Song Tan's Notes

Chapter 1656. Provence
We don't grow many beef heart tomatoes. Boss Chang only needs some, and Lao Zhao sometimes takes a few for his own family to eat. It's not appropriate to sell them.

Provence is better; the fruit is very uniform in size, though not very large, there are also medium-sized ones.

Moreover, it looks beautiful, has a high rosy color, and is especially delicious when eaten raw.

Yun Duo couldn't help but feel embarrassed: "I'm sorry, I'm so unprofessional."

Song Tan shook her head: "You're not an agricultural student, and you weren't even here when it was time to plant. There's no need to be so demanding of yourself."

When hiring someone to pick vegetables, to avoid making a mistake, a sign was put up next to the field. Otherwise, only Song Tan, with his good memory, could remember which variety of vegetable was which in this plot and which variety was which in that plot; even a skilled person like Wu Lan would be confused.

But Yun Duo thought otherwise.

Although she didn't study agriculture in college, she works in this field. If she can't even be an expert in her own job, how can she expect to get a promotion and a raise?

And the owner had already said it was from Provence, so she got excited when she saw the tomatoes. The oxheart tomatoes were so unique in size, oval with a pointed tip, and she didn't even realize it...

She pursed her lips, and the joy and excitement she felt earlier gradually subsided. She felt that the job of an assistant was the one where she truly needed to improve herself.

Song Tan had no idea about Yun Duo's self-reflection. She had already followed Qiao Qiao to the Provence area, and seeing Yun Duo quickly taking out her phone to check the angles, she simply reached out and picked three tomatoes:

"Qiaoqiao, tell your friends that these are the tomatoes we're selling today."

"Go teach your kids how to eat."

That's absolutely devastating!
The comments section started scrolling rapidly:
【Is it that I don't know how to eat? If you're so capable, why don't you place 100,000 orders?!】

[A 9.9 yuan deal, and I have to suffer like this... I'm too cheap! I want to buy ten!]

[Teacher Qiaoqiao, please don't eat anymore, I'll eat it]

【What a coincidence, I know how to do that too. Don't bother teaching me. Every time I teach you what to eat, it costs me so much money, and then I get angry when it doesn't taste right.】

How did you know I'd already started a group-buying deal for Provence...?

Yunduo set her phone aside and reached out to take a tomato.

At this moment, all three hands appeared in the live stream, each holding a round and plump tomato.

After reflecting on her actions, Yunduo was much more proactive now, and she proactively stretched out her other hand, made a fist, and gestured towards the tomato:

"Look! Although the Provençal tomatoes aren't the biggest, we distributed them in very even quantities, almost all about the size of my fist."

"So everyone doesn't need to worry about the weight. Just like with cucumbers, you don't need to worry about the difference being too obvious when you receive them."

"Although the price is only 9.9 yuan, we will not deliberately send out defective or broken products."

As she explained in detail, she flipped her fist to show the size. She wasn't very fat, but when she clenched her fist next to the tomato, it was indeed not much different in size.

Except... his fists were a bit dirty.

Oh, it's not important!

Because there are 0 followers, everyone is watching Qiaoqiao.

He was ruthless; he pressed his palms against the tomato stem, made a heart shape with them, and then broke the tomato in half, revealing the plump, firm flesh and some slightly round, flat seeds inside.

"Look!"

He was also very proud: "My sister is amazing at farming! Yanran said that some tomatoes don't grow well; they look big on the outside but are hollow inside. Some ripen unevenly inside. And some have a lot of pulp but little flesh..."

"But none of these are there."

"The tomatoes smell so good, and the meat is so filling. It's delicious!"

The mouthwatering tomato, broken in half, quickly disappeared from the live stream camera's view before Qiaoqiao took a bite out of it.

A little juice seeped out, a sweet and slightly sour aroma that made him quickly bend down and eat with great satisfaction.

Now only Song Tan has not been shown.

She thought for a moment, then simply grabbed the green stem and yanked it, saying as she did so:

"If you grow your own Provençal tomatoes, many people will easily buy fake ones."

"This is a superior seed we obtained through cooperation with the Academy of Agricultural Sciences. As you can see, the ridges on this fruit are very obvious, which is also one of its major characteristics."

The skin of Provence is not particularly thin, and it does not become soft and mushy after ripening, but rather has a certain firmness, which makes it convenient for transportation and gradually made it popular.

Despite its thickness, the skin doesn't taste bad.

