Chapter 7: Poisonous Orange

Madison, feeling a bit shy, had a lovely flush on her pretty face, making her look even more attractive. The young woman's youthful charm and beauty were indeed captivating. "Francis, do you... do you think I'm pretty?" Madison's heart was pounding as she asked softly, seeing Francis staring at her intently. "Yes, you're very pretty," Francis replied earnestly, nodding. "Then... do you like me?" Madison's voice was barely audible, her face turning even redder. She had always liked following Francis around since they were kids and had a crush on him as they grew older. When Francis had his accident and lost his wits, she cried in secret for a long time. Looking at Madison, Francis's mind suddenly conjured the image of a girl with cute little tiger teeth when she smiled. Olivia. Thinking of his girlfriend, Francis felt a sharp pain in his chest. Taking a deep breath, Francis gently rubbed Madison's head and smiled, "In my heart, you're like a sister to me." "Sister..." Madison's face dimmed a little, and she said softly, "Just a sister?" "Yes." Francis nodded with a smile. Although it was unlikely he would see Olivia again, his heart couldn't make room for another woman just yet. Loving someone might happen in an instant, but letting go could take a very long time. "Oh," Madison said, a bit dejected, but soon forced a smile, her dimples showing. "Francis, why did you come to see me?" "I came to borrow the tractor," Francis said with a smile. "I'm going to the county town tomorrow to sell oranges." "You're going to the county town tomorrow? That's great," Madison said happily. "I want to go with you." Her face then showed a hint of grievance as she added softly, "I was bullied at a clinic in the county town today." "What?" Francis said, furious. "Who dared to bully you? I'll go teach them a lesson tomorrow." The next morning, after breakfast, Francis loaded the oranges onto the tractor and headed to the county town, with Madison accompanying him. An hour and a half later, they arrived in Qingyang County. Since tractors were not allowed in the town, Francis had to park on the outskirts, across from a road with a vegetable market. This ensured a steady flow of customers. Other tractors and tricycles were already parked there, selling apples, watermelons, and other fruits. "Wow, these oranges are huge and look great," exclaimed a crowd gathering around Francis's truck as they noticed the several crates of oranges. It was not yet the season for oranges, so everyone was surprised to see Francis with a truckload of large, ripe oranges. "These oranges are enormous! How much are they?" asked an elderly woman, picking one up and weighing it in her hand. "Five dollars per pound," Francis said with a smile. "Five dollars per pound? Why don't you just rob us instead?" said an old man selling apples nearby. "I have orange trees at home too. When the oranges ripen, they sell for ten dollars for five pounds. You're charging more for one pound than I charge for two." "Young man, these oranges are way too expensive," the elderly woman said, displeased, putting the orange down. "Not just expensive, but ridiculously so," the old man continued in a mocking tone. "Our oranges won't ripen for at least another month. How are yours ready now and so big? Did you use some chemicals to ripen them?" Jealousy flared in the old man as he looked at Francis's oranges. If his own oranges were ripe now, he could fetch a good price, too. "Maybe. Nowadays, people will do anything for money," someone muttered. "This young man looks honest, but who knows," another added. "These oranges might make us sick." "Maybe they were grown in a greenhouse," a woman suggested. "Greenhouse-grown oranges usually go directly to fruit shops. They don't sell them like this. Even in fruit shops, they only cost three or four dollars per pound. He's charging five dollars! That's a rip-off." A crowd gathered, pointing and whispering about Francis and his oranges. Amidst the commotion, two men in market management uniforms sauntered over. "What's going on here?" asked a tall, skinny man with a patch of dyed yellow hair in a raspy, impatient voice, pushing through the crowd. Recently, he had been feeling unwell, with a persistent lump of phlegm stuck in his throat. Despite taking cough syrup, it hadn't helped. His loud snoring and bad breath had earned him a kick from his wife, banishing him to sleep in the living room and adding to his foul mood. "Ah, Dustin!" the old man selling apples exclaimed, quickly offering a few pounds of apples and explaining the situation to Dustin Liu. "Is this your first time selling fruit here?" Dustin sneered at Francis. "You need to pay a management fee, one hundred dollars!" "Management fee?" Francis frowned. "But I'm parked across the road. You're not in charge of this area, are you?" "Not in charge? Let me tell you, we manage this whole area. You people selling fruit here make a mess, and our market staff have to clean it up," Dustin said coldly. "If you don't pay, I'll call the city enforcement." "Young man, just pay up," whispered a woman selling watermelons nearby. "We had to pay when we first came here, too. Once you pay, they won't bother you." Francis frowned. He planned to sell oranges here regularly, so it was best to avoid trouble. However, he had no money on him. "I don't have any cash. How about I give you some oranges instead?" Francis suggested earnestly. "They're five dollars per pound. I'll give you twenty pounds." "Five dollars per pound? Why don't you just rob us?" Dustin shouted angrily. He picked up an orange, recalling the old man's words, and peeled it. "I bet these oranges are tainted. Let me taste one." As he bit into the orange, Dustin's eyes widened in shock. He started coughing violently, spitting out a greenish mass with a foul odor. "These oranges are poisonous!" the old man selling apples shouted gleefully, delighted by the turn of events.