As an adult, Wen Ying, after her initial surprise, could understand her parents’ emotional needs.
Not to mention her mental age, even at her current physical age of 16, being left alone for a day wasn’t a problem. Wen Ying could take care of herself.
Besides, there was good news today. The editor from Aige magazine told her that both of her novels had passed the second review and would be published in November and December, with payment issued after publication.
“Little Fish, your control of narrative pacing doesn’t feel like that of a novice writer. Previously, your work lacked emotional depth, but you’re improving with each piece. I don’t know what’s happened in your life, but it’s a positive change. If you’re interested, you could try outlining a long-term serial story. I can’t guarantee it’ll be accepted, but you should give it a shot.”
Having had three manuscripts accepted by the same magazine and editor, Wen Ying finally received an active invitation to submit more work.
It seemed a person’s state of mind truly affected their writing. The editor noted positive changes in Wen Ying’s life, and she didn’t deny it.
Compared to her previous life, her current life was indeed much better.
Her aunt Chen Li and uncle Deng Shangwei hadn’t divorced.
She was gradually figuring out how to get along with her parents.
And she had made a few great friends.
These changes softened Wen Ying, making her calmer and more attuned to the little details of life. Some say pain produces profound work, and Wen Ying didn’t disagree, but she preferred to hide that pain. She wanted her stories to bring a bit of warmth to others.
With the editor inviting her to write a serial, Wen Ying planned to spend the weekend brainstorming. She’d intended to follow Chen Ru’s advice and stay home, but the foreman of the Shrimp King physical store’s renovation team called, asking her to come check on things.
October marked the tail end of the crayfish season. After October, crayfish meat became less plump, and the crayfish business entered its off-season.
Big Liu, the barbecue shop owner, had caught this year’s tail season. His franchise store, not located on Night Snack Street, was thriving since opening.
Wen Ying and her partners’ physical store, aiming to be a model to attract franchisees, was being renovated more slowly, lagging behind Big Liu’s store.
The crayfish off-season didn’t mean Shrimp King’s business slowed. While the physical store required more investment than a roadside stall, it had advantages. Unlike stalls with heavy restrictions, even on winter nights, diners wouldn’t freeze eating outdoors. They could sit comfortably in the store, with air conditioning, sipping drinks, making it worth the trip.
With crayfish quality declining, Wen Ying suggested focusing on prawns, clams, and spicy crabs in winter to ensure Shrimp King’s revenue during the off-season, protecting both their and franchisees’ interests. However, this move encroached on others’ profits.
The Night Snack Street physical store hadn’t yet opened, so these dishes were sold at a temporary stall. To build reputation, they were priced low, directly impacting Shu Guobing’s seafood diner, which had opened earlier on the street. Shu Guobing’s hired workers had already clashed several times with Shrimp King’s stall workers.
The foreman called Wen Ying because, upon arriving that day, the renovation workers found the site splattered with filth.
It was too disgusting to describe. By the time Wen Ying arrived, the foreman had already had the site cleaned.
The filth was gone, but the stench lingered.
The renovation team was recommended by Deng Shangwei, and the foreman knew Wen Ying was Deng’s niece. He notified both Wen Ying and Deng Shangwei, who arrived even earlier.
Seeing Wen Ying, Deng Shangwei reassured her, “It’s just a small matter. Maybe someone dumped their trash in the wrong place out of convenience.”
“Uncle, don’t give me that. Anyone with eyes can see this isn’t a dump. It wasn’t a mistake; it was deliberate.”
Wen Ying immediately suspected who was behind it.
Such lowlife tactics could only come from Shu Guobing.
If Shrimp King’s physical store opened successfully, Shu Guobing’s seafood diner would be hit hardest.
Besides, even without business rivalry, with Zhao Dong involved, how could they let Wen Ying profit easily?
Deng Shangwei was worried Wen Ying might act rashly. She smiled, “Uncle, I always handle things with reason.”
“…”
Handle things with reason, indeed!
As if the one extorting pocket money from him was someone else.
Deng Shangwei asked Wen Ying what she planned to do. She circled the shop, saying, “There’s a safety issue here. I need to raise it with Director Lü.”
Night Snack Street was an old street, bustling but lacking modern facilities.
During the food festival, the street office had improved sanitation, making shops and temporary stalls cleaner and more orderly. But building a modern street required far more than just sanitation.
