Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 115: The Successful Cultivation of Sixty-Eight Plants - The Sparrow Turns into a Phoenix (9)
As the days passed, Uncle Feng visited and pulled grain twice more, trying to invite Feng Xuxu over for a meal. However, Feng Xuxu politely declined, citing the full greenhouse as the reason. The matter concluded with the promise of getting together sometime in the future when time permitted.
Before they knew it, the first harvest of vegetables from the greenhouse was ready. Feng Xuxu had the baskets prepared and sent the produce straight to the restaurant, saying she would discuss the price with Uncle Ma later. Thanks to the restaurant’s staircase, the townspeople all knew they could have fresh vegetables even in winter. Word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, and soon, even people from the neighboring towns came unannounced.
"Shopkeeper, where do these vegetables come from?" asked a regular customer upon seeing Shopkeeper Ma.
"Haha, old brother, these are grown by the Feng Family village, we bought them from them," Shopkeeper Ma replied pleasantly, chatting with the wealthy townsfolk in high spirits.
"Oh, you’re saying, from Mandala Villa?" the wealthy customer asked, surprised.
"What, old brother, you know about it too?"
"Ah, you have no idea. I’ve heard that this brother and sister pair are something else, having bought so much land, and even acquiring the fields of the two neighboring villages."
"Really? Big Brother Wang, where did you hear this from?" Li Brother, dining with the wealthy customer, inquired further.
"I only learned about it recently," the wealthy customer, Wang, confided in a quiet voice.
"Shopkeeper, you’re well-informed. Is this true?" Li Brother also turned to ask Shopkeeper Ma.
Seeing that both Brother Wang and Brother Li were looking to him, Shopkeeper Ma confirmed, "It’s true, this just happened recently. This brother and sister pair have even figured out how to grow vegetables in the winter, and I heard they have grown quite a variety and not in small quantities either."
"Then I must go have a look. There’s not much good to eat in winter, aside from cabbage and potatoes. I’ve grown tired of them from eating them every day," said Wealthy Customer Wang.
"Brother Wang, when you go, count me in. I’d like to place an order too," Brother Li suddenly couldn’t stay calm anymore. It seemed that no matter the matter, he always wanted to one-up himself, even when it came to eating vegetables.
"Then let’s settle on that. How about we go early tomorrow morning?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
"Sure, it’s decided then."
At the next table, two people dining quietly listened to the conversation. Hearing that it was the Feng Family village being discussed, they tacitly left the money for their meals and left the restaurant.
"Big Brother, do you think they will sell to us if we just show up like this?" Du Qing asked his elder brother.
"How will we know if we don’t try?" Du Fei retorted, glaring at his brother as he scolded.
"We should ask someone for directions to the Feng Family village," Du Fei urged his brother to inquire quickly, wanting to finish up and head home in the bitter cold.
Moments later, Du Qing returned and said, "Big Brother, just follow the road outside the city gate, keep going straight, and take a turn at the T-intersection."
"Let’s go, we’ll rent an ox cart to get there faster," Du Fei suggested. The brothers Du Fei and Du Qing rented an ox cart by the city gate, paying thirty wen and then headed straight to the Feng Family village.
"Young Master, two men have come asking to buy vegetables," the butler reported to Feng Xi.
"Oh, did they say where they were from?"
"Young Master, they seem to be from the neighboring town."
"Hmm, okay, I’ll go take a look," he said, putting down his pen and heading towards the hall.
"...Who’s looking for me?" Feng Xi entered the hall to see two identical people standing before him.
"My name is Du Qing, the younger brother. We’ve come to buy some vegetables from you to sell," said one.
"I’m the elder brother, Du Fei, we come from the neighboring village," said the other.
Feng Xi couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth, facing this pair of characters.
"Sure, I’m just not sure which vegetables you’d like to buy? We’ve got a variety here, but I must warn you, they’re a bit more expensive," he said.
"There are many varieties? Could you introduce us to some? We didn’t bring much silver," said Du Fei. Upon hearing about the higher prices, he felt somewhat embarrassed—he had brought all the silver their family had.
"Sure, how about leeks or mustard greens? Those are relatively cheaper," Feng Xi considered that these two types, at a little over a hundred wen per jin, should be affordable for them.
"Okay, we’ll take what the big brother recommends," Du Fei said, pulling out all his money, which amounted to eleven taels and three hundred wen.
"Here, Young Master, here is eleven taels of silver, we will buy those two types you mentioned," Feng Xuxu said as she took the silver and called for the butler to pack the vegetables. A little while later, the two brothers each shouldered their greens and left Mandala Villa, embarking on the journey home.
Approaching evening, a luxurious carriage stopped outside the villa, and a maid dressed person got off and knocked on the villa’s gates, "Our madam wishes to see your young lady, Feng Xuxu. Hurry and inform her."
Feng Xuxu, who was eating in the dining hall, heard someone had specifically asked for her. Puzzled, she hurried to the hall to see what was going on, only to find herself facing a very familiar person. She never expected that the ugly duckling could become a swan.
"Feng Xuxu, to think I’d get to see you again, huh?" said a lavishly dressed woman, approaching Feng Xuxu with a disdainful expression as she spoke.
