Chapter 32
When Jian Feng told Wang Mengmei the news, she was shocked at first, and then she felt relieved.
"That's great!" She glanced at her husband. "I'm really lucky."
It was a rare opportunity to find a job without any introduction, not to mention that someone was willing to pay for the driving school.
This is equivalent to picking up a huge sum of money for free on the road.
Jian Feng couldn't help but feel lucky: "I didn't expect it to be so smooth."
Now thinking about it, it feels like a dream. How could he open his mouth when we were not related at all?
Wang Mengmei: "We have met a noble person. You have to work hard for him. Where can you find such a good job for 1,000 yuan a month?"
Jian Feng hummed heavily. His heart was now filled with gratitude towards the owner of the grain and oil store.
Moreover, as the weather gets colder, Wang Mengmei can hardly set up her stall at night. In the summer, it is acceptable to sit on the roadside and eat a meal, but in the winter, when you open your mouth and feel the biting cold wind, who would come to patronize her?
Now, Wang Mengmei has several thousand yuan in her hands and does not have to pay driving school fees. She can use this money to buy a decent store.
Wang Mengmei quickly found a suitable place, and came back to tell Jian Feng excitedly: "The breakfast shop across the street has said it's quitting and is selling it. The food is ready. The transfer fee is 3,000 yuan, and the rent is due by the end of the year."
Jian Feng still had an impression of that family. Hearing this, he frowned and asked, "Why didn't they do it anymore?"
Wang Mengmei: "Why else? You've seen that old lady before."
Jian Feng recalled that he had just seen the old lady yesterday morning chasing after a mother and daughter and asking them if they hadn't given them money. The mother got annoyed and said that she had given it, but the old lady still had a look of suspicion on her face, as if she was looking at a thief.
Wang Mengmei also sighed: "I never thought that someone could ruin such a profitable business."
The breakfast shop across the street had good business at first. There was a couple, the man cooked and the woman helped collect the money, and they worked very well together. But as the business got better and better, they couldn't bear it anymore.
She was so busy that her voice was hoarse when she came down from work in the morning. Besides, everyone has a headache and fever from time to time, and she also needs to pay attention to the children at home.
There was no choice but to ask my mother-in-law to come.
This is also normal. Most people in the market look for their own elderly to help. Some even invite their mother-in-law, father-in-law and mother-in-law together. They are their own people, so they can be trusted and they don’t have to pay extra money.
But the problem lies with these elderly people.
Wang Mengmei watched closely how the store diagonally opposite her went bankrupt.
On the first day the old lady came, she saw her daughter-in-law serving a full bowl of porridge to someone and she cried out that it was a sin.
"You think you're eating at home, but it's almost sold out!"
Seeing his daughter-in-law give the other person a small bowl, he became even angrier.
"How can you only order one bowl when you bring your kids here? We should buy two bowls for two people!"
The daughter-in-law held back her anger and said, "How much can a child eat? Just give the adults a bite. Mom, go get the salted vegetables. I can handle the front."
The old lady muttered that she didn't know how to manage the household, and when she turned around to clean up the dishes, she lost her temper again.
"I saw him take a bite of this pickled vegetable. Why can't he throw it back? He doesn't care about this when he eats at home. Why throw away such a good thing?"
They even put the salted vegetables left over by the customers back into the stall and continued selling them.
"Mom! These pickles are free and worthless. If someone sees us, how can we continue to do business?"
When she was told that no money would be charged, the old lady was shocked.
"This pickled vegetable is greasy, you won't charge me for it?"
The lady boss didn't want to argue with her in front of the guests, so she just said, "Mom, you just arrived and you don't know. Don't be busy today. I'll tell you later."
The old lady was so angry that she couldn't suppress her anger. She was even more furious after watching for the whole morning.
If she continues to do business this way, her son's money will be wasted by these spendthrift women!
The pickled vegetables and vinegar are free. Some people even asked for more after finishing a bowl of porridge, and the daughter-in-law actually gave them more!
The old lady was so distressed that she could hardly breathe.
This is all money!
This is all her son's money!
She gritted her teeth and thought, it is true that marrying a bad wife will bring disaster to three generations.
If we continue like this, we will lose money!
She hid from her daughter-in-law, grabbed her son, and started to complain with tears in her eyes.
