Volume 1, Chapter 41: By the Fish Pond

Ring, ring...

The phone on the table began to chime. Liu Yang lunged for it, picking it up instantly.

"Hello, Director Liu, the feedback is in!"

"How was the reception?" Liu Yang asked, his voice tinged with excitement.

"It's excellent! Almost every customer who finished their meal ordered a second serving. Some even mentioned that we should produce more of this specific type of vegetable."

Hearing this, Liu Yang finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"What about the price? Any issues there?"

"No problems with the price. Many customers said it was expensive, but they found it acceptable. Oh, and one group of guests booked a banquet for tomorrow, saying they need to host some important clients. They specifically requested these two dishes and asked to be notified immediately if there are any new items!"

All his effort had not been in vain; the weight that had been pressing on Liu Yang’s chest finally lifted. He knew that no one could resist such delicious food, especially when it was organic. People used to eat organic food just for health, but now that the flavor had improved, would these wealthy patrons really be willing to give it up?

With that thought, he decided to contact Xie Minmin tomorrow and urge Guo Dong. They couldn't just have this one batch; at the very least, they needed to keep up with demand. If nothing else, they should at least be able to supply the flagship store in Hongwu County.

Guo Dong, unaware of all this, had just finished dinner at his grandfather's house and driven back to Xiantao Village. The sky was dark, and the entire village had fallen quiet, though lights were still shining near the fish ponds.

Guo Dong parked the car, greeted his grandfather, and walked toward the ponds. He had assumed it was Li Tianhu, wondering when he had become so diligent. It wasn't until he reached the water's edge that he realized it was Meng Tianming and Meng Xiaohan.

"Uncle Tianming, Xiaohan!"

The night was slightly chilly. The father and daughter sat by the pond, seemingly in deep conversation. Hearing Guo Dong’s voice, both turned around.

"Guodong, when did you get back?" Xiaohan started to stand up to run toward him, but stopped when she remembered her father’s presence. Her initial excitement vanished into thin air.

"I just got back. Why are you two here?"

Xiaohan opened her mouth to speak but stopped, glancing instead at Meng Tianming.

"It’s like this," Meng Tianming said. "Xiaohan finished her calculations today and drew up a table. I’m planning to include these fish ponds in the village cooperative. When the time comes, everyone will share the dividends, and we’ll raise the fish together."

The Meng family owned four ponds, and with the two managed by Li Tianhu, there were six in total. This area at the foot of the mountain had been where villagers excavated soil to build their homes years ago, eventually turning into these ponds.

"And the fish currently in them?" Guo Dong was a bit stunned. Four ponds held a significant amount of fish. If they were cleared out now, they could fetch a decent price. Meng Tianming was essentially pouring a lot of money into the village by contributing these ponds.

"The fish won't fetch much—maybe less than a hundred thousand if I sell them all. If I invest them into the village for dividends, I’ll get more in the long run. Besides, all these dividends will be credited to Xiaohan. I only have one daughter, after all; you should understand what I mean."

Guo Dong didn't know what to say. Of course, he understood. The man was trying to tie him to the village. First, he used his daughter as bait, and now he was using the fish ponds. The message was clear: marry his daughter, and you share these assets. If you want to marry her, you have to do things his way.

The schemes were endless. Guo Dong even wondered if Meng Tianming had studied the Thirty-Six Stratagems. He had never liked the village head much—always stern, rarely talking to anyone, and prone to meddling in others' business. That had always been his impression of Meng Tianming. But recent events had changed his perspective significantly.

"If it’s alright with you, I’ll call a meeting tomorrow to clarify everything. We need to define how the shares are divided. You must be there!"

Guo Dong gave a wry smile. "Tomorrow probably won't work. Sister Min is bringing Director Liu over. Why don't you guys hold the meeting without me? If there are any questions, just give me a call."

"No, how can you not be there? You’re the leader of all this now!"

Guo Dong shook his head. "Xiaohan discussed it with me over the phone today. I have no objections to her proposal."

Beside them, Meng Xiaohan suddenly lowered her head, not daring to meet her father’s eyes. It was true what they said—daughters eventually lean toward their own hearts. One could see from the village's proposed distribution that all the benefits were tilted toward Guo Dong. Every time Meng Tianming had tried to raise an objection, Xiaohan had countered it. The father and daughter had even argued over it during dinner.

"Fine, we’ll hold the meeting without you, but when Director Liu comes tomorrow, you must host him well. And as for my fish, it would be best if you have him take a look at them!"

Guo Dong nodded. Now that the fish belonged to the village collective, according to Xiaohan’s plan, he still held the majority share. If he brought Liu Yang to see the fish, and they turned out to be ordinary, it might affect future pricing.

"Understood, Uncle. I’ll bring him over to take a look tomorrow. It’s getting late, you two should go home and rest. I’m going to walk around for a bit."

Meng Tianming left. He had intended to take his daughter with him, but she remained unmoved. A young woman staying by the fish ponds in the middle of the night—what would people think? But as the saying goes, one cannot twist a thigh with an arm; Meng Tianming ultimately failed to bring his daughter along.

The six ponds were lined up in perfect order. The two walked side by side between them.

"Guodong?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you hate my dad?"

Guo Dong stopped in his tracks. "Why would you say that?"

Xiaohan stood where she was, the two of them looking at each other at close range.

"Actually, my dad has his own hardships. You know that when my grandfather was the village head, he gave his life trying to make the village wealthy, only to be mocked for it in the end." Xiaohan took a deep breath. "Ever since I was a child, I was raised with that mentality. Otherwise, with my education, I could have found a job in the city and lived so comfortably. Why would I insist on running back here for a salary of two or three thousand a month?"

Guo Dong didn't know how to respond. He wasn't good with words and was better suited to being a loyal listener.

"Is our village really poor? Not really. But you see the situation. All the young people have gone out to work, leaving only the elderly behind. In a village of hundreds, how many are actually left?"

Guo Dong took a deep breath, looking at Meng Xiaohan’s blurry silhouette in the moonlight. He reached out, wanting to comfort her, but drew his hand back, mindful of their relationship.

Suddenly, Meng Xiaohan grabbed his hand.

Then...

Years later, Guo Dong still remembered the scene from this night vividly. After Meng Xiaohan grabbed his hand, she pressed it against her own cheek.

*Thump-thump.*

For the first time in his twenty-odd years, Guo Dong found his mind going completely blank, not knowing what to do. Looking back, he realized he had been "seduced" by Meng Xiaohan. A full-grown man with a streak of chauvinism, being charmed by a girl—if this got out, he would be laughed at for the rest of his life.

"Um... it’s very late. You should go back."

God knows where Guo Dong found the courage to say something so pathetic. Thinking about it afterward, he regretted it deeply. It was such a perfect opportunity, and he, a dense man, had let it slip away.