Chapter Twenty-Three: Encounter with Er Zhu

"Brother Fugui, that's a strange thing to say. How could I ever doubt anything you bring me?"

Liu Xingeng laughed heartily. He then reached out and grabbed a handful of peanuts from the donkey cart. He rubbed off the dried mud, cracked one open, and tasted it. No sooner had he chewed it twice than his eyes widened in surprise. He couldn't help but peel two more and toss them into his mouth.

Chen Ling saw this and smiled. "How are they, Boss Liu?"

"Good. Very good. Even better than the last batch."

"Look, Brother Fugui, I’ve been burned by people before, so I’m usually very guarded about my bottom line—let alone offering to raise the price on my own initiative. But today, I’m making an exception. These greenhouse peanuts of yours are truly excellent."

"I’ll pay you an extra ten cents per catty, and I’ll take the whole lot. From now on, just bring all your peanuts to me. Do we have a deal?" Liu Xingeng held up a finger, his expression serious.

Chen Ling shook his head. "Quality dictates price. My peanuts are at least thirty percent better than the average, so I need at least thirty cents more than the market rate. If you think you can buy me out at one dollar, Boss Liu, that won't work. One dollar and ten cents is my minimum, and in return, I’ll provide you with as much as you need, whenever you need it. What do you think?"

Liu Xingeng frowned, appearing troubled. "One dollar and ten cents? That’s a bit steep..."

In truth, he had already tested the oil yield of Chen Ling's peanuts. They were indeed better than standard ones, though not exactly earth-shattering. However, more important than the yield was the aroma of the oil pressed from them—it was far more fragrant than ordinary peanut oil. That very morning, his family had used that oil to cook their meal. It was incredible; not only was the food delicious, but they had even used steamed buns to wipe every drop of the oily sauce clean from their plates. That was exactly why he had been so willing to offer a dollar per catty earlier. If yesterday's batch was that fragrant, and today's tasted even better, the oil pressed from these would surely be top-tier.

"Brother Fugui, you know how slim the margins on peanuts are. Even ninety cents a catty is rare. Most people only raise prices by a few cents or fractions of a cent, but I’m already offering you a full dollar. That price is hard to find even in the city. How much more do you want me to pay?" Liu Xingeng spread his hands, looking genuinely distressed. "Look, I’m just a small-time business owner; I really can't go any higher."

"So, you really can't go any higher?" Chen Ling asked with a faint, knowing smile, not believing a word of it.

"Well..." Liu Xingeng hesitated. "It's not that I can't, but at one dollar a catty, I'm barely making anything. At one dollar and ten cents, I’d be losing money. Unless, Brother Fugui, you agree to supply me exclusively. If you do, I’ll pay the extra ten cents for the sake of the quality and take the gamble."

Chen Ling shook his head. "Exclusive supply is out of the question." He wasn't about to agree to a buyout. "However, I can guarantee you a year-round, constant supply. Whatever amount you need, I’ll have it. How’s that for a guarantee?"

Liu Xingeng was surprised. "Year-round? And as much as I need?"

Chen Ling nodded. "Yes, all year round. I’m a greenhouse farmer; would I lie to you?"

Perhaps influenced by his own will, the freshly harvested peanuts only needed to pass through the interaction between his hidden space and reality to become perfectly dried, skipping the tedious sun-drying process. As long as Liu Xingeng wanted them, Chen Ling didn't need to waste time drying them; he could supply them immediately.

Liu Xingeng studied Chen Ling for a moment, then reached back into the cart, dug deep into the pile, and pulled out another handful. He cracked one open and tasted it. After a long silence, he gritted his teeth. "Fine. One dollar and ten cents it is. For the quality of these peanuts and your promise that I’ll have as much as I need, I’ll take the gamble."

Chen Ling smiled. "Good. How many catties do you need this time, Boss Liu?"

Liu Xingeng pondered for a moment. "I’ve had a lot of demand for peanut oil lately. Let’s start with three thousand catties."

"Done. Let’s unload this cart, and I’ll go get the rest for you," Chen Ling agreed. Three thousand catties was just right; it was all he had for now. He would have to go back and grow more.

