Teenage boys are easily fired up and care a lot about face. Those two were now locked in a fierce competition.
Jiang Qingning was overjoyed. With those two paying to demonstrate the game, even more people wanted to try their hand.
Two yuan wasn’t a huge amount, but it wasn’t exactly small change either. You could buy two skewers of candied haws at the neighboring stall and enjoy them for a good while. But here? Used for the ring toss, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—the rings were all thrown in less than a minute.
And this game was oddly addictive. After tossing all twelve rings, you’d always feel like you’d finally grasped the trick, convinced you’d hit the mark next time, and couldn’t resist shelling out for another go.
Those lucky enough to win something became even more convinced of their skills. With the mindset of “I’ve already made my money back anyway,” they’d think, why not play once more? Maybe they could snag that hundred-yuan bill.
Most who stepped up for the ring toss were teenagers in their fun-loving, boisterous years—a stage when minds are still immature and easily hooked.
Just like now, with Leather Jacket and Long Hair going head-to-head, one after the other.
Every time one of them snagged something, the onlookers would whoop and clap, which naturally spurred the other to compete even harder.
Finally, the contest ended when Long Hair’s wallet was completely emptied.
By this point, Jiang Qingning had already made nearly a hundred yuan off these two.
“Tsk, these kids are gonna get a good beating when they get home,” Jiang Liye leaned in and whispered to Jiang Qingning.
He said it, but deep down he felt a little uneasy. To have kids spend so much money in such a short time—almost half a month’s wages for an ordinary worker…
Jiang Qingning, however, whispered back, “Uncle, look at the shoes they’re wearing. Do you know how much a pair costs?”
Jiang Liye glanced over. They were both wearing sneakers with a big red checkmark on the side. He didn’t recognize the brand, just thought to himself how hardy these youngsters were, wearing these instead of cotton shoes in the middle of winter.
“No idea.”
“Those shoes are a foreign brand. A pair costs at least seven or eight hundred.”
“How much?!” Jiang Liye’s eyes widened. “Seven or eight hundred?!”
Jiang Qingning nodded. “Yeah, my aunt’s twins have worn shoes from that brand.”
Jiang Liye naturally knew her aunt had married into a very well-off family. He couldn’t help but marvel, “Good heavens, these rich folks… they really are rich.”
At a time when the average monthly wage was around two hundred yuan, spending seven or eight hundred on a pair of shoes for a kid was a bit beyond Jiang Liye’s comprehension.
Poverty really does limit the imagination.
Jiang Qingning smiled. “So, we shouldn’t feel bad about making money off them. This really is just their pocket money.”
Jiang Liye thought for a moment. “Well, not every kid is that rich, I suppose. But I’ve noticed that all the boys coming up to play the ring toss seem pretty free-spending.”
Seems like I’m the poorest one here, Jiang Liye thought, feeling somewhat glum.
As soon as one round of ring toss ended, another person rushed over wanting to play. Jiang Qingning collected the money while raising her voice, “This is the time of year when us kids have the most money—all the lucky money from relatives and elders. If we don’t spend it, we’ll just have to hand it over to our parents anyway.”
The boy paying nodded in agreement. “Exactly. This is my lucky money. I’m not giving it to my parents.”
Jiang Liye thought to himself: Relatives give you lucky money out of respect for your parents. Besides, don’t your parents have to give lucky money to their relatives’ kids too?
But he kept that to himself, just smiling broadly and saying, “Haha, sounds about right.”
What could he do? Gotta make a living. No shame in that.
By three or four in the afternoon, the crowd began to thin. Fewer people were playing, unlike an hour earlier when there had been a line to pay.
“Whoa! I got the hundred yuan!” A chubby middle-aged man cheered.
“Someone actually got the money?!”
“Wow,I didn’t think anyone could throw that far!”
“I wonder if the little boss will honor it.”
“Tsk,looks like that guy only paid two yuan for his first try. I bet the little girl isn’t too happy about this.”
Comments rippled through the crowd.
Jiang Qingning raised an eyebrow. Finally, someone had snagged the money. She had been planning to subtly let them win, maybe have Fourth Uncle quietly move the bills a bit closer. With no one winning anything for a while, people’s enthusiasm had waned.
Cheerfully, she ran over, picked up the hundred-yuan bill, and walked over with a smile to hand it to the winner. “Congratulations, Uncle! You’re the first—and so far, the only one—to win a hundred yuan today! That’s amazing!”
Seeing Jiang Qingning actually hand over the money, the man excitedly accepted it. Two yuan for a hundred! And he was the first to win the big prize! In high spirits, he immediately pulled out ten yuan and declared grandly, “Little boss, I’ll play another ten yuan’s worth!”
The onlookers, seeing someone genuinely win a hundred yuan, couldn’t help but feel the itch. If he can do it, maybe I can too.
Suddenly, the scene livened up again. Several people who had been about to leave stopped in their tracks. Those who had been hesitating gritted their teeth, took out money, and joined the line.
Ten yuan got you sixty throws. The lucky middle-aged man put all his effort into aiming for the remaining hundred-yuan bill. Unfortunately, his luck seemed to have run out. A breeze picked up over the lake, and he didn’t hit a single thing.
