Chapter 101: Mengmeng Is Truly a Good Child

After finishing his sentence, Lian Qijian peeled another kiwi fruit, handing the glistening flesh to his father, Lian Xuezhu. “Dad, this kiwi fruit is really juicy and sweet, much better than the ones we used to buy. Give it a try.”

Hearing his son’s words and seeing his filial gesture, Lian Xuezhu accepted the fruit and took a bite. The juice from the fruit dripped down his hand as he bit into it.

Seeing this, Lian Xuezhu quickly stuffed the rest of the kiwi fruit into his mouth. Just as he was about to look for a tissue to wipe his hands, his son, Lian Qijian, handed him a few tissues. “Dad, here, wipe your hands.”

Lian Xuezhu didn’t bother with pleasantries. He chewed the kiwi fruit, swallowed, and couldn’t help but nod. “Jianjian, I must say, it’s really quite delicious.”

“I told you so!” Lian Qijian said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. “Dad, you and Mom keep eating. I’ll call Brother Zhen to ask where he picked them, so I can get more for you tomorrow.”

Without giving Lian Xuezhu a chance to respond, he turned and found his phone, heading to the bedroom to call his cousin, Cao Zhen.

Dang Wanli, who also loved fruit, particularly enjoyed kiwi fruit, known as the “king of fruits” for its high vitamin C content. Given her exhausting job that often left her feeling mentally strained and fatigued, replenishing vitamin C was essential.

Other fruits didn’t have as much vitamin C as kiwi fruit, so eating more when they were in season was always a good idea.

“Old Lian, how are things at your office these days?” Dang Wanli asked him.

She was referring to the Forestry Bureau. She rarely inquired about matters at Mingbo Textile Co., Ltd.

Speaking of the Forestry Bureau, Lian Xuezhu looked relaxed. “Not bad, nothing major. Recently, the higher-ups have instructed all subordinate units to prepare for supporting the development of the rural economy.”

“It seems that developing the agricultural economy is inevitable,” Dang Wanli said, having been deeply impressed by the agricultural economic development she observed during a recent trip to the south.

“Of course, dear. Don’t underestimate the agricultural economy. It’s fundamental. If developed well, it’s the cornerstone of a stable rear,” Lian Xuezhu said seriously.

Especially when economic development is lacking, the importance of agricultural economic development becomes even more pronounced.

Dang Wanli knew her husband was speaking the truth, but most people failed to see it. They believed that developing high-tech and energy strategies was the key to success.

In the room, Lian Qijian finally got through to his cousin, Cao Zhen. After some small talk, he asked, “Brother Zhen, I need to ask you something.”

“Go ahead,” Cao Zhen replied. “As long as it’s not about some girl.”

“Brother Zhen, don’t joke around. Dan Dan and I are doing great!” Lian Qijian said optimistically. “We’ve agreed to get married after graduation.”

“Alright, alright, you’re amazing. Just don’t talk about marriage to annoy me,” Cao Zhen said, feeling a headache coming on whenever relationships were mentioned. He didn’t want to banter with his cousin and asked, “What do you want to know?”

“Brother Zhen, where did you pick those kiwi fruits you gave my dad? I want to pick some too.”

“Oh, and how much did you pay per jin?”

Cao Zhen thought he misheard his cousin’s question. “Say that again, what are you talking about?”

“Bro, the kiwi fruits you gave my dad. Didn’t you give us two boxes? My dad said they were freshly picked from somewhere and are incredibly delicious. I’m just at home with nothing to do, so I thought I’d go pick some.”

He whispered into the phone, “I’ve been playing games at home for a while now, and my parents are getting annoyed with me. They keep nagging, so I might as well go out.”

“You brat, you deserve a beating. You spend your break playing games all day. No wonder your parents are annoyed. You should work at the textile factory for a couple of months to toughen up,” Cao Zhen said, disapproving of his cousin’s lifestyle.

“Come on, bro, let’s not talk about that. We’re still good brothers, right?” Lian Qijian had no interest in working at the textile factory, especially in the heat.

Cao Zhen, not wanting to argue, said, “The kiwi fruits were picked in my Cao Family Village. Remember ‘Brother Jie’ from Yiling University, the one who helped you out last time? He grows them. If you want to go, I’ll let Brother Jie know, and he might give you a discount.”