...

By one o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Ling had finished delivering five cartloads of peanuts to Liu Xingeng. The transaction for three thousand catties was complete, and three thousand three hundred yuan was now in his pocket. He still had two jars of goat milk from Liu Xingeng’s home and two jugs of oil pressed from yesterday's batch in his storage.

He loaded his things onto the donkey cart, climbed on, and flicked the whip. "Let's go, donkey, time to eat."

Liu Xingeng had invited him to lunch, but guests had arrived at his house unexpectedly, and it looked like they had business to attend to. Chen Ling didn't want to overstay his welcome; he could just as easily find a place to eat in the county town.

Once out of the western district, Chen Ling found a decent restaurant, ordered some smoked fish, a few side dishes, and two bottles of beer. With good food and drink, he felt thoroughly satisfied.

After his meal, seeing that the afternoon weather was quite warm, Chen Ling went to a shop and bought a fishing rod, intending to head to the riverbank south of the county town.

"Things in this era are built to last," Chen Ling remarked, admiring the rod. He had spent forty yuan on it. It was a black pole, thick and heavy, with the characters "Big Ghost" engraved on it. He didn't know if it was a brand name or something else, and he hadn't bothered to ask the shopkeeper; it just felt good in his hands, so he picked it.

"Hey, Fugui! Haven't seen you in a few days—how come you're driving a donkey cart?"

As Chen Ling was driving along while fiddling with his fishing rod, someone called out to him, accompanied by the rumble of a motorcycle engine. Chen Ling looked up to see a man around thirty, wearing a light yellow leather jacket, with thin brows and a buzz cut, riding a Jialing motorcycle. After spotting Chen Ling, he pulled over to the side of the road and squinted at him with a grin.

"Oh, is that Erzhu? Where are you headed?" Chen Ling paused, then smiled as he recognized the man.

The young man with the buzz cut was Chen Erzhu. Since he rarely visited Chen Wang Village, this was the first time Chen Ling had seen him in person since crossing over. After greeting him, Chen Ling noticed a woman on the back of the motorcycle. She was heavily made up, with permed long, curly hair and a red, open-collared sweater, clinging tightly to Erzhu's waist. Seeing Chen Ling looking over, she gave him an ambiguous wink.

"Little Fugui, haven't seen you in a few days, you've gotten quite handsome, haven't you?"

Chen Ling then remembered who she was. She was Chen Erzhu’s mistress, a wealthy businesswoman who ran a freight company in the county town. Her name was Sun Yanhong, known to everyone as Sister Hong. According to the original Chen Ling's memories, this woman had a brother who was a prominent figure in the county and one of Chen Erzhu's backers. After getting out of prison, Chen Erzhu had used that connection to land a job at the local sand quarry and had been doing quite well for himself over the years.

"Sister Hong, you're looking more beautiful than ever," Chen Ling said with a forced smile. Internally, he cursed, *Damn it, an old woman like that and she still loves flirting. It’s disgusting.*

Sun Yanhong, unaware of his thoughts, was pleased by the compliment and cast another flirtatious glance his way. "Little Fugui really knows how to talk."

Chen Erzhu laughed loudly, then said boastfully, "I'm taking Sister Hong to a dance. What are you doing in the county, and why are you driving a donkey cart? If I'm not mistaken, that's Uncle Five's cart, right?"

Chen Ling nodded, explaining that he had borrowed the cart to haul some goods.

"Hey, Fugui, that's not right, brother. If you're coming to the city to haul stuff, why use a donkey cart? You should have let me arrange something for you. Any truck from Sister Hong’s company would be better than that, wouldn't it?" Chen Erzhu bragged loudly, making sure everyone around could hear how successful he was.

Chen Ling offered some polite excuses, saying it was just a small errand and there was no need to trouble Sister Hong. Chen Erzhu pretended to be annoyed by the formality, then added, "Haven't seen you in a few days. I was actually planning to head back to the village to see you in a couple of days. Since we ran into each other today, I'll give you a heads-up: I'm starting construction on my greenhouse in a couple of days. You’re free at home, so why don't you come and help your brother out?"