Chapter 6

On Chao Yang Road, Yang Xiaoshuang and her good friend Xiao Feng got out of the taxi and called, "Hey, where exactly is that second-hand supermarket you mentioned? We’ve circled from the west end to the east end, but we can’t find it at all!"

Hao Meng rubbed his nose and said, "Well, the sign hasn’t been put up yet. Where are you now? I’ll come and pick you up!"

"Damn!" Yang Xiaoshuang hung up the phone, unable to hold back her curse.

Xiao Feng asked, "What’s wrong?"

Yang Xiaoshuang, fuming, said, "This guy is messing with us. The sign isn’t even up yet. How are we supposed to find it? I’m going to give him a piece of my mind when he gets here!"

When Hao Meng arrived, Yang Xiaoshuang glared at him with her big eyes and asked angrily, "Did you do this on purpose? I’m trying to help you with your business, and you treat me like this? Have you lost your conscience?"

"I was just busy and got a bit confused!" Hao Meng smiled apologetically, pointing to the store behind him, "It’s right there. In the future, if your classmates need anything, they can come directly to me!"

Yang Xiaoshuang rolled her eyes, "You wish. You’ll have to come to us."

"Alright, I’ll go to your school directly in the future!" Hao Meng nodded with a smile.

Yang Xiaoshuang ignored him and pulled Xiao Feng toward the store, marveling, "I never thought someone who collects junk could open a store. That’s really surprising!"

"Who said I collect junk? I do second-hand recycling, okay?" Hao Meng defended himself.

"It’s all the same!"

Looking at Xiao Feng’s laptop, it was still usable, though the appearance was a bit worn. However, Hao Meng still paid 4,800 yuan for it. One must keep one’s word, and another reason he bought the used laptop was that he needed a computer!

The sign and the store renovation cost about 20,000 yuan. It was a simple renovation that was completed in three days. From the second-hand market, he bought some sofas and shelves for about 500 to 600 yuan. The items were almost worthless, but he used the 'Recycling System' to repair them, spending a few gold coins to make them look brand new.

Hao Meng now understood that even the most broken items could be repaired; it was just a matter of price. The most profitable items weren’t necessarily the ones that were still usable.

"Excuse me, are you hiring?"

A somewhat restrained voice came from the door. Hao Meng looked up and saw a woman in tattered clothes standing there with a child.

"Yes!" Hao Meng nodded and stood up from the sofa.

The job advertisement had just been posted. The store needed someone to manage it, and he couldn’t always be there. He would be responsible for stocking the shelves and other tasks.

...

"Sister Shufen, you don’t need to keep mopping the floor. Take a break!" Hao Meng said helplessly. He had hired the mother and daughter. The woman was named Wei Shufen, from out of town. She had come to Shicheng to find relatives but couldn’t find them. She was not yet 30, and her husband had died in a car accident. The little girl, named Guoguo, was just 5.5 years old, very obedient and sensible, with a pair of clear, bright eyes that were especially endearing.

"It’s fine, I’m not tired!" Wei Shufen shook her head and continued working.

Hao Meng shook his head and didn’t say anything. He thought for a moment, then picked up Guoguo and walked out. Wei Shufen opened her mouth to ask where Hao Meng was taking her daughter but didn’t dare to speak. After Hao Meng left, she stood there, a bit dazed. If it weren’t for this young boss who had taken them in, she wouldn’t know how to survive. The money they had was already gone, and last night, they had slept on the street.

"Mom, Mom, look! Uncle Xiaomeng bought new clothes for you and me." Soon, Guoguo came back with clothes, calling out happily.

"Who told you to take things without permission!" Wei Shufen’s face changed.

Guoguo stood there, her big eyes twinkling, "I didn’t take them. Uncle Xiaomeng bought them for us. He said if you don’t wear them, he won’t keep us!"

Hao Meng came in from outside and couldn’t help but laugh at the little girl’s words. Despite her young age, she was quite clever. "Guoguo is right. If you don’t wear them, you’re not a good girl and will get a spanking!"

"Hehe!" Guoguo laughed happily and winked at Hao Meng.

"This, this is too much!" Wei Shufen felt a bit embarrassed.

Hao Meng ignored her and said with a smile, "There’s a hot water heater upstairs. Take Guoguo to take a bath and change your clothes. The bed and other things are ready. I’ll buy two more blankets from the neighboring store. You and Guoguo can stay in the store tonight. There’s no need to feel embarrassed. Since you’re here, it means we have a connection. If we’re not family, we wouldn’t be in the same place!"

He patted Guoguo’s little head and said, "Go on, take your mom to take a bath!"

"Mom, come on, let’s go take a bath!" The little girl pulled Wei Shufen’s arm and headed upstairs.

Hao Meng smiled and shook his head. Everyone has their tough times. If he could lend a hand, why not? Besides, Guoguo was endearing, and Wei Shufen was also attractive. From her appearance, she seemed honest and wouldn’t cheat or slack off, which made him feel at ease leaving her in the store.

After renting the place, renovating it, and buying a pear-shaped laptop, he had only 30,000 yuan left, which wasn’t much. The store was still empty except for some shelves and a set of sofas. Several customers had already come to browse, and the signs for second-hand appliances, old computers, and used phones were already up. In the morning, someone even asked if he had any second-hand fans for sale!

He decided to go back to the second-hand market to buy some fans and refrigerators. They didn’t need to be top-notch; he just needed to repair them and sell them. At least the store shouldn’t be empty!

About half an hour later!

"Uncle Xiaomeng, do you think Guoguo looks pretty?" The little girl stood at the top of the stairs, giggling and asked.

Hao Meng turned around and was stunned. Guoguo was wearing a pink dress, looking like a cute little fairy. Her mother, standing beside her, wore a light green floral dress, which completely changed her appearance. She was a very beautiful woman, except for a bit of restraint in her expression, there was nothing to criticize about her figure or appearance.

Compared to a beauty like Dong Yun, she was only slightly less in terms of气质 (demeanor), but in other aspects, she was just as good. She looked like a kind neighbor, making one feel at ease.

"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful! Come down and let Uncle hug you!" Hao Meng recovered and said with a smile.

"Hehe!" The little girl laughed and ran down, throwing herself into his arms.

Wei Shufen, blushing, followed behind, her head lowered. Hao Meng’s gaze had made her heart tremble. She understood that look; it represented a man’s desire!