Chapter 5: What a Powerful Woman
A popular song that anyone could hum was playing at some stall. Standing in front of the delicatessen, Xu Cheng could still vaguely hear the melody of "Wish You Peace."
“Is your income still so low?”
“Are you still paying that much?”
“ There are always some unfair things in life ”
"Please don't take it too seriously"
“Be more relaxed and live a better life”
"I wish you peace, I wish you peace"
Xu Cheng also wanted to be as carefree as Sun Yue sang in the song. It was only 16.3 yuan. Twenty-five years later, he might not even bother to argue with the stall owner and would just take out his phone to scan and leave.
But now it is 1998, prices are generally low, my mother only earns 300 yuan a month, and I can go to a roadside Sichuan restaurant and order a plate of shredded pork with fish flavor for only 10 yuan.
This is worth nitpicking about.
You have to be honest when doing business. It is not a good habit to favor others.
Xu Cheng leaned over the stall, tiptoed and said, "Uncle, two pieces of pig's feet are too much. I can't eat them all. Just give me one piece."
The business of two pieces of pig's trotters became one piece. The stall owner grumbled a few words of dissatisfaction, wiped his hands on the white apron with pilling on his chest, took out a larger piece of pig's trotter with tongs and placed it on the chopping board beside him, leaving only a smaller piece on the beam scale, and his hand was still gently pressing down on the object side of the beam scale.
"Little boy, this one is big, weighing nine taels... ninety-nine is ninety-seven... the total is nine dollars and seventy cents." After saying that, the stall owner quickly put the pig's trotter into a plastic bag and handed it to Xu Cheng.
Xu Cheng didn't take it either. He just shook his head at him with a harmless expression on his face.
"Uncle, the 9-ounce piece is too big, I can't eat it either. I want a smaller piece. Please help me change it to that one."
The stall owner frowned, his hand holding the plastic bag suspended in mid-air, and he was stunned for a few seconds before retracting it.
"Then let me weigh it for you again..." The stall owner's voice was obviously much lower than before.
"No need, uncle." Xu Cheng said with a bright smile, "Didn't we weigh it just now? The two pig's feet together are 16.3 yuan in total. The big one is 9.7 yuan. 16.3 yuan minus 9.7 yuan equals 6.6 yuan. The remaining one must be 6.6 yuan."
Hearing Xu Cheng's words, the stall owner's face darkened. He knew what he had done, and now he was in a dilemma, as if he was being roasted on a stove.
There were not many people in the vegetable market at this time. The owners of several stalls nearby had already noticed this place and had been watching for a long time with their heads tilted. When they heard Xu Cheng's words, they all laughed out loud.
"When doing business, honesty is the basis!"
"Alas, God is watching what you do!"
Listening to the teasing of other stall owners, the stall owner's face was uncertain. Looking at Xu Cheng's tender face, he was confused. What was wrong today? Could it be that he was tricked by this tiny little devil?
Xu Cheng was quick. He first handed the money to the chopping board, then stood on tiptoe to pick up the "small" pig's trotter on the chopping board. He knew as soon as he lifted it that it was definitely heavier than the "big" one weighed by the stall owner.
"Uncle, please give me some change."
The stall owner then noticed that Xu Cheng had already taken away the other piece on the chopping board, and hurriedly said, "Eh? You kid, bring it back to me! Um... I can't give you the change, go buy it from somewhere else, I won't sell it to you!"
The stall owner seemed a little furious. He had been hunting geese all day and finally got his eyes pecked out by a goose. He thought to himself that if he really fell into the hands of this little brat today, how would he survive in this vegetable market in the future? Wouldn’t he be laughed at to death if other stall owners saw him?
As he said that, he walked around the stall towards Xu Cheng, and tried to snatch the thing from his hands without any courtesy. At this moment, a figure appeared in time and stood in front of Xu Cheng.
"I say, comrade, do you still have any shame? How can you have the nerve to bully a child in broad daylight?" The woman stood in front of Xu Cheng and scolded the stall owner in a domineering voice, which immediately intimidated him.
Xu Cheng stood aside, tilting his head upwards, curiously looking at the strange woman in front of him. She should be about the same age as his mother, with a graceful figure and beautiful features. She only wore light makeup and had long brown hair draped over her shoulders.
She was wearing a pair of slender black high-heeled shoes, and her round and smooth calves were wrapped in flesh-colored stockings, emitting a vague luster like a cicada's wing. She was dressed in professional black attire, and exuded the temperament of an intellectual lady.
Strong and beautiful, this was Xu Cheng's first impression, but the beautiful face always felt a little familiar...
The woman's words hit home, and the stall owner was embarrassed, but he refused to give in and argued, "What did I do to bully you? It's my own stuff. If I want to sell it, I sell it. If I don't want to sell it, I don't sell it. What's wrong with that ?"
Gao Manman folded her hands in front of her chest and said sarcastically with a calm face, "Yeah, don't even mention whether to sell or not. Sixty-nine seventy-three, ninety-nine ninety-seven, this is the first time I've seen a businessman who calculates so well. Aren't you ashamed of making money and putting it into the pockets of children? Could it be that the little conscience in your chest is only worth one or two dollars?"
What a powerful woman...Xu Cheng was secretly shocked.
The stall owner was scolded with shame and anger on his face, but when he looked up, he saw more and more people joining in the fun, so he took a deep breath, returned to the stall and counted out the change for Xu Cheng, thus swallowing the loss himself.
I was so regretful. My plan didn't work out. I should have just admitted the loss. Why didn't I resist the urge to compete with this kid? If this got out, my business would probably be destroyed! After all, reputation is the most important thing in doing business.
"Chengcheng!" Outside the crowd, He Ying hurried over carrying a few black plastic bags. She didn't know what had happened here and was afraid that her son was being bullied.
"Are you the mother of this child?" Gao Manman looked at He Ying and told her the whole story.
"Director Gao, I'm so glad to have met you today." He Ying thanked Gao Manman while glaring at the stall owner, looking very protective. "Old Yang, I've bought things from you several times. Is this how you do business? It's really ungentlemanly!"
The stall owner smiled awkwardly, quickly cut off half a pound of pork head meat and stuffed it into He Ying's mouth, saying that he was really confused today, and asked you to forgive me...
He Ying didn't say anything absolutely. She and Guang Tongchen were both quite capable. After knocking on the door for a while, the stall owner finally accepted the item, and the stall owner was so grateful that he burst into tears.
Gao Manman saw this, with a hint of admiration in her eyes, and then asked He Ying in surprise, "How do you know me?"
He Ying hurriedly said, "I am He Ying from our publishing house. I have met Director Gao several times before."
Gao Manman suddenly realized, "Oh, you are He Ying, what a coincidence! I just heard Deputy Director Yang mention you this afternoon."
"Really?" He Ying said happily.
"The child's education is really successful. This is the first time I have seen such a smart child. They say that children are the epitome of their parents. I can tell at a glance that Sister He is also an outstanding person."
"Oh, you're welcome."
Gao Manman squatted down and touched Xu Cheng's head. "Little boy, how old are you?"
Being so close to the beautiful aunt, Xu Cheng seemed a little embarrassed.
"Six."
"He's only 6 years old and he can already do math?" Gao Manman was surprised. "He's the same age as my daughter. He's such a smart kid. What's his name?"
"Xu Cheng."
Hearing the name, Gao Manman's gentle eyes suddenly became strange, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised, more like a hint of playfulness than a smile.
"Oh, you are Xu Cheng..."
