Chapter 122: Fishing in Murky Waters

The State-run Hotel was still quite lively, with officials treating people to meals, parents bringing children to improve their diet, and a sign on the pillar reading "No beating of customers".

Lu Cheng invited everyone to sit: "Sit, don't be formal, today I'm treating…".

Wu Guiwen heard that and was about to smile, but it turned out he had imagined it.

Lu Cheng immediately said: "Teacher Wu, you pay!".

Wu Guiwen knew that today, to get the TV, they would have to bleed no matter what.

He called a waiter, and each person ordered a bowl of plain vegetarian noodles.

A bowl of two taels of plain noodles costs 0.12 yuan, plus two taels of grain tickets; seven bowls would be…

Wu Guiwen calculated and felt a sharp pang, so they ordered only six bowls.

Lu Cheng asked: "Teacher Wu, we are seven people, why order six bowls?"

Six bowls is already a lot; in the past two years they have never even eaten six bowls. Wu Guiwen inhaled: "I, I and Da Hu can share one bowl, the kids can't finish it anyway, it's waste."

Da Hu stuck out his neck and shouted: "I can finish it, this isn't enough."

Wu Guiwen glared: "You can't finish a fart, Lu San'er, you said calling others to help snatch the TV is one thing, but you called Da Hu, he's useless!"

Lu Cheng laughed: "Don't worry, Teacher Wu, each of them has a strength; today this meal won't be for nothing."

Wu Guiwen looked at the few people they brought; besides Da Kui and Jian'an who were relatively normal, the other two were tall and short, and it was unclear what use they could have.

"Lu San'er, this is what you said, what if we can't get it?"

Da Hu added: "If we can't get it, we'll pull the food out and give it back to you!"

Wu Guiwen, angry, slapped his head: "You little Wang Baduzi, today you followed Grandpa and got a good meal, later I'll have your mother bring me two cabbages."

Da Hu nodded vigorously; exchanging two cabbages for a bowl of plain noodles is too good a deal.

When the fragrant plain noodles were brought out, everyone's stomach was already growling, and soon the hotel rang with slurping noodle sounds, drawing glances from other diners.

Wu Guiwen could no longer keep a teacher's decorum; they lifted chopsticks toward the bowl, but Da Hu guarded his food, a slender piece in his mouth, and before he could bite it off, he turned his body and shielded the bowl.

Wu Guiwen, angry, asked: "Can you finish it?"

Da Hu muttered: "I can!"

Wu Guiwen could only watch helplessly, praying that Da Hu would get full quickly; if not, leaving some broth would be fine, after all the soup had floating oil droplets.

But Da Hu didn't mind the heat; at a rapid pace he not only finished the noodles but also drank the broth clean.

Seeing Da Hu lick the bowl several times, Wu Guiwen, angry, slapped the chopsticks onto the table.

The others had finished eating; Wu Guiwen, still fixated on snatching the TV, stood up and said: "Everyone's done, let's hurry, otherwise we might miss the chance."

Yet none of them rose; Wu Guiwen already lifted a foot: "Let's go!"

Niu Da Kui sniffed: "No, not full."

Da Hu also raised his hand: "I'm not full either."

Wu Guiwen spread their hands: "How come you're not full? You didn't even finish the soup!"

Lu Cheng thought today they must pluck the feathers off this iron rooster.

"Teacher Wu, give each person another bowl; later there will inevitably be a fight, and if they aren't full they won't have strength."

Wu Guiwen was extremely helpless; the meal was half eaten, they couldn't just stop, otherwise everyone would lack energy later, making the meal wasted.

"Waiter, another… another six bowls."

After shouting, Wu Guiwen plopped onto the stool, feeling their heart bleed.

They've lived a whole life, never spent so much money as today.

Another bowl of noodles went down; each person only ate four taels, Lu Cheng was fine, Niu Da Kui at most just made a base.

Usually he eats three jin, even then he doesn't feel stuffed; otherwise Lei Zhan Ge couldn't be so poor. Feeding these three children is the biggest expense.

The monthly fine noodles are definitely insufficient, often having to swap for coarse noodles.

Seeing the few about to finish, fearing they weren't full, Wu Guiwen hurriedly jogged to the counter.

"Check out!"

The Comrade at the counter calculated: "The grain tickets are two jin four taels, and you need to pay another 1.64 yuan."

Wu Guiwen counted the money, paused: "That's not right, you overcharged by two mao, I didn't eat that."

Wu Guiwen is extremely sensitive about billing; no one can take even a cent from them.

"Not wrong!" the Comrade at the counter indicated: "That child also took a bottle of Beibingyang soda."

Wu Guiwen turned his head, what a fellow, didn't know Da Hu had also come over, holding a bottle of soda, about to bite it open with his teeth.

Wu Guiwen immediately snatched it back: "It's winter, why drink soda? Watch out for cats biting your belly."

"Grandpa Wu, I'm thirsty."

Wu Guiwen glared: "Thirsty, you deserve it. If you don't leave it for me, drink plain water."

"No, I want soda." Da Hu snatched it back again.

Wu Guiwen's heart jumped, immediately one hand grasped the counter, the other covered the chest, muttering "Ow‑ow", wobbling as if about to collapse.

He wasn't faking; the cost of twelve bowls of noodles was already taking his life, his household couldn't afford that much in half a month.

As Da Hu reached for another bottle of soda, he truly couldn't hold on.

Lu Cheng, seeing this, hurriedly shouted: "Quick, quick, Da Hu, put it back."

Da Hu tried to put the soda back into the box; Wu Guiwen inhaled, and the symptoms vanished instantly.

Da Hu tried again to take it out; Wu Guiwen "Ow‑ow" again, about to lose balance.

After trying back and forth several times, Da Hu finally, cursing, walked to a large bucket and poured a big bowl of warm water.

The group ate happily, and under Wu Guiwen's lead they hurried to the department store building.

Lu Cheng patted his belly, teasingly said: "I told you, Teacher Wu, you really are… making money is for eating; only by spending is it considered earning."

Wu Guiwen waved his hand: "I won't listen to your twisted logic; the meal's already given to you, and to be blunt, if you don't help me snatch the TV, we'll settle the final account."

"Please hold it up!"

The group hurried along and finally arrived at the department store; because TVs were on sale today, the place was bustling.

Wu Guiwen saw the scene and almost became unsteady, unable to stand.

Lu Cheng reached out to steady him: "Teacher Wu, what's wrong with you again?"

Wu Guiwen trembled his fingers: "Only ten units are released this afternoon, but look, there are even more people than this morning. I told you we shouldn't have eaten a second bowl of noodles; otherwise we could have arrived earlier and avoided the queue."

Lu Cheng signaled him not to worry: "Rest assured, Teacher Wu. The noodles are already gone, so I will definitely get things done; today, no matter what, we must snatch a TV and bring it home."

Yet, looking at the crowd on site—over a hundred people, not much fewer than in the morning—the number of TVs released was far fewer.

Over a hundred people fighting for ten TVs is no small challenge.

Only by taking advantage of the chaos can there be any hope.