Song Tan's fair fingertips dug into the tomato skin, and then she carefully pulled back with force, tearing off a large, intact skin, revealing a nearly oval-shaped notch on the whole tomato.

Beneath the peel, the sandy texture of the flesh constantly shifts, appearing crystal clear and exceptionally noticeable.

"Look! It's sandy and crumbly, isn't it obvious?"

The fans in the live stream were devastated!

[I'm only allowed to buy two, and I'm not even sure I can get them, yet they have to explain it in such detail!]

【Is this torture?! I want to buy ten pounds!】

Sometimes I really resent Teacher Qiao Qiao for getting a new phone. If she had kept her old, blurry phone, I wouldn't be suffering like this, right?

[But the blurry phone camera doesn't show how cute the bear's butt is... Oh well, I'll just have to put up with it!]

Don't they eat the skin? Why don't they wash it?

Yes, I think you should rub it in your palm after picking it off.

Our sister has been skinned.

We country folk aren't fussy.

[You can tell from the growing environment of these tomatoes that it's quite clean, except for some dust, so there's no need to worry.]

[As a person, you can't take things too seriously. If you can wash it, it's for peace of mind. If not, you can still eat it, don't worry, there's nothing wrong with it.]

Isn't this just them trying to show us they don't use pesticides?

What you're saying is possible, but if Qiaoqiao's plants were sprayed with pesticides, they wouldn't taste so strong.

Many pesticides nowadays are biological agents and are non-toxic.

The conversation quickly drifted off-topic.

However, none of the three people responsible for the live stream were paying attention.

They each held a tomato, taking large or small bites, and were eating slowly with great satisfaction on their faces.

Even when the camera is pointed at a vast little forest of tomatoes, you can hear Qiaoqiao and her friends discussing something:
"It's so delicious. It's very sweet, but with a hint of tomato tartness."

The cloud nodded vigorously, its mouth covered in tomatoes, and all that could be heard was a muffled exclamation: "It's so juicy, it's all over my face!"

Song Tan laughed and said, "Wash your hands by the ditch later. I brought tissues."

Fans who finally managed to divert attention from the topic:

Damn it! They want to have sand smeared all over their faces too!
After we've eaten and drunk our fill, the live stream is about to officially begin.

But once it officially started, there was hardly any talking, because the camera was focused on the sound of Qiaoqiao constantly picking tomatoes.

The slender fruit shears reached into the gaps between the branches and leaves, picking one fruit after another.

After silently editing for several minutes, Qiaoqiao remembered the live stream and began commentating:
"We picked them by hand, twisting them off easily because the tomatoes were very ripe."

"But my sister said that sending the fruit by scissors is not allowed. When sending the fruit by scissors, you have to cut the stem so that it won't get damaged during transportation."

Upon hearing this, some viewers in the live stream voiced their agreement:

[When I grow tomatoes at home, they also fall off with the slightest touch once they're ripe.]

The ripe ones are especially good! They're sweet and fruity to eat straight, but you can't let them sit for too long.

The tomatoes I planted in the field this year have all cracked.

[High temperature and humidity, right? Was it after a heavy rain followed by sudden, intense sunshine? This makes the fruit more prone to cracking.]

Don't even mention it, this year has been such terrible weather, with so many pests and diseases, so many of my flowers have died.

Wait a minute! Three people are working, why is Qiaoqiao picking them all by herself?

[Sister, look at me! How I'm exploiting our teacher, Qiaoqiao!]

Qiao Bao, you need to learn to be lazy!

Yun Duo was watching the live stream when she saw the comments. She quickly took a screenshot and sent it to Song Tan.

Song Tan was pinching a bright green grasshopper when his phone rang. He took it out, looked at it, and couldn't help but laugh.

She raised her voice:

"Qiaoqiao, your friend asked why you're the only one working. They think you're working so hard and that you can slack off."

The viewers in the live stream perked up their ears: Exactly! How come Qiaoqiao is doing all this by herself? It must be so hard! I feel so sorry for her!

Qiaoqiao stopped what she was doing and asked in confusion, "We agreed that I would be the one to do the welfare work, picking for a few hours every day, and selling as much as I could."

He hesitated: "Should I slack off?"

The sound was clearly transmitted to everyone's ears through the microphone, and Yun Duo explained in turn:

"The wholesale price of regular high-quality Provençal tomatoes can reach two yuan per kilogram, so you can imagine the taste and price of ours. These tomatoes are exclusively supplied to our partners, and the price is dozens of times higher than that of regular tomatoes."