"Your wife is such a spendthrift. My son, I regret it now. I should have told you that the girls from your Aunt Fu's family in Dongcun knew how to make a living since they were young. Unlike your wife, she doesn't know how to make a living."
"Don't worry, Mom is here and will make sure everything is clear for you!"
The old lady did not confront her daughter-in-law. She just agreed with everything her daughter-in-law said, but then she did not do it.
The originally full bowl of porridge is now only half a bowl.
She secretly added pickled vegetables to the bill, and when her daughter-in-law occasionally went to the back to help cook the fried dough sticks, she would righteously tell the customers that the pickled vegetables were not free.
The same goes for vinegar. She secretly poured the vinegar back into the bottle for each table in the morning when no one was there, leaving only a little at the bottom of the bottle. This way, the guests behind her would not have any left, and some people would be too embarrassed to ask for more.
…
The old lady's behavior was not very secretive, and the proprietress soon discovered her behavior.
She was very angry and asked her mother-in-law to leave.
But the husband tried to smooth things over.
"My mother worked hard to raise me, so she just has the habit of saving money."
"She just cares about the money. She does her best in other things, isn't it for us?"
"Old people have lived through hard times, and they can't bear to see things being wasted. Please be understanding."
The lady boss was so angry that her eyes went dark: "I am considerate of you? Ask the people who spend money here if they are considerate of you! I know that you think I am extravagant just like your mother, but don't you think that if you were to go out to eat, would you be willing to eat the leftovers? Your mother is so excessive that she puts back the uneaten buns and continues to sell them, do you know that?"
This is what the boss lady cannot tolerate.
She has a child of her own. If she knew that she had been slapped by someone else when she was out, you can't say that you didn't take a single bite!
It makes me sick just thinking about it.
The most important thing is, what she bought with her money is hers!
She can have leftovers if she can’t finish them, but she absolutely cannot eat other people’s leftovers!
The boss stood on his mother's side: "That person hasn't eaten yet. At home, if we can't finish the food in one meal, we just have another one. What's wrong with that?"
The lady boss was going crazy: "You know you're at home! You spend money when you're out!"
The boss lady gave the ultimatum: "Either your mother leaves, or we close this stall!"
If you continue like this, you will turn yellow sooner or later.
The boss was scolded by his wife and got angry: "If my mother doesn't leave, I don't believe it. I am doing business seriously and honestly, and I can't make money!"
The lady boss looked at him with an extremely disappointed look: "Okay, then you just have to make money with your diligence and hard work. I won't be in charge of you from now on."
The boss lady said she didn't care and she really didn't care. She gave the job of collecting the money to my mother-in-law, and she just helped out.
The boss felt guilty, but his mother became excited when she heard it.
"Don't worry, son. Mom will take good care of you!"
The old lady took the money excitedly and stood behind the stall every morning with a loud voice.
The porridge was served in smaller portions, and she would always pick and choose from a pot of tea leaf eggs, giving the smallest ones to customers. The buns were also getting smaller and smaller, and she would continue to sell them if they couldn't be sold out, and she would just hang out the salted vegetables and sell them in small plates for 1 cent each.
At first people were still holding back, after all there weren't many choices in the morning and there were only a few stalls. The other stalls were so crowded that only this one was faster.
But as a new breakfast shop on the same street expanded its business, the business of this breakfast shop began to decline.
Customers now have better options and have given up on this restaurant that serves small, expensive, and unpalatable food.
The old lady shouted all morning, but only three or five customers came who didn't know the details.
The breakfast shop originally made profits by selling in large quantities, but at the end of the morning, not much was sold and the money earned was not enough to pay the rent.
At this time the boss regretted his decision and asked his mother to go back, begging the boss's wife to continue to take charge.
The proprietress gave a wry smile and said, "Do you still think you can keep running a business here?"
Originally, we were doing business with residents. Now that our reputation has been ruined, there is no way to save it.
The boss sat down on the ground dejectedly.
The lady boss wiped her eyes and said, "You don't listen to me. You think people are all around your stall. You think you are so capable. People come here to spend money. If you send them away unhappy, they won't come. I am just a vendor. The money I make is hard-earned. Go ahead and make as much money as you can. Now that people don't buy from you, you know how hard it is. You still think you are the only one in your village! I can see that you are not destined to get rich!"
