Meng Chuyue had always been worried about her rebirth carelessly ruining Shen Ci’s future as a big shot.
But now she realized it wasn’t just about opportunities, which would have only led to minor riches.
It was his strength he relied on, not something she could easily destroy.
And his going to college... could only be a good thing.
Not wanting any complications, the two tacitly pretended not to know each other, exchanged glances, picked up their exam admission tickets, and listened to Principal Xie and another teacher’s instructions regarding the college entrance exam.
After obediently listening to the end, they said goodbye to the teachers and walked out together.
At the school entrance, they naturally came together, and Shen Ci was the first to ask, "Which examination room are you in?"
"Right here at our school, and you?"
"Ha, then we’re in luck. Eating right is crucial at this time, so why don’t you come to my place for meals every day?"
With Shen Ci preparing to attend university, Meng Chuyue didn’t have to worry about Tong Wen and Xia Ping setting their sights on him. The mindset of the era was very pragmatic: only those with a college education or higher were expected to marry someone with the same level of education; anything less was deemed incompatible.
This wasn’t something that Meng Chuyue came up with by herself; Tong Wen and Xia Ping had shared this themselves.
They said that, not having attended college themselves, they could only marry men without a college education, or else they wouldn’t have much in common later, which would make marital life difficult.
Meng Chuyue knew that in just a few years, this concept would fade away, but for now, it conveniently served her purposes.
Shen Ci chuckled, "Sure, but aren’t you worried like before?"
He remembered every word Meng Chuyue had said, especially her concerns about her staff falling for him.
Meng Chuyue smiled, "They’re all high school graduates who wouldn’t consider dating college students."
"Then I’ll start coming to your place for dinner tonight," Shen Ci laughed with a fist pressed to his mouth, thinking to himself: indeed, if he didn’t go to college, he wouldn’t qualify to be with her in the future.
"Alright, let’s set dinner for seven o’clock each evening. If you’re busy at that time, remember to call me."
After parting with Shen Ci, Meng Chuyue bought some kitchenware and tableware before heading back to Fruit Store.
Fruit Store now closed at eight o’clock in the evening.
Although they had stopped selling premium fruits, the business was still doing well.
The reason was that Meng Chuyue had installed air conditioning in the lobby a few days earlier.
The customers came not just to buy fruits but also to enjoy the air conditioning.
In that era, not to mention fruit vendors, even restaurant owners rarely installed air conditioning in their dining areas, but Meng Chuyue, reborn into this time, did just that.
Tong Wen and Xia Ping initially thought it wasn’t cost-effective, but as the revenue soared, they were left in admiration.
They suggested that Meng Chuyue get a refrigerator to sell ice cream and popsicles, but she declined, saying it wasn’t good to eat such cold things in an air-conditioned room.
However, she did add a variety of drinks and fruit salads to the menu.
Since the fruit salads required Tong Wen and Xia Ping to make on the spot, their salaries increased by five yuan per day, which delighted them immensely.
To accommodate customers who wanted to enjoy the fruit salad while basking in the air conditioning, Meng Chuyue arranged four long tables in one corner of the store, giving off a future-era vibe. Though it was simpler than what would come later, the setup worked quite well.
At six fifty, Tong Wen and Xia Ping were making fruit salads for two children when a young man in a white long-sleeve shirt, khaki casual pants, and black leather shoes with a tall and handsome stature confidently walked in.
"Welcome, what would you like to order?"
Tong Wen instinctively called out the work phrase Meng Chuyue had enforced; upon seeing the newcomer’s face, she was struck dumb by his dazzling appearance.