Picking on People

After selling noodles all morning, the income was good, about what Liu Chang'an expected. He felt that there would be repeat customers tomorrow, which was a good start.

Zhou Shuling was preparing to close her stall in the afternoon, and Liu Chang'an certainly wouldn't insist on selling a few more bowls of rice noodles. In fact, after noon, fewer people came out to eat noodles, and she sold more noodles at noon than in the morning. For many people, eating a bowl of noodles for ten yuan in the morning was not as cost-effective as eating a bowl of noodles at noon.

For breakfast, a cup of soy milk and a few dumplings or a rolled pancake costing three to five yuan are enough. For lunch, a bowl of rice noodles costing ten yuan is considered a proper meal.

Instead of going straight home, Liu Chang'an went to the stone market, where raw stone, stone materials, stone building materials, and decorative sculptures were everywhere. He searched for a long time before finally finding two stone mills.

"You want it? I'll deliver it to you," the shop owner said with a smile. "This thing has been sitting here for ten years and nobody wanted it. My old man carved it out of boredom."

Liu Chang'an certainly wanted it, and the shop owner arranged for a small truck to deliver it. Liu Chang'an originally wanted to carry it back himself, but carrying it would attract too much attention, so he decided against it. He figured he shouldn't skimp on the money he shouldn't have saved. He originally thought that if he didn't want the delivery, the shop owner should give him at least a 20 yuan discount.

The stone mill was popularized during the Eastern Han Dynasty. From a modern perspective, it is naturally ancient and primitive, with very low energy conversion efficiency. However, at that time, it promoted the diversification of people's diet. Grains ground by the stone mill could be used to make a wider variety of foods. For example, soy milk was a beverage that was born after the invention and popularization of the stone mill.

After Liu Chang'an returned home, he set up a stone mill on two benches, placed a large basin underneath, and poured soaked old rice into the mill while grinding it into powder.

Using aged rice isn't about saving costs, but rather because rice noodles made from aged rice have a unique chewy texture.

As the saying goes, money makes the world go round. Liu Chang'an always felt that he was much more powerful than the devil, but he still had to work hard to make money, although it was an extremely easy thing for him.

With the money earned, we can buy hens; with the hens, we can continue feeding the young lady of the Shangguan Family; the coffin will no longer frantically drain life force; and the world will be much more peaceful.

Liu Chang'an pushed the millstone, he saw a tiny Ultraman carrying a schoolbag returning from kindergarten, swaying his arms left and right as he walked home with the steps of the People's Liberation Army uncle.

This little Ultraman is Zhou Dongdong, of course; she's wearing an Ultraman mask that perfectly hides her face.

Liu Chang'an no longer saw her walking with her arms spinning like a small airplane; there was no doubt that this was due to the injury she suffered after performing the airplane dance.

"Brother Chang'an, is this a stone wheel?" This was the first time Zhou Dongdong had ever seen a stone mill. After all, she was just a child and her knowledge was limited. Even though she knew that aliens like Ultraman existed in the world, she didn't recognize a stone mill.

"No, this is something used to bully stupid children," Liu Chang'an said.

Zhou Dongdong was terrified. Despite firmly believing that she was a clever and brave child, she suddenly realized how terrifying this strange thing in front of her was.

"How did you bully... how did you bully me?" Zhou Dongdong shook her head quickly after speaking, and asked warily, "No, how did you bully other stupid children?"

"Because the stupid child couldn't read or study, she had to do hard labor. So she was made to grind this whole bag of rice into flour before they could have food to eat."

Zhou Dongdong hurriedly slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and went home to study.

Liu Chang'an spent the whole afternoon grinding rice noodles, but Zhou Dongdong didn't come downstairs by evening. Zhou Shuling said that Zhou Dongdong had been at home looking at picture books.

Liu Chang'an received a message that evening, containing a video of Liu Chang'an singing "Bewitched" that day, along with a text message:

"Uncle, look how good Liu Chang'an is at flirting with girls. He must have honed his skills on countless girls."

"That's nothing to worry about. As male animals, they are naturally prepared to capture females for reproduction, thus increasing their chances of passing on their genes. You could say that the better a man is at flirting with women, the better he is genetically. It's not his fault; many behaviors between men and women are actually determined by genes."

"Why do you always side with Liu Chang'an? You should be on my side."

"Then why do you always point out your boyfriend's faults and expect me to take your side and criticize him too? Are you trying to find a reason to dump him and be with me?"

"No way! Even if I dumped him, I wouldn't be with you. You're an older man, you can't flirt with young girls like that!"

"We are ultimately an age gap, and as friends, there is a generation gap. For example, we have completely different views on your boyfriend."

"It's not a generation gap, it's just... just different perspectives and viewpoints."

I think your mother and I can get along better.

"Maybe. Do you want me to give you my mom's WeChat?"

"No, thank you. We're not familiar with each other. Middle-aged people like us rarely add strangers on WeChat. Exchanging WeChat with strangers with whom we have no social connections often carries a hint of introducing us to each other. Otherwise, middle-aged people are very realistic and don't have that much time and energy to chat with strangers."

"How could you think that! I offered to give you my mom's WeChat, and you didn't want it?"

"Don't want."

"Goodbye!"

Liu Chang'an killed the conversation, then put the little hen he had bought that afternoon into the coffin. The money he made from selling rice noodles could allow the young lady Shangguan to eat more, and perhaps she would wake up sooner.

Liu Chang'an left the carriage and went to the room of the young man who had been monitoring him. He knocked on the door, but there was no response. He listened carefully and confirmed that there was no sound at all; it seemed that the young man had already left.

Liu Chang'an felt a little regretful, but he didn't care too much. After all, he really wanted to know who was monitoring him. He didn't have to just beat them up and leave that day; he could ask them a few more questions.

Like Li Hongfang, they were probably some people instructed by Mrs. Karnsta. If that's the case, these people are really quite interested in this coffin. Fortunately, Qin Peng's preparations were quite good. He brought an armored vehicle, and with such a heavy object, stealing it from such an old neighborhood with many people and narrow streets was no easy task.

This is probably why those people didn't resort to violence rashly. After all, with surveillance cameras everywhere, it's not something you can solve by simply driving away like in the movie.