Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Yezhi was feeling overly sentimental, pounding her chest in frustration! It wasn't that she had fallen in love with Xiaobinzi, but at 28 years old, her passion for love had long faded. She wouldn't easily give her heart away or fall in love with someone. She was accustomed to self-protection, appearing carefree and happy, yet she was extremely sensitive and selfish. She truly didn't believe anyone was worth sacrificing for. The last time she saved One Egg, she was wearing "Bite-Resistant Armor." Without it, even if Yezhi wanted to save One Egg, she wouldn't have had the courage to rush forward and embrace a wild boar. Lin Haitao's unwavering support left her both shocked and moved, reminding her of Xiao Fang's words. Becoming pragmatic about relationships, she felt that Xiaobinzi was indeed a good match, just a reassuring good match.
Yezhi's strange behavior puzzled Lin Haitao. "Did I interrupt you?"
"Yes!" She replied firmly, "You've made me think too much and I haven't even slept well!" Yezhi's definite answer dimmed Lin Haitao's expression, leaving him with an indescribable melancholy. "Then... I'm really sorry!"
"Brother Lin, don't listen to Sister Ye's nonsense! We were hoping you'd come play!" One Egg puffed out his cheeks and glared at Yezhi, who widened her eyes in response. "You little brat, eavesdropping on adults!" One Egg was a stubborn child; if he thought Sister Ye was wrong, he would never compromise and even went to find his father for judgment.
"Yezhi has a big family; Comrade Xiao Lin, you're welcome to stay at our house," One Gun Brother sincerely invited while defending Yezhi.
"No thanks, One Gun Brother, we should head down the mountain tomorrow morning!" Lin Haitao decided as he gazed into the dark distance.
Since last night, Xiaobinzi had been avoiding her. No matter what Yezhi said, he always responded with a hint of apology. This frustrated Yezhi, who had been sleeping poorly for two consecutive nights, with dark circles under her eyes rivaling those of a panda.
When they returned home with their catch, before the stools were even warmed up, Xiaobinzi picked up a black duffel bag and bid farewell to Aunt Zhou. This infuriated Yezhi. This outsider was too straightforward; with just one word of "okay," he dismissed her so easily. If it were Zhang Dou or Xiao Cheng, they definitely wouldn't take it seriously.
"What do you mean? What I said yesterday...!" Yezhi exclaimed angrily.
"I know you weren't serious!" Lin Haitao's words caught Yezhi off guard. She crossed her arms and retorted angrily, "Then why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"The holiday is almost over; I have to get back!" Lin Haitao smiled as he looked at the angry Yezhi, feeling an indescribable joy inside. Last night's gloom and melancholy made him realize some things.
Yezhi suddenly understood; he was in a hurry to return to work! "Then... eat before you go!"
"No thanks, actually... I came to Zhoujiatun..." Lin Haitao felt a bit shy but knew he had to say some things. Clearing his throat twice to cover up his embarrassment, he softly said, "I came... to see you!"
What?! Yezhi felt all the blood rush to her head, surprised more than happy; this was too sudden and completely caught her off guard!
Lin Haitao stared deeply at Yezhi and said seriously, "I will come back!" After saying that, he rode away on his bicycle without looking back. Yezhi watched in a daze as Xiaobinzi left, her mind blank. Aunt Zhou, who had been eavesdropping in the kitchen, excitedly tugged at Luo Fengjuan's arm, unable to contain her joy; her daughter finally had a partner.
Three days after Lin Haitao left, Yezhi felt a bit dazed. Aunt Zhou noticed this and was secretly pleased: her daughter was lovesick! Who would have thought that Comrade Lin was her true match? She couldn't wait to drink the Wedding Wine. In reality, Yezhi's daze was due to discussing the business of Earth's Rarity with Xiao Fang. They had sold three pieces of Cured Meat, which made Xiao Fang, who was focused on making money, see the business opportunity for the Spring Festival in the Bodria Star System. Xiao Fang suggested selling unique Spring Festival items from Earth online, which aligned perfectly with Yezhi's thoughts. Receiving her approval and praise, Xiao Fang worked particularly hard and frequently came up with ideas to discuss with Yezhi, which led to Yezhi feeling "dazed."
"Master, how about we upload the villagers' Yangge dance segments online and sell them like folk songs?" Xiao Fang played the edited Yangge dance from New Year's Day for Yezhi. The surroundings instantly transformed into the familiar Zhoujiatun, and the holographic image made Yezhi feel as if she were there. The 30-second edited version perfectly showcased the liveliness and joy of the Spring Festival along with its folk characteristics.
Yezhi nodded in satisfaction. "Xiao Fang, edit our bean buns and Cured Meat into it as well, along with close-ups of the noodles, Spring Couplets, and New Year Pictures along the route of the villagers' Yangge dance."
Xiao Fang scratched her head. "Master, will anyone pay to download this video?"
Yezhi chuckled lightly. "Xiao Fang, this is an advertisement video meant for placement on the Cosmic Mall Website." Xiao Fang exclaimed in surprise, "What? How much will that cost?" She quickly clutched her purse tightly.
"Three pieces of Cured Meat won't cover it; you might find it cheaper with Bide; you can give it a try!" Xiao Fang's pained expression made Yezhi laugh uncontrollably. After laughing enough to feel guilty, she said, "Xiao Fang, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for; I'll spread the advertising costs across the products sold." Xiao Fang blinked in response, her forehead displaying the words "shady business."
"Yezhi, are you thinking about Comrade Lin again?" Luo Fengjuan lightly pushed Yezhi, who was lost in thought at the stove.
