Chapter Forty-Nine: The Idea of Opening an Online Shop

Zhong Tao hesitated for a long time, as if making an important decision, and finally agreed. It was only a mortgage; once he completed the project and repaid the money, all problems would be resolved.

The remaining matter was for Dad to negotiate with Third Uncle. In this situation, it wouldn’t be appropriate for Zhong Di to handle the talks with him. Third Uncle’s intention was to receive part of the money as a deposit right away—having learned from past mistakes, he certainly wouldn’t repeat them.

It wasn’t until after ten o’clock that Third Uncle finally left, without taking a single cent. The agreement was that payment would only be made upon signing the contract. This had been Zhong Di’s plan from the beginning.

“Dad, if you have something to say, just say it.”

During their earlier conversation, Zhong Di had noticed his father frowning continuously, clearly wanting to say something but holding back. From the start, his father had wanted to stop what happened today but hadn’t spoken up.

After what had happened before, Father had actually decided, in his heart, to never have dealings with Third Uncle again. He hadn’t expected to get entangled once more.

“If we do this, what if your Third Uncle denies it when the time comes? This involvement worries me…”

“Don’t worry. As long as it’s notarized, there’s no problem. Even if he refuses to acknowledge it, it’s only a few tens of thousands.”

His father’s concern was understandable. Someone like Third Uncle, once desperate, could easily resort to drastic measures.

In the past, Zhong Di certainly wouldn’t have acted this way, but things were different now.

“I know… I just worry a bit.”

After discussing for a while longer, everyone went back to their rooms.

Zhong Di remembered his promise to Sun Miaomiao and called Shao Hong, asking him to bring two chickens the next morning when delivering eggs.

Zhong Di was very confident in the chickens from their own orchard. Once tried, they were sure to become a popular dish. As for pricing, Zhong Di didn’t intend to set a fixed price but would let the other party decide—this seemed more appropriate.

Dongyang knew the value of the chickens well enough. Though the price might not be the highest, it would be fair, and as long as it was reasonable, Zhong Di would agree.

By standard practice, Zhong Di would have waited for offers from several large restaurants and sold to the highest bidder, but he had no intention of making a huge profit or expanding his business empire. Money enough for daily life was sufficient; there was no need to chase ever-increasing wealth. What exhausts people is not material itself but their endlessly growing desires.

With a hundred thousand, one wants a million; with a million, ten million. If things went on like this, once a certain scale was reached, the momentum would no longer be within his own control.

All he wanted now was to develop a stable income to meet his basic needs.

People who came for eggs usually arrived early, but he had other matters to attend to and couldn’t always be there. After explaining things to Shao Hong, he wouldn’t be delayed.

That evening, after coaxing Xiaoxi to sleep, Zhong Di finally lay down himself. Children, even girls, could be quite a handful—always demanding kisses, hugs, and to be lifted high into the air, endlessly, as if they never tired.

Lying on the bed, Zhong Di took out his phone and opened Xiaoxin. Many people had messaged him and sent friend requests. He decided he would add them in batches once enough had accumulated.

He opened each chat and replied one by one.

He thought it was necessary to have a Xiaoxin account managed by Shao Hong; otherwise, replying to all these messages would take far too long every day.

The customers who had bought eggs that afternoon all left glowing reviews, asking him to reserve more eggs for them.

Others asked about the location of the orchard or whether hedgehogs were for sale. Zhong Di didn’t refuse such inquiries, but as for sending locations, that would have to wait until tomorrow.

After replying to messages, Zhong Di opened XuanYin.

He was curious about the effect of yesterday’s advertisement and planned to raise some regular chickens and start a small online store, selling farm products suitable for delivery, like country eggs and certain durable fruits and vegetables.

The matter of the hedgehogs giving birth was still fermenting online. Though the initial excitement had died down, the popularity remained stable, and his fan count continued to grow.

“Looking forward to the hedgehog sequel—want to see the cute little ones!”

“Why not do a live stream, so we can experience country life?”

“Let’s gather in Shache County—add me as a friend, form a group, and visit together!”

“XuanYou just replied to me; tomorrow he’ll send the location. Anyone interested, add me on Xiaoxin, we’ll make a group and go together!”

“Sounds good, let’s go!”

There were many comments, and Zhong Di only skimmed the important ones. Clearly, people wanted to visit, but whether they’d come again was uncertain.

He knew well that his orchard currently lacked any scenery that could keep visitors coming back.

Briefly skimming the comments, he opened the video he’d posted yesterday. Thanks to the hedgehog content, this video was also popular, though not as much as the original hedgehog videos.

