In his bedroom, Wu Jun finished a call with his cousin, Chen Xingyang, about changing the packaging. He checked the time; it was just after 7:30 PM.
It was a little early to sleep, and with nothing else to do, Wu Jun changed into some workout clothes, planning to head over to Hongdao Gym to get in a workout.
He pushed the door open, left his room, and entered the small supermarket. He almost ran right into Xu Fei, who was walking toward the grains and oils section with her head down, carrying a bag of rice.
"What are you so lost in thought about?" Wu Jun smiled, taking the bag of rice from Xu Fei’s hands and heading deeper into the store.
"N-nothing. I can get it, Wu Jun. You’ll get your clothes dirty." Xu Fei hurried after him to take the bag back, but he had already placed it on the stack of rice bags.
Looking at the neatly stacked pile of rice in the grains and oils section, Wu Jun paused for a moment.
There were five bags per layer. Including the one he had just added, there were now six layers, making a total of 30 bags of rice.
Lately, Xu Minli’s husband, Cui Zhishen, had been handling the deliveries. He brought one ton of rice every day, and it usually sold out completely by the end of the day, with not a single bag left.
Today was the first day with the new price, yet there was so much left. According to Xu Minli, all the bags sold today were purchased before the price was adjusted.
Around noon, a young man claiming that her niece, Xu Fei, had referred him, bought eight bags in one go. Right after he left, Xu Minli received the price change notification from Wu Jun on her phone. After that, not a single bag was sold for the rest of the afternoon.
"Where did this bag of rice come from? Is someone returning something this late?" Wu Jun turned and asked Xu Fei, a confused look on his face.
The official notice debunking the rumors had been posted, and the misinformation had been completely cleared away. By all rights, there shouldn’t be any more returns.
’Besides, the price went from 250 yuan to 1,000 yuan a bag. Its value had multiplied. Who wouldn’t be secretly thrilled to have gotten such a deal? And they’re returning it? What kind of blockhead is that?’
"It’s not a return..." Xu Fei said quietly. "Just now, Grandma Zhang from upstairs came down to buy rice. When she heard a bag costs 1,000 yuan, she just..."
"Oh." Hearing Xu Fei, Wu Jun felt a bit unsettled.
Wu Jun naturally knew the Grandma Zhang that Xu Fei was talking about; she lived in the same building.
Grandma Zhang’s son and grandson were both firefighters. A little over three years ago, while the family was having dinner, the two of them got a call from their station. A large shopping mall was on fire, the blaze was fierce, and reinforcements were urgently needed.
Without even finishing their meal, the father and son put down their bowls and rushed out the door. They never came back.
A little over a year after they were gone, her daughter-in-law found someone else. Grandma Zhang didn’t stop her from remarrying, and for the past two years, she had been living alone.
Last year, for Grandma Zhang’s 66th birthday, the neighborhood committee organized a party for her with all the neighbors. Wu Jun saw how many people there were and brought a large, three-tiered cake.
Grandma Zhang was old and had no source of income. The pensions in Shimen were low, only 1,000 yuan a month—just enough for one bag of rice. Naturally, she couldn’t bring herself to buy it.
"What’s wrong, Wu Jun? Weren’t you about to go out?" Xu Fei asked, a bit puzzled, seeing him just standing there in a daze.
"I’ll go in a bit." After saying that, Wu Jun pulled a bag of rice down from the stack and started walking toward the entrance, carrying it in his arms.
’Xu Fei watched, completely confused. Her aunt hadn’t said anything about a customer buying rice, had she?’
As Wu Jun went out carrying the rice, Xu Minli also watched, puzzled. "Where are you going with that, Wu Jun?"
"Just going upstairs for a bit." Wu Jun replied to Xu Minli, then carried the rice out the door, walked to the elevator, took it upstairs, and knocked on Grandma Zhang’s door.
"Wu Jun?" Grandma Zhang opened the door and saw him. She was about to invite him in when she noticed the bag of rice in his arms. She blocked the doorway, preventing him from entering, and said anxiously, "Wu Jun, what are you doing?"
"Grandma Zhang, I brought a bag of rice up for you. I have plenty more. You eat this first, and when you run out, I’ll bring you another one." Wu Jun said with a cheeky grin, trying to squeeze past her into the apartment.
"No, no, no. This is too expensive. It would be a waste for an old woman like me to eat it." Grandma Zhang pushed against Wu Jun to keep him from entering. "I heard from Ms. Xu that one bag is 1,000 yuan. You should take it back downstairs and sell it. It’s too precious, far too precious."
"Don’t listen to Ms. Xu; she’s just pulling your leg. It’s not that expensive," Wu Jun said with a smile. "Don’t you go to the park with your friends every day? From now on, you can help me promote my rice, and I’ll supply you with it. Just think of it as your promotional fee. You won’t even eat two bags in a year by yourself. I’m the one getting a great deal here."
As he spoke, Wu Jun had already carried the rice inside and, knowing the layout of the apartment, moved it into the kitchen.
"So Ms. Xu was just joking with me?" Grandma Zhang exclaimed. "That explains it. I was thinking my mind was getting muddled. I remember last time that girl Feifei weighed out some rice for me. I gave her 100 yuan, but after she helped me bring it upstairs, she tucked the money back into the rice bag."
As she spoke, Grandma Zhang took a handkerchief from her pocket, counted out 300 yuan, and insisted on stuffing it into Wu Jun’s hand. "Grandma has money. The government’s policies are good now; we won’t starve. You can’t run a business like this. It’s not easy for a young person to start a business. Quick, take the money."
"Just like you said, the country’s policies are great, so business is booming. It’s no trouble at all." Wu Jun pushed the money back and turned to leave. "You get some rest. I’ve got to get back to work downstairs."
After he finished speaking, Wu Jun turned, left, and pulled the door closed behind him. Grandma Zhang stared at the door for a moment, then turned to look at the photo of her son and grandson on the wall. As she looked, tears streamed down her face.
’I’m doing well over here, with all the neighbors helping me out. I just wonder how the two of them are doing over there.’
Back downstairs, Wu Jun ran into Mr. Hu at the supermarket entrance, who was carrying a bag of rice on his way out.
Although they weren’t in the same building, Mr. Hu was a regular customer. He was the very first customer after the rice packaging was changed, so Wu Jun greeted him with a smile.
"Ah, Wu Jun, you’re back. This rice of yours is really delicious. My wife can eat two bowls in one sitting. Can’t chat now, got to go home and cook for her." After speaking, Mr. Hu hitched the bag of rice onto his shoulder with a shrug and left.
Wu Jun watched Mr. Hu leave the building, then turned and went back into the supermarket.
When she saw Wu Jun walk in, Xu Minli hurriedly gathered up two 100-yuan bills and a 50-yuan bill from the counter.
"What are you doing, Ms. Xu?" Wu Jun asked with a laugh. "Afraid I’m going to snatch it from you or something?"
"No, Wu Jun, it’s just..." Xu Minli stammered. "I’ll make up the rest of the money for you."
Hearing Xu Minli’s words, Wu Jun didn’t understand what she meant at first. He paused for a second, then he remembered.
On the day they were preparing to issue the membership cards, both Wu Jun and Xu Fei were helping out at the supermarket. It hadn’t been long ago, so Wu Jun still remembered most of the regular customers who had come in. Mr. Hu hadn’t been there that day.
In other words, Mr. Hu was not a Hongyun Rice VIP, but Xu Minli had sold him a bag at the old price. That’s why she was offering to pay Wu Jun the difference.