Chapter 9: The True Sycophant! Is This Really a Strawberry?

After delivering the strawberries to the Darunfa supermarket, Qin Lin was caught in a sudden rainstorm. By the time the downpour eased, it was already well past midday when he returned to Market Street.

Outside his shop, a black dog was seeking shelter from the rain. It was drenched, curled up, and licking the water from its fur. This dog was becoming increasingly shameless. It had been hanging around for over ten days, clearly intent on making itself at home.

"Woof, woof!" The dog stood up the moment it saw Qin Lin, baring its teeth in a greeting.

Qin Lin pretended to ignore it and unlocked his shop door. After a busy morning, his stomach was rumbling, so he pulled out his phone to order takeout. He added two large chicken drumsticks and two fried eggs; he was finally at a point where he could afford a bit of luxury in his meals.

Just as he was about to confirm the order, he noticed the dog hovering tentatively at the entrance. Sensing his gaze, the dog crept a few steps inside and sat down, staring at him intently. Qin Lin silently adjusted his order, adding another large drumstick before finalizing the payment.

The way this dog lingered every day gave him a strange feeling. Humans are such complex creatures. It’s like how a woman feels about a "simp"—she might find the behavior annoying, but once she grows accustomed to the attention, she starts using it as a status symbol. If the person stops, she suddenly feels a sense of loss.

Soon, the delivery rider arrived. Qin Lin took the food and opened it on the table. The dog, which had been sitting still, suddenly stood up on its hind legs, its eyes locked onto the takeout. Deciding to have some fun, Qin Lin deliberately picked up a drumstick and began eating it with an exaggerated look of enjoyment.

The dog stretched its neck forward, tongue lolling out, as if waiting for a discarded bone. Finding it amusing, Qin Lin tossed the whole drumstick to the dog. The animal caught it with incredible reflexes. It seemed surprised to receive a piece of meat rather than a bone, staring blankly for a moment, stunned by the unexpected treat.

Qin Lin ignored the dog and turned his attention to the game interface in his mind. The crops needed pest control and watering. By the time he finished the chores in the game and polished off his meal, he felt a nudge at his leg. The dog was gently rubbing against his calf, testing the waters. When Qin Lin looked down, the dog timidly shrank back and returned to the doorway.

***

By evening, the watermelons and strawberries in the game were ready for harvest again. There were 421 watermelons and 301 pounds of strawberries. He moved them all out, delivered them in batches to the Darunfa warehouse for weighing, and settled the day's account with Manager Chen.

The 421 watermelons brought in 7,893 yuan, and the 606 pounds of strawberries earned 18,180 yuan. Including the 6,341 yuan from the morning wholesale to Liu Dasheng, his daily income totaled 32,414 yuan.

As he left the supermarket, a bank notification popped up on his phone: "Ending in ... received 26,073.00 yuan. Current balance: 199,157.60 yuan."

His savings were about to break the 200,000 yuan mark. Qin Lin couldn't help but stare at the message for a while before pocketing his phone. He parked his tricycle at Market Street and rode his electric scooter to the Tax Bureau to pick up Zhao Moqing.

As luck would have it, just as he pulled up to the entrance, he saw Chen Hao walking out. Their eyes met, and Chen Hao frowned. Glancing at Qin Lin's electric scooter, Chen Hao couldn't resist pressing his car key fob to unlock his Audi, making the lights flash and the horn chirp. It was a clear attempt to show off.

Aren’t men just that shallow? They show off nothing but their careers, houses, cars, and women. Of course, there are those who aren't so vulgar—either they’ve achieved true success and don't care for such petty displays, or they have nothing worth showing off at all. Chen Hao fell into neither category. He was just shallow; in his mind, he was an Audi driver looking down on an electric scooter rider.

Just then, a chubby young man walked out and greeted Chen Hao, "Chen Hao, why aren't you waiting for Zhao Moqing? Didn't you want to take her out to dinner and confess? With your credentials, you should be able to win her over, right?"

The blunt comment dealt a blow to Chen Hao’s sense of superiority. He walked toward his car without a word. Damn it, Zhao Moqing had just left with a guy on an electric scooter—he was already in a foul mood, so who felt like eating? He genuinely couldn't understand how someone on a scooter could win over such a beautiful girl while he remained single. Why?

The chubby man, confused by Chen Hao’s reaction, walked to his own Jetta and drove away.

"Qin Lin!" Zhao Moqing spotted him and ran over with a bright smile. She hopped onto the back of the scooter, wrapped her arms around his waist, and said, "Let's go!"

As Qin Lin pulled into the traffic, he asked, "Should I take you home, or do you want to grab a big dinner?"

Zhao Moqing thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we buy groceries and go to your place? I haven't visited your mother in a long time."

"Sure. I'll give her a call. She'll be thrilled to hear you're coming," Qin Lin replied, steering toward the supermarket. He didn't enjoy shopping, but he loved doing it while holding Zhao Moqing’s hand.

After a quick trip, they returned with bags full of vegetables and seafood. When Lin Fen saw Zhao Moqing, her face lit up with a smile she couldn't hide. "Moqing, you're here! Come in, come in!"

Lin Fen was completely satisfied with Zhao Moqing. She felt it was a stroke of incredible luck that her son had found such a gentle, down-to-earth, and respectful girl. If their own family situation weren't so modest, she would have pushed for them to get married immediately.

"Auntie! Qin Lin and I bought plenty of food. Let me help wash the vegetables," Zhao Moqing said sweetly, showing no sign of minding the cramped and cluttered state of the house.

"Oh, wonderful, let's wash them together!" Lin Fen took the bags from Qin Lin and headed into the kitchen with Zhao Moqing, laughing and chatting.

Qin Lin suddenly felt like an outsider. Zhao Moqing was a talented cook, and Lin Fen happily helped her. After the meal was ready, Lin Fen found herself with a better appetite than usual, eating more than she had in a long time.

Once the meal was over, Qin Lin went into his room and brought out a bag. It contained the high-quality strawberries he had harvested earlier—half of the four-pound batch.

"Xiaolin, what's that?" Lin Fen asked curiously.

"Red strawberries. I saved them specifically for you and Moqing. Try them," Qin Lin said, placing the premium-quality strawberries on the table.

Seeing this, Lin Fen immediately pushed them toward Zhao Moqing. "Moqing, strawberries are very nutritious and good for your skin. You eat more."

"Thank you, Auntie." Zhao Moqing loved fruit and didn't decline. She picked one up and took a bite, but immediately looked surprised. "Qin Lin, why are these strawberries so delicious?"

"These are a special grade. You can't buy them anywhere else. Aren't they good?" Qin Lin said with a hint of pride. Of course they were—they carried properties of +2 Delicious, +2 Sweet, +2 Texture, and +2 Aftertaste. As a product of the game, this was his exclusive offering.

"Yes!" Zhao Moqing nodded eagerly. "The strawberries I've had before can't compare at all. This is the first time I've ever tasted anything this good."

"It's just a strawberry. Can it really be that good?" Lin Fen asked, skeptical. Having spent her life in the produce business, she knew strawberries; they were usually all much the same. However, after trying one herself, her expression turned to one of pure shock.

The flavor was beyond her expectations, leaving a lingering sweetness that made one crave another. She could hardly believe this was just a strawberry. She had tasted countless strawberries in her lifetime, but none of them even came close to what her son had brought home.