bookrandom Chapter 29 How to Trade
Chapter 29 How to Trade
It's back-to-school season again. Lin Yue dropped her two children off at the school gate, then took her youngest to a hot pot restaurant. Xiao Hui also dropped her child off at the elementary school gate, then went to her clothing store.
To make it easier to take her child out, Xiaohui hired a helper to mind the shop. After checking her shop's inventory and sales, she drove to the hot pot restaurant. There, she saw Lin Yue and Xiaobao checking the inventory in the kitchen.
Xiao Hui took over the work from Lin Yue and said, "Let Lin Yue take Xiao Bao to the early education class first." Lin Yue took Xiao Bao to the early education class he attended last year and handed him over to the teacher. Xiao Bao was a little uncomfortable and started crying loudly. Lin Yue said, "Mommy will pick you up this afternoon, okay?" The teacher took Xiao Bao inside, and the moment the door closed, Xiao Bao stopped crying, only making soft, angry whimpering sounds. Lin Yue listened outside the door, and seeing that the child had stopped crying, sighed, walked out of the neighborhood, and went to the hot pot restaurant they had previously visited. She saw Xiao Hui still taking inventory.
The two of them went to the cashier and checked the accounts from the two months they hadn't been at the hot pot restaurant much. They made sure there were some things missing and found that some drinks needed to be added. They also noticed something amiss with one of the waiters.
What exactly was the problem? It turned out the young woman had taken a liking to Lao Xiao, thinking he was rich, and Xiao Hui hadn't been coming to the hot pot restaurant lately. So, Xiao Hui subtly told Lao Xiao that she didn't want the waitress anymore. But who would play the bad guy? Lao Xiao said, "After you came back, you and Lin Yue were at the restaurant every day. My company took on a new project, and I'm busy too. I'll be away for a while."
In front of Lao Xiao, Xiao Hui blocked and deleted the young waitress's WeChat account and phone number from Lao Xiao's phone. Then, Lao Xiao added Xiao Hui and Lin Yue to the WeChat group administrator group, which is a group for all the waitresses and chefs in the hot pot restaurant. Lin Yue had never spoken in the group before, and Xiao Hui hadn't been there either; this was her first time joining. After joining, Xiao Hui spoke up: "The boss has taken on a new project and will be away for a while. I, the boss's wife, will be managing it temporarily."
After the message was sent out, several older men and two young men in the kitchen privately added Xiaohui on WeChat. After adding her, one of the young men in the kitchen told the owner that some fresh ingredients had been taken by someone, and some waiters had taken some supplies home. In short, these reports delighted Xiaohui. Xiaohui and Lin Yue were both reading these accusations. Old Xiao hadn't paid attention to these details before, but this morning, while Lin Yue and Xiaohui were checking the warehouse items and supplies, they discovered the crisis.
Lin Yue and Xiao Hui discreetly wrote down these details in a notebook. Who took the ingredients, on what date; how much consumables; on what date; who stole what and when; whose family members came to eat but didn't pay and sneaked away. In short, the tattling was incredibly varied. Lin Yue told Xiao Hui the dates, and the two of them reviewed the store's security footage. Since there weren't many people in the store that morning, Lin Yue and Xiao Hui spent their time searching for any issues that had occurred during the two months they had been away.
As Lin Yue flipped through the videos, she noticed something amiss: "Xiao Hui, do you see these people coming every day? They're always sitting across from us." Xiao Hui replied, "Yes, these people started by eating hot pot here, every day. Then they went to the teahouse across the street, then to a noodle shop next door, and after a few days, they started coming back every day. My goodness, do they really love hot pot that much? Even the best family can't afford to eat like this. Our hot pot restaurant isn't cheap; it's mid-range. And they're here every day, at least four or five people per meal, costing over a thousand yuan per meal. Coming here every day...something seems off." Lin Yue reviewed the videos from each day, focusing on the tables in the most crowded private rooms, and discovered the problem. She noticed many eyes were fixed on the restaurant.
