Splash...
Drowned from head to toe, a gust of wind blew by, and Boss Xiao shivered.
The water still has a fishy smell, as if the worker just washed the small fish.
The proprietress, hands on her hips, shouted, "Hurry up and start a charcoal fire!"
Lin Ziyan had just gotten off the oxcart when she heard the roar and stopped in her tracks.
When she looked over again, the proprietress had already run to the oxcart and lifted the lid.
"Old Xiao, quickly send someone to move our things!" The landlady's eyes widened with excitement.
But her eyes weren't big; even when she stared wide-eyed, they looked like she was squinting.
Lin Ziyan looked towards the entrance of the food stall, where a man, soaking wet, slowly put down his cigarette before walking out.
"Boss, we're here. Why don't you go change your clothes first?"
One of the workers threw down a sentence, grabbed a block of ice, and ran quickly into the shop.
After counting the ice cubes, the proprietress breathed a sigh of relief. The seafood in the warehouse was saved, and she smiled so broadly that her eyes narrowed into slits.
"Little girl, can you really eat these little ice cubes directly?"
Lin Ziyan nodded and picked up the lemon tea in her hand. "I sell this at the port. It contains edible ice."
The proprietress's eyes lit up again, and she started planning in her mind to serve the guests sashimi that evening, with ice on top...
She was quick-witted and had already come up with more than a dozen dishes in no time.
"Young lady, please deliver 10 of these edible ice cubes every day. Deliver the larger ice cubes every three days, 60 each time."
After the proprietress finished speaking, she strode towards the cashier inside, opened the drawer with a key, took the money, and ran out again.
Lin Ziyan, "..."
She used to think she was already impatient enough, but this landlady seemed even more impatient.
"Young lady, you've done me a great favor this time."
"The ice this time costs 79 yuan in total. I'll give you a round number, 80 yuan, plus a 10 yuan deposit for future ice purchases."
"Deduct the 5 yuan deposit you gave me before, and I'll give you 85 yuan in total."
The proprietress had a clear mind and didn't even need a calculator to do the accounting.
Lin Ziyan took the money, counted it, and then put it in her pocket.
The proprietress watched her count the money, her eyes full of admiration; she liked working with people like that.
Count the money in person; be generous and open.
This kind of cooperation can last and will not create any hidden dangers.
"Do you have a telephone in your village? Could you leave me one?" the landlady asked, remembering something.
Lin Ziyan nodded and recited a string of numbers.
The proprietress had already taken the paper, made her notes, and then stopped chatting.
The food stalls do business at night, which is when they are busiest.
The sunset painted half the sky, and night fell.
…
Before dark, Lin Ziyan returned to the village in an oxcart.
She paid Mr. Chen before hurrying home.
"elder sister!"
Upon hearing the sound, Lin Ziyan quickened her pace.
The third sister stood at the door of her house and waved to her.
The cicadas chirped incessantly, as if holding a summer concert.
Lin Ziyan stepped into the courtyard bathed in the glow of the sunset.
"Didn't you not set up your stall today? Why are you back so late?"
Grandma looked worried; as darkness fell, her heart pounded.
I'm really afraid that Wei Sheng, that good-for-nothing, will corner Ayan again.
"I went for a walk around town; I just delivered some ice."
Lin Ziyan was starving, so she washed her hands and sat down to eat.
The second sister, Xiaori, sat to one side, having finished her homework. She pursed her lips and remained silent, her gaze occasionally falling on Xiaori.
"No wonder, all the ice in the backyard is gone," Grandma muttered, sitting down next to her and fanning herself with a palm leaf fan.
Lin Ziyan briefly recounted what had happened that day, then drank a bowl of porridge, which made her stomach feel much better.
A faint floral fragrance filled the air, and moonlight streamed in, making the courtyard bright enough that the lights didn't need to be turned on.
Lin Ziyan was full and about to wash the dishes when her second sister took them away from her.
"Take a rest," Grandma said softly, fanning herself gently.
Third sister Jiaojiao climbed onto her lap and sat quietly.
Lin Ziyan held her soft, yielding hand, feeling a warm glow in her heart.
"Ayan, go check on the shrimp farm tomorrow. The workers came looking for you today because you weren't home."
Grandma lay on the rattan chair, her face full of wrinkles, her expression unreadable.
"Okay," Lin Ziyan replied, already guessing what was going on.
We need to pay the workers tomorrow. Even though they only worked for half a month, we can't let them work for free.
"If you don't have enough money, just go into Grandma's room and get it anytime. You know where the key is."
After a long while, Grandma slowly spoke.
The rattan chair swayed, and the shadow moved with it.
Lin Ziyan didn't say anything. The shrimp farm only had two workers, and their wages were only 30 yuan per person for half a month.
It only costs 60 yuan in total, which is enough to cover the profit from selling ice today.
"sister,"
The second sister, Xiaori, moved a rattan chair to the side and sat down, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
"Can we use the water in that big vat in the backyard to cook rice?"
She pursed her lips and looked at Lin Ziyan.
"I was so busy I forgot that the water in the big vat is filtered and can be drunk directly. We use the water from the big vat to cook rice and vegetables."
Lin Ziyan gave a simple explanation.
The water here contains sand, so every household stores water and waits for the sand to settle before using it.
Xiao Ri, the second sister, nodded, but was puzzled. What is filtering?
Lately, she can't understand many of the words her older sister uses.
Lin Ziyan looked down at her third sister in her arms, blinked, and realized why she was so quiet; she had fallen asleep.
The evening breeze was refreshing, carrying away the heat from the air.
…
The next day at noon,
Lin Ziyan had just set up her stall at the port when she started working non-stop.
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