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The appearance of Lin Xiumei and Yu Gaoyang was like a dirty stone thrown into a clear pond.

Li Erniu slowed down his loading, his eyes filled with vigilance.

Lu Qingshan ignored him, patted the sack, and gestured for him to continue.

"Boom—"

The ear-piercing engine sound grew louder as a worn-out Jiefang truck drove recklessly towards the millstone, splashing mud and snow far and wide.

The car door opened, and Yu Gaoyang jumped out of the driver's seat. Behind him, Lin Xiumei followed, her chin held high, looking determined.

Yu Gaoyang held a tin megaphone, cleared his throat, and shouted to the villagers who were watching.

"Folks! Quiet down! Look over here!"

The loudspeaker's shrill sound, accompanied by static, shattered the lively atmosphere at the village entrance.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

Yu Gaoyang was very pleased with the feeling of being the center of attention. He puffed out his chest and struck a pose as if he were here to inspect the place.

"I am Yu Gaoyang from the county food factory! I've come to Baihuatun today on behalf of our factory to purchase local mountain products!"

"We are a state-owned enterprise; we operate under policies and are here to support our fellow villagers' production!"

Standing next to him, Lin Xiumei raised her chin even higher when she saw all the villagers' eyes on her.

She wanted to show Lu Qingshan who was truly capable.

One villager couldn't help but ask, "So, what's your price?"

Yu Gaoyang seemed to have been waiting for these words. He picked up a megaphone and proudly took out a sign he had prepared beforehand to announce the price.

"Hazelnuts, 37 cents a pound!"

"Dried mushrooms, 32 cents a pound!"

Every time he quoted a price, the villagers' eyes lit up a little more.

This price is a full cent higher than what Lu Qingshan offered for each item!

A stir immediately broke out in the crowd; people whispered among themselves, their faces beaming with joy. A penny might not seem like much, but when you have a lot at home, it adds up—who wouldn't be tempted?

Soon, a villager at the end of the line, carrying a load on his shoulders, squeezed forward and asked eagerly.

"Are you sure about this price? Can we weigh it now?"

Seeing this, Yu Gaoyang's smugness deepened. He glanced sideways at Lu Qingshan not far away and proudly puffed out his chest.

"Of course! We're from the county food factory, why would we be short of a little money? Come on, line up, we'll weigh you one by one!"

He slowly took out an account book and a pen from his briefcase, opened the book, and spoke to the villagers who had gathered around him without even looking up.

"Everyone line up, register and be weighed, I'll give you a slip."

Upon hearing this, the villagers who were watching looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Hey, where's the money? Why did you give us the note?"

The villager selling goods couldn't help but crane his neck and ask questions.

"Can you feed someone with a piece of paper?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Gaoyang's face immediately showed displeasure. He frowned and slammed his pen onto the ledger with a snap.

"What are you yelling about? Our factory always issues receipts when we receive goods; we never pay cash on the spot. When you come to collect the goods next month, we'll settle the bill with the receipt. Are you selling or not? If not, get out of here!"

These words instantly dampened the previously enthusiastic atmosphere, causing it to plummet to freezing point.

The villagers who had originally intended to come stopped in their tracks, and even withdrew the carrying poles they had stretched out.

"Huh? Write a note? Isn't that just issuing an IOU?"

"Turns out you don't have any cash. What's with the big shot act if you don't have money?"

"Exactly, are you trying to get something for nothing? We're farmers, we only care about cash! Do you think cops can feed us these days? What if you just pack up and run away? Where are we supposed to find you? Are we supposed to ask thin air for money?"

"Lu Qingshan is truly honest. He pays on the spot, counting the money immediately, and never delays! What's the point of all that fancy talk about extra money!"

The villagers' chatter instantly erupted, their words filled with disdain and wariness, reaching Yu Gaoyang and Lin Xiumei's ears without missing a single one.

Yu Gaoyang's hand holding the pen froze in mid-air, and the smugness on his face instantly vanished.

The scene of gratitude he had envisioned did not materialize; instead, he was met with undisguised mockery.

What made it even more embarrassing for him was that, apart from the first person, no one else came over.

