Around noon, the food stall gradually filled up with customers. A man dressed in a Zhongshan suit, who looked like a cadre, walked in. He seemed a little rushed and said to the stall, "Comrade, give me three jin of nut energy bars and two jin of yam and lotus seed cakes."
Shen Nian'an immediately replied, "Okay, Uncle! Three jin of nut energy bars cost three yuan and six jiao, and two jin of yam and lotus seed cake cost one yuan and six jiao, which is five yuan and two jiao in total." His voice was clear and loud, and he calculated quickly and accurately.
The man raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Little guy, you're quick at calculating!" He took out a ten-yuan bill from his pocket and handed it to Shen Nian'an, "Here's your money."
Shen Nian'an took the money, examined it carefully, and then put it in the drawer. He began to carefully make change. He first took out four one-yuan bills, then one fifty-cent bill and three one-cent bills, and handed them to the man: "Uncle, here's your change of four yuan and eighty cents. Please count it."
The man took the money, counted it, and after confirming that it was correct, he smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad. This child is not only good at arithmetic, but also very careful." He took the product from Chen Nian'an and left satisfied.
Shen Tingzhou happened to return from outside and saw this scene, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He walked to Lin Wanqiu's side and said in a low voice, "Wanqiu, Nian'an is really amazing. In just a few days, she can already serve customers independently."
Lin Wanqiu said with a smile, "I told you Nian'an was very talented." She looked at Shen Nian'an, her eyes full of pride, "Nian'an, you're amazing!"
When Shen Nian'an received the praise, a happy smile appeared on her face, and she worked even harder to serve the customers.
In the afternoon, a special customer came to the food store: Manager Wang, the distributor from the neighboring city who had signed a cooperation agreement with Lin Wanqiu at the last exhibition. He was there to inspect the food store's production and, incidentally, to sign another order.
Manager Wang walked into the food shop and saw Shen Nian'an busy serving customers. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Comrade Lin, who is this child?"
Lin Wanqiu introduced with a smile: "Manager Wang, this is my son, Shen Nian'an. He is currently learning how to do business from me."
Manager Wang nodded, his eyes filled with admiration: "This child is really capable, so talented at such a young age." He walked to the booth, picked up a nut energy bar, and said, "Comrade Lin, the quality of your products is indeed excellent. I would like to order another batch this time: fifty jin of nut energy bars, thirty jin of yam and lotus seed cakes, and twenty jin of fruit and vegetable mini steamed buns."
Shen Nian'an immediately said, "Uncle Wang, the nut energy bars are one yuan and two jiao per jin, so fifty jin would be sixty yuan; the yam and lotus seed cakes are eight jiao per jin, so thirty jin would be twenty-four yuan; the fruit and vegetable steamed buns are five for one jiao, so twenty jin would be about two hundred, which would be four yuan. The total is eighty-six yuan." His little head was spinning quickly, and he soon calculated the total price.
Manager Wang looked at Shen Nian'an in surprise, his eyes full of admiration: "Little guy, you are a prodigy! You figured it out so quickly!" He turned to Lin Wanqiu and said, "Comrade Lin, you are so lucky to have such a smart son."
Lin Wanqiu was filled with pride. She smiled and said, "Manager Wang, you flatter me. This child just loves arithmetic."
After the two signed the order, Manager Wang left satisfied. Shen Tingzhou looked at Shen Nian'an with satisfaction in his eyes: "Nian'an, you did a great job today. Dad is proud of you."
Shen Nian'an scratched his head sheepishly, a shy smile on his face: "Dad, I will continue to work hard and do more things for Mom and Dad."
In the days that followed, Shen Nian'an's performance at the food shop became increasingly outstanding. He was not only adept at serving customers and calculating prices, but also helped Lin Wanqiu organize orders and take inventory. His mathematical talent and business acumen surprised Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou, and they became even more determined to nurture their son.
That evening, the family sat down for dinner under the lamp. Lin Wanqiu looked at Shen Nian'an and said with a smile, "Nian'an, you're becoming more and more capable. Mom wants you to be in charge of managing the food workshop's ledgers, okay?"
Shen Nian'an's eyes lit up: "Okay! I'm willing!"
Shen Tingzhou picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into Shen Nian'an's bowl, saying, "Managing the accounts requires extreme care; there can be no mistakes whatsoever. Can you do that?"
"Yes!" Shen Nian'an nodded vigorously, taking a big bite of braised pork, her little face full of confidence. "I will definitely keep careful records!"
From that day on, Shen Nian'an would set aside time after school every day to manage the food shop's small ledger. He studied very diligently, not only recording the daily income and expenses clearly, but also helping Lin Wanqiu analyze the accounts and offering his own suggestions.
One day, Shen Nian'an looked at the account book, frowned, and said, "Mom, our nut energy bars sell the best, but they also have the highest cost. Can we find a way to reduce the cost a little?"
Lin Wanqiu looked at her son with some surprise: "Oh? Nian'an, do you have any good ideas?"
Chen Nian'an tilted her head and said seriously, "I think we can grow our own nuts, which will reduce the cost of purchasing them."
Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat; she hadn't expected Nian'an to think of this. Growing nuts themselves would not only reduce costs but also ensure the quality of the nuts—it was indeed a good idea. "Nian'an, your idea is wonderful!" Lin Wanqiu smiled and patted her son's head. "Mom will seriously consider your suggestion."
Shen Tingzhou also agreed: "Nian'an's idea makes a lot of sense. We can grow some nuts in the space, which is both convenient and quick."
Lin Wanqiu nodded, her eyes filled with anticipation. She knew that with Shen Nian'an as her little helper, the future of "Natural Flavor" would be even brighter.
Meanwhile, Lin Wanqiu also began to pay attention to her daughter Shen Nianxi's growth. Nianxi is three years old this year, and she is as beautiful as a porcelain doll. Unlike Nian'an, she is not interested in business, but has a strong interest in music and dance. Every day after school, she dances to the music on the radio. Although her movements are still immature, she is very serious.
Watching her daughter dance, Lin Wanqiu thought to herself: Nian'an has a talent for business, and Nianxi is interested in art. I must nurture them well in the future so that they can realize their dreams.
That evening, after giving Nianxi a bath, Lin Wanqiu carried her to bed. Nianxi nestled in Lin Wanqiu's arms and whispered, "Mommy, I like dancing, and I want to learn to dance."
Lin Wanqiu's heart softened, and she kissed her daughter's little face: "Okay, when Mommy has time, I'll take you to learn to dance, okay?"
Nianxi clapped her hands excitedly: "Great! Thank you, Mom!"
Looking at her daughter's happy smile, Lin Wanqiu felt a surge of happiness. She knew that both Nian'an and Nianxi were her and Shen Tingzhou's most precious treasures. In the days to come, she and Shen Tingzhou would work together to nurture their children, allowing them to thrive under the care of love and live fulfilling lives.
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