Song Tan's Notes

With a large group of friends unfamiliar with the area, Lu Chuan drove very slowly.

Old Zhao asked around, made phone calls, and prepared all sorts of things... everything was ready, but there was still no sign of the car.

He wasn't in a hurry, since he had told the customers it was 10:30, and it was still early.

Just glancing at the brand-new barbecue cart and all sorts of tools, I instinctively wanted to find the two employees from my shop who were helping me tidy up, but then I realized this wasn't a farmers' market.

He stared at the barbecue grill, caught in a dilemma.

Back in the day, he would get up early and work late to buy vegetables wholesale, setting up a stall at the market on a small stool. Life wasn't easy back then!

Especially when it comes to selling vegetables, you can't work sporadically; you have to be there every day. The more familiar your regular customers are with your face, the higher the chances of a sale.

But life has been better for the past six months. Apart from urging my nephew to receive and unload goods, supervising the employees to organize the shelves, and sending messages in the group, I spend most of my time watching short dramas with my legs up.

It feels a little strange to ask him to do the washing and cleaning now!

But then he thought about it again, and realized that thanks to Song Tan, he had made quite a bit of money!
That's why they say money gives people courage.
At that moment, he noticed the guy sitting in the nearby plumbing shop, legs crossed, scrolling through his phone, and went over to greet him:
"Hey bro, you know this area well, can you help me find someone to do odd jobs? I run a barbecue stall, and the whole thing needs to be cleaned and disinfected."

So particular?!
The man quickly sat up straight: "How much will you pay?"

"200!"

The wealthy Old Zhao suddenly felt generous: "Help me wash, chop, pour out the dirty water, throw away the trash, and then clean the barbecue grill and everything else."

It sounds like a lot of work, but it only takes a few hours, and I think there will be people willing to pay this price.

"Brother, if you have relatives or friends who are willing to do it, that's fine too."

The plumbing shop owner immediately straightened his back: "What do you mean by relatives? Making money—how about me?"

As he spoke, he deftly went into the room and retrieved a pair of gloves:
"Oh right, I'll do it, but can you pay me in cash? Oh dear, my wife's a tight watcher, I can't hide it on my phone..."

As for what he does with his secret stash of money, you can tell just by looking at the ashtray on his desk.

Men are mostly incorrigible.

Old Zhao hesitated for a moment: "You're really something?"

The man pointed to his plumbing shop: "Our ancestors knew that the God of Wealth doesn't enter dirty homes! Tell me, is this place clean or not? I cleaned it."

It truly reflects a family tradition of learning.

Well, we've met some really capable brothers today!

Old Zhao immediately agreed, and then showered him with praise. Sure enough, the other party took out a scouring pad, steel wool, and a large iron brush, and began to work on it with great effort.

They also set up a pot on the large tin stove that Lao Zhao had bought temporarily, with water bubbling inside. They then put iron skewers and other utensils into it to boil.

Whether it will be effective is hard to say, since it's an open-air barbecue.

The main thing is that the attitude was right.

After looking at it for a while, Old Zhao was satisfied.

This guy is so efficient; even if he didn't open a plumbing shop, he'd probably be thronged with customers doing housekeeping in their small city.

The two chatted and laughed. Old Zhao, a seasoned veteran, may not be doing any work now, but he still provides plenty of emotional support.

The other person didn't feel tired at all; their clothes were soaked with sweat in the sweltering summer heat, but they were full of energy.

This isn't the main intersection of the barbecue street; the alley isn't wide, and the lights are on at the Dafang Hardware Store not far away.

Song Dafang sat by the door, his eyes glancing over every now and then, feeling extremely depressed.

The boss across the street has a really loud voice. In just a few minutes that night, he made several hundred yuan, besides cigarettes.

Although he didn't know how to do this kind of undignified cleaning job, he still felt uneasy seeing others earn money so easily.

Meanwhile, Old Zhao lowered his voice and started gossiping with someone: "The hardware store across the street has a really good name, but while the name sounds generous, the people there aren't."

The older brother, who was tidying up, lowered his voice upon hearing this and said, "That's not because his name is generous; it's because his parents gave him a good name, and that's why he's called generous."

"As for his character... Brother, you have a good eye for people. He speaks frankly, but he's not a frank person."

