Chapter 0008: Selling Artistry
Buck is now holding these two knives with both hands, without handles, simply wrapped in towels and held in his hands. The raised knife tips are used upright, resembling a spatula. One is used to scoop clean seasonings onto the meat platter, while the other, a bit dirtier, is used to shift charcoal and tend to the fire, making it very convenient and embodying a versatile design.
Ba Dacheng has spent his entire life working as a workshop mechanic, and he and his colleagues are thoroughly familiar with the technical aspects of these machines. Occasionally, they would secretly make a kitchen knife or a chisel for their homes. However, his son, who has been selling barbecue for several years, operates the equipment with remarkable skill. This is one thing; it is understandable that one can become proficient with a few days of familiarization with the equipment, and technical skills can be honed in the workshop. The key point is that his son can quickly produce items, such as that long, shiny steel knife.
At that moment, Liu Changyuan, who was sitting in a chair playing with his phone, suddenly seemed to wake up, looking around at the many people with a dazed expression. He mumbled a few words to himself and then lowered his head to continue playing, not even considering helping out or vacating his chair. Buck, of course, was even less concerned. As for his barbecue, as long as he grilled a large piece well, he could slice it into numerous plates, which was more like wholesale. Moreover, the subsequent batches were grilled one after another. It was just a bit annoying that some people were nitpicking about wanting beef, lamb, or pork, which led Buck to decide that tomorrow he would only grill lamb.
Lifestyle habits are indeed something that requires adjustment, and waste sorting has essentially become a subconscious behavior. Not only in cities in Eastern Europe, but also in war zones, it is crucial to categorize various types of household waste. Preventing tracking and cleaning up traces is a matter of survival.
The child's eyes sparkled with joy as he eagerly nodded, picked up the gloves and mask from the table, squatted by the bucket to wash his hands clean, and then stood beside Buck, waiting attentively for instructions.
It is somewhat akin to performing arts
It is still very popular, and it seems that more people came today after tasting it yesterday, so there are even more people than yesterday. Buck feels somewhat fortunate to have at least some help.
Ba Dacheng and his wife did not come. Liu Shufen's hope is that Ba Ke can finish work and take a girl home, then she would thank the Buddha for the blessing, but Ba Dacheng has some doubts in his heart
Because during the day today, apart from preparing materials, Buck did one thing: he went to his father's workshop to make two knives, as the barbecue tools were not quite suitable.
With an expression of impatience and indifference, Liu Changyuan leaned against the plastic table playing on his phone, not even lifting his head: "Bage, when will you wrap up this stall? I have someone to team up with for a game. Aren't you playing? How much can you make for me this month? Running a big food stall, it would be a bit embarrassing to talk about it among friends and classmates."
Having reached adulthood, yet still relying on the support of aging parents, one might still feel a sense of shame
Returning to the side of the garbage heap, that small figure had already vanished. Buck shrugged and made a face, considering it a missed opportunity to communicate with his fellow beggars. He called to his parents to pack up and head home
Buck felt a bit sorry and called out to the kid who had hurriedly opened the plastic bag: "Wait a moment, let me get you some water, take your time eating." He went back to his stall to fetch the two cans of beer he had earned, to be honest, as he walked back, he showed no surprise or pity. The attitude towards beggars in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is quite good, yet upon returning to his home country, he often faced discrimination.
The pace of life there is extremely slow, and instances of idleness are everywhere. As long as there is enough to eat and drink, that is sufficient. When it comes to taking vacations and enjoying life, there is no hesitation. Once work is over, people definitely leave, and not a minute longer will they stay. The GDP is indeed not very high, but the quality of life is not low either. However, the downside is that everywhere relies on aid, even the country itself.
The little beggar at the back was holding a box while tidying up the empty plates that had been used, and the two people, one tall and one short, were both wearing masks and gloves, which complemented each other well
Buck thought it was a wild dog searching for food, and he did not waste any time. He whistled a couple of times to tease it, then took a step forward and threw the plastic bag over.
The most common damping steel plates used in the workshop are not those used for trains, as they are too thick. Instead, one should look for the smaller steel plates from maintenance vehicles that are replaced regularly. These can be directly cut and flattened, then polished and sharpened to the desired dimensions. The design is quite peculiar, resembling two elongated and thickened watermelon knives. The square blade tip has a sharp upward curve, giving the originally four-finger-wide blade body a palm-sized flat tip. Grasping the handle, the elongated blade can be used like a rake to scrape and flatten the bottom of a flat-bottomed pan. Therefore, with a length of over half a meter and a blade thickness of about one finger, it can be directly cut and flattened, then polished and sharpened to the required size. The design is very unusual, akin to two elongated and thickened watermelon knives, with a square blade tip that has a sharp upward curve, allowing the originally four-finger-wide blade body to have a palm-sized flat tip. Holding the handle, the elongated blade can scrape and flatten the bottom of a flat-bottomed pan like a rake. Thus, with a length of over half a meter and a blade thickness of about one finger, it is exceptionally robust. During the day, when Buck squats at the door chopping vegetables and miscellaneous ingredients, it is incredibly handy.
Buck first went to the nearby convenience store to buy a loaf of bread and a bottle of mineral water, handing them to the child: "Eat before you work." Didn't he take the leftover meat from yesterday for the child? Yet now, the child clearly appeared a bit unsteady and hungry, and as soon as the aroma of the grilled meat wafted out, Buck noticed the child swallowing several times.