Unwilling to give up, he wanted to keep playing, but those behind him who had already paid were urging him on. “Hey, you’ve been at it long enough. Let us have a turn!”
“Yeah, exactly. You already got a hundred yuan, that’s enough! Give us folks in line a chance too!”
“Right? Trying to take the other hundred as well?”
Those who hurriedly paid and lined up were all aiming for that remaining hundred, genuinely afraid he’d snatch the other bill too.
Hearing the complaints, the man felt displeased. He was already annoyed at missing everything after his win, and now this completely washed away the joy of hitting the hundred.
Jiang Liye saw a potential conflict brewing and was about to step in to intervene when Jiang Qingning spoke up.
“Don’t worry, everyone, we’ll top up the hundred yuan anytime,” she said, then looked at Jiang Liye behind her. “Uncle, could you please put another hundred yuan in the same spot?”
For safety, all the money was kept with Jiang Liye.
Jiang Liye nodded, took out a hundred yuan, walked over, and placed it where the previous bill had been.
“Wow, the little boss is really honest!”
“Yeah!”
“If we all win a hundred,will you keep topping it up every time, little boss?”
“How much would you have to put out?”
Jiang Qingning smiled at the crowd. “Go ahead and play your hearts out. I’ll top up however much you win.”
“Whoa, the little boss is talking big! Aren’t you afraid of losing money?”
Jiang Qingning patted her chest and gestured grandly. “If I lose money, just consider it me giving you all lucky money!”
She was just a little sprout who barely reached people’s knees, speaking earnestly in an adult-like tone about giving out lucky money, which made everyone laugh. The atmosphere instantly lightened.
Jiang Qingning then turned to the middle-aged man, who had been about to get angry but was now laughing along. “Uncle, you’ve been playing for a long time. Your arm must be tired. Why not take a break and continue later? You’ll probably aim even better then.”
The man thought that made sense, clapped his hands, and gave up his spot.
In truth, the most important thing in ring toss was getting a feel for it. Once you got the rhythm, you’d get more accurate. But after a break? Not so certain.
Jiang Qingning, of course, wouldn’t say that. She was here to make money from this ring toss, after all. This man had a good feel for it. If he hadn’t been stubbornly aiming for the hundred yuan, he probably could have hit the closer fifty-yuan spots later.
That wouldn’t do. If he kept playing, she really might lose money. It was perfect timing to use the complaints from others to get him to take a break. Soon, the sun would start setting, the wind was picking up, and the difficulty of the ring toss was skyrocketing.
Jiang Qingning thought it over and felt even smarter. Hehe, I really am a natural-born businesswoman.
For the rest of the afternoon, the crowd around their stall only grew, buzzing with activity. The commotion also benefited Huang Guoqing, who was selling candied haws next door. Before night even fell, all the candied haws on his straw stand were sold out.
He wasn’t in a hurry to go home. Instead, he stood to the side, arms tucked into his sleeves, watching the lively scene. When he saw pushing and shoving in the line, he even stepped in to mediate.
Watching person after person try their luck at the ring toss, Huang Guoqing couldn’t help but start a mental tally. Selling candied haws every day, he knew well that even though one or two yuan seemed like small change, the money earned over half a day could easily outpace a regular job’s wages.
He estimated that in just half an hour, their stall must have taken in fifty or sixty yuan.
The more he calculated, the more astonished he felt. This was truly something else. Standing here in the wind all day, he could sell a hundred candied haws at most. At one yuan each, after deducting the cost of eighty cents, he only made twenty cents profit per stick—about twenty yuan a day.
Business was a bit better during holidays. All in all, he could probably make around six or seven hundred yuan a month, equivalent to three or four months’ salary for others.
But candied haws could only be sold in winter—just four months of business a year. The rest of the time, he’d find odd jobs to do.
Overall, his annual income was quite respectable. In his neighborhood’s crowded courtyard dwellings, he was considered a high earner among his peers.
Making a living with this small trade passed down from his ancestors, he had been fairly content with his situation. After all, he was still a businessman, big or small.
But today, watching Brother Liye’s niece, he felt like his eyes had been opened. Both were setting up stalls, but comparing the money they made… well, ignorance was bliss.
Thinking back to what the girl had said to him earlier, Huang Guoqing fell into deep thought: I’ll try making those tangerine candied haws when I get home tonight. I originally planned to just make a few to test the waters, but it looks like I should make a larger batch.
By five o’clock, the sun began to set. Around five-thirty, when the sky was completely dark, it was impossible to continue the ring toss.
Jiang Qingning clapped her hands, signaling they were packing up. A few young guys who hadn’t had enough asked, “Hey, little boss, will you be here tomorrow?”
“Of course! We’ll be here in the morning. Please spread the word for me, bring your classmates and friends along! I’ll give you a few extra rings then,” Jiang Qingning replied with a smile.
“Great! I’m actually going to my uncle’s for a meal tomorrow. I’ll bring all my cousins over!”
“That’s wonderful! I thank you in advance.”
The group of young guys left, laughing and chatting.