Chapter 53: Who Is Lying

She glanced at Ma Hongmei, then continued to portion out the freshly arrived millet and mung beans.

Watching Granny Li wipe down the scale rod and weights earlier, she was suddenly reminded of the methods used in supermarkets and small orchards: packaging grains, flour, and fruit, labeling them with prices, making shopping much more straightforward for customers, and reducing the chaos of weighing goods when business was busy.

“Lucky, my dear Lucky! You’re beautiful and you know how to make money. Let me work for you,” Ma Hongmei gushed.

She’d never realized before how persuasive Ma Hongmei could be; she had truly underestimated her.

“Look at where your shop’s located—it’s so out of the way. Let me sell your goods in the town center. I can help you earn more,” Ma Hongmei pleaded, clinging to Li Jixiang’s arm and swaying, then leaning her head on Li Jixiang’s shoulder, clearly unwilling to let go unless she agreed.

“Are you planning to buy a new dress again today?” Li Jixiang asked, recalling what Chen Yu had said last night. She turned to scrutinize Ma Hongmei carefully. Was it Chen Yu who lied, or was Ma Hongmei using her name to scam Chen Yu?

“I can’t buy dresses every day! I wish I could, but you know how things are at home. Please, just let me work for you,” Ma Hongmei begged.

“So tell me, how do you want to work?”

“You give me the goods, I’ll take them to the town and sell them, and we split the profits. I’ve got it all planned—I’ll sell at the south street entrance today. The important people live there; they can afford expensive things…”

Ma Hongmei was prepared, speaking with confidence and clarity.

“You’re so capable, I can’t have you working for me. How about this—you can take whatever you want to sell, and I’ll give you the wholesale price. You’ll be your own boss.”

“Oh,” Ma Hongmei hesitated. Splitting profits with Li Jixiang carried little risk, but buying at wholesale and selling herself… if she couldn’t sell it and it spoiled, she’d lose everything, and she had no capital to spare. Besides, her true motive wasn’t selling fruit; it was just an excuse. Stationed at the south street entrance, she was bound to run into Chen Yu. If she could make money and meet her sweetheart, it would be perfect.

“Lucky, I don’t have any capital. I still don’t know when I’ll repay you for the dress I bought yesterday.”

“No hurry on the dress. I can let you buy on credit. If you can’t sell it, return it to me. Think it over.”

With the option to return unsold goods, the risk was minimal. Ma Hongmei wasn’t foolish; she promptly loaded the freshly packaged millet, mung beans, and fruit onto the little tricycle she’d brought.

A day apart, and she was a changed woman! Ma Hongmei constantly challenged Li Jixiang’s opinion of her. But today promised drama; soon, the truth about who was lying would be revealed.

She watched Ma Hongmei disappear into the central street, then returned to the shop to continue packaging fruit.

Just then, Blacksmith Han arrived, carrying boxes of fruit and grains to the racks by the door. Granny Li brought out two small stools, and she and Blacksmith Han sat at the entrance, waiting for customers and chatting idly.

The blazing sun slipped behind the clouds, and the sky gradually darkened. Worried about rain, Granny Li and Blacksmith Han hurriedly moved the fruit and grains back inside.

The wind picked up, making the tar paper on the street-side sheds flutter noisily. There weren’t many dark clouds overhead—likely, the wind would scatter them before any rain could fall. The rain would probably hold off.

At the town clinic’s gatehouse, she called the agricultural station. Chen Yu had taken sick leave today and wasn’t at work.

Everything was unfolding as expected; this made things easier.

She turned onto the south street entrance, but saw no sign of Ma Hongmei. By now, Ma Hongmei should have arrived with her cart. She pedaled further into the south street, and just before the end, finally spotted Ma Hongmei’s little cart.

Hmph, if Chen Yu was the one lying, today she’d teach him a proper lesson—and pay him back for last night, when he stole her first kiss.