As Tong Hua looked at Village Chief Old Jack, dressed like a cowboy and holding a pipe, his eyes filled with gratitude.
It had started with the Village Chief giving him a Miltank, all kinds of seeds and tools, and Jessica's Planting Notes.
Later, no matter what Tong Hua bought in the village, he always got the lowest price. Some shops even sold to him at a loss.
All of that was thanks to the Village Chief's quiet support. Without his financial help, Tong Hua could never have developed the Ranch to its current state in just one month.
"What a coincidence. Here to buy something?
"Mention my name, and you can get a little discount."
Tong Hua smiled and nodded. "I wanted to see if there were any seasonal ingredients. The shop's planning to introduce a new dessert, the kind with limited quantities each day that's only sold for a limited time.
"Unfortunately, I've been looking around here for ages and still haven't found any suitable ingredients."
At that, Village Chief Old Jack raised his bushy eyebrows, looking as though he were saying, "You've asked the right person, kid." He took a puff on his long-extinguished pipe, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously:
"Seasonal? Limited-time? The stuff at this market doesn't make the cut. If you really want something good, you'll have to try your luck somewhere 'special.'"
"Huh?"
Tong Hua froze, not understanding what the Village Chief meant.
"Does the village have a black market?"
"What are you thinking?"
The old Village Chief raised his pipe and tapped Tong Hua lightly on the forehead.
"Don't go saying things like that. Our village is a respectable place. Where would we get a black market?"
Tong Hua winced and scratched his head sheepishly.
"I'm talking about the big distributors in