Song Tan's Notes

The water chestnuts are finally sold out.

Even though it was less than 20 yuan, the other party had already rushed over to scan the code and packed it up and left.

With a gangster boss looming ahead, seemingly watching from the sidelines, those who couldn't get their barbecue but still felt intimidated, and those who couldn't buy water chestnuts reluctantly dispersed.

They are likely to become a new legend at the barbecue stand.

At this moment, Qiaoqiao and the others finally wiped the sweat from their brows in a disheveled state and let out a long sigh:

"Finally sold out!"

Qin Beibei was particularly puzzled: "Why wasn't I this busy when I was setting up my stall?"

Yun Danqing, on the other hand, was much more mature. She immediately analyzed, "It must be because we didn't sell any agricultural products. Next time, I'll ask Dad to sell durians."

"Yay!" He Tuoluo cheered, "My mom loves to eat this!"

Chen Chi looked at Qiao Qiao with heartache: "Qiao Qiao, so this is how you used to be when you were setting up your stall?"

It had been too long since she'd set up her stall. After thinking for a while, Qiaoqiao realized that when she first started, there weren't many customers, and the portions of food weren't large either.

Later, the prices were all fixed, so there was no need to count them anymore. After all, each order required counting more than 60 pieces, which was too laborious.

In short, I've never been this tired before.

But when he answered, Chen Chi shook his head and said nothing more.

The tall, strong young man, over 1.9 meters tall, secretly sighed.

He had heard Qiaoqiao talk about her life setting up a stall with her sister before, and he felt so envious. It must have been so happy and fun.

But after experiencing it tonight, I didn't expect it to be so busy, so tiring, and so stressful...

Many people asked about the price, the quantity, and whether he had finished counting... He was so anxious he almost cried.

And if you get distracted, you can't remember what you've counted, so you have to start counting all over again. And the guests are watching...

Of course, some mischievous customers might deliberately tease the children and suddenly change the subject by saying, "How come I remember there's one missing?"

Chen Chi lacked confidence in his math skills, so he hurriedly and frantically counted again...

In the end, it was too much of a hassle, and they only stopped when the impatient customers next to them gave them a piece of their mind.

In short, the phrase "frantic and chaotic" is completely inadequate to describe their stress.

This is so much harder than shoveling cow and sheep manure on a farm!

Thinking of this, he quickly looked at Qiaoqiao again:

"Are you thirsty? Hungry? Would you like to sit down and rest for a while? I'll go get you some skewers!"

Qiao Qiao was a little confused—why was Chen Chi taking such good care of him? Shouldn't he be taking care of three children who were even younger than them?
He looked at the children.

Their health recharged quickly; now that there were only two empty baskets left in front of them, they had already skipped and hopped into the crowd of barbecue vendors, shouting, "Daddy, I want to eat this!" "Mommy, I want to eat that!"...

While chewing, he mumbled, "We made so much money, it was so hard to count... We almost miscounted twice..."

The parents suddenly felt that the peace and quiet was gone.

Before, only the adults ate barbecue one by one, how pleasant that was! Now, however, we have to listen to the children chattering away.

Perhaps because the experience was so unique, each of them would gesticulate wildly and tell these stories of setting up a stall in a jumbled mess—

Oh dear, my mouth is occupied, I can't concentrate on listening.

“Honey,” Lian Yundanqing’s mother couldn’t take it anymore: “You were shouting so loudly just now, does your throat hurt? Here, have some chilled plum soup.”

Let's eat and drink to keep the kids quiet for now!
……

Qiao Qiao and Chen Chi, each wearing a plastic bag, were cleaning up the trash on the ground. Only then did he notice his phone, which he had set up.
"oops!"

He exclaimed in frustration, "I forgot I was live-streaming—kids!"

In an instant, a large face slammed into him, and up close, you could see the guilt in his eyes:

"I taught you how to sell water chestnuts today. Did you all learn it?"

She was a little embarrassed: "I didn't teach well just now. I'll teach you again next year when I have the chance."

[So many complaints, I don't even know where to begin.]

[I'll say it, I'll explain! Qiaoqiao, why won't you sell us your water chestnuts?]

Do I look like someone who can sell water chestnuts? Why don't you sell me your water chestnuts and let me try?

[Oh my god! The streamer finally appeared, and he's quite handsome... But is this his style every time he streams?]

[You asked earlier what style of livestream? Is it the kind where they often forget about their fans?]

Is this another live stream where fans help themselves and no one replies to the comments?

