Chapter 40

Chapter 26: A Cart of Bullskin, Do You Want It?

When Wen Liang was writing the Qinghe Soy Milk Ode, he didn’t tell Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning what it was for. Now that he mentioned opening a small shop, both Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning became interested and insisted on visiting the shop with him. The three of them left the small alley, looked around to make sure no one was around, and walked for a while before boarding the No. 21 bus.

Although this time wasn’t as crowded as in the future, it was still quite packed. Wen Liang led the way, using his shoulders, hands, waist, and buttocks as weapons to carve out a path through the sea of people. He finally managed to stabilize the two girls at the middle door of the bus. Xu Yao was fine; she was a wild girl who often wandered around Qingzhou on weekends and holidays by bus. Following behind Wen Liang, she weaved left and right, her movements agile and aware, maintaining minimal contact with others, which was truly impressive. Ning Xiaoning, on the other hand, clearly lacked such experience. By the time they stopped, she was already out of breath, her face flushed, her mouth slightly open, revealing a few small, crystal-clear teeth, looking incredibly cute.

The three of them were standing very close together, with Xu Yao on Wen Liang’s right and Ning Xiaoning in front of him on the left. After a few minutes, Ning Xiaoning’s eyes suddenly became strange, and she nervously squeezed closer to Wen Liang. Wen Liang was secretly angry, thinking that some pervert was taking advantage of the situation. But when he looked over, he almost burst out laughing.

Behind her was a woman in a white top and black skirt, with shoulder-length hair that had a slight wave at the ends, looking fashionable and elegant. A four-finger-wide black belt cinched her waist, accentuating her curves. Her shoulders were slender, her waist slim, and her high, rounded buttocks were even more prominent under the skirt.

What a seductive and charming back!

Although he couldn’t see her face, just the back view alone sparked endless imagination.

The two women were standing back-to-back, so Ning Xiaoning, wearing jeans, and the woman in the black skirt, had their buttocks pressed tightly together, rubbing against each other as the bus swayed. Ning Xiaoning, a young girl in her prime, was extremely sensitive. The unusual sensation from the contact with the mature and sexy woman was too much for her to bear.

Wen Liang understood the reason and gave Ning Xiaoning a mischievous smile. Playing the rubbing game with the woman was not something Ning Xiaoning could handle, but dealing with Uncle Wen, she had her ways. She glared at him, lifted her right foot, and gave his foot a Thai massage, her eyes full of triumph.

Wen Liang smiled bitterly and spread his arms, creating a vacuum in front of him, then used his chin to signal her to come closer. Ning Xiaoning bit her lip, hesitating, but Xu Yao, who had been looking around since they got on the bus, immediately noticed this prime spot. She was quick-witted and immediately ducked under his arm, leaning against Wen Liang, grabbing the back of the seat, and sighing contentedly.

The bus suddenly tilted to the right, and Ning Xiaoning stumbled forward. Wen Liang took the opportunity to catch and embrace her, pulling her into the protection of his arms. Ning Xiaoning glared at him but accepted his protection. Xu Yao had been trying to pull her in, and this was perfect. The two girls wrapped their arms around each other’s waists, their heads touching as they whispered to each other.

Wen Liang tried to arch his body backward, using his arms to resist the immense pressure from all sides.

When the bus stopped at Bayi Road after 2897 stops, they squeezed off. As they were getting off, Wen Liang looked back and saw the woman in the black skirt turning her head.

Their eyes met, and they both froze.

Outside the breakfast shop, Wen Liang had already recovered from his awkwardness. He really didn’t expect it to be her! He shook his head in frustration, not wanting to think about it anymore. Li Shengli was directing the workers to hang the Qinghe Soy Milk sign. Seeing Wen Liang, he hurried over, excitedly saying, “Everything is done. We can definitely open next month!”

“Hmm,” Wen Liang let the two girls go inside to take a look, reminding Li Shengli not to slip up. They had already agreed that the shop would be presented as Li Shengli’s personal business. Li Shengli nodded and then said, “The flyers you asked me to print are ready. Three thousand copies. How are we going to distribute them all?”

Two days ago, when Wen Liang asked Li Shengli to print the flyers, he was puzzled. In this era, such a simple promotional method wasn’t popular, especially for small businesses like this, where setting off firecrackers was considered a good opening. After Wen Liang explained, Li Shengli realized how brilliant the idea was. A thin piece of paper could convey the shop’s address, main products, and prices to the public, effectively building a reputation. Compared to newspaper ads or TV commercials, it was both economical and efficient. The flyers could be distributed in residential areas and office buildings near the restaurant, making it highly targeted and effective.

As they were talking, Li Siqing also came from school. The little girl was very considerate, coming to help with whatever she could after school, and only going home to do her homework in the dark. Wen Liang felt heartache seeing this and had told her several times not to come, but Li Siqing wouldn’t listen.