Before Lao Xiao left, he didn't mention that a group of street thugs had also come into the store. Lin Yue and Xiao Hui were chatting away behind the cashier. Around noon, people slowly started coming in, forming a large group. After they finished eating and paying, a young man suddenly asked, "Where's the boss today?" Xiao Hui smiled and said, "I'm the boss's wife, she's here today." Lin Yue chuckled beside him. The young man quickly paid, and an older woman in line behind him said, "Boss's wife, I haven't seen you in a while." "Yes, yes, I've been away for two months." "Where did you go, boss's wife?" The boss's wife said kindly, "Oh dear, I went to a Taoist temple for two days, and then I was busy taking care of my child's tutoring, so I haven't been around much." The young man then walked away. Another person paying behind him asked the same question, and Xiao Hui's lips almost ached from smiling so much.
Lin Yue and Xiao Hui exchanged a glance, both understanding that the situation in the store was far more complicated than they had imagined. But they weren't afraid; they decided to figure out the problems step by step and manage the store well.
The hot pot restaurant was still busy in the evening, but everyone in the kitchen was a bit tense. However, they were very proactive and hardworking because it was packed. Even at almost 10 pm, the restaurant was still very crowded.
Lin Yue's baby was about to sleep, and she guessed the baby was crying at home again. Lin Yue said to Xiao Hui, "I'll go back and check on the baby first. I'll come down after he's asleep." Xiao Hui said, "You go back first, you don't need to come down. Take good care of the baby. I can manage on my own." Lin Yue looked at Xiao Hui and still said, "I'll go back and put the baby down first, and see if I can come down tonight." Xiao Hui said, "Go ahead, go ahead." Lin Yue left and went home.
Indeed, Xiao Bao was fussy, and Gong Yong was holding him and circling him in the living room until he was almost asleep. Lin Yue returned home and quickly took a shower. She put the children on the bed and held her younger son, trying to soothe him to sleep. He fell asleep within ten minutes of lying down. "Looks like he had a lot of fun at school today," Lin Yue thought. "He must be very tired." Da Bao and Er Bao had just finished getting ready and were getting into bed. Lin Yue got out of bed and kissed Da Bao and Er Bao.
Watching the children sleep peacefully, Lin Yue felt both relieved and somewhat exhausted. She was still worried about the hot pot restaurant, but the children's well-being brought her even more satisfaction. Lin Yue tiptoed out of the room, thinking of Xiao Hui working alone at the restaurant, and hoped everything would go smoothly.
Lin Yue thought for a moment and decided to go out to check on Xiao Hui, since the store would close around 11:30. Going down now would allow her to see if Gong Yong had taken Xiao Hui home and if anyone was still there to pick her up. Lin Yue finished getting ready, said goodbye to Gong Yong, and told him she would watch the child for a while before going down to check if Xiao Hui had gone home.
When she arrived at the hot pot restaurant, there were still about 10 tables occupied. Xiao Hui said, "Hey, Lin Yue, why are you down here again? Aren't you taking good care of the child?" Lin Yue replied, "The child is asleep. I was worried about you being alone. After all, it used to be Lao Xiao who was here, and I didn't feel comfortable leaving you here alone."
Xiaohui said, "The house will be renovated in another month, and I'll move in then." A little while later, Xiaohui's parents-in-law arrived in their car to pick her up. Xiaohui said, "Oh, you're here. What about our baby?" Her father-in-law said, "He's already asleep. We've come to pick you up."
Xiao Hui thought for a moment and agreed. Lin Yue said, "You go back first. My house is right inside the community. Once you close the gate, you can just turn around and you'll see the main gate. You don't need to worry so much. Anyway, it's still a 20-minute drive for you. Your in-laws will come to pick you up, so hurry up and go back with them." Xiao Hui thought for a moment, then put down her notebook, took off her apron, and quickly went home with her in-laws.
