Chapter Sixty-Six: Your Rumored Girlfriend (Update for Today)

Inside the orchard, four people entered through the main gate, and just from their expressions, it was clear they had a very definite purpose. Especially when that sentence was spoken, their forcefulness was apparent, and Zhong Di’s face showed some displeasure.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My apologies, I’m Shen Yang, head of procurement at Huari Catering.”

“Our purpose here today is to acquire all your free-range chickens and eggs—every last one. Dongyang offered you one hundred and three hundred, right? We at Huari will pay double. Consider it.”

Before Zhong Di could respond, Shen Yang laid out his intentions and everything he wanted to say in one breath.

Zhong Di regarded Shen Yang. From their very first encounter, he disliked the man, sensing a condescending confidence that seemed to come from nowhere.

Was it just because of that so-called Huari Catering?

Zhong Di curled his lips into a smile. “Excuse me, may I ask, is Huari Catering based in Shache County?”

He’d never heard of this company. It must be from either Shache County or Kulun City, and since they mentioned Dongyang right away, they seemed to be competitors.

“You’ve never heard of Huari? The leading catering company in Kulun City? You haven’t heard of it?”

Shen Yang looked at Zhong Di in surprise. Huari’s reputation was so widespread, yet here was someone who hadn’t heard of them?

“Oh, I’ve heard of you now. Back to the topic. You want to buy everything? Triple the price.”

“Triple? Aren’t you being too greedy!”

“Is that a problem? I was considering quadruple, but if that’s not acceptable, you can all leave.”

As Zhong Di spoke, he began ushering them out. If he were tempted by their offer, he could easily negotiate with Dongyang instead.

The profit margin was already ample; Dongyang could raise the price if needed.

“Wait, triple, triple! But I have one condition: your eggs and chickens must be sold exclusively to us.”

Shen Yang watched as Zhong Di drove them toward the door and grew anxious. When he came, he had explicit orders from above: secure this supply at all costs.

Recently, Dongyang had quickly established itself in Kulun City thanks to two new dishes, seizing a significant share of Huari’s market.

Initially, Huari hadn’t taken Dongyang seriously—a mere catering company from Shache County—but things turned out quite differently.

After extensive investigation, they discovered the source lay in this orchard; Dongyang’s two main dishes relied on ingredients purchased here.

They thought offering double the price would easily sway him, but it didn’t work out, leaving Shen Yang frustrated.

“All right, you can leave now.”

With a large broom in hand, Zhong Di chased them out of the orchard.

“Crude! You’ll regret this!”

Shen Yang had never been treated this way. In the past, when procuring ingredients, he always pressured suppliers; when had it ever been like this?

“Zhong Di, wasn’t that a bit much?” Shao Hong started chatting after the visitors left. Their attitude had been arrogant, but they were still clients.

“What’s the problem? Is it that we can’t sell our goods? Why must we grovel? If we cooperate with them, our lifeblood will be firmly in their hands. Enough, let’s not worry about them. Time to rest and get back to work!”

Zhong Di hated those who acted superior; perhaps it was an instinctive resistance.

“All right, we’ll do as you say. Let’s rest.”

…

On the highway, a car sped along.

“Director Shen, if we can’t secure this supply, it’ll be hard to report back.”

“We’ve come this far; forget it. It’s just chickens and eggs. We can easily replicate it. I refuse to believe this orchard is the only source.”

After Shen Yang finished speaking, the car fell silent, save for some heavy breathing. What had seemed a straightforward task ended in failure.

Meanwhile, Zhong Di had just lain down when he was awakened.

“Who’s there!” he called out, annoyed. Sleeping in the summer heat and being woken just after drifting off was infuriating.

“It’s me, Sun Miaomiao—your rumored girlfriend.”

A familiar voice came from outside the gate. Zhong Di slapped his forehead—good grief, couldn’t a man even sleep?

“I’m coming,” he muttered groggily, slipped on his slippers, and went out.

The late July sun was fierce, and Zhong Di’s skin stung from the heat.

“What’s up?” he asked Sun Miaomiao.

Today, Sun Miaomiao was dressed for the heat, in a pure white long dress that gave her an ethereal look.

“Wow, you’re in great shape!” she exclaimed, snapping a few quick photos with her phone.

His healthy bronze skin, perfectly defined six-pack, and every movement revealed a flawless physique, not an ounce of excess fat—simply…

Only after Sun Miaomiao lowered her phone did Zhong Di realize he had the habit of sleeping shirtless at midday. In this sweltering weather, it was impossible otherwise.

In a hurry, he dashed back inside and put on a T-shirt—how embarrassing.

“Why did you put your shirt on? Really…” she complained.

“By the way, did someone from Huari come by earlier?”

It wasn’t until they entered the orchard that Sun Miaomiao revealed her purpose for coming. She needed to confirm things, and in her position, it was necessary—after all, the company’s development was at stake.

“They did, but don’t worry, I refused. For now, your company remains my main supplier, and I won’t ask for a price increase. All right, I’d like to sleep now.”

Before Sun Miaomiao could ask further, Zhong Di explained everything. Otherwise, she’d chatter endlessly, and he’d never get any rest.

“All right, next time I’ll just come to hang out. I’ll leave you to your nap.”

Seeing Zhong Di’s state, Sun Miaomiao knew it wasn’t the right time for conversation and left after saying her piece.

It wasn’t until the sun’s heat faded in the afternoon that Zhong Di awoke; Shao Hong had already cleared a large patch of weeds.

The two of them worked hard until evening before finally finishing the weeding. After this round, they’d have to repeat it in a week; otherwise, the weeds would take over again.

Afterward, they fed the sheep and replenished their water. With the first ewe giving birth, another soon followed.

When his father bought them, it was during a farm liquidation; landing a few pregnant sheep was just luck.

Once the sheep were fed, the two began preparing dinner. Tonight, Shao Hong was cooking.

Just as Shao Hong started, Zhong Di’s older sister called, announcing that starting tomorrow, she would officially join Zhong Di’s orchard staff—making it all seem quite formal.

Originally, Zhong Di didn’t plan on fixed hours or shifts; as long as the work was done, that was enough. But his sister insisted.

He let her have her way. Farming didn’t follow any schedule.

As for her duties, Zhong Di had already thought them through.

Primarily, she’d handle finances—managing income and expenses, keeping the books. Additionally, she’d run a small communication channel, coordinating with clients and processing orders.

For future development, he’d take it step by step; for now, just focusing on doing the present work well.