boyutpedia Chapter 7 Salary Assistance
Chapter 7 Salary Assistance
The mountain town in April and May is comfortable and pleasant.
We've just escaped the bone-chilling cold of winter's incessant rain, but haven't yet been greeted by the scorching, bone-chilling winds.
The lights turned the entire mountainside golden, layer upon layer, stacked from the riverbank all the way up to the mountainside.
The night breeze blew across the river, carrying the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and hot pot from who-knows-where. It brushed against my face, neither too hot nor too cold, gently washing away the weariness of the day, and making me feel hungry.
"What do you want to eat?"
"barbecue."
"I won't eat it."
Zhu Ge looked at Wang Lang in surprise, then said confidently, "Delicious!"
"I still won't eat that, the barbecue in the south is too expensive."
Cities with many mountains are called mountain cities, and there are countless mountain cities in the country.
Wang Lang comes from another mountain town, a city in the north.
In his mind, barbecue is sold by the skewer—a meat skewer, with chunks of meat of varying fat and lean meat skewered on an iron stick, sprinkled with cumin and chili to excess, costing around 30 or 40 yuan per person until they're stuffed.
After arriving in the South, I discovered that barbecue here is sold by the bundle, with ten sticks in a bundle, and the amount of meat in a bundle is less than that in a single stick in the North.
It's true that you don't realize how much food you've eaten until you have to pay the bill and then you want to call the police.
"This place is guaranteed to be inexpensive. Every time I go, I eat my fill and it doesn't cost much."
Faced with the criticism, Zhu Ge couldn't really retaliate. Although he wasn't from Chongqing, the barbecue in his hometown in the south was indeed quite expensive.
"Look, we're almost there." Zhu Ge pointed to an inconspicuous little shop in front of him.
Smoke filled the air, and a small fan carried the aroma of grease dripping onto the embers far and wide. At this hour, far from the time when people were truly enjoying their late-night beer revelry, several tables were already occupied.
There was a middle-aged man who ate alone, a young couple who seemed to never have to work, and many more working-class people like Wang Lang and Zhu Ge.
"Little brother, what would you like to eat today?" the owner asked solicitously, handing over the menu.
Zhu Ge ordered a few items, and then asked Wang Lang to choose a few more.
"Boss, aren't you going to take notes?" The boss was the only one busy in the shop. Wang Lang noticed that the boss was only taking notes with his ears and didn't have a pen in his hand.
The boss smiled slyly and tapped his bald head: "I've remembered it all."
"I didn't see you this afternoon?" Zhu Ge, familiar with the place, picked up a plate of steamed peanuts and started eating.
Wang Lang glossed over it: "He went to work as a deliveryman for Lai Ge Bao."
……
In the mountain city, before grilling, the owner will ask: Do you want to eat the whole skewer, or cut it into pieces and put it on a plate to eat together?
The two chatted casually, and soon the owner brought out a large plate of barbecue.
"Boss, check please." The middle-aged man next to me had already finished eating.
The bald boss greeted them with a smile, glanced at the table, and immediately gave them the price: 38.
The uncle looked at the two bowls and plates on his table, hesitated for a moment, and finally paid without saying anything, got up and left.
The owner remained as enthusiastic as ever: "Come again next time!"
After a few sizzling pieces of grilled meat and a refreshing beer, Zhu Ge began to reminisce about the past:
"Wait a minute, I remember you went to the barbecue party in the male dorms of college before?" Zhu Ge bit into a bottle of beer, and milky white foam overflowed.
Wang Lang picked up a thick, succulent shiitake mushroom and stuffed it into his mouth, hissing and gasping for breath from the spiciness. "Isn't that for everyone? Hiss—"
Zhu Ge pressed on, "So you don't usually eat barbecue?"
"If I'm craving something, I'll grill some dried tofu and sweet potato noodles..." Wang Lang took a swig of beer. "It'll satisfy my craving and it's cheap too."
From barbecues and university dinners, Wang Lang and Zhu Ge talked about many stories, as well as their respective campus romances that ended without a trace. They couldn't help but look at each other in silence and sigh deeply.
