Volume One, Chapter 33: The Middleman Profits from the Margin

Liu Lan was furious!

If she had known earlier that these vegetables were grown by someone in this village, she would have gone straight to Guo Dong! Why had she let herself be played for a fool by Xie Minmin? While the two were good friends, business was business—they were two entirely different matters.

"Guo Dong!"

As soon as she stepped out of the car, she spotted Guo Dong looking in their direction. She made to run toward him, but Liu Yang, standing beside her, looked visibly startled to see his daughter greeting the young man.

"You two know each other?"

"Know each other? Not only that, but he was the one who cured my skin condition last time! Pfft! It wasn't even a skin condition; the hospital misdiagnosed it! Dad, I'll introduce you in a moment. If you can convince him, we can bypass Sister Min and deal directly with the villagers from now on!"

There was no need for his daughter to remind him. As soon as Liu Yang realized they knew each other, he had already begun to hatch this plan. Ever since he had obtained Xie Minmin's itinerary from Xie Jingrui in advance, this had been his intention. Dealing directly would always be better than having someone in the middle taking a cut. Perhaps the price could even be lowered.

Thinking back to how he had been completely at the mercy of that woman, Xie Minmin, when negotiating prices, he still felt bitter. If it weren't for the sake of creating his restaurant's signature dishes, buying at such a high price would mean nothing but losses! He looked at his daughter, then shook his head, thinking of Xie Minmin's keen business sense.

"Why are you here?"

Guo Dong’s expression was somewhat unnatural when he saw Liu Lan running toward him. Having just been slighted by her subordinates, he couldn't simply act as if nothing had happened.

"I’m here to buy vegetables!"

"Buy vegetables?"

Guo Dong frowned slightly, his expression caught clearly by Liu Yang.

"Young man, let’s get acquainted. My name is Liu Yang, and I am the general manager of the Xianghe Hotel."

Seeing the man extend his hand politely, Guo Dong gave a token gesture of acknowledgment. So, Liu Yang had come in person! The chairman himself coming all the way here just to buy vegetables—that was quite the display.

"Well, you two go ahead, I have things to attend to."

Seeing Guo Dong about to leave, Liu Lan immediately blocked his path.

"I need to ask you something first!"

Guo Dong stopped and looked at Liu Lan. "Go ahead."

"Whose family in the village grows baby bok choy?"

Guo Dong took a deep breath, just about to speak, when his phone suddenly rang.

"Excuse me, I need to take this call."

He stepped aside to answer. The call dragged on, and since he couldn't leave, he decided to entrust the matter entirely to Meng Xiaohan. Surely, Meng Xiaohan wouldn't deceive him. If she did, he would only have his own poor judgment to blame.

After hanging up, Guo Dong returned to the pair. "Well, Uncle Liu... now that you're here, why don't you come with me?"

In Guo Dong’s eyes, it was certain that Xie Minmin had paved the way for these two to come buy vegetables; otherwise, it wouldn't be such a coincidence.

"Fine, let's go together!"

Liu Yang was in a good mood. Walking side by side with Guo Dong, he observed the village and began to ask questions.

"Your village is quite unique!"

Guo Dong chuckled. "Do you think it looks like a gourd? You can't really tell from here, but when you get to the mountain and look down, it looks even more so! We used to call this place Gourd Mouth before it was renamed."

"A gourd?"

Liu Yang looked around as they walked. Everything seemed ordinary; there was nothing particularly remarkable. He found it hard to imagine that such a village could produce vegetables of that quality.

"Dad, you might not know this, but the honey peaches you bought last time were also grown by Guo Dong!"

"Those peaches were bought here, too?"

"Yes, isn't he amazing?" Liu Lan said with a smile. "He’s not only great at growing fruit, but he’s also a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. My condition last time—I’d been to so many hospitals and none could cure it, but he healed it with just one needle!"

By now, they had reached the hill. The vegetable garden was already crowded with people, all engaged in heated discussion. They had heard that Guo Dong had gone out to sell vegetables and had brought back that same woman from before. They had heard the price: twenty yuan per catty! It was unimaginable. Even five yuan per catty would be considered a very high price.

Seeing Guo Dong return, the villagers crowded around him.

"Guo Dong, did you cast a spell on that woman? Twenty yuan a catty for baby bok choy! She even said she’d take all the vegetables you produce from now on, at prices several times higher than the market rate."

"I suspect that woman has taken a fancy to you. Have you found yourself a rich benefactor?"

"Guo Dong, my future depends on you now! You have to give me an extra ten percent share of the fish pond, or I’m quitting!"

Listening to the villagers, Guo Dong was momentarily stunned. "How much did you say?"

"Twenty! She said it herself, and the contract is already signed!"

Only then did the father and daughter from the Liu family realize what was happening.

"How much?" asked Liu Yang. No one present recognized him.

However, Old Man Fu, standing to the side with his hands behind his back, gave him a glance. "Twenty yuan, a sky-high price! I’m truly impressed; rich people really know how to play!"

"Old Man Fu, what do you know? This is what they call 'poverty limits your imagination.' Twenty yuan is nothing. I’ve heard of someone buying baby bok choy for eighty yuan a catty."

"Eighty?" Old Man Fu glared at Li Tianhu. "Anyone who spends eighty yuan on a catty of baby bok choy is either a fool or has water in their brain!"

"I wouldn't lie to you! I can look it up on my phone right now. If it’s true, will you introduce me to a wife?"

Listening to their absurd banter, Liu Yang’s face darkened. He was the one with "water in his brain." For people like them, a few hundred catties of bok choy was nothing; he wouldn't even blink at paying eighty or even a hundred yuan.

His expression made his daughter, Liu Lan, cover her mouth to hide her giggles.

"Young Guo Dong, tell me... are all the vegetables here grown by you?"

Guo Dong knew exactly what the man was asking. He nodded with a smile.

"What if—and I mean 'if'—I offered a higher price to purchase your vegetables? As long as the produce you grow maintains this quality, I’ll take everything you have. How about it?"

Guo Dong paused for a moment and stared at Liu Yang. After a long silence, he asked, "How much are you offering?"

"Twenty... no, thirty!"

Here it was again—a familiar situation. It had happened the last time he sold peaches, and now it was happening again with the vegetables. The uncles and aunties nearby were spinning in circles. Was this a hoax? Or were these two just plants hired by Guo Dong?

Just as Guo Dong was about to speak, Xie Minmin, who had been with Meng Xiaohan, walked over.

"Uncle Liu, we shouldn't disregard the rules, should we?"

Liu Yang gave a bitter smile. "You’re being a bit too ruthless!"

Xie Minmin chuckled. "Ruthless? If it weren't for me, I dare say your employees at Xianghe wouldn't even take these vegetables if they were free. Believe me?"

"That’s impossible!" Liu Yang snorted and turned his head away.