Chapter 369

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

The next day, Chai Mi and Song Qiushui went to set up their stall as usual.

Wang Da Qing had arrived early; upon seeing Chai Mi and Song Qiushui coming, his expression was extremely awkward, as if he had written "I want to beat someone up" on his face.

Yesterday could be said to be the most tragic day of Wang Da Qing's life.

In the morning, he gritted his teeth, brought forty-odd chickens' worth of chicken goods, and went to set up his stall.

Before the group of children who came to eat even arrived, a group of workers finishing their night shift surrounded his stall, insisting on buying his chicken legs no matter what.

Wang Da Qing had originally intended to come and undercut this side's business at a low price; he didn't want to sell to others. But he couldn't stand the fact that there were so many people on the other side...

In the end, those chicken legs and such were sold out before noon.

Not selling was not an option.

If he didn't sell, those few people would beat him up...

The result was that by noon, Wang Da Qing's stall was already empty.

Wang Da Qing, who had already fallen to making a living by setting up a stall, lost over one thousand on the first day, and lost over one thousand again on this second day; he couldn't afford to lose.

But yesterday he not only couldn't afford to lose, he couldn't afford to provoke them either.

Seeing that Wang Da Qing's stall had nothing left, that group of children mocked him in various ways and targeted him in various ways...

Wang Da Qing declared: Tomorrow there will definitely be chicken legs.

Afterward, having set up stalls for two days and lost over two thousand in anger, Wang Da Qing went home at night and asked his wife for money.

Wang Da Qing's wife panicked upon hearing this, thinking how could Wang Da Qing possibly lose money doing business? She then started fighting with Wang Da Qing.

Wang Da Qing had never beaten his wife before; his wife scratched Wang Da Qing's face until it looked like it had been chewed by a dog.

Thinking of this spendthrift old lady, Wang Da Qing was furious to the point of grinding his teeth: A proper married woman, what does she understand? Doing business, one must learn to seize the market, right?

Of course, Wang Da Qing's wife wouldn't listen to Wang Da Qing's nonsense, stating that the family absolutely could not give him money for business anymore; if he could do business today, then do it, if not, hurry up and go out to work, the children's schooling still needs money.

How could one do business at a loss?

Isn't that being a stupid cunt?

Wang Da Qing was helpless; his entire net worth was only three thousand yuan, and he had already lost over two thousand, plus a newly acquired small car, leaving him almost no money.

After selling chicken legs yesterday, it wasn't even enough to cover the cost of buying chickens.

But this stall still had to be set up.

Wang Da Qing only prepared chicken goods for a dozen or so chickens today; this was all his life savings.

Seeing Chai Mi coming from afar, he immediately ran over to get on good terms with Chai Mi: "Aiya, Boss Chai is here... you're quite early."

Chai Mi and Song Qiushui saw that Wang Da Qing was taking the initiative to greet them, and both felt a bit surprised.

Chai Mi ignored Wang Da Qing and focused on her own work, setting up stools and such.

Song Qiushui put her hands on her waist: "Aiya, Wang Da Qing, what do you mean? Want to fight?"

"No no no..." Wang Da Qing hurriedly explained: "It's like this..."

"Don't spout useless things." Song Qiushui had no time to listen to Wang Da Qing's nonsense: "Speak quickly if you have something to say, fart quickly if you have a fart. I'm not familiar with you."

Wang Da Qing's old face turned red; now that he needed help from others, he could only endure: "This... everyone is doing business by setting up stalls, Boss Chai, don't you think you shouldn't set your prices so low? Let's all unify our prices, okay..."

Chai Mi frowned immediately upon hearing this: "Aiya, Wang Laoban, wasn't it you who lowered prices first? What, you can't afford to lose? It's only been three days, and you can't hold on?"

Wang Da Qing wasn't unable to hold on.

It was mainly that he lowered prices too ruthlessly, losing money outrageously. It was simply unsustainable.

Not to mention this era; even setting up a stall in later generations, losing one thousand yuan a day is unaffordable.

Now that he needed help from others, Wang Da Qing's face broke into a smile, but that smile was outrageously fake, uglier than crying: "Aiya, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have lowered prices first... Look, everyone isn't having it easy; if there's something, we can discuss it nicely."

Chai Mi frowned: "Wang Laoban is right about this matter; if there's something, we can discuss it nicely. But today's price still needs to be lowered; I promised when I left the day before yesterday..."

Wang Da Qing's face turned green, unless he didn't set up his stall today.

Otherwise, if Chai Mi lowered prices, he still wouldn't be able to sell or would continue to lose blood.

"Boss Chai, look, I've already put on a thick face to tell you this, give me some face..."

Song Qiushui was furious upon hearing this: "Who told you to put on a thick face? Things we promised others must be done. At worst, you don't set up your stall today."

