Chapter 39.1
Editor: Jodi
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The newly opened barbecue joint in front of Golden Sun Kindergarten had more people than it had skewers.
The lady boss was overwhelmed handling everything on her own, so Xu Ling and Gao Nian got up to help out.
“Let me see your hands.” The Math Nerd poked Ning Sheng.
Ning Sheng spread his hands.
Li Haoyue: “They’re red.”
Lu Peng: “That Dog Xu is something else.”
“Yes, he’s really outdone himself.” Ning Sheng said, “In the past few years, his car wash has gone from being just a car wash shop to a car wash city, and then a car wash park. Give it a few more years, and he’ll have a whole car wash empire.”
He added, “By then, he won’t even care about us poor friends anymore.”
Li Haoyue: “You saying that while wearing your five-figure down jacket is so convincing.”
“Not so fast.” Lu Peng said. “Dog Xu said the last time that his next goal was a Car Wash Street.”
Ning Sheng: “……”
“I could hear you badmouthing me from a mile away.” Xu Ling came over carrying a big iron tray. “Ning Ning, the food’s ready.”
Lu Peng grabbed a skewer of pork belly for Ning Sheng, but Xu Ling dumped several skewers of grilled pork belly onto Ning Sheng’s plate.
Ning Sheng glanced at the plate, tilted his head slightly, averted his eyes, and ate the skewer Lu Peng handed him instead.
Xu Ling: “……”
“Why are you out there breaking your back with bricks?” Ning Sheng turned and asked Gao Nian. “Isn’t selling vegetables fun anymore?”
Gao Nian: “It’s not fun at all. I don’t even have free veggies to give away lately, and business isn’t good.”
Ning Sheng: “Useless. How is that possible? I think you’re the vegetables 1here it has another meaning— rookie.”
Gao Nian: “……”
Xu Ling: “Uh, how about we just eat first…”
“Eat what? Are you stupid?” Ning Sheng snapped coldly at Gao Nian. “You can run a promotion—buy 10 yuan worth of vegetables, and for 2 yuan, get 10 tosses in a fun ring-toss game.”
A certain senior’s eyes lit up.
“You can also start a membership program.” Xu Ling added. “Spend 20 yuan, and you get a membership card, and with the card, every purchase of 20 yuan at your shop gets a 10% discount.”
The senior’s eyes brightened even more.
Ning Sheng shot Xu Ling a glare, then turned back to Gao Nian. “You could bring in some balloon poppers to sell alongside the veggies. The little children will drag their grandparents over.”
Xu Ling: “Set up a TV at the entrance playing some cheesy soap operas. The uncles and aunties will love it.”
Ning Sheng: “And you could give out vouchers—spend 50 yuan and get 2 yuan off. Trust me, they’ll team up with neighbors to hit the minimum.”
Ning Sheng glared at Xu Ling, Xu Ling glared back, and sparks practically flew in the air.
The senior stood there, dumbfounded.
“Good thing these two are on the same side.” Li Haoyue sighed. “Otherwise, what a waste it’d be if they worked against each other.”
Li Haoyue: “…… What are you doing, Lu Peng?!”
Lu Peng had pulled out a notebook and pen and was scribbling furiously. “Duh, taking notes. What else? I’ll save this for selling pigs later.”
Li Haoyue: “…..”
“Friend.” Lu Peng patted the certain senior on the shoulder. “Years from now, when you’re standing in front of your vegetable empire, you’ll look back at today and thank those 300 yuan you spent on barbecue.”
The senior thought that made sense and happily walked off after finishing the barbecue.
Left at the table were the Four Golden Suns.
“You three.” Xu Ling started, “have you been scheming all morning?”
Lu Peng whistled, and Li Haoyue pulled out a math test paper.
Ning Sheng: “You think you’re worthy?”
Xu Ling: “……”
His head hurt.
Xu Ling: “I’m not going to S City for high school.”
“You’re going.” Ning Sheng said. “Why wouldn’t you?”
Xu Ling: “Because….”
“Better living conditions, more educational opportunities.” Ning Sheng interrupted. “Big cities are safer. In Qing’an Town, those little thugs might even carry knives.”
Xu Ling: “……”
Alright, so after all that, the last sentence was the real point—someone was still holding a grudge.
A Maybach sped over and stopped at the barbecue shop entrance.
Ning Sheng wiped his mouth with a napkin calmly, stepped into the car with an air of nobility, and didn’t forget to throw Xu Ling a glare before leaving.
“Disband. I’m going home to sleep.” Li Haoyue yawned.
“Disband. I’m going home to hit the books.” Lu Peng yawned as well.
Xu Ling: “Wait, wait.”
“Help me figure out how to coax him.” Xu Ling told them.
“Send him another chick?” Lu Peng asked.
Li Haoyue: “Not happening. Princess has grown up—he doesn’t care about little chicks anymore.”
Xu Ling’s phone rang—it was his stepdad.
“Your mom went out shopping, and you’re out having fun too.” His stepfather started. “I’ve been entertaining your biological father for two hours. Don’t you think this is a little weird?”
Xu Ling: “……”
Xu Ling: “It’s weird. You keep up the ghost act for a bit longer. I’m heading back now.”
Then he pedaled furiously on his bike toward the car wash.
Meanwhile in front of the car wash, Xu Ling’s stepdad had just finished rinsing off a car.
“Done washing.” He tossed the hose to the side. “Don’t take the muddy road again next time.”
Xu Ling’s biological father: “……”
Xu Ling’s biological father: “I don’t know why, but it feels like you’re the most down-to-earth person in all of Qing’an Town.”
Xu Ling’s stepdad: “?” That’s not necessarily true.
A bicycle sped over, and Xu Ling parked it under a tree, rushing over.
“You can go back now.” He started. “I’m not going to S City for school.”
His biological father: “Alright, contact me if you regret it later.”
Xu Ling: “Then hurry up and leave. It’ll be hard to drive once it gets dark.”
His dad was a little touched. “So concerned about your dad?”
“Not really.” Xu Ling replied. “Our family’s poor, and you’ve been drinking a lot of our tea.”
A hesitant Porsche drove out of town, making it out just before nightfall.
Xu Ling let out a sigh of relief.
That night, Xu Ling spent hours tapping on Ning Sheng’s chat window, but no reply came.
Then he became sleepy and went to bed.
However at 2 a.m., he shot upright from bed.
Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Ning Sheng’s hand, slightly reddened from being hit by a small branch.
The teenager had pulled back his stinging hand, hiding it behind his back, with a slight frown on his face. His eyes were proud but cold, and the glance he threw over carried a mix of arrogance and grievance.
It was the kind of expression you’d regret seeing even once.
What was happening?
He ruffled his hair in frustration.
Group chat [Three Golden Suns Rising Secretly] : (3)
[Ling] : Do you think Ning Ning would like a small potted plant?
[AAA Premium Piglet Wholesale] : Don’t you ever sleep?
[Ling] : Aren’t you also not asleep?
[AAA Premium Piglet Wholesale] : I’m doing practice problems. I want to get into high school. I even called the math nerd earlier to ask him a question.
[Ling] : What did he say?
[AAA Premium Piglet Wholesale] : He told me to ask a pig, but all the pigs are asleep.
[Ling] : …..