Chapter 17 The Ungrateful Childhood Sweetheart

Several more vendors selling steamed buns and twisted rolls have appeared around the construction site. They walk around with loudspeakers, calling out: "Steamed buns, twisted rolls, small steamed buns."

Some thrifty workers would simply buy a few steamed buns and eat them with water.

These workers have more choices now, and the vendors next door who sell everything for 11 yuan are getting angrier and angrier every day.

That day, Jiang Xiaomei and Ji Huaizhi's boxed lunches were the first to sell out again. As they were packing up to leave, they heard the sound of an iron basin falling next to them.

Jiang Xiaomei turned her head and glanced over, and saw that the man had a dark and fierce expression.

The woman picked up the iron basin with her head down. When she looked up, she met Jiang Xiaomei's gaze, and then hurriedly looked away.

"Brother, that woman has injuries on her face," Jiang Xiaomei whispered.

Ji Huaizhi didn't look over, but simply hummed softly.

"Let's go, it's not appropriate for us to interfere in a couple's affairs." Ji Huaizhi had already noticed the couple.

The main problem was the increasingly fierce look in the man's eyes every day.

It was hard for Ji Huaizhi not to notice.

"Why? Their business is so good every day. I calculated that they can sell at least five or six hundred yuan every day at noon, and I heard from other workers that they also sell at night."

“You’ve earned quite a bit this month, and you two work so hard, how could you…” Jiang Xiaomei’s voice trailed off, “How could you hit your own wife?”

Ji Huaizhi: "Because he felt that he could sell more without us."

"I only dare to vent my anger on my wife."

"This kind of person is disgusting." Jiang Xiaomei spat, "They're all in business, yet they have no class at all."

It rained the next day, so the two of them skipped it.

Ji Huaizhi was lounging on the bed like Ge You, while Jiang Xiaomei leaned against the windowsill watching the heavy rain outside. Feeling a chill, she took a blanket out of the closet.

"That feels so good."

Ji Huaizhi has recently become obsessed with games: "I thought you would be disappointed that you couldn't set up your stall today."

"It's been a long time since I've had a rest, so this little break feels really good." Jiang Xiaomei also stretched out with him.

Ji Huaizhi mocked her: "Some people can just stay home and rest every day, but they insist on going out to earn money to support their families."

Jiang Xiaomei turned and lay in his arms: "Isn't it all for our family? Do you think it's possible for us to buy a house in this city in the future?"

Ji Huaizhi held the phone in one hand and placed the other hand to her ear: "Yes."

"So confident?"

"That's just how confident I am."

Ji Huaizhi raised an eyebrow as he looked at his phone: "But if you're going to buy a house, it's best to do so within the next two years."

Jiang Xiaomei didn't understand: "Why? We don't have any money right now."

"Because prices will rise, houses will become more and more expensive, and the more expensive the houses are, the more people may buy them, and then there may be purchase restrictions."

Jiang Xiaomei believed everything Ji Huaizhi said: "Then let's hurry up and make money now, and we'll set up a stall at night too."

“But we probably can’t afford it either,” she suddenly sighed.

Ji Huaizhi: "Don't worry, what if we can earn enough for a house in the next two years through hard work?"

Jiang Xiaomei felt that he was coaxing her.

It rained for two days, and because of the rain, the weather finally became much cooler and less humid.

As soon as the weather cleared up, Ji Huaizhi and Jiang Xiaomei started making boxed lunches again. It was actually quite easy for the two of them to make them together.

Today, Ji Huaizhi said he would make more, and he made about fifty servings. Jiang Xiaomei felt her hands were sore from chopping vegetables, and she wondered if Ji Huaizhi's hands were sore from flipping the wok.

When the two arrived, they found that the couple from before had not come.

When the workers came out grumbling, they said the young couple were really good at slacking off.

They didn't come because of the rain.

Jiang Xiaomei smiled and said, "I thought you guys would get a day off even when it rains."

"Some workers will be given a holiday, while others will not."

"Brother, why didn't that couple next door come?" Jiang Xiaomei gestured with her chin toward the direction where they had set up their stall.

