"How many years?" Mr. Sun sighed at those few years. To have such strong brushwork in just a few years is not easy.
"Yeah," Qin Xiangnuan slightly lowered her eyes, gently pinching her fingers together.
"My family only has me and Eldest Brother, I was very young then, desperately writing Spring Festival couplets to earn money to support myself and brother," during those years, she would go out to sell every year. Writing was one part, selling was another. She wasn’t so noble as to feel ashamed of associating calligraphy with money. Selling Spring Festival couplets was not disgraceful, nor was it arrogant, nor pretentious.
When even food was scarce, what was the use of being haughty?
"Good," Mr. Sun laughed loudly, "This year for New Year, you will sell Spring Festival couplets with Grandpa Sun. We’ll write together, also calling those old fellows," indeed, Mr. Sun’s perspective was different, showing no contempt for Qin Xiangnuan. Instead, he admired that such a young child had a sharp mind and used her learning to make money, calm and fearless, and that was what mattered most.
And he also changed how he addressed himself, calling himself "Grandpa Sun," which brought them closer. From then on, Qin Xiangnuan had an adoptive grandfather who took good care of her, as well as her little Conghua pancake stall, something that Qin Xiangnuan initially did not know about.
Her little stall was thriving, with considerable income, which satisfied her. After a day’s work, it was very relaxing until one day, just as she set up her stall, park management came to chase her away, claiming it marred the park’s image. She didn’t sell anything that day, feeling somewhat deflated, even the dough she had prepared was wasted.
The next day, she did not set up her stall but went to the park instead. To her surprise, she found another stall at her previous spot selling Conghua pancakes as well. She then realized she had been tricked. It must have been the park management who were envious of her little stall’s earnings, so they let their own people take over, or maybe someone had bribed the park management staff to take her spot, even selling the same products as hers.
"Eh, girl, why did you let someone else run your stall?"
Mr. Sun spotted Qin Xiangnuan immediately. He had been wondering why he hadn’t seen her yesterday and why today’s stall was not hers. Could it be that the girl had someone watch over her stall? But that didn’t seem right; the tricycle, table, everything was new, including the person running it.
Qin Xiangnuan kicked a stone at her feet, feeling gloomy. This was truly bullying.
"The park’s management won’t let me set up. They say I’m tarnishing the park’s image."
Tarnishing what image? If you want to take over my stall, just say it. You can sell anything, but why sell the same product as me? This is stealing, this is theft, this is shameless, this is despicable.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Sun couldn’t let it go. He extended his hand and ruffled Qin Xiangnuan’s hair, "Don’t worry, Grandpa Sun will help you resolve this. This is truly bullying too much. Your stall provides good service, not only convenient for those going to work in the morning, but also for us old folks to have something to eat. What impact on the image? What image does this park have anyway? It’s not just you setting up here, others are too. Why are they not being chased away?"
"Don’t be afraid, come set up your stall again tomorrow morning. I’ll see who dares to say anything then."