Drilling Through the Cornfield

He Jun snorted, bought some cucumbers from next door, deliberately straightened his back, and turned to leave.

Chen Yongqiang ignored this little incident and continued to quietly guard his stall, though he knew the truth in his heart.

If we want to turn the treasures produced in this space into real profits, we'll probably have to find another way.

Chen Yongqiang glanced at the sun and saw that there were still more than half cucumbers left in the basket. He decided to tidy up the basket, first go and sell the rabbit skin to the old tanner in town, and then go home.

He had just stood up when a familiar figure appeared in front of the stall.

Women's Director Wang Guixiang wore a clean floral shirt today, her face was rosy, and there was a slight, almost imperceptible smile on her lips. She looked more energetic than usual.

As soon as she saw Chen Yongqiang, she greeted him with a smile, "Yongqiang! You're at the market too? What are you selling?"

"Sister Guixiang," Chen Yongqiang put down the bamboo basket he had just picked up.

"I'm selling some cucumbers I grew myself to supplement my household income," he said, casually picking out a cucumber and handing it over.

"You must be thirsty after walking all this way. Try this to quench your thirst." Chen Yongqiang couldn't quite put his finger on how he felt about this woman.

Wang Guixiang didn't refuse. She took the cucumber, wiped it with a handkerchief, and took a bite.

"Mmm! Your cucumber tastes really good!"

Just then, a middle-aged man with a lean and capable build, dressed in a white chef's uniform, hurried over to the stall next door.

He was clearly there to buy some cucumbers, bending down to examine the remaining ones on the stall: "Old Wang, what's wrong with these cucumbers today? They're all bent and small, how am I supposed to take them home to cook?"

The stall owner, Old Wang, looked embarrassed and said with a forced smile, "Master Zhou, you're a step too late."

He just sold all the good ones to He Jun.

The chef, known as Master Zhou, straightened up, shook his head helplessly, and subconsciously scanned the market.

It quickly landed on Chen Yongqiang's stall, or more precisely, on the half-eaten cucumber in Wang Guixiang's hand.

Zhou Xiangui moved to Chen Yongqiang's stall, pointed to the cucumbers in the basket, and asked, "How much are these cucumbers?"

"Three cents a pound," Chen Yongqiang quoted the same price as the shop next door.

Zhou Xiangui bent down to take a closer look and saw that these cucumbers were straight, uniform in thickness, and of truly exceptional quality.

He nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, these are in good condition, I'll buy some."

In the end, Zhou Xiangui bought more than a dozen cucumbers. When he paid, he also said, "If you have any more good vegetables like this in the future, you can send them directly to my shop. I am a new chef at the state-run restaurant, and my surname is Zhou."

"Definitely, definitely," Chen Yongqiang replied, making a mental note of this new approach.

After seeing Master Zhou off, he looked at the five or six cucumbers left at the bottom of the basket and decided not to sell them anymore.

After packing up the stall, I planned to sell the rabbit skins first, and then buy some daily necessities to take home.

Chen Yongqiang carefully put away the money Zhou had paid, then turned to Wang Guixiang beside him: "Sister Guixiang, I'm done here and about to head back. What about you?"

Wang Guixiang had just finished the last bite of cucumber when she wiped her mouth with a handkerchief: "I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative and get a few feet of cloth. It'll be quick."

She lowered her voice, "Wait for me under the old locust tree at the east end of town, and we'll go back together."

The implication in those words couldn't be clearer, and Chen Yongqiang nodded in understanding: "Okay, then I'll go sell the rabbit skin first, and wait for you there."

Upon hearing this, Wang Guixiang smiled faintly and turned to join the crowd of people going to the market.

As Chen Yongqiang watched her departing figure, he recalled the tenderness he felt at the mountain temple yesterday, and his heart warmed.

He composed himself, picked up the bamboo basket, and headed toward the old cobbler's shop.

After a while, Chen Yongqiang sold three rabbit pelts in good condition for one yuan each.

After receiving the money, just as he was about to take his leave, the old cobbler Wang Baoshan sighed:

"Thinking back to the tiger skin your grandfather hunted back then, that was the real deal! The fur was glossy and intact. I haven't seen such a good skin in over a decade."

Chen Yongqiang smiled helplessly: "You're right, but that tiger skin has long been laid out in the mountain god temple as a cushion for the mountain god."

"Oh dear! What a waste of good stuff!" Wang Baoshan slapped his thigh repeatedly, his regret evident in his words.

He continued, "Qiangzi, you're quick and agile. If you ever hunt any good-quality game again, like foxes or badgers, be sure to keep the pelts for me!"

He held up three fingers. "I guarantee I'll buy it at 30% above market price!"

Chen Yongqiang was thinking about Wang Guixiang waiting at the town entrance, but he nodded in agreement without showing any emotion.

"Sure, Uncle Wang, if we really manage to get some good hides, we'll definitely send them to you first."

He was already planning to go into the mountains and bring back more game, as hunting was currently one of the skills he could quickly acquire to make money.

If you're lucky enough to find a sable, you'll be rich! A single sable pelt can fetch at least 300 yuan these days, which is equivalent to a year's income for an average worker.

When Chen Yongqiang arrived at the old locust tree at the entrance of the town, the bamboo basket on his back was noticeably heavier.

It contained newly bought rice, flour, and a piece of cured meat. If they ate it sparingly, it would be enough for him and Lin Xiulian to get by for several days.

However, he knew in his heart that the biggest gain from this trip to the market was not the food that could fill his stomach, but those few seeds.

As long as they are planted in the spiritual field of Peach Blossom Paradise, these seeds can be transformed into a continuous output with the help of the spiritual spring and the blessing points.

He had just unloaded the bamboo basket and was about to catch his breath when Wang Guixiang came swaying over, carrying a cloth bag.

"Have you been waiting long?" Wang Guixiang approached, her voice much gentler than when they were at the market.

My gaze swept over his basket filled with rice and meat. "Have you got everything ready?"

"All done." Chen Yongqiang nodded and picked up the bamboo basket again.

Wang Guixiang responded and walked alongside him on the dirt road back to the village.

The two walked along the dirt road, chatting idly.

As she passed a cornfield, Wang Guixiang slowed her pace and fanned herself with a handkerchief.

He turned his head and gave Chen Yongqiang a meaningful smile: "Yongqiang, it's so hot today, you're all sweaty from walking."

She glanced at the cornfield beside them. "How about we go into the cornfield and cool off?"

Chen Yongqiang looked at the blush rising on her cheeks, then quickly scanned his surroundings; the dirt road was deserted.

He understood immediately and lowered his voice: "Yes, we need to cool off."

Wang Guixiang smiled, turned around first, and nimbly slipped into the cornfield that was taller than a person.

Chen Yongqiang turned around to check again, then turned sideways and followed him inside.

The dense foliage immediately swallowed up the two figures, leaving only a slight swaying of the straw and the lingering, ambiguous heat in the air.

In the cornfield, Wang Guixiang wrapped her arms around Chen Yongqiang's neck and pressed her body closer.

She asked, half-jokingly and half-probingly, "Did you and Xiuzhen ever go through this cornfield before?"

Chen Yongqiang's hand naturally encircled her waist. Hearing this, he shook his head, his gaze falling on her face so close to his own: "No. She's rather shy."