The grocery store where Zhang Tie worked was located somewhere in the prosperous business district of Blackhot City. However, compared to the magnificent facades and residences of those large business groups, free trade organizations, and exchanges, the location of Zhang Tie's grocery store was much more remote. Less than 300 m away from the grocery store was the railway station of Blackhot City, which was frequented by people from all walks of life. The store itself was close to a flea market formed by local residents and foreign pioneers. Therefore, it was quite boisterous there every day. However, from their clothes, Zhang Tie knew that most of the people here were small figures in the middle and lower classes. Besides the physiological motivation to fill their stomachs, the other reason that supported these small figures to do business here was that the boss of a roadside stall on the street had received a great item one day and had a meteoric rise from then on. It was these fairy tales that supported many commoners to live in this block day after day and year after year. They also supported batches of pioneers from afar to set foot on the unknown land in the west and the north of Blackhot City in a spirited manner after packing up their luggage. Of course, if you had enough luck and insight, you might also find some good items here.
When Zhang Tie arrived at the grocery store, the fat owner of the grocery store, Donder, was curling up on a lounge chair outside the door. Enjoying the afterglow of the setting sun, Donder's eyes were half open as he calmly glanced at the passersby on the street. Only when some plump or beautiful women passed by the grocery store would Donder slightly move his head like a fat fish and stare at them for a long time.
As usual, the first thing Zhang Tie did when he arrived at the grocery store was to clean the store before checking the shelves and counters. After that, he started to calculate the accounts on an abacus. After staying here for one year, Zhang Tie felt that his biggest achievement was that he had learned how to use the strange mathematical tool called abacus. This was a very practical skill that he had not been taught at school. However, Zhang Tie estimated that this skill would help him in his future work. His father had been planning to find a job for him as an accountant in the Coal Exchange in Blackhot City. Of course, this could only be considered after he finished his military service. For commoners, it was already very good for them to have a job in the city after finishing their military service as long as they could fill their stomachs.
The moment Zhang Tie finished calculating the accounts, a guest arrived. Donder was still lying on the chair like a fat pig. Zhang Tie closed the account book and started to greet him.
"Excuse me, what do you want to buy?" The new guest was at his 40s. Wearing the uniform of a stevedore at the railway station in Blackhot City, he smelled like coal ash. Zhang Tie estimated that the factories in the city should have closed at this time, so he must have come here on his way back.
"I want to see white crystals!" The 40s stevedore said as he glanced over the crystal boxes behind the counter. There were various kinds of crystals in those boxes, but most of them were common Class 1 crystals. There were also a few Class 2 crystals. Among all the crystals, white crystals were the most common. There were both natural and artificial crystals. Among the crystals of the same size and quality, the double-headed ones were more expensive than the single-headed ones, while the natural ones were much more expensive than the artificial ones. The artificial ones looked more beautiful, but their effects were not as good as the natural ones. It was said that before the Catastrophe, crystals were only used as decorations. Their functions and secrets that could help one's cultivation were still unknown to the public. However, now, even aunties who ran stalls on the streets knew about it. In this age, crystals were the standard strategic materials and also the source of human's confidence to survive in this age.
"Is that all?" The 40s man looked slightly disappointed. It seemed that the common goods behind the counter could not satisfy him. The man's expression was slightly out of Zhang Tie's expectation. After all, even these common Class 1 crystals were not cheap for commoners.
"We have better goods, but they are more expensive. Do you want to take a look?"
After putting on a pair of white gloves, Zhang Tie turned around and took out a more delicate box from the drawer behind him. He carefully put it on the counter and opened it in front of the man. There were also four white crystals in the box, two double-headed crystals and two single-headed crystals. They were crystal clear and had very few impurities. However, the most eye-catching thing was that there was a layer of hazy silhouette inside the four crystals, which was in the shape of a pyramid. Among them, the pyramid inside the double-headed crystal was the best and the largest one. If you looked closely, you would find that each side of the pyramid inside the crystal was shining with an indescribable luster — — it was the uncanny craftsmanship between the heavens and the earth, the natural gathering of energy in the universe. The greatest effect of the white pyramid-shaped crystals was not only to help the user enter a meditative state and stabilize his mind, but also to help the user absorb the energy in the universe faster and stimulate his potential and vitality with the help of the power of the pyramids in the crystals.
