chapter 13 A request to make everyone rich

Cabin handed it over, saying, "Dagny, this is for you. I wasn't sure which brand you prefer, so I got a little bit of everything. You're such a beauty, running around for the village, don't let the sun damage your skin."

Dagny quickly tried to decline, but since he'd already bought it and returning it wasn't an option, Cabin was about to toss it away. She had no choice but to accept.

When Cabin took out the two bras, Dagny was completely dumbfounded. She widened her eyes, "You also bought these for..."

"Yes, they're for you. I noticed you lost one in the water last time, and you didn't wear them while working."

"How did you know?" Dagny blushed in embarrassment.

"How did I know? Well, it's not like I peeked. I could see it even from across. Your clothes are too thin."

Startled, Dagny rushed back to her room and looked in the mirror for a long time. She finally realized that if she stood up straight, others could indeed tell she wasn't wearing a bra. To stay cool, she often wore a loose, hollowed-out T-shirt when she didn't go out. She never expected that Cabin would notice.

Although Dagny felt embarrassed, she couldn't help but admit that Cabin was quite observant. She quickly took out a bra and put it on before coming out.

Seeing Cabin preparing meat and vegetables, Dagny hurried over, saying, "Let me help."

"Just help me with the fire," Cabin replied.

"No need. I brought an electric wok with me when I came. I bought it."

Cabin shook his head, "That thing might be good for steaming buns, but it can't beat the flavor of stir-frying in a big iron wok."

Dagny had to admit that her cooking skills were no match for Cabin's. If it was just everyday dishes, it didn't matter who cooked. But today, with both beef and pork, she wouldn't be able to handle it herself.

She continued to assist Cabin, squatting in front of the stove to tend the fire.

Cabin glanced down and noticed that she had put on the bra. He couldn't help but regret speaking up. If he hadn't said anything, she would have continued not wearing it, and he'd have had a clear view every time she squatted in front of him to tend the fire.

The fragrant braised beef and sizzling pork loin were served, making Dagny's mouth water. She had been here for quite some time and hadn't had a single bite of meat. Now she was indulging herself.

She was so full that she didn't even want to wash the dishes after finishing.

After downing a few glasses of old liquor, Cabin felt satisfied. He took out the money from his pocket.

"I have five hundred left. Here's a hundred for you. You covered my transportation this morning."

"I'll take fifty for you. Besides, I've been eating and drinking on your dime. It's not right to ask for that little money."

Hearing Dagny's words, Cabin simply let go, tossing all five big bills to her, "In that case, I'm not too strict with money. You hold onto it for me. I'll ask for it when I need it."

Dagny was startled, as if the money were burning her hands, and quickly tossed it back, saying, "Absolutely not. I'm not you..."

She didn't say the word "woman," but they both understood what she meant.

Cabin chuckled, "Alright if you don't want to help me manage it, that's fine. It's not like there's much money anyway. If I start earning more in the future, you can help me watch over it!"

Dagny widened her eyes as she looked at the money in Cabin's hand, "You earned all this in one day?"

"Yep!" Cabin affirmed.

Dagny couldn't help but fall into contemplation. She had come here to help Hushan Village overcome poverty, but she was struggling to find a way to do it. It was well-known that the mountain roads were difficult to traverse and were hindering the village's development. However, constructing a road through the mountains was a task beyond the capability of a small village head like herself.

Seeing that Cabin had earned so much in just one day, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. If every villager could earn a thousand or more a day, then not only would Hushan Village be able to escape poverty, but in a few years, it might even become the wealthiest village in the entire province.

If she could lift the village out of poverty within a year, she would consider it a personal victory. However, other villagers had also tried their hand at clamming, and she hadn't seen anyone make a substantial profit from it.

Turning to Cabin, Dagny said, "Cabin, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"Go ahead. We're practically family, and neighbors are just like family. No need to be so formal between us," Cabin replied.

Dagny smiled, "Great, I wanted to ask you why you can earn so much from clamming while the other villagers can't."

Cabin also smiled, "It's not a secret. There's an area under Baizhang Cliff to the south that no one has explored. But, not to brag, in this village, aside from me, it seems no one else can make the journey. Plus, no one is willing to take the risk. I remember when I was a kid, my Uncle San went halfway down the cliff to see if there was anything valuable, but he ended up falling to his death. We couldn't even retrieve his body. It was only when I grew up that I went down and buried his bones."

Dagny felt disheartened after hearing this, but her eyes brightened again.

"Cabin, I have a way for you to get rich, and it can also bring wealth to everyone in the village. Are you interested?"

Cabin, upon hearing this, couldn't help but grin, "Of course! Hushan Village is where I was born and raised. Although there are a few troublemakers here, there are still more good people. Helping them get rich is a good thing!"

So, Dagny explained her plan.

"Currently, few villagers are going clamming. On one hand, it's because they don't have the skill to gather a large amount of seafood. On the other hand, transportation is inconvenient, and it's too laborious to take the harvest to sell. Moreover, from what I've heard from the villagers, they don't often go to the city. Even if they do take their harvest there, they can't fetch high prices. Some even get bullied by market bullies. Last time, Simen Sun took a basket of scallops to the market and was summoned for questioning by a manager. In the blink of an eye, the whole basket was stolen. He knew who had taken it, but he didn't dare ask for it back. It's because we're country folks; we can't afford to offend the city's big shots. If you can provide a market, you can buy seafood from the villagers, take it out to sell, and it's a win-win!"

Dagny had also recognized that Cabin could stand up to bullying, which was why she thought of this idea.