C55 (1/2)
I looked at the bustling crowd with a perplexed expression.
No one looked at me, no one paid any attention to me.
I once read a book that said that we were all born walking on a steel wire, and many of us, seeing the truth under our feet, lost our balance and fell into a deep abyss because of the fear and despair in our hearts.
The God of Fate is merciful to the mortal people, so he blindfolded us. When we lose the ability to see the 'truth', we walk flat on the cables.
However, there were still countless people who wanted to pry into the 'truth' through the veil before their eyes and the gaps between the fingers of the God of Fate.
Just like I am now, trying to look through the smoke and crowd to see the …
”...” Indian pancakes.
”The target is already close, what are you staring at?!” Hurry up and scream! ” Fatty was sweating profusely as he grilled chicken skewers while pushing me away. ”Our target for today is fifty boxes of meat skewers!”
”... ”Hehehehehe …” I made a hen's cry in my throat.
”Lieutenant!” Your job is to attract business, not scare away customers! ” The fat man turned the skewer over, and I remembered that the word ”solicit” and ”shout” were the same word in English.
”Colonel, may I ask which staff's lieutenant is dressed like this?” I flapped my big white wings and rolled my eyes.
”But Darwin said that this year is China's Year of the Chicken! We ran away and rented it! ”
”But what you're cooking isn't Chinese food!” I was wearing a big chicken hat and a plush doll suit, and I was dazzled by the people walking around. Darwin was at the back fiddling with a pile of barbeque sauce while Sayaka and M.
”This is modified according to the taste of foreigners. Do you think they will eat phoenix claws and pig feet?” Darwin replied me without even raising his head.
I thought of the society schedule that the DickPound had spoken of when I joined the society:
Three days a week, the club meets to include the origin and analysis of the special ability, teamwork training, meditation and elementary special ability exercises, sharing conferences, and various extracurricular studies.
Other than the analysis of the origin of our special ability during the first week — — We went to see a super hero movie at DickPound's home tonight. All our teamwork training was to sell kebabs in various school bazaars and community events.
”The society will use the money earned from teamwork to study outside the school – as for meditation, special ability exercises and exchange of experiences, it will be done simultaneously outside the school.” That's what the fat man told us the day before he set up the stall.
”You don't need to sell kebabs, do you?” I angrily said, ”I can't afford to embarrass myself like this!”
”Why can't you lose this guy if you think the Christian community next door can lose him?” Fatty stuffed the roasted skewers into his mouth reflexively.
I don't know why, but every time I feel unbalanced, the Christian community automatically appears next to me. The man who tried to persuade Sayaka and I to join last time had memorized the cross and was selling tomato juice.
I'm not good at cooking, and I don't understand the accounts. I don't seem to have any choice but to cook the chicken.
”Wang, Qiangba Dad (Good luck).” Sayaka encouraged her with a gesture.
”Chinese style barbecue from China -- from China's KFC --” I weakly shouted, ”... ”Cluck, cluck, cluck …”
The market continued until five in the afternoon, when the crowd began to disperse. I collapsed onto the grass. ”Making a chicken is so tiring …”
”Wang, you're so powerful, everyone is so powerful today, we sold fifty-four boxes!” Sayaka took off her apron and lay down on the lawn with me.
”You're all so weak! I've roasted hundreds of kebabs today, and I don't want to eat any more in this life!” Dick opened an unfinished Coke can and took a few sips.
Darwin, who was still packing up his things, looked at the three of us and laughed a little contemptuously: ”How can physical labour have mental labour?”
”What kind of mental work is needed to cut the chicken!” I scoffed, Darwin had been slicing meat and seasoning sauce in the kitchen.
”I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about M,” Darwin said as he held a big box of water and pointed with his chin at M, who was seriously collecting something at the side.
”What do you mean?”
”How many kebabs have we sold since the establishment of our society? How many items have we sold?”
I thought about it. Twice a week, in addition to holidays, there were more than twenty.
”A box of chicken can make 5 kebabs or so, an average of 30 boxes per day, as well as Sayaka's rice balls, soft drinks, and occasionally fruit cups …” DickPound counted on his fingers for a long time but he still could not count.
”We have sold a total of 24 times, averaging 30 boxes of chicken a day, 14 rice balls, a can of cola, and four fruit cups. ”Chicken skewers contain tax of $5.42 each, rice ball $6.72, cola $1.99 and fruit cup $5.67,” Darwin said as he collected the items. ”Cash for all the money —”
”— M was always in charge of receiving money and settling accounts. She never missed a penny in twenty-four counts.”
Dick and I stared at each other.
”M never uses a calculator.” Sayaka whispered to me.
I've been in the United States for almost a year, and the only coins I can recognize are quarters.
One cent, fifty cents, one point, five points were never clear.
American purchases and taxes are sure to be accurate, so if you pay your bills in cash, you can find change every day to fill your wallet. That's why foreigners like to use credit cards. Nobody wants to go around with a pile of dimes.
My way of dealing with the change was to deposit a big bag of it every month and take it to the bank and change the money.
Even if I paid cash at the supermarket, I'd take a bunch of coins out of my pocket and let the cashier pick them out for her.