Chapter 37
Lin Shiheng drove the borrowed waterlons all the way to his destination. He looked at the sun in the sky to calculate the ti. The speed of his driving slowed down and occasionally looked at the surrounding environnt.
Compared with the county town, the city was indeed much cleaner. People walking up and down the road wear more fashionable clothes, even the storefronts had modern tastes.
Unlike what Liu Zi thought he would do, Lin Shiheng found a bakery that was a little deserted compared with its surrounding stores and began to talk about cooperation.
This cake shop had a good location. There was a primary school not far from at left and a hospital on the right. There were many people coming and going, but they only sell cakes. Although this was a town, most people were still relatively thrifty these days. Instead of bringing money to buy cakes and eating things that would be lost in their stomachs, it is better to save money to buy new clothes or buy stationery and books for children.
Therefore, although the store owner specially decorated the store with gorgeous and exquisite cakes in the glass display cabinet to attract the eyes of passers-by, there were still very few people that bought food. At most, only when there was so happy event or a childs birthday in the family did people buy a small piece of cake to eat at ho.
Lin Shiheng noticed that when the store owner was moping and cleaning in the store, although he could see that he was very depressed; His hands didnt stop, wiping the surroundings clean, and even cleaning the floor several tis.
***
He stopped the motor, pushed open the door and walked into the store. The shopkeeper looked up and was stunned at what he saw. Lin Shiheng was wearing the sa old clothes he used to wear, although he washed his head. This was deep in town, and it is almost impossible to see anyone wearing such patched clothes.
The shop owner only paused for a mont, then quickly put away his surprise, put down his mop and asked, Do you want to buy cake?
He was just making it easy to ask, after all, with how he dressed, it didnt look like he had the money to buy cakes. Unexpectedly, the guest actually answered it.
Yes, Ill buy two, one big one and one small.
Lin Shiheng smiled kindly at him, stood in front of the glass cabinet, watched the shopkeeper take out two cakes from the direction he pointed at, and asked affectionately, do you want to pack them?
Pack the big one, and eat the small one here.
Okay
The shopkeepers sad face rarely showed a smile. For him, it was good to have any kind of business right now.
When he quickly put the small cake on a plate with a fork and wrapped up the big cake, Lin Shiheng paid the money, took a bite of the small cake, and imdiately praised aloud. Boss, this cake of yours is good! Why does it look like business isnt very good?
At the ntion of this, the smile on the bosss face fell down again with a sigh of distress. I guess its too expensive. I thought I was the only bakery in the city when I opened the shop, and business was certainly good. I also rented such a good store with a good storefront, but the result was such a loss.
Lin Shiheng took another bite of cake and leaned against the glass cabinet, chatting casually. Rent isnt cheap around here
Yes.
The bosss face looked even more worried. I gained a lot of money for the first month. I thought the cake shop must be doing good. I rented it for half a year at a stretch and hired two salesn. But as a result, the salesn resigned. The rent couldnt be refunded, so I had to sustain it.
It doesnt make sense, I tasted your cake, its delicious. How could people dislike it?
I dont understand either. I used to work in Shanghai. The bakery business there was very good. I was an apprentice there for two years before I learned the craft and ca back to open a shop. Who knew?
The boss couldnt help but sigh again. He was dazzled by the popularity of the Shanghai cake shop. He was working well there, but he thought that no one had opened a cake shop in his hotown. This was a market that no one had excavated. He returned ho with money. In order to open the cake shop, it could be said that he invested everything he had and borrowed a lot of relatives. He had promised to open a good shop and return ho with riches, but there was nothing left for him to make compensation.
Boss, why dont we do this Ive sold things before and know how to sell them. Ill help you sell cakes. You give
a cut. For every cake sold, you give
1% of the price of the cake. How about that?
After Lin Shiheng said so, the boss didnt react for a long while. This was a casual chat; how did it turn to him helping himself sell things?
He hesitated a little and didnt want to promise. After all, he knows such things as selling things for a commission, but this stranger made such a request out of the blue.
Seeing him not answering for a while, Lin Shiheng picked up his eyebrows. His handso face smiling, boss, think about it. I dont want a salary. Although you have to give
money to sell the cake, but you would still earn more. Even if I cant sell them, you wont lose anything.
The boss was gradually being talked into it.
Yes, he had nothing to lose
Thats fine, you can try. But how can you prove that you were the one who sent soone here to buy?