[Or is it just a live stream where I only see one hand counting water chestnuts back and forth, and it made me fall asleep?]

With so much criticism from you guys, why are you still sticking to being a fan?

[Mainly, to be fair, there was a slight issue with Qiaoqiao's livestream, but he truly cares about me.]

Really? I don't believe it, otherwise why didn't you buy any water chestnuts...?

Why is everyone selling water chestnuts tonight? I'm having barbecue here, and the person next to me said they just went into the alley to grab water chestnuts, selling them for 3 for 1 yuan! Hahaha, they're really daring!

【?! !!! !!! !!! 】

[Do you even know what you're saying?!]

Everyone else went to grab it, but you didn't, you clever one?

[Besides Qiaoqiao, who else has the audacity to sell these small water chestnuts for 1 yuan for 3?]

[Nonsense, this price was definitely set by my sister!]

[Hey! The address! Did you hear me? Give me the address! Treat this like a serious matter!]

[Exactly! I have to say something to you, you should share the address!]

The comments section was filled with complaints.

But Qiaoqiao had already tidied up all the trash cans, and now she held up her phone again, talking to herself:

"We've sold out of water chestnuts, so I won't teach you how to sell them tonight. Instead, I'll teach you how to make barbecue."

After thinking about it, I realized that wasn't quite right, so I changed it to: "I'll eat barbecue for everyone to see."

Studio:? ? ?

Have some decency!
Good heavens! It's 11 PM! Show them this, what, are you trying to meet your takeout KPIs today?
The comments section paused for a moment.

They didn't know whether they should open the food delivery app at the same time, or check what food they had in the fridge first... But before they could react, Qiaoqiao had already put the phone stand in front of the barbecue grill again.

The angle was chosen beforehand, and as soon as it was set up, the camera captured the sizzling, oily skewers of meat, the slightly charred lamb kidneys, and the lamb fat that seemed to exude aroma and satisfying richness even through the screen…

Someone nearby took a lettuce leaf and wrapped it around a piece of slightly charred, crispy pork belly...

Further ahead, someone was holding a Mixue ice cup, bubbling away at some unknown beverage. Amidst the churning and clattering of the ingredients in the large pitcher, one could vaguely see green plums—plums that were only available in limited quantities during spring…

Ahhh! ! !
The live stream was instantly filled with resentment that stretched for miles, and spittle flew everywhere.

Even more outrageous, someone was shouting loudly, "Qiaoqiao! Come and eat some grilled crucian carp! The fish meat is so tender, and the skin and tail are so crispy, it's super delicious!"

hateful!

This group must have done it on purpose! Who would describe the taste like that when calling friends?! And they were whimpering so loudly...

They don't believe it!

They're not greedy!

Just as a barrage of comments flew by, someone else exclaimed, "This lamb chops hot pot smells so good!"

"Chen Chi, come here, slice this roasted lamb leg! The outside is slightly charred, which is when it smells especially good..."

"Oh dear, you're so big! Don't be shy, eat more, eat more..."

The barrage of sarcastic comments almost seemed to leap through the screen; everyone's thoughts were focused on only one thing—

I'll eat! I'm not shy! I'm a grown man too!

In short, regardless of age or gender, everyone here tonight is a young man!
On the camera, a drop of oil slowly gathers on the plump, golden-brown, and gradually shrinking lamb kidneys, then sizzles as it falls onto the charcoal, producing a wisp of smoke.

The chat went completely blank for a terrifying moment.

The next moment, countless streams burst forth.

Zhang Yanping walked by, glanced at it, and before she could even look closely, she saw the screen filled with exclamations of "!!", "slurp slurp", and a large number of repeated words such as "You're a jerk, streamer!"...

He tilted his head, took a bite of the chicken cartilage on the skewer, and then clicked his tongue in approval:
"This generation of fans is no good! It's only been airing for a short while, how come they're already getting fed up? It's not like Qiao Qiao hasn't shown them what she's been through..."

He then exclaimed loudly, "Guo Dong, eat this chicken cartilage! It's roasted so well, it's crunchy and tender yet chewy... Delicious, so delicious!"

Guo Dong was engrossed in eating, completely unaware that he was also up to no good. He simply replied curtly:
"Eating, eating."

Xin Jun also joined in the fun.

He slowly wrapped crispy pork belly in perilla leaves in front of the camera and commented, "I didn't like perilla before, but the quality of the ones picked at home is particularly good, and they taste especially fragrant."

"This peculiar flavor, when wrapped around oily and slightly spicy pork belly, is like the mint leaves in Yunnan rice noodles—a perfect match!"

