Chapter 643 - 643 The World Is Gorgeous, but My Heart Is Filled With Sadness
643 The World Is Gorgeous, but My Heart Is Filled With Sadness
When Lin Yi returned to the store, it was already past the peak meal time.
Despite this, Lin Yi was surprised to find that there were a few large reinforced cardboard boxes at the entrance of the store.
There were different labels on each cardboard box signaling the different recycling categories for discarded items.
Lin Yi looked into the cardboard box. Some contained plastic bottles, some old books and tattered newspapers, and one box contained a few tattered clothes, but they weren’t broken. They looked like they could still be worn.
Lin Yi rubbed his chin. Other than Ji Qingyan, no one else seemed to have the guts to place these things in front of his shop.
At the thought of this, Lin Yi called her.
“Did you put that thing in front of the shop?”
“Yes, yes. I’ll get someone to send it over. This way, I can use my time to help them collect more things.”
“I don’t have much to do today. I’ll pass later.”
“Sure.”
Business wasn’t busy in the afternoon, so Lin Yi sat in the shop in a daze.
He could not continue this everyday. When would the system’s ultimate reward come?
In the afternoon, just as Lin Yi was busy, Ji Qingyan walked in.
“Lin Yi, come quickly. We’ve collected a lot of things. I think they’re worth at least 100 yuan.”
Lin Yi glanced at Ji Qingyan, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“Whose junk is so valuable? Tell me. I’ll go pick up their junk too.”
“Huh? There are so many things. Aren’t they worth 100 yuan?”
“At most, I can sell it for 20.”
“No way, so little?”
“It’s really not worth much. It might not even be enough to buy you a pair of socks.”
Ji Qingyan followed Lin Yi back to the kitchen and said dejectedly, “Then their daily income might not even be 100 yuan.”
“Not necessarily. If we meet kind people, we might be able to sell more.”
“But even if it can be sold for 100 yuan, it won’t be enough to live in a city like Zhonghai.”
“Didn’t I tell you? This is life. Some things can’t be helped.”
“Then tell me, what do you think if I give them some funding so that Dongdong can go to school and give them a house to improve their living standards?”
Lin Yi held Ji Qingyan’s adorable face.
“It’s fine to do good, but there’s a problem. You have to see it for what it is.” Lin Yi said.
“You think Dongdong’s family is miserable, but in reality, there are people who are worse off than them. No matter how rich we are, we can’t help everyone.”
“Sister…”
Just as Lin Yi and Ji Qingyan were talking, a small head popped in from outside.
When Ji Qingyan came out of the kitchen, she realized that it was Wang Dongdong.
“Dongdong is here.”
Upon seeing Wang Dongdong, Ji Qingyan welcomed him in.
“Why are you the only one here? Where’s your grandmother?”
“My grandmother was picking up bottles at school. She didn’t come.”
“Let’s go. I’ll bring you to the kitchen. There’s delicious food there.”
“Hehe…”
Wang Dongdong smiled honestly. “Sister, I’m not hungry. I’m here to give you something.”
“Hmm? What are you sending me?”
Wang Dongdong excitedly took out two apples from his pocket.
“Grandma and I went to sell junk just now. There were apples by the roadside. Grandma bought two and asked me to give them to you.”
The apple was not big. It was even smaller than his fist.
Ji Qingyan, who often shopped at the supermarket, could tell at a glance that it was a very cheap apple.
However, looking at the two apples, she felt that they were incomparably precious.
“You can keep it for yourself.” Ji Qingyan held back her tears. “I can usually…”
Halfway through her sentence, Ji Qingyan felt her shoulders tighten. Lin Yi pinched her from behind, causing her to hold back the rest of her words.
Lin Yi took the two apples and took a bite.
“It’s quite sweet. Try it.”
Only then did Ji Qingyan understand Lin Yi’s intentions. She took a bite as well, but the sour feeling almost made her teeth ache.
“It’s delicious. It’s even sweeter than the apples I bought previously.”
“Hehe…”
Wang Dongdong laughed, but he didn’t say anything. He just continued to laugh, his eyes filled with satisfaction and joy.
Seeing Wang Dongdong’s smile, the corners of Ji Qingyan’s lips curled up.
However, her heart was even sourer than an apple.
He didn’t even have the most basic desires for worldly things, so why should he experience all the suffering in this world?
She placed the remaining apple into her bag.
Then, she bent down and patted Wang Dongdong’s head. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to see something good.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve collected something for you. I’ll bring you to sell it later.”
“Are these all mine?”
Wang Dongdong widened his eyes, unable to conceal the joy in them.
In his eyes, plastic bottles and old newspapers were money, more precious than anything else in the world.
“Yes, yes. Let’s go. I’ll bring you to inspect them”
“I’ll clean up after you.”
Lin Yi closed the shop and helped Wang Dongdong put all the trash he had collected into a bag. He was ready to bring them in his car to sell them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to carry so many things himself.
After packing it all up, there were two large bags of items.
“Take my car. Your car is a two-seater, so it won’t be able to hold all these things,” said Ji Qingyan.
