Chapter 165: Chapter 35 "Honestly, it’s quite good."_2
"Oh, is that so? Let me give it a try then," Yang Xintian said happily, taking the wine glass from Wang Manman.
"Hmm, it’s sour and sweet, and not very strong. Is this a fruit wine?" she asked.
"That’s right. It’s a green plum wine."
After explaining, Wang Manman turned to Sun Dasheng.
"Mr. Sun, would you like to try some?"
Sun Dasheng met her gaze and noticed her electrifying phoenix eyes. This lent her a certain mature charm.
"Green plum wine, huh? Sounds nice. I’ll give it a try."
He took a sip. Just as Yang Xintian had said, it was sour and sweet, fragrant, and went down smoothly. It wasn’t too strong and was very pleasant to drink. It was the perfect alcoholic beverage for someone who wanted to have a drink without getting drunk.
"How is it?" Wang Manman asked eagerly.
"Not bad," Sun Dasheng commented.
"I’m glad you like it, Mr. Sun. Please, come by often." Wang Manman’s smile was as radiant as a hundred flowers blooming in spring.
"Uncle Sun, Sister Manman’s lounge just introduced membership cards. You should get one!" Yang Xintian suddenly played the part of a salesperson. "Think of it as supporting her business. She’s going through a tough time right now."
Before Sun Dasheng could say anything, Wang Manman interjected, "Tian Tian, what are you saying? Just having Mr. Sun as a customer is the greatest support I could ask for. Getting a membership card should be a mutual decision. Saying things like that puts Mr. Sun in an awkward position and makes it seem like our lounge is guilt-tripping people or forcing sales."
Sun Dasheng glanced at her, a little surprised. This woman is quite manipulative. But compared to those young, amateurish schemers, this refined, master-class operator has a special charm. Isn’t she afraid of angering the little devil?
He looked over at Yang Xintian again, only to find her completely unfazed by Wang Manman’s words. I can’t tell if she didn’t get it or if she’s just pretending not to.
"Oh, my dear Sister Manman, you’re just too honest! That’s why this lounge has never done well. Now that my super-rich Uncle Sun is here, you should seize the opportunity to fleece a fat sheep!" Yang Xintian said, her words shockingly blunt.
"You little rascal, listen to yourself!" Sun Dasheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"What? Am I wrong?" she said, tilting her chin up defiantly. "Uncle Sun, you’re so rich that a single hair from your leg would be enough to keep my Sister Manman well-fed for ages."
"I’ve known this girl, Tian Tian, for years. She’s always been like this, but she doesn’t have any bad intentions," Wang Manman explained on her behalf.
"True, no bad intentions," Sun Dasheng agreed. "Just a mouth that could infuriate someone to death."
Wang Manman didn’t argue the point; she knew it all too well from personal experience.
"I’ll take one of your membership cards," Sun Dasheng said suddenly.
"Ah! But I just said that was Tian Tian joking! You can’t take it seriously," Wang Manman protested.
Sun Dasheng shot an exasperated glare at Yang Xintian. "Alright, fine. If I don’t get this card and let you take a slice out of me, she’s never going to let this go."
Yang Xintian stuck out her tongue playfully before turning her attention back to her favorite green plum wine.
The membership card wasn’t expensive. The card itself was free; you just had to preload it with one thousand yuan. It entitled the holder to a 10% discount. Wang Manman had introduced it hoping to quickly bring in some cash to pay off her debts sooner. She hated being in debt; it made her anxious, and she was always eager to pay it off as quickly as possible.
"Just put ten thousand in for me," Sun Dasheng said casually.
His tone was so nonchalant, as if ten thousand yuan was no different to him than a single yuan was to anyone else. It was just a bit of pocket money.
Wang Manman was taken aback by his casual wealth. Not daring to delay, she instructed a server to prepare the card immediately. Then, she handed it to him personally.
"Mr. Sun, with this special membership card, you’ll receive a 20% discount at our little place."
Her words felt like a warm spring breeze. Although the difference between a 10% and 20% discount meant nothing to him, he appreciated the sentiment. I should come by more often when I have the time, he thought.
