Chapter 586 Set of Seals
He stayed on Wang Jianguo's face for several seconds before finally recognizing that he was a guest staying at the hotel. Then a simple and honest smile appeared on his face and he responded:
"Hey, make do with it, brother! These days, nothing is easy. We can only earn hard-earned money from this small guesthouse, and it's good enough if we can make ends meet."
"The number of customers may vary, but the expenses are always the same. I have to calculate the bills every day to feel at ease."
As he spoke, he pushed the abacus aside, stood up, and casually wiped his hands on his apron, as if preparing to chat more with Wang Jianguo.
Seeing this, Wang Jianguo hurriedly took out a cigarette from his pocket. The cigarette was the one he had just bought at the store at the door. The wrapping paper was a little wrinkled, obviously having been crumpled up.
He handed it to the boss, with a somewhat attentive and polite gesture, and said:
"Brother, come and have a cigarette."
The boss was stunned at first, then smiled and stretched out his hand to take it. Wang Jianguo hurriedly took out a match, lit it with a "click", and lit the boss's first.
Then he picked up one and took a deep breath, letting the spicy smoke stay in his lungs for a short while, as if this could relieve the tension in his heart.
Before the boss could ask, Wang Jianguo sighed and said:
"Hey, big brother, let me tell you something. We are not going to live here anymore. I came back to pack my things."
Having said that, Wang Jianguo lowered his head slightly, avoiding