Chapter 269: Waiting for Your Return
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Cao Meihua burst into laughter, only stopping when she could not breathe.
“I’ll also take the steamed cake. It just so happens that today’s performance was rough; I’ll treat it as a small bonus.”
Su Wen gave Cao Meihua a basket of steamed cakes.
Su Qing remained silent as she watched her Big Sister chat with Cao Meihua, who looked amazing and well put together. When they left the Cultural Arts Center, Su Qing asked, “Big Sister, why didn’t we sell our bags? We just finished them this morning; they’re practically brand new.”
“You don’t understand.” Su Wen rode on her bicycle, feeling the breeze tickling her face as it blew past. With narrowed eyes, she said, “We’re selling our bags at a premium, so we can’t just sell them to anyone with money. Sister Cao takes good care of us, and she might have been very happy if we sold her our bags today, but it would do little to build our brand’s image. She’d probably lose interest in us after we’d sold her the goods she wanted.”
By refusing to sell their bags, Su Wen was testing the waters.
It was a method of doing business. Many businesses would pass off inferior goods as good ones when business boomed, thinking their customers would not find out. However, as time passed and people caught on to the businesses’ underhanded means, the businesses’ tricks would come to light, becoming a scandal and ruining the brand’s reputation.
It was the same whether one sold bags or hawked food. Su Wen would never cross her bottom line just for a quick profit.
For the sake of branding, she would sell her bags at a high price while only producing a few of each model.
Artificial scarcity was equally useful in this world as it was in her last.
“I think I understand.”
“It’s okay. Even if you don’t understand now, you’ll understand in the future.”
Su Qing was by no means dumb. She understood when someone was willing to elaborate or whether it was best left for another time.
“Big Sister, where are we going now?
“I’m hungry. Let’s grab a bite. Afterward, we’ll stop by the grocer and restock on whatever we’re low on back home.” They had wasted too much time at the Cultural Arts Center. It was already past noon, so they would not be in time, even if they were to rush home for lunch. Since that was the case, they might as well have a late lunch in town.
The two of them found a small diner nearby and had lunch. After lunch, they popped into the supplies shop next door and bought a new mosquito net. It was almost dinner when they returned to Trinity Village. At the village entrance stood a tall figure leaning against a mulberry tree by the roadside casually.
Su Wen’s heart skipped a beat. Zhou Hengyang had not been home when she left earlier that morning, so she did not expect to see him waiting for her by the village entrance. Was he angry with her? Had he been waiting there to catch her?
Something was not right!
Su Wen shook her head, dispelling her errant thoughts.
Because there was no need for it.
The male protagonist, who refused to return to the village after having been to the provincial capital, would not have stood around waiting for her just because she had not returned home for lunch.
She had to be overthinking things. There was no way he had been waiting for her all this while.
Zhou Hengyang crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing dangerously. While he looked at Su Wen with a faint smile, it did nothing to detract from the dark, dangerous glint he had in his eyes.
“Big Sister, I’ll go on ahead.” Su Qing threw Su Wen under the bus without hesitation. All thoughts of sisterly love and camaraderie disappeared in a puff of smoke. Su Qing was so fast that she kicked up a dust cloud as she pushed the bicycle across the threshold and into the village proper.
Su Wen had not expected Su Qing to linger either way. Taking the initiative, she approached Zhou Hengyang and asked, “What are you doing standing around like that?”
“I was waiting for you,” he answered, his words frigid.
“Why were you waiting for me?”
“I thought you would forget the way home.”
Su Wen was speechless.
Why did Zhou Hengyang sound so out of character?
“How could I forget the road home?” Su Wen sighed in exasperation. She ignored her beating heart and mustered as serious an expression as possible. “You must have been busy.. Is it about the land? How’d things go with the village chief? When will it start?”