She showed the data she had just searched: "Provence is a large-fruited variety, with each fruit weighing between 200 and 300g."

“Look, everyone.” She brought the camera close to the tomatoes in Qiaoqiao’s basket: “Because the benefits are not calculated by weight, but by the fruit, Qiaoqiao picked them to be as uniform and plump as possible. That is to say, the weight of each one is not much different.”

"Two tomatoes will make up a pound."

"In this way, the wholesale price from suppliers is also several tens of yuan."

"We also need to put it in the cold storage for pre-cooling. It is very fragile and must be secured with foam when packing it."

"Plus the price of Fengfeng Express..."

She laughed: "Does everyone understand now?"

The live stream was a mess!
[Got it, this is a benefit that Teacher Qiao Qiao personally secured for us!]

[I knew it! Our sister is a strong woman who used to carry two buckets of yellow mud and walk like the wind, how could she possibly be lazy?]

[So touching! It turns out this was a perk that Qiao Bao personally fought for!]

【Um, although I'm very touched, Qiaoqiao, please don't stop!】

[Exactly! Laziness is unacceptable! It's not good quality! Pick them quickly, pick them quickly, pick them quickly!]

[Even if we take a step back and say something like this, why can't we give Teacher Qiao Qiao three heads and six arms?]

[Qiaoqiao, it's just picking tomatoes! It's not hard work at all! Hurry up and pick them!]

Everyone was excitedly chatting, but soon they were all watching Qiaoqiao's movements with anticipation. When he picked up the scissors again and started working, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Yun Duo silently counted the finished products in the basket, then set up her phone and asked Song Tan:

"Everyone has been watching for a while now. I estimate that Qiaoqiao can pick about 200 tomatoes per hour."

The main advantage is that the fruits are all very uniform, so there's no need to pick them. Just cut the ones that are red, which increases efficiency.

It doesn't get dark until after 7 pm now. If we pick until 7:30 pm, I estimate that Yunduo will have 250-300 orders.

"I'll upload the link later, how about 260 orders?"

Song Tan also did a rough calculation: "Okay, if it's not enough, we can pick more tomorrow. We can give the extras to Boss Chang at dawn."

The person in the live stream who overheard the two discussing it was immediately stunned:
[Why have you been picking for so long and only ordered a little over two hundred orders?!]

The value of one or two deals is especially evident at this moment.

[I'm going to offer incense to my ancestors right now! Please bless me so I can get some tomatoes. I'll definitely offer them to my ancestors for an hour before eating them!]

[Already climbed the signal tower]

[The entire family has been mobilized]

Anyway! Here's the link, my Joe!

Yun Duo had just finished editing the link when she saw the excited comments from everyone and couldn't help but chuckle.

That's why I say this job is great; even the job content makes me happy.

She clicked "List Now," but now she doesn't even need to look closely; the page turns gray the moment the link pops up.

Fans who didn't manage to get a ticket burst into tears, lamenting their misfortune and embarrassment.
……

The joys and sorrows of people are not the same.

Some people didn't manage to snag any cucumbers or tomatoes, while others not only managed to get some but also received the cucumbers the following morning.

The glory of the potato blind box continues, with everyone showing it off in the group chat every day.

Ugh! My cooking skills are terrible; even my potato pancakes turned out a bit burnt.

Pictures, pictures, pictures.

Or perhaps, "I really don't have an appetite today, so I'll just make a simple stir-fried green pepper and potato dish."

Image included.

Some were even more outrageous: "Wow! Potato slices stir-fried in lard, so fragrant and glistening with oil!"

In short, these boasts appear in the group every day, making everyone grit their teeth and feel so resentful that they wish they could raise ten or eight more evil sword immortals!

And now, the first group of people to receive the cucumbers have appeared.

To avoid creating more competition, many of them avoid posting on social media.

That would easily lead to arguments.

Some people don't understand what he's showing off, so they wonder why he's so happy about buying some fruits and vegetables.

These people will ask if I'm a shill?

No matter how much he emphasizes that he won't provide links or mention store names unless he's a shill, the other party will still think it's a paid advertisement...

Or it's just a bunch of people sending private messages asking for links.

In short, it's so unpleasant to be seen in fine clothes at night!

Therefore, the only thing I can brag about is this group.

This group is great!

All it takes is posting photos; no further words are needed, and the sour grapes of everyone will fill the entire space. Even across thousands of miles, the sour grapes can be clearly felt through the internet.

Oh my, this is wonderful!

And here's my bragging today.

Image caption: [A cucumber is placed on a plate and offered on an altar.]