The breakfast stall was beyond repair. In order to open the shop, the two of them had borrowed money. Now they were going to sell the shop. Together with the money they had earned during this period, it was just enough to pay off the debt.
The old lady was pointed at and scolded by her son and returned to the village in shame.
Wang Mengmei quickly took over the store. After completing all the handover procedures, she worriedly asked the boss's wife what her future plans were.
Lady boss: "I haven't decided yet, maybe we can open a breakfast shop."
But this time, she planned to take the man to the south to open.
The boss lady was able to find a way to have fun in the midst of hardship: "This can be considered a lesson for my brother. From now on, when I say Dong, he is Dong, and he is just an employee of mine."
Having caught the man's flaws, the lady boss gained some confidence in her next business venture.
After paying off her debts, Wang Mengmei was left with nothing from the 3,000 yuan transfer fee.
The boss's wife was open-minded: "We are both strong and capable. We can work in the factory for half a year and open a shop when we have enough money."
As long as people are alive, there is always a way to survive, so they have to learn how to enlighten themselves.
The proprietress left a message to Wang Mengmei based on her own painful experience.
"Don't use relatives!"
*****
Wang Mengmei's stall has expanded, and the store diagonally opposite is larger. To be precise, it is no longer inside the market, but a storefront opposite the market.
The house was cleaned up, and the kitchen was seven square meters, so there was room for six tables.
Wang Mengmei spent some money to hire someone to paint the house white, and also bought some other things. A stove with a flue was installed in the dining room. A pot of hot water was placed on top, and firewood was burned underneath.
Once the fire starts, the temperature in the room will be at least 20 degrees Celsius.
After taking a small test at school, Jian Li returned home and found that her parents were both quiet action-oriented people.
Her father found a job unexpectedly, and her mother even moved to a bigger shop and was about to become the owner of a small restaurant.
Jian Li went to the new hotel her mother had taken over and gave timely advice.
"This door is not eye-catching enough, change it to one with a light box!"
On a winter night, who can tell whether you are open or not? Hang a light box and you can see at a glance.
"Get some red tape and stick the price directly on the glass door."
This will prevent some people from thinking that the place is too expensive and not daring to come in, or the host only realizing how expensive it is after coming in and being embarrassed.
"A whole menu, divided into large and small portions."
If you can't consume the big ones, you can still consume the small ones. When you run a small business, even the smallest bit counts.
Jian Li looked at it again and could find no fault with it.
She asked angrily, "Mom, have you found a waiter?"
Wang Mengmei wanted to get it for her own mother some time ago, but Jian Li would definitely not agree with it.
Her grandmother was not angry enough even when she came.
Jian Li felt that she needed to discuss the candidate with Wang Mengmei. She couldn't bear to see her mother find a relative who was incompetent in every way.
Wang Mengmei: "Didn't you see it when you just walked in?"
Jian Li was confused: "What did you see?"
"The door is taped!"
Jian Li opened the curtain and saw a job advertisement written by her mother and taped on it with transparent tape.
Jian Li: ...So I still can’t help?
Wang Mengmei is very satisfied with her approach: "Four or five applicants have come in these few days. I will select them and I will be able to recruit the right one tomorrow."
The experience of the breakfast shop owner reminded her that Wang Mengmei felt that she had been overthinking before.
It doesn't matter whether they are relatives or not, or whether they have connections in the factory or not. What she does is business, so she does what she has to do.
The job posting said two people were needed, a man who was good at cutting meat, and a waiter who was to collect money at the front.
Wang Mengmei had her eyes on two of them. One was a young man from the factory named Ni Hao. Wang Mengmei and his mother had worked in the same team a few years ago, but later both of them left their jobs and had almost no contact with him.
Ni Hao is a big and strong man. He dropped out of school after junior high school and wandered around the streets for a few years. Later, with the help of his uncle, he got a job as a waiter in a small restaurant. After working there for a few years, he learned how to cook and cut dumplings.
Last year, his master quit his job and went out to work on his own, so Ni Hao followed his master. However, his stall went bankrupt not long after that, and now he is in a hurry to find a job.
Wang Mengmei offered two hundred and forty yuan a month, and Ni Hao agreed without hesitation.
