lerbook Chapter 384: Unfit Stepmother 25
Chapter 384: Unfit Stepmother 25
Aunt Zhang excitedly slapped her thigh and said with enthusiasm, "Yuan Chun, tell me, how does your brain work? How did you think of opening an entertainment room? That’s wonderful! When it’s freezing cold in the winter, we elderly folks will have a place to go."
Then Aunt Zhang whispered, "Yuan Chun, how much is a ticket to your entertainment room?"
Yuan Chun burst into laughter, "It’s free, Aunt. It’s all free to come and play. I’ll even provide hot water for tea, but of course, you’ll need to bring your own teacups and tea leaves."
"Of course, giving us old folks a place to play for free is already doing us a favor. We can’t shamelessly ask for tea. For all seasons, how much tea would you have to supply? If you ask me, don’t even supply hot water; those coal balls don’t just roll in on the wind," Aunt Zhang said in her petty manner.
Yuan Chun was amused, "It’s just a bit of coal, no problem. I’m not short of that little money now. I’m not supplying tea leaves because everyone’s tastes are different, and I worry that what I provide won’t suit the elderly."
To ensure the entertainment room stays warm during the winter, Yuan Chun specifically spent some money to install radiators in both buildings of the courtyard and installed a large heater. She also bought a big kettle to place on the heater, so there could be a supply of hot water all day long.
The old tables and chairs in the entertainment room were unwanted items left behind by those selling their courtyard homes. As they were moving into new buildings and changing to new furniture, they gifted them to her for free.
She collected seven or eight sets, had them repainted, and fixed some that weren’t sturdy enough. Worried about not having enough chairs, she bought a dozen new ones and added a billiard table and two mahjong tables.
Although she provides playing cards and mahjong, the entertainment room has rules: there’s no gambling with money here. Anyone wanting to gamble with money is not welcome at her place. It’s a venue for elderly recreation, not a casino.
Yuan Chun’s entertainment room quickly opened.
Because it was the only one of its kind, and it was November, with the weather turning cold, elderly people didn’t like staying outside. Many came to play on the first day, so there weren’t enough chairs, and some old men stood while playing.
Because it was winter, the entertainment room was warm and cozy, attracting quite a few elderly men and women, and some young people on holiday would also come to the entertainment room.
Because of the entertainment room, the grocery store’s business also picked up significantly.
The grocery store still sold some groceries, as well as marinated and fried food.
But half a month after the entertainment room opened, a grandfather proposed discontentedly, "Madam Xiao Bao, you have food and drink in the store. Why don’t you cook some noodles or rice to sell? When we play until noon, we could eat here without the hassle of going home; going back and forth is a pain, and cooking is a hassle for us."
After that, Yuan Chun bought two extra-large rice cookers.
Every day at noon, she would cook more rice, boil a pot of rice, and another pot of porridge. Some elderly don’t have good teeth and prefer porridge over rice.
To pair with the porridge, her marinated food cabinet soon featured four cold dishes, changing daily.
Because of this, her monthly earnings increased significantly.
Yuan Chun thought her life would continue to be merry and vibrant like this, but then, not long after the neighborhood wall had been painted with demolition signs — almost making her forget about Wang Xiaoyan — she suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Mom, I finally found you."
The young girl was in tears, crying uncontrollably.
She was skinny, her face pale, evidently malnourished. Her clothes had patches, loose-fitting and clearly not suitable.
Yuan Chun was stunned for a long time before recognizing her, but she pretended not to, "Who are you? Why call anyone you see mom? I have only one son, Xiao Bao — no daughter. You must have mistaken me for someone else."