Chapter 19: The Development Cycle is a Bit Long

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: The Development Cycle is a Bit Long

Zhang Lin smiled at his uncle’s actions.

The other uncles in the village weren’t wrong when they teased him for being so over-the-top with his wife. The second he tasted how good the fruit was, he took the whole plate straight to her.

"Lin’s here and you didn’t even say anything!" A gentle female voice called out from inside the room, followed by an exclamation. "These Sunshine Rose grapes are actually really, really good!"

As the voice spoke, Zhang Lin saw his aunt, Zhang Yan, and his uncle walk out of the room.

"Auntie!" Zhang Lin called out respectfully.

"Lin, you’re so thoughtful." Zhang Yan said as she sat down, then added with a touch of exaggeration, "I’ve always loved fruit, but I’ve truly never tasted Sunshine Rose grapes this good."

"Mom, are they really that good?" Zhang Zhao asked as he popped a Sunshine Rose grape into his mouth. He immediately changed his tune. "Mom, you’re right. I’ve never had Sunshine Rose grapes this delicious, either."

Zhang Lin smiled at this.

’Sometimes, it’s a wonderful feeling to have your products be so well-received.’

He stayed at his uncle’s house for a little while longer before taking his leave. Afterward, he visited a few other families to assure them he would pay back his debts. Once that was done, he rode his scooter back toward North District Square.

He could hear the blare of a promotional loudspeaker from a distance.

Zhang Dong was bustling about, weighing fruit for a few customers while still remembering to shout and attract more business. He was clearly in his element.

After taking care of those customers, Zhang Dong saw that Zhang Lin was back. He greeted him with a wide grin. "Zhang Lin, these honey peaches of yours are a huge hit! We should be sold out in about another hour."

Zhang Lin glanced at the honey peaches on the truck. Sure enough, there weren’t many left.

Just as Zhang Dong had predicted, all the remaining honey peaches were sold within the hour.

"Zhang Lin, thank you!" Zhang Dong couldn’t resist pulling Zhang Lin into a tight hug. Now that the honey peaches were all sold, he understood just how precious this opportunity was.

"Hey, quit with the constant hugging! I’m not into dudes, man!" Zhang Lin retorted quickly.

"Damn, you make it sound like I am! I have a girlfriend, you know," Zhang Dong immediately shot back. Just as he finished speaking, his phone started to ring.

Seeing the number, he grinned smugly. "It’s Ruirui. Ah, the feeling of getting a call from your girlfriend... something you single guys wouldn’t understand!"

"Damn it!" All Zhang Lin could think was, ’Couples who flaunt their love are doomed to break up.’

Zhang Dong just smiled and answered his phone. "Hey, Ruirui. I’m over by the south entrance of North District Square. Yeah, I was just about to tell you some great news..."

But before he could finish, the line went dead.

Just a moment later, a petite, lovely young woman walked up to the stall.

Zhang Lin recognized her. It was Zhang Dong’s girlfriend, Liu Rui.

Zhang Dong immediately rushed over to her. "Ruirui, I wasn’t finished talking. Why’d you hang up on me? I was about to tell you some great ne—"

"Zhang Dong, let’s break up," Liu Rui said, cutting him off abruptly.

This left Zhang Dong completely stunned, the words caught in his throat.

Even Zhang Lin was taken aback.

’Even though he’d just been thinking that couples who flaunt their love are doomed, he never actually wanted his bro to break up.’

He wasn’t the kind of guy who encouraged breakups over reconciliation. He wasn’t some jerk who’d make a few snide remarks, hoping his friend would become single again just so they could be single ’dogs’ together.

Zhang Dong grew frantic. "Ruirui, why the sudden breakup? I know you were embarrassed that I was a delivery driver, but I’m not doing that anymore! I’m selling fruit now! I was just about to tell you some good—"

"Zhang Dong!" Liu Rui cut him off again, her voice building to an emotional outburst. "You tell me, what’s the difference between selling fruit and delivering food? Yes, it’s true I found your delivery job undignified, but that’s not why I’m breaking up with you!"

