Happy Little Farmer
Chapter 372

Chapter 372: Chapter 372

"Fanzi!"

His smile was forced at the corners of his mouth as he greeted Yang Fan.

Yang Fan’s heart was fluttering with nerves, and his eyes darted around unnaturally before he asked, "Old Zhou, didn’t your sister-in-law say you went to the farm?"

He was so nervous he didn’t know what to say and blurted out the question subconsciously.

"I’ve just returned," Old Zhou said, passing over a cigarette, "Here, have a smoke."

As Yang Fan took the cigarette, his heart pounded even harder.

Old Zhou’s demeanor really made it seem like he’d discovered something.

At this moment, Yang Fan genuinely felt like he was being led to the scaffold, his insides churning.

After handing Yang Fan a cigarette, the atmosphere fell into another awkward silence.

Old Zhou, who was usually very talkative, just stared at the door and puffed away at his smoke.

He hadn’t even asked why Yang Fan was there.

Yang Fan felt so uneasy that he couldn’t sit still, as if there were nails under his buttocks.

He sneaked a peek inside the room; Zhu Shanshan wasn’t there and he had no idea where she had gone.

Yang Fan’s thoughts began to scatter.

Could it be they had just had a fight and Zhu Shanshan had stormed off?

Was Old Zhou delaying his reaction, considering how to deal with the two of them?

Wavering between whether to be killed or beaten to death?

The more Yang Fan thought about it, the more insecure he felt. With a forced laugh, he summoned a shred of courage and asked, "Old Zhou, you look so gloomy, what’s troubling you?"

If Old Zhou wasn’t going to explode, then it was up to him to broach the subject.

If it had already been discovered, whether he died sooner or later, he was still doomed, so it might as well be over quickly.

Such conjectures and waiting were too torturous.

Old Zhou glanced at Yang Fan and exhaled a puff of smoke, his voice low, "It’s that contract again."

"That thing has become a tightening curse above my head. The pleasure I felt earning from it before is now the headache I bear. The pharmaceutical factory has added to this month’s order. When we signed the contract, there was a range for the monthly order quantity, not a fixed number."

"They can add orders at any time under the upper limit based on market conditions, and if we can’t fulfill their order requirements within the stipulated time, we’re liable for the corresponding penalty."

"Just like that, I’d have to pay thirty percent in damages. Damn it, I had barely made some profit from them and now I have to pay it back in; I almost regret it so much my guts are turning green. I was overly confident when signing the contract," he lamented.

Yang Fan’s heart suddenly eased with relief.

Fuck, he was almost scared to death.

Thankfully, it wasn’t because of his affair with Zhu Shanshan.

"How much did they add?" Yang Fan asked.

"A thousand kilograms!" Old Zhou said, "If it had been in the past, this amount wouldn’t have caused any trouble, but now in Xin’an’s market, it’s tough to find even a hundred kilograms of Codonopsis, let alone a thousand."

"A thousand?" Yang Fan was immediately confused, "Old Zhou, do you mean that excluding what I brought today, we’re still short by a thousand? Or do we need a total of a thousand?"

Old Zhou suddenly looked up, his gaze snapping to Yang Fan, "You brought some today?"

Yang Fan nodded, "Over three thousand kilograms!"

"Holy shit, Fanzi, you’re a real lifesaver for me," Old Zhou got so excited he stood up.

"I knew there was a reason I chose you as my partner—I was spot on. Without a peep, you pull off big moves. Where on earth did you dig up so much Codonopsis? And man, your timing couldn’t be more perfect—just when I was feeling sleepy, you went and put a pillow under my head. Fucking awesome, just awesome!"

"Fuck me, it solves all my worries in an instant!"

"Got it from out of town—didn’t your sister-in-law tell you?" Yang Fan asked.

"I just called her, and she said she was at the market, didn’t even mention it to me," Old Zhou said, "Goddamn, never know what she’s up to. The shop’s open, but off she goes to the market."

Yang Fan was dumbstruck, the weight finally lifting from his chest.

"Fanzi, you’re like timely rain, man. I don’t know if you predicted the pharmaceutical factory would increase the order, or if they predicted you’d deliver some goods today," Old Zhou said with excitement.

With that issue resolved, his face instantly brightened up.

He gave Yang Fan a hearty slap on the shoulder and said, "Fanzi, no more bullshit. Let’s go, to Han Palace for a bath! It’s on me, bro. Today, you’re gonna get so relaxed, it’s gonna kill you."

"Right, has your account been settled yet?"

"Sister-in-law took care of it," Yang Fan said.

Old Zhou laughed heartily and hooked his arm over Yang Fan’s shoulder, heading for the door, "Come on, come on, no time to waste. Let’s hit Han Palace now, we can drink tea and chat along the way."

"Old Zhou, I’ve got stuff to do this afternoon!" Yang Fan, remembering his appointment with Fan Sisi, wasn’t keen on going.

But Old Zhou urged him, "How big can it be? Is whatever you’re doing more important than chilling at Han Palace? Shift your plans around, you don’t get to fleece me often, man. Grab the chance. Come on, what’s there to hesitate about?"

"My thing..." Yang Fan muttered, struggling to come up with a good excuse.

Then, a thought struck him, and he said, "My thing might not be urgent, but shouldn’t you give your sister-in-law a heads-up?"

"Oh right, I do need to tell her. You be my witness, we’re going to have a drink," Old Zhou said.

Zhu Shanshan was ready to intercept Old Zhou.

But after Old Zhou simply mentioned that he was going for drinks with him, Zhu Shanshan instantly and agreeably gave them the green light.

"Done, she’ll be back to watch the shop in a bit. Let’s go," Old Zhou pocketed his phone, his smile taking on a lewd quality.

Yang Fan, having no choice, followed along.

It was a hard invitation to refuse, after all.

Old Zhou drove, stomping on the gas and rushing them to Han Palace.

After a series of twists and turns, they got off the elevator, and a familiar scent hit them.

Even in the afternoon, Han Palace was already open for business.

At the elevator entrance, rows of scantily clad girls bowed in unison, their crisp voices welcoming the guests.

Yang Fan saw her again—the tall, domineering manager, Guan Ping, with her round buttocks catching everyone’s eye, exuding an aura of cool detachment.

That woman, with an outstanding face and figure, round buttocks grabbing your gaze, long legs entrancing.

Just her figure and face alone were enough to spirit your soul away.

"Xiao Guan, a large private room, get some snacks and drinks ready for me and Fanzi," Old Zhou’s eyes wandered all over Guan Ping’s body as he said with a grin.

Guan Ping raised her pale wrist to gesture them inside, then smilingly said, "You two are quite early today!"

"We’ll have a few drinks first, then take our time to play. Today we want to enjoy ourselves," said Old Zhou, beaming.