“Such clickbait!”

“Really good at advertising, but if I were local, I’d definitely check it out. Orchard free-range chickens lay delicious eggs.”

“The person above is right. My grandma raises chickens in the countryside and always brings me eggs. I’m so used to the taste of country eggs that I can barely eat the regular ones from supermarkets anymore, unless they're marketed as country eggs with something to mask the odor.”

“That’s an exaggeration; supermarket eggs aren’t bad!”

“You must be from the city and never tried them. Think about it: eggs at ten yuan a kilo, each costing fifty or sixty cents, while corn is over two yuan per kilo now. The farmers still need to make a profit, and there are middlemen, and the chickens consume energy... No need to spell it all out, right?”

“I still eat regular eggs—looking for a reliable source of country eggs!”

“Add XuanYou!”

“Very true, I’ll add him too.”

“Am I the only one noticing the last cat? Don’t you think it’s a rare breed? Look at its ears—they seem much shorter than usual.”

…

After reading this comment, Zhong Di closed XuanYin.

It did seem like a rare breed—something he hadn’t noticed until it was pointed out. He opened the photos he’d taken and studied them closely. It really did look like a rare species, though he wasn’t sure exactly what; perhaps it was just someone’s lost cat.

Early the next morning, his sister was preparing to leave with Xiaoxi.

She and her husband had a good relationship; their argument had only been about money. With that issue resolved, there was nothing left to quarrel over.

“Sis, think carefully about what I said. If you decide, contact me anytime. The salary won’t be low, and if business goes well, there’ll be bonuses.”

Before she left, Zhong Di brought up the matter again. He wanted to free himself from these responsibilities and focus on things that brought him joy, without all the worrying.

He had left his job in the city after sensing an unspoken emotion in Mianhua’s eyes, hoping to create a botanical paradise, do some research, and live a carefree life.

But things hadn’t been as simple as he’d imagined. As his business grew, the number of things needing attention increased, making life more stressful.

If his sister were willing to help, things would be much easier. He wouldn’t have to worry about finances and could focus on what he loved—wandering about, seeking out rare plants like the Desert Fairy Sprout or Bougainvillea, transplanting them to the orchard, and observing their habits. That would be wonderful.

“I’ll think it over when I get home.”

“Uncle, I want a hug,” Xiaoxi said, hesitating beside her mother.

Why always wanting hugs? But considering her uncle had peeled shrimp for her yesterday, she could forgive him for now.

“Alright, come here for a hug, Xiaoxi.”

Looking at Xiaoxi’s adorable little face, Zhong Di’s heart melted instantly.

After hugging her for a while, his sister left with Xiaoxi.

Once they were gone, Zhong Di headed to Shache County, withdrew eighty thousand yuan in cash, handed it to his father, and then went to the fields.

On his way, he loaded the family’s flowers and yesterday’s bougainvillea onto the electric tricycle. After a night’s recovery, the bougainvillea looked much better.

…

He arrived at the fields around eleven in the morning—no help for it, as the bank opened late.

Woo… woof!

Yusheng barked, as if scolding Zhong Di for neglecting him, his eyes lively and bright.

“Zhong Di, your dog is really something. Yesterday it sat at the gate waiting for you to come home. No matter how I called, it wouldn’t budge,” Shao Hong remarked, recalling the previous night’s events.

“Oh? Is that so?” Zhong Di was pleased. Yusheng was indeed a good dog.

Once a dog acknowledges you as its master, its loyalty never wavers—unlike the human heart, which is hard to read.

“After we finish today, I’ll make you something tasty tonight.”

Squatting down, Zhong Di scooped Yusheng into his arms, gently stroking his head.

Woo… woof!

Yusheng was delighted, though his puppyish whine still hadn’t changed—it hardly sounded fierce at all.

“Zhong Di, the land behind the homestead has been rototilled. Should we sow now?” Shao Hong asked, guessing that the package on the tricycle contained medicinal seeds.

“No need to rush. The soil isn’t dry enough yet; sowing now might smother the seeds.”

If the moisture was too high, even with the soil turned, it would be difficult for seeds to sprout. The surface could become compacted by water, making it hard for the shoots to break through.

Choosing the right soil moisture for sowing was an art in itself.

Zhong Di glanced around—the work was nearly done, everything neat and tidy, with even the stubborn roots cleared from behind the homestead.

Previously, after the first tilling, he hadn’t bothered with the roots since no vegetables were going to be planted. Now, getting them out was a good thing.