Chai Mi also said: "Yes. Things that are agreed upon cannot be changed. Wang Laoban can go back today, or lower prices and do it for one more day."

Wang Da Qing wasn't stupid; go back today? Wouldn't that be getting kicked home by Chai Mi and Song Qiushui? How would he come to set up a stall at No. 1 Middle School in the future?

But lowering prices he couldn't do either.

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

But no one could go against money; Wang Da Qing truly couldn't afford to lose anymore. So he said: "Alright, then from now on will we all uniformly sell at three yuan?"

Chai Mi nodded, counting it as agreement.

She wasn't afraid of Wang Da Qing being slippery; three yuan actually meant Wang Da Qing's profit was already very low, and lowering prices long-term would naturally be bad for everyone.

And now that face had been given, Chai Mi only needed to secure the substance.

"However, Wang Laoban's attitude wasn't very good the first two days... I'm afraid that if I remember it later, I'll get angry and lower prices again."

Wang Da Qing's face turned green: "Boss Chai, I was wrong... don't do this. Or, you can curse me a couple of times? To vent your anger?"

"Stop spouting nonsense. This matter you have to compensate money, compensating us for our losses. We at least lost several hundred because of your price lowering. Not cheating you, five hundred yuan, and this matter is settled." Song Qiushui started extorting.

Wang Da Qing: "Uh..."

"Forget it then."

"Alright, alright, alright. But I don't have much money right now either. I'll give you one hundred yuan a month from now on, pay it all off within half a year. You see if that works?" Wang Da Qing looked like he wanted to cry but had no tears.

Chai Mi agreed: "Fine. Then don't come today. Continue setting up your stall tomorrow. From now on, unified pricing — and it's not necessarily three yuan; it might go up. Also, if anyone else sets up a stall here in the future, you handle the pricing issue."

Wang Da Qing agreed readily.

After all, as long as he was allowed to survive, anything could be worked out later.

If she told him to call Chai Mi 'Mom' now, he wouldn't hesitate.

"Mm, thank you both, thank you, thank you." Wang Da Qing then withdrew first.

After all, if he didn't leave he'd just be waiting to pay compensation, and he couldn't afford that anymore.

Anyway, prices were back to normal now, so he could still sell some, make some profit, slowly make up the deficit, and that would be that.

Otherwise, if he kept losing money, even his wife would run away.

Chai Mi didn't want to entangle on this issue too much either — harmony brings wealth; constantly lowering prices was a loss for her too.

By the time today's stall opened, everything went smoothly. Without Wang Da Qing's unreasonable pestering, Chai Mi's mood improved a lot.

They sold out early, and Chai Mi and Song Qiushui went home.

When they got home, Su Wan also seemed unusually happy today; she had cooked the meal early.

She even specially said to Song Qiushui: "Your mom just sent over some sweet potatoes. I've hu-ed them."

(Hu sweet potato — this term is actually quite rare. It means putting the sweet potato next to the big pot to cook it through. Here, corn cakes and sorghum flour cakes are also made with hu, but fearing readers might misunderstand, I used regular terms. But for sweet potato, only this term works, to avoid someone thinking it's roasted sweet potato.)

"Aiya, where did my mom get them from?" Song Qiushui's mouth twitched: "It's over... my second great-uncle, that idiot, has come again..."

Because Song Qiushui's family had almost no land, there was no question of farming; as for sweet potatoes, they were even less possible to grow.

The only explanation was that Song Qiushui's second great-uncle or third great-uncle had come again.

"Which second great-uncle?" Chai Mi couldn't tell which old man it was either.

After all, Song Qiushui had three great-uncles, all bachelors.

Wait, four great-uncles, only one wasn't a bachelor, the remaining three were bachelors. But these old men were all in their eighties, and their physiques were still pretty good...

Being able to send sweet potatoes, he's not bad.

Song Qiushui looked at the hu-cooked sweet potatoes in the pot with a face full of disdain: "Who else could it be? That one with skin thicker than a city wall turning a corner! Every time he comes there's nothing good — either borrowing money or taking things, annoying to death!"

Su Wan sighed, stirring the porridge in the pot: "He's an elder after all. Sending some sweet potatoes is a kind thought. His legs and feet are bad, and he has no sons or daughters..."

"Forget it, Auntie!" Song Qiushui curled her lip. "His 'kind thought' is smaller than a needle's eye. Who knows what scheme he'll cook up next! My mom just can't bring herself to turn him away."

Chai Mi stuffed a handful of firewood into the stove, firelight reflecting on her calm face: "Let him come. Soldiers block, water covers. If he just eats honestly, it's just an extra pair of chopsticks..."

"What good thing could come from him coming?" Song Qiushui was numb: "Borrow money, eat food, set me up on a blind date. Of course, mainly eat a few meals, then take some grain home afterward."

The more Song Qiushui spoke, the angrier she got, and she said directly: "I'll go back home and take a look while I'm back for the meal..."

