Ch 44: The Tomato Empire

On a sunny and pleasant afternoon, several people chatted and laughed under a grape arbor. The dishes on the table were all authentic rural home-style cooking, delicious and palatable.

Such is the nature of these simple farmers: warm, generous, and genuine.

Only, Bai Yi’s mother seemed a bit excessive today!

“Xiaoye! What do you think of this baozi? I made it myself!”

“Xiaoye! Bai Yi doesn’t usually talk much, don’t mind him!”

Ye Zhiqiu looked bewildered, not knowing what to say. She simply smiled awkwardly and said, “Auntie, I really can’t eat any more. Your baozi are delicious; I’ve never tasted such delicious baozi before.”

“Really? That’s good. Come often, Auntie will make them for you.”

Bai Yi’s mother sat beside Ye Zhiqiu, looking at her with a satisfied expression.

It made Ye Zhiqiu’s heart tremble!

Bai Yi and Chu Tingting also looked awkward.

But Wang Kai and Zhang Shun didn’t care so much, because the food on the table was incredibly fragrant, especially the baozi; they were just too delicious!

“Uncle, are there any more baozi?” Zhang Kai asked before even swallowing the one in his mouth.

“Yes, I’ll get some for you.” Zhang Jianjun, also with a baozi in his mouth, chewed while grabbing a plate and heading inside.

Bai Yi’s mother looked annoyed but still smiled at Ye Zhiqiu and said, “Your father is like that, don’t mind him. Try this eggplant.”

Bai Yi’s mother directly picked up a piece of eggplant and placed it in Ye Zhiqiu’s bowl.

“Auntie, thank you, I…”

Ye Zhiqiu was completely dumbfounded.

Bai Yi couldn’t stand it anymore and said to his mother, “Mom, what are you doing?”

But his mother completely ignored Bai Yi and said with a chuckle to Chu Tingting beside him, “Tingting, no matter what, Auntie is really grateful to you. If things work out, Auntie will definitely reward you handsomely.”

Chu Tingting looked at Bai Yi in a daze, then said to Bai Yi’s mother, “Auntie, what did I do? Why are you thanking me?”

Bai Yi’s mother glanced at Ye Zhiqiu and said with a smile, “I understand, I understand.”

Bai Yi was so upset! He knew his mother had misunderstood! She thought Ye Zhiqiu was the girlfriend Chu Tingting had introduced to him?

In a short while, Bai Jianjun returned with a plate of baozi. Wang Kai and Zhang Shun had never eaten such delicious baozi before, so they naturally didn’t care about etiquette. The two of them even started grabbing them with their hands.

“Xiaoye, although Bai Yi is young now, he’s quite mature. After he graduates, we’ll definitely buy a house in the city. He’ll have a job, we…”

“Mom,” Bai Yi helplessly interrupted his mother.

“Sister, I have something to do tonight, I think…” Ye Zhiqiu was genuinely a little scared.

Chu Tingting had finished eating by this time, and Wang Kai and Zhang Shun were now leaning back in their chairs, patting their full bellies.

After resting for a while, Chu Tingting and the other three left by car.

As Chu Tingting got into the car, Bai Yi gave her the remaining red medicine and told her to apply it on time.

After receiving the medicine bottle, Chu Tingting nodded sweetly.

In the car, Ye Zhiqiu sullenly asked, “Sister, what was wrong with your future mother-in-law today? She was way too enthusiastic towards me!”

Chu Tingting put away the red medicine spray, chuckled, and held her down, saying, “I told you not to talk nonsense, I told you not to talk nonsense.”

Chu Tingting started furiously tickling Ye Zhiqiu under her arms.

“Haha, haha, I was wrong, haha, sister I was wrong.”

While the two were playing in the car, Bai Yi had already started clearing the dishes and chopsticks in the yard.

Bai Jianjun lay in the rocking chair under the grapevine, satisfied, saying, “That Xiaoye is quite pretty.”

Bai Yi’s mother snorted and said, “You think she’s pretty? You didn’t say a word just now! You should have asked about her parents’ occupations!”

“What’s the point of asking? Look how scared you made the girl.”

Bai Yi couldn’t take it anymore and directly said, “Dad, Mom, you’re completely misunderstanding. Ye Zhiqiu is Chu Tingting’s younger sister. Besides, why would you assume I want to be with Ye Zhiqiu? Why didn’t you consider Chu Tingting?”

Bai Jianjun and his wife were stunned for a few seconds, then they both laughed at the same time.

“Son, don’t overthink it! What are Tingting’s conditions?”

“I heard Tingting has a boyfriend, apparently he drives an Audi!”

Bai Yi frowned and said, “That’s not her boyfriend, just a pursuer.”

Bai Jianjun sat up from the rocking chair, impatiently saying, “Let me tell you, don’t even think about Tingting. Our family’s conditions are not a match for them. You should focus on your studies now and find a job in the city.”

Actually, Bai Yi was only twenty years old, it was indeed too early to talk about marriage.

But to Chu Tingting, Bai Yi was more than just twenty, after all, before…

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Bai Yi, as usual, made baozi first. After finishing, his father gave Bai Yi 20,000 yuan, saying it was for a van.

Helpless, Bai Yi could only accept the money.

After a quick clean-up, Bai Yi took a bag of millet from home and went up the mountain.

The millet was for Zixi and its siblings. To make the millet more palatable, Bai Yi specially infused it with some spiritual energy.

Chirp chirp chirp

Arriving at the mountain, Bai Yi looked at the sparrows patrolling the sky in an orderly manner and called out, “Zixi.”

Soon, a large sparrow flew out of the woods.

Bai Yi recognized it immediately.

He extended his hands, allowing Zixi to land on his palm, and said, “Let your siblings rest, I’ve brought you food.”

After hearing this, Zixi immediately flapped its wings and flew into the air.

Bai Yi scattered the millet on the ground, and soon, the sparrows in the air descended.

Looking at these sparrow guards, Bai Yi felt a sense of relief.

At this time, Bai Yi looked at the surrounding tomatoes. Although there were no fruits, the roots were intact.

Bai Yi didn’t want to waste time, so he hurriedly used spiritual energy to control the water and irrigate the field.

Soon, water flowed through the entire field. Gradually, the tomato plants grew fruits again, slowly becoming larger and redder. Within half an hour, all the tomatoes had ripened and emitted a fragrant aroma.

After casually picking one and tasting it, Bai Yi nodded in satisfaction.

The taste was still the same.

Looking at the tomatoes covering the entire mountain, Bai Yi knew that the next step was sales. The first person that came to his mind was Ouyang Xue. After all, the Jiadi Resort had a considerable daily consumption.

✦ ✦ ✦