He ended up staying at the lounge until closing time. It wasn’t like a typical bar. This place catered mainly to the city’s white-collar workers, opening after they got off work and closing when it was time for them to head home. The business hours were completely dictated by the customers’ schedules, so it closed down at midnight. The white-collar crowd had to get home, wash up, and get enough sleep to be back at their desks the next morning, ready to be cogs in the corporate machine again.
After the staff finished cleaning and left, Wang Manman locked the front door. When she turned around, Sun Dasheng and Yang Xintian were still standing there.
"Waiting for a ride? You didn’t drive today?" Wang Manman asked with a smile as she walked over.
"Yeah. You know the rule: if you drink, you don’t drive," Sun Dasheng replied with a laugh.
Before long, their ride-share car arrived.
"Sister Manman, you should come with us. Your place is on the way to mine, so it’s no trouble at all," Yang Xintian offered.
Wang Manman smiled and declined. "I didn’t drink. I’ll just take my little e-scooter home. It’s not far, anyway."
But in the next moment, her smile froze. The battery of the e-scooter she had locked up by the door was gone. The bastard who did this deserves to have a son born without an asshole. Her heart ached at the loss.
Yang Xintian saw her predicament and invited her again. "Sister Manman, just come with us. It’s late, so don’t bother the police tonight. You can report it tomorrow."
With no other choice, Wang Manman nodded.
The ride was silent. Wang Manman lived in an old residential complex. There were streetlights, but they were dim, and some were broken. The path leading into the complex was quite dark.
Feeling a little worried, Yang Xintian turned to Sun Dasheng in the passenger seat. "Uncle Sun, wait for me, I’m going to walk Sister Manman to her door."
"You stay put in the car. I’ll walk her," Sun Dasheng stopped her.
He then sent the driver a one-hundred-yuan red envelope via his phone, asking him to wait. Upon receiving it, the driver happily pulled out a prized pack of cigarettes, got out of the car, and offered one to Sun Dasheng.
"Take your time, buddy," he said with a wide grin. "I can wait as long as you need."
Jeez. Did this guy misunderstand something? Well, no time to clear it up.
Wang Manman was already some distance ahead. He quickened his pace to catch up.
Soon, he saw her sitting on the ground by the path.
"What happened?" he asked, hurrying over.
Hearing a familiar voice, Wang Manman finally let her guard down. "Mr. Sun? Why did you follow me?"
"Tian Tian was worried, so she asked me to come check on you," he said, crouching down to examine her ankle. "You’ve sprained it. Should I take you to the hospital?"
It turned out Wang Manman’s string of bad luck wasn’t over. Her e-scooter battery was stolen, and now, just steps from her home, she had tripped on a stone and twisted her ankle. It hadn’t happened just once, either. She had gotten up, only to trip and fall again a few steps later, resulting in the swollen ankle Sun Dasheng now saw.
At the mention of the hospital, Wang Manman shook her head. "No, I can’t. My daughter’s at home waiting for me to put her to bed. If I’m not there to soothe her, she’ll be fussy all night."
"How old is your daughter?" Sun Dasheng asked.
"Just three," Wang Manman replied, her eyes filled with a trace of sadness. It was clear she felt guilty for not being a better mother, for having to work so hard that she didn’t have enough time to care for her child.
"Isn’t her father at home? You should really get that injury looked at," he advised.
His words seemed to open the floodgates. She didn’t wail, but simply sat there on the ground, weeping silently.
"Did I say something wrong?" Sun Dasheng asked.
Her eyes red and swollen, she shook her head and struggled to get up. Sun Dasheng quickly steadied her, knowing that such a reckless move would only make the injury worse. Sure enough, she winced in pain before she had even taken two steps.
"Mr. Sun, can you help me get home?"
She was clearly desperate to get back. Sun Dasheng felt he couldn’t refuse. After all, he was a stranger; offering a bit of advice was the most he could do.
"Alright, I’ll carry you," he said, crouching down and motioning for her to climb onto his back.
A moment later, he felt her soft body press against him. He adjusted his hands to support her bottom, steadying her on his back.
He had to admit, she felt incredibly supple.