Uncle Chen, what's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Chen Youde shook his head. "No, I'm just curious. Ye family girl, didn't you apprentice under a master of fishing? How do you know medical skills as well? My elder sister had a coronary attack, and you saved her. You're quite impressive for such a young girl!"

Ye Qing was in the process of building her personal brand, so she seized the opportunity to promote herself. Hearing Chen Youde's question, she immediately replied with a smile:

"Fishing is just a small hobby of mine. I'm serious about studying medicine and consider it my lifelong career. I want to be a doctor, but my family's conditions didn't allow it. So, I had to self-study in private. Over the years, I've found some medical books at the scrapyard and have been studying them voraciously, figuring things out on my own."

Her words earned the respect of the old men, who couldn't help but give her a thumbs up.

To showcase her learning, Ye Qing even asked the old men to extend their wrists. She then squatted down and took their pulses one by one.

Although it was on a bus, with the help of her special abilities, Ye Qing was able to perform pulse diagnoses very quickly. Basically, she could diagnose one person within two minutes and immediately identify all the ailments of each elderly man.

As Ye Qing finished listing the basic symptoms of several people, the old men widened their eyes in astonishment, practically viewing her as a celestial being.

Initially, these men were only curious about Ye Qing's fishing skills, but now they were genuinely impressed by the young girl's mastery of pulse diagnosis.

"You're entirely self-taught from medical books? Young girl, your innate talent and learning ability are astonishing!"

"You must not give up; continue learning even after you go to the countryside. With your determination and refusal to accept fate, as long as you persist, you'll surely make a name for yourself in medicine in due time!"

"Exactly, don't worry about going to the countryside. You can write to us old men if you need anything. If you lack any books, just let us know, and we'll help you find them!"

These old men had practically become Ye Qing's biggest fans, their enthusiasm and affection for her rivaling that for their own granddaughters.

Ye Qing was quite satisfied with the reactions of these old men, and she couldn't help but snap her fingers in her heart: Bingo!

Good, it seems these people have been thoroughly hoodwinked!

In the future, if anyone doubts the origins of her medical skills and investigates her academic background and growth, these men will be valuable witnesses who have "witnessed her growth."

The journey to Chunsheng Pu was spent with Ye Qing giving a lecture on how the elderly should stay healthy.

Thus, a rather peculiar phenomenon occurred on this bus.

Almost half of the bus passengers involuntarily moved closer to Ye Qing, all ears as they listened to the girl's lecture.

Because Ye Qing's health lecture was so vivid and interesting, everyone listened intently and was left wanting more. Some even missed their stops because they were so engrossed. When Ye Qing and her group reached their destination and got off, some people instinctively followed them, only realizing their mistake after being called back by their companions.

Seeing this situation, Ye Qing couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.

Now, she not only seemed like a cult-like brainwasher but also a bit like a child trafficker!

Chunsheng Pu, located upstream of Pu Jiang, is on the outskirts of Shen City, surrounded by woods, farmland, and flat riverbank mudflats.

In September, as the dry season begins, the mudflats dry up, and people often come here to fish.

Chen Youde and the others were determined not to lose, and they were well-prepared with a complete set of baits to avoid returning empty-handed.

Upon arriving at the spot, the old men immediately started choosing fishing positions.

Ye Qing, however, was unhurried. She borrowed a small hatchet from one of the old men, wandered into the nearby woods, found a patch of wild bamboo, and selected an old, straight one to cut down.

After leisurely trimming the branches and polishing it smooth, she tested the feel and confirmed it could be used as a fishing rod before returning to the mudflat.

By this time, half an hour had passed since the old men had baited their hooks and cast their lines, but their floats had remained still.

To save face, Chen Youde reiterated, "Don't laugh, the fish in this river are bigger and smarter than those in People's Park. It's notoriously difficult to fish here. Don't think that just because you have a unique skill, your results today might not be as good as mine—"

Before he could finish, Ye Qing had already tied her line and casually hooked a water grass from the riverbank. With a swift flick, she cast her line into the river.

Chen Youde's boast was cut short as Ye Qing's float was pulled down by a strong force.

He stopped mid-sentence, swallowing the rest of his words.

Even if it was embarrassing, he wished he had a moment to prepare mentally. Did it have to happen so fast?!

