Chapter 364

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Chai Mi

The after-school bell finally rang "ding-ling-ling" across the campus, and students began streaming out one after another.

In an instant, the school gate became clamorously noisy. The tall, thin man Wang Da Qing shouted even harder; that lure of "cheap at fifty cents" precisely hooked a portion of students sensitive to price or simply after novelty, and a small crowd quickly gathered before his stall.

However, more students, along with some familiar regular customers, had a clear target and hurried straight toward Chai Mi and Song Qiushui's stall.

"Boss Lady! You're finally here! Haven't seen you in several days, thought you'd quit! Scared me! The usual, one portion of dumplings, add a fried chicken leg!" A bespectacled, scholarly-looking boy squeezed his way to the very front, his tone carrying familiar complaint and genuine delight.

"Sister Chai Mi! I want two chicken wings! What filling are the dumplings today? Still pickled cabbage and pork?" A girl with a neat ponytail also squeezed over, her voice clear and crisp.

Chai Mi smiled and explained: "The past couple of days there was something at home, plus it rained, so I couldn't set up the stall. Business still has to be done."

Song Qiushui, spirited, played the role of "finance" and "publicity ambassador." While deftly collecting money and making change, she raised her voice and shouted loudly, drowning out the noise across the way: "Come, come, come! Fresh handmade dumplings out of the pot! Fresh, good oil! Fresh-fried, fresh-sold fragrant crispy big chicken legs, crispy chicken wings! All using new oil from the same day, eat with peace of mind, very fragrant! Guarantee no diarrhea! Eat and feel energetic, attend class without dozing off!"

The effect was almost immediate.

Several students who had just bought fried chicken legs from Wang Da Qing's stall took big eager bites, and the anticipation on their faces instantly turned to doubt and discomfort.

One smacked his lips, frowned, and muttered to his companion: "Whoa, the crust is crisp enough, but how is the meat inside so tough and stringy? And there's a weird taste... salty to the point of panic, throat feels uncomfortable after eating."

Another chimed in: "Yeah, the oil taste is too heavy, feels greasy, not as refreshing and crisp as Sister Chai Mi's."

The customers who had just bought, eating and feeling unwell, while the rest unhesitatingly turned and joined the ever-lengthening queue before Chai Mi's stall.

Wang Da Qing watched the bit of popularity that had just gathered at his stall rapidly dissipate, and his complexion immediately turned ugly.

He fiercely slammed the tongs in his hand onto the sheet-metal cart, producing a loud "clang," drawing sidelong glances from those around.

Afterward, unwilling to accept it, he tore his throat open again, his voice carrying a hint of frantic desperation: "Cheap! Cheap! Chicken legs two yuan! Three yuan for two! Jumping-off-a-building price!"

However, respondents were few and far between. County No. 1 Middle School's students, especially the "old hands" who had weathered the baptism of street vendors, were extremely sharp.

Although there were those greedy for a bargain, they were absolutely a minority.

Wang Da Qing seemed to have walked onto the wrong set.

If this were a construction site, his price would have too much advantage.

But this is at a school gate; students are willing to buy the more expensive...

The lunch peak passed in tense busyness. The school gate returned to brief tranquility.

Wang Da Qing dejectedly packed up his stall that had barely opened for business, movements rough, the sheet-metal cart clattering under his hands, mouth still cursing and muttering something.

Song Qiushui, while nimbly packing up her own stall's gear, proudly hummed an off-key little tune, sorting the collected change by denomination into categories, her face wearing an uncontainable victory smile: "Hmph, fighting with me? Doesn't even piss on himself to check what quality his stuff is! His oil, pitch-black, definitely who knows how many times reused old oil, maybe even collected gutter oil! Wants to rely on cheap prices to snatch food? No way! Students have a clear mirror in their hearts!"

Chai Mi, however, wasn't as optimistic as Song Qiushui. She silently and rapidly calculated today's noon revenue in her mind. Although old customers basically hadn't churned, the turnover was obviously a layer thinner compared to the past few days. Wang Da Qing's price-war strategy had still precisely pried away a portion of price-sensitive customers, especially those with little pocket money who just wanted to occasionally treat themselves.

The problem, this price war, still has no solution.

Chai Mi can't possibly operate at a loss just for the sake of noise.

And, besides students, some of the original customers around, directly ran away.

Wang Da Qing's business looks average, but Chai Mi herself prepared fewer, only twenty-some chickens. Yet today they still didn't sell out...

This is the problem.

This opponent, judging by the looks of it, isn't the kind of scattered soldier who'll pack up after two days. He used inferior oil and low prices to snatch customers today; tomorrow will he think of even more vicious methods? Like spreading rumors? Or deliberately picking fault?