Song Qiushui then hurried back home first.

Chai Mi put the bowls and chopsticks away, brought the sweet potatoes up too. No dishes today, just dry-eating sweet potatoes.

Chai Mi actually didn't like this much.

But knowing Su Wan loved to eat it, she made do and ate along.

Just as they were eating sweet potatoes, Song Qiushui came back pouting and grumbling.

She entered the room, took a sweet potato, took a bite, and nearly choked herself.

Chai Mi put down her bowl and chopsticks, glanced outside the courtyard: "What's your second great-uncle doing? Getting you this worked up?"

Song Qiushui looked miserable: "Sitting at the head of the kang! Blowing to my dad about how capable he was in his youth — ears have grown calluses. That guy blows about his travels all over creation, and on top of that, he has to set me up on a blind date. Says this time the match is from our village. Damn it, if our village had a good one, would I need him to introduce? Am I blind..."

"Capable?" Chai Mi sneered. "Capable enough to still live in a shack at eighty-plus?"

Su Wan patted her lightly: "Say a few words less. Old people, talkative, but heart's not bad."

"Heart not bad?" Song Qiushui rolled her eyes. "Last time he walked off with half a bag of white flour from my house — think I don't know? And another thing..."

Song Qiushui patted Chai Mi: "What you said is wrong. He doesn't even have a shack to live in now; he's wandering everywhere. Come winter, won't he freeze to death? When that time comes, when winter arrives, my mom and them will have to spend money again. Can't just watch the old man freeze to death."

Chai Mi stood up: "I'll go meet this 'capable' person."

Su Wan hurriedly stopped Chai Mi: "What are you going for? The old man's old; what if he bumps into something..."

Chai Mi said with a smile: "It's fine. Her second great-uncle doesn't cheat people. He's quite an amusing old man."

Anyway, Chai Mi had finished eating and wasn't too hungry. Going out for a stroll was fine too.

Chai Mi then went to Song Qiushui's house.

Upon entering the courtyard, she discovered Meng Shi was cooking; the room was full of steaming mist.

Chai Mi lifted the curtain and entered. On the kang, Song Qingshan was smoking with his head down; a dry, thin old man sat cross-legged, spittle flying as he talked.

"Aiya... Chai Mi's here?" The second great-uncle narrowed his eyes and smiled, revealing sparse yellow teeth. "Heard Qiu Shui say your family bought a donkey? Buying a donkey has its tricks. That's insiders seeing the way, outsiders watching the excitement. The donkey must have a big butt... then someone asks, what kind of donkey has a big butt? That's a square, pillar-like donkey — strong..."

Chai Mi's face was awkward: "Uh..."

"Second great-uncle, I'll ask you something. You know a lot. You say if the waist hurts, any folk remedies? Qiu Shui's mom often has waist pain..."

"Speaking of this waist pain, there's quite some knowledge to it..." The second great-uncle talked on and on.

"Great-uncle, get to the point. Don't ramble..." Chai Mi frowned.

"It's just using mugwort, applying it. Steam the mugwort hot, then put a piece of cloth, then put it on the waist for a hot compress. Two compresses a day. After that, acupuncture — needle out the rotten spots inside."

Chai Mi heard this for the first time. Problem is, who knows acupuncture? Where to get mugwort?

"Since you put it that way, second great-uncle, with your wide experience, where's such an old Chinese doctor? And where to buy mugwort?"

"You ask about this, you've asked the right person. Me, when I was young, my waist hurt too... Back then I was young, capable, loved showing off. Others carried a hundred catties of sacks, I carried two hundred. Others carried two hundred, I carried three hundred... Afterwards, my back broke."

Listening to the second great-uncle say this, Chai Mi couldn't hold back and laughed out loud: Back broken... this second great-uncle is really a clown.

Meng Shi's face was awkward — this relative of hers...

Song Qingshan smoked, smiling.

The second great-uncle continued: "My back broke... you ask what to do? Just had to tough it out. No money then, couldn't stay in a hospital, couldn't do surgery. Lay there alive for three months, healed on my own. That suffering, you guys couldn't endure."

Chai Mi nodded: "Indeed, this bitterness truly cannot be endured."

The waist was broken, endured for several months, and could still recover; afterwards could still walk, and that counts as having a long life."

"Because of this matter, I was finished. Could not marry a daughter-in-law. My waist ached, ached constantly; although the broken bone knitted, it still ached. With this waist ache, which family's young lady could manage? As a result I became a lifelong bachelor." Great-Uncle said with a face full of helplessness: "Later, this daily ache was not the way to go on, so I went everywhere seeking doctors and medicine. Finally, I traveled all over the north and south of the great rivers, inside and outside the Great Wall. Traversed the motherland's magnificent rivers and mountains, the great rivers and great rivers……"

"Afterwards did you find a doctor who could treat your illness?"

"None…… waist broke again……"