The old men all stood up excitedly.

Ye Qing was now adept at handling the fish, remaining calm and unhurried, slowly wearing down the fish's patience and strength without any unnecessary movements.

This wasn't People's Park. The vast mudflat had few people, so the commotion of catching fish didn't attract much attention.

Seeing the surroundings, Ye Qing felt unrestricted and prepared to go all out.

One fish, two fish, three fish...

The entire mudflat became Ye Qing's stage to show off her skills, leaving no room for the old men to demonstrate their abilities.

In just a morning, the area of the mudflat where they were had been filled with the large fish Ye Qing caught, totaling nearly a thousand jin.

With almost a hundred fish piled on the shore, the visual impact was immense and quite spectacular.

The old men, while helping to net the fish, muttered among themselves:

This isn't a fishing trip at all; it's more like a buying expedition!

Before coming, the old men had all agreed that no matter how many fish Ye Qing caught this time, they would split and take all of them.

But as Ye Qing continued to reel in more and more fish, the excitement among the old men slowly faded, and their faces turned pale with worry.

If it were just ten or twenty fish, they could grit their teeth and manage, maybe even share them with relatives.

But with nearly a hundred fish, who could handle that?

The old men quickly turned to Chen Youde for help: "What do we do? We've already boasted about it. We can't go back on our word now, especially not in front of this girl. That would be too embarrassing!"

Fortunately, Chen Youde didn't let them down this time. With confidence, he said:

"Don't worry, I've prepared for this. Even if it's a thousand jin of fish, I can handle it, and even several times more!"

The old men were skeptical, wondering if Chen Youde was exaggerating.

Chen Youde grinned mysteriously and said:

"Last night, I went to my nephew's machine shop and arranged with the procurement officer in the logistics department. I've asked him to bring a transport vehicle to Chunsheng Pu this afternoon!"

"I originally thought that if Ye Qing caught a few hundred jin of fish, we old men wouldn't be able to take them back, so I arranged for someone to help us haul them."

"But now, there's no need to bother. I'll just have that guy take the fish straight to their machine shop. The logistics department there must be worrying about procuring ingredients too. With so many fresh fish, I don't believe they'll refuse!"

The old men's eyes lit up:

"Wow, that's a brilliant plan! With so many workers in the machine shop, these fish will be a great addition to the canteen. Even if there were twice as many fish, they'd be finished in one meal!"

By mid-afternoon, Ye Qing finally stopped fishing.

Fishing is definitely a physically demanding activity. To keep her energy up, she had used quite a bit of her special ability over the morning and was starting to feel the strain after hours of continuous effort.

Seeing Ye Qing stop, the other old men followed suit and packed up.

Mainly because they were just there to make up the numbers today. Since everyone ended up with no fish, no one could laugh at the others.

During this time, they had only eaten some dry rations and were starting to feel hungry. But since Chen Youde said the transport vehicle hadn't arrived yet, they had to stay and guard the pile of fish.

To avoid being seen, the old men dragged out a pile of dry branches from the woods and covered the fish.

Seeing Ye Qing resting on the mudflat, Old Man Wu, who hadn't shown much initiative until now, had a thought. He rummaged through his tackle box and pulled out a cloth bag, approaching Ye Qing.

"Miss Ye," Old Man Wu said with a flattering smile, opening the cloth bag and secretly slipping two items into Ye Qing's hands, "Can't you teach me that unique technique of yours? How about you tell me quietly? I promise, it'll just be between us two. I won't tell anyone, not even on my deathbed!"

Ye Qing: ……It doesn't have to be that dramatic.

"Uncle Wu, it's not that I don't want to teach you, but I made a vow in my master's school. It's just fishing; I really can't betray my master for this, right?"

Old Man Wu's expression stiffened slightly, clearly disappointed: "Yeah, it's just fishing, but why is it so hard for me to win just once?"

Ye Qing was both amused and exasperated.

It's true what they say, men remain boys at heart until the end. Even in his fifties or sixties, Old Man Wu still had such a strong competitive spirit. Probably because he always ended up with no fish, he had been ridiculed by his old friends and was determined to find a way to save face. When he couldn't solve it with his own ability, he sought a shortcut and asked for external help.

Ye Qing looked at the two fruits Old Man Wu had secretly given her.