“Oh, it’s Brother Jie who grows them! No wonder they’re so good,” Lian Qijian flattered.

Growing up in such a family, he naturally learned the ways of the world. He said, “Bro, no need for a discount. My dad isn’t short on money, and I’m bringing a few friends along. Why give those guys a discount?”

Most of his friends came from similar backgrounds.

“Good things are meant to be shared!” Lian Qijian said excitedly. “Bro, I’m hanging up now. I need to contact a few people. We’ll head out early tomorrow.”

He hung up without waiting for a response, leaving Cao Zhen a bit bewildered.

Living in another neighborhood, “Sunshine Garden,” Cao Zhen was confused. “Are they really that good?”

He hurried to the kitchen and pulled out the two boxes of kiwi fruits, opening one to check. They were still firm, proving that storing them in a cool, ventilated place worked.

But Cao Zhen couldn’t wait to taste them, so he took a few out and placed them in a plastic bag with bananas, hoping they’d ripen by morning.

Sometimes they were soft when they should be firm, and firm when they should be soft. You couldn’t keep them for too long. That’s the downside of kiwi fruits.

After learning where the fruits were picked, Lian Qijian told his parents and then busied himself calling his childhood friends, classmates, and other acquaintances, planning a “countryside team-building gathering” during the summer break.

Meanwhile, Cao Zhen was so focused on eating kiwi fruits that he forgot to inform Cao Shujie that his cousin was bringing people to pick kiwi fruits.

In Pingyuan County Town, there’s a residential area called ‘Joy Garden.’ Despite its somewhat rustic name, it is one of the upscale neighborhoods in Pingyuan County Town. Unlike Elite Metropolis, most of the residents here are wealthy individuals from Pingyuan County or nearby counties and cities.

In one of the centrally located buildings, designed entirely with large, open-plan apartments, lived an elderly man who had been seen leisurely strolling with two children at Youth Plaza. His name was Wang Shiye. He used to run a small chemical products factory. Although the factory wasn’t large and produced niche products within the industry, it was highly profitable, allowing him to amass a considerable fortune.

As he grew older, Wang Shiye found himself lacking the energy to manage the business, so he handed over the factory to his son. With nothing much to do, he enjoyed a leisurely retirement.

Coincidentally, it was summer vacation, and his two grandsons, finding their parents too strict, preferred to stay with their grandparents under the pretense of keeping them company during the holidays.

At this moment, his two grandsons, Wang Yuliang and Wang Yuyang, were gathered around the table, watching their grandfather peel a kiwi fruit, revealing its glistening green flesh. The juice from the fruit dripped into the bowl below.

“Oh, this kiwi fruit smells great. Yuliang, Yuyang, hurry and eat,” Wang Shiye said, placing the peeled fruit into a small bowl and pushing it toward his grandsons.

He continued peeling another one, performing the same action.

However, the two grandsons didn’t eat. The elder one, Wang Yuliang, insisted, “Grandfather, you and Grandmother eat first. We can share one.”

“Ah, you’re such good kids,” Wang Shiye thought, feeling pleased.

Throughout his life, although he hadn’t achieved great wealth, he had accumulated a modest fortune and experienced many things, including a variety of fine foods. He wasn’t particularly greedy when it came to eating.

He valued the moral character and upbringing of the next generation, and clearly, his grandsons’ behavior made him very satisfied.

He said, “You go ahead and eat. See if it tastes good. If it does, Grandfather will take you to pick some more.”

With financial security and no worries about living, any place could be a playground.

Picking kiwi fruit sounded like a good idea!

Hearing their grandfather’s suggestion, Wang Yuliang and Wang Yuyang each took half of a kiwi, leaving the other for their grandfather. “Grandfather, you and Grandmother should eat too.”

As they spoke, the brothers used a spoon to divide one half each and put it in their mouths. Their expressions gradually became more animated and satisfied.

Wang Yuyang quickly finished his portion and exclaimed, “Wow, Grandfather, this fruit is really sweet!”

“Yes, yes, it’s really sweet,” Wang Yuliang nodded in agreement.

Seeing his grandsons’ genuine reactions, Wang Shiye was curious, “Is it really that good?”

“Grandfather, you should try it,” Wang Yuliang suggested.

