After Bai Lu and I finished talking about the inn, it was just past nine o'clock in the morning when Instructor Ma came out of his room, which really shocked me, because since I met this guy, he has never gotten up before 12 o'clock.
Bai Lu knew him better than I did, which made it even more unbelievable for her. She asked Coach Ma, "Did something happen to you?"
While tidying his clothes, Coach Ma replied, "I met up with a friend who does wholesale liquor today. I'm planning to get a batch of goods from him. I'll talk to him about the price first, and then see if I can pay him after the liquor is sold here."
"Something must have happened to you!"
Coach Ma smiled, which was rare for him, and said, "You've all been quite concerned about the inn, so I feel bad about just sitting around doing nothing."
"Okay, go ahead and do it. It would be best to supply the goods first and then pay, so that we won't be too stressed about not having enough funds."
After making a comprehension gesture, Coach Ma left first...
After staring at his retreating figure for a moment, Bai Lu said to me with deep emotion, "Seeing him like this, I'm truly happy for him. He's been giving up on himself for far too long!"
"There's a story behind it?"
"That's all in the past..." She paused briefly, then changed the subject, saying, "Michael, our temporary team, although it looks like a makeshift operation, has a really great entrepreneurial atmosphere. At least for now, everyone is selfless... I hope everyone can maintain this mindset and enjoy the entrepreneurial process... If we can ultimately make this inn a success, I'll consider it atonement!"
"Atonement?"
"Um."
Bai Lu responded vaguely, looking preoccupied. After a moment of silence, she continued, "So, I really hope you can keep Taozi here to help Coach Ma. You and Tie Nan are focused on the inn and may not be thinking much about the bar, but I can sense that Coach Ma is very committed this time. He wants to make this little bar in the inn a success... I'm an insider in the bar industry, and I feel that Taozi's bartending skills are at least above average. If she can stay, it would be like having another capable assistant for Coach Ma... Think about it, although our inn doesn't rely on the bar to make money, having a bar that can mix good drinks would be another selling point for the inn."
“I really wanted her to stay, but…”
Before I could finish speaking, Bai Lu interrupted me, saying, "I really hope you can have a proper talk with Taozi again... Let me state my position first: I'm willing to offer her a higher salary than she had when she worked in Shanghai, and I can also let her take a portion of the revenue as commission."
“There’s a misunderstanding. We really can’t offer her a higher salary than she did in Shanghai.”
Bai Lu replied with a look of doubt: "Tie Nan told me that she also works as a hotel receptionist in Shanghai. The income in this industry is probably not that scary."
I didn't know how to explain it to Bai Lu. After a long while, I replied, "I'll find a suitable opportunity to talk to her about this. But don't put all your hopes on her. It's best to have a backup plan. Anyway, I'm not very confident that I can keep her in Dali."
"I understand that it takes a lot of courage for anyone to truly want to stay and live in Dali."
...
After talking with Bai Lu, she called Tie Nan to go and run the sewage treatment equipment business together, while I took Tao Zi and left the inn. According to the previous plan, I would accompany her to take a stroll in the ancient city today.
Taozi is a woman who loves shopping, so after arriving in the ancient town, she bought a lot of Yunnan specialties such as tea and flower cakes. She said she was going to take these things back to share with her friends. Her enthusiasm for the ancient town was limited to shopping, so after finding there wasn't much left to buy, she suggested they explore other places.
I didn't deliberately take her to any tourist attractions. We just strolled along the lakeside road, and then stopped at a spot where the scenery looked nice. We found a grassy area to sit on, and across from us was Erhai Lake. Next to the lake was a rose garden, where groups of tourists were chatting and drinking tea, while others were busy taking photos. Everything looked so relaxed and peaceful…
I handed Taozi a cigarette, and after she lit it, she said to me, "I feel that people living in Dali are different from those in other places. I always feel that they lack a sense of urgency in life."
"Yes, compared to people outside, the people here don't really like to compare themselves to others. Everyone seems to have their own hobbies, and they prefer to spend their time on their hobbies rather than chasing money. Maybe that's the atmosphere here."
Peach smiled, then stared intently at the rose garden across the way for a long time. I knew she liked it here…
It seems that humans are just like that. Like Peach, she dances and sings in nightclubs every day, but deep down she craves peace and quiet more than most people. However, she has no choice but to put on a smile and please others in nightclubs in order to make a living.
"Michael, do you think people have a next life?"
"I wish I had one, because I have too many regrets in this life!"
Peach turned to look at me and suddenly asked, "If Leilei hadn't been a prostitute, would you have chosen to be with Leilei or Lu Jia?"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