A Red Fuji apple and a snow pear, not very big and only of average quality, but they were the first decent-looking fruits she had seen since arriving in this world.

These were probably not available even in the food stores in Shen City; they were most likely special supplies for officials. Ordinary people wouldn't even have the chance to see them, let alone eat them.

It was clear that Old Man Wu had really gone all out to win!

The temptation of these two fruits was quite strong for Ye Qing.

It wasn't just about the food, but the fact that each segment of the fruit contained seeds.

If she collected the seeds, she would have an endless supply of apple and pear trees, achieving apple and pear freedom!

Ye Qing couldn't help swallowing. Looking at the stubborn old man in front of her, she ultimately couldn't bring herself to return the two fruits.

A thought suddenly struck her, and she came up with an idea:

"Old Man Wu, my unique skill really can't be taught to outsiders, but if your goal is just to win, you don't necessarily have to learn this skill of mine."

"How about this?"

Ye Qing lowered her voice,

"I'll privately prepare a bait for you. The recipe for this bait is also unique to my master's school. It will guarantee that you'll catch fish, but this is a one-time deal, no more after this!"

It's just fishing, after all. She could just chop up some ingredients and mix in a bit of special energy, which would surely attract a large school of fish.

As soon as she said this, Old Man Wu's eyes lit up, and he immediately started nodding frantically like a chick pecking at rice.

Ye Qing chuckled, feeling perfectly at ease as she put the two fruits in her pocket.

Hmm, these fruits would be perfect to take back and let Teacher Song try. If she likes them, she'll make sure to get two boxes for her before heading to the countryside!

Chen Youde was quite reliable. He said he'd find someone, and by the afternoon, the person actually arrived, driving a FAW brand transport truck. The large cargo bed looked more than big enough to fit all these fish.

The truck stopped by the riverbank, and a young man in his twenties jumped out.

As soon as he saw the large, plump fish laid out on the tidal flat, the guy's mouth dropped open wide enough to fit an egg.

The old men tacitly didn't mention how these fish came to be.

Usually, when they went fishing, catching three or five fish wasn't noticeable, and no one would say anything.

But this time, there were indeed too many. If word got out and fell into the wrong hands, they might be accused of "undermining socialism."

So everyone was cautious, and when the procurement officer asked, Chen Youde lied, saying these fish were caught by nearby villagers. If the machine shop didn't take them, the village would have to send them to the acquisition station.

The procurement officer wasn't about to let such a feast slip away. As soon as he heard they might be sent to the acquisition station, he immediately panicked:

"No way, Uncle, the Plant Manager is your nephew, and you're retired from the shop. Shouldn't you be thinking more about us workers?"

"These fish may look like a lot, but once you get them back, there's barely enough for each worker to have a bite. Please, don't let the villagers send them to the acquisition station. I'll go talk to the Village Chief myself. I'll offer the same price the acquisition station gives, and I'll even load them onto the truck myself!"

None of the old men interrupted. Chen Youde pretended to hesitate for a long while before reluctantly nodding and agreeing to let the procurement officer load the fish onto the truck, saying he needed to "go negotiate with the Village Chief."

And off he went into the woods to find the legendary Village Chief.

Seeing Chen Youde ham it up, Ye Qing could barely hold back her laughter.

After waiting for over half an hour, as the procurement officer loaded the fish onto the truck, Chen Youde finally emerged from the woods.

"Alright, after much persuasion, the Village Chief finally agreed. Take the fish away. Let this young girl go with you to settle the payment at the shop. She's a villager, so just give the money to her, and she'll pass it on to the Village Chief."

"But I have to be upfront and ugly about this: don't take advantage of this young girl's youth and give her less money or delay the payment. I've put my old face on the line for this, begging and pleading until the Village Chief finally relented!"

"If she doesn't get the money, I'll bring the Village Chief to my great-nephew's house to settle the score. If you get caught in the crossfire, don't say I didn't warn you ahead of time!"

The procurement officer quickly assured him, "Of course not, Uncle, you know me well enough!"

Chen Youde winked at Ye Qing and, while the procurement officer wasn't looking, held his arm out in front of her, whispering in a frustrated tone:

"The mosquitoes in this forest are really something. Look, in just this short time, they've bitten me all over!"

