Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 428 - Chapter 428 428. Picking black fungus_1

Chapter 428: 428. Picking black fungus_1 Chapter 428: 428. Picking black fungus_1 At lunchtime, Granny finally saw her beloved eldest grandson, Wu Lei.

But unexpectedly, even with her presbyopia, she felt her grandson didn’t seem as impressive anymore–

Just look at Qiaoqiao, so fair and lovable, and his teachers are gentle and handsome too.

Or take Yanping for example, though he looks burly, dark, and a bit fierce. But to the discerning eye, it’s clear he has a strong physique, perfect for hard labour!

Then look back at Wu Lei, plodding along with hunched shoulders (too exhausted from work, his body still stiff and sore), dragging his feet as if his shoes could wear through the floor (lacking strength in the waist), his whole demeanor worn out and gloomy, his hair a mess, his face marked with both sunburn and tan…

How had his vitality waned to this extent?

Yet there was Qiaoqiao, curiously asking:

“Brother Wu Lei, have you been working hard all this time? That must be tough! But my sister said I can’t help you with the work, so if you go to lie on the sofa without changing your clothes, you’ll have to wash the sofa cover yourself.”

What?!

Granny was shocked!

Filthy from a day of farm work, she had seen Qiaoqiao’s white sofa on the third floor–immaculately clean!

Although it wasn’t very festive, Granny was actually quite pleased with its cleanliness–so why was her eldest grandson being so slovenly at his aunt’s home?

This child, how could he be so… so…

Granny couldn’t figure it out.

Before she could relax her frowning brows, she heard Grandpa ask with concern, “Leilei, did you stay up late playing games again last night? Before, I heard you playing games in the middle of the night when I got up to use the bathroom… You see, staying up late really drains your energy.”

“No!”

Qiaoqiao quickly said, “Brother Wu Lei has been going to bed by 10 pm lately, he’s not staying up late anymore!”

Granny understood instantly–indeed, her daughter-in-law was right, children can’t become capable without being put to the test. Indeed, he needed to be well-disciplined at Tantan’s place.

She didn’t expect her grandson to be particularly successful, but he couldn’t break down physically before even establishing a career or a family.

Now look at Yanping, how healthy he is!

A big young man with a hearty appetite at meal times, just like a little piglet, so pleasing to the eye.

Wu Lei: …

He hadn’t said a word yet!

Just as he was about to show Granny the toll of his hardships, the marks on the palms of his hands, and the burning pain on his shoulders… Just as he was about to speak up, he saw Granny give him a quick once-over and shake her head before hastily reaching for more food.

He stood there, stunned, unable to help once again giving himself a once-over–

How come he was so unwelcome now?

…

Meanwhile, Granny was having a lively chat with the other granny.

One was praising the couple for being capable, the other praised the daughter-in-law for her virtues… Both flattered each other, enjoying a most delightful meal.

Grandpa even had a couple of drinks with Granddad, and they settled on helping to weave straw mats in the next two days.

But Granny felt a tinge of melancholy:

“Tantan, do you still need people to work on Tea Mountain?”

The tea bushes needed pruning once the hot summer came, not many days away. But Song Tan had another opportunity:

“Don’t worry, Granny! I told you, rest for a couple of days and there’ll be work.”

Granny, however, spoke truthfully: “I haven’t done the straw mat work in many years, and while I won’t do a bad job, I’m certainly not as good as your granddad. I can’t be causing trouble–if not, can I help chopping grass instead? You need anyone for that job?”

Song Tan: …

I know you can’t sit still, but aren’t you too capable?

After a moment of thought she said, “How about this, Granny: the black mushrooms on the mountain have grown, you can help pick them early morning and evening, we’ll pay a hundred bucks a day, how about that?”

A hundred bucks?

Granny was a bit too surprised, “You silly child, don’t you think money grows on trees? Just for picking mushrooms, you’d pay a hundred a day? I won’t take it.”

Song Tan felt wronged, “I’m not paying extra; if we hired someone else, it would cost 150 a day!”

Granny’s heart ached.

Who hasn’t cultivated wood-ear mushrooms before? You just pick them off from rows of wooden racks, it’s effortless and even allows for chatting. And for this you want to pay 150 a day?

“I’ll do it!”

She didn’t hesitate.

“Also, don’t hire so many people. Picking wood-ear mushrooms is a fast job, and you have that one-acre plot by the Chestnut Woods, don’t you? Grandma doesn’t charge you, so it’s really no big deal.”

“That won’t do! I won’t accept volunteer workers. Besides–”

Song Tan leaned in quietly, “My grandma gets paid now, how could she accept money if you, Grandma, don’t?”

Grandma: … That’s true.

Song Tan then smiled again, “Then it’s settled! Grandma, you’ll work for me, together with my mom.”

“I want to go, too.”

Qiaoqiao had patiently waited until the two finished talking, now staring at Song Tan with eager eyes, “Qiaoqiao has never learned how to pick black wood-ear mushrooms.”

“Alright, let’s go!”

Song Tan had the schedule well organized: “We dry them during the day, we’ll only work a few hours in the morning and evening. Plus, you can live stream and teach the little ones.”

Qiaoqiao nodded, “I told the kids that whoever learns well, I’ll organize a reunion for them in the future!”

His eyes sparkled with anticipation, “Then Sister can make lots of money again!”

Song Tan: … As for me, it’s not quite like that.

But Zhang Yanping was already invigorated:

“Great, great, great! Our Qiaoqiao is so considerate, always thinking of the family! Don’t worry, I, Brother Yanping, guarantee to help get the biggest commission possible!”

Qiaoqiao looking at Zhang Yanping, was also full of trust: “Then, Brother Yanping, you must work hard!”

“This time I want a shooting ‘biubiubiu’ DiGa!”

Zhang Yanping: …

He stealthily glared at Xin Jun: What kind of teaching is this? What’s going on with the kid?

Xin Jun raised an eyebrow unapologetically: You think you can do better? Go ahead!

Zhang Yanping: …

He instantly toned down.

Meanwhile, Xin Jun found time to instruct Qiaoqiao, “Do you know how much an Ultraman costs?”

“I know!”

Qiaoqiao nodded, “Sister mentioned last time, my Seiro is 188, DiGa is probably around the same.”

“Do you know how much commission and salary are?”

“Don’t know.”

Qiaoqiao shook his head, “Sister said all the earnings from live streaming and the fees from teaching my friends have been saved for me. Apparently I already have several thousand saved.”

“But I don’t spend money. Even if I had it, it wouldn’t be as good as DiGa!”

Ah, this.

Zhang Yanping was dumbstruck once more.

As he glimpsed Xin Jun’s smug look, in this moment he had no choice but to admit defeat.

It means a teacher like Xin Jun might not stand out when teaching in a traditional setting.

But when it comes to teaching Qiaoqiao, she really covers all aspects of social wisdom perfectly.

No wonder Song Tan felt so defensive when she heard he was considering a relationship–a good teacher is hard to find!

He could only sigh and stretch out his hand to Qiaoqiao, “Give me your phone, I’ll post an announcement in your live stream room.”

Turning his head, he asked Song Tan, “What time do we pick black wood-ear mushrooms?”

Song Tan glanced at the scorching sun outside, “Let’s start at three in the afternoon.”

Now in the height of summer, the sky darkens around 7:00 pm, so four hours should suffice. Tea picking, because it requires no shade, can start even later at four in the afternoon.

And besides, there’s plenty of shade under the trees in the Chestnut Forest, untroubled by the sun.