Old Zhao thought to himself, "I don't just judge people accurately; I've actually met them: Tell me about it?"

Men, when they get into gossip, can be just as good, especially when they're playing with crickets; it makes even doing chores much more interesting.

The older brother also laughed.

“We’ve been running this shop here for decades. He used to be alright, but his wife is always trying to take advantage of people, and the worst part is that she doesn’t say anything nice about it.”

"But he was doing alright back then, except the prices in the store were a bit high, but..."

The plumbing shop owner chuckled.

In business, you can't survive if you're completely honest. Those flashy explanations and price comparisons are exactly what customers want to hear!
But who knew that online shopping would become so popular these days!
People tend to buy non-urgent items online, which has led to a decline in business at the store.

In addition, in recent years, the styles of older generations of decorators in urban areas have gradually become less appealing to young people. When it comes to decorating houses, it is more popular to hire decoration companies and private designers.

Young people each have their own channels, so his old network of connections is no longer smooth.

Business at the store was slow for a while.

When people encounter adversity, their weaknesses tend to be highlighted...

The boss didn't say everything, but everyone understood what he meant.

The two chatted, one working while the other offered support; their partnership was exceptionally perfect.

……

10: 00.

Old Zhao finally saw Song Tan's beat-up pickup truck wobbling as it turned around from the side road.

As soon as the car stopped, Song Tan sighed, "There's a real traffic jam up ahead!"

"Of course! If I didn't give you directions, you wouldn't be able to drive here by yourself. That area is full of barbecue restaurants, and the parking lot is almost full."

It would be much more convenient to squeeze through the gap between the two neighborhoods to this side.

The group of over 30 people got off the truck, quickly carrying baskets and buckets. Lu Chuan and Song Tan were seen carrying meat from the pickup truck, and then a group of people came to take over.

Master Zhou picked up his tools and, instead of rushing to prepare, looked at the seasonings that Lao Zhao had bought, smelling and tasting each one.

Old Zhao chuckled, "You guys have really made this barbecue party quite lively."

Song Tan was also taken aback, pointing at the plumbing shop owner who was running around in a panic: "You even hired someone to help you out?"

That's not the case!
Old Zhao is very good at showing off his achievements.

"I've done all this for you in the middle of the night, knocking on several friends' doors and waking them up. Do you know how hard it was for me?"

"Since it's for my own consumption, the newly bought tools still need to be disinfected and cleaned. Luckily, the owner of the plumbing shop next door was willing to supply water and electricity and also help us out, so I entrusted it to him."

Although he flaunted his achievements, he did so skillfully.

Without needing to elaborate, Song Tan knew that Old Zhao had gone to great lengths, both in terms of personal connections and money, and she was deeply moved.
"That's why we say our friendship, forged through thick and thin, is truly reliable!"

Old Zhao's eyes widened, thinking to himself: How could you have the nerve to say such a thing?!
I'm the only one who braves the wind and rain!
You only come to set up your stall around noon every day, only once every few days, and you don't even move when it rains.

What about me? I have to go buy supplies at two or three in the morning! And when I get back, I still have to clean up... I used to get chilblains every winter!

But just as he was about to say a few words, Song Tan continued:

"Old Zhao, you're a true friend. It wasn't for nothing that I specially brought you a leg of lamb tonight!"

Old Zhao's words took a sharp 90-degree turn as he spoke, equally moved, "Your friendship with us is truly exceptional! That's why we're such good friends! We've been through thick and thin together, it's something else entirely."

Don't be fooled by the fact that her daughter Zhao Fangyuan built her a house; that's not the same thing, it's a business deal!

It still has to be yourself!
Lu Chuan listened from the side, and seeing their serious expressions, he really wanted to laugh.

Then he asked Qiaoqiao, who was standing next to him, "Qiaoqiao, was it tough when you and your sister were running a stall?"

"It's not bitter!"

Qiaoqiao even felt quite nostalgic:
“Setting up a stall was so much fun! My sister even bought me Peppa Pig toys and bubble blowers… It’s a shame Chen Chi never got to set one up. Lots of aunties really liked me back then.”

