Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Never Seen the World

“Auntie, it’s one thing that your strawberries are bigger than usual, but how come even these groundcherries you picked are bigger than everyone else’s?”

Even though Zhang Cuifen hadn’t eaten them in years, she still remembered what they were like.

The groundcherries she remembered were barely half the size of the one in her hand now.

What kind of groundcherry grows this big?

Before Xu Shuhua could answer, Zhang Cuifen tore open the thin husk of a groundcherry and popped it into her mouth.

And she had to admit—it really was sweet!

Because it was so big, eating it felt even more satisfying.

“Auntie, this is amazing! Your strawberries are delicious, and these groundcherries are just as good! I’ve never had groundcherries this tasty before! They’ll definitely sell!”

Xu Shuhua beamed with pride. “Of course! I can’t brag about other things, but when it comes to fruit and vegetables, ours are definitely the best.”

“So… Auntie, how much are these groundcherries? I want to buy some to take home for the kids.”

Xu Shuhua had been setting up her stall here for a few days now, and she’d gotten to know Zhang Cuifen a bit.

Because she’d made some money doing small business, Zhang Cuifen was always generous when it came to food, buying a jin of strawberries for her kids every day.

Xu Shuhua thought for a moment. “These groundcherries might be wild fruit, but they’re even rarer than regular fruit, so the price is… But since you’re a regular, I’ll give you a deal. I sell them to others for fifty cents a jin, but for you, forty cents. How about it?”

Zhang Cuifen was quite happy with the price and said right away, “Then give me a yuan’s worth, Auntie.”

“Alright!”

Suddenly, a loud voice startled both Xu Shuhua and Zhang Cuifen.

They turned to see Yu Hai, who was eagerly filling a paper bag with groundcherries.

Xu Shuhua shot Yu Hai an exasperated look before turning back to Zhang Cuifen. “Don’t mind him—he’s just never seen the world, always making a fuss over nothing!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Here, Auntie, here’s your money.”

Zhang Cuifen pulled a yuan from her pocket and pressed it into Xu Shuhua’s hand.

On the other side, Yu Hai had already weighed out a jin of groundcherries, showed Zhang Cuifen the scale, and handed them over.

Just as Zhang Cuifen was about to leave with her groundcherries, someone else walked up.

“Oh? Auntie, don’t you only come in the mornings? I was busy this morning and thought I’d miss out on strawberries today. Come on, give me a jin! Your strawberries are the best in the whole county!”

This was clearly another regular customer. Xu Shuhua didn’t actually recognize her, but she still greeted her warmly, as if they were old friends. “Strawberries are only available in the mornings, but I brought some especially delicious groundcherries today. Try one first and see if you want to buy!”

As she spoke, Xu Shuhua handed over a groundcherry.

The newcomer was a bit disappointed it wasn’t strawberries, but still took the groundcherry Xu Shuhua offered.

“Groundcherries, huh? I’ve had them before, just never ones this big.”

As she spoke, she peeled off the husk and popped it straight into her mouth.

With a gentle bite, the groundcherry burst open, flooding her mouth with a sweet, refreshing flavor she’d never tasted before.

“Mmm! Delicious! Auntie, how much are these groundcherries?”

“Fifty cents a jin!”

“I’ll take two jin!”

“Alright!”

This last line was Yu Hai again, his voice especially loud, drawing the attention of several nearby passersby."

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