Seeing Wen Liang, Li Siqing ran over, grabbed his sleeve, and looked up, calling, “Brother Wen…”

Wen Liang affectionately patted her head. Just then, Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning came out after their tour. Xu Yao exclaimed, “The decoration is so creative. I’ve never seen such a small restaurant before. Wen Liang, does the breakfast shop only sell breakfast?” Before Wen Liang could answer, Xu Yao, like discovering a treasure, pointed at Siqing and said, “You have a sister?”

“Hello, my name is Li Siqing, and my nickname is Nuan Nuan.”

Li Siqing, clever and well-mannered, smiled and introduced herself, clarifying that she and Xu Yao shared the same surname but not the same family. However… Li Siqing tightened her grip on Wen Liang’s sleeve, thinking to herself: Brother Wen is closer than a real brother!

Xu Yao, being smart, understood Li Siqing’s meaning. The little girl’s ability to subtly and skillfully resolve awkward situations at such a young age made her curious. Wen Liang smiled bitterly, knowing that Li Siqing had faced great difficulties, and her mental maturity couldn’t be measured by her age. But if he had a choice, he would prefer her to be a carefree, mischievous, and adorable little princess. However, life doesn’t always go as planned, and being able to save her from her previous fate was already a great blessing.

“This is Uncle Li’s daughter, and she’s like my little sister,” Wen Liang explained, then pulled Li Shengli aside to talk. When he came back, the three girls were already chatting animatedly.

Wen Liang smiled and said, “Ladies, there’s a task for you to complete. What do you think?”

“Okay…” Li Siqing, who had just jumped up in agreement, was covered by Xu Yao’s hand and pulled into her arms. “Hmm, let’s talk about the pay first. My value is quite high, and I’m afraid you can’t afford it.”

Ning Xiaoning also said, “Let’s see the price first before we talk about anything else.” This girl was clearly influenced by Xu Yao.

“OK!” Wen Liang snapped his fingers and said cheerfully, “From now on, when you come here for breakfast, you’ll get a 50% discount, and you’ll have the first VIP card for Qinghe Soy Milk, which gives you a 30% discount at any of our stores…”

Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning exchanged a smile and sang in unison, “Write IOUs, wear tall hats, do you want a cart of bullskin? Blow it up to the sky as clouds, blow it into the sea and it will bubble.”

This was a Qingzhou folk song mocking those who brag. The two beautiful girls sang it in the Qingzhou dialect, making it sound crisp and pleasant. Wen Liang laughed heartily and, without a word, handed each of them a thick stack of flyers. “My handsome face has given me a great forgiving heart. Time will prove how ignorant your mockery is today, but I will forgive those who don’t believe. Grass will wither, flowers will fade, but my words will endure.”

This speech even defeated the usually sarcastic Xu Yao, who unconditionally accepted the capitalist’s ruthless exploitation and agreed to work for free. The two girls were also curious about the flyers, examining them from all angles. Xu Yao, taking advantage of the moment, leaned close to Wen Liang’s ear and whispered, “You did well on the bus. Ten points, hehe.”

Wen Liang watched Xu Yao’s cheerful back and couldn’t help but laugh. He knew they were being playful, but he was worried about the potential consequences. The gains and losses always left him feeling melancholic.

Under Wen Liang’s guidance, Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning, along with Li Siqing, used their youthful beauty to charm the old security guards and successfully entered the surrounding residential areas. They had a clear goal and acted decisively, placing flyers in the front baskets of bicycles in the parking sheds, in the newspaper boxes, and on the door handles and door gaps of each building. They distributed nearly a thousand flyers in one big circle.

At this time, people were still very curious about the content of the flyers. Especially with Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning’s sweet looks and Li Siqing’s adorable appearance, they often attracted people who would come over to ask questions. A few times, they were caught placing flyers on door handles just as the owners opened the doors. However, the three girls’ charm and beauty helped them navigate these awkward situations smoothly, even making the owners happy. Many people said they would definitely visit on the opening day, and some even exaggeratedly said they had been waiting for such a shop for a long time.

This was the first time the three girls had done such an activity, but Xu Yao’s openness, Ning Xiaoning’s coolness, and Li Siqing’s cleverness made them feel no embarrassment, a common problem for newbies. They completed the task in less than two hours. Wen Liang had just wanted them to have some fun, but he was surprised by how capable the two young ladies were. In a moment of excitement, he started bragging again, “In the future, you can eat here for free…”

“Pah!” Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning, exhausted and leaning against each other, mocked him. Li Siqing looked at the two sisters, then at Wen Liang, her face showing a hint of difficulty. After a moment, she imitated them, wrinkling her nose and softly saying, “Pah!”

Xu Yao burst into laughter, pulling Li Siqing to her side and praising her. Ning Xiaoning couldn’t help but laugh as well. Wen Liang, initially stunned, then laughed heartily. Seeing Li Siqing recover a bit of the innocence of her age was worth more than anything, even if it meant being mocked.

The laughter from the small, simple restaurant quietly spread through the branches and soared into the sky.

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