"It's okay, no major issues, just that the fruits are a bit small!" Liu Yifeng pretended to sigh.
Liu Xincheng quickly explained, "As the saying goes, essence is concentrated. The pomelos are indeed a bit small.
But these are purely naturally grown, I haven't used any pesticides. Unlike some people who use ripening agents and various banned chemicals just to make the fruits look good."
Liu Yifeng smiled and nodded, "That's true. Then it's settled. Arrange for people to pick the pomelos tomorrow. I'll have my dad count the weight. Once all the pomelos are weighed, I'll settle the payment all at once, okay?"
"Heh heh, well... um, this isn't just a few dozen pounds of pomelos, it's at least a hundred thousand pounds!
To ensure everyone is protected, could you perhaps pay a deposit first? Then we can settle the rest together?" Liu Xincheng asked, smiling somewhat awkwardly.
Even though they were from the same village, what if Liu Yifeng decided not to buy them after they had all been picked? Who would he complain to then?
Knowing that Liu Xincheng was afraid he would go back on his word, Liu Yifeng changed his approach. "I'll draft a contract tomorrow. Once everyone has signed it, I'll give you a deposit of twenty thousand. How about that?"
"Yes, yes, I don't know how to thank you enough. How about you stay for dinner tonight? I'll have my wife prepare a lavish meal, and we can have a good drink," Liu Xincheng invited.
"Let's skip dinner. I have to go back and cook myself!" This was the first time he had ever invited him to dinner, and Liu Yifeng felt a little flattered.
However, he also knew that the invitation was merely because he had solved the problem of Liu Xincheng's unsellable pomelos.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be having a meal at his house.
"Look at you, if I invite you to dinner, how could I forget your father and your son? I'll have Dabao drive to pick them up. I'll take you all back after dinner!"
Liu Yifeng felt a bit unaccustomed to such an eager person.
"No, maybe next time. I have things to do back home!" Liu Yifeng didn't want to have too much interaction with Liu Xincheng.
He knew the character of Liu Xincheng's family very well.
If it weren't for the prospect of making more money, he wouldn't have actively gone to his house.
"Alright then. I'll also call the people who will be picking the pomelos shortly, and ask them to come early tomorrow to pick the pomelos!" Liu Xincheng didn't push further.
After all, he had extended the invitation with full sincerity. If Liu Yifeng refused, he couldn't be blamed for being stingy and not accepting a meal.
It was almost eight o'clock when Liu Yifeng returned home. Dinner was already prepared on the table, waiting for him.
"Dad, where's Tongtong?" Liu Yifeng asked curiously, noticing Tongtong wasn't in the living room.
Liu Chunsheng pointed to the small study. "After you left, this child went into that room and hasn't come out yet. I don't know what he's tinkering with. He just says not to disturb him when asked."
Without needing to guess, Liu Yifeng knew Tongtong must be mixing nutritional supplements. When this child got to work, he was extremely focused and didn't let anyone disturb him.
He walked to the study door and peeked through the gap. He saw Tongtong holding a reagent bottle, adjusting the ratio.
On the table were rows of reagent bottles, the liquids inside varying in color, looking like poison.
Liu Yifeng didn't disturb him and returned to the living room.
"Dad, let's leave Tongtong's dinner aside, and we'll eat first.
This child, who knows when he'll finish. After you finish eating, get some rest early. You might be busy for the next two days!"
Liu Chunsheng looked at him doubtfully. "What do you mean? Is there work for me to do?"
Liu Yifeng sat at the dining table, took a sip of cold beer, and then replied, "Didn't I just go to Liu Xincheng's house? We've finalized our cooperation.
I'm buying his pomelos at six mao per pound. They start picking tomorrow. Dad, you can help me count the weight to prevent them from doing anything shady!"
If he didn't watch them, given Liu Yifeng's understanding of Liu Xincheng and his son, they might very well resort to underhanded tactics.
He remembered a time when they were selling fruit from a small truck by the roadside.
They had tampered with the scale, and three pounds of pears were weighed as five and a half pounds.
Later, an elderly woman discovered their dishonest practices and called the police.
They were fined a considerable amount of money for it.
Therefore, to prevent them from cheating, someone had to keep an eye on them, giving them no opportunity to act.
Upon hearing this, Liu Chunsheng immediately stated, "I'll bring our floor electronic scale. It hasn't been tampered with and the weight is quite accurate."
Liu Yifeng nodded. "Then I'll trouble you, Dad!"
"We're family, what's there to thank. As long as we can make money, no amount of hardship is too much." Liu Chunsheng, having grown up in the countryside, had worked in agriculture since he was young.
Yet, he always woke before the chickens and slept later than the dogs, earning little money year-round.
But now, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, could be earned in a single day.
No matter how busy or tired he was, he didn't feel exhausted. Instead, he was full of motivation.
After the two finished eating, Tongtong still hadn't come out.
Liu Yifeng felt a bit uneasy. He went to the study, gently opened the door, and stood behind Tongtong.
Tongtong, engrossed in developing the nutritional supplement, didn't notice his dad was behind him. He was merging various reagents in a container.
Then he would add a small amount to mountain spring water to dilute it, and finally drip a tiny bit onto a plant for experimentation.
After dripping, he had to let it sit for ten minutes to observe any changes in the plant.
Liu Yifeng hadn't expected that mixing nutritional supplements would be so troublesome.
"Tongtong, Dad isn't in a hurry. If you can't get it right in one or two tries, you can do it tomorrow. It's very late. Go eat, take a bath, and sleep. You have class tomorrow!"
Hearing his dad's voice, Tongtong turned around. He looked up at Liu Yifeng and said, "Dad, it's almost done. I've almost got the ratio right. Let me observe the plant's changes first!"
"You silly child, you don't have to complete the task I give you immediately. The pomelos haven't even been picked yet!" Liu Yifeng said, both heartbroken and touched, as he ruffled Tongtong's hair.
"But I'm afraid Dad will be anxious to have it, and I don't have anything else to do right now!" Tongtong's eyes held a childlike innocence, as pure as plain water, making people feel fond of him.
"Then let's observe this one more time. If it still doesn't work, we'll develop it tomorrow. You're not allowed to refuse, and you must obey Dad, understand?" Liu Yifeng said with a serious expression, asserting his parental authority.
Although Tongtong had a very high IQ, his mindset was still pure and kind like that of a normal child.
Liu Yifeng sometimes wondered if he was worthy of having such a smart and sensible son. Heaven had favored him too greatly.
Tongtong didn't want to upset his dad, so he immediately nodded in agreement.
Then, they both sat on stools, staring intently at the plant, wondering if it would change.
Soon, ten minutes passed. The leaves of the plant, which had started to wither after leaving the soil, began to regain their vitality after being dripped with the nutritional supplement.
"Tongtong, look, the leaves are turning green," Liu Yifeng said excitedly.
Although the change wasn't particularly obvious, a careful observation could reveal this subtle transformation.
But Tongtong didn't show much surprise, looking somewhat disappointed.