Famine 186: Café

Si Zhiyan counted the money he had on hand and felt it was rather tight. He asked, “What do you want to do?”

Gu Ying took a deep breath and bowed. “I… I would also like to rent a room from you.”

“To open a café.”

Si Zhiyan pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, “That’s a risky venture. Have you thought it through?”

Gu Ying nodded. “…Yes, Mr. Si, I’ve thought very carefully about it.”

It was clear she was a person with ideas, and her mind was made up.

She had only worked a single day, yet now she wanted an advance on her wages, and to take up a room as well… In truth, Gu Ying was extremely nervous. If Mr. Si refused her, she would have had no grievance at all.

But unexpectedly, as soon as she made her request, Si Zhiyan agreed without hesitation, brisk and straightforward: “Go ahead.”

Not only that, he even took the initiative to ask, “Do you have a coffee machine and equipment?”

Gu Ying hesitated. “Ah… not yet, I’m trying to borrow some money from someone to buy secondhand…”

“No problem.” Si Zhiyan tapped the table lightly. “I have it! Everything you need, and I can sell it to you at a very good price. Come, take a look.”

Gu Ying was stunned. “Huh?”

Si Zhiyan walked back to the inner room and, before long, called Gu Ying in to see—there were grinders, espresso machines, scales for measuring grounds…
To open a café, all the equipment one could possibly need was here, not only complete, but with plenty of choices when it came to models and styles!

All of it was exchanged for points in the “At Your Own Pace Start-Up Shop.”

What a great chance to convert those points into cash!
Si Zhiyan had been fretting endlessly over his millions of useless points, while here in reality he was worrying about not having enough money for rent.

He quoted a price that was actually even cheaper than the secondhand market.

“Do you want it?”

Gu Ying was so taken aback she could barely respond: “Ah… ah?! Yes, yes! Thank you…?”

Though she didn’t understand why, Mr. Si and Mr. Bian had suddenly become so enthusiastic. But… why?

“Yes! Absolutely.” Si Zhiyan nodded vigorously, and then, impatiently, asked the next question:

“—Have you found a supplier for desserts and snacks?”

Beside him, the blond Bian Xu crowded in as well, looking at her with eager anticipation.

Under the scrutiny of four eyes, Gu Ying was a bit bewildered. “…No?”
This was, in fact, exactly what had been troubling her. She worked as a designer by profession, so there was no way she could look after the shop herself. It was easy enough to hire an ordinary barista, but a pastry chef’s salary was much higher.

Fantastic!!
Bian Xu was nearly moved to tears of joy. He turned and gave Si Zhiyan a high five.

“Come! Young lady, take a look!” Bian Xu ushered Gu Ying toward the table, leading her eagerly. “Look at this tiramisu, this Black Forest cake box, this blueberry gold-leaf panna cotta, this strawberry ice cream… and this chestnut Mont Blanc cake… Ah, no, I just finished the last of the chestnut cake…”

“No worries; we have more! Plenty more!”

While he spoke, Bian Xu pressed Gu Ying into a chair, and Si Zhiyan stepped forward, placing a fork firmly in her hand—

“Here, please try some. Eat as much as you like.”

Gu Ying: “…………???”

And so it was that, faced with the enthusiasm of Si Zhiyan and Bian Xu, Gu Ying was suddenly—and overwhelmingly—stuffed with…
…so many desserts.

As she chewed dazedly, covering her cheeks, she came to a decision.

—Delicious!

No less impressive than outputs from a professional pâtissier.

And the prices they quoted were exceptionally reasonable. If supply could be kept steady, nothing could be better!

The salary Si Zhiyan offered Gu Ying was not small—in fact, to retain such a talent, the compensation was quite generous. Previously, she’d been worried for a long while about the cost of labor.

But now, faced with a supply price far below the usual market rate, Gu Ying agreed at once to an advance on her salary and signed for supplies for her café.

While signing, Gu Ying was overcome with gratitude, a faint flush rising in her eyes as she said, “Mr. Si, you’ve helped me so much… I really don’t know how I could ever repay you…”

Across from her, Si Zhiyan and Bian Xu, wearing exactly the same bright, perfect smile, replied, “Don’t mention it, really, it’s nothing at all—thank you, thank you…”

…Thank you?
Gu Ying grew even more moved. “I should be the one saying thank you…”

“No, no, truly, it’s us who should say thank you…”

And so, their first major collaboration concluded in this very odd, somewhat baffling atmosphere—everyone thanking each other frantically to the end…

……

The next day, Si Zhiyan officially put up the “Farm Apartment” sign and began renting out rooms.

Business was booming. Many waited eagerly on-site, and every time news of available units went out, all were snapped up in an instant.

After all, it was no small investment; not everyone made a move blindly.

Many potential tenants toured the entire farm apartment, inspecting every corner.

One morning, someone was jotting notes and drawings on paper, recording each floor’s projects.
There was a design studio, an advertising company, a curry rice shop, a Chongqing noodle shop, a—

“…reliable.”
“To be honest, some of these storefronts look great. You could open immediately with hardly any modifications—wonder who designed them.”
“The farm’s proprietor, Mr. Si, is so resourceful, he must have hired a top professional team.”

Old Liang was one of these. He ran the small grocery store on the second floor.
Old Liang was not much of a talker. By chance, he was with this group, head down noting things as he pressed for the next floor.

Buzz.

The teleportation array flashed white again. They raised their heads.

There was no aroma of food, no scent of printer’s ink; instead, a gentle scent of coffee filled the air.