"Hello, have you finished eating? Could you please add a green bubble tea?"
"Hi, could you add a green bubble?"
It turned out to be a middle-aged man who had just finished eating barbecue and hadn't left. He was blocking customers who had just finished eating and were paying their bills at the door, preventing them from getting more green bubble tea.
Despite being rejected repeatedly, the middle-aged man wasn't embarrassed; he just gave an awkward smile.
"It's really tough. Half of your hair has turned white, and you still have to run around doing business. I hope we won't be like this in the future?" Zhu Ge said with some concern.
After a few drinks, Wang Lang's cheeks flushed, and he started talking incoherently. He put his hand on Zhu Ge's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, if you follow me, I'll take care of anyone I don't like."
"Yes, let's just do it." Zhu Ge didn't dwell on it anymore.
"Speaking of which, I quite like this half-white, half-black hairstyle." Wang Lang stretched out his hands, which rippled like waves, and muttered, "Heart-Soul-Destroying Palm."
Who can resist Stephen Chow's portrayal of the God of Cookery, whose hair turned white overnight?
The two chatted for a while longer.
The middle-aged man hadn't left yet, and waited for another group of customers who had finished their barbecue and paid their bill. "Could we add a green bubble tea?"
"Hmm... okay."
Heaven rewards those who persevere; the uncle finally added a friend.
Wang Lang finished chewing the last bite of roasted sweet potato skin, glanced at him, and muttered to himself: Being a salesman isn't easy; after squatting here for half a day, I finally got one more.
"Boss, check please."
The night in the mountain town grew increasingly noisy, and Zhu Ge practically shouted for the boss.
Seeing that the baking tray was empty and the bowls and plates were clean, the bald boss held a cigarette in his hand, a smile hidden in his eyes, "Did you enjoy your meal? The total... the total is 86."
Zhu Ge took out his phone to pay the bill.
"etc."
The middle-aged man who had been struggling to add friends at the door spoke up to stop him.
"How much did those two young people eat?" The middle-aged man walked in from the doorway, the light shining on his face, his expression somewhat serious.
The bald boss took a drag of his cigarette. "It cost 86, what's going on?"
"Boss, could you recalculate it?"
"What's wrong with that? Could I possibly miscalculate?"
"Don't you know?" The middle-aged man chuckled. "I just took four grilled vegetables, a plate of fried noodles, and a bottle of water, and they charged me 38 yuan in total."
The cigarette twitched at the corner of his mouth. The bald boss pondered for a moment, then broke into a broad smile:
"Oh dear, I was so busy! Those vegetarian dishes were 16, not 21. I overcharged you by 5 yuan, I'll make it up to you!"
As he spoke, the bald boss took out his phone to scan a QR code and transfer the money that had been "miscalculated".
"Is it just for me, or for everyone else?" the middle-aged man asked, refusing to accept the answer.
"Them? Which one needs to be replaced?" The bald boss's smile faltered.
"The three groups of people who just finished paying their bills—were their bills calculated correctly?"
The bald boss shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum: "No, no, no..."
Seeing the two facing off, Wang Lang regained his senses and roughly understood what had happened.
"Zhu Ge, what did we just order? Can you calculate it as 86?"
Zhu Ge looked bewildered. They had eaten and drunk their fill, but now, who could remember what dishes they had ordered?
The middle-aged man wasn't surprised that the boss wouldn't admit fault. He opened his phone and said, "I added the last group of people who left as friends. Should I let them settle the score themselves?"
The bald boss's smile vanished completely. He forgot to even smoke the cigarette between his fingers. After a moment of stunned silence, he still stubbornly insisted, "I can't be wrong. I've memorized it all."
Zhu Ge nudged Wang Lang: "I don't remember. Did the boss overcharge us?"
Ugh--
Wang Lang thought to himself, "In crucial moments, they still need me."
【The Eye of Heaven - Seeing Through】
Ok?
[Host has used 1/1 of their daily quota]
[Credit limit refreshed: 23:59 on the same day]
This morning, when Wang Lang was planning to make a quick buck, he used the [Eye of Heaven - See Through].
