Chapter 78: First Little Guest
Mother Xiao guessed that this was the landlady. She smiled and greeted her, “You must be the landlady. Hello, I’m Xiao Lingyu, this girl’s mother. Thank you for taking care of Yu ‘Er.”
The old lady smiled and said, “Mother Xiao, you can call me Auntie Song. I like your daughter very much.”
Mother Xiao smiled, “Okay, Auntie Song.”
Grandma Song said, “Yesterday, the girl said she would come to sell vegetables, so I was waiting for her.”
Mother Xiao took her basket and smiled, “Auntie Song, you didn’t need to come here in person. We can send it to your house.”
Grandma Song waved her hands. “That’s not necessary. At my age, I need to walk around more.”
Xiao Lingyu held out a tomato. “Granny, come and have a taste.”
Grandma Song was impressed by the tomato. It was red and translucent. It was cute and beautiful. She took the tomato and smiled, “Such a well-grown tomato.” Then, she took a bite. Her old eyes immediately shone with surprise. She chewed and exclaimed, “Girl, your tomato is so delicious.”
By then, Mother Xiao had filled up Grandma Song’s basket. It was filled to the brim. “Auntie Song, are these enough?”
Seeing the many different vegetables in her basket, Grandma Song gasped in surprise, “They all look so fresh.” Then, she paused to ask, “How much are they?”
Mother Xiao said, “Auntie Song, you took care of my Yu ‘Er. How can I take your money? They are free!”
Grandma Song still said, “But this is too much. My family can’t finish them. You should take some out.” She did it herself but was stopped by Xiao Lingyu. She said, “Granny, you can store them in the fridge if you can finish them. I will not be coming back until two days later.” Today, she was merely exploring the market. She still had some seeds, but Xiao Lingyu didn’t plan to sell everything in one go.
Noting Grandma Song’s hesitance, Xiao Lingyu said, “Granny, my vegetables are very delicious. If you don’t take these home, you might not get them tomorrow.”
Grandma Song stopped declining Xiao Lingyu’s good intention. Grandma Song didn’t want to delay Xiao Lingyu and Mother Xiao anymore. She carried her basket and left happily. Grandma Song was quite embarrassed. Xiao Lingyu hadn’t even opened for business, but Grandma Song had already taken a few things for free. However, the girl refused to take her money.
Xiao Lingyu locked the gate and pushed the tricycle to the market with her mother. As they crossed the alley and were about to go up a slope, a five-year-old boy walked by them. His mother was holding his hand. He saw the red tomatoes and his eyes lit up. He stopped and told his mother, “Mom, I want to eat tomatoes!”
The young woman, Yang Yan, turned around and saw Xiao Lingyu’s tricycle. Seeing how fresh the tomato was, she asked, “How much are the tomatoes?”
“Two RMB each!” Xiao Lingyu said.
“What? How much is one catty?” Yang Yan thought she misheard.
“2 RMB each, not per catty!” Xiao Lingyu repeated.
“Are you trying to rob me? That’s so expensive!” Yang Yan recoiled. “The market is only selling 1 catty for 1 RMB, but you’re selling 2 RMB each. Are you crazy? Son, let’s go. I’ll go to the market to buy you some.”
But the boy refused to go. He pulled his mother’s hand and cried, “But mom… I want this one!”
Seeing the child cry, Mother Xiao immediately took a tomato and placed it in the child’s hand. She said very amiably, “Boy, don’t cry. Grandma will give you one for free.”
Yang Yan was suspicious. She asked Mother Xiao, “Auntie, your stuff is so expensive. Is this really for free?”
When Xiao Lingyu saw this, her eyes flashed with an idea. Xiao Lingyu said, “Miss, since my mom said it’s free, then it’s free. Consider it a free sample for the child.”
The boy took a small bite. Yang Yan was shocked and shouted. “Li Junxuan, how many times do I need to tell you? As long as it has skin, you have to wash them first. Things like tomatoes and apples are covered in pesticides!”
Li Junxuan munched on the tomato and looked at his mother. He said honestly, “But, mom, Grandma’s tomatoes are really delicious.”
He held the tomato in his small hands and tried to pass it to his mother. He wanted Yang Yan to taste it but Yang Yan smiled.
Xiao Lingyu explained, “Miss, don’t worry. My crops are all organic and natural. We do not use pesticides at all.”
Of course, Yang Yan didn’t believe Xiao Lingyu. However, since this was an offer by her son, Yang Yan couldn’t bear to reject him. She endured the discomfort and took a small bite.