The living conditions in the country have truly improved. What Ba and Tu Shuke find rather concerning is that there are quite a few leftover slices of meat on the plate. Most of the time, the young ladies try something new and end up eating the side dishes like yellow peaches and tomatoes, leaving behind some white meat. This is indeed a waste. Shaking his head, he plans to put less meat and more vegetables when he sees the young ladies tomorrow, gathering the leftover meat together and tossing it into a plastic bag for the trash.
The child lowered his head, only shaking it and eating the bread with great effort, not allowing Buck to see the tears falling onto the bread
The one sitting on the chair is, of course, another assistant
Buck truly adheres to a work-life balance, never sacrificing his rest for the sake of making more money; this perspective is, in fact, influenced by his experiences in Eastern Europe.
One is that little beggar from last night, still with his face smeared with dirt in patches of black and gray. However, since Buck started setting the table, he has been lingering around, and when he sees he cannot be chased away, he tentatively reaches out to help move chairs and the foam boxes containing food. The foam box filled with thirty to forty pounds of meat is simply too heavy for his small frame to lift, but he is making a great effort to shift it. Buck laughs and tosses him a pair of rubber gloves and a mask, saying, "Wash your hands and face before you start working, or you'll scare the customers away!" The foam box filled with thirty to forty pounds of meat is simply too heavy for his small frame to lift, but he is making a great effort to shift it. Buck laughs and tosses him a pair of rubber gloves and a mask, saying, "Wash your hands and face before you start working, or you'll scare the customers away!"
As soon as the bag was thrown out, a dirty face appeared behind the trash can, a human face, paired with messy short hair that looked like it had been chewed by a scruffy dog, just like when Buck was first picked up by Fang Lingying, a little beggar!
The child wore a mask, and the eyes that were visible were particularly large. Even amidst the dirt, one could see the bright pupils straining to stay open, as if that was the only way to prevent tears from flowing. Silently accepting something, the child squatted by the oven and devoured the bread ravenously. Buck felt a stir in his heart; he had originally intended to jokingly kick the child, but instead smiled and pretended not to see: "Isn't it hot sitting there with your back against the oven? Go sit on that chair over there!"
Comparing again to that little beggar who has already stuffed food into his mouth, casually sipped a couple of mouthfuls of water, and then jumped up to start wiping the table and taking the plates, even Buck felt embarrassed for him
The worker did not understand the description and only murmured to Ba Dacheng: "Wow... this can be considered a controlled knife, has Zhimin's household registration been obtained? We must be careful, or else the police will see and check our documents."
Ba Dacheng, startled, ran to the railway police station to cause a commotion
At a glance, it exudes a chilling ferocity
Busy is busy, and being busy yet not chaotic is probably used to describe Buck. The little beggar does not greet anyone; he simply watches as people sit down, eagerly helping to fetch disposable chopsticks. Buck takes a glance and naturally remembers the general order of things, satisfying those who are seated, and of course, this also applies to the customers standing around. He did not mention buying more chairs; after all, there are only six tables and more than twenty plastic chairs.
He greatly appreciates such children; being poor or facing difficulties is not frightening. A diligent attitude and a willingness to work can bring about everything
While others strive for perfection in business, he takes a simpler approach. However, today there are indeed two small fans blowing, making it much more comfortable. Soon, he begins to set the tables. The little beggar, with a shoebox in one hand and a plate in the other, delivers them to each table. After tossing in some money, he places the plate down and attentively watches others take the change from the box, seemingly quite good at arithmetic.
Buck had no obligation to persuade or educate. Seeing the little beggar already spread out the table, he began to stir-fry the vegetables that had long been chopped, even adding onions, diced lotus root, and other ingredients mixed in...
As everyone was about to leave the workshop, Buck noticed a discarded steel wire rope in the corner. He felt a spark of inspiration and picked it up. First, he heated it to a high temperature, then used a punch press to flatten it and quench it, transforming it into a patterned steel block. At this point, it already had a somewhat blade-like shape, but after a moment of hesitation, he decided not to sharpen it further. Instead, he tucked the palm-sized steel block into his pocket, smiling as he tossed a circle of cigarettes to his father's coworkers in the workshop, leaving them dumbfounded as he walked away.
Just as he was about to throw the bag into the large iron trash can, which was filled with a foul odor and located more than ten meters away, he heard the sound of something rustling through the garbage behind the can, which was as tall as a person. Many people, disliking the smell, would throw their trash from a distance, resulting in more garbage outside than inside the can
However, today at the stall, Buck still had two helpers.
It was evident that he was quite diligent. Buck instructed him to wipe the tables, and he skillfully arranged the small vases and chopsticks at the center of each table. However, he lacked strength; despite straining with the veins in his neck, he was unable to help Buck lift the iron skewer laden with meat onto the grill. He looked at Buck with a hint of anxiety, seemingly afraid of being dismissed, and picked up a broom from the side of the road to clean the area.
Buck seemed to see his former self, the mischievous child who did not understand the hardships of his parents
As the number of people increases, the Buck knife becomes even more useful. One side features a shock-absorbing steel plate with a rough, unpolished surface. After being used for barbecuing for a while, it has turned into a black, oily, granular texture that feels quite uneven. Buck holds the knife handle in one hand, balancing a row of plates on it to serve to others. This action goes unnoticed by most, yet the heavy steel knife remains steady in his grip, supporting so many plates with just one hand. Mastering this kind of strength is a skill honed in secrecy.
However, the next day, he insisted on using Ba Da's injured leg as an excuse, refusing to let his parents accompany him to the market. It was already exhausting enough to spend the day helping him buy groceries and prepare ingredients, so he wanted to rest in the evening