“Sure.”
Lin Yi and Ji Qingyan placed two large bags of waste in the Maserati.
Everyone who passed by was shocked.
They were using a Maserati to sell scraps? Were all rich people so interesting?
Sitting in Ji Qingyan’s car, Wang Dongdong was so nervous that his body was stiff, as if he couldn’t even move.
“Don’t be so nervous,” said Ji Qingyan.
“It’s my first time in a car like this. I’m afraid I’ll break something.”
“It’s fine. This is Sister’s car. Act like normal and don’t be so reserved. Otherwise, Sister will be unhappy.”
“Got it, Sister.”
Under Wang Dongdong’s lead, Lin Yi drove to an old neighborhood. At the innermost side of the neighborhood, there was a garage with an open door.
It was a waste acquisition station. A man and a woman were packing up at the entrance and loading into the truck beside them.
Seeing the Maserati drive over, the man and woman stopped what they were doing. They didn’t know what the car was here for.
“Uncle Lee, we’re here to sell junk.”
After the car stopped, Wang Dongdong was the first to get out of the car. He took down two large bags of scrap.
“You drove here to sell scraps? The scraps we sell won’t even be enough to cover their fuel costs.”
Wang Dongdong was a little uneasy. “Big Brother and Big Sister brought me here.”
“Help me calculate how much it costs. Give me as much as you can,” Ji Qingyan suggested.
The man called Uncle Li blushed. After living for so many years, this was the first time such a beautiful girl had talked to him.
“I know Dongdong too. He always comes to my place to sell scraps. I won’t count the exact amount. Can I just give you 25 yuan?”
In Lin Yi’s opinion, these things could only be sold for 20 yuan at most. It was not insignificant for the other party to offer him 25 yuan.
“Dongdong, what do you think?” Ji Qingyan asked.
“Yes, yes. It’s already a lot.”
The man called Uncle Li took out a crumpled 25 yuan from his waist pocket and handed it to Wang Dongdong.
“Uncle Li, Aunt Wang, let’s go.”
“Let’s go, let’s go.” The kid then left and got into their car.
“Hehe.”
The three of them got into the car and drove back to the store.
Ji Qingyan stroked Wang Dongdong’s head.
“Are you hungry? Let your big brother make you some food.”
“I’m not hungry. I have to go to school and find my grandmother. I have to tell her the good news.”
“Then wait a moment.”
Ji Qingyan went to the kitchen, took a few hams and fruits, and handed them to Wang Dongdong.
“If you’re hungry, eat something to fill your stomach.”
“Your big brother and I will wait for you here. You must come over for dinner tonight.”
“Thank you, Brother and Sister.”
After bowing to the two of them, Wang Dongdong excitedly ran out of the store.
To him, their company was not the most important thing.
Instead, he wanted to hand the 25 yuan to his grandmother.
Upon returning to the store, Ji Qingyan edited a recycling document.
She hoped that the nearby university students could put the recycled waste into the boxes at the door and help them as much as possible.
At around 10 pm, all the customers in the shop dispersed.
The old lady and Wang Dongdong quietly walked in from outside.
“Young lady, there are no more customers in the shop, right?”
“It’s fine even if there are guests. Come in quickly.”
When they came to the small shop again, the two of them were no longer as reserved as before.
This was especially true for Wang Dongdong. He was already familiar with Lin Yi and Ji Qingyan, so he was no longer so timid when he spoke.
“Sister, come to me.”
Wang Dongdong stood at the door and mysteriously hooked his finger at Ji Qingyan.
“Is there a secret you want to tell me?” Ji Qingyan asked with a smile.
“Aiya, Sister, come quickly.”
“You little b*stard, you’re still so young, but you already know how to seduce my girlfriend.” Lin Yi smiled.
“Don’t scare the child. Go and cook.”
Wang Dongdong was still standing in the distance, grinning as he looked at Ji Qingyan. Then, he crooked his finger shyly.
“Sister, come quickly.”
Ji Qingyan walked over with a smile and squatted down to look at Wang Dongdong.
“What do you want to say to my sister?”
Wang Dongdong secretly glanced at Lin Yi, then turned around and blocked Lin Yi’s line of sight.
“Sister, close your eyes.”
“Alright, close your eyes.”
Wang Dongdong searched his pockets for a long time before saying,
“Sister, open your eyes.”
She opened her eyes and saw Wang Dongdong holding a lollipop in his hand.
“This is for you.”
Joy was written all over her face as she accepted the lollipop from Wang Dongdong.
“Is this really for your sister?”
“Yes, yes.” Wang Dongdong nodded heavily, afraid that Ji Qingyan wouldn’t believe him.
“Then why did you buy me a lollipop?”
“When Grandma and I were picking up bottles at the basketball court, a big brother bought a lollipop for another big sister. That big sister was very happy after eating it, so I wanted to buy one for you too.”
Ji Qingyan did not know whether to laugh or cry as she looked at Wang Dongdong.
She was already in his twenties, yet this little boy was flirting with her.
What would happen when he grew up?