Ye Qing couldn't help but chuckle, quickly bowing her fists in thanks to the old man. Following Chen Youde's arrangement, she hopped right into the passenger seat of the transport truck.

The purchasing agent seemed pretty familiar with Chen Youde. It was unclear whether he really didn’t see through the little act Chen Youde just put on, or if he did but chose not to call him out on it. In any case, after Ye Qing climbed into the truck, the purchasing agent swiftly drove towards the city.

Ye Qing had already considered the possibility of making a big profit during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the factories would be distributing welfare to the workers.

But yesterday at the silk factory, Li Rulan hadn’t even given her the chance to pitch what she had.

Ye Qing herself didn’t have the channels or connections in this area, and she didn’t dare to act rashly with just anyone she randomly found.

But now, looking at the purchasing agent that Chen Youde had helped find, Ye Qing’s heart stirred, and that idea of making a big move before heading back to the countryside started to bubble up again.

Although things were strictly regulated at this time, the logistics procurement of various factories still had a bit of authority. There were also some clever purchasing agents who specialized in collecting goods from the countryside.

So Ye Qing didn’t think her idea was necessarily reckless. If handled properly, it was entirely feasible.

Ye Qing tentatively opened the conversation, trying to build rapport with the young purchasing agent:

“Comrade, you’re so young and already a purchasing agent at the machine shop, and you can even drive such a big truck! That’s amazing!”

Flattery never fails, and with Ye Qing’s compliment, paired with the admiring sparkle in her eyes, the young man was flattered to no end.

He tried to stay calm while driving, but chuckled:

“Actually, I took over my grandfather’s position. I joined the factory in my teens and worked there for seven or eight years before getting into the procurement department. I have Uncle Youde to thank for that. When the factory sent people to the transportation company for further training, he managed to get me in. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have learned how to drive this big truck.”

Ye Qing thought to herself that he easily spilled his personal matters, which showed he wasn’t a very scheming person.

But Ye Qing actually preferred honest people like him, as it made her feel more at ease about collaborating with him.

She smiled and chatted casually with the young man for a while before steering the conversation towards the topic of the truckload of fresh fish.

“If the year hadn’t been bad, the village wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble. The entire production team was mobilized for this truckload of fish, and we even lost half a day of work.”

“If you hadn’t come, the Village Chief would have arranged for a tractor to send the fish to the acquisition station. With the hot weather, these fish won’t last long. If they spoil, it’ll be a big problem.”

The young man nodded in agreement and, seemingly trying to make conversation, asked:

“Is it that troublesome to catch fish? I thought the villagers did it during their spare time at noon. Won’t this affect the village’s production progress?”

Ye Qing sighed helplessly: “It does affect it, which is why the Village Chief said we’ll have to make up the work hours in the evening, even if we have to work in the dark.”

“But there’s no other way. Life in the countryside is tough. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, every household needs to earn some money for a proper reunion.”

“For this reason, the elderly, women, and children in the village have been gathering wild fruits in the mountains. Although these wild fruits aren’t worth much, as long as someone is willing to buy them, it’ll still provide a little extra income.”

The young man thought Ye Qing was just making small talk and instinctively asked:

“Are there still wild fruits to pick in the nearby mountains? What kind of wild fruits are they? Are they tasty?”

Ye Qing could tell the young man was interested, and she knew the prey had taken the bait!

Since she knew she’d be going fishing in the suburbs that morning, she had brought not only dry food but also the last few wild fruits she had left at Song Chunhua’s dormitory.

In the morning, she had been too focused on fishing to eat them.

Ye Qing quickly opened her bag and took out the kiwis and wild chestnuts, peeling them before handing them to the young man:

“These are the ones. Comrade, please try them. Although these wild fruits from the mountains don’t look good, they taste great. The kiwis are especially refreshing, and the wild chestnuts are crisp. These are things you can’t buy in the city!”

The young man, seeing Ye Qing’s enthusiasm, couldn’t refuse. He pulled the car to the side of the road and accepted the fruits, popping them into his mouth.

These fruits, ripened with wood-type energy, although not as high quality as those directly grown with Ye Qing’s special abilities, were still far superior to other fruits available on the market at this time.

As Ye Qing had expected, people in procurement like Li Rulan, who didn’t recognize their value, were rare. After finishing the kiwi and chestnuts, the purchasing agent looked astonished and unsatisfied:

“Girl, did you pick these in the mountains? They’re completely wild?”

