Chapter 153: The Farmer's Plight
Xiu mind processed as the middle-aged man hesitantly elaborated on his predicament, the pieces began to click into place, explaining both the fear and the current despair.
This truck, the farmer explained, wasn't just his; it represented a collective investment by his entire village. He served as their designated driver and salesman, making regular trips – roughly every ten to fifteen days – to Viridian City to sell their pooled agricultural specialties.
Today's load was particularly critical. Mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, harvested painstakingly before dawn at four or five AM to ensure peak freshness for the Viridian market. They had long-standing, albeit verbal, agreements with several city vendors who usually bought their entire stock upon arrival.
But today, those buyers had abruptly refused the shipment.
Compounding the disaster, this specific load, timed for the festival, also included a significant quantity of delicate, wild-picked flowers gathered by villagers from the nearby forest – a labor-intensive addition hoping to capitalize on festival demand. These flowers, unlike the hardier produce, wouldn't survive long in the back of the hot truck.
"We've worked with these buyers for years," the farmer lamented, his voice thick with frustration. "Never a problem. Suddenly today... they say its 'not fresh'? It makes no sense!"
"Have you signed contracts with these buyers?" Xiu asked, already suspecting the answer.
The farmer shook his head miserably. "No... always just a handshake, a verbal agreement. Our quality has always been good, reliable. We never thought..."
"Did they give any specific reason beyond 'not fresh'?" Xiu pressed gently.
"Just that," the man sighed. "Said the goods weren't up to standard, wouldn't take them." He ran a hand through his already messy hair. "We picked everything ourselves this morning! Drove straight here! How can they not be fresh after just a few hours?"
'Hm...,' Xiu deduced silently. The timing isn't accidental. They knew he'd be delayed by the festival traffic, perhaps even heard about the roadblock. Now they feign quality concerns. He voiced his suspicion carefully, "Are they perhaps... suggesting a lower price due to these 'issues'?"
"No!" The farmer looked even more wretched. "They just flat-out refused the entire load. Said they couldn't sell it. And the flowers... they'll wilt completely if I can't sell them soon."
Xiu connected the dots internally. They don't need to demand a lower price, they just need to wait. He's desperate. Aloud, he stated his understanding calmly, "They likely want you to offer a lower price out of desperation. They know the flowers are time-sensitive. Fruits and vegetables might potentially be sold elsewhere, but flowers..."
The farmer's expression darkened further. "Normally, yes, maybe I could try another city for the produce. We usually pick fruit slightly unripe for transport. But today's load is specifically for the festival... most of it is perfectly ripe, ready to eat. It won't travel well. Any attempt to ship it elsewhere would result in spoilage, and buyers in other cities would see the condition and lowball the price anyway. We're stuck with Viridian City."
Xiu sighed grimly. They planned this, knowing he had no other viable market for this specific load. He spoke the grim reality aloud, though phrasing it carefully, "It seems they have you trapped. If you accept a significant price cut now just to salvage something, they'll likely never offer you the fair price again. They might even push it lower in the future, knowing you rely on them." He paused. "Unless you can find buyers outside Viridian City, which sounds difficult given your village's location..."
The farmer listened, his face paling as the implications sank in. He seemed to shrink into himself, overwhelmed. "But... what can we do? We need to sell these goods. The village... our families..."
"Dwelling on their actions won't salvage the cargo," Xiu said briskly, cutting through the despair. "We need to focus on minimizing the loss. Find a way to sell some of this load directly, here and now, before it spoils."
"Sell it how?" The farmer looked up, confused. "Where?"
"Look around," Xiu gestured towards the bustling street. "The festival is packed. Stalls everywhere are doing brisk business. Why can't you set up your own stall? Sell directly to the public."
"It doesn't work like that," the farmer sighed, his brief spark of hope dimming. "Those stalls... they're regulated. You need permits, assigned spots. You have to register in advance, pay fees. You can't just... set up anywhere."
Xiu met the farmer's gaze, his expression turning decisive. "Do you have a better option right now? Selling some product at potentially lower margins, recouping some costs, is better than losing everything, isn't it? Especially with the festival crowd providing ready customers."
The farmer hesitated, clearly torn between procedure and desperate necessity.
"Let me see the cargo," Xiu said, standing up with sudden confidence. Time to leverage that connection. "If the goods are decent, maybe I can help sort out a temporary permit."
Hope flared again, however tentatively, in the farmer's eyes. "Okay... okay." He knew this was likely his only chance, short of capitulating to exploitative buyers. He led Xiu to the back of the truck.
As the heavy doors swung open, a rich, complex aroma washed over Xiu – a potent blend of ripe fruit, earthy vegetables, and the sweet, almost heady fragrance of various wildflowers.
Inside, the truck was packed tight with crates and bundles. Xiu saw an impressive variety: familiar fruits alongside some he didn't immediately recognize, root vegetables, leafy greens, vibrant flowers tied in bunches, even some jars of preserves and bundles of what looked like crafting materials or dried herbs.
He climbed into the back, performing a quick but thorough inspection. He wasn't checking for 'freshness' – he trusted the farmer on that – but for anything illicit or problematic that could cause issues if he vouched for the man. Finding nothing obviously illegal or dangerous, just honest agricultural products, he hopped back down.
"Alright," he said decisively. "Drive me back to the main square. To the management tent."
The farmer, now clinging to this fragile lifeline, nodded wordlessly and hurried to the driver's seat.
The festival management office was indeed just a simple event tent, sparsely furnished with two folding tables pushed together and various informational leaflets tacked to the canvas walls. As Xiu entered, followed hesitantly by the farmer, he saw only one person currently on duty.
"Sachiko!" Xiu greeted her warmly.
"Mr. Xiu?" She looked up, surprised to see him again, her gaze flickering curiously towards the nervous farmer standing behind him. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, mostly," Xiu replied smoothly. "I encountered this gentleman nearby. It seems he had some trouble on the road earlier and missed his scheduled delivery window with his buyers here in Viridian. As a result," Xiu continued, carefully omitting some details, "he's unable to sell his goods through his usual channels and missed the pre-registration for setting up a festival stall." He gestured towards the farmer. "He has a truck full of fresh village specialties, hoping to salvage something by selling directly now that he's finally arrived. I was hoping there might be a way to get him a temporary permit, given the circumstances?"
"Oh, missed registration?" Sachiko listened sympathetically. She glanced from Xiu to the anxious farmer. "That shouldn't be too difficult." She turned to the farmer. "If you'll show me your cargo, I can verify its contents and process a temporary vendor registration for you right here." She picked up a clipboard with forms and a pen, standing up.
The farmer stared, visibly astonished. He knew from past experience that securing permits, even temporary ones, usually involved far more bureaucracy than this. He glanced at Xiu, bewildered by the apparent ease.
Sensing the farmer's hesitation, Xiu gave him a subtle nudge. "Let's go show her the truck."
"Ah! Yes, yes! Right this way, miss!" The farmer snapped back to reality, practically bowing as he gestured enthusiastically towards the exit.
Xiu watched the farmer's overly deferential display with a hidden roll of his eyes before following them out.
At the truck, Sachiko efficiently began questioning the farmer about the types of goods while making notes on her form. Then she climbed into the back herself to conduct a thorough visual inspection of the cargo, her expression turning focused and professional.
She wasn't just taking Xiu's word for it; procedure still had to be followed.