"This place is close to home and I can still go back home and live there."
Ni Hao used to work for his master and had to sleep in the store at night to watch over the stall. It was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It was not as comfortable as going home.
In addition to Ni Hao, the other girl Wang Mengmei found was more dramatic.
The little girl is Wang Liming's sister-in-law and Xue Fang's younger sister.
Xue Fang came with people and spoke frankly.
"She is in her second year of high school and can't go on anymore. My mom asked me to find her a job to hang out with for a while. I just need to make sure she doesn't run around for a few years and we can get married when she is old enough."
"Sis, if you like her, just keep her. Don't be embarrassed."
Wang Mengmei is happy to deal with people like Xue Fang who are straightforward. Xue Fang's sister has a face similar to Xue Fang's and her name is Xue Ling.
Wang Mengmei asked about his age and found out that he was 17. So she accepted it without hesitation.
Ni Hao and Xue Ling arrived at their posts very quickly. Wang Mengmei bought a string of firecrackers and set them off as if they were opening a new store.
Wang Mengmei also sold her original stall. Now that she has a proper store, her lunch and dinner are naturally much more abundant.
There are a few more dishes added to the set menu, and there are also a few more items to order for dinner.
Because it is winter, fewer people order fried chicken and more people order clay pot.
There was a pot of soup bubbling in the store. The soup was put into a clay pot to cook meat and vegetables. Wang Mengmei made a lot of crispy meat and fried food. Whoever wanted a clay pot could put it in. Tofu and cabbage were put on the bottom of the pot. When the food was taken out of the pot, it was drizzled with sesame oil. The hot steam was so hot that it made people sweat.
Ni Hao couldn't help swallowing his saliva. He felt that he had never been so greedy when he followed his master before.
They were all simple things, and Wang Mengmei didn't even avoid him when she made them.
But it smells so good!
Xue Ling couldn't help but be greedy even after receiving the money. When the dishes were served, she couldn't help but ask Wang Mengmei when the meal would be served.
Wang Mengmei looked at the clock and said, "You two can eat after you finish your meal. I'll wait a little longer."
Once Wang Mengmei's restaurant opened, Jian Li had less trouble. She would come over at mealtime every day, and Wang Mengmei would make a special portion for her. After she finished eating, she would go home by herself.
Jian Feng has already found a substitute and has been studying for a driver's license recently.
In fact, the regulations were not strict at that time, and some people would even spend money to buy a license. But Jian Feng wanted to really learn some skills, so he came early and left late every day.
Wang Mengmei waited for Jian Feng to come over every night. The two of them would have a midnight snack in the store and talk about what happened that day.
Jian Feng came exceptionally late today, and as soon as he entered the room he stomped his feet vigorously on the cardboard.
"It's frosty today. It's really cold outside."
It was so cold that he could hardly hold the steering wheel.
Fortunately, the coach gave him a hand and he was able to pass the bend smoothly.
Wang Mengmei poured him a bowl of soup and felt a little distressed when she heard this: "Why are you so late? Did your coach take you to transport goods again?"
Driving schools nowadays are not very formal. The coaches say they are coaches, but they always take private jobs outside.
If Jian Feng wants to learn something real, he has to work hard.
I gave the coach two packs of cigarettes, which gave me the opportunity to follow the car regardless of whether it was day or not.
Sometimes when encountering a road that is easy to drive on, the coach will ask Jian Feng to give it a try.
Jian Feng first took a sip of the hot soup. His heart, liver, spleen and lungs were all aching from the heat. Then he said, "I went to Kui County. It was OK. Nothing happened on the way."
The coach collected the cigarettes. Jian Feng was usually quiet but hardworking, so it was Jian Feng who basically drove the whole way, and the coach kept an eye on him to make sure nothing happened.
After he came back, the coach said he was almost there.
"I will get the certificate in one month at most."
Then he can go to work!
Wang Mengmei stood up and made him two noodles: "Hurry up and get your license. I'm worried when you drive at night."
Jian Feng said cheerfully: "It's almost there."
After finishing their meal, they packed up their things in the store and walked back in the dry and cold moonlight.
"By the end of the year, let's buy a color TV, shall we?"
"Okay, buy Xiaoli a Walkman."
…
The moonlight shone on the two people's shadows, stretching them into a long line.
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