After finishing his casual conversation with Old Zhao, Song Tan, whose skin had thickened considerably, couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this:
"Then tonight you can bring Chen Chi and the three kids to experience setting up a stall. You'll be responsible for selling these three baskets—two and a half baskets of water chestnuts. The money you make can be used to buy some kebabs."

Chen hesitated for a moment: "Then, whose barbecue skewers should we buy with this money?"

He had never eaten barbecue before.

Song Tan exaggeratedly said, "Of course it's ours! Making money at a stall is so hard, how could we let someone else earn it?"

The main reason is that the meat here is so fragrant; other places probably wouldn't even look at it. She said this jokingly, but Chen Chi nodded seriously and said, "I also think we shouldn't let others take it away."

He clenched his fist, full of determination: "Qiaoqiao, you teach me! I'll take the three of them, and we'll definitely sell well tonight!"

He then eagerly added, "I've seen people hawking their wares at the market! Want to hawk your wares too?"

"Yes, yes!"

Qiaoqiao was also very supportive: "I used to shout that when my sister and I were setting up our stall! You're tall and have a loud voice, so just say it, just say it—"

He got stuck for a moment.

But thankfully, seeing the water chestnuts in the basket, Qin Beibei lively raised her hand: "Just say, 'Water chestnuts for sale, 3 for 1 yuan! Fresh, tender, crisp, and sweet little water chestnuts!'"

okay!

That's how the slogan was decided, and even the three children had a division of labor in shouting it out!

Besides Chen Chi, Qin Beibei and the other two had actually done charity sales since kindergarten, setting up a trading corner on campus and exercising in the park.

But that's different!

The kindergarten is selling secondhand toys, and the mother says she'll lose a lot of money.

Selling roses during the holiday, I tried to do the math like the dog Qianqian from the movie "The Richest Dog in Babylon," but I found that the wholesale price of roses had increased because of the holiday. So I sold them on the pedestrian street and only earned 11 yuan a day.

This does not include food, water, ice cream, toys in shopping malls, etc.

Finally, there was a charity sale in the park. No one knows how well others sold their goods, but Qin Beibei's stall was bought by her classmate's grandmother.

But now, this is a real night market stall selling agricultural products! Although people don't yet have the concept of "agricultural products," it sounds completely different from doing business before.

Therefore, everyone, from top to bottom and from large to small, was full of passion. Their energy bars not only weren't depleted, but were even replenished.

Yun Danqing rushed to her grandparents' side with great enthusiasm:

"Grandma, I'm going to start hawking my wares later, so don't come and help me!"

Grandma is busy skewering meat; she loves this kind of group activity.

He then said, "Then you'd better keep a good record, don't make a mistake."

"would not!"

Yun Danqing is a little academic prodigy. She can do three yuan a day. Although she is young, she is very proficient in addition and subtraction within 100.

"But when will we have any guests?"

"Oh, my dear granddaughter!" Grandma exclaimed with a smile.
“This side street is a little corner of the barbecue street. Even if you shout at the top of your lungs, you won’t be heard unless you get close.”

"Besides, it's better if the customers come later. Our barbecue isn't ready yet, so let's not rush to promote it."

If someone comes to buy something, the adults need to keep an eye on the children.

But everyone's so busy right now, waiting to eat barbecue skewers, they don't have time for that!

Yun Danqing understood.

She ran back, and the five children huddled together and chatted for a while before sitting up straight on their small stools, waiting for things to calm down so that Brother Chen Chi could start shouting out his orders.

After thinking for a moment, Qiaoqiao asked Song Tan, "Sister, shall I do a live stream tonight?"

We had agreed beforehand to entertain our friends and give the kids a few days off.

It's been several days now, it's time to learn a new skill, right? Chen Chi doesn't know how to set up a stall, and the kids probably don't either!
Song Tan thought to herself, "I'm going to get yelled at in the live stream tonight! The spitting could travel two miles."

But instead of stopping her, she earnestly said, "When you're live streaming, remember to point the camera at the water chestnuts or the barbecue grill, not at people. There are many friends and guests here, and they may not like being filmed."

Qiao Qiao readily agreed and started fiddling with the phone stand. Lu Chuan glanced up at Song Tan and suppressed a laugh.

"You won't be satisfied until you've made them sick from cravings tonight, will you?"

