Chapter 114: Snack stall encounters high imitation
After Huang Mei left the Wen family courtyard, the faint smile on her face gradually disappeared.
She walked home resignedly.
When they arrived at the tube-shaped building in the chemical plant's staff housing complex, they saw from a distance their younger brother, who was seven or eight years younger than them, holding new marbles and showing off with a group of other kids.
"You silly girl, why are you back so late today? You want to starve me to death? Go back and cook! I want to eat braised pork today!"
Huang Mei said expressionlessly, "I don't have any money. If I want to eat braised pork, ask my parents to buy it. I'll make it for you after they buy it."
"Useless thing, no wonder you never get first place in the exam, ugh!"
"You loser, you still dare to laugh at me?"
"You called me a waste! Watch the bullet!"
As he said this, he put a marble on the slingshot and hit her.
Huang Mei subconsciously dodged and ran back home.
She knew her brother would complain again that night, and she wouldn't be able to escape a scolding. But she was used to it. As long as he didn't hit her like he did when they were little, it didn't matter.
Thinking of the notebook I had just given to Jiang Jianye, I felt a little guilty and extremely tormented.
Her parents said, "If you don't get first place in the school, don't even think about going to college! Come back and get married."
She once loudly retorted, "Why can't I go to college if I get first place in the exam?"
The result is that the first one sounds better when said out loud.
She felt that her existence was a joke. Although her name was Huang Mei, she felt that she was no different from "Zhao Di" and "Pandi".
Just another "Zhao Di" in a nice coat.
But after a moment, she smiled again.
How could Jiang Jianye, such a capable person, not see that the nonsense she wrote was bullshit? Otherwise, she would not have agreed to do such a thing.
I don't know what her mother was thinking. With her limited understanding, she probably thought that if the No. 1 student didn't study, the No. 2 student would become the No. 1 student.
How naive.
Smart people are different from ordinary people.
She was now at a critical juncture in her senior year of high school. If she didn't listen to her mother and did these dirty things, she would have no living expenses. Without living expenses, she wouldn't be able to take the college entrance exam, and she wouldn't be able to escape from here.
She hurt the person she loved.
Oh, getting married? She would never get married again. She knew she was a bad person, so let the evil end here.
But she was unwilling to see the opportunity to go to college slip away after years of forbearance. She didn't want to be like her elder and second sisters, who were obedient and got married early.
She wanted to see the outside world.
Clutching the money she'd saved for the bus fare and the household registration booklet she'd secretly found, she looked out at the darkening sky, hoping Jiang Jianye wouldn't look at her messy things. If he didn't, at least, if they met again, she'd still be his classmate.
Instead of meeting her again one day, he would think of her as "that evil-minded woman."
Jiang Jianye sneezed twice at home, and Wen Zhu caught him and took his pulse. With the college entrance exam approaching, he couldn't let his third brother get sick.
Finally, with an unfathomable look in his eyes, he concluded, "Third brother, you're fine. Someone is just missing you."
Jiang Qin didn't know about the previous conversation between the brother and sister, and wanted to bring them together.
"Go to school tomorrow and take some of this dried meat I made to the girl. After all, she helps you take notes and copy down the wrong questions every day."
Wen Zhu smiled, "Indeed, copying the wrong questions is quite tiring."
Wen Zhu was about to tell her the truth, telling her that Huang Mei wasn't so innocent and kind after all. She might still be sabotaging him, but her methods were a bit foolish.
Before he could say anything, Jiang Jianye had already agreed, "Okay."
If he disagreed, Comrade Jiang Qin could pull him back and reason with him, and then stop him from reading. So compared to not being able to read, he felt that bringing something with him was not a problem at all.
"Third brother?"
Wen Zhu looked at Jiang Jianye, puzzled.
Jiang Jianye said, "It's not important, no need to say it."
Then I went back to my room to read.
Wen Zhu respected his third brother's idea. Since he already knew about it and there was no danger, he let him do as he pleased. After all, it was rare for his third brother to make a request.
The hooligans were sent to jail, and with Huang Mei's testimony, they were sentenced to three years. Her third brother was spared from being bullied, and he would not turn evil again.
Wen Zhu slept very soundly.
The next day, Wen Zhu went to school as usual. Teacher Lin called her over and happily told her, "Wen Zhu, you made it to the finals! I knew you had potential! It's just that now you have to face the high school entrance exam and the competition. It's really hard work for you."
In addition to her, Zhang Shengli also made it to the finals.
Principal Sun was very generous with the bonus, it was actually twenty yuan!
She felt that her bonuses were about to bankrupt Principal Sun. She didn't know if his salary was enough.
Wen Zhu felt a little embarrassed looking at the bonus.
Principal Sun encouraged Wen Zhu again. Seeing Wen Zhu's expression, he immediately explained, "Next time, if we can win a place in the finals, the organizer will give us the prizes themselves, and I won't have to give them out! That's a big prize! I can't compete with that."
When Wen Zhu returned, he brought with him half a backpack full of competition practice papers, which were full of heavy knowledge.
She told her mother that she would be picked up and taken back together today.
I arrived at the factory gate, but I couldn't find my mother's stall. Instead, I saw four or five similar stalls, all selling crispy potatoes.
Wen Zhu stared at it for a while and found that one of them imitated it quite well, and it could be considered a high-end imitation.
The other potatoes were fried without any shape because I didn’t use enough oil.
But that's the nature of the market. There's no patent on this snack, so it's impossible to prevent others from making it. It was only a matter of time before someone imitated it. Xu Niannian tried making it the next day, but it failed.
Wen Zhu walked forward a little further and saw many other vendors along the way. It was becoming more and more lively, and it looked like the prototype of a small market in later generations.
Under a banyan tree, I saw my mother’s stall.
"Mom, I'm done with school."
Seeing Wen Zhu coming over, Jiang Qin quickly made her some cold noodles that she had brought with her. She said, "Just have a couple of bites first. Mom will make you something delicious when you get home."
Wen Zhu took it and said to Jiang Qin, "Mom, why didn't you set up a stall at the main entrance of the factory? Why did you run so far?"
Jiang Qin looked a little worried. "Now, according to the old time, it's impossible to get a good seat. Those seats are popular, and other people's families come to take them before six o'clock. We don't have that many people at home, so there's nothing we can do about it.
Fortunately, our regular customers still recognize our taste and will come back even if they live far away."
Wen Zhu nodded and asked, "Has our business been greatly affected? I see there are four other companies doing the same thing as us."
Jiang Qin replied helplessly, "Those shops have been open for several days. Although the appearance and taste may not be better than ours, they will definitely divert some customers. I specially prepared a small amount of goods today to see how it goes. Otherwise, if we can't buy all of them, it will be wasted when it's hot."
Wen Zhu comforted his mother, "It's okay, we're not afraid. We have what others don't, and we have something new. As long as we capture the taste buds, provide good service, and seize the opportunity, we will be fine. Besides, our battlefield has never been in this small street. Don't you agree, Mom?"
When Jiang Qin heard her daughter say this, she felt relieved and confident.
"Eat it quickly. I specially cooled it with well water. It's very cold. I added mung bean sprouts and peanuts, and a little extra chili oil and vinegar. I'm sure you'll like it. It won't taste good if it's not cold."
Wen Zhu took a bite and felt very happy.
A worker who was leaving work saw Wen Zhu eating cold noodles. He had been thinking about having some porridge because it was too hot to eat. But the sight of the cold noodles whetted his appetite. He swallowed and asked.
"Little girl, how much is this?"
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