My sister broke off her engagement to marry someone richer? My older sister married me and became in

Lu Qingshan walked to the threshold.

"I understand how the villagers feel."

Uncle San tapped his cane on the ground: "Qingshan, I'm not forcing you, but everyone's families are waiting to buy seeds and salt, it's really..."

"I see."

Lu Qingshan turned around and called out, "Erniu."

Li Erniu ran over, his face tense: "Brother."

"Go to Baihua Village and invite Old Man Sun here."

"what?"

"Please invite everyone from Kaoshan Village as well. Everyone who has sold goods should come to my courtyard."

Li Erniu swallowed hard: "Should we call them all?"

Lu Qingshan nodded: "Call them all, and say it all at once."

Third Uncle, having received favors in the past, raised his hand to stop him: "Qingshan, have you thought this through? Too many people will lead to too much chatter."

"It's better to have a lot of chatter than to have a complete mess behind someone's back."

Lu Qingshan looked at the representatives seriously: "Let's lay out the accounts today. How much money can we get, how much goods can we return, and how will we handle future collections? Let's clarify all of this on the spot."

Third Uncle knew that there were quite a few people gossiping about this in the village these past few days, so he stopped trying to stop them.

In less than an hour, the area outside the Lu family compound was packed with people.

The mountain produce was piled up under the tarpaulin, and the edges were already damp. Several villagers looked worried.

As Lu Qingshan's business grew, Erniu, Sun Lao, and the other buyers couldn't settle all their cash payments at once.

Now, they pay half upfront when they receive payment, and then settle the rest once the health product manufacturer returns the payment.

When Lin Xiumei learned that the document had been issued, she quickly went back to her parents' home.

He would squeeze into the back of the crowd, speaking softly, his words penetrating people's ears one by one.

"I told you so, his business is too big."

"County vehicles aren't allowed to pass, and he can't borrow any from the forestry farm. How is he going to transport the goods?"

"Don't take offense at my bluntness, but what if he can't even cover the cost? How will you all get through the New Year?"

Aunt Zhang cracked sunflower seeds and glanced at her sideways: "Xiumei, we haven't forgotten that time your food factory owed money."

Lin Xiumei's face darkened: "Aunt Zhang, I'm just reminding everyone, so that you won't have anyone to blame when the time comes."

One of the young men from Baihua Village arrived earlier and shouted, "Lu Qingshan, everyone's here. Give us an explanation!"

"Yes, give us an explanation."

"I'm giving you all of my 200-plus jin of pine nuts."

"I don't want a high price, I'll even give you my cost back."

Lu Changgui anxiously wrung his hands under the eaves: "Qingshan, should we ask your grandfather to come out and calm things down?"

Lu Qingshan stepped him back: "Father, please come inside with Mother."

Wang Guifen peeked out from the kitchen: "Qingshan, don't try to push your way through."

"Mother, it's alright."

After saying this, Lu Qingshan raised his hand and pressed it down.

The courtyard wasn't completely quiet; some people were still muttering.

He stepped onto the wooden stump used for storing firewood and smashed it on everyone's heads.

"Dear uncles and aunts, anyone can call out in my Lu family courtyard today."

"Anyone who wants to return the goods is welcome to do so."

"Anyone who wants the money can have it."

"But there's one thing: the accounts must be kept according to the purchasing point's accounts, including weight, grade, and final payment, all according to the ledger."

Old Sun from Baihuatun stepped forward first: "I personally kept the accounts from Baihuatun."

Third Uncle also raised his cane: "I've read the account book of Hongshitun, Xiulan's one, there's nothing wrong with it."

Lu Qingshan nodded and turned to look at the door to the inner room.

"Xiulan, bring the boxes out."

There was a brief pause inside the room before Lin Xiulan came out carrying an account book, followed by Li Erniu and Lu Changgui carrying a large wooden box.

The box landed on the square table in the courtyard, the wooden planks making the table legs creak.

Lin Xiulan placed the account book on the corner of the table, took the key from her waist, and unlocked the brass lock.

The lid of the box was lifted, revealing bundles of large denomination bills stacked inside, tightly bound with red paper strips, their edges neat and tidy.

Those words from the courtyard were suddenly swallowed back down by money.

An old man in the front row rubbed his eyes and asked, "My goodness, how much does this cost?"

Old Sun took half a step forward: "Qingshan, are you bringing out your entire fortune?"

Lu Qingshan took two bundles out of the box and placed them on the table.

"The mountain products that have already been delivered to the purchasing point will have all the remaining payments settled ahead of schedule today."

Lin Xiumei took two steps forward: "What are you pretending to be so generous for? If the goods spoil after this money is paid out, how are you going to compensate the health product factory?"

Lu Qingshan completely ignored her.

"Third Uncle, please sit on the east side and help suppress the name of Hongshitun."

"Uncle Sun, please sit on the west side. The people from Baihua Village will come in your order."

"Erniu, go and maintain order in the other villages."

Li Erniu puffed out his chest: "Anyone who cuts in line, I'll drag them out."

Lin Xiulan sat down at the table, flipping through the accounts with her right hand and manipulating the abacus with her left.