He then praised, "Master Zhou, your seasoning is truly excellent! I've eaten barbecue for so many years, and no other place can compare."

That's not the case!
Chef Zhou ate while he was busy cooking, and his mouth was also greasy, showing none of the style of a high-priced, top-rated chef.

"This recipe was given to me by my master! Our hotel is full of experts; they know exactly what to do with the ingredients, even if there's too much or too little."

"Besides, even regular barbecue places don't use such good ingredients!"

The ingredients and seasonings are good. Although there are still some shortcomings, it is definitely better than many other barbecue stalls in the market that focus on profit.

Then, in a chain reaction, he began praising Old Zhao: "Mr. Zhao, you bought excellent seasonings; the quality is superb."

Old Zhao was eating without even looking up when he heard this, and couldn't help but feel smug: "Absolutely! When have I, Old Zhao, ever stooped in my duties!"

Everyone was having a great time here, and when pedestrians occasionally crossed the road, they couldn't help but stop and hesitate for a while.

Some bolder individuals approached directly to ask, but after receiving a negative reply, they kept turning back, and after half a day, they still hadn't finished covering that short distance.

Some hesitated for a long time, ultimately succumbing to their human nature and lacking the courage to return home, just as reluctantly.

But judging from the other person's expression under the streetlights, and with the distinctly strong aroma of barbecue in the air, Song Dafang swallowed hard, thinking with envy:

When they get home at night, they probably wake up in the middle of the night and slap themselves twice, wondering why they didn't muster up the courage.
But beyond the sourness, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

The two places are so close together, how many customers came just now? Those water chestnuts sold for so much money in half an hour…

Money!

He used to fish for water chestnuts in the pond when he was a child. If the ponds and land were to be divided up, he might end up with a share of all these water chestnuts.

But now all the profitable locations have been taken by Song Sanfen, and his useless tea plantations in the deep mountains and forests are being rented out cheaply, but no one is willing to take them over.

These seemingly insignificant items sell remarkably fast and are incredibly sought after.

They said it would take half an hour to sell out, but in reality, customers spent most of the time patiently waiting. They didn't even have time to finish the barbecue; they were just waiting for the kids to count each piece!

Both are businesses, but his hardware store sells things that people need to use if they want to buy them.

Even for prices as low as 10 or 8 yuan, the other party will haggle for a long time before offering a better price.

Moreover, with online shopping prices so low these days, the prices at his hardware store have become increasingly transparent, making his profit margins even thinner.

Seeing others, especially acquaintances or juniors, making money so easily, how can one not feel a sense of disparity?
But the sense of disappointment he felt went far beyond that.

In fact, now that he has fallen out with his family, he no longer needs to go home and try to take care of his elders. However, while he doesn't need to take care of them, his wife, Mao Li, does.

The daughter-in-law needs it too.

The couple had no other skills, but they were very good at getting money from the elderly. Every time the other woman went back to her parents' home, she would bring large bags of gifts and listen to everyone's praise. Although she was happy, Song Dafang felt uneasy about spending real money.

The daughter-in-law would use the excuse of not having income because she was taking care of the children, and would cry about being poor every few days in order to squeeze some money out of them.

As for holiday allowances and money for cigarettes and alcohol, it's hard to know whether the other party actually took the money back to support the wife's family, or whether the young couple used it for food and drinks.

But in short, after six months of opening the store, I finally calculated that I only had a few thousand yuan in savings!
After earning less money, his family often found fault with his business practices, and those advantages that used to make him a lot of money have now become disadvantages.

But all of this was not what Song Dafang had imagined!

Having left behind their aging and ailing parents, they no longer need to worry about their retirement, medical care, or assistance. They also no longer need to close their shops and go home for holidays, and still have to spend money on shopping.

He wouldn't even need to take care of his brother's daughter and disabled son...

He should have gotten rid of a heavy burden.

But why isn't it like that now?

He recalled the high-quality produce that Song Tan cultivated, the various secret recipes and varieties provided by domestic and foreign agricultural research institutes, and the grand occasion of hiring dozens or even hundreds of people during the busy farming season...

In the dead of night, he leaned against the door of his shop, gazing at the group of people happily eating barbecue, his expression somewhat dazed.

When Old Zhao saw it at first glance, he was startled:
Oh my! What's that person doing standing there?

So what if he didn't earn 200 yuan? Is it really that big of a deal? It's not like he wouldn't give it to me... he was the first one to ask! (End of Chapter)