"Sister Luo, what did you say?" Coming back to her senses, Yezhi genuinely hadn't heard Luo Fengjuan's words and looked confused. Luo Fengjuan smiled meaningfully. "I said if you're thinking about him, just go find him!"
"Find who?" Yezhi instinctively asked back.
"Who else but Comrade Lin!" Thinking that Yezhi was pretending to be shy or clueless, Luo Fengjuan burst into laughter.
When it came to Lin Haitao as a potential partner, Yezhi felt a bit embarrassed but not overly so; after all, she was a modern woman who could handle such situations easily.
"You mean Xiaobinzi? Hmm~ Of course I will go find him!" Aunt Zhou entered with a dustpan and was so happy she could hardly contain herself. "Yezhi, when are you going? I'll help you pack!"
"Tomorrow!" Recently, Aunt Zhou and Sister Luo had been chatting about what delicious dishes they made with Rice Bran Oil. Everyone was full of hope for the future of their oil workshop. However, Yezhi began to worry; Zhoujiatun's limited rice planting area wasn't enough for large-scale production of Rice Bran Oil. Purchasing rice bran from southern rice-growing regions wasn't practical either. Developing more paddy fields would only add another 200 acres at most without affecting the original state of the Wetland. Having seen reports that Northeast China's natural Wetlands were dwindling in the 21st century due to development and exploitation leading to abandonment made Yezhi more concerned. The equipment cost of ten thousand yuan felt like a hot potato; villagers already burdened with debt wouldn't be keen on self-producing and self-marketing at their own tables.
The next day, Aunt Zhou and Sister Luo stood at the yard gate smiling as they sent Yezhi off. Wolf Child and Black Treasure insisted on following her while Niu Niu clung to Yezhi's pant leg playfully.
Wolf Child and Black Treasure were reluctantly pacified by promises of delicious candy from Yezhi while Niu Niu looked up at her pitifully. Yezhi almost wavered but gave Niu Niu a kiss as compensation before setting off with her bundle. Once out of the village entrance and in an unnoticed spot, she hopped onto her folding bike. After taking Wolf Child to the hospital last time, she thought her folding bike would attract attention but waited for a long time without anyone asking about it. Curious about why no one questioned it, she asked Barefoot Aunt and learned that buying a bicycle these days not only cost a lot but also required a bicycle ticket to purchase one. Barefoot Aunt knew without asking that this bicycle was borrowed from Yezhi since they hadn't seen her riding it again; thus it must have been returned. This realization made Yezhi laugh heartily as she crafted excuses for herself.
Arriving in the county town, Yezhi first went to the Grain Store to inquire if they accepted oil. The enthusiastic lady at the Grain Store told her that they only sold products and suggested she ask at the Grain and Oil Company.
After finding out the location of the Grain and Oil Company, as soon as Yezhi entered through the iron gate, she was stopped by the guard, who demanded to see her identification. Yezhi had none. "Sir, I just want to go in and ask a question! I'll be out in a moment!" She said this and attempted to push her way in.
The guard was not pleased and quickly caught up with her, shouting, "What are you doing, girl? Are you trying to take advantage of my old age? Take this!" He was quite a tough character; not only did he slap Yezhi on the back of her head, but he also roughly pushed her out the door. Holding her sore head, Yezhi glared at him, feeling utterly helpless against the old man.
Feeling dejected as she walked along familiar streets, she observed the passersby. Each person's face radiated the unique vitality of this era. Compared to them, she felt like an elderly person in twilight, lacking a strong yearning or hope for life.
After walking for a while, she leaned against a utility pole and began calculating the price of Soybean Oil in her mind. Currently, Soybean Oil was being supplied at six dimes per pound in the market. The remaining rice bran could yield an oil extraction rate of thirty percent with new solar-powered oil extraction equipment, potentially producing several thousand pounds of oil. There was still profit to be made; however, it was a new product, and she wondered if the Grain and Oil Company would accept it. Moreover, people were still living with a shortage of oil; while healthy Rice Bran Oil had a pleasant aroma, it lacked the rich scent of fat. She questioned whether people would accept it; after all, Cart Master and One Gun Brother had mentioned that nothing tasted better than pork lard. Regretfully, Yezhi wished she had brought a few jars of Rice Bran Oil to give to Secretary Zhang and Director Yu from the Agricultural Bureau through back channels.
"Master, you haven't bought the New Year Picture yet!" Xiao Fang couldn't hold back any longer.
Reminded by Xiao Fang, Yezhi hurried to the Department Store and found a salesperson selling paper and pens. "Comrade, do you still have New Year Pictures for sale?" The salesperson with red lipstick replied impatiently, "The New Year is over; what do you want New Year Pictures for?" Yezhi couldn't believe it; she refused to accept that they were all sold out.
"I just want to buy New Year Pictures! I also want Spring Couplets!" She said as she rummaged through her pockets for money.
The salesperson glanced at Yezhi with annoyance and said impatiently, "I told you, country bumpkin, can't you understand? We don't have any!" Having childhood trauma from such State-Owned Store salespeople, Yezhi retorted angrily, "You're not human if you can't speak properly; of course I can't understand." After saying this, she slammed a stack of Unity currency on the glass counter. "I want to buy New Year Pictures and Spring Couplets! Who says you can't buy them after the New Year?"
Yezhi's assertive demeanor infuriated the salesperson so much that her lips trembled. "You... you country bumpkin! Get lost! Even if you have money, it's dirty money earned from selling trash!"
"Haha~ Drawing a big bloody mouth during the day and selling it again at night!" The salesperson lost her composure and grabbed Yezhi's clothes. Since the other party had already resorted to violence, Yezhi saw no reason to hold back either.
Comment 0 Comment Count