"Three years have passed, but you still see me and treat me like the person I was back then. I’m not that naive girl from three years ago. My thoughts, my values—they’ve all changed."

"But you? You haven’t changed one bit. Our mindsets, our values... we’re on completely different wavelengths now. We can’t even have a proper conversation anymore. I’ve been so exhausted ever since you got out."

Hearing this, Zhang Lin silently sighed for his friend.

’Three years really can change a person, especially someone in their twenties. When you first enter the real world, you’re absorbing everything like a sponge. Three years is more than enough time for someone’s entire mindset and values to transform.’

’If a couple can’t grow in sync during that time, it’s very likely they’ll just drift apart and become strangers.’

’Now that Liu Rui was bringing up fundamental differences in their mindsets and values, there was nothing he, as a friend, could say to change her mind.’

’Besides, what she was saying made sense. It was pretty convincing, wasn’t it?’

’It would have been 100% convincing, that is, if a BMW 5-series hadn’t suddenly pulled up right next to her.’

"Ruirui, let’s go!" the BMW driver called out, deliberately leaning his head out the window.

"What are you doing here? I told you I’d walk over," Liu Rui snapped, clearly annoyed that the driver had come to her.

’Though he was being scolded, the BMW driver had a smirk on his face. He’d achieved his goal, hadn’t he?’

Liu Rui composed herself, then turned back to Zhang Dong. "Zhang Dong, we’re just not right for each other anymore. Let’s just part ways amicably."

With that, she walked over to the BMW and got into the passenger seat.

The BMW driver stomped on the gas and sped away.

Zhang Dong just stood there, completely dumbstruck and silent.

Seeing this, Zhang Lin had no choice but to ask, "Aren’t you going to try and stop her?"

Zhang Dong just sighed. "Let’s leave some dignity on the table. I thought about this possibility a lot during those three years inside. After all, she’s young and beautiful. It’s only natural that her mindset would change if someone excellent was pursuing her!"

Zhang Lin offered a reminder, "That guy in the BMW 5-series might not even make as much as you do selling fruit now. You could probably win her back."

’In the end, it was still a matter of lifestyle. After all, the gap between a food delivery driver and someone who drives a BMW 5-series was just too vast.’

’Whether it was Liu Rui herself, her friends, or her family, not a single one of them would have taken Zhang Dong’s side, would they?’

"Winning her back like that isn’t what I want anymore," Zhang Dong said, shaking his head. "Besides, they came here together." He squatted down silently and lit a cigarette.

Zhang Lin said no more.

’It was true. There was no point in winning someone back like that.’

’Besides, in his opinion, if a woman could be won back with money, you might as well just find someone younger and prettier. Then, buy a better car than her new boyfriend’s. She’d be regretting it for the rest of her life.’

After finishing his cigarette, Zhang Dong abruptly stood up. He said to Zhang Lin, "I’m going to go look for a storefront. The grind continues tomorrow!"

And with that, he turned and hurried away.

Zhang Lin sighed as he watched him go.

’Zhang Dong might talk like he’s seen through it all, but he knew his friend couldn’t be completely numb. It was a real relationship, after all. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed off like that.’

Zhang Lin got into his small truck and drove straight back to the farm. With nothing else to do, he went to inspect the rapeseed field, and then the reservoir.

The foundation for the reservoir pit had been laid and covered with cement.

"Boss!"

The two employees greeted him respectfully the moment they saw him.

Zhang Lin nodded in acknowledgment. Once the reservoir was finished, he could set up the automatic irrigation system. Relying solely on manual irrigation was too time-consuming and was slowing down the development of the rapeseed field.

As night fell, Zhang Lin checked his upgrade data:

Upgrade Requirements: 1. 6 employees (6/6)! 2. Earn 500,000 in profit (179,474/500,000)! 3. Develop 200 mu of agricultural land (118/200).

The total developed area yesterday was 109 mu, and today it was 118 mu. That meant Liu De had only cleared 9 mu today.

It would still take some time to finish the automatic irrigation system. He considered hiring a few more employees; otherwise, the development timeline for the 500-mu rapeseed field would drag on for too long.

Besides, there was also a small milestone reward for recruiting ten employees.