As expected, the 40s man couldn't move his eyes away from the pyramid-shaped crystals. His expression was similar to Zhang Tie's when he first saw the crystals. These Class 3 white crystals were the most high-end goods that could be found in this small grocery store. Each of them cost more than two gold coins. In Blackhot City, one gold coin could buy enough food for a family of three to live comfortably for two months.
Each crystal in the box was marked with a price. After seeing the price, the man still pointed at a single-headed crystal hesitantly and asked Zhang Tie, "Can … can it be cheaper?"
"218 silver coins. This price is already very low. All the goods in our store have a clear price. May I ask if you're buying this as a gift?
"Yes, my son will be 16 years old tomorrow. I want to give him a surprise. My son is a genius!" Saying this, the 40s man revealed a smile. His face, which was still covered with soot, instantly revealed a lot of warmth and pride. His smile reminded Zhang Tie of his father.
"I see. Then I'll give you a packing box for 215 silver coins and 2 taels of crystal sand. This is the lowest price and discount that we can offer you … "Zhang Tie sincerely said. This was indeed the bottom line of the store. The 40s stevedore had probably inquired about the situation and reputation of this grocery store. He might have been introduced here by a friend. This price was very reasonable in Blackhot City. Hearing that there was a packing box and crystal sand as a gift, he immediately agreed.
The stevedore carefully took out his purse from his clothes. After paying 2 gold coins and 15 silver coins, he took the packaged goods and the crystal sand and left. A business worth more than 2 gold coins could be considered a big business in the store. Perhaps the store had used up its luck today. Over an hour after the stevedore left, there was no other business in the grocery store except for two people who wandered in.
Sitting behind the counter, Zhang Tie supported his chin with his hands and looked at the street outside. Thinking about what had happened today, he was in a daze...
The sun finally set, and the sky outside darkened. The dead fish sitting on the recliner finally moved. It twisted its body, stood up unwillingly, and moved the recliner back into the shop.
"What's wrong? Were you beaten by someone today?"
Seeing the scars on Zhang Tie's face, the boss of the grocery store smiled with pleasure.
"No, I just fell down!" Zhang Tie said stubbornly.
"That's enough, brat. Stop pretending. It's nothing to be ashamed of. When I was your age, I would fight 3-5 times a day. It's normal for me to beat others or be beaten by others. Since I've lost, I'll just get it back!" the boss said casually.
At this moment, Zhang Tie was thinking about how Miss Daina had seen his embarrassing look today. Hearing Donder's words, he could only mutter helplessly, "What if I can't get it back?"
"Brat, that's why I said you're still young. There's no way you can't get it back. There are only idiots and good-for-nothings who don't dare to win. If the opponent is stronger than you, you have to surpass him by ten times and beat him up. If you still can't beat him, you have to play dirty. Cover your face and hit him from behind with a stick, a hand, or a brick. Just don't let him know who you are!" The boss said evilly as he made gestures. Zhang Tie was slightly dumbfounded. Seeing Zhang Tie's silly look, the boss seemed to be very dissatisfied. He forcefully patted Zhang Tie's shoulder. "Brat, since you're not bad, I'll teach you my dozens of years of experience. When you can't beat him with your fists, you can use this to make up for it..." The boss pointed at Zhang Tie's head and proudly raised his head. "Today, I'll teach you a famous saying — a soft tongue can break hard bones. A wise brain is better than any sharp weapon!"
Hearing Donder's last words, Zhang Tie's heart slightly moved. He felt that it was very reasonable. "Who said that?"
"Donder!"
"Humph, I don't believe it!"
"If you don't believe it, then forget it. Hmm, as usual, I won't keep you for supper!" the miser said as usual.
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