In 2004, mobile payments didn’t exist, so people carried wallets. Crowded places attracted pickpockets. Rongcheng’s theft hotspots were the train station and major wholesale markets, especially Lotus Pond Market, where bags often ended up with gaping slashes after a visit.
Night Snack Street was better, but thefts still happened frequently.
Wen Ying wanted to install several surveillance cameras around Shrimp King’s store, which required informing Director Lü.
She was deliberately putting herself on Lü’s radar. If the cameras caught someone breaking rules, Wen Ying wouldn’t show mercy.
Director Lü had heard about the incident at Shrimp King. To be targeted like this before even opening disgusted him:
“In all these years, the street has never seen anything like this. Everyone gets along peacefully, but some rotten apples spoil the broth. Go ahead and install cameras. Catch the culprits and send them to the police station, not one spared!”
Lü likely guessed who was behind it, but the act was done at night, with no one caught red-handed.
With many shops on Night Snack Street, business disputes were common, usually resolved with shop owners shouting at each other to vent, then moving on. Persistent troublemaking like this was rare.
Business thrives on harmony, but someone was willing to lose money just to sabotage Shrimp King—it was practically a vendetta.
Shrimp King’s owners were students, and targeting minors seemed pointless to Lü.
Wen Ying felt cameras shouldn’t just be at Shrimp King’s door but along the whole street. A few catches would deter pickpockets significantly.
“It’s autumn, isn’t it? The banyan trees on the street could use some trimming, don’t you think?”
Night Snack Street was lined with banyan trees, which grew quickly, their lush branches like green clouds covering the street. By reducing direct sunlight, the street’s ground temperature was lower than elsewhere in summer, a key reason it initially attracted diners.
The banyans were the street’s natural air conditioning. But growing too fast, their branches needed annual trimming, or the canopy would block all light, creating not coolness but gloom.
Wen Ying’s suggestion clicked with Lü instantly.
Trimming the banyans provided cover for installing cameras without drawing attention.
Wen Ying wanted to catch the vandals, and Lü found the plan feasible. As Wen Ying left the street office, a shadowy figure scurried back to Shu Guobing’s seafood diner.
Shu Guobing, feet on the table, picking his teeth, said, “That brat must’ve gone to Director Lü to snitch. Lü’s probably taken plenty of her bribes, always protecting her.”
In Shu Guobing’s eyes, no official was clean. He didn’t understand ideals or integrity, didn’t believe Wen Dongrong wasn’t corrupt, or that Lü hadn’t taken bribes.
The one thing Shu Guobing couldn’t grasp was why Lü only accepted Wen Ying’s “bribes” and not his. With Lü’s support, ousting Shrimp King wasn’t easy.
After several clashes, Shrimp King suffered minimal losses. Watching their store’s renovation progress daily, Shu Guobing, frustrated, resorted to dirty tricks.
A few more incidents like this, and the word would spread. Diners would feel disgusted just hearing Shrimp King’s name, let alone visit.
Shu Guobing wanted Shrimp King’s rent and renovation costs to go down the drain!
Shu Lu, hearing Wen Ying had rushed to the street office looking upset, was thrilled but cautioned Shu Guobing, “Dad, be careful not to get caught.”
Since Wen Ying went to the street office, there might be patrols tonight.
Shu Guobing laughed heartily, “You think I’m stupid?”
He’d wait until Shrimp King let their guard down before striking again.
Shu Lu smiled, recalling gossip from classmates. She texted Zhao Dong:
“Not sure if this is useful, but yesterday Xie Qian got a parent called in for handing in a blank paper. It was his mum who came to school.”
Xie Qian’s long punishment in the corridor spread through the school after evening self-study.
Shu Lu only heard about it after class.
She learned Xie Qian’s parent meeting involved his mum, a strikingly elegant woman.
Shu Lu felt regret.
If she’d known earlier, she would’ve ambushed Xie Qian’s mum last night.
She hadn’t made progress on the task Zhao Dong assigned. If he was displeased and withdrew support for the Shu family, they’d be back to square one.
Shu Lu didn’t stop Shu Guobing from targeting Shrimp King.
The more distracted Wen Ying was, the more likely she’d slip up.
What a pity about last night!
If only she’d spoken to Xie Qian’s mum. If his mum trusted her, she could’ve driven Wen Ying away from Xie Qian and even taken her place as his friend.
Zhao Dong was so wealthy, wasn’t he just running errands for Xie Qian’s family?
If she became Xie Qian’s friend, she wouldn’t need Zhao Dong to live well.
