At this time, Wen Xuan's mind was full of Ling'er's pictures, and he couldn't eat a mouthful of noodles, just sat there quietly, no matter how Li Jialong and Wang Zhifang persuaded him, Wen Xuan only said that he was not hungry.

Wang Zhifang saw that he really couldn't persuade Wenxuan, so he and Li Jialong ate together, and after eating, Wang Zhifang greeted the shopkeeper of the noodle restaurant: "Shopkeeper, settle the bill!"

The shopkeeper was a man in his early thirties, walked to Wang Zhifang's table, and said with a smile: "Guest officer, use it well, a total of 3 bowls of beef noodles, 30 yuan." ”

Wang Zhifang took out thirty yuan and put it on the table, and said to Li Jialong: "Now this food is getting more and more expensive, five years ago, it was only three yuan to eat a bowl of noodles in Mingying Village, and five years have passed, except for Yulu, the price of everything has gone up." ”

The shopkeeper on the side saw Wang Zhifang saying that his face was expensive, and his face was bitter. said to Wang Zhifang: "Guest officer, you don't know, in fact, my noodle restaurant is also losing money and making money." ”

Li Jialong asked: "No, your business here is so good, how can you lose money?"

The shopkeeper frowned and said: "Guest officer, in fact, it's not just me who is losing money and making money, although all the merchants in the entire Mingying City are crying behind their backs, although they look like business is booming on the surface. ”

Wang Zhifang and Li Jialong both felt puzzled, but Wen Xuan on the side felt that this matter was normal. After Jia's death, Wenxuan worked odd jobs outside for two years, and he also knew a lot of sad things about many shopkeepers. Then he said to the shopkeeper: "Is the cost of buying and selling very high, although there are a lot of accounts every day, but in addition to all aspects of the expenses, there is not much income every month." ”

When the shopkeeper saw that this young man was so young, but he said the main point, he couldn't help but admire it in his heart, gave Wen Xuan a thumbs up, and said with a smile: "Ouch, this son, I didn't see that you are so insightful at such a young age! Our store has been open since my mother's lifetime, and it can be regarded as an old store that has been in business for almost 30 years." Our family depends on this shop for their livelihood, and this store is also regarded as a cash cow by our family. However, in recent years, the cost of various aspects is really scary, and I now sell a bowl of noodles for ten yuan, and the cost of flour and toppings is seven yuan, which means that the profit of my bowl of noodles is three yuan. ”

Wang Zhifang looked at the shopkeeper and interjected: "A bowl of noodles and three dollars, your business is so good, you can make three hundred dollars by selling a hundred bowls a day, how can you make thousands of dollars this month, how can you lose money and make money?"

The shopkeeper sighed, "Hey~~" shook his head and said: " Guest officer, I don't know how difficult it is, this restaurant can't do business every day a year, from Chinese New Year's Eve to the fifteenth day of the first month, there is basically no one, the Shu Immortal State has a big celebration official government does not let the door open, full of calculations This year can be normal business for about ten months, but the rent we have to hand over to the owner every month, the rent of my store every month is two thousand wen, which throws out the bulk of the profit, and then to pay various taxes to the government nearly a thousand wen, the cost of workers is hundreds of wen, plus the fire, the bowl and chopsticks are damaged, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar are each used as materials, if you meet a few more officials who have credit, it is not a year to lose money？”

After hearing this, Wang Zhifang and Li Jialong felt that what the shopkeeper said was quite reasonable, and they were very surprised, Wang Zhifang sighed: "I didn't expect it, the shopkeeper is so difficult for you!"

The shopkeeper waved his hand and said: "Actually, it's not just me, the whole Mingying City, big and small shopkeepers, are living a similar life, everyone is dying, and it's a pity to abandon the tasteless food..."

Wen Xuan looked at the two teachers who sighed secretly, and said: "Teacher, don't you know these things before? I knew these when I was very young, before I went to Wucheng, I often worked odd jobs at a Malatang shopkeeper, and the shopkeeper told me that I felt that business was getting more and more difficult in recent years, and I asked him what caused it, and he said that he didn't know that he only knew that all kinds of expenses were increasing, and he didn't dare to increase the price at will for fear of losing his reputation, in order to support his parents who couldn't walk, he would go to the General Manufacturing Bureau of the General Administration every day to work part-time. ”

Li Jialong looked at Wen Xuan and sighed: "Every family has a scripture that is difficult to read! It is not easy for everyone, you still have a long way to go in the future, but Teacher Li swears to you, I will definitely help you find Ling'er." ”

Wen Xuan was extremely moved when he heard Li Jialong's words, tears couldn't help but flow, and he cried and said to Li Jialong: "Teacher Li, you know that I have been an orphan since I was a child, and I was bullied every day at school, only Ling'er was good to me, and I promised her mother to take good care of her..."

Li Jialong touched Wen Xuan's head and said: "Don't worry Wen Xuan, let's find Ling'er together, but the most important thing now is to fill your stomach and practice well, don't find Ling'er but don't have the ability to bring her back, eat the noodles first, let's go back to school, I will ask my friends from all over the country to help you find Ling'er"

Wen Xuan cried and nodded, picked up the chopsticks and desperately stuffed the noodles into his mouth.