Chapter 7, Raising the Price and Then Switching the Goods

Three men from out of town suddenly erupted: "What? A plate of small yellow croaker only costs 15 yuan, but it was clearly just a few dozen yuan when we ordered it. How did it come out to 328 yuan?!"

This is the state of the world that Shi Jianren experienced on his first day in society

Indeed, after the out-of-town tourists finished their meal, the little girl had already changed places with the plump proprietress behind the small counter to settle the bill. The greasy menu was brought over, and upon a glance, the price was quoted: "A total of 328 yuan for three people"

Shijian Ren did not have tears welling up in his eyes, nor was he choked with emotion. He smiled and nodded as he began to eat his meal, but he declined Yang Deguang's kind offer to drink white wine. The poor-quality white wine served in that earthen bowl was clearly overly blended, and it might even have the taste of industrial alcohol. A young man who had become accustomed to drinking some homemade fine wine found it truly difficult to convince himself to drink such liquor. He did not persuade Yang Deguang either; he simply hoped that in the future, he could help him stop drinking such things as soon as possible.

So the little girl took another glance at him, then turned her head to compare with Yang Deguang, who was gulping down the remaining tofu pudding water along with the leftover food, and was smearing his face with his five fingers in a chaotic manner, before quickly turning back to continue attending to his guests.

Continue to enthusiastically introduce in somewhat unskilled Mandarin: "m.hetushucomcom, an absolute Jiangzhou flavor, with dishes like tofu rice, fish-flavored shredded pork, spicy hot pot, stir-fried crayfish, and deep-fried small yellow croaker! The taste will surely satisfy you... It has been a time-honored brand at the dock for decades!" The person is not tall, but their gaze shines brightly, glancing back at Shijianren. The young man sipping soup remains leisurely, distinctly standing out from the surrounding crowd, perhaps due to his long hair styled in a bun.

The seemingly simple Yang Deguang also has his cunning moments. The plump landlady, with a waist like a water bucket, brought over the last bowl of white liquor, grumbling that the two of them only ordered one serving of boiled pork, which would surely require her to serve them a lot of white rice. As she turned to leave, he made a sly face and gestured with a crooked mouth to Shijian Ren, indicating outside: "That girl is quite well-behaved!" Nearby, others overheard and also chuckled quietly.

Just as Shi Jianren was about to rise and follow Yang Deguang, he was pulled back by a newly acquainted companion, watching him sit down again to fiddle with the remaining scraps of food with his chopsticks

Yang Deguang laughed foolishly without resistance, raised the wine bowl and took a sip, enjoyed a piece of braised pork, and felt extremely satisfied

Then the white, tender tofu, with spicy dipping sauce, when mixed into the white rice, creates a strong sensory stimulation, making it even more appetizing

Shijian Ren nodded and smiled at the young lady, then lowered his eyelids to continue drinking the tofu flower water. However, the tofu flower water, which was free of charge, was served in a broken earthen bowl with many chips missing. He sipped it slowly, as if it were bird's nest soup, feeling comfortable and at ease. Eating until he was seven-tenths full, he would then gradually add some soup; this was a fundamental principle of health preservation. As long as he could achieve this, Shijian Ren would certainly do so, and the fact that the old man lived over a hundred years serves as proof.

Yang Deguang showed no sign of being beaten, standing tall and proud: "This is A Ren! We are together, and we will continue to be together in the future..." He wished to say more, yet could not articulate his thoughts, as laughter erupted all around.

Only the stone-faced Ren Jianshi, who had not stood up, furrowed his brows and glanced over. Sure enough, he saw that little girl waving two banknotes under the light in broad daylight: "Oh, they are both missing corners, the bank won't accept them, could you please exchange them..."

