Having found a demon, I've decided to raise her.

“Yes, you’re in education, so becoming a teacher is a perfect fit for your major, it’s a perfect match.”

Okay, we've come full circle.

Chen Ming really wanted to roll his eyes. He didn't want to be a teacher, so why should he bother with a bunch of little brats?

I chose education because my score was just right, and the school was decent. As for the major, I didn't care much, since I wouldn't use it much anyway.

It's not unusual for someone's major to not match their job.

Certification is more important.

Computer proficiency, English proficiency, Mandarin proficiency, etc.

Dad continued to ask—

"Tell me, what do you want to do? Become a teacher, a civil servant, or go help your sister?"

Chen Ming was a little annoyed. Looking out the car window, they happened to pass a pancake shop... He slightly curled the corners of his mouth and said—

"Let's open a shop."

"what?"

Chapter 2 The Girl with Red Eyes and White Hair

There are many things to do when opening a store. You need to obtain various permits and licenses, such as food safety permits, fire safety permits, and a business license.

But actually, money can solve most problems.

Money isn't everything, but you can't do anything without it...

Well, not necessarily.

Chen Ming, who had just graduated, had no savings other than the money he earned from being a substitute teacher. He had made the decision on his own without his parents' consent and was too embarrassed to ask them for money.

So where did he get the money?

Bank loans were his first choice. After all, he was a college graduate and had worked before, so he had the credit to take out a loan to open a shop.

But his sister somehow found out and offered to pay for it, so the business went smoothly.

"I reckon Mr. Chen is furious right now."

Chen Ming smiled and said to the person on the phone.

Mr. Chen was referring, of course, to Chen Ming's father; his own son had absolutely no interest in his opinions.

There was a moment of silence on the phone, then a light, clear voice came through, saying—

"You can do whatever you want, but you don't need to run around like this. Everyone will be worried."

"Don't even try. If I had told him beforehand, he would have definitely tried to dissuade me or make things difficult for me. I was already working part-time before, and I even wanted to go to the factory to take a look, but he insisted that I take over the teaching duties."

No one knows a son better than his father, and vice versa; the children are the ones who know their father's personality best.

She seemed to sigh softly on the phone, indicating that the other party was well aware of their parents' actions, but still asked—

"Isn't being a teacher good?"

"Great! There are winter and summer vacations every year, and weekends off too... Well, unless it's a key program, we usually get holidays. It gives us free time, and it's meaningful, since it's for teaching and nurturing students..."

Chen Ming scratched his head and listed a bunch of benefits, all of which his father had instilled in him, and he knew they weren't wrong.

But he can't.

I don't want to be a teacher either.

"Sister, right now I just want to create a fait accompli first, and then I'll be financially independent. I can do whatever I want, and if I talk to them, we'll just end up back where we started."

He deeply understood the stubbornness of his parents.

There was another silence on the phone, but he didn't feel awkward because the other person was just not very talkative; outsiders often said she was aloof.

But Chen Ming felt it was alright, he just talked less than others.

When Chen Ming was little, she often followed him everywhere, pulling on his clothes. He always felt that it was a bit like herding cattle, and others said so too.

Once she got to hold me, I couldn't go anywhere. She kept saying there were snakes in the grass, the pond was dangerous, and I'd get lost in the mountains... What a responsible cowherd!

She spoke again, saying—

"Your place has already opened for business. Is business good?"

"Um……"

Chen Ming glanced at the few people gathered around the small table and said—

"It's alright. Although there aren't many customers, we're already quite busy."

"You'll need to ask for help if you're alone."

"We'll see, we're still busy right now."

"Okay, any other questions?"

"Hmm... the problem is..."

Chen Ming seemed hesitant to speak, his tone betraying a hint of reluctance. The other party immediately noticed this and pressed for an answer—

"What's wrong? Tell me quickly."

"It's nothing, it's just that our shop is called a pancake shop, but it seems like everyone who comes here is eating snacks."

He had clearly trained himself to make jianbing (Chinese crepes) and scallion pancakes, but it seemed he wasn't accepted. Instead, wontons and dumplings were more popular.

"Outrageous..."

He complained.

His sister comforted him—

"Maybe that's just how the food is there, so there's no need to worry about the name not matching the taste."

"Ok."

A strange sense of resentment.

……

……

The shop is closed for the night.

He pulled down the gate and locked it.

Looking at the streets at 10 p.m., there were hardly any people left. After all, it's a small county town, and very few shops stay open all night.

It used to be quite dangerous; I heard there were organized crime groups involved, but they were all taken down recently. Or maybe they're just lying low. Anyway, wherever there are people, there's society.

His shop is actually quite remote, with no particularly attractive places around it, just ordinary residential buildings, and a mountain behind it.

But it seems that students often come here. Strangely, when he asked the people around him, they all said they didn't know which school was nearby.

The nearest school should be the county's No. 1 High School, but that's quite far. It's impossible for someone to travel all that way to eat here, right?

I need to ask those who look like students tomorrow; surveying customers is part of the store manager's job. You have to love what you do and be proactive in everything you do.

stomping on...

His footsteps echoed on the deserted street, the streetlights casting a yellow glow that stretched his shadow long.

He looked around.

This quiet, deserted environment always made him a little uneasy. He reached into his pocket, took out his earphones, plugged them into his phone, put the earbuds in his ears, and started listening to music.

We arrived at the traffic light intersection.

Even though it's a red light, there's no one or any cars around, so it's okay to just go through, right?

He looked around and was about to lift his foot.

But then I saw a pair of red eyes.

A slender figure appeared beside him at some point, its white hair clearly visible in the darkness.

"Oh!"

Chen Ming was so frightened he almost had a heart attack and let out an embarrassing scream.

Those red eyes glanced over indifferently.

He glanced at him, then looked away, focusing on the traffic lights in the distance, seemingly waiting for the green light.

He took a few steps back dejectedly and said—

"Feel sorry."

It would be quite embarrassing if others saw him about to run a red light.

The two of them waited quietly together.

Because red eyes and white hair are so rare, he couldn't help but glance at the person next to him a few more times.

The lighting was dim, but her delicate features were still visible. Her white hair cascaded down her shoulders, and she wore a black dress, but her bare feet were exposed.

If you look closely, you can see that the hem of her skirt is somewhat torn.

Chen Ming hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked—

"Are you OK?"

She raised an eyebrow slightly, looked over, and this time scrutinized him carefully before saying—

"...What do you mean?"

"Um, you look a bit disheveled?"

"Yes, some."

Should we call the police?

Was this a robbery? Chen Ming couldn't help but have some doubts, because the other party was a woman who didn't have a bag, and her dress didn't look like it had pockets, and she looked a bit disheveled.

She shook her head and said—

"Need not."