After Yang’s daughter arrived, Zheng Bai Cheng’s work became much easier, and he had more time to rest.
"Xiao Fen, here's the price list. If you can't remember the prices, just check here. We don't usually get many customers, so take your time and familiarize yourself with things." Zheng Bai Cheng pointed to a sheet of paper, showing her the store’s operating procedures.
He himself was writing down a weekly plan for the lunchboxes, figuring out which side dishes to use to save costs. He insisted on fresh meat and vegetables.
The profit margin could be smaller, but the quality had to be good. If there was a problem, the business would be over, and the neighbors would say he was making a fortune off of shady practices. Hong Kong was a small place, and news traveled fast. Whatever happened in the east would be known in the west within a day.
His two-dish lunchboxes were very popular. For the same price as other fast food options, Zheng Bai Cheng also included a can of soda, which made his offer quite attractive.
"Ah Cheng, working hard again, eh? There are a lot of pretty girls on Pottinger Street. Big breasts, beautiful people. Want me to take you to see them?" The person talking to Zheng Bai Cheng was Xi Xia, a thin, stooped fellow who lived in the rooftop apartment above. He looked like a shrimp, and, let’s be honest, Hong Kong people are good at coming up with nicknames.
Zheng Bai Cheng didn’t look up, but said, "Big Brother, I don’t have any money. You pay and I’ll go.”
"Come on, handsome boy, you’re taking money, why don’t you have any?" Xi Xia was suspicious. He couldn’t believe this good-looking guy from the mainland wouldn’t listen to his persuasive words and resist the temptation to go see pretty girls.
"Come on, Big Brother, I have to send money back to my father. Go away, if he sees you, he’ll beat you up!"
Xi Xia seemed to recall some bad experience and looked defeated. But then he seemed to have an idea.
"Come on, you little brat, you’re no fun. Give me a cigarette."
Zheng Bai Cheng was used to people like him. He pulled a cigarette from the pack he got from the convenience store and tossed it to him.
Xi Xia then left, looking quite smug, as if he had won something.
"Cheng Ge, why did you give him a cigarette for free?" Xiao Fen was confused. She thought it was foolish of her boss to give a cigarette to someone who was just asking for it.
Zheng Bai Cheng said, "You give these kinds of people a little something and they’ll be happy. If they try to get more, we’ll beat them up."
At ten o’clock, Za Huo Qiang came back. He’d had no luck fishing today and wasn’t in a good mood. He grumbled, "That damn A Jian, the bad luck boy, scared all the fish away. Otherwise, we’d be eating fish for lunch.”
"Father, let’s not go fishing with Jian Shu next time. It’s really bad luck. Let’s try a different person." Zheng Bai Cheng noticed that every time his father went fishing with A Jian, they always came back empty-handed. So he casually mentioned this, implying that it wasn’t his father’s lack of skill but bad luck that was the problem.
Hearing this, Za Huo Qiang was happy and said, "My son is right. We shouldn’t go fishing with him."
"Father, I’m going to prepare the dishes now. You rest. Xiao Fen is here, there won’t be any problems."
...
Zheng Bai Cheng went to the vegetable market in the nearby alleyway and prepared his stock from a familiar roast pork shop and a roast meat shop.
"Ah Cheng, take this half roast goose. It’s a gift for your father. Take it home."
"Thank you, Qiang Ge!" The owner of the roast meat shop, Qiang Ge, gave him half a roast goose as a gift. Every time Zheng Bai Cheng came here, he bought a lot of meat, which had greatly improved their business.
Leaving Qiang Ji Roast Meat, he went to the roast pork shop. The owner, Cha Sha Fa, saw Zheng Bai Cheng coming and handed him a bag of sliced roast pork.
"Fa Ge, is this new?"
"Come on, Ah Cheng, what are you talking about? Of course it’s fresh. This half piece is for you." Cha Sha Fa looked unhappy, as if he had been wronged.
"Just kidding, thanks, Fa Ge."
Back at the convenience store, he looked at the roast pork and roast goose that were sliced to his specifications and started to prepare for lunch.
"Ah Cheng, when you cook rice, you can add more water, that way you can make more rice." Za Huo Qiang muttered, but didn’t get up, still lying on his rocking chair.
"Father, customers will say we’re watering down the rice and won’t come back next time."
"Come on, you always have to be right. Do whatever you want."
After half an hour, Zheng Bai Cheng woke up the half-asleep Za Huo Qiang and said, "Father, time to eat. Today, Jian Ge and Fa Ge sent us some roast goose and roast meat. It’s a real feast."
"They know how to do business. We’re big customers."
"Xiao Fen, time to eat."
"Okay, Cheng Ge."
After they finished eating, it was almost noon, and soon customers came to buy lunchboxes.
"Ah Cheng, roast goose and roast pork again today, what a feast." The first customer was happy to see the roast pork and roast goose, took the soda Xiao Fen gave him, and praised the food.
"You’re the most important, eat well, eat your fill, come back again."
Taking the money, Zheng Bai Cheng chatted with the customer for a while and then went to pack the lunchboxes.
He had prepared 100 lunchboxes today, 10 more than yesterday. He didn’t dare to make too many, for fear of not selling them all. If that happened, he would have to eat them all himself. He prepared more for lunch and fewer for dinner.
By 12:30 p.m., all 100 lunchboxes were sold. He had made about 20 Hong Kong dollars. He couldn’t cook vegetables, but if he could, he could probably make more money with a two-dish lunchbox.
At 2 p.m., Zheng Bai Cheng lay down on the rocking chair that his father usually sat in, taking a rest. Za Huo Qiang never rested at this time. He preferred to listen to the radio under the shade. Xiao Fen would sit there and read romance novels.
At 4 p.m., he resumed his midday work.
As he was preparing things, someone came in. It was Xi Xia, and with him was someone Zheng Bai Cheng didn’t recognize. Xi Xia said, "Ah Cheng, this is my big brother, Da Kou Ming, a new kid under Long Mao Ge. He’s in charge of collecting debts here."
"Hey, Long Mao Ge got promoted? Now it’s your turn, Xiao Ming?"
Za Huo Qiang was curious when he saw Da Kou Ming and asked.
"Father, you still remember Ming Ge!" Zheng Bai Cheng was curious. How did his father know these people?
Za Huo Qiang said, "Xiao Ming, you should call me Uncle Qiang when you see me, we were neighbors back in the day."
"Uncle Qiang, I’m in charge here now. Everything will be the same."
"Come on, I thought you were going to ask for less. Still the same as before? You’re a damn good for nothing!" Za Huo Qiang grumbled, but Da Kou Ming didn’t take it to heart. After all, they were former neighbors.
"Cheng Zi, right? I opened a dance hall down the street. Come and have some fun. I’ll find you a beautiful girl. Have some fun!"