Chapter 88: He Wants to Buy Land

Lin Sangqian looked up and laughed.

“Manager Bao, you’re here so early?”

“Ahem, yes.” Bao Mingzhi coughed awkwardly. “After tasting your food, I thought it was quite good, so I’ve come again to support your business.”

“Thank you, Manager Bao,” Lin Sangqian replied with a smile. “But we’ve just opened; there’s still some preparation to do. Please have a seat and wait for a bit.”

“No problem, I’m not in a hurry,” Bao Mingzhi said, appearing very understanding.

Lin Sangqian gave a slight smile, then headed into the kitchen.

Not long after, Bao Mingzhi heard the sound of watermelon being sliced in the back. His heart itched with anticipation, wishing he could snatch that plot of land right away and grow his own big watermelons.

His eyes darted about, and seeing Zhao Lan’er sitting nearby and not helping in the kitchen, he tried to strike up a conversation. “Miss, I haven’t seen you before. Are you Lin’s sister?”

Zhao Lan’er had deliberately avoided helping in the kitchen, since Lin Sangqian had warned her that Bao Mingzhi would surely try to get information from her.

“I’m not,” Zhao Lan’er replied timidly. “I’m a friend of the Lin family, staying at their house.”

“Oh, I see.”

Bao Mingzhi thought to himself, this young lady seems easy to fool.

“Speaking of which, Miss Lin is truly remarkable. No one else around here can grow good watermelons, but she can.”

Zhao Lan’er nodded. “She really is.”

“The land where Miss Lin grows watermelons must be extraordinary, right?”

Zhao Lan’er looked flustered. “I—I don’t know. Please don’t ask me.”

Bao Mingzhi guessed that Lin Sangqian had told her not to spill any secrets.

Ha, they probably don’t know that he had already seen that plot himself…

Just then, Lin Sangqian and Lin Wenyen came out. Lin Sangqian carried a plate of watermelon and placed it cheerfully before Bao Mingzhi. “Manager Bao, have some watermelon.”

“My, Miss Lin, you’re too kind,” Bao Mingzhi said, a bit overwhelmed by the attention.

“Well, I’m counting on you to help my business, Manager Bao,” Lin Sangqian said with a smile.

Bao Mingzhi was about to say something, but more customers arrived. Lin Sangqian went off at once to make fried chicken, leaving him waiting eagerly at the side.

Lin Wenyen and Zhao Lan’er went to help, and Bao Mingzhi couldn’t find anyone else to interrogate.

All morning, customers came in droves for fried chicken, and Bao Mingzhi didn’t get a single chance to speak. He was so frustrated he could almost hit someone.

By lunchtime, things finally quieted down.

"Little sister, this morning that customer in black bought ten drumsticks and ten wings!” Lin Wenyen recalled the generous customer, still amazed. “Must be from some wealthy household.”

Lin Sangqian thought for a moment. “We’ve seen him before.”

“Huh? When?” Lin Wenyen was surprised.

“He’s Guard to Young Master Guan.”

When she said this, Lin Wenyen remembered as well.

“So he must have come to buy fried chicken for Young Master Guan. But didn’t you make some fried chicken this morning and have Father take it to the Yu residence?”

Zhao Lan’er laughed, “Young Master Guan must not have had enough! After all, Sangqian’s fried chicken is so delicious.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Lin Sangqian had been listening absentmindedly, but now the image of the cold and aloof Young Master Guan appeared in her mind.

He really was quite handsome.

She used to think Yu Jingxiao was already good-looking, but Guan Yanqing was even more so.

The more she thought about it, the more she shook her head.

Why think of him for no reason?

Bao Mingzhi was still lingering in the shop, and she needed to deal with him quickly.

“Sorry, Manager Bao,” she smiled at him. “We were so busy this morning, I barely had time for you.”

Bao Mingzhi was already seething inside, but he forced a smile. “No worries, you were busy.”

Lin Sangqian asked Lin Wenyen to take out the lunch they’d brought from home. She reheated it in the pot, and the three started eating.

Although not freshly made, it smelled delicious, leaving Bao Mingzhi’s mouth watering, though he was too embarrassed to speak up.

He wanted Lin Sangqian to fry him a drumstick, but she kept her head down, eating, showing no intention of paying him any mind.

He waited until they finally finished their meal, and then spoke up, “Miss Lin…”

“Yes?” Lin Sangqian smiled at him. “Manager Bao, what is it?”

Bao Mingzhi gritted his teeth, unwilling to delay any longer, and asked directly, “I heard you recently bought a plot of land?”

Lin Sangqian feigned surprise. “Manager Bao, you really are well-informed, even knowing about that?”

“Haha, I just happened to hear about it,” Bao Mingzhi said awkwardly. “Miss Lin, let’s make a deal—why not sell that land to me? Name your price, as long as I can afford it, I won’t bargain!”

“Manager Bao, what would you do with my land?” Lin Sangqian asked, pretending to be puzzled. “It’s in quite a remote spot—are you planning to grow something?”

The little brat, still pretending in front of him!

Bao Mingzhi was furious.

“Miss Lin, don’t say such things to me,” Bao Mingzhi said. “That land, you’re using it to grow watermelons, aren’t you?”

“No!” Lin Sangqian denied immediately.

In fact, she was telling the truth.

But Bao Mingzhi clearly didn’t believe her at all.

“If you’re not growing them there, then where did your watermelons come from?” Bao Mingzhi sneered. “Miss Lin, think carefully—if you’re willing to sell, name your price, and I promise, once I grow watermelons, I’ll give you… a third of the profits!”

Bao Mingzhi felt he was making a huge concession.

But he had to get that land.

Right now, only Lin Sangqian had watermelons, and she’d only launched watermelon juice.

If he had watermelons too, he could sell the fruit itself, and even invent new dishes with watermelon!

In short, this was an enormous opportunity he couldn’t miss!

He absolutely couldn’t let Fortune Pavilion seize the advantage again.

The more he thought about it, the more passionate he became, determined to get that land at any cost.

“Manager Bao, that land really isn’t for growing watermelons,” Lin Sangqian said helplessly.

The more she insisted, the more Bao Mingzhi believed it was a treasure.

“I’ll give you one hundred taels! How about it?”

One hundred taels… truth be told, Lin Sangqian was truly tempted.

But she feigned hesitation on her face. “Then… could you give me some time to think it over?”

“Of course, but don’t take too long,” Bao Mingzhi said. “And whatever you do, don’t sell that land to anyone else!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you an answer in two days.”

Upon hearing this, Bao Mingzhi relaxed a bit, reminded her again, bought two drumsticks, and finally left.

Lin Sangqian watched his figure as he departed, a sly smile curling at her lips.

Manager Bao, everything I said to you just now was true, but alas, you simply wouldn’t believe me…

People, when faced with profit, their eyes are so easily clouded.