Wang Lang glanced at his watch and realized it was still before 20 PM; he couldn't use his skills.
So what should we do?
With a quick glance around his eyes, Wang Lang came up with a good idea.
"Boss, do you remember what we ordered?" Wang Lang pointed to the empty plates on the table.
The bald boss tilted his head and said confidently, "I remember."
"Then calculate it for us one by one, and see if it's 86."
"Uh—" The boss opened and closed his mouth, swallowed hard, and said, "You guys are... 4 yuan for a serving of chives, 8 yuan for a serving of dried tofu and sweet potato noodles, plus gluten and..."
The bald boss looked up at the sky, rubbing his head. "Oh dear, I can't remember. Never mind, I won't dwell on it. I'll give you 80."
The middle-aged man gave Wang Lang an approving look, then seized an opportunity to ask, "Boss, do you remember it or not?"
The bald boss remained silent, internally weighing whether he should remember it:
Remember it? If the prices don't match the menu, then they're deliberately overcharging.
Can't remember? Then there's even less evidence to justify charging money.
After a few seconds of silence, the bald boss, whose hand was burned by the cigarette, finally came to his senses, gritted his teeth, and stubbed out the cigarette with his hand.
Then he turned around, took a five-yuan note from the cash box, and pushed it in front of the middle-aged man.
"What about those other tables?" the middle-aged man asked calmly, without answering. "Are you going to refund them or not?"
The boss's jaw twitched, and he pulled out a few more banknotes from the cash box, not even counting them, and simply placed them on the table.
The middle-aged man accepted his five yuan, then took two more bills from among the remaining ones. "I only added one last table; I'll transfer it to that person later."
As he spoke, he pushed the remaining money back to the bald boss: "Don't blame me if you didn't get it."
Before leaving, the middle-aged man nodded to Wang Lang, a tacit expression of gratitude for Wang Lang's help.
By the light, Wang Lang examined the man's appearance. He didn't have any special features, except for a small mole on the right side of his eyebrow.
"Boss, what about our table..." Zhu Ge was a little annoyed that the restaurant he had so strongly recommended had backfired.
"You guys... give me 70."
Zhu Ge stuck out his tongue after hearing this. Good heavens, they overcharged us by so much money!
"Back then..."
Zhu Ge thought about how he usually only cared about scanning codes and eating his fill, so he let the boss say whatever he wanted.
"How much have we lost!" Zhu Ge said with a bitter face, not knowing how to put it.
Zhu Ge nudged Wang Lang with his elbow, looking miserable, and said, "Old thief, let's go. We're not coming back to this place."
Seeing Wang Lang standing there in a daze, Zhu Ge stepped forward and paid the money first. He glanced at the bald boss who was "losing" money and sighed.
Wang Lang was stunned, not because the shopkeeper had suddenly charged him more than ten yuan more.
But...
[Host's rebellious behavior against the Heavenly Gang has been detected - Assistance]
[Wage Donor: Zhang Licheng]
[Severity of Reversal of Heavenly Principles: Mild]
[Rewards are being distributed...]
[Reward: 1000 Heavenly Spirit Points (First-time reward)]
[Reward: 500 Heavenly Spirit Points (Salary Assistance Bonus)]
[Helping others reverse the Heavenly Gang will trigger a salary bonus: Degree reward × Number of people]
Those who offer fuel to others should not be left destitute.
Current Celestial Strength Value: 4780
hiss--
Wang Lang sobered up completely.
……
"Remember to text me when you get home..." Wang Lang said goodbye to Zhu Ge and went home.
On his way home, Wang Lang summoned the semi-transparent system panel and stared at the last item without blinking.
I never expected this!
I've been busy since last night, selling picture frames for nothing, and even after arguing with Ma Lou, I still haven't made any money. I thought I'd come away empty-handed, but I actually made money off a stranger.
And you even made so much money!
"Zhang Licheng..."
He kept repeating the name, and although he didn't know if he would ever meet him again, Wang Lang felt that he and the other person were kindred spirits.