Zizila~ Zizila!
A burst of static crackled from the village loudspeaker.
Then, Xia Deya's clear voice rang out.
"Villagers, pay attention, please stop what you're doing for a moment."
"What I'm about to say is very important, extremely important!"
"Don't be busy, listen to me for a bit."
Xia Deya's repeated reminders puzzled those who didn't know what was happening.
What could be such big news?
"After much effort by the village committee, our Xiajiagou's Chinese toon finally has a buyer."
"The regional manager of Lianhua Group is at the village committee right now."
"Their refrigerated truck will arrive this afternoon, so everyone get moving and pick the Chinese toon quickly."
"Forty-eight yuan per jin!"
"We will purchase any compliant and qualified Chinese toon for forty-eight yuan per jin!"
"I'm not kidding, they've come with money, payment will be made on the spot, no delays."
"Men, women, and children of Xiajiagou, Chinese toon is being bought for forty-eight yuan a jin!"
"Bring it to the village committee before 3 PM. Remember, only young shoots, don't try to pass off old leaves. There will be designated personnel to inspect it!"
The loudspeaker buzzed for a while and then fell silent again.
The villagers were bewildered, filled with confusion.
"What did Old Six just say?"
"Did I hear him say they're buying Chinese toon for forty-eight yuan a jin?"
"Did Old Six have a drink this morning? Why is he talking nonsense? I can pick a hundred jin a day, and he'd pay me 4,800?"
Most people were skeptical, but Xia Deya's words were coherent and didn't sound like gibberish.
The village was in a flurry. Some, having received the news early, mobilized their entire families, grabbing woven bags and heading for the Chinese toon groves.
Others hurried to the village committee, intending to verify the news themselves.
"Little Fan, we're old, can we really do this?"
At the village committee, Xia Xiangqian and Xia Cui'e, each wearing a red armband, fidgeted nervously, unsure where to put their hands.
"Don't worry, just do your best. I'll take responsibility for any mistakes," Lin Fan said.
"We're only inspecting, and getting four yuan per jin, isn't that a bit much?"
The elderly couple felt uneasy.
They had been honest farmers their whole lives, never doing anything other than farming.
The job Lin Fan had secured for them was to inspect the Chinese toon after villagers brought it in.
They would tell others to take back anything that didn't meet the standard and reselect it. Their job was only inspection, not the manual labor.
This work wouldn't be unpaid; they would get a four-yuan commission for every jin of Chinese toon accepted.
The remaining eight yuan would be kept by the village committee.
Xia Deya was ambitious, wanting to make Xiajiagou's Chinese toon a renowned brand, a flagship product of the village sold across the country. Without capital, this wouldn't be possible.
"Even this four yuan, I feel it's too little," Lin Fan said with a smile.
"It's a lot!" Xia Xiangqian exclaimed, his eyes wide. "If everyone in the village picks, we can get hundreds of jin a day, that's one to two thousand yuan!"
Just thinking about that number made his heart pound.
If he were picking Chinese toon like everyone else, with money exchanged for goods, he wouldn't feel anything.
Money earned through effort felt secure.
But earning so much just by inspecting made him feel uneasy.
"Old Six, are you there?"
Noisy shouts came from outside.
"What were you yelling about on the loudspeaker just now?"
"I heard someone wants to buy Chinese toon."
Dozens of villagers rushed into the village committee compound.
"Why are you all coming to me? Go pick Chinese toon!" Xia Deya shouted.
"Old Six, is it true? Chinese toon for forty-eight yuan a jin?"
"Yes, that's too exaggerated."
"Old Six, are you bored and just trying to have fun with us?"
The villagers were all disbelieving.
"Why would I fool you!"
Xia Deya roared at the top of his lungs, "Stop asking! Forty-eight yuan a jin for Chinese toon, only young shoots, good quality. Bring it before 3 PM, cash on delivery. Hurry up, or someone else will get it all."
"My goodness!"
"Quick, quick!"
"It's really true!"
"No wonder Aunt Chen from next door ran out with a bag and didn't tell me!"
The villagers scattered, rushing back home.
They met other villagers who were coming to inquire about the news, and the message spread further.
The entire Xiajiagou became like a boiling pot of water, bubbling with excitement.
Countless people, carrying woven bags, sickles, long hooks, and other tools, ran at full speed towards the densest Chinese toon groves.
Their emotions were fervent and frenzied; strangers might have thought they were going on a treasure hunt.
In fact, for the people of Xiajiagou, Chinese toon at forty-eight yuan a jin was almost as good as treasure.
In the office, Lin Fan and Chen Zhiming were drinking tea.
Xia Xiangqian and his wife sat beside them, timid and not daring to make a sound, afraid of saying the wrong thing.
"Little Fan, why don't we go pick some too?"
"Yes, it's tens of yuan a jin. It's not too late yet; we'll be back by noon at the latest. It won't delay important matters."
The elderly couple had never done anything significant in their lives and felt like they were sitting on pins and needles here, unable to feel at ease.
Lin Fan could only agree. "Be careful, don't rush. The money I make will be enough for our family for generations."
"Alright, okay," Xia Xiangqian immediately stood up with a smile.
Xia Cui'e quietly asked, "Should we tell Old Six?"
"No need, he's busy."
The elderly couple walked out of the village committee side by side.
Along the way, the streets and alleys were quiet.
From the elderly to the young children, everyone capable of working had gone to pick Chinese toon. The entire village was eerily silent.
"Old man, if they buy Chinese toon every year, will our village get rich?"
"Yes, how can we not get rich!"
Xia Xiangqian did a quick calculation. Assuming each person picked a hundred jin of the first flush of Chinese toon, in addition to their farming income, a family of three could earn an extra 13,000 yuan annually!
For villagers, this amount could cover all their expenses if saved carefully. The money earned from farming and labor could be put aside.
Over time, the villagers' wallets would naturally grow fatter, and their lives would become easier.
"Little Fan is truly amazing!"
Xia Cui'e said excitedly, "At first, Little Fan asked for a hundred yuan a jin, and Manager Chen didn't object."
"Blame Old Six. It was originally a hundred, but he somehow managed to make it sixty."
"Ah, don't blame him. If it were someone else, they might have offered twenty right away. Old Six has worked hard; we should be content."
"That's true."
The elderly couple walked home, talking excitedly.