Chapter 13

As soon as those words were spoken, voices of agreement rose one after another.

"Exactly! Don't you two want to make money? You can't keep going out to play music for tips. How much money can anyone spare to give you? You'd be better off setting up a little stall and supporting yourselves. One serving of potatoes sells for fifty cents. Sell a hundred servings and that's fifty yuan. There are thirty days in a month, and you've got at least two months before school starts in September. After costs, you could still make over two thousand yuan. Enough to cover a whole year's expenses."

In weather this hot, going to an open-air park to sell fried potatoes sounded like torture just thinking about it. Huo Baichuan immediately shook his head. Tao Yan had no such intention either. Smiling, he said, "I'd better not sell them. I know all you uncles and aunties mean well and want us to earn some money, but Tiger-Tooth Potatoes are especially easy to make. Anyone can make them at home—"

"They can make them, sure, but frying potatoes uses up a lot of oil. What ordinary household would be willing to pour out that much oil just to fry potatoes?" Auntie Chen from the neighborhood committee patted her chest confidently. "You two just go ahead and do it. They'll definitely sell."

Someone else thought they had seen through Tao Yan's concerns and asked, "Are you worried that because Tiger-Tooth Potatoes are so simple to make, other vendors will copy you and start selling them too?"

"Don't worry about that. Our neighborhood committee will talk to the Lotus District urban management officers. Other than you two, nobody else will be allowed to sell them! We'll shut their stalls down!"

Auntie Chen from the neighborhood committee gave a forceful wave of her hand and declared domineeringly, "I'd like to see which able-bodied adult would dare be shameless enough to steal food from the mouths of the orphans at our Red Heart Orphanage!"

Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan: "..."

Huo Baichuan wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had never expected even the aunties to have such domineering moments.

Author's Note:

Your dad isn't your dad, but your auntie is truly your auntie (:з"∠)

Chapter 13

Over a serving of Tiger-Tooth Potatoes, the aunties enthusiastically, forcefully, and without allowing any refusal, helped Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan find a summer job that could earn them living expenses. Worried that the two children were too young to think everything through, that they might not have all the necessary equipment, and that this would affect the opening of their business three days later, several aunties crouched outside the kitchen and chattered away for quite a while. They even took out paper and pens to list the pots, bowls, utensils, and seasonings needed for the stall—the most important items being a gas cylinder and a tricycle. Those two big-ticket items were not something penniless children could possibly afford.

"A tricycle and a gas cylinder would cost at least two hundred yuan!" The elderly neighbor in a white undershirt spoke as he fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan. "Our courtyard does have a tricycle. Little Third's father used it to collect scrap back in the day. After Little Third's father passed away, his mother remarried and took the child with her. The tricycle was left to his grandmother. But the old lady has gotten too old these past two years and can't ride it anymore. It's been sitting unused in the courtyard for over half a year, through snow and cold. The seat is gone, and the tires have all gone flat."

As he spoke, the old man looked at Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan. "If you two don't mind, I can ask about it for you later."

At that moment, Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan finally understood what it meant to be unable to refuse such heartfelt kindness—this kind of goodwill, untainted by any self-interest, that might not quite consider your own wishes but simply wanted what was best for you. Even Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan, firm as they were, could not remain unmoved.

"The people here are way too warmhearted!" After the neighbors left, Huo Baichuan quietly remarked to Tao Yan, "No wonder the old man in my family always liked reminiscing about the customs and people of those days at the dinner table."

It really was rather interesting.

Tao Yan said nothing.

Seeing Tao Yan silently pondering something, Huo Baichuan could not help asking, "You don't really want to set up a stall, do you? In weather this hot, aren't you afraid of getting heatstroke?"

Tao Yan stroked his chin and sighed. "Even if we don't set up a stall, we still need to find a way to make some money. Otherwise, how am I supposed to pay back your vast fortune?"

"We can keep performing." Huo Baichuan grew a little flustered. The thought of Tao Yan, this pale, delicate weakling, being scorched under the sun and steamed beside a wok of hot oil made an inexplicable irritation rise from the depths of his heart.

"You're so frail. Be careful not to get dizzy from the heat and plunge headfirst into the frying pan. Then your face will be ruined!" Huo Baichuan tried to scare Tao Yan.

Tao Yan shot Huo Baichuan a sidelong glance. He had not intended to set up a stall to earn pocket money in the first place, but Huo Baichuan's overly anxious reaction amused him. He could not resist teasing, "Then don't forget to sprinkle on extra cumin and chili powder. The kids next door are already crying from how hungry they are."

Kid Huo Baichuan: "..."

Huo Baichuan glared at Tao Yan indignantly. Was that something a human being could say?!

Tao Yan smiled, just about to say something when he saw the old director and the volunteer aunties approaching. "Have you two thought about setting up a snack stall at People's Park?"

When the neighbors had still been there, the old director had noticed that the two children were not particularly tempted by everyone's suggestion. Yet the old director and volunteer aunties standing nearby had been moved by it. They were simply too thin-skinned to take advantage of children. Besides, Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan had only arrived at the orphanage that day. The old director did not want to leave them with the impression that the orphanage was greedy for petty advantages.

But this truly was a very good opportunity.

So, after the neighbors left, the old director and volunteers hesitated for a long time and discussed it again and again before finally swallowing their pride and coming over to speak with Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan.

"Not considering it, not considering it!" Before Tao Yan could say anything, Huo Baichuan, afraid he might say something else, immediately refused. "The weather's too hot, and there isn't enough chili powder!"

"?" Unable to understand what hot weather had to do with chili powder, the old director and volunteer aunties exchanged bewildered looks. After a moment of silence, they still said hesitantly, "I actually think it's a pretty good business. Everyone supports you so much, too. Besides, you two are new here, so it would be good to save up a little more money. If you're afraid it'll be too tiring or that you won't be able to handle it, you can teach the aunties at the orphanage. The orphanage will put up the money, and everyone can make it together. You and the orphanage can split the earnings equally. That way, you'll have some pocket money, the children at the orphanage can get a few more clothes and some extracurricular books, and the meals can be a little better too."