"Them? They haven't come for a day either. The day before, only that woman came. Her face was covered in bruises, probably from her husband." The person speaking shook his head: "They didn't come yesterday. I don't know if they were beaten so badly that they can't get out of bed."

Hearing this made Jiang Xiaomei feel very uncomfortable.

She glanced at Ji Huaizhi and pursed her lips.

"Little sister, you're so lucky. Look, your man never hits you."

Jiang Xiaomei: "......"

After everyone left, Jiang Xiaomei threw down the handkerchief in her hand: "What do you mean? You didn't hit me, and I should thank you?"

Seeing Jiang Xiaomei's anger, Ji Huaizhi said, "Why are you angry with them?"

"Look at the women working on the construction site, aren't they all tough? Would they dare to beat their own wives?"

“That older sister… sigh.” Jiang Xiaomei didn’t know what to say, feeling uneasy.

Ji Huaizhi looked at her and said, "Don't worry, she might come tomorrow."

The woman really did come the next day.

This time, she sold boxed lunches just like Ji Huaizhi and the others, but instead of charging 11 yuan for all you can eat like before, she sold half as many boxed lunches as Ji Huaizhi and the others, and brought them over in a tricycle.

Jiang Xiaomei looked at her with surprise, even though her face was covered in injuries.

But her eyes were bright and piercing.

It's a big difference from its previous lifeless appearance.

"Big sister, you're here?" Jiang Xiaomei called out.

Previously, perhaps because the two companies were competitors, neither had ever taken the initiative to speak to the other.

So when she saw the woman take the initiative to greet her, the older woman was quite surprised, and then her expression turned somewhat ashamed. She pushed her tricycle to her stall and took out the boxed lunches.

They made a sign in advance with the dishes listed on it and put it upright on the tricycle.

“Brother, that older sister is here.” Jiang Xiaomei’s tone was somewhat happy: “The man didn’t come.”

Ji Huaizhi glanced at it and said, "That man isn't coming."

Jiang Xiaomei asked in confusion, "Why?"

Just then, they heard a female worker talking to the older woman.

"Why haven't you been here the last couple of days? We have to walk quite a distance to get food." Seeing the sign, she said, "So you're selling portions now? It's not like before where you could eat as much as you wanted?"

"Yes, it's also eight yuan a serving. Now I'm the only one cooking, so I can't do it like before." The older woman opened the lunchbox: "Look, it's enough to fill you up."

"One meat dish and one vegetable dish, with different dishes."

People with big appetites might be unhappy to see this.

Each of them eats as much as two people, and although this portion is quite generous, it's still not enough for them.

Although they were unhappy, they still had to eat. They were just told to eat as much as they used to, and the price would only increase by one yuan.

The older woman waved her hand: "I can't do it anymore. My husband accidentally broke his leg and injured his hand at home. I can't do that much work by myself now."

"How are you? Are you alright?"

"It's crippled, so this is all that can be done." Although the older sister's tone was indifferent, there was a hidden happiness in her eyes.

After people found out, they felt some sympathy for him; with the man disabled, the pillar of the family was crooked. More people started buying food from her.

Jiang Xiaomei hasn't yet expressed her happiness for her older sister after finding out.

So what if she's disabled? At least now that she's disabled, she won't get beaten up anymore.

Today, the eldest sister's business is selling faster, probably because people have heard about her husband's situation and are intentionally trying to support her business.

Ji Huaizhi and the others had a few leftovers, but it didn't matter.

"I'm sorry, I can't make the all-you-can-eat kind by myself, so I'll sell it for eight yuan a serving, just like you." The older woman came over to talk to them, mainly because the young girl had greeted them when they arrived.

She felt she should come over.

“It’s okay, everyone can sell boxed lunches.” Jiang Xiaomei said nonchalantly, “Besides, we might not come back after selling them for a while.”

"Why?" the older woman asked, somewhat bewildered. "Is it because you think I'm stealing your business?"

"Actually, there are many workers around here, so they sell very well."

“No, my boyfriend is starting school soon, so I can’t sell for more than a few days,” Jiang Xiaomei waved her hand.