Chapter 3

A few more young couples came to the supermarket, bought some snacks and fruits, and then left. It really was as Qin Han said; there were few customers at night, and one person could handle the business!

Around three in the morning, Wang Fan greeted a middle-aged woman who looked like an aunt. She was short and fat, with an unusually large chest, and her walk was wobbly.

She led thirteen children, all around ten years old, both boys and girls, who had come to buy medicine. Their clothes were very shabby, only in black and white, and they looked dirty. As they passed by Wang Fan, they carried a strange smell, like the odor from a cowshed or pigsty in the countryside. It was clear that these children were in very poor living conditions!

What was even stranger was that among them was a thin, limping little boy, about seven or eight years old, with a small patch of white hair on his head. He was clearly less developed than the other children, so Wang Fan quickly noticed him.

The little boy had small but bright eyes, and despite his dirty face, he wore a sunny smile, looking more optimistic than healthy children!

This group of children entered the supermarket, showing great curiosity. They touched this product and looked at that one. They gathered around a pile of toy cars, touching them repeatedly and giggling.

Wang Fan stood by the cash register and could see that these children were very active. A few of the boys were gathered around the vegetable section, looking around excitedly, especially near a large pumpkin, chattering away.

"How fragrant! I really want to take a bite!"

"I love boiled pumpkins, they are so fragrant and sweet! My mouth is watering!"

"I also want to eat pumpkin rice, I'm so hungry, I can already smell the pumpkin!"

...

Wang Fan's eyes widened, and he suddenly felt a pang of sadness. It was clear that these children really wanted to eat pumpkin rice! He never thought that in this era, there were still children with such low material desires, looking so pitiful!

Were they from the countryside? What kind of life did they usually lead? How could they be so attached to pumpkin rice? Why would they come to the supermarket at this hour of the night?

The more Wang Fan watched, the more curious he became. However, the middle-aged woman did not speak to him, and everyone has their privacy, so he did not ask too many questions!

"Sorry, your balance is insufficient. This medicine pill costs nine points!"

Wang Fan apologized with a smile to the woman, finding it strange that she, who didn't look old, only had four points in her membership card.

"Mom, I still have some!"

"Mom, I have a balance!"

"..."

Wang Fan's eyes bulged, and his hands trembled as he typed on the computer. This world was too crazy! How could this woman have over a dozen children? How was that possible? It was unbelievable!

Moreover, how did these children have the supermarket's membership cards, and even the blue premium cards? What was strange was that the points in their cards were surprisingly low!

The middle-aged woman had over a dozen children, each with a card, the highest amount being one point, and the lowest being zero. This made Wang Fan wonder: Did the Three Realms Supermarket issue membership cards without any restrictions?

Could four points make someone a premium member? It seemed that the membership levels were not determined by the points in the card. The cards originally had numbers without units, but Wang Fan added "points" to the numbers for easier recognition.

He just didn't know what these points represented, but they seemed very precious!

"Twelve, you don't need to use your balance. This medicine pill is for you!"

"Yes, Twelve was born with a bad foot. This time, everyone will help him!"

"Our brother's hope rests on you!"

"..."

Finally, the group managed to gather nine points. The thin, limping little boy, with tears in his small eyes, sobbed but couldn't find the words to express his gratitude!

The other children, who seemed to be Twelve's older siblings, comforted him by touching his face or patting him, showing a very harmonious relationship among the siblings!

"Please wait a moment, it's too dark outside, and the children are not safe. I finish work at five in the morning. You can rest here until dawn!"

Wang Fan watched this scene. It was only four in the morning, the darkest time of the night. It would be better to let these poor children stay in the supermarket to play, rather than going out in the dark, which would be too dangerous.

The middle-aged woman looked at Qin Han with some fear. Seeing him nod expressionlessly, she sighed in relief and smiled, inviting the children to play inside the bright supermarket.

"Don't touch the products, just look. We have to leave when it's almost dawn!"

"Twelve, come talk to us. We won't see each other as often in the future. Don't forget me!"

...

The group of children sat on the supermarket floor, talking to Twelve. Their mother smiled and watched them quietly, without greeting Wang Fan or Qin Han.

"Do you think they are siblings? How can a family have so many children? Why would they come to the supermarket in the middle of the night?"

"You're too curious. They might be from an orphanage or for some other reason. Curiosity killed the cat. If you don't know, don't ask! Next time, don't let guests stay in the supermarket, especially premium members!"

Qin Han's face was serious. When he frowned, his dimples were less noticeable, making Wang Fan hesitant to ask more questions.

The children played freely on the supermarket floor. They played a game of human pyramid, one on top of the other. The ones at the bottom struggled and laughed, while those on top pressed down, giggling. The supermarket was filled with their clear, cheerful laughter.

As it approached five in the morning, the children waved goodbye to Wang Fan with smiles.

Watching them leave and hearing the pleasant sound of the blue wind chimes, Wang Fan felt increasingly puzzled. When could a family have over a dozen children, all around the same age? It was hard to believe they could even register them, let alone how they were born!

"Hey, you're about to finish your shift. From now on, you'll work alone. The more points in your card, the more goods you can exchange at the supermarket. Of course, leave your work badge here when you finish your shift!"

Qin Han yawned. Training new employees was boring, but at least he wouldn't have to come often in the future! He pointed to a small drawer next to the computer, indicating that the work badge should not be taken out of the supermarket.

"Doing so much business only earned me three points. Is this my performance bonus? What can I exchange it for?" Wang Fan took off his work badge and looked at the additional line of text on the computer, feeling curious.

"Business was particularly good today, but all the orders were small. You can exchange your performance bonus for a few things. Get what you need the most."

As it was almost time to finish his shift, Qin Han's mood improved, and he didn't mind chatting a bit more with Wang Fan. After all, since Wang Fan was working here, he was now part of the team, and there was no need to be too harsh.

"I need money the most. Can I exchange for that?"

Wang Fan blurted out, leaving Qin Han speechless. He rolled his eyes, looking disappointed, and pointed to a special offer counter without saying a word, feeling extremely disdainful towards Wang Fan.

"These are special offer paintings and books, not money. How can you exchange them?"

Wang Fan flipped through the discounted books, which read, "Three items for ten points, special offer, no returns!"

"What can I exchange with this performance bonus? Just pick something. I need to finish my shift, and I have things to do!" Qin Han looked impatient, finding the new employee hopeless. The supermarket had so many good things, and he was only thinking about money!

Seeing Qin Han's urgency, Wang Fan reluctantly picked up the top rolled-up painting. Before he could open it, Qin Han hurried him out of the supermarket!

"Remember, come to work at eleven tomorrow. Being half an hour late counts as an absence. No salary or performance bonus!"

Standing by the riverside, the cold wind cleared Wang Fan's head. If it weren't for the painting in his hand, he would have thought he had just had a strange dream!

Walking home, the sky was just beginning to lighten. The basement was still dark, and although he was tired, Wang Fan was wide awake.

He first opened the painting, which was a flower and bird painting. It had many seals, and the paper felt very good to the touch. However, Wang Fan was a complete novice when it came to paintings. He turned on his computer to learn more about Chinese painting.

This was his habit: when he didn't know something, he asked the internet!

He didn't find information about the flower and bird painting, but a news article on the computer caught his attention. As he read the picture and description, he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, stood up abruptly, and accidentally knocked over a bowl of instant noodles, spilling the oil all over himself, but he didn't even notice!

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End of Chapter