They entered a vintage café with real atmosphere, completely Gu Ying’s aesthetic style—elegant and tranquil, comfortable seating, with many private rooms upstairs. An old record player played graceful music.

Behind the counter, a gentle girl with dark hair looked up.

“Ah, welcome… Mr. Liang? I remember you.” Gu Ying smiled shyly. “Are you here to inspect? We’re not open yet, but you’re welcome to look around.”

At once, the whole group was in an uproar.

They remembered Gu Ying.
Anyone who enjoyed gossip knew that, in the corner of the third floor, there was a particularly clumsy female college student. She looked pretty, but was entirely inept—hopelessly awkward.
She’d tried so many things, always ending up selling at a loss.

Most people laughed at her, mentioning her as a joke. But Old Liang, thinking Gu Ying was around the same age as his own daughter, felt a pang of sympathy, and often bought her egg pancakes and similar food to support her.

Old Liang stared in shock. “You’re opening a café?”

“Mm.” Gu Ying smiled and nodded, then lowered her head again to tend to the coffee beans.

“This…” Old Liang couldn’t quite believe it. “Can you really make a go of it?”

This was, as everyone knew, a dense apartment complex.
If not quite an urban village on the fringe, it wasn’t far off. Every business that survived here had to be small, cramped, and cheap. Like his donkey meat flatbreads, or the neighboring Chongqing noodles.

Every lunch break, people poured out in waves like sardines, eating as quickly as possible, filling up on carbs and oil, then rushing back to their afternoon grind.

Gu Ying fitted the coffee beans into the machine, then looked up.

“I can make it work,” she said softly.

“You’re sure about this, young lady? Rent at the farm isn’t cheap…”

Old Liang was about to say more when laughter interrupted him: “Enough. No point talking any further.”

Someone casually took a glass from the table, went to the lobby, and poured himself a glass of Gu Ying’s lemon water, drinking as he spoke, dismissively waving his hand. “It’s pointless. She’ll never make it.”

The other would-be tenants chimed in, one after another: “No hope—what’s the use of all that education?”

“A grad student, and this is the best she can do. So much for schooling.”

“She’s probably lost so much to rent she’s already gone mad.”

“You can’t talk sense into someone determined to ruin themselves. Some people just have to learn the hard way, then blame others.”

A yellow-haired youth sneered, “What does a girl like her know? She’s just here wasting the money her parents worked for.”

Old Liang bristled in anger. “No need to talk like that!”

The yellow-haired one said, “What’s the big deal? If not her parents, it’s her boyfriend or her husband footing the bill…”

Bang!

A heavy thud sounded on the counter. Gu Ying set down the coffee machine with force, bit her lips, and looked up.

Gu Ying had always gotten nervous and shaky in difficult moments, but this time, standing in a shop built brick by brick with her own hands, she lifted her head firmly.

“I don’t live off my parents, nor is anyone else supporting me. I work for Mr. Si. I’m the farm’s designer. Everything here was paid for with my own wages, paid in advance—I earned it myself.”

“If any of you rent a shop here, every single unit you get was designed by me.”

These words were enunciated one by one, each with unshakable conviction.

Finding a job, earning her own living, not troubling anyone else…
It could transform a person’s spirit completely.

Now, in Gu Ying’s eyes, there was a burning flame.

“This is my shop. You are not welcome here. Please leave.”

The farm’s designer?!

The man drinking the lemon water nearly choked, doubled over coughing and almost collapsed. Barely saving himself by grabbing the table, he kept a desperate hold on his glass.

No way would he dare break it!

Everyone was startled, mouths agape.

They knew the farm’s rental units were beautifully finished, all thanks to an outstanding designer.
Never had anyone guessed that the designer was this girl, well-known to all, and looked down upon by many!

The yellow-haired youth tried to retort, but the others grabbed him hastily, pulling him away.

Who in their right mind would pick a fight with the farm’s designer?!
With limited properties, all Mr. Si had to do was say the word and you’d never rent a place again!

And even if that didn’t happen, if the designer simply refused to finish your unit—leaving you with nothing but bare tiles and shoddy tables while everyone else had beautiful shops—that’d be plenty to worry about!

In a flurry, they helped clean Gu Ying’s glasses, apologized awkwardly, and hastily withdrew from her café.

Old Liang looked at their pathetic state, rolling his eyes in exasperation.
Regretting deep down how he’d ended up in such company.

As he was leaving, Gu Ying called out, “Mr. Liang.”

Old Liang turned. He saw Gu Ying tuck her hair behind her ear and smile at him. “Thank you.”
“If you have time, please come back in a couple of days. Try my coffee—I’d like to treat you.”

In the sunlight, the girl stood tall and proud, her smile still shy but her eyes bright, brimming with confidence and beauty.

Old Liang could not help but remark, “You’ve changed a lot.”

Gu Ying smiled. “Mm.”

The teleportation array flashed.

As Old Liang walked off the second floor, he heard the others huddled together, whispering:

“Naive and rich.”
“Give her a couple of days—she’ll be bankrupted, down to her underwear.”

Someone else chimed in sourly, “Tch, look at her smug face. Just got in the farm’s good graces, acts so high and mighty with her fancy new job.”
The yellow-haired one sneered, “Having someone like her in the building is just a nuisance.”

“Honestly, I’m done camping out waiting for new listings. I’ll just stick around until she goes under and pick up her lease cheap. Isn’t that smarter?”

This notion quickly gained approval: “She’ll be out of business in no time.”

“I want to wait for her to give up her room, too.”

“……”

And so, another quarrel broke out among the group—over who would get Gu Ying’s shop once she failed.

Old Liang rolled his eyes and walked away without so much as a backward glance.