"I... it's just trivial family matters. Old Six, don't pry," Xia Xiangqian said, embarrassed and changing the subject.
"Are you treating me like an outsider? Fine, I won't pry," Xia Deyao deliberately provoked him.
"No, it's not that... alas, my eldest brother and his wife asked Xue'er for money. Once wasn't enough, they want more. What do they take Xue'er for?" Xia Xiangqian reluctantly told the truth.
He had never been to the city much in his life, but he knew there was a machine in the bank that spat out money.
Perhaps his eldest brother's family treated their daughter like that machine.
"Borrowing money," Xia Deyao nodded thoughtfully.
Such things were all too common.
Even he had encountered it several times, where people said they were borrowing money, but then disappeared when it was time to repay.
"Xue'er is already married, and they still come to her door to borrow money. It's a bit much, isn't it?" Xia Deyao didn't put it too harshly, but the meaning was clear enough.
"Exactly!" Xia Cuie'e entered the room carrying a plate of cut preserved eggs and said coldly.
She then smiled again, "Everyone, please eat. The hot dishes will be out shortly."
"Mom, I'll help you," Xia Xue stood up, unable to bear seeing her mother work so hard.
"No need, guests are guests," Xia Cuie'e refused.
"You gave birth to me, and now I'm a guest?" After speaking, Xia Xue followed her mother into the kitchen.
Only the three grown men were left in the living room, staring at each other blankly.
Xia Xiangqian tentatively asked, "Old Six, I still have a bottle of wine. How about I get it out and we have a drink?"
Xia Deyao couldn't help but laugh, "You, oh you."
"If you don't eat or drink, it's a waste to die," Xia Xiangqian, unable to resist his craving for alcohol, went to get the wine by himself.
Soon, the three of them started drinking, with the preserved eggs and peanuts on the table.
Lin Fan no longer held any past grievances towards Xia Xiangqian.
Regardless of what happened back then, he was just a simple rural father who loved his daughter and had a few minor flaws.
"Xiao Fan, how's the medicinal herb planting cooperative in your village coming along?" Xia Deyao suddenly asked.
"It's going very well. Secretary Tian is a capable person with a good head on his shoulders and determination. He's a good official who gets things done," Lin Fan replied truthfully.
His tone was filled with immense confidence, as if he had no doubts about Tian Mengyao's success.
Xia Deyao nodded heavily, "When will they send someone like that to our Xiajiagou, then the villagers' lives will be better!"
"Old Six, you're doing a good job," Xia Xiangqian comforted him. "Do I even need to say how the village committee did things before?"
He showed a look of disdain, curling his lip dismissively.
"But I still haven't managed to make everyone's life better," Xia Deyao blamed himself.
Lin Fan sensed something was off and interjected, "Uncle, is something bothering you?"
"Xiao Fan, you are Xue'er's brother-in-law, so you're not an outsider."
As expected, as soon as Lin Fan spoke, Xia Deyao immediately responded.
"I was originally planning to ask Secretary Tian for a favor today. Since she didn't come, could you relay a message for me?"
"Sure, no problem," Lin Fan said casually, picking up a piece of preserved egg and putting it into his mouth.
"Big Brother Xiangqian, it's the season for toon sprouts now. Why don't I see scrambled eggs with toon?" Perhaps the older generation wasn't accustomed to being direct, Xia Deyao first beat around the bush, tapping the dining table with his chopsticks, asking knowingly.
"Yes, the tender sprouts were just picked. There are no old leaves. They're in the kitchen. She won't make it for me!" Xia Xiangqian lowered his voice.
He pointed at the peanuts on the table, "Even this, she finds troublesome!"
Lin Fan's eyes darted around, and he immediately guessed that what Xia Deyao was about to say was related to the toon.
"Xiao Fan, as the saying goes, live off the mountain if you're in the mountains, live off the water if you're by the water. Our Xiajiagou doesn't have the good natural conditions of your Luofeng Village. It's all mountains and water here."
Xia Deyao gave a wry smile, "As you can see, we're in a depression. It floods every summer."
Lin Fan nodded gently, "In fact, the entire Shimen Town is similar. There are no villages that are truly doing well. Even if there are, they're the best of the worst, just fooling themselves!"
"Right," Xia Deyao agreed empathetically. "It's so difficult to develop the economy in these poor and remote areas. However, we do have one thing that is very famous."
"Toon," Lin Fan blurted out.
"Exactly!" Xia Deyao's face bloomed with a proud smile, and even Xia Xiangqian felt a sense of shared honor.
"Everyone knows how delicious the toon from Xiajiagou is. Even people from the city drive over every year just to buy a little freshly picked toon."
"Alas!"
Xia Deyao boasted for a moment, then sighed.
Xia Xiangqian shrugged, "What's the use of it being delicious if it doesn't sell for a good price? Besides, it's only available for one season a year. It's just for novelty and to satisfy your taste buds. Do you expect it to make you rich?"
"It can truly make you rich!" Xia Deyao stated emphatically.
"Get out of here!" Xia Xiangqian waved his hand in disbelief. "If you say so, then everyone in Xiajiagou is a fool. They don't know how to sell a valuable thing and let it grow old on the trees."
"It's not that they don't know how to sell it, it's that they can't sell it," Xia Deyao said with a crestfallen face.
He turned to Lin Fan, "Xiao Fan, you've seen the world. Am I right?"
"You're right," Lin Fan nodded vigorously, then asked, "How much do you sell your village's toon for per jin?"
Xia Xiangqian waved his chopsticks, "What price? It's on both sides of the big ditch. Whoever wants to eat it can just pick it. If you don't pick it, it will get old. People from nearby villages come here to pick it."
Lin Fan smiled, "It's a pity our village is too far from here. Otherwise, we could have free toon too."
"Don't make fun of us," Xia Deyao sighed. "We're sitting on a treasure trove and begging for food every day. I, as the village secretary, am incompetent!"
Xia Xiangqian became displeased, "Old Six, have you gone crazy? Our village only has that little bit of toon leaves, and you're treating it like a treasure?"
"Ask Xiao Fan how much toon sells for in the big cities," Xia Deyao retorted, unconvinced.
"Is it as expensive as gold?" Xia Xiangqian argued.
Lin Fan thought for a moment, "I don't know the current price, but I saw it in a supermarket when I went to Jiangnan before."
He made a very small circle with his hands, "It was this small, only about three liang, and it sold for over thirty yuan."
"How much?" Xia Xiangqian's eyes widened in surprise. "That little bit, selling for over thirty!"
"And that was the price after the new year. Before the new year, it probably doubled," Xia Deyao said with an exaggerated expression.
"Robbery!" Xia Xiangqian cursed angrily, "How can people cheat like this? Even if you use greenhouses, toon is still toon. It doesn't change its flavor. Thirty yuan for three liang, so a jin would be a hundred!"
"It's sold for two hundred," Xia Deyao said with a serious expression.
This time, Xia Xiangqian was speechless. He hadn't expected the toon they took for granted to fetch such a sky-high price.