Chapter 91: Changing Life ①
“I don’t think it will end like this,” Wang Chao Lei said, “Let’s all be careful.”
Ma Xin nodded with a knowing look, “I think so too, let’s encourage each other, comrades!”
Indeed, it wouldn’t end like this, but Teacher Yang didn’t have time to deal with them. He took several students who were more obviously injured to the hospital for examinations, then went to the police station to retrieve the surveillance footage of what happened yesterday, and then attended a meeting with all the homeroom teachers.
When Nie Qiu arrived at school, the first class had already started. Nie Qiu, who had missed morning self-study, smiled and apologized to her classmates. Those who usually got along well with Nie Qiu came forward to ask with concern where she was hurt, if she was feeling better, and if it still hurt. Nie Qiu patiently answered each question.
No one told Nie Qiu what had happened that morning; everyone was attending class as usual. After class, Nie Qiu took out the steamed dumplings she had made that morning from her schoolbag and gave them to Luo Xu, Zhang Haiyang, Wang Chao Lei, Ma Xin, and others. “Thank you for yesterday.”
The steamed dumplings were still hot. Because they had been in the disposable food container for a while, there was still some steam. Luo Xu smiled and said, “You did it for our class, and we should help if others bully us.”
Zhang Haiyang, with a steamed dumpling in his mouth, said while eating, “Yes, yes! Nie Qiu, if anyone bullies you in the future, just tell me, and I’ll help you!”
“Okay,” Nie Qiu smiled and nodded.
Huang Yan saw Nie Qiu giving dumplings to Zhang Haiyang and the others, put down her pen, and rushed over, “Hey! Nie Qiu, don’t I get any?”
“Of course, you do,” Nie Qiu smiled. “Go get them from my desk. You and Peng Yu Yang both have some.” How could Nie Qiu forget Peng Yu Yang and Huang Yan? They were her best friends.
“Really? Thanks!” Huang Yan jumped up happily and hurried to Nie Qiu’s desk. She took out two food containers from the desk, and indeed, there were steamed dumplings inside. She picked up the food containers and placed one on Peng Yu Yang’s desk. “Eat up! Nie Qiu’s steamed dumplings are delicious.”
Peng Yu Yang put down his pen, glanced at Nie Qiu, who was watching them, took the steamed dumplings from Huang Yan, placed them on his desk, and buried his head in eating.
Luo Xu, holding his steamed dumplings, walked to Li Kai’s desk. “A Kai, want some? Nie Qiu’s steamed dumplings.”
Li Kai, who was doing homework, paused. The tip of his pen scratched across the notebook paper with a harsh sound. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “No, thank you.” Li Kai’s voice was very calm, but his face, hidden by his lowered head, was slightly cold.
Luo Xu glanced at the paper, which was now torn in half, “Oh, then I’ll eat it myself.” He then turned and left.
Li Kai’s expression changed several times, and finally, his ashen face returned to normal. He took a deep breath, absolutely refusing to admit it. Seeing Zhang Haiyang and the others eating Nie Qiu’s handmade steamed dumplings, he had an urge to snatch one and eat it! He also felt a deep sense of setback.
Why had he gone home yesterday? If he hadn’t gone home yesterday, he could have helped save Nie Qiu with Zhang Haiyang and the others, and he could have eaten Nie Qiu’s steamed dumplings today. Thinking about the reason he went home yesterday, Li Kai’s face turned red.
After school, Nie Qiu, Huang Yan, and Peng Yu Yang, along with a few boys who played well with Peng Yu Yang, went to a milk tea shop for milk tea. Because of what happened yesterday, they insisted on accompanying Nie Qiu for a while until they felt they wouldn’t encounter groups of students from other classes, and then they each said goodbye and went home. Nie Qiu smiled and accepted the good intentions of her classmates.
After parting ways with her classmates, Nie Qiu went to the market and directly to Zhang Qitian’s vegetable stand. Zhang Qitian was bagging a bunch of celery for a woman and collecting money when he saw Nie Qiu. He smiled, “You’re here?”
Nie Qiu nodded, “Mm.”
“How is it? What have you thought about what Brother Zhang said? How much do others sell for retail per jin, and I’ll wholesale it to you at that price per jin.” Zhang Qitian wiped his hands on his dark blue apron, opened the door of the vegetable stand, and let Nie Qiu in.
“I know Brother Zhang means well for me, but Brother Zhang… I’m here to talk about cooperation,” Nie Qiu said, sitting on a stool that Zhang Qitian had moved, smiling at Zhang Qitian, who was taking a cigarette from a pack and lighting it.
“Cooperation?” Zhang Qitian was a little confused. Isn’t buying and selling cooperation? If it can be long-term cooperation, then that’s great.
“It’s like this, we have a relative who grows vegetables. The young people in their family are all studying at universities in other cities. The ones doing the farm work are all elderly, and they don’t often come to the city, so they asked me to help them sell vegetables.” Nie Qiu smiled sheepishly, “You know, I have to study, and I can’t help them sell vegetables, so I was thinking, could you help me rent a vegetable stall in the market for me to sell vegetables, and let my mom sell them? Of course, if you’re willing to help, we’ll also supply your family’s vegetables, at wholesale price, what do you think?”
Zhang Qitian looked at the market, then at the market management office, “You’re quite sharp for a young girl!” Renting a vegetable stall in the market isn’t easy. This is a big city, not a small town. You can rent a stall if you have money, but you also need connections. In a small town, the rent for a stall is only three to four hundred yuan a month, with a profit of tens of thousands, but people in big cities don’t farm. The things grown in the city are for greenery and oxygen, and more than 99% of people buy their food. The profit from selling vegetables is huge! Due to transportation costs, vegetables and meat in the city are much more expensive than in small towns. This young girl must have seen that the market administrator has a soft spot for her, so she asked me to help her rent a stall.
“Hehe,” Nie Qiu smiled sheepishly, “So… so Brother Zhang, what do you think?”
“Then you have to guarantee that your vegetables are as good as the ones you gave me last time.” As soon as Zhang Qitian finished speaking, a customer arrived. Zhang Qitian stood up and smiled, greeting, “Elder sister, what would you like? I see you bought meat. Do you want to stir-fry it with black fungus or bamboo shoots? Or chili peppers?”
The middle-aged woman buying groceries handed the meat she bought to Zhang Qitian and said, “Brother Zhang, can you tell me what this meat is suitable for?”
“Hmm…” Zhang Qitian pretended to look, then smiled, “The color of this meat is good, and I see it’s lean. It would be good with bamboo shoots and black fungus. If it were fattier, then chili peppers would definitely be better.”
Nie Qiu listened to Zhang Qitian and lowered her head, giggling. It seemed that selling vegetables still required good looks! If an ugly uncle had said so much to her, she would have turned and left, but if it were Zhang Qitian, it was no wonder this woman would deliberately strike up a conversation with him.
Zhang Qitian wasn’t exceptionally handsome, but he was the type who was very attractive to middle-aged women. He was tall and sturdy, giving a sense of security, and his features were firm, well-defined, and sunny. Such men are usually favored by middle-aged and elderly women.
