Chapter 15: It's Free!

Qiao Zhiyuan said in annoyance, "Your grandma is very sturdy; she hasn't been infuriated to death by you. Your grandma and grandpa miss you too—they've asked me to bring you lots of your favorite sunflower seeds, as well as dried potatoes and dried mushrooms. Don't ask about your dad and mom; I'm not clear on that either. Your brother has gone to the south, and so far, there has been no news."

At this point, Qiao Zhiyuan looked quite worried.

A good home, just scattered like that.

Qiao Qingyu was also worried—where her parents were hiding; her uncle certainly knew, and he might have even been the one to have found the place. But her brother going to the south all by himself made her very concerned.

Qiao Qingyu hung her head in silence, looking very sad.

Qiao Zhiyuan sighed, "Alright, don't be upset now. I sent your second cousin to look for Mu Bao."

Qiao Qingyu stared at Qiao Zhiyuan with wide, shocked eyes.

She really wanted to ask him:

Uncle, are you serious? My second cousin is directionally challenged and highly nearsighted. If you send him to find Mu Bao, isn't that like losing one and wasting another?

Qiao Zhiyuan apparently also felt it was inappropriate and said awkwardly, "It wasn't me who sent him; that damn boy doesn't like to do farm work and went out searching on his own. We only found out after he left."

Then he didn't want to talk about this matter anymore, because there was no use telling Qiao Qingyu. He asked, "Where are the corn seeds?"

"They're at the guesthouse; I'll take you to get them."

What followed was quite a bit of busy work—hauling a hundred large bottles out of the room. The guesthouse staff didn't suspect a thing because earlier in the morning, several groups had brought her quite a bit of stuff. She thought to herself that it was good this comrade had taken a single room; otherwise, anyone sharing would certainly have complained.

Qiao Tianbao, the elder cousin, was a driver in the county transportation team. Although Uncle was just a small team leader, he had widespread connections. Some cadres who had been sent down had worked in his team, and he had given them some caring, so wherever he went, people would give him some face.

The only pity was that he couldn't write.

But the elder cousin had finished junior high school and was arranged to work in the county transportation team, and the leader of Qiao Family Team was the younger brother of the head of the County Machinery Factory. So, if Uncle just applied his eloquent speaking gifts, he could call on people and vehicles as needed.

Uncle handled things well; the accountant from the team headquarters, Accountant Zhang, came with him.

All being old peasants, seeing the golden yellow corn seeds in the large glass bottles sprouting two small green leaves, Accountant Zhang touched his briefcase, not knowing if the money he brought was enough.

They carefully placed the corn seeds into pre-prepared wooden boxes, a layer of wheat bran on the bottom, and a layer of canvas covering the top.

Qiao Zhiyuan also asked uneasily, "Qingyu, how much will this cost?"

Qiao Qingyu smiled faintly, "Uncle, Accountant Zhang—the first batch of seeds is free. It's on the house!"

Everyone was surprised, their eyes wide open. Free? Really?

"Qingyu, how can it be free? That's a lot of money, isn't it?" Qiao Zhiyuan asked, quite concerned.

"Uncle, the first batch is free, I fought hard to get it. I belong to the Qiao Family Team. Although people have talked behind my back, laughing at me, I haven't taken it to heart. The land of Qiao Family Team has raised me, and now that I have the ability, I also want to give back to my hometown. This is what my dad taught me since I was little; I've always remembered it, I dare not forget…"

Qiao Qingyu's voice was filled with emotion, her words heartfelt and sincere. Listening to her, Accountant Zhang was deeply ashamed, his old face turning red. What a good child. Even after marrying, she hadn't forgotten her hometown. From now on, he vowed never to talk about her behind her back again.

Moreover, he was shocked to find that this child had become more understanding after getting married, her speech more refined, her clothing better, and her fair little face rosy. She seemed to have a very good life with He Xiuyu.

Qiao Zhiyuan initially felt touched and was almost moved to tears, but by the end, he smirked in his heart. His brother would never tell Qingyu these words; the most he would say was, "Qingyubao, our Old Qiao Family only has you, a girl; all the money dad saved is for you, even half of what your elder brother earns, and your uncle and aunts still have to prepare you the richest dowry—any less and I would be furious…"

Although Qiao Zhiyuan thought this way, his heart ached, and he cried, holding onto Qiao Qingyu, "Qingyu, you're married, with no wedding decorations, no musicians playing, no one carrying you out of the doors of Qiao Family Team—a lonely bridal procession. When I think of it, your grandma just cusses, feeling so upset…"

That remark turned everyone's eyes red.

Seeing the elder cousin about to speak, Qiao Qingyu quickly interjected, "I know all this, but regret is useless now. We must look forward, and once my parents cool off, I'll go back home to see them."

Qiao Zhiyuan wiped away the tears and nodded. Qiao Qingyu quickly changed the subject, "Uncle, you have to take good care of those glass bottles. They need to be recycled. According to the regulations, you would need to pay a deposit of two thousand yuan."

Everyone was startled. Accountant Zhang had brought all of the one thousand nine hundred yuan from the team; this was currently all of Qiao Family Team's assets, and it wasn't even enough to pay the deposit, causing the accountant to start sweating.

Everyone held their breath for a moment, nervously looking at Qiao Qingyu.

But Qiao Qingyu went on to say, "Considering the actual situation of our team, after much persuading, I got the two thousand yuan deposit waived for us."

Accountant Zhang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He said repeatedly, "Qingyu, I really can't thank you enough. You have done such a great thing. When you return to Qiao Family Team, the team headquarters will definitely thank you properly."

"Accountant Zhang, talking about thanks makes us seem distant. However, we must keep the seeds, at least two thousand kilos."

"That's for certain," Qiao Zhiyuan assured.

Qiao Qingyu handed Qiao Zhiyuan two sheets of paper, "Uncle, this contains detailed information about the methods of planting corn, the precautions, and how to save the seeds. You must follow the instructions exactly. As long as there isn't severe drought or flooding, this year is bound to be a bumper year."

Qiao Zhiyuan's eyes brightened and he smiled. He loved hearing these words. He took the two pieces of paper carefully, repeatedly promising Qiao Qingyu, "Qingyu, don't worry. I'll take good care of these bottles, making sure not a single one is missing when I give them back to you, and I'll save the best two thousand kilos of seeds."

Of course, when he got back home, he still had to fight for benefits for his niece. If it weren't for Qiao Qingyu, not a single cent might have been left in the money in the Accountant Zhang's briefcase.

Even if he was a small team leader, he couldn't let his own people suffer a loss.

At this time, the experiment base's truck arrived as scheduled.

This truck was much more advanced than Qiao Tianbao's.

The one he drove was handed down from a unit in the province. They were an agricultural county town, not very wealthy; in this place, the entire county had only a dozen or so trucks, each one treasured!