"Your hearts are too black. Peaches at eight cents a catty—how can you even offer that price? If you're unwilling to pay a fair price, but someone else is, you gang up on that person. Your hearts are so dark you'd devour people whole. Our Yunyun thinks for the common folks, wanting to boost their income, and that touches a bit of your interests, making her the thorn in your side. You use such filthy tactics against her. She's just a seventeen-year-old girl, and all of you combined are hundreds of years old—have you no shame?"
Boss Zhang's face burned from the scolding, his stomach churning with anger, but he dared not let it out.
Liao Zhen was utterly unsparing. Since they came to him offering themselves up to be scolded, if he didn't fulfill their wish, wouldn't that be letting them down?
Those who went to Liao Zhen got off lightly—they only endured a verbal lashing.
Those who went to Tang Yu fared worse, getting beaten directly.
The man was battered and bruised, his face swollen, endlessly pleading for mercy.
If he didn't swallow his pride today, and later incited someone to commit home robbery with a substantial amount involved, he'd likely end up in prison.
He'd rather take a beating than go to jail. Jail wouldn't only mean his business being carved up by others, but also a criminal record that could ruin his children's futures.
When under a low-hanging tree, one must bow.
He felt he was now exceptionally flexible, able to stoop and endure humiliation for the greater good, a figure of self-sacrifice.
Just then, Shen Yunyun called.
Liao Zhen and Lin Mengxing had both phoned her, telling her about the fruit merchants seeking them out as mediators.
Shen Yunyun felt a bit apologetic, since this matter had caused them to be harassed, and she was uneasy about it.
So she called Tang Yu, telling him to inform the other party to come directly to her and stop bothering the people around her.
This was a cultural difference.
In a place like Goose City, it was standard practice to have a mediator step in to resolve conflicts.
But Shen Yunyun grew up in Haicheng, where people were busy and disliked being disturbed. She felt the fruit merchants harassing her friends over this was extremely rude.
And thus, a misunderstanding was born.
Tang Yu hung up the phone and directly told Boss Zhou, "Our young lady says if you have anything to discuss, come straight to her. Stop harassing her friends."
Boss Zhou immediately felt the situation had become very tricky.
But tricky or not, it had to be handled. He hurried off to consult the other two about what to do next.
While waiting, Shen Yunyun herself pondered whether to pursue this to the end.
She felt she couldn't possibly go into the fruit-selling business like them. Moving a small amount of goods within the same world was far less profitable than what she did at the trading center, coordinating supplies for other worlds.
Moreover, most of her work involved matters of life and death.
Still, fruit merchants couldn't be done away with.
They helped farmers sell their produce, even if some were too greedy, wanting to slice both ends of a radish. It would be great if they could be supervised.
It was understandable they wanted to make money—no one gets up early without profit.
But eight cents a catty for peaches was just too outrageous.
Soon, the group arrived together, bearing expensive gifts to apologize.
Shen Yunyun crossed her arms and looked at the chubby fruit merchant leading them. That day she went to Tang Family Village, it was this same merchant buying peaches.
She said directly, "If you have business with me, come to me directly. Don't harass my friends. You've bothered all of them—is that how you intend to resolve things properly?"