Gentlemen's Friends

Chapter 60 Customers of Quji Bento Shop

The owner of Quji Bento Shop recently noticed a nearby bookstore.

The bookstore seemed to have been open for a long time, much older than his bento shop.

These days, due to the impact of online merchants, physical bookstores are not very easy to operate, and it is small, but it can stand in this kind of location day after day, year after year. The convenience store owner has a kind of admiration for the bookstore owner. meaning.

And one afternoon, when the convenience store business was slow, the boss wanted to go to the bookstore to buy a book to pass the time.His daughter seems to have plans to study abroad. As a father, although he is so tearful and reluctant to let go, he still needs to study this aspect of knowledge in advance.

As a result, he strolled over, and he was surprised to find that the owner of the bookstore was dozing off in a grandiose manner!

The store door was wide open, but there were no customers in the bookstore.The afternoon sun, the quiet room, and the rows of books are indeed enough to make anyone unable to resist the scene of sleepiness, so the other party sleeps very calmly and comfortably, extremely relaxed, and has not noticed his arrival at all.

The convenience store owner was tongue-tied and terrified.Neither is it to wake up the other party, nor is it not to wake up.It's embarrassing to keep it, and it's worrying to go away-in case someone who doesn't know who is not four comes in, and the door is wide open like this, and you fall asleep, that's okay!

After an unknown amount of time, the bookstore owner finally woke up comfortably.When he opened his eyes and saw the owner of the convenience store in front of him, he seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then rubbed his eyes, and said slowly, "Oh... welcome."

"..."

"Do you want to buy any books?"

The convenience store owner couldn't help reminding: "Ah, you are asleep like this, and there is no helper in the store. You'd better close the door, otherwise someone might steal your books."

The bookstore owner was stunned again, then smiled and said, "Oh, it's okay, stealing books is not considered stealing..."

"..."

Does this sound like something a businessman would say?
The convenience store owner finally picked two books in the store.Because the owner of the bookstore was sleepy, he was indeed an expert in books. He not only quickly picked out the recommended bibliography according to his needs, but also gave him a fairly detailed introduction.

When checking out, the owner of the bookstore said: "Oh, no need, thank you for showing me the store for a while, let's use the 0% discount price."

The convenience store owner hurriedly said, "How can this work?"

"Of course." The bookstore owner resolutely stopped him from taking out the money, and smiled, "Come here often when you have time."

The convenience store owner has been thinking back, how can he make money by doing business like this?
Just the monthly store rent is very hanging.

He couldn't help but worry about the bookstore owner.

But since then, whenever the owner of the bento shop has free time, he wanders over to the bookstore for a visit from time to time.

The owner of the bookstore is a thin middle-aged man who actually looks young, especially because he often laughs, his face looks delicate and cute, but his overly quiet personality and slightly slow actions don't look too young. As for age, it seemed ambiguous about him.

The owner of the bookstore actually has a good taste in choosing books. Every time he picks up a book, the owner of the convenience store can read it leisurely and fascinated.But the business in the store is not very good, it is also true.

After all, a store cannot be supported by taste alone. The owner of the bookstore is too lazy, or he has limited physical and mental capacity. He only goes to a new one after a long time, and he doesn’t know how to attract customers. Doing a few businesses at the same time makes the convenience store owner anxious.

"Actually, you can buy some exam books and sell them. I think there are a lot of students asking for those exercise sets and real test papers."

The bookstore owner said: "Oh, those, I did too much when I was a student, and now I'm scared when I see them. I just want to sell some good-looking books that are worth reading."

"But in this way, the number of customers seems to be a bit small, will it not make any money?"

The bookstore owner smiled a little ashamedly: "Hey, it seems that I really haven't made any money."

"...Is this okay?"

"It doesn't matter," the bookstore owner thought about it, "I'll just use this as a library, and it's pretty good."

The convenience store owner felt a little ashamed, he thought, how could he not have such a state?
There is no way, he still wants to work hard to earn more money for his daughter to study abroad.

After saving enough money to study abroad, you will need to save the dowry, the education fund for the future grandchildren, and so on.Anyway, it is right to save money endlessly.

Although his friend is very rich, so rich that he doesn't need to worry about these things and is more willing to bear these expenses, he still feels that he should do his part.

After getting acquainted, the owner of the convenience store often invites the owner of the bookstore: "Come and sit with me when you have time, and have something to eat. It doesn't cost money."

The bookstore owner happily agreed.However, he seems to go home on time every day for dinner. It is said that there are children waiting for him to cook at home, so he has no chance to visit the convenience store.

One day, the convenience store owner went to the bookstore owner and brought a box of cakes and candies.

The bookstore owner was a little surprised: "Hey, candy?"

The convenience store owner was both happy and shy: "Yes..."

"Is it your daughter's? But isn't she still studying?"

The convenience store owner was very embarrassed, showing the ring on his ring finger: "Yes, it's mine..."

"Ah," the bookstore owner felt embarrassed, "I thought you were married just because you said your daughter was going to college. I was confused. Congratulations!"

"hey-hey……"

"The other party is a very good person."

"Well, we've known each other for years."

"A former classmate?"

"Well, a college classmate."

The owner of the bookstore showed an expression of longing: "That's great..."

Then he said: "Then I must go to your store to eat something today!"

The bookstore owner came to Quji Bento Store for the first time, thought about the menu for a long time, and ordered egg noodles with tomato and mushroom.

The owner of the convenience store cooks himself, and burns two big bowls of fragrant and refreshing. The two sat down facing each other, chatting and eating noodles, and the host and guest had a good time.

In the afternoon of the next day, the bookstore owner came again.

The difference is that this time he brought another person.

The bookstore owner introduced: "This is my friend."

This friend is very tall, even taller than the friend of the convenience store owner's family (this is impossible in the convenience store owner's mind!), and looks quite handsome, but that kind of handsomeness is sharp and cold Yes, but also faintly gloomy.

This kind of person appears in a shop with such a small business as his, and it doesn't feel like he is here to eat, but it seems that he may say at any time, "I take this shop, and you don't come to it from tomorrow."

The two found a seat by the window and sat down. The bookstore owner said, "Please have a bowl of egg noodles with tomato, mushroom, and egg. Just one bowl will be enough. We haven't finished eating yet."

The owner of the bento shop frightenedly agreed, and then cooked the food himself, inevitably increasing the portion size secretly.

The noodles were served, the man tasted it, and the bookstore owner said to the man, "How is it? Do you remember my craftsmanship back then?"

The man nodded: "You cook better."

(The owner of the bento shop who overheard it was immediately heartbroken)
The bookstore owner smiled and said, "You're talking nonsense."

"real."

"Ha ha……"

"It would be nice if you could cook for me for a lifetime."

"Um……"

The two of them naturally shared the same bowl of noodles on top of the hot steam, chopsticks touching chopsticks, head to head.

The convenience store owner suddenly felt that the scene was beautiful, like a good watercolor painting.

After the noodles were finished, the two of them still sat face to face, in a trance, looking at each other with a feeling of sadness.

There was no conversation, no entertainment, but they didn't feel bored at all, cherishing such a quiet time that only belonged to each other, and it seemed to return to a certain moment in the past.

The convenience store owner noticed that their hands were held together across the table.

This made him suddenly realize, and his face turned red again.

He thought enthusiastically, tomorrow, he must go to the bookstore owner and tell the bookstore owner that if he wants to get married, he has a good venue to introduce, and it's free!

It's a pity that he didn't know until a long time later that it was useless.

(End of this chapter)