Volume One, Chapter Seven: Reserved Fruit, An Unexpected Call

"Dad, it's all done!"

"What? Already?"

Qin Yong was astonished. It would have taken him at least an hour to finish the fertilizing, yet his son had managed it in less than thirty minutes.

Meanwhile, Qin Fan was surprised by his own newfound strength; he felt completely energized even after the heavy labor. He had always been someone who tired easily, and he could only attribute this change to the vitality-enhancing supplement Dongfang Wan'er had given him.

"Son, thank you for all your hard work these past few years," Qin Yong said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Dad, it’s nothing. By the way, when will our fruit be ready for harvest? Is there anyone lined up to buy it?" Qin Fan asked curiously, having never concerned himself with such matters before.

"Sigh, don't mention it. Every time the fruit ripens, we have to carry it into town to sell. We can't move much of it, and a lot just rots in the fields. We barely scrape together three thousand yuan from those few plots." Qin Yong looked troubled. It had been like this every year; without connections, he had no choice but to handle the sales himself.

"Dad, why don't you sell the entire harvest to me? How about I place a bulk order for you?" Qin Fan thought that if he contracted the fields, he could provide Dongfang Wan'er with fresh fruit—healthier and cheaper than what was available in the city.

"Xiao Fan, what nonsense are you spouting? Sell it to you?"

"No, I mean, I have someone behind me looking to buy large quantities of fruit. Our produce looks good, so why don't you sell it to me, and I'll pass it on to them?"

Qin Yong was skeptical. However, a moment later, a notification pinged on his mobile payment app.

"Six thousand yuan received."

"Hiss..."

"Xiao Fan, this is..."

He knew his son had been buying him phones and clothes, but he never expected him to drop six thousand yuan just like that—that was their entire annual income from the crops.

"Dad, I told you, I have someone behind me buying in bulk. This is the payment for the fruit."

"Six thousand! Isn't this too much? Even if I worked myself to the bone, I couldn't sell this much!" Qin Yong hurriedly protested.

"Oh, Dad, if someone is willing to pay six thousand, isn't that a good thing? When the fruit is ready, you can just help with the transport; consider it a labor fee."

"Well... alright! You truly are my son. I was wondering why you'd come back to farm, but this isn't just farming—this is a way to get rich!" Qin Yong patted his shoulder happily. He had originally thought he and his wife would have to support Qin Fan for the rest of their lives, but it seemed that was no longer necessary.

"Dad, once the fruit is harvested, let's plant some potatoes. As many as we can fit; the buyer will take them all."

"But... potatoes are so common. Won't this be..." Qin Yong worried.

"Don't worry, Dad. I've already negotiated the potato deal. That's exactly what they want, and they've even paid a deposit."

A moment later, Qin Yong’s phone chimed again. Another two thousand yuan had arrived.

"Xiao Fan, is this the deposit for the potatoes?" Qin Yong was stunned. This was too much; potatoes sold for pennies a pound. It seemed his son really did have a wealthy benefactor behind him.

"Fine! Son, I'll listen to you. Lead us to prosperity."

...

"Did you rob a bank?" Li Ping, who had just returned from her parents' home, saw the money on the phone and questioned Qin Yong.

Qin Yong didn't say a word, his face wreathed in smiles.

"You old fool, you must have robbed a bank. You can't do things like that!"

"Wife, this is from Xiao Fan!"

"What? Xiao Fan? How is that possible?" Li Ping couldn't believe it.

"It's true. Our boy didn't come home just to farm; he came home to strike it rich. This is the money from someone he knows who contracted our fruit."

"That much? I remember our fruit only bringing in four thousand at most."

"Exactly! Our son is really promising. Now we don't have to worry about selling our produce anymore."

"Oh! Xiao Fan is truly successful. Even my mother said that when she read his palm as a child, he had the markings of great wealth. It seems it's true." Li Ping was overjoyed.

"As long as our son is doing well, we are doing well."

"By the way, old man, someone in the village is hosting a wedding banquet today. I think the eldest daughter from the Li family is getting married."

"Leave that to Xiao Fan. He's grown up now; it's his turn to handle the social obligations," Qin Yong decided.

"Alright!"

Qin Fan made a trip into the city. He needed to rent a large warehouse to store the supplies he was buying. His live-streaming storage space, while useful, seemed to have a limit, currently only holding the equivalent of twenty thousand steamed buns.

"Boss... the warehouse looks a bit old, and it's not very clean inside. Could you lower the rent? I'm looking for a long-term lease." Qin Fan followed the landlord into the facility. It was definitely large enough—five hundred square meters. He could put anything he wanted in there.

"Young man, with this much space, seven hundred is my lowest price. Any lower and I'd be losing money."

"Seven hundred? Tell you what, I'll sign a one-year lease. How about six hundred? Think about it, I'm renting for a full year, whereas others only take a few months. And if everything goes well, I'll renew it."

After some back-and-forth, Qin Fan secured the deal.

"Young man, you've got a bright future! A big boss once used this warehouse, you know." The landlord didn't forget to offer his congratulations as they parted ways.

Warehouse secured. Now, it was time for supplies.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Xiao Fan!"

"Yes, Dad?"

"Xiao Fan, get ready for tomorrow. The Li family's daughter is getting married. You need to go and give the gift."

"The Li family's daughter?" Could it be Li Ziyan, the one who used to chase after him?

"Xiao Fan, you're grown up now. You need to get out and socialize more."

"Fine, I'll prepare the gift."

Qin Fan hadn't expected her to be married. She used to pester him relentlessly. She was certainly pretty, but she wasn't his type. Judging by his father's tone, the family had some money, enough to host a banquet in the center of the county. He figured the Li family would be showing off how successful her husband was; regardless of what people said about not comparing, every family was constantly doing just that.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He checked the display—it was his junior high classmate, Fatty Hao.

"Qin Fan, are you free tomorrow?"

"What's up, Fatty?"

"I'm marrying Ziyan tomorrow. Come be my best man!"

"Sure, I can do that."

"Great, I'll go ask the other groomsmen then."

Qin Fan was genuinely surprised that the groom was Fatty Hao. No wonder the wedding was in the county seat; the Hao family was quite well-off. He wondered if the groom was worried his own handsome appearance would outshine him. Had this been in the past, he definitely would have declined—without money, he would only have been mocked. But now? Things were different.