Everyone was still lined up in front of Lu Qingshan's stall, and some were even impatiently urging him on.

"Erniu, hurry up and weigh it! I'm waiting to get home and cook!"

"Xiulan, have you made up your mind yet?"

Yu Gaoyang and Lin Xiumei, along with their huge Jiefang truck, were left standing there, like two clowns ignored by everyone.

Lin Xiumei's face flushed instantly; she couldn't stand being ignored like this.

She rushed to the front of the crowd, pointed at Lu Qingshan who was handing out money not far away, and shrieked, "Don't be fooled by him!"

"That's speculation and profiteering! He's undermining socialism!"

"Selling goods to him is illegal! Be careful you don't end up in jail with him one day!"

Upon hearing this, several people in the group hesitated for a moment.

After all, the label of "speculation and profiteering" carries too much weight in this era.

Seeing this, Lin Xiumei became even more enthusiastic.

"Our food factory is the only legitimate supplier! Following the government's lead is the only way to be safe! What good will come of following some peasant like him?"

Just then, Old Man Sun tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and slowly walked out from the crowd.

He didn't look at Lin Xiumei, but walked straight to the millstone and took a piece of paper with a red seal from Lu Qingshan's hand.

Old Sun unfolded the paper and held it high so that all the villagers could see it.

"What is this? Look at it clearly now!"

"A legal acquisition certificate stamped by the city!"

He then pointed to the pile of money on the millstone that hadn't been fully distributed yet.

"We people from Baihuatun don't care about grand principles; we only care about this red seal and this real money!"

"Whoever pays, we'll sell the goods to them!"

He turned around, his cloudy eyes staring at Lin Xiumei.

"Girl, you want to buy the goods? Fine, but offer a higher price than Boss Lu and more cash than this."

"If you don't have one, then don't waste everyone's time trying to earn money for the New Year!"

Old Sun's words were like a resounding slap across the faces of Lin Xiumei and Yu Gaoyang.

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

"Exactly! What's the point of talking if you don't have money!"

"Let's go, stop making a fool of ourselves here!"

Yu Gaoyang had never suffered such humiliation before; he had always been pampered and fawned over since childhood.

A surge of anger rushed to his head.

He shoved aside the villagers blocking his way, rushed to a man who had just finished selling his goods and was counting his money, and reached out to snatch the sack at the man's feet.

"You've gone too far! A bunch of poor bastards, you don't know what's good for you!"

"You have to sell this stuff today, whether you like it or not!"

The man was startled and quickly protected his money.

Before he could react, a steelyard was placed across Yu Gaoyang's chest.

Li Erniu had rushed over at some point, gripping the scales with both hands, his eyes wide like copper bells, staring intently at Yu Gaoyang.

"What do you want to do!"

Behind him, several strong young villagers who had benefited from the deal also gathered around, and they all grabbed carrying poles and wooden sticks.

They didn't say a word, but just stared at Yu Gaoyang with cold eyes.

It looked like if Yu Gaoyang dared to move even slightly, those sticks and carrying poles would fall on him without hesitation.

Yu Gaoyang was startled by the scene; his outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and his face turned from red to white.

He then realized that this was not the county town, not a place where he could act arrogantly and domineeringly.

The entire scene was eerily quiet.

Lu Qingshan, who hadn't spoken until now, slowly walked over.

His gaze fell on Yu Gaoyang's pale face, and he uttered only one word.

"roll."

The word was light, yet it struck Gao Yang's heart like a heavy hammer.

Yu Gaoyang trembled all over. All his arrogance and anger were extinguished at this moment, leaving only endless fear and humiliation.

He awkwardly withdrew his hand, turned around without a word, and almost ran back to the driver's seat.

Seeing the group of angry villagers, Lin Xiumei was too frightened to speak and scrambled to get into the car.

The Jiefang truck let out a reluctant roar, turned around in a panic, and slunk away from Baihuatun amidst laughter and curses.

Inside the car, Yu Gaoyang gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, veins bulging on the back of his hands, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Lu Qingshan!"

"You just wait!"

"I'll go back and tell my dad that if he doesn't kill you, I, Yu Gaoyang, am not a Yu!"