Lin Shiheng smiled, if the person who cos and requests so waterlon. Thats the guest I found. Is that all right?
As soon as he said this, the boss saw the waterlon cart parked outside, okay, its settled.
Okay, Ill go out and find so guests now. Will the boss please look out for the cart for .
The boss, who was also warm-hearted, nodded and agreed then watched Lin Shiheng leave his store with the big wrapped cake.
Although he agreed, the boss didnt believe that the man dressed in patched clothes could help him find guests.
If he could find custors, his store wouldnt be so desolate.
But now that its like this, lets treat it as a last resort.
***
Lu Ming, from Class 1, Grade 5, was walking on the way to school with his schoolbag on his back, next to his two cousins. He was bragging to them that he went to the zoo during the holiday, not to ntion how much fun it was.
There were giraffes, white cranes, tigers and lions. The tigers mouth is so big that it can swallow a whole hippopotamus.
Thats a lie!
A cousin of the sa age as Lu Ming imdiately questioned, aunt and uncle were obviously helping us during the holiday. Without them, how could you go to the zoo?
I went alone! Cant I?
Thats a lie. Ive been to a zoo. A tiger cant swallow a hippopotamus in its mouth. A hippopotamus is even bigger than a tiger. How can it swallow it? And your parents wouldnt give you money to go to the zoo. Your family has no money at all.
Great, your boasting again. Ill tell others not to believe you next ti.
Lu Ming was anxious. He watched his two cousins, echo each other, and ran away. He imdiately rushed up and said, No, dont do that! Co back!
He ran to catch up and almost cried. He was about to grind his teeth and continue to run when he heard a noise coming from the corner alley.
Lu Ming was stunned and didnt care to catch up with his cousins. He walked over curiously and saw a man sitting on the ground in shabby clothes. When he saw him, he looked up and said, Child, could you please help
up? I sprained my ankle. I cant move right now.
Oh, okay, Im coming.
(TNote: No! Kid! Stranger danger! (O O;) )
Right now, this was the era where people helped each other. Lu Ming hurriedly ran over and laboriously picked up Lin Shiheng who was on the ground and helped him lean on the wall. Uncle, Ill go now.
Wait a minute.
Lin Shiheng stopped him and asked smilingly, Did you quarrel with your classmates just now?
Speaking of this, Lu Mings face that had gotten better darkened again. Not my classmates, but my cousins. Their laughing at .
Lin Shiheng was sowhat surprised, arent you cousins? Why would they laugh at you?
Lu Ming embarrassedly lowered his head, My family is poor.
In fact, he wasnt so fond of boasting, but his family was poor and his parents had to give him less money. It so happened that his two cousins liked to laugh at his familys poverty. Every ti they have sothing good, they would show off in front of him. They also liked tell the whole class how poor his family was and make people laugh at him when they see him.
Liu Ming wanted to regain his face, so he insisted on lying. In the end, it was revealed. It seems like when he goes to school later, he would be laughed at as a liar by a group of people.
In adults eyes, this was just a small fight between children, but for Lu Ming, he was experiencing verbal violence every day, which could be seen from his growing dislike of talking in school.
I see.
Lin Shiheng took two steps forward with his hand on the wall, picked up the cake box that had been placed on the ground and handed it to Lu Ming, who was confused.
I heard before, they joked that you havent been to the zoo, right? This is for you. This is the favorite cake of people in big cities like Shanghai. Its made of nutritious milk and tastes sweet and soft. Its much more delicious than candy. Uncle will give you a cup of iced waterlon juice and you can drink waterlon juice after eating the cake. They havent eaten it either. It will certainly make everyone envy you.
Lu Ming looked dumbfounded while holding a cake box that was almost too big for him, looked up at the handso man in front of him, but this is must be expensive.
Its quite expensive, I bought this at the cake shop opposite your school on the right. But, you just saved , this is your reward.
By the way, is your cousin in the sa class as you?
At the ntion of his cousin, Lu Ming imdiately felt a shock. My younger cousin and I are in the sa class.
There are plates and knives and forks in the packing box, so why dont you take the cake to class and share it with everyone, give more to those who have good relations with you. Give less to those who have bad relations, and dont give so to your younger cousin. He must want so when he sees it. If he is willing to apologize to you, you can give it to him.
