Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 525 Smooth

"Look at what you're saying, big sister. Bags are money too. Besides, if it takes time to pack several layers, it's the same as me giving you this."

The middle-aged man selling tofu pudding chimed in, "You old woman, you're really something! Those are practically fresh out of the pot. What difference does a minute or two make? They're so busy, and you're just making things worse. Aren't you going to be more careful?"

Someone behind them said, "Hurry up, hurry up, everyone's waiting."

The woman who bought the fried dough sticks turned and walked away, but after a few steps she turned back and spat on the ground at the middle-aged man selling tofu pudding. Then she swayed and walked away quickly. The tofu pudding seller grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

Xiao Wei stood quietly in the corner, watching. Suddenly, he felt that the street was so vibrant and colorful.

"Stop! Erhe, stop right there, do you hear me? I just want to take one look, I don't want it."

"No, what if you ruin it?"

"You think it won't break even if you hold it, but I could break it just by looking at it? Are you out of your mind?"

"Reflection. Reflection until a lump grows in your head."

"Big snotty-nosed guy, did you eat breakfast?"

"You're the one with the big snot! Believe me or not, I'll tell the teacher you're giving people nicknames!"

"You don't need to tell the teacher about Big Snot, just spit it all over his face."

Several boys carrying large schoolbags and wearing red scarves chattered noisily as they chased after Xiao Wei. Behind them was a girl with pigtails tied with pink ribbons. Her bright eyes watched the noisy boys in front of her as she walked quietly. Even her schoolbag looked very exquisite.

A mischievous boy was shouting excitedly when he turned around and saw the little girl. He yelled, "Run! The tattletale is behind us!" A group of boys ran off in a commotion, while the little girl pursed her lips, tilted her head back, and rolled her eyes adorably.

Xiao Wei laughed for no apparent reason. At that moment, he suddenly felt incredibly relaxed and comfortable from head to toe. The inexplicable anxiety that had been weighing on his heart since last night vanished instantly without a trace.

As dawn broke, most of the shrewd snack shop owners turned off their lights, took out the "GG" signs they'd displayed on the street during the day, laid them out neatly, weighed them down with bricks, and then surveyed the streets and alleys. They'd stretch comfortably, or light a cigarette and squat under a large poplar tree on the sidewalk, gazing at the street scene. The owners of neighboring shops would huddle together for a few words, casually inquiring about each other's earnings from the previous day.

Unlike later generations, where breakfast stalls only stay open until nine or ten o'clock, these places would stay open until the evening, only taking a short break around lunchtime by setting up a few chairs for a nap.

Feeling much better, Xiao Wei hummed a tune he didn't even know what it was as he returned to the guesthouse, collapsed onto the bed, and fell asleep.

He slept soundly and deeply. When Xiao Wei woke up, the sunlight streaming in through the open window shone on his face. It was already past one o'clock in the afternoon. Although he woke up, his stomach was making a series of rumbling noises.

I went downstairs and randomly found a small restaurant to eat at, then strolled over to the hotel.

Old Xu was leading his two apprentices in the final measurement. Many parts had to be processed and painted in Longcheng before being brought over for assembly. Even a slight difference in size would mean rework, a responsibility no one wanted to take.

"How is it?" Xiao Wei walked over and asked.

Old Xu didn't even look up and said, "That's about it. Just a few more places will do. What's wrong with you today? I went to call you at the door and I could hear you snoring."

Xiao Wei said, "I didn't sleep well last night. There were some things I couldn't figure out, and I only calmed down this morning. I'm fine. Did I snore?"

Old Xu nodded and said, "Yes, it was hit, and it was really loud. By the way, look at this, this storefront is quite wide, more than 20 meters. You're a cake shop here, right? Why did you put up this sign? It doesn't look good side by side, it doesn't feel right. You can't divide a storefront into two parts, it doesn't look grand at all."

Xiao Wei scratched the back of his head, looked around, and said, "How about you just abandon the cake shop and make the whole storefront look like a full-fledged restaurant? We can figure out the cake shop later."

Yu Shui said, "Master, Brother Xiao Wei, why don't we just find a thick, nice-looking piece of wood, carve the cake shop's name on it, and hang it on the window? It'll look good and won't affect the overall look."

Old Xu blinked, thought for a moment, and said, "Okay, I'll try it out when I'm done."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "It should work. Let's do it that way. Let's also design the cake shop's signboard properly. This needs to be consistent in the future. No matter how many shops we open, we'll have to do it this way, so it has to look good."

Old Xu rubbed his head with a pen and said, "The key is the handwriting. If the handwriting is bad, nothing else matters. You find someone to write the handwriting, and I'll take care of the rest."

Xiao Wei said, "No need to find someone, I'll write it myself. Do you want a fountain pen or a calligraphy brush?"

Old Xu turned his head and sized up Xiao Wei a few times, saying, "You're going to write this? Are you sure? Didn't you barely go to school?"

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "What does the quality of handwriting have to do with how long I've been in school? Just because I haven't been to school doesn't mean I can't write well. What kind of logic is that?"

Old Xu smacked his lips, nodded, and said, "Alright, it's your own shop, do whatever you want. Use whatever you like, just make sure it's well written. I'll enlarge it to scale later. I'm looking forward to admiring Boss Zhang's masterpiece."

Xiao Wei said, "Don't worry, my handwriting is fine. I don't need to ask anyone for help with this."

Old Xu said, "Are you sure you don't need partitions on this floor? The cake shop is semi-open, right?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Yes, just this one door. If we partition it further inside, it will feel cramped. We can just decorate it with some snacks. Are you planning to put the kitchen in the back?" He asked, looking at the blueprints in Lao Xu's hand.

Old Xu said, "Put it in the back, the stairs there are convenient for serving food. It's also convenient to bring things in through the back door. Putting it in the front is a bit awkward. Why don't you make the cake shop bigger, and put a few sofas in this corner, and these rooms in the back can be the offices? That would be great."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, you're an expert. Then this is perfect, we'll set up a sales area here, and sell the noodles and cookies here."

Old Xu nodded and said, "Then I'll just build a coffered ceiling on the whole first floor and have someone paint it. It'll look better if it's complete. By the way, if that's the case, you can't set up a food factory and dormitories there, there's no space. The second floor has tables, the third floor has private rooms, and we'll also need to add a bathroom. There's no space there, you'll have to think of another way."

Xiao Wei said, "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Let's get the restaurant up and running first, and I'll figure out the processing workshop and dormitory later."

Old Wu, standing to the side with his fan, interjected, "The right side at the back is empty. Why don't you just spend a little more money to buy it?"

Xiao Wei turned to Lao Wu and asked, "Can I buy it? Which house is it?"

……

It's the last few days! I need tickets! I need money for food!

(End of this chapter)