"Alright Qiu Shui, stop making noise about that. All... colleagues. Whatever price he wants, let it be. Wait for me a bit, I'm going to buy Xiu'er a few exercise books and books." Chai Mi handed the money to Song Qiushui and said.

Song Qiushui took the money, carefully put it away, nodded: "Okay, you go with peace of mind! Stall's left to me! Right, Chai Mi," she lowered her voice, jerked her chin toward the other side, "I just heard Lao Liu Tou, who sells stationery next door, say that Wang Da Qing used to be the head chef at the Xiang canteen, later it was because his hands and feet weren't clean, always using inferior stuff, got reported and fired! Now he's come here to set up a stall, I say a dog can't change its habit of eating shit! You'd better watch out!"

No wonder!

Turns out he used to be the Xiang canteen's head chef!

Chai Mi's heart suddenly cleared; no wonder his fried chicken looked like it had some skill, turns out he had some foundation, pity his mind was crooked. This information is very important. She nodded, committing it to memory: "Got it. I'm leaving first."

Bought the things, Chai Mi quickly returned, only to discover Song Qiushui standing there cursing the street.

Got closer and saw that the spot where she originally set up her stall now had a huge pile of garbage.

"That Wang Da Qing, that son of a bitch, directly threw the used garbage here. I cursed him, he said nobody can control him."

Wang Da Qing hadn't left either; looks like he's preparing to pick a fight.

Song Qiushui, hands on waist, face flushed red, pointed at Wang Da Qing's stall across the way and cursed with a wide-open mouth: "Wang Da Qing! You motherfucker, still want face? Your own stall dirty as a pigpen, dumping garbage on someone else's territory? You a rat? Only know how to burrow and stuff garbage?"

Wang Da Qing pretended to leisurely wipe his greasy cutting board, didn't even lift his eyelids, voice drawn out long: "Aiyo, this road your family opened? I'll sweep wherever I want! Can you control it? Wind blew it over, go find the wind!"

"Fart your mother!" Song Qiushui jumped with rage, "I watched with my own eyes you scoop it over with a dustpan! You think your mother's blind? Just your filthy look, oil black enough to use as ink, no wonder nobody buys your broken junk!"

Chai Mi walked over quickly, grabbed Song Qiushui who was about to rush over, her gaze icy cold as it swept over the pile of garbage on the ground mixed with oil stains, chicken bones, and rotten vegetable leaves, finally nailing onto Wang Da Qing's face wearing a roguish grin.

"Wang Da Qing." Chai Mi's voice wasn't loud: "Setting up a stall has its rules; the school side doesn't allow dumping garbage. The garbage, you take it back. Now."

Wang Da Qing only then stopped moving, slanting his eyes to look at Chai Mi, smile not reaching his eyes: "Boss Chai, quite the big tone. What if I don't take it? What can you do to me? Report me? Go report me then!"

Chai Mi didn't take his bait, instead stepped forward one step, closer to that pot rolling with black oil, her nose tip wrinkling imperceptibly. "Your oil, the smell's off. Been frying here two days, right? Kids eat it in their bellies, if trouble starts, it's no small matter."

Wang Da Qing's face changed, he stiffened his neck: "Don't you spout blood! Laozi uses good oil! You care how many days I fry? Jealous I'm cheaper than you, just say it!"

Lao Liu Tou, selling roasted sweet potatoes next door, couldn't help but interject: "Da Qing ah, your oil is a bit... smell's pungent. Yesterday's fried dough twists, I smelled and it wasn't quite right."

Song Qiushui immediately backed him up: "Listen! The masses' eyes are snow-bright! Your oil just has a problem! Parked here harming students, your conscience been eaten by dogs?"

Wang Da Qing got a bit ashamed-into-anger, grabbed the broom and randomly swiped twice, sweeping the garbage closer to Chai Mi's side: "Less fucking nonsense! My oil needs you to point fingers? This garbage, I'm just leaving it here! Got the guts, you bite me?"

Chai Mi looked at the garbage he swept over again, but instead calmed down. She patted the arm of Song Qiushui who was trembling with anger, signaling her to calm down, then stared at Wang Da Qing, the corner of her mouth even pulling up an extremely faint arc.

"Fine." Chai Mi nodded, voice terrifyingly calm, "Garbage you want to leave, leave it. Very good."

She no longer looked at Wang Da Qing, turned her head to Song Qiushui: "Qiu Shui, pack up, let's go back."

Song Qiushui froze, anxious: "Ah? Just like that? This garbage..."

"Listen to me, pack up." Chai Mi wasn't angry either, lots of things at home.

Besides, there's no need; this matter naturally has someone to handle it.

Seeing they were about to leave, Wang Da Qing thought he had gained the upper hand and sneered complacently: "Hmph, count you lot as sensible!"

Chai Mi ignored him, loading the things onto the Inverted Donkey one by one. Although Song Qiushui was seething with anger, she still huffily followed along to pack up.