The abacus beads fell with a clatter, and she called out the first name.

"Hongshitun, Zhang Mancang, 26 catties of hazel mushrooms, 19 catties of top quality and 7 catties of medium quality, already paid 8.6 yuan, balance 8.6 yuan."

Zhang Mancang squeezed in: "Sister Xiulan, the police are here."

Lin Xiulan read aloud again: "Baihuatun, Liu Guangtian, 112 jin of pine nuts, 4 jin of impurities, calculated as 108 jin."

Liu Guangtian panicked: "Why are four jin missing?"

Old Sun tapped his pipe against the sole of his shoe: "Your bag had pine needles mixed in. I showed them to you right there and then, and you still said you were following the rules."

Liu Guangtian felt embarrassed and took the money but then withdrew it.

Lin Xiulan didn't look up: "Next household."

For each name she called out, she would announce the weight, grade, amount already paid, and balance.

If anyone asked a question, she would push the ledger over and show them her fingerprints.

If someone tries to cheat her, she doesn't argue; she simply reports the date of delivery, the markings on the sacks, and who inspected the goods.

Lu Qingshan stood beside the table, his hand resting on the edge of the box.

He looked at Lin Xiulan's profile and felt a warmth in his heart.

This woman used to be too afraid to speak loudly, but now, sitting in front of hundreds of people, she's more composed than many government-employed accountants when she starts using her abacus.

After watching for a while, Uncle San couldn't help but say, "Xiulan, this old man is impressed by your performance."

Lin Xiulan looked up: "Third Uncle, Qingshan entrusted the money to me. I can't let him suffer losses in the accounts, nor can I let the villagers suffer losses."

Third Uncle nodded: "That's fair."

Bundles of money were unpacked and distributed one bill at a time.

At first, some people crowded around asking questions, but after Li Erniu scolded a few of them and they saw that the money had been distributed, they stopped making a fuss.

Aunt Zhang stuffed the money into her pocket and gestured with her chin towards Lin Xiumei.

"Xiumei, didn't you just say they couldn't afford it? I think it's much more straightforward than using money from your wedding banquet to pay off debts."

Someone in the crowd couldn't help but laugh.

Lin Xiumei bit her lip and turned to leave.

Lu Qingshan then spoke: "Lin Xiumei."

Lin Xiumei shook her head dismissively: "What's wrong?"

Lu Qingshan didn't even raise his head.

"If you spread another rumor, I'll have Erniu take you to the police station and have us compare your statement with Zhao Erhu's."

Lin Xiumei shrank back and dared not speak again. She almost stepped into a mud puddle when she squeezed out of the crowd.

It took more than two hours to distribute the money.

The wooden box was half empty, and a few bundles of spare money remained on the table. Lin Xiulan closed the account book and had her third uncle and old man Sun put their fingerprints on the settlement page.

Third Uncle tucked his cane under his arm and bowed to Lu Qingshan.

"Qingshan, your uncle asked in a hurry just now, don't take it to heart, it's just the villagers..."

Lu Qingshan jumped off the wooden stump and waved his hand: "Uncle, it's only right that you come to ask."

Old Sun pulled the Baihuatun villagers who had received their money back a bit: "Boss Lu, we've saved you the first batch of monkey head mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms from our area in the spring."

Lu Qingshan smiled.

"The rules remain the same: good quality goods mean a fair price."

The people in the courtyard responded in unison.

"Qingshan is straightforward and honest in its dealings with people."

"If anyone ever says the Lu family is defaulting on their debts again, I'll be the first to disagree."

After Lu Qingshan and the others finished speaking, they stepped onto the wooden stool.

"The payment is settled. From today onwards, this batch of goods is my business, Lu Qingshan's own business."

"I'd like to leave you all a message."

"Within three days, I transported every last bit of the mountain produce out of the village."

Third Uncle frowned: "Qingshan, aren't there traffic jams in the county?"

"The county is blocking other people's courage."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each face.

"I, Lu Qingshan, am not afraid of being held hostage by others while I make a living from this job."

No one pressed them for answers anymore.

Those who received the money clutched it tightly in their pockets and dispersed in twos and threes.

Outside the courtyard gate, footprints were scattered everywhere, and the wind lifted the edges of the oilcloth, revealing a row of bulging burlap sacks underneath.

After the last person from Baihuatun had gone far away, Li Erniu looked at the empty wooden box and murmured a question.

"Brother Qingshan, what should we do now?"

"If the tide comes back, we won't even be able to touch a single car."

Lin Xiulan held the account book in her arms and pressed her fingertips on the cover: "Qingshan, we can still make ends meet at home, but the health product factory can't wait much longer."

Lu Changgui came out of the house: "How about I ask the villagers to help me get a few more oxcarts to transport the goods to the next county?"

Lu Qingshan shook his head: "It's already difficult for an oxcart to get to our county, let alone the provincial capital."

Li Erniu scratched his head: "Then what should we do? We can't just carry it there."

Lu Qingshan looked at the mountain produce.

"Xiulan, I'm going back to the forest farm. I have a solution."