Xia Zhenyuan looked at the items he had brought, but none of them had been sold. He pulled Xia Cha aside and said worriedly, “Cha Cha, you shouldn’t have made that bet with your uncle.”
Xia Cha held Xia Zhenyuan’s calloused palm and said with clear and firm eyes, “Dad, don’t worry. We will definitely sell it all.”
“You can shout here first. I’ll come back after I buy something.”
Without waiting for Xia Zhenyuan to say anything, Xia Cha ran away.
Xia Zhenyuan walked to the front of the stall and glanced at Xia Zhenxiang, who was standing by the side with a face full of contempt. Xia Zhenyuan braced himself and shouted, “Delicious peaches, pears, the price is good. Come and take a look…”
Xia Zhenxiang sat on a rock and crossed her legs. Seeing that no one had come to Xia Zhenyuan’s stall and that Xia Cha had run away, he laughed coldly and said, “Second Brother, you’re already forty years old. Why are you still being controlled by a child? Did your Xia Cha get into an accident and have a brain injury?”
Xia Zhenyuan had never rebuked Xia Zhenxiang, but he would not allow Xia Zhenxiang to say anything bad about his child. He glared at Xia Zhenxiang with a dark expression. “Big Brother, I won’t allow you to say that about Cha Cha. She’s a very smart child. If she says she can sell it all, she will definitely sell it all.”
Xia Zhenxiang looked at Xia Zhenyuan, who really believed that Xia Cha could win, as though he was looking at a fool.
It was no wonder that the second branch’s family was the most useless and had no status in their parents’ eyes. Just by looking at Xia Zhenyuan’s silly appearance, they knew that the second branch was a hopeless case.
An hour passed.
Xia Zhenyuan had only sold two kilograms of pears, and it was only because someone had pitied him that he had come to buy them amidst his constant shouting.
The market was stuffy and hot, and they had not sold many items. Xia Zhenyuan was so anxious that he was sweating profusely.
Xia Zhenxiang was laughing in his heart.
His second brother was really a fool. Now, he had a free labor force to work for him for a year!
It was almost ten o’clock and Xia Cha had not arrived yet. Xia Zhenyuan was so anxious that he was wiping his sweat.
“Second Brother, you’re going to lose this bet. You can only blame yourself for believing Xia Cha!”
“How can you believe the words of a child? Besides, your Xia Cha has been a fool since she was young. How can she sell all the things you made? You’re too silly!”
Xia Zhenyuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something when there was a commotion in front of the market.
Xia Zhenyuan looked up and saw Xia Cha coming with more than ten women and children.
Xia Cha had a simple drawing board on her back and a small bag in her hand.
Soon, Xia Cha arrived at the stall.
“My father and I are selling things here. The fruits are all at the market price and are freshly plucked from our own orchards. These bamboo products were personally made by my father and the quality is guaranteed.”
“Dear aunties, if you want a portrait for your children, I’ll give it to you for free if you buy anything from my family!”
Outside the market, Xia Cha had already drawn portraits of the two children. She had drawn them so vividly. The women knew that one portrait would cost at least fifty dollars if they went to another artist.
Those who came to the market all wanted to buy things. Seeing that the fruits and bamboo products in the stall were really good, the women with the baby all started to fight for them.
Xia Zhenxiang looked at the scene that changed instantly. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Why were they buying fruits just because of a portrait?
Wait, since when did Xia Cha know how to draw?
“Hey, don’t be deceived by her. She’s my niece. Her grades have been bad since she was young. How can she draw anything?”
One of the women who was pulled by Xia Zhenxiang shook off his hand. “We’ve already seen the little girl’s drawing skills outside. It’s very realistic.”
“Besides, the fruits sold by the young lady’s father are very fresh and the things they make are very nice. We need them anyway.”
In less than half an hour, Xia Zhenyuan’s stall was emptied.
Xia Cha wanted to draw for the children of the women who had bought the items. She said to the stunned Xia Zhenxiang, “Uncle, send us what you owe us by tonight!”
“Dad, I might go back later. Tell Mom not to worry.”
Xia Cha found a shady spot outside the market and started drawing portraits of the children.
…
In a black sedan opposite the market.
Huo Heng sat in the car with the window lowered. He took off his sunglasses and looked at Xia Cha, who was drawing portraits for the children.
In the past, Tangtang had gone to the art school and was very good at drawing. When she hated him the most, she had even secretly turned him into a comic villain. She was a multi-talented girl.
Huo Heng was used to coming to Wenfeng County to visit Xia Tang when the work pressure was the greatest.
He did not let her know that he had come.
Seeing her working so hard, he also felt that life was full of hope.
…
Xia Cha returned home that night.
After almost a day of drawing, her wrist was extremely sore.
She sat on the swing and Xia Lan massaged her wrist. Xia Xing brought a slice of watermelon to feed her.
“Cha Cha, you should have seen Eldest Uncle’s expression when he sent the poultry and a little piglet over tonight? It was so satisfying!”
“I heard that they’re sending us ten fruit trees tomorrow!”
After dinner, Xia Cha thought of the video. She had already recorded three videos and posted them. They were not very popular, but she was not in a hurry.
At night, she turned on her phone habitually, thinking that it would be no different from usual. In the end, when she turned it on, she received two million likes and 200,000 fans.
Xia Cha widened her eyes, thinking that her eyes were playing tricks on her.
She clicked on her work. The new video she had posted two days ago had more than a million likes and more than twenty thousand comments.
The other two works had also gained popularity.
Xia Cha found it unbelievable that the video had suddenly become popular.
Suppressing her thumping heart, she opened the messages.
Most of them were praising her and there were also many who wanted to come and see the waterfall.
Xia Cha put down her phone and jumped up excitedly in the room.
Hearing Xia Cha’s shout, Qiu Zhi, Xia Zhenyuan, Xia Lan, and Xia Xing thought that something had happened and they all ran in hurriedly.
“Cha Cha, what’s wrong?”
Seeing the worried and anxious faces of her family, Xia Cha rushed forward and kissed them on their faces.
“Why are you so happy?” Qiu Zhi looked at Xia Cha lovingly.
“Dad, Mom, Sister, Second Sister, let me tell you now about our family’s future.”
Qiu Zhi said, “I’ve discussed it with your father. He’s going to work at the coal mine. No matter how hard it is, he has to let the three of you finish your studies.”
Xia Zhenyuan nodded.
Xia Cha pulled Xia Zhenyuan and Qiu Zhi to sit by the bed. “Dad, Mom, you don’t have to go out and do anything. You just have to take care of the orchards on this mountain and raise chickens, ducks and pigs at home, and plant good vegetables. Oh, right, Mom, you can also collect some fruits and vegetables and make some pickles yourself. These will all be useful!”