Below is a long string of comments:

[That's why people still rely on their parents! There's no chance of success through hard work alone! After all, fortune is finite. Back in my ancestors' time, there were fewer people, so more fortune was distributed among individuals. Now, with over a billion people like us, oh my god, I can only get tissues in the lottery!]

There was nothing we could do but offer incense to our ancestors and ask them to eat cucumbers.

[Like me, my ancestors were incredibly helpful!]

[Ancestors, we've made the offerings! Tomatoes will arrive tomorrow, and I'll make another offering—but we agreed it'll only be for one hour each time, so let's start the timer.]

In the group chat: ...!!!
Okay, okay! A battle for cyber destiny, huh?

To all my competitors in the live stream, just you wait! Tomorrow when I watch the live stream, I'm going to play the video about strengthening the military and the nation!

Hmph! I'll strengthen my magnetic field! I'll strengthen my energy!
I refuse to believe I can't get it!
But before he could finish expressing his ambition, he saw that one, two, or three people in the group had already started posting pictures.

Do all Fengfeng Express delivery services in the world deliver to your door during this time? That's outrageous!
The cucumbers are arranged in a high-end, flat position on a long white porcelain plate, with filters and color adjustments applied.

There was also a cucumber that I took a bite of; it was juicy, crisp, and tender, and I could see it with my own eyes.

Others are cut into pieces and carefully arranged in crystal bowls, with silver forks, candles, and flowers, creating an atmosphere of unparalleled elegance.

Some people even posted videos of themselves smashing cucumbers with a knife and then immediately preparing a delicious and visually appealing cucumber salad!
The ways of showing off vary, but the core message remains the same—

Oops, sorry, I already got it!

Damn it!
The people in the group glared resentfully at Qiaoqiao's account, which remained completely silent.

I'm both looking forward to the live stream and hoping my luck will improve.

It really doesn't work...

Some people gritted their teeth silently and turned their gaze to the pomelo tree outside.

Before he could even take any action, he saw that someone in the group had already posted pictures of a large pile of pomelo leaves.

[Freshly picked pomelo leaves from my doorstep; soaking them in water to wash your hands can bring you good luck. DM me your address, and I'll give them to you for free.]

Image attached: [Orders for cucumbers, tomatoes, and potatoes were all successfully secured.]

Good guy!
For a moment, no one in the group chat spoke.

Five minutes later, I returned to find the same person who sent the pomelo leaf message, and in frustration, sent three identical messages in a row:

That's all, that's all. The three pomelo trees by the entrance have been completely stripped bare; there aren't any left!

Yunduo checks the group chat periodically every day for any important messages. Seeing this message, she quickly edited an announcement and was about to add some anti-fraud videos when Zhang Yanping spoke up—

[Brothers and sisters! Please, please don't cause any trouble! If we get involved with scams or superstition, our group and live stream will be shut down!]

[By the way, brother who mentioned pomelo leaves, I suggest you buy them locally and open a small online shop... I think this could be a pretty good business opportunity!]

This was said in a way that was both intimate and natural, and it made a lot of sense.

Whether people meant well or had ulterior motives, no one felt offended at the moment, nor did they feel psychologically sensitive or uncomfortable.

Yun Duo looked at her announcement and the anti-fraud video she had found, and sighed:
Communicating with people is a complex art!
She still has room for improvement.

The guy who sent the pomelo leaves earlier seemed to have actually taken the suggestion to heart; he came back half an hour later and indeed posted a screenshot of his online store.
[Thank you so much, our gangster boss! He gave me direction while I was unemployed! Thank you so much!]

Brothers and sisters, this is my uncle's online store. His family's pomelo orchard is used to sell pomelos every year. Since there are no other products in the store right now, I discussed with him about putting my pomelo leaves on the shelves...

[9.9 RMB for pomelo leaves with free shipping! Links cannot be shared in the group, beware of scams! Come to the store and find customer service; it's me. I'll send you a 5 RMB red envelope as a discount!]

This person clearly has very high emotional intelligence. Advertising is not allowed in the group, but after advertising, he also posted a screenshot of his private chat with Zhang Yanping:

Brother! Thank you for pointing me in the right direction! I'll send you 200 jin (100 catties) of pomelos this winter!

It's here! The first day of August! 5000 words! Surprised? Hahahaha!
When I reached 4000 words, I hesitated about whether to publish it directly, but then I persisted and wrote a little more!
[I just discovered there's a "God's Light" item you can click on; check it out if you're interested!]