Lin Yue stayed there, and after the last few tables paid and left, the kitchen was cleaned up, and all the waiters were cleaning. After all the waiters left, Lin Yue checked everything: the electricity, fire safety systems, the back door, the security cameras, etc. She checked that the windows were properly closed, and made sure everything was in order. Lin Yue came out, pulled the door shut, locked it, and headed home. It was already midnight.
The streets were exceptionally quiet at night, and Lin Yue's footsteps echoed in the empty alley. As she walked, she thought about the events at the hot pot restaurant that day, and how she and Xiao Hui would resolve those problems tomorrow. Although somewhat tired, she knew that for the sake of their livelihood and their shared business, it was all worthwhile. Back home, she opened the door quietly, careful not to wake her sleeping family.
Old Xiao was on a business trip about 100 kilometers away from Rongcheng, about three districts away. He stayed at a nearby guesthouse for the first three days without any problems.
On the fourth day, something happened that night. You're probably wondering what happened? Old Xiao had never believed in ghosts or spirits before, but this time he did. At 3 a.m., someone kept ringing his doorbell. After each ring, Old Xiao opened the door, but saw no one. He closed the door again, but then the doorbell rang repeatedly. He opened it again, but still no one was there.
He returned to his room and lay on the bed, feeling like he was experiencing sleep paralysis and couldn't get up. He could sense a woman in red floating around the doorway. This startled Lao Xiao so much that he sat bolt upright and couldn't fall back asleep until dawn. Lao Xiao texted Xiao Hui about it, and Lin Yue said, "He has those three beads with him; there's no way these things could be harassing him." Lin Yue told Xiao Hui that she thought someone had put something in that room and suggested Lao Xiao move to another room. Xiao Hui agreed and told Lao Xiao to find a new room; she figured that would solve the problem.
Old Xiao told Xiao Hui that when he called the front desk and arranged for a cleaning lady to come and check what was going on, he was terrified when he opened the door and saw the cleaning lady. She looked like a dead person standing outside, with dark circles under her eyes and strange-sounding lips. How to put it? She looked like a dead person.
Old Xiao's voice trembled as he described the scene. Xiao Hui felt a chill run down her spine, wondering what was going on. Lin Yue, meanwhile, pondered whether someone was deliberately causing trouble to scare Old Xiao. But what was the reason behind it? For a moment, all three were filled with doubt and unease.
The day after changing rooms, Lao Xiao received a message from Ouyang, saying, "When will the rice and flour be traded? How will it be traded?" Lao Xiao replied, "Don't even mention it. I had a lot of people watching me at the hot pot restaurant before, and now that I'm on a business trip, there are at least five or six groups of people watching me. How are we supposed to get the goods out?" Lao Xiao was at a loss. He said, "Wait a little longer, I'll ask around."
After replying to the message, Lao Xiao called Lin Yue. He said, "Lin Yue, how's Xiao Ou? Is he urging us to see if the rice for the hot pot restaurant is used up? His large batch also needs a new one." Lin Yue suddenly realized something and quickly replied, "The hot pot restaurant's kitchen still has some rice, but it's not enough. We'll be purchasing more soon. Wait a moment, we'll contact each other via WeChat."
Then, Lin Yue asked Lao Xiao on WeChat what was going on. Lao Xiao said, "It might have been a phone call that was tapped on." Lin Yue said, "Okay, what should we do then?" Lin Yue said, "Have Xiao Ou mail over a piece of clothing he's worn. Don't wash it, wear it for a couple more days, and mail it to the hot pot restaurant while it still smells strong." Lao Xiao asked, "Why?" Lin Yue said, "Don't ask so many questions, just have him mail it." Lao Xiao agreed and told Ouyang on WeChat to have the clothes he'd worn for a couple more days, wrapped in oil paper and mailed to his hot pot restaurant address. Ouyang didn't ask any questions and did as he was told.
Lin Yue seemed to have her own plans, and although Lao Xiao was full of doubts, he trusted Lin Yue and relayed her request to Ouyang. Next, they all waited for the arrival of the sweat-smelling clothes, wondering what kind of turning point it would bring.
