I work the fields!

Squeak~

The little electric scooter stopped in front of Jiang Yining, and Lin Zhe planted one foot on the ground to steady it.

"Hello, are you Miss Jiang Yining?"

"Uh... and you are?"

A huge question mark slowly formed in Jiang Yining's mind when she saw Lin Zhe on his little electric scooter.

"I'm the owner of the Fortunate Inn. I'm here to... help carry your luggage."

As he spoke, Lin Zhe got off the scooter.

Honestly, even he wasn't sure he could haul such an enormous suitcase back.

"Uh... your inn picks up guests on a little electric scooter?"

After hearing Lin Zhe introduce himself, Jiang Yining didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She had stayed at plenty of inns on her travels, but this was the first time anyone had come to pick her up on a little electric scooter.

"Hahaha, sorry, I just thought it was kind of funny. Please don't take it the wrong way."

"I really didn't mean anything by it. There's no malice at all, and I'm certainly not looking down on you. It's just a new experience for me."

Realizing her remark might have sounded inappropriate, Jiang Yining hurried to explain, gesturing as she spoke.

"Hahaha, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Our inn ran into some trouble over the past couple of years for reasons everyone knows."

"We sold the car to pay off our loans, so we're making do with this little scooter for now. Your suitcase is pretty big. Let me see if I can fit it on here."

As he spoke, Lin Zhe bent down, lifted Jiang Yining's suitcase, and set it on the footboard at the front of the scooter.

Fortunately, although the suitcase was exceptionally long and wide, its thickness was fairly normal, and it fit perfectly on the scooter's front footboard.

Once he had loaded it, Lin Zhe looked at Jiang Yining and said with a smile:

"Sorry, miss, I can only take your luggage. You'll have to walk a little farther yourself.

"You can treat it as a stroll, enjoy the scenery along the way, and breathe in the fresh air here in our scenic area."

"Sure, sure. Thank you! Would it be okay if I looked around outside first and found somewhere to eat?"

Jiang Yining pointed toward the food street beside the scenic area, where plenty of local specialty snacks were sold.

Many tourists staying nearby went there to explore and experience the local food culture.

"Of course. Take your time. I'll leave your suitcase at reception for safekeeping. Just collect it there whenever you get back to the inn."

"Okay, sorry for the trouble! Bye~"

Jiang Yining trusted Lin Zhe quite readily. After leaving her suitcase with him without a worry, she turned and headed toward the food street.

Lin Zhe watched her walk some distance away before getting back on the scooter and riding toward the inn with the enormous suitcase.

Once I've earned enough for next year's rent, I should buy a vehicle for picking up guests. If paying in full is too much, I can get one on installments.

Having a shuttle vehicle would make a huge difference to the guests' experience.

Although he had only recently taken over as the inn's owner, Lin Zhe wasn't a complete novice when it came to running the place.

The family's old Audi A4 had been used to pick up and drop off guests, but...

The car had been totaled in his parents' accident.

Since the driver responsible had fled, liability had never been clearly determined, and the insurance claim couldn't be processed.

The Wuling Journey starts at just over seventy thousand. That's not too expensive. A month or two of profits would cover it, but it's not upscale enough.

If money weren't an issue, the best choice would be the seven-seat Tank 500 Zaojing Edition!

Lin Zhe wasn't particularly keen on formal business vehicles like the GL8.

He preferred the Tank 700, which had more personality and a more youthful look.

It wasn't as though he had to choose a domestic car to show how patriotic he was.

Cars were gradually returning to their practical role. Whichever one he liked was the best choice.

The quality of domestic cars had also improved enormously and was now no worse than that of imports.

As for vehicles like the M-Hero 917 and the Yangwang U8, which cost over a million on the road, Lin Zhe didn't even dare consider them yet.

Who do I think I am, spending over a million on a car? That's way beyond my budget.

Unless I start making tens of millions a year someday. It won't be too late to consider a million-plus luxury car then.

While mulling over buying a car, Lin Zhe arrived in the inn's courtyard.

He parked the scooter behind the inn's entrance and lifted the suitcase off.

"Wow! That's a huge suitcase! Let me help you lift it."

Seeing Lin Zhe unloading the massive thing from the scooter, Hu Ting jogged over to help without hesitation.

As she bent down, a dazzling expanse of pale skin was suddenly exposed at her chest.

Lin Zhe had only ever seen such a sight in movies, never in real life. His face reddened, and he hurriedly looked away.

"No need, Hu Ting. I can manage."

"No need to be polite with me. It's nothing."

Hu Ting grabbed the suitcase handle, and together with Lin Zhe, she unloaded it from the scooter and set it on the floor by the inn's entrance.

Fortunately, the suitcase had wheels, so once it was on a flat surface, they could simply push it, saving them plenty of effort.

"Is this guest planning to stay with us long-term? That's an awfully big suitcase to travel with, and it's pretty heavy too."

"Hahaha, I'd certainly love to have a few more long-term guests."

They entered the inn, chatting and laughing. Lin Zhe glanced up at the time displayed on the decorative wall clock behind reception. It was already past eight forty in the evening.

"Good evening, boss."

"Good evening, boss."

Just then, the two cleaning ladies finished their work and came downstairs carrying a rag and a mop.

Lin Zhe turned to Hu Ting and said, "Hu Ting, get your things together and head home with the two ladies. It's getting late. Stay safe on the way."

"Let me help you carry the suitcase upstairs first. That guest's room is on the second floor."

When Hu Ting had helped Lin Zhe lift the suitcase earlier, she had felt how heavy it was.

She figured carrying it upstairs alone would take some effort, so she offered to help.

"No need. I can handle it myself. It's just a little suitcase. Easy."

Lin Zhe didn't want Hu Ting and the two cleaning ladies thinking he was a weakling. When it was time to talk tough, he had to talk tough.

"Boss, you need that suitcase on the second floor, right? I'm strong. I'll take it!"

The cleaning lady holding the rag casually draped it over her right shoulder, walked over to Lin Zhe, and lifted the enormous suitcase with one hand. She stomped straight up to the second floor in one go, then returned downstairs empty-handed.

After carrying such a heavy suitcase upstairs, she wasn't even out of breath. It was as if nothing had happened.

"..."

"..."

Lin Zhe was genuinely impressed. Looking at her in astonishment, he asked:

"What kind of work did you do before coming to the inn?"

The woman smiled kindly. "I work the fields. Just farm at home, and when there ain't much farm work, I do odd jobs for a contractor."

"Uh, right, right. You're really strong. I'm impressed! With you keeping Hu Ting and the others company, they'll be safe heading home!"

Lin Zhe gave her a thumbs-up in praise. Having a woman like that around made him feel incredibly secure!

"That's everything taken care of. You can head home now."

"Okay, boss! We're off, then. The inn's all yours."

"See you tomorrow, boss."

"Goodbye, boss."

Hu Ting and the two cleaning ladies didn't stand on ceremony. The three quickly gathered their things and headed home together.

Usually, by sometime after nine in the evening, everyone who needed a room had booked one, and everyone due to arrive had checked in. There was little left to do at the inn.

Lin Zhe sat behind reception scrolling on his phone for a little over an hour, then suddenly caught a delicious whiff of barbecue.

Looking up, he saw Jiang Yining coming in from outside, carrying two cups of milk tea and a bag of barbecue.