Chapter 192: Eating Mangoes

Director Li smiled but said nothing.

She didn’t expect the construction team to make much profit. As long as it could provide a livelihood for those unemployed youths, she’d already be doing a great service. By then, she believed other neighborhoods would follow suit.

After chatting for a bit, she got ready to leave. She couldn’t stay too long—there were many things to handle in the neighborhood office these days.

Zhou Yimin immediately brought out a box of mangoes, which released a distinct fruity aroma.

“Auntie, these mangoes were a gift from a friend. I can’t finish them all—please take them back to the office and share them!”

He needed to strengthen his ties with the neighborhood office. When things stirred up in the future, they could play a big role.

Director Li was inwardly shocked. She’d seen these mangoes before—they were fruits only found in the south, incredibly rare up north. Regular folks couldn’t even get close to them, much like lychees.

Yet Zhou Yimin casually brought out a big box and wanted to give it to the neighborhood office.

“Yimin, these mangoes are worth a lot. Keep them for gifting,” she said. Giving these out would earn a lot of face.

Zhou Yimin laughed. “But I am giving them as a gift now, Auntie. Please, just take them. I’ve got more.”

He pointed with his hand.

Director Li looked and saw three or four more boxes.

She clicked her tongue—this guy had some serious connections! Other people would have to go through hell just to get a few mangoes. She herself had no way of getting any, yet Zhou Yimin had several boxes like it was nothing. A gift from a friend, he said.

Clearly, his friend was no ordinary person.

Director Li suspected that these mangoes might be a special supply from the south. Only people with the right contacts and access could get hold of them.

“Well, alright then! Thanks to your generosity.” She no longer refused.

She also understood Zhou Yimin’s intent.

Even though she herself was enough to represent the neighborhood office, sometimes the little guys were hard to deal with. If the whole office got something nice to eat and accepted his favor, they’d naturally be more inclined toward Zhou Yimin.

When a favor’s owed, and trouble comes knocking, the office would be willing to help smooth things over for him.

With that, Director Li carried the box of mangoes back to the office.

“Director, what’s that? Smells so good!” As soon as she stepped inside, one of the clerks came over, curiosity written all over their face.

Director Li said, “Go tell everyone to come in. Yimin’s friend gave him some mangoes, and he set aside a box just for us.”

The clerk, overjoyed, practically bounced out of the room to call everyone.

Mangoes!

He had only seen them in textbooks his whole life—never mind eating one.

Soon, word spread through the office. Director Li was handing out mangoes—Zhou Yimin had sent them. Everyone praised Comrade Zhou Yimin for being so thoughtful.

His connection with Director Li wasn’t exactly a secret in the office anymore. Everyone was well aware.

Even if Zhou Yimin hadn’t gifted anything, nobody would dare offend him lightly.

But not only had he never taken advantage of his relationship with the director, he had, on multiple occasions, helped the office solve problems.

Like the times he’d sent over some wild game meat.

And a few days ago, if it weren’t for Zhou Yimin’s reminder, they might have faced a tragedy—a crumbling building could have killed residents. The entire neighborhood office would have been held responsible.

All in all, the entire staff had a favorable impression of him.

And now, that goodwill deepened even further.

If anyone dared to come and report Zhou Yimin to them, they’d lock the whistleblower up first.

What kind of malicious intent was that?

Zhou Yimin, such a good man—and you dare slander him? Unforgivable.

At that moment, Director Li finished counting the mangoes. There was one for each person in the office, with three left over.

“Pick whichever one you want—just one each,” she said.

Each mango weighed about a jin (half a kilogram).

Everyone grinned and picked one out. If Director Li weren’t standing there, there probably would’ve been squabbling. After all, this was a mango—bringing one home would be a real flex.

Those who got their mangoes all thanked both the director and Comrade Zhou Yimin.

Director Li had achieved her goal.

Liu Yan was a newly hired clerk, not even a month on the job. Usually, people who made it into the neighborhood office had some family connections. Liu Yan was an exception—she’d gotten in thanks to a lucky assignment.

Holding the fragrant mango, she couldn’t resist bringing it up to her nose.

Bringing this home—wouldn’t the whole courtyard be green with envy?

Such a pity! She’d heard that the director’s nephew—Comrade Zhou Yimin—already had a girlfriend. Otherwise, she would’ve gone all out for a chance.

“Just from the smell, you can tell this mango’s delicious.”

“Why don’t you open it up and let us all have a taste?”

“Go to hell! You’ve got your own—why don’t you open yours?”

…

Back at Courtyard 56, Zhou Yimin pulled out another box and called over the kids in the courtyard, giving each one a mango. That stunned everyone.

Not just the kids—even the eldest uncles had never eaten tropical fruit like this.

They all knew how rare this fruit was, and yet Yimin gave one to each of the children. That was some real generosity and style.

“Got any more?” Luo Dapeng slinked over, whispering.

Zhou Yimin shot him a glare. “Come back later.”

Luo Dapeng beamed. “Hehe, got it.”

The kids had mangoes, but they didn’t know how to eat them.

“Yimin, how do you eat this? Can we eat the peel?” someone asked.

Zhou Yimin picked up a mango and demonstrated.

“Watch closely!”

He sliced along both sides of the seed, cutting the mango into three pieces. Then he scored the flesh with a grid of cuts, and with both hands, he gently bent the mango piece inward so that the cubed fruit popped up beautifully.

“Here, try it like this. Best way to eat—no mess.”

Some people just peeled the whole thing and bit into it, but that often got fruit stuck in their teeth—a big reason why many disliked mangoes.

Zhou Yimin had the adults each try a small cube, just to get a taste.

He cut up five mangoes in a row.

Now everyone knew what to do. Forget everything else—just cutting it like that made it look classy and high-end.

“Are we tossing the skins?” someone asked, noticing there was still some fruit clinging to them.

Zhou Yimin nodded. “Yep.”

Well, then—they didn’t hold back.

Someone immediately grabbed the peels and scraped them clean with their teeth—not a scrap wasted. Someone even bit into a piece of peel, curious about the taste.

“Ptooey! Gross.”

Zhou Yimin shrugged. Told you so, but no one listened.

The remaining mangoes—he brought one box back to the village, one to Uncle Zhang’s house, and gave a few to Youde, Dapeng, Dazhong, and the others.

Near evening, Zhou Yimin finally headed to Uncle Zhang’s place, planning to mooch a meal. Ever since returning to the city, he rarely cooked. He either grabbed something quick from the system store or went somewhere to scrounge dinner.

“Yimin-ge, is that something tasty?” Little Zhang Lu already caught a whiff of the fruity aroma.

Before she even finished her sentence, her mom gave her a knock on the head.

All she thought about was food.

Lately, this girl had gotten all kinds of snacks from Yimin.

(End of Chapter)