On a sunny weekend, Lin Yue didn't go to the hot pot restaurant to work as a cashier. Instead, she took her three children and Gong Yong to the park where they had previously met by the willow tree and small bridge, and went camping with the children.
In the park, the grass was lush and green, a gentle breeze rustled the willow branches, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows. Lin Yue and Gong Yong were busy setting up the tent, while the children ran around excitedly nearby, their laughter echoing in the air.
After setting up the tent, Lin Yue took out the prepared food and drinks from her backpack and placed them on the picnic mat. The family sat together, enjoying this warm moment. The children ate snacks and chattered about their fun at school, while Lin Yue and Gong Yong listened with smiles, occasionally chiming in to respond.
After lunch, Lin Yue took the children for a stroll in the park. They admired the colorful flowers and observed the busy bees and fluttering butterflies. Gong Yong stood by with his camera, capturing these beautiful moments.
As evening fell, the setting sun painted the sky orange-red. The family sat in front of their tent, watching the beautiful sunset, their hearts filled with happiness and contentment. This day of camping allowed them to forget their worries and experience the warmth of family and the preciousness of kinship.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, the little willow tree spirit suddenly ran over, hugged Lin Yue's leg, and said, "Little Bao's mom, it's been so long since you've come! I've missed you so much!" The little mouse, who had appeared out of nowhere, hugged Lin Yue's shoes and also said, "Little Bao's mom really hasn't seen you in so long! I've missed you so much! How have you been lately?"
Lin Yue was both surprised and delighted by this sudden enthusiasm. She squatted down, gently stroked the heads of Little Willow and Little Mouse, and said with a smile, "I missed you too. I've been doing well lately. How about you?"
The children eagerly volunteered to answer, chattering about their recent lives. Lin Yue listened attentively, a warm smile on her face. Gong Yong, watching this heartwarming scene, couldn't help but smile as well.
At this moment, the park was filled with deep affection and a joyful atmosphere, as if time itself stood still for this beautiful moment.
Lin Yue suddenly realized something was wrong! Didn't all three children previously claim they couldn't see the little willow tree spirit and the little mouse spirit? And Gong Yong couldn't see them either? How come they're talking now? How can they understand each other? And understand what they're saying?
Suddenly, Lin Yue asked the remnant soul Xueyang urgently in her mind, "Why can my child and Gong Yong see the little willow tree spirit and the little mouse spirit?"
The remnant soul Xueyang said, "You've been eating this spiritual rice and noodles for almost two years, and spiritual fruits and vegetables for two years as well. Do you think they can see it? Although they haven't cultivated, their bodies are already full of spiritual energy, making them highly sought after by many. If it were my time, they would be the best cultivation vessels, and others would be drawn to them for cultivation."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yue was startled and immediately felt a surge of worry. She glanced at the children who were playing happily with the little willow tree spirit and the little mouse spirit, and then at Gong Yong, who was smiling beside her. She secretly resolved to protect them and prevent them from suffering any harm.
Lin Yue suddenly turned around and looked at Gong Yong. Lin Yue asked, "When did you first become able to see them?" Gong Yong's smile faded, and he said urgently, "It was when you were busy before, when I brought my three children to this park. These two little ones suddenly darted around us, looking here and there. They suddenly started talking about you, and it seemed like I could understand them. I spoke to them, and the children could see them too, and they spoke to them as well. That's when I realized the little willow tree spirit and the little mouse spirit were looking for you. I understood that you had been talking to thin air all along; you were chatting with them. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."
Lin Yue said, "Then why didn't you tell me sooner that you could see them?" Gong Yong said, "I was also afraid to tell you, that we weren't allowed to talk to them or associate with them."
Lin Yue listened to Gong Yong's words and remained silent for a moment. She understood Gong Yong's concerns and knew that he wanted the children to have more wonderful companions and more joy. Lin Yue sighed softly and said, "Since it's already like this, let's all be careful from now on. We can't let the children get hurt because of this." Gong Yong nodded quickly, promising to take good care of everyone.