Chapter Eighty-Three: Smile

“What’s going on? How did this lychee tree in our yard bear fruit overnight?” Father, Lu Weiguo, seemed to forget his limp in that instant as he rushed straight into the backyard, stumbling several times along the way and nearly falling over.

He approached the lychee tree, plucked a fruit at random, and with trembling hands gazed at the large lychee he held.

“This lychee tree, how did it grow so big this year? I, Lu Weiguo, have lived for most of my life and never seen such large lychees.” The smile on his face was as radiant as the warm sun of early spring.

Since he’d fallen ill, Lu Hao hadn’t seen such a strong smile on his father’s face in some time.

“Dad, maybe it’s heaven’s blessing. You’ve spent years tending this lychee tree—surely it’s time for your hard work to be rewarded.” Lu Hao grinned as he spoke.

The matter of the spiritual rain, of course, was something he could never let his parents know. For one thing, they wouldn’t believe it; for another, if they did, they might talk about it outside.

“This one tree, it must have almost two hundred jin of fruit. And the quality is far better than the best lychees I’ve ever seen. Hurry, try one—it’s so sweet and delicious!” At this moment, Lu Weiguo excitedly handed them several lychees.

Lu Hao and Liu Xiulan each took one and tasted it, and their eyes lit up in surprise.

“These lychees are amazing! Others sell theirs for five or six yuan a jin; we could sell ours for eight, don’t you think?” Liu Xiulan said excitedly.

“One tree alone could sell for more than sixteen hundred yuan. Two trees would be three thousand! Oh my heavens, these really are money trees!” She quickly calculated, her eyes practically glowing.

At this, Lu Hao shook his head. “Mom, you don’t understand.”

“You’ve never been to those villa communities in the city, or the luxury supermarkets. Lychees of this quality can fetch fifty, sixty, even a hundred yuan a jin. It’s normal; as long as the fruit is good, there are plenty of buyers out there.”

“There are more wealthy people than we imagine. All we need is the right connections.”

Lu Hao quickly did the math. If he could really find the right channel, two hundred jin of lychees, even at thirty or forty yuan a jin, would bring in six to seven thousand yuan. Four hundred jin would be over ten thousand, and with the spiritual rain’s blessing, there would certainly be another crop this year.

By then, they could make over ten thousand yuan, maybe even twenty thousand. His parents’ entire year of farming rarely brought in over ten thousand.

Just imagine what that would mean.

For his parents, it was as if they’d glimpsed the light of hope.

“Really? Can they really sell for that much?” His mother, Liu Xiulan, was skeptical about the lychees fetching such a price.

Lu Hao just smiled. “Don’t worry. You and my sister just need to pick all the lychees from the trees. I’ll handle the selling.”

“Alright, you’re in university now—you’re capable. We’ll listen to you,” Liu Xiulan replied with a smile.

“Okay, Mom, you two get started with the lychees. I have to go to the clinic. I can’t always have Zhang Qingfan looking after my shop.”

“Alright, go on then. Don’t be late,” his mother reminded him.

Lu Hao nodded and left the house.

Soon, he arrived at the clinic.

Zhang Qingfan stood up as soon as she saw him. “Lu Hao, I have to go work at the hospital today. I’m afraid I can’t help you with the clinic anymore.”

“Sorry,” she said apologetically.

Lu Hao shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything. You paid to learn acupuncture from me.”

“Go on.”

“By the way, before I go, there’s something you should know.” Zhang Qingfan was about to step out but remembered something and turned to him.

“A young woman came looking for you earlier. She looked to be about twenty-two or twenty-three, and said she needed to register some documents. You weren’t here, so I asked her to come back later. She said if you came back, you should find her.”

Lu Hao was surprised. “Register documents? What documents?”

He’d been to all the village committees and offices before and knew nearly everyone. In Peach Blossom Village, very few college graduates were willing to become civil servants.

So most of the staff were middle-aged men and women, or even older folks.

It was rare to see a young woman in her twenties.

“I’ll go see where she is.” Lu Hao frowned.

“She should be at Village Chief Zhou Chao’s place,” Zhang Qingfan replied.

“Alright, I’ll go right away.” At the mention of Zhou Chao, Lu Hao’s expression darkened.

He and Zhou Chao didn’t get along, especially with Zhou’s son.

Not long ago, he’d struck Zhou’s son with a harsh acupuncture technique, leaving him temporarily paralyzed—a case of needle-induced stroke. He should be mostly recovered by now.

But clearly, because of Lu Hao’s prior dealings with Sun Wenguo, they hadn’t dared come for revenge.

Thinking of this, Lu Hao was uneasy, unsure if he should go.

“But sooner or later, I’ll have to face them. Besides, they’re afraid of me, not the other way around.”

With this thought, Lu Hao relaxed, closed up the clinic, and left with Zhang Qingfan.

They parted ways at the crossroads, and Lu Hao soon arrived at Village Chief Zhou Chao’s house.

Sure enough, there was Zhou Chao, standing at the gate, and beside him a young woman, beautiful and barely in her twenties.

She stood with her back to him, wearing sky-blue denim shorts that revealed long, fair, slender legs, accentuated by a dainty anklet.

Her white sneakers and cartoon suitcase spoke of her youth and inexperience.

She was half a head taller than Zhou Chao—at least one meter seventy-two, tall enough to be a model.

Her long, wavy black hair made her seem utterly out of place in the village.

She was talking with Zhou Chao, back still to Lu Hao, so he couldn’t see her face.

But from the way Zhou Chao was leering openly, Lu Hao could tell the girl was very beautiful.

“Damn, Zhou Chao is no good. What’s he doing chatting with such a young student?” Lu Hao frowned instinctively.