Ye Qing nodded: “Yes, why do you ask?”

The purchasing agent, no longer in a hurry to return to the city, asked anxiously:

“Did everyone in your village go to pick them? Are there a lot of these fruits? Besides the kiwis and wild chestnuts you gave me, are there any others?”

Ye Qing thought for a moment. The gifts the squirrel couple had given her included peanuts, walnuts, and pine nuts, which were all varieties that could be found in the She Mountains and could be added to the supply list.

“Wild walnuts, wild peanuts, and pine nuts, do they count? But these should be nuts, not fruits. I don’t have any with me, but I could have let you try them.”

These didn’t need tasting, and the purchasing agent’s eyes lit up as he looked at Ye Qing like she was a godsend:

“Comrade, do you know who I am?”

Ye Qing nodded and pretended to be puzzled: “Yes, the old Chen acquaintance mentioned you’re in charge of procurement for the machine shop.”

The purchasing agent puffed out his chest proudly: “That’s right. Our procurement department is responsible for the food and drink of several thousand people in our factory. So you can imagine how big our material needs are.”

“Although the food department allocates some supplies to our factory, it’s definitely not enough to feed so many people.”

“Especially with the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, our procurement department is worried about the workers’ festival welfare. I’ve been trying to find supply channels.”

“After eating the wild fruits you gave me, I think they’re no less delicious than the green apples sold in the food stores in the city. Can you ask your Village Chief if the wild fruits collected by the villagers can all be sold to me instead of being sent to the acquisition station?”

Seeing Ye Qing’s silence, the young man became anxious, afraid she might think he was a fraud. He patted his chest and repeatedly assured her:

“Rest assured, the price will be fair. Whatever price the grain acquisition station offers, our machine shop will match it. We absolutely won’t delay payment!”

Ye Qing was secretly delighted but didn’t dare agree too readily:

“I can’t give you an answer right now. My priority is to get the money for the fish, return to the village, and report to the Village Chief. If I mess this up, I’m afraid the Village Chief won’t listen to me anymore.”

The young man patted his forehead: “Yes, yes, you need to deliver the fish to the factory first. There’s no rush for this matter. We can talk about it later!”

The young man was in a hurry, practically stepping on the gas instead of the brakes all the way. After delivering the fish to the logistics department for weighing and inventory, he immediately rushed to the finance department with the purchase order to settle the payment.

When buying fresh fish in bulk, the price certainly couldn’t compare to retail prices at the local market, but the machine shop offered a fair rate, purchasing at twenty-eight cents per pound, which was actually one cent higher than the official procurement station.

Ye Qing had caught over 1,200 pounds of fish this time, which, after calculations, amounted to just over 300 yuan.

When the young man handed over the money to Ye Qing, not a single cent short, she became even more satisfied with this cooperative partner.

In a large state-owned factory with thousands of workers, the rules and regulations were quite complex. It usually took a considerable amount of time for the finance department to review and process official payment orders. It was rare to settle payments on the spot.

However, the fact that this procurer found by Chen Youde was able to get the money from the accountant so quickly suggested two possibilities: either the procurer had a personal relationship with the accountant, or his background was strong enough that the accountant didn’t dare to offend him.

Ye Qing couldn’t determine which one it was, but she didn’t really care either way.

What mattered to her was whether this procurer could settle her payment in the shortest time possible after purchasing the supplies she provided.

After all, she was going to the countryside in just two days. If she handed over the goods but the finance department dragged their feet and delayed the payment, all her efforts would end up being for nothing.

From what she had observed, Ye Qing found this guy pretty reliable, so she decided to take a gamble.

Before leaving, Ye Qing left a verbal agreement with the young man, saying that she needed to go back to the village to report the accounts and then discuss the purchase of wild fruits from the mountains with the Village Chief. If the village meeting agreed to the procurement deal as proposed by the young man, she would come back to the machine shop to find him.

The young man was clearly eager to make this deal happen. He quickly introduced himself and said that he wouldn’t go anywhere the next day, and would wait for the good news from Ye Qing at the shop.

Ye Qing didn’t dare show any expression on her face, but the moment she left the machine shop gate, she could no longer contain her excitement, and her smile stretched all the way to the back of her head.