Rember to ntion as much as possible that this cake is from Shanghai. Shanghai is much more powerful than the zoo. If there are children who want to eat it, you can tell them to go to that cake shop to buy it. Theres a promotion right now, buy a cake and get a cup of waterlon juice. When they go, they would know how expensive the cake is.
Lu Mings eyes glistened with a nod. He was a child after all. When he heard that he was going to be admired by the whole class, he couldnt stop being excited. He nodded, Thank you, uncle. Im going to school now.
***
In school, Lu Ming did as Lin Shiheng told him. He boasted about how precious and delicious the cake was. After everyone admired Shanghai, he took the plastic knife and fork and began to divide the cake in person while the others begged for a bite.
If they had a good relationship with him, he would give them a bigger piece, and if they had a bad relationship with him, then they could only ask for a little. He wouldnt give any to his younger cousin unless he was willing to apologize.
This cake was very big, but there were many students in the class. Soon only one piece was left.
Lu Ming hurriedly refused to share any more. Other students who felt that the cake was delicious and hadnt gotten enough, asked him where he bought it. When he lifted his neck, he almost wanted to brag that he had bought it himself. However, he thought that the kind-hearted uncle, and he shouldnt wear away his good deed.
It was bought by a kind uncle in a cake shop. I did a good job at helping him stand when he fell down. In order to repay , he gave
the cake.
As he said that, he showed off the waterlon juice to others. He also said that the store was doing promotions, buy a cake, get a cup of waterlon juice. And he gave
this waterlon juice too. But I cant share this with you, this was given to
by that kind uncle.
After Lu Ming said that, he took a gulp of waterlon juice. It was really delicious.
He glanced at his classmates and gloated with wonder: Its delicious. Its much better than waterlon. Uncle said that waterlon juice alone can cost a lot of money.
After distributing delicious cake from Shanghai, Lu Ming suddenly beca the most popular person in the class.
Is it really so delicious? Can you give
a sip? I want a sip.
Wow, Lu Ming, youre amazing. You could even do good deeds.
No wonder my grandmother always said that good people gain good results. I will do good things too next ti.
Liu Ming, give
a bite. I also want to eat.
Cant. Ive only eaten a few bites.
Lu Ming guarded the rest of the cake warily and took a seat inside. He swallowed at the thought of the sweet and soft taste. But, at the sight of his cousin who was sitting in his seat sulking, he abruptly refrained from eating the last piece.
His cousin didnt apologize, he could only look at him enviously.
However, so students who ate only a little cake were not satisfied. They knew there was a cake shop before, but nobody ever ate one and they didnt want to buy it. They didnt expect it to be so delicious.
When school was over, they had to make sure to ask their parents to take so ho.
By the way, there was also the waterlon juice that looks especially good.
***
When the school bell rang, the boss of the cake shop opened the cake shop as usual, but within ten minutes the door was opened again.
A fashionably dressed parent ca in with his children. Boss, if I buy a cake would I get a cup of waterlon juice?
The boss was stunned and hurriedly replied, sure, yes, yes.
He was pleasantly surprised. Before he could return from his excitent, two pairs of parents ca in. Boss, are you the one giving out a cup of waterlon juice with every cake?
More and more people ca in, the boss dismissed the employees before, and now he was overwheld. Doing everything by himself. In addition, the quantity of the cakes he had wasnt enough, so he could only propose to let the parents order first, and then co back to get it when its ready.
Right now, it was rush hour, where children were picked up from school. The crowd in the cake shop naturally attracted the attention of other children.
Mom, lets go in and have a look!
Dad, whats going on over there? Lets go see.
So children were led out by their parents, and when they saw people who they knew well, they would show off for a while, my mother ordered cakes and waterlon juice for . Its from Shanghai. Do you know in Shanghai? The people there especially love to eat cakes, theyre extrely delicious.
As soon as this was said, so of the children were all worried. Children of this age liked to compare with their peers. In addition, when they heard a delicious cake from Shanghai, they imdiately anxiously asked their parents to co in and take a look.
In such a short period of ti, the boss took more than 20 orders at once, while many people crowded outside to co in. Originally, the parents were only pestered by their children to co to the cake shop to see what was so interesting. When they saw that so many people wanted to go, their children were in a hurry. They pulled their arms and insisted on going inside, fearing that all the delicious cakes would be bought by others.
At that ti, the boss received money for advance orders.
He was both happy and curious.
How did that man do it?
Maybe his waterlon juice was really delicious?
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