My Ghost Lover Is Too Annoying

8. Guest

Translator: Vivian

It was completely dawn.

Chen Ming hung a small card that said “in business” outside the window. Then he  came back to lie in the recliner and kept shaking.  Holding a fan in his hand, he flapped the fine hair on his forehead now and then.

This action was absolutely common for the elderly.

A person suddenly appeared before the window.

“Hello, do you have any fruit baskets?”

Chen Ming got up immediately, moving as quickly as he did when hiding from a ferocious ghost. “Yes,” he threw the fan aside and greeted him warmly, listing the types and prices of his fruit baskets, “If you’re worried about the freshness, You can choose it by yourself. You can watch me pack it.”

It was a man wearing a suit and black-rimmed glasses who looked quite polite and gentle. “Don’t bother. Just give me the most expensive one in your shop.”

“Hey, buddy, I like your efficiency!” Chen Ming was happy, and took out the fruit basket without any delay, “210 yuan. Look, I’ll never cheat you. You get what you pay for!”

Zhou Nan looked at the few tropical fruits in the basket and broke into a cold  sweat. Knowing that the customers couldn’t hear him, he said unscrupulously, “More than two hundred Yuan? It’s not worth it, bro!”

Chen Ming ignored his words, even without a look at him, while accepting  money from the customers. After sending the man in the suit away, he still had no angry expressions on his face, explaining calmly, “My shop is well located, so it’s reasonable to sell at  high prices. Beside, the rarer it is, the more it is worth. If you could find another fruit basket seller within a dozen miles, I’ll call you Papa.”

Zhou Nan didn’t say anything to refute, “Then you tell me why others can’t open a shop in this area.”

Chen Ming smiled and said word by word, “Business secret. No comment.”

Soon, there was a new customer.  Her small hand was high in the air, with a pink ribbon pinched between her fingers. “Uncle, I want to buy a carnation.” It was a little girl, with a sweet voice.

Called as Uncle in his early twenties, Chen Ming tried to put on a happy face, with his mouth twitching. He said, “The flower costs two point five yuan, four yuan if finely packed.”

“Just the flower.” The little hand pulled back and then reached out with some paper money.

Chen Ming handed the flower forward, but when he would reach the girl’s hand, he raised it in the opposite direction, deliberately teasing her.  She was so worried that she shook the money and stamped her feet. He said with a mischievous smile, “I’ll give it to you if you call me brother.”

After many rounds, the girl pouted and said helplessly, “Brother!”

“Ok, that’s good.” He gave the flower to the girl contentedly, picking up the money from the counter and watching her run towards an old man in the distance.

“I have bought the flower for my mother!” She said with pride and her words could vaguely be heard.

Although the business of the flower shop was interesting, after a long time, Zhou Nan felt dull. He was not like Chen Ming who could put the newspaper on his face and lie idle. He could only stand aside with nothing to do.

“Can I go out for a while?”

Chen Ming waved his hand casually, “Go ahead. Remember to come back before dark.”

Zhou Nan asked one more question, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll run away?”

“If you don’t come back in time, you will get in trouble when you meet my peers.” Chen Ming replied slowly.

Zhou Nan could not help but imagine the scene where he had four magic charms on his body which started burning the moment  the words “ghosts hide” were uttered.

“You…” He was in panic, “You have peers nearby?”

“Um, there’s a tigress who goes out to catch young ghosts every night. However, she is not like me. She usually puts them in a glass bottle and breaks every ghost up.” Covered by the newspaper, Chen Ming’s smiling face could not be seen.

Zhou Nan was so scared that his face turned pale, “Then I  won’t go out. It’s good here.”

Chen Ming smiled, “Alright.”

Suddenly, there was a knock on the counter–another customer came.

“Hello, what would you like?” Chen Ming jumped like a carp and stood up.

The customer looked at him curiously, “Did you just talk to yourself?”

Chen Ming didn’t hesitate and calmly lied, “Hey, I was talking in my sleep.”