Shi Jianren was focused on eating his meal. When he reached his third bowl of rice, Yang Deguang finished his white wine and the braised pork, and also began to shovel his bowl vigorously. Just as Shi Jianren managed to resist the urge to have another bowl and appropriately picked up the remaining half bowl of tofu pudding water, savoring this slightly yellow and sweet tofu water as the most delicious soup he had enjoyed in recent days, a nimble figure suddenly jumped in, speaking hurriedly and excitedly: "Our flavor is the most authentic! Absolutely the best Jiangzhou taste, guaranteed to make you want to come back for more!"

A plate of braised pork actually contains only five or six slices of fatty meat. Yang Deguang simply swiped his hand and pushed half of it into Shi Jianren's bowl. The key is the salted vegetables underneath, which pair very well with rice

If you give, then give; if you don't give, then we will beat you before giving!

That gentlemanly demeanor, warm as jade, can easily distinguish this young girl from the surrounding strong men, even if she does not understand it at all

The already flustered tourist did not notice that in that moment, two banknotes had been swapped for counterfeit ones. Angrily, he took them and stuffed them into his wallet, exchanging for two new notes. However, the little girl still held a large stack of five and one yuan coins to make change, her ten delicate fingers flying: "Here, ten yuan, twenty yuan, twenty-five yuan ... ... "

The proprietress, calm and composed, said: "Look closely, the menu states that a small yellow fish costs 15 yuan, and there are twelve fish on your plate..."

Greasy hair is nothing unusual here, and which stick isn't dirty

As I watched the banknotes being placed one by one on the table, a little finger, cleverly concealed beneath the spread-out bills, deftly hooked one and let it drop into the specially designed gap of a small counter!

Having a meal at the dock will cost you the equivalent of three layers of skin

Three tall northern men realized they had encountered a black shop, cursing and threatening to overturn the table, only to see that suddenly the area was filled with people, all of whom were strong, muscular young men, at least twenty of them

In a dialect that was neither refined nor overly casual, Shi Jianren noticed that it was likely the daughter of the boss, as mentioned by Yang Deguang, who entered with a few tourists. Unlike Yang Deguang, who immediately turned to secretly admire the young girl's pert backside and curvaceous figure, Shi Jianren's gaze merely wandered over the face of the girl, who appeared to be no more than twenty. In his mind, there was no distinction between beauty and ugliness; his attention briefly lingered on her eyebrows and eyes. Just then, the girl turned to look at him, and her gaze was strikingly different from that of others, momentarily catching him off guard. Swiftly, she smacked the menu in her hand against Yang Deguang's head, displaying a precision reminiscent of her mother: "What are you sneaking a look at! Are there more fellow villagers coming?"

It is not surprising to spend several hundred yuan in a large restaurant, but how can this shabby roadside snack shop dare to charge so much? This is only three or four dishes after all

The poor do not concern themselves with the taste, the palate, or the ingredients when eating; it is merely about having something to eat.

It is evident that they are taking advantage of the situation

In the end, I only got about twenty one-yuan bills in hand

However, it seems that some kind of signal has been received, and the previously quiet diners have become lively, engaging in spirited discussions about today's transportation business. The sounds of dialects from their games of rock-paper-scissors fill the air, creating an impression for the visiting travelers that this place is quite prosperous, prompting them to find a table and sit down.

No one spoke, but the fierce expression of silence and the thick bamboo pole in hand immediately rendered them speechless

Shijian Ren was still chewing on half a piece of roasted pork, surprised by the sudden change in his demeanor. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, he saw the proprietress, surprisingly agile for her stature, take a quick step back and with a swift motion, smack the cloth in her hand onto Yang Deguang's head: "Are you being good or not? That's none of your damn business!"

The young girl swiftly wiped the table and set out the bowls and chopsticks, tapping the edge with her fingers as she passed by Yang Deguang's table.

Shi Jianren lowered his head with a smile that seemed to be both genuine and not, silently playing with his chopsticks

To save as much money as possible on food while eating more rice is essential to have the strength to carry things

The tourists, who gasped in dismay, could only consider themselves unfortunate as they pulled out four bills from their wallets and crowded around the small counter to complain: "You, young lady, are not being honest..."