“Grandmother, come out and have some kiwi fruit,” Wang Yuyang called out.

…

At Cui Jingguo’s home in Jinniu Town, after receiving two boxes of kiwi fruit from Cao Shujie, Cui Jingguo began the process of induced ripening. Once the fruit had softened, he shared it with his family.

“Go ahead and eat. This was specially delivered by Boss Cao a few days ago. If it’s good, I’ll buy more from him,” Cui Jingguo said.

In his view, business was reciprocal, a give-and-take relationship.

Considering the scale of Cao Shujie’s place and his apparent ambition, Cui Jingguo was certain that Boss Cao would eventually buy calves from him.

His wife, Zou Chun’e, appeared to be a sharp woman. She remarked, “So what you’re saying is, he gave you kiwi fruit to sell you something.”

“Nonsense. It’s a new variety of fruit just hitting the market, and he drove all the way here to give us two boxes. That shows Mr. Cao’s character is trustworthy. Don’t always judge people with skepticism,” he chided.

Zou Chun’e wasn’t upset by his scolding. She said, “I’ll taste it first. If it’s good, we’ll buy more. If not, we’ll toss the rest.”

Cui Jingguo raised his hand as if to slap her but then let it drop.

Their daughter, Cui Peiyun, took one, chewed it quickly, and swallowed. Her eyes lit up, “Dad, it’s really delicious!”

“Is it? Let me try,” Cui Jingguo said, smiling at his daughter’s reaction.

Their son, Cui Fuxing, grabbed one, peeled it, and instead of eating it immediately, offered it to his grandmother, Luo Fengqiu. “Grandmother, try this. It’s soft and easy to chew.”

“Good boy, you eat it. Grandmother doesn’t need any,” Luo Fengqiu habitually declined.

But Cui Fuxing insisted, gently pushing it into her mouth. “Grandmother, isn’t it easy to chew?”

Indeed, it was suitable for the elderly.

Only then did Cui Fuxing peel one for himself, and once he started eating, he couldn’t stop.

…

Besides them, many others who received the kiwi fruit also tasted it to try something new.

However, just as a thousand readers see a thousand Hamlets, no matter how delicious something is, preferences vary. Some liked it, some didn’t, and others weighed the pros and cons, feeling that going all the way to Cao Family Village to pick kiwi fruit was too far and not worth it.

In a month or so, the fruit would be widely available in stores. Why make a special trip just to pick kiwi fruit?

The seven boxes that Cao Shujie gave away for free at Youth Plaza in Pingyuan County Town made people think that while the fruit was fresh and tasty, it was probably expensive. Better to wait until it’s widely available to buy.

They thought to themselves, “How good can it really be?”

Yet, a small number of people believed that if something tasted good, they should seize the opportunity. Why earn money if not to enjoy good things without worrying about price, value, or distance?

To enjoy in advance!

Once it’s widely available and everyone is enjoying it, they’d have already had their fill.

Qingshi Town’s Cao Family Village wasn’t even outside Pingyuan County Town.

Besides, the roads were easy to drive, just a half-hour journey!

At the Cao Family Village in Qingshi Town, at Cao Shujie’s home, they were enjoying the first batch of induced ripening kiwi fruit.

Mengmeng was eating with juice all over her mouth, and there were bits of fruit pulp on both sides of her mouth. Her clothes were also splattered with juice.

She was wearing a bib, but even with it, she would need several changes of clothes a day.

In a small bowl, there were six or seven peeled kiwi fruits. Mengmeng reached out, grabbed one, and was about to eat it.

She turned her head and saw that her grandfather had finished his kiwi fruit. She raised her hand and offered the one she had just picked up, saying, “Grandfather, you eat.”

“Mengmeng is such a good child. Grandfather doesn’t like eating them, you go ahead.”

“Grandfather is lying, you already finished yours.” Mengmeng exposed her grandfather’s disguise without mercy.

Mengmeng’s straightforwardness made the whole family laugh.

Wang Yuelan also ate one and said, “Shujie, why does this batch taste better than the ones we grew before?”

“Mom, how could you forget what I studied?” Cao Shujie replied, “I graduated from the Agricultural University with a proper degree in this field.”

Such a good reason, Wang Yuelan and Cao Jianguo had no doubts. They felt it was only natural for their son to say this, thinking that going to university really made a difference.