Gourmet: Midnight Vending

Chapter 468 - 392: Reaching an Agreement, Snack Business Begins!

Chen Mo still didn’t quite understand the meaning behind Cheng Xiuli’s words, because at least for now, the results seemed good.

Although the grandmother’s attitude was as bad as ever, at least Yingzi could earn herself some potato cakes with her own efforts today, as well as a small living wage. Hopefully, the grandmother would slowly change her attitude towards her granddaughter, right?

Soon, Xiao Ling peeled the second egg as well, but this time, instead of getting a potato cake, she exchanged it for two yuan.

Right after, Yingzi also finished peeling her second egg.

"Uncle, do you think this one is okay?"

Chen Mo pretended to inspect it for a while and said, "It’s fine. Do you want another potato cake?"

Yingzi licked her lips a couple of times, with a longing look in her eyes for the potato cake, but she shook her head, "I want money too."

Chen Mo went to the cabinet and took out two yuan, which was Merit Money he had sold at Wanglong Mountain and hadn’t used up.

These days, it’s rare for people to use cash, especially in small change!

"Here you go."

As he extended his hand, an aged hand swept by like a shadow, "It’s not safe for kids to carry money; grandma will hold it for you! Hurry up and peel the egg, see how quickly Lingzi is almost done with her third one, get moving!"

Chen Mo: ???

Cheng Xiuli smiled, only speaking when the old lady walked away, "So, was I right?"

Only then did Chen Mo understand the meaning of what she had said earlier.

It turned out that even when girls’ value was demonstrated through some means, these old people wouldn’t change their thinking, not one bit.

In fact, they would even urge Yingzi to work faster, so she could earn more money!

Chen Mo watched the old lady standing behind Yingzi, pointing and occasionally urging her to work faster, his head buzzing with frustration.

This is not the outcome I wanted!

Cheng Xiuli seemed to have sensed Chen Mo’s thoughts, "Boss Xiao Chen, such ingrained beliefs have nothing to do with you, nor are they something you can change."

"Mm," Chen Mo wasn’t in the mood to talk much now.

If this couldn’t be changed, what was the point of what was done before?

"But... have you ever thought about one thing?"

"What thing?"

Cheng Xiuli shook her head and sighed. She had come to Dashuang Village to discuss business with Chen Mo, but now, unknowingly, they had started talking about other things.

"Maybe it would be a lot better if the parents were around."

Chen Mo was taken aback. This was a perspective he hadn’t considered, since in Jingzhou, the place where Chen Mo grew up, very few people worked outside.

So the area was really poor... because people would rather stay poor in their hometowns than go out to work, each holding an inexplicable attachment to their native soil.

Chen Mo didn’t continue the conversation. After the girls finished peeling the eggs, some were paid the two yuan wage, while others exchanged it for potato cakes.

"Uncle, can I peel more?" Xiaoying asked, flicking a strand of hair from her forehead, her voice innocent.

"Not today, it’s enough for today."

Chen Mo packed up the goods in the food cart, ready to leave. Continuing to peel eggs was meaningless; the value he provided to the girls became a tool for the old lady to amass wealth.

It’s absolutely ridiculous!

Cheng Xiuli looked at the yellow food cart slowly leaving, quickly analyzing the situation.

Firstly, this Boss Xiao Chen was definitely not short of money; just the camper and cart he had were not something an ordinary person could afford.

Secondly, this Boss Xiao Chen didn’t seem very interested in running such a small business, his interest lay more in...

Cheng Xiuli watched as Yingzi, dragged home by her grandmother, "He seems to be very caring?"

So, Cheng Xiuli jogged over to catch up with the grandmother, gesturing as if to say something.

...

After returning to Dongyang City, Chen Mo lay on the sofa in his room, feeling in a terrible mood.

"If I don’t complete the task, then I just won’t. It’s just missing a reward."

But thinking of Yingzi like that, Chen Mo felt uneasy.

Can’t really steal the girl away for a trip, that would be absurd.

"What if their parents were around?"

Cheng Xiuli’s words lingered in Chen Mo’s mind; no parents in the world hate their own children. Perhaps it would really be much better if the parents were beside them?

But that’s their family matter, he can’t meddle in it.

Thinking it over, Chen Mo still couldn’t find a solution, so he simply took a shower and went to bed early, feeling restless.

He slept until midday, a rare lazy morning.

After getting up and washing, he put on a black shirt. With August’s heat in the south, he made himself a delicious egg fried rice in the kitchen, accompanied by a freshly squeezed orange juice, solving breakfast and lunch.

"If there’s really no way to solve this, it’s better to pretend the task doesn’t exist and just give it up. Being in this place is indeed annoying, it’s better to leave early and head towards Taiwan."

Chen Mo thought it over and felt that was more appropriate.

Just as he walked out of his room, ready to get in the car and start the journey, he ran into someone coming towards him— the middle-aged woman he had parted with in Dashuang Village the day before.

"Boss Chen, did you sleep well?"

"You, how did you..."

Unrelenting, Chen Mo didn’t say it out loud.

Cheng Xiuli smiled, "Boss Xiao Chen, I’ve been waiting here for a while. Of course, it’s something important. Do you remember what we talked about yesterday?"

"What was that?"

Cheng Xiuli took out her phone to show Chen Mo, "This is the video I shot this morning, take a look?"