I crave it offline, and I crave it online too.

Most ordinary people watching videos of sizzling barbecue late at night would probably get up and order a late-night snack. Let alone them?
Song Tan deeply regretted his actions: "I shouldn't have done that! I'll definitely be more careful next time!"

But not this time.

……

the other side.

The plumbing shop owner also felt that he had made money very easily tonight.

Despite the large number of people, he thought his workload would increase, but to his surprise, no one was idle!

Not only were they busy, but they also formed groups of locals and out-of-towners from all over the country—that's bound to provide plenty of conversation!

Especially with his brothers of similar age around him, he darted around, throwing trash into the bins, pouring water into the nearby ditch, and even pulling a hose to help wash the vegetables...

I haven't done much work, but my lips are almost dry from talking.

After all, there are only a few jobs, but there are more than 30 people!
Xin Jun was carrying a large kettle and throwing in some unknown tea bags—a gift from the Old Song family and Dr. Guo, made with pickled green plums that the Old Song family had prepared when thinning fruit, and tea bags made by Dr. Guo.

It's appetizing, refreshing, and helps cut through any greasiness.

Zhang Yanping then asked everyone if they wanted something iced, and went to the nearby Xuewang store to pick up a whole bunch of ice cups.

Once the tea bag is brewed, add some mineral water and pour it into an ice glass!
Damn!

It's icy, but not completely icy, which is similar to soaking goji berries in a beer glass!

He said smugly, "Xin Jun, how can I be so smart?"

Xin Jun was both amused and exasperated: "Who in the family said you were stupid?"

Don't people always say you wouldn't even pick up a fallen oil bottle? And what about all that looks good but is useless?
Zhang Yanping: ...

He turned and looked around: "Old Zhao found a great spot. It's close to the barbecue street, and it's right on a corner, so it's not crowded and parking is easy—this place looks familiar."

He looked left and right, feeling that he might have been here before.

Xin Jun didn't mind: "It's not that surprising. After all, you grew up in the city. You might have been here before."

"No, no..."

Zhang Yanping looked around, then changed her angle and looked around again. Sure enough, she easily spotted the still-lit storefront not far ahead.

Dafang Hardware Store

Good guy!
He turned into another alley and didn't recognize the place! This is Uncle Tan Tan's shop!
Xin Jun: ...

He said speechlessly, "Their shop isn't closed yet. What, are you going upstairs to ask them for a drink?"

cut!
Zhang Yanping scoffed: "I'd feel like I'm missing out if I just stood there and smelled that family."

I need to talk to Tan Tan about this.

Song Tan had noticed it early on—late at night, there were only a few shops with their lights on in this area, and she saw them as soon as she arrived.

However, while dozens of people were bustling about noisily, Song Dafang inside hadn't left the shop yet, probably just secretly observing... and hadn't realized who it was yet.

"what about now?"

Zhang Yanping drawled out her words, her tone sarcastic: "Are they relatives... or elders...?"

Song Tan laughed and said, "How about this, Brother Yanping, you cut a plate of the watermelon we brought and we'll go invite them over?"

Zhang Yanping: ...

Wait a minute!
Song Tan suddenly realized something, and looked Zhang Yanping up and down, saying meaningfully, "Brother Yanping, if you take a melon over now, maybe he'll be especially obedient."

Zhang Yanping grinned maliciously: "Then should I also say—'Boss, this melon is guaranteed to be ripe!'"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Lu Chuan even pretended to persuade him, saying, "Forget it, it's not easy for anyone, it's late at night... Let's just leave it at that, pretend we don't know each other..."

Song Tan was also curious: "How did Old Zhao find such a good spot, and just happened to avoid his shop?"

Old Zhao has something to say here: "You asked which one? Oh, that's the one I went to at the beginning! I thought the name sounded so good, the owner would definitely be easy to talk to. Who knew that they wouldn't even look at two packs of cigarettes and 200 yuan."

He winked and said, "It's not that I look down on him, it's just that he doesn't act like a businessman. He still has that kind of attitude—wanting to make money while also wanting people to fawn over him."

He's been running a stall at the market for decades, and he's never seen a stall owner like this before. It's more common for picky customers who want to haggle. (End of Chapter)