Ants carried a single grain of wheat in groups under the tree.
"Lu Amian, the boss is treating you to ice cream!" someone called out from inside the shop.
"Oh!" Lu Amian stood up and ran over in a flash.
In front of her was a bowl containing small green and white balls, with a tiny, thin piece of wood stuck in it. A-Mian noticed that white steam was rising from it, just like people outside in winter.
However, the frosting on top of the ice cream is cold.
"This one is 'Sugar Mung Bean Ice,' and this one is 'Iced Rice Dumplings.' I'll have one of each. Eat them quickly, or they'll melt. Have you heard? There's something new on the street—an iced drink shop has opened!" Boss Song was in excellent spirits lately. She first rubbed Ah Mian's cheeks. In just ten days, she had already grown quite fond of this hardworking and quiet employee.
Everyone got a share of the iced drink, but everyone else only got one scoop and just chose their favorite flavor.
But Ah Mian has two.
“She’s just a little one, unlike you guys who have eaten everything, so it’s normal for me to be a little biased!” Sister-in-law Song lay down in the bamboo chair, and the other workers laughed and joked with her.
Ah Mian was indeed the youngest in the shop, and since it was the owner who was treating, it wasn't her own money!
She held the bowl and scooped out a large chunk with a small piece of wood. "So cold! My teeth are chattering!"
Her little face scrunched up from the cold, then she opened her eyes again. "It's so sweet, and so smooth, without a single shard of ice that's hard to chew. I really don't know how they make it."
Mr. Song watched her eat with relish, fanning himself as he said, "It's more than that. Summer is almost over, and their shop has only just opened. Isn't that a complete missed peak season? And what will they do when winter comes? If the shop is rented, it'll be even worse. Rent doesn't matter if your business is good or bad; you still have to pay it every month!"
Amian asked, "Rent? How much does it cost to rent a shop for a month?"
"That's hard to say, every business is different, it's not worth it. It'll probably cost five taels of silver a month, enough to buy a shop in a few years. If you run into a heartless landlord, he'll raise the rent next year if he sees your business is making money. If you don't pay, he'll kick you out and do the business himself! If you do pay, you'll work yourself to death and not much will end up in your pocket."
Ah Mian opened her eyes wide and secretly memorized it, "So there's such a thing."
It seems like buying a shop is the better option.
She was eating when Song Dongjia nudged her and asked, "Is this person here to see you?"
A-Mian looked up and saw a tall man standing outside the shop, carrying large and small bags. It was Meng Chijian.
How did he know I was here?
"Hmm, I'll go out and take a look." But seeing that he seemed to have stopped being angry and his face wasn't black anymore, A-Mian mustered up her courage and went out. "What a coincidence."
"..." Meng Chijian sighed helplessly, "Hmm, why are you eating so much ice? You'll get a stomachache. Your friend Doctor Mo sent someone to the shop to ask why you're not learning Baduanjin anymore. I'm here to pass on her message. I'm also bringing you some clean clothes."
“But I don’t have time now, I have to work every day.” A-Mian was stunned. “You, you come with me for a moment.”
After saying that, he ran to the backyard, and a little while later he excitedly stuffed something into his hand.
"I... I made this for you. But you know I'm not very good at embroidery... Actually, I've been saving up to buy you a nice pair of boots, but I haven't saved enough yet." A-Mian's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, feeling very ashamed.
Meng Chijian was taken aback. In his hand was a small, round pouch, light blue in color, with two rather crudely embroidered chickens on it.
"The embroidery is very good."
"These are two bats I embroidered!"
Ah Mian was somewhat pleased, because the word for bat, "fu," is a homophone for "fortune," symbolizing good fortune and happiness, which is a very good blessing.
"I know I was wrong, and I will never run away secretly again. I will definitely talk to you before I run away, so please forgive me." Ah Mian hurriedly took the opportunity to admit her mistake, swearing "I will never do it again next time" and expressing her determination "You'll see how I behave in the future." She was just like a sycophant!
Meng Chijian tucked the purse into his pocket, his emotions churning and his mouth dry. He hugged the little dog's leg tightly and said, "I'm not angry anymore. I was just a little anxious and scared you."
Ah Mian was relieved and very happy to see that he had forgiven her.
Meng Chijian said, "You're getting smarter and smarter, you even know how to give gifts now. But don't save up money to buy me boots anymore, I don't need any more shoes, why should I take money from a child?"
“But you don’t even have a decent pair of boots. I heard people in the shop say…” Ah Mian shifted, sensing something was different from usual, and became critical: “Why have you gotten so thin? They’re so bony, it’s uncomfortable to lean against them. Have you been eating properly?”
Meng Chijian was speechless and could only say, "A-Mian is right."
She refused to let him hold her this time and brought up the topic again, "The people in the shop said that shoes are very important for men. A good pair of shoes can take you anywhere. You'll look very impressive in them!"
“Why would I need something so grand…” Meng Chijian decided to get to the point of this trip. “It’s good that you work in this shop, but Adou is tied to the tree like this every day and has nowhere to go. It must really want to go home.”
Adou, who was tied to a tree, was digging in the soil with his front hooves.
"How could that be?" A-Mian turned to look at A-Dou, their eyes widening in surprise.
“Of course. Just two days ago, Adou appeared in my dream. In the dream, it was shouting and yelling, saying that it missed the delicious grass at the foot of Qingshan Village and everyone brushing its fur with a brush.” Meng Chijian raised the corners of his mouth almost imperceptibly.
Anyway, A-Dou can't speak human language!
I will never be at a disadvantage again.
Upon hearing this, A-Mian felt that she had implicated A-Dou, so she quickly grabbed his hand and pleaded, "It must be feeling very uncomfortable to tell you this. Please take it home first! Let it graze and play on the back mountain for a while. If I don't have to do the midnight snack work tonight, I will go to see it."
“Okay. Don’t do any work at night. Not sleeping will stunt your growth and is bad for your health. If you promised the employer here and can’t refuse, I’ll speak to them on your behalf.”
Ah Mian hesitated, "You earn more working at night."
“No, at most we’ll have to work in shifts.” Meng Chijian reverted to his true nature and suppressed the man’s resistance. He put down his bag and decided to talk to the employer himself.
Even A-Mian couldn't stop him; he strolled over to A-Dou.
"Why do you want to appear in his dreams but not mine? You naughty little bean!"
Adou: ?
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