Before leaving, Chai Mi pushed the cart and paused for a moment in front of Wang Da Qing's stall. Her gaze swept over his oil wok and cutting board, finally landing on his face. Her voice wasn't loud, yet it let the few surrounding stall owners watching the excitement hear clearly.

"Master Wang, back at the Xiang canteen, you were chased out for having unclean hands and feet; has this habit still not changed? Doing this at the school gate too, your gall is truly great."

Finished speaking, without even looking at Wang Da Qing's face which instantly turned iron-green, she pushed the cart and called to Song Qiushui: "Let's go, Qiu Shui."

Walking far away, Song Qiushui finally couldn't hold back and asked: "Chai Mi, what did your words just now mean? Is it really just going to end like this? That trash is still piled there..."

Chai Mi's steps didn't stop, but her voice was abnormally calm, even carrying a trace of certainty: "What's the rush? I said, someone will handle it."

Song Qiushui froze: "Who will handle it? Urban management? That would have to wait until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse!"

Chai Mi didn't answer directly, just slightly turned her head, using her eyes to indicate the direction of the County No. 1 Middle School gate. Song Qiushui followed her gaze and saw two gatekeepers wrinkling their noses, staring at Wang Da Qing's stall and that pile of glaring trash with a face full of disgust.

It turned out, the dispute between Wang Da Qing and Chai Mi's group, especially Song Qiushui's few loud shouts of abuse, had long alarmed the gatekeepers on duty at the school gate. The gatekeepers originally disliked these peddlers blocking the gate, hating the noise and filth. Just now Wang Da Qing swept the trash into the middle of the road, a stinking, greasy patch; not only did it block the way, that strange smell mixed with inferior rancid oil, blown by the wind, drifted straight toward the school gate, smoking the two gatekeepers until their brows knotted into lumps.

The gatekeepers walked over with hands behind their backs, faces sunk, step by step.

The two of them first stopped in front of that pile of trash, disdainfully nudging it with their toes, then looked up, watching Wang Da Qing who was proudly packing up his things.

"Hey! That whoever! The one selling fried chicken!" The gatekeeper shouted with full breath, voice resonant, instantly drowning out the surrounding clamor, "This trash was made by you, right? Who let you dump it here?! This is the school gate! Not your family trash heap!"

Wang Da Qing was happily savoring the aftertaste of just now "winning" against Chai Mi, and was startled by the shout.

He recognized this gatekeeper, knew he was school staff, didn't dare act roguish like with Chai Mi and the others, but still tried to quibble: "This... this was blown by the wind! Not me who dumped it! Look at this..."

"Fart!" The gatekeeper rudely cut him off, pointing at the patch on the ground that was obviously just dumped and still bore the unique oil stains from his stall, "These two eyes of mine saw clearly! It was you who flipped the dustpan over! Think I'm blind?! Hurry up! Clean it up for me! Not a single grain of residue allowed to remain! If I see you dump trash here again, believe it or not I'll directly report to the school, and you won't be allowed to set up a stall here again!"

Wang Da Qing's face instantly swelled to pig-liver color. He dared play the rogue with Chai Mi and them because he felt they were all peddlers, no one could control anyone. But toward school people, he instinctively fell short by three points. Him being able to set up a stall at the school gate, to some extent counted as "freeloading" off the school's traffic; if truly chased away by the school, this just-opened business would be completely ruined. Especially... he guiltily glanced at his own oil wok.

"Look at you, what big deal is this..." Wang Da Qing tried to put on an apologetic smile.

"Less fucking nonsense! Clean up! Now! Immediately! Right away! Otherwise I'll go call the school security department people right now!" The gatekeeper wouldn't buy that act, directly cursing: "Did I fucking give you face?"

Wang Da Qing's forehead began to sweat; he completely hadn't expected this gatekeeper to not only manage trash!

He gritted his teeth, no longer daring to talk back, could only dejectedly pick up the broom and dustpan, holding a bellyful of vicious fire, and began cleaning up the trash he himself dumped, movements both fast and fierce, as if wanting to vent all resentment onto the broom.

The gatekeeper directly kicked over: "You brat, are you pretending to be a big shot? You hold a broken broom, who are you flinging dust at?"

Wang Da Qing:!!!

Bullying too far!!!

"No, you two manage heaven manage earth, still manage how I sweep the ground?"

The two gatekeepers heard: "Fuck! You really don't take Ma Prince as a scallion!"

Then went up and gave a big kick: "Keep yapping, tomorrow let you not be able to set up a stall!"

Wang Da Qing was kicked a few times, finally became honest, put on a smiling face to apologize, but couldn't withstand the two gatekeepers being impervious to oil and salt.

"I'm telling you, if you don't sweep clean, I'll make you kneel on the ground and lick it clean!"