After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 20

The manager glanced at her, then suddenly remembered the new girl Zhou Han had asked him for a few days ago, whose name seemed to be the same. His attitude became more amiable: “Oh, looking for Old Lin? Xiao Wu, take this girl to District C and see Boss Zhou.”

“Okay!” a boy replied, leading Lin Sang inside.

Pushing through the noisy crowd, Lin Sang spotted his father at a glance. He and two others were trying to lift a huge wooden box, which was obviously extremely heavy. The eldest brother stumbled and was about to lose his balance.

“Father!” Lin Sang’s heart jumped into his throat. Just as he was about to rush over, a tall figure swiftly stepped forward, steadied Lin Laoda, and with one hand, easily hoisted one end of the wooden box onto his broad back, stabilizing the situation.

After delivering the box to the designated location, the person turned around, and Lin Sang was stunned. It was Zhou Han!

“Dad! Are you alright?” Lin Sang rushed over.

Lin Laoda waved his hand, panting, and laughed, “It’s nothing, it’s all thanks to Hanzi! Sangsang, what brings you here?” He was overjoyed to see his daughter.

“Mother asked me to bring you a warm coat; it’s getting cold.” Lin Sang handed the cotton coat to her father and then took out a meat bun wrapped in oil paper. “Dad, it’s still warm; please eat it quickly.”

Lin Laoda accepted the gift, feeling a warm glow in his heart. He couldn’t help but praise Zhou Han to his daughter: “Sangsang, you don’t know, it’s all thanks to Hanzi taking care of me. He always volunteers to do the heavy work for me, and no one dares to bully us at this dock. He’s such a good lad!”

Lin Sang was still holding two large meat buns in her hand. She looked up at Zhou Han and sincerely thanked him: “Brother Zhou, thank you for taking care of my father.”

Zhou Han looked at her eyes, which seemed even brighter amidst the bustling atmosphere of the dock, and looked away somewhat uncomfortably: “…It was nothing, Uncle Lin is a very honest worker.” He took the two still-hot meat buns that Lin Sang handed him and said in a low voice, “Thank you, let’s go sit over there for a while.”

The three of them walked aside to rest for a while. Zhou Han took a bite of his steamed bun and asked casually, “Are all the chestnuts sold out?”

Lin Sang nodded: “Yes, yesterday was the final day. I came to town to buy some charcoal and cotton for the winter.”

Zhou Han nodded and silently ate his steamed bun. After a while, he spoke up again as if chatting casually: “The dock is bustling with people every day. Merchants from the south and north, laborers carrying and unloading cargo, and passengers waiting for and disembarking from ships… With so many people, there are all sorts of mouths and demands. In this freezing weather, who wouldn’t want something convenient and hot to eat?”

Lin Sang’s eyes lit up slightly as she listened.

Yes! The dock! Why didn’t she think of that before? The foot traffic here is much greater than on the street where she sets up her stall! And most of the people here are manual laborers who are willing to spend money on food!

But then she thought of a question, looked around, and asked doubtfully, “Brother Zhou, I’m used to running a food business, and I’d like to find a place to set up a stall. There are a lot more people here than in town, but the streets here look quite clean, and there are only restaurants in the distance. Is it allowed to set up a stall here?”

Zhou Han finished his steamed bun in a few bites, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and said in a calm tone that carried a reassuring power: “Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. This area is under our foreman’s jurisdiction. It’s fine to designate a piece of land, as long as the food is clean and delicious and doesn’t block the road.”

He said it so casually, but it sent a shiver down Lin Sang’s spine.

The fact that he could easily decide where to set up his stall showed that Zhou Han’s abilities at the docks were far beyond those of a mere small-time boss! This made her perception of him rise even higher.

Suppressing his surprise, Lin Sang immediately switched to business mode: “If Brother Zhou can help you set up the stall, we’ll give you a share of the profits!”

Zhou Han shook his head: “No need. The key right now is, have you decided what to sell? It’s cold, so it needs to be quick, hot, filling, and easy to carry.”

Lin Sang nodded solemnly: “I understand, thank you for your guidance, Brother Zhou! I’ll discuss it with my family when I get back!” Her heart was burning with excitement, as if she could already see new business opportunities beckoning to her.

———

After saying goodbye at the dock, Lin Sang returned home excitedly. Thinking that a new business opportunity was not far away, she was in a great mood. She used the little refined white flour she had at home and the pork belly she had just bought that day to make the filling, mixed it with scallions, ginger and other seasonings, and made a whole tray full of dumplings.

I also made a refreshing cold dish with soy sauce and vinegar. You know, these white flour dumplings with meat filling are a precious treat that can only be eaten during festivals in the countryside.

When the younger siblings returned home, they were stunned to see the plump, white dumplings that looked like gold ingots on the table.

“Sis! What’s the special day today? We’re having dumplings!” Lin Song’s mouth was practically watering.

Lin Miao also clung to the edge of the table, her big eyes filled with surprise.

Lin Sang quickly cooked the dumplings, filled a large bowl, and handed it to Lin Song: “Song-ge, take this bowl to Grandpa and Grandma. They only get to eat this a few times a year, so let them have a taste.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Song’s face immediately fell, and he pouted, “I’m not going! I hate going to my uncle’s house! When I see my cousin, I just want to… I just want to throw stones at her!” He was angry because he remembered Lin Jiao’er stealing his older sister’s marriage.

Lin Sang straightened her face and threatened, “Not going? Then you won’t get any dumplings tonight!”

Lin Song hesitated, looking at the fragrant dumplings and then at his older sister’s unyielding expression. In the end, he succumbed to the temptation of the food and reluctantly took the bowl and left.