Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Striking It Rich

Yu Nuannuan raised her hand and looked at what was in her palm.

At first glance, it looked a bit like a milky white stone—oval in shape, but not perfectly regular. It felt smooth and warm to the touch, with a gentle luster. On the smaller end, there was even a tiny hole.

Was this meant for her to wear?

Just as this thought popped into Yu Nuannuan’s mind, she heard Gu Mo’s childish yet oddly serious voice say, “For Nuannuan to wear!”

Chen Qiaoqin leaned over and took a closer look at Yu Nuannuan’s hand. She still thought it was just a stone.

But seeing the earnest look on Gu Mo’s chubby little face, and with Yu Nuannuan clutching it tightly, she just agreed, “Alright, we’ll let Nuannuan wear it. I’ll thank you on her behalf and find a string to thread it.”

With that, Chen Qiaoqin stood up to look for a string. Just then, Gu Mo piped up again, “No need to thank me. Nuannuan wears it, and I get fruit!”

Hearing this, Yu Nuannuan understood—so this was payment!

Thinking back to what Gu Mo had said before, Yu Nuannuan became even more certain that Gu Mo was hiding a secret.

To be able to produce a stone like this, and not have Qin Yuelan notice—what could this secret be?

A system?

A space?

Or some kind of special ability?

The more Yu Nuannuan thought about it, the more curious she became. She wished she could grab Gu Mo and question him thoroughly.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t speak yet, so she had to let it go.

Chen Qiaoqin found some red cotton thread. Worried it wouldn’t be strong enough, she doubled it up before threading the stone and putting it around Yu Nuannuan’s neck.

The stone rested against her skin, feeling warm and almost hot, making Yu Nuannuan even more certain that this was something special.

It seemed this little friend, who was as mysterious as she was, was definitely not ordinary!

Before noon, Xu Shuhua came back.

But this was just when the day was getting hottest. Xu Shuhua’s face was flushed red from the sun, and her back was soaked with sweat.

Still, the smile on her face made it clear she’d had a fruitful trip.

Chen Qiaoqin didn’t rush to ask. She waited until Xu Shuhua had washed her hands and face and changed her clothes, then quickly handed her a big mug of cool boiled water. “Mom, have some water.”

Xu Shuhua was parched. She took the mug and gulped it down.

After finishing the whole mug in one go, Xu Shuhua finally let out a satisfied sigh. “Qiaoqin, let me tell you! We really struck it rich today!”

Chen Qiaoqin’s eyes lit up as she looked at Xu Shuhua. “Mom, how much did we make?”

Xu Shuhua held up her hand and gestured a number to Chen Qiaoqin.

Seeing those two fingers, Chen Qiaoqin’s eyes widened in shock. “Ei—eighty yuan?!”

Wasn’t that a bit too easy?!

They’d earned in one day what a regular worker made in two months!

So tomorrow…

The more Chen Qiaoqin thought about it, the happier she got. Her smile stretched so wide it nearly reached her ears.

Seeing Chen Qiaoqin’s expression, Xu Shuhua knew exactly what she was thinking.

Although she’d thought the same herself, she didn’t hesitate to burst Chen Qiaoqin’s bubble.

“Don’t start dreaming! We took a huge batch of strawberries today, and at first only sold about half. I had to carry them all over the county before I finally sold out. I think bringing fifteen or twenty jin a day is just about right—enough to sell out. Any more and it won’t work.”

Strawberries were delicious, but they were expensive too.

There were people willing to buy them as a treat, but not many who’d buy them every day.

Eighty yuan a day suddenly dropped to just over twenty, and the difference was so big that Chen Qiaoqin felt her heart ache."

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