The rain stopped in the middle of the night, and today is a clear sunny day. Early in the morning, the sun’s heat rose rapidly, shining on the damp earth, with a thin layer of mist evaporating in the air.
This season’s weather is like that, but it’s tough for vegetable farmers, especially crops like eggplant. When faced with such weather, perfectly good eggplants will slowly rot away.
Early in the morning, Brother Su and his wife went to the fields, planning to drain the water from the eggplant furrows, hoping to alleviate the problem.
Lin Chuxia also left her house, bringing along the beef sauce and spicy fried peppers she made the night before, as well as the letters. She first went to the post office, mailed the items, and then headed to the vicinity of the train station.
Firstly, to continue looking for a suitable house and secondly, to try her luck.
Yesterday she had run into Su Wensong there, and figured his home must be nearby.
After several times of receiving his help, Lin Chuxia felt she should properly thank him.
As it turned out, she did catch up with him. As soon as she got near the train station, she saw a man hurrying along from a distance—it was none other than Su Wensong.
“Brother Su,” Lin Chuxia called out.
Su Wensong turned at the sound and saw the woman opposite him, his somewhat weathered face broke into a simple smile, “Oh, it’s you. Not selling buns today?”
He passed by this area every day and knew that Lin Chuxia sold buns.
He had even considered whether he could also start a small business, but eventually, he dismissed the idea.
Even he didn’t like the food he cooked; who else would buy it?
“I’ll set up the stall in the afternoon. Where are you off to, Brother Su? I was just looking for you to give my thanks. I really appreciate what you did these last two times.”
As she spoke, she handed over the things she had purchased along the way—two cans of food and two pounds of peach crisps.
Lin Chuxia hadn’t bought anything too expensive. After dealing with people in her past life, she could partially read faces.
Su Wensong was a genuine person. He had helped her simply because he was upright and of good character. Anything too expensive, and he probably wouldn’t accept.
She didn’t buy alcohol or tobacco. Although Su Wensong looked worn, he seemed clean and not someone who smoked. It wasn’t clear if he drank, but he certainly wasn’t obsessed with alcohol.
And there was Granny Su in his family, so it made sense that giving food as a gift would be more acceptable to him than tobacco or alcohol.
Sure enough, Su Wensong hesitantly tried to refuse, “It was but a small effort, you’re too polite, my girl. Please keep these things; I can’t accept them.”
“Brother Su, that small effort of yours really helped me out a lot. Whether it was the day with the robber or yesterday, without your small effort, my loss would have been huge. I already feel like these things aren’t sufficient, but if you don’t accept them, it’s like you’re looking down on my small gesture,” she said, showing an appropriate amount of embarrassment.
Su Wensong was at a loss for words and didn’t know what to say; eventually, he accepted the items from her hands, “I truly didn’t mean it like that. Right, my home is here in this alley. Come in for a drink of water. My granny is at home.”
The last sentence was to inform Lin Chuxia that he wasn’t the only person in the house.
A casual comment showed Su Wensong’s character, and Lin Chuxia took it into consideration, nodding her head, “Alright, then I’ll trouble Granny Su.”
Su Wensong led the way, bringing Lin Chuxia back to his home.
Entering the alley and taking a few steps, he pushed open the gate of the first house.
Lin Chuxia’s eyes brightened—just as she thought.
“Granny, I’m back,” Su Wensong called into the house as he entered the courtyard.
Quickly, the elderly granny Lin Chuxia had seen before came out of the house.
“Why are you back so soon?” asked Granny Su, halfway through her sentence, she noticed Lin Chuxia behind Su Wensong, and her spirit instantly soared, “Who is this young lady?” She’s quite handsome.
“Granny Su, I’m a friend of Brother Su, Lin Chuxia. I came to see you. You can just call me Lin.”
Before Su Wensong could speak, Lin Chuxia introduced herself.
Granny Su’s smile grew even wider, crinkles gathering together as she pulled Lin Chuxia’s hand toward the house, “Oh my, come in, please come inside.”
After entering the house, she saw her grandson still foolishly standing at the door, “Go to the train station and buy some peanuts and seeds for Lin. Oh, and if you see a candy vendor, buy some candy too. Girls love sweets. I’m going to heat up some water,” she ordered without discussion and headed for the east wing room, her little feet moving quickly.
Seeing his granny so energetic, Su Wensong knew she had gotten the wrong idea. He gave Lin Chuxia an apologetic smile, “My granny’s old, she gets muddled sometimes. Don’t mind what she says. I’ll step outside for a bit and will be back shortly.”
Lin Chuxia understood what they both meant and didn’t take it to heart; she stopped Su Wensong, “You don’t need to go, Brother Su. As it happens, I have something to discuss with you.”
On hearing there was an issue, Su Wensong became more earnest, “Tell me, I’ll surely help if I can.”
Lin Chuxia smiled, “Brother Su, have you always been like this? What if I were a con artist…”
Su Wensong laughed heartily, “You’re giving me too much credit. I’m all alone, what could you possibly swindle from me?” And he wasn’t like this with everyone.
He had personally seen Lin Chuxia dealing with a robber that day, and as a woman running a business all by herself, Su Wensong admired Lin Chuxia in many ways.
A woman living more vigorously than him, a strong man.
Lin Chuxia didn’t beat around the bush this time and directly mentioned her idea of renting his room to open a Bun Shop.
She had taken note when first entering the courtyard: Su Wensong’s small yard neighbored the alley, with the back of the east wing room facing the train station. The household was simple, with just Granny Su and Su Wensong, two people. Even if there were tenants in the yard, it wouldn’t affect anything much, what’s more…
“If I’m not mistaken, Brother Su, you’re looking for a job at the moment. What do you think about being self-employed? If the Bun Shop opens, I’ll be in need of help. The salary I can offer is 35 yuan, with two days off per month; if you don’t take days off, I’ll add an extra 2 yuan. Plus, if you do well, this salary could increase.”
Upon hearing about renting his place to open a Bun Shop, Su Wensong sat up straight.
He was a sent-down youth, assigned to the harshest places due to certain issues, and after much difficulty returning to the city, he was arranged a job that was snatched away by a cousin.
His parents hadn’t made it through those tough times, leaving just him and his granny. No one was willing to help him out, and he was caught in bureaucratic pass-the-buck.
If he could start a Bun Shop with Lin Chuxia, it wasn’t a bad idea.
A salary of 35 yuan wasn’t low. The job arranged for him in a machinery factory required a year of apprenticeship, with a salary of less than thirty yuan, and beyond apprenticeship, one had to climb up the ranks step by step. A Level 1 worker’s salary was only 35 yuan, not to mention the rent.
Right now, he was living on Granny Su’s savings. If he worked with Lin Chuxia, Granny Su could enjoy her later years in peace.
It only took a moment for Su Wensong to decide, “I’ll work with you, young lady.”