"Exactly, Da Wen, you should act with conscience. These eggplants are obviously not fresh. I just picked mine today and sold them for 8 cents, yet you want people to pay you 10 cents. Isn’t that robbing people?"
"Yesterday, I saw you with these two baskets of eggplants, and someone offered you 8 cents, but you wouldn’t sell them. I even reminded you that the price for eggplants is quite good this year. You’re not growing gold nuggets, you know? With our Qin Family Village Vegetable Market, the prices are already stable enough. Don’t be unsatisfied and ruin the market’s reputation."
"Exactly, sell them if you can, let the people go if not. Is dithering like that something a man should do?"
...
As more people talked, the words became harsher and Qin Wen’s face grew darker.
He took a deep look at Qin Jianshe, turned around with the two baskets of eggplants, and left.
The villagers watched him with disbelief.
"Treating two baskets of eggplants like treasure? If you don’t sell them today, they’ll be even less valuable tomorrow."
"Of course they’re treasured. You don’t understand. With his elder brother around, when has Qin Wen ever worked the land? I heard he planted a lot this year, but only these eggplants yielded. Aren’t they precious to him?"
Although this was said, anyone with a discerning eye knew that Qin Wen had previously fallen out with Qin Yang and Qin Han, lost his job, and upset his elder sister-in-law.
Among the three brothers of the Qin family, which one hasn’t achieved something over these years? It’s just Qin Wen who’s going downhill.
Frankly, he just doesn’t get it. Anyone who stays close to Qin Yang gets some benefits, right?
Even fellow locals receive advantages from them.
Yet, he’s managed to offend everyone.
Bitterly holding back his anger, Qin Wen pushed the eggplants home, where Ma Suyun came out to meet him.
Seeing the eggplants unsold again, she slightly frowned, "Why didn’t you sell them again? The eggplants we’ve been waiting for so long, are you planning to let them spoil in your hands?"
Qin Wen snapped back, "It’s too hot outside. I’ll sell them in the afternoon."
Ma Suyun glanced at the blazing sun, knowing Qin Wen’s temper, but still worriedly reminded him, "You must sell them in the afternoon, preferably at a good price. We borrowed so much money from my family, we’re counting on these eggplants to pay off the debt."
"How can we pay off any debt with just these few eggplants? It’s not enough. Tell your mother we’ll pay it back by the end of the year."
"But... my brother is pressing us. We initially agreed to pay him back once we sold them."
"But isn’t our greenhouse also not making any money? Eggplants aren’t grown in the greenhouse."
Ma Suyun looked at Qin Wen’s impatient back, feeling bitter inside.
When he failed to borrow money from his older brothers, she had to borrow money from her own family.
Thinking, once they made money from the greenhouse, they could hold their heads high.
But who knew that Qin Wen wouldn’t be able to farm and wouldn’t listen to others pointing out his mistakes?
Busy throughout spring, nothing came out of the greenhouse, yet they lost so much money.
The long-awaited eggplants finally came, and he still didn’t want to pay back the family debt.
Breaking his word made it hard for her to visit her family.
While Ma Suyun was thinking about this, Qin Wen came out from the house again, "Where are you going?"
Qin Wen paused his steps and turned to her, "Did you hear that the old lady from the second house came back from Yan City? Did they have a daughter or a son?"
"No place to hide doesn’t change fate. Heaven didn’t favor them. If they were to have a son, their pride would skyrocket. But now, Qin Yang can have only one child. If he wants a son, he must give up his career. For career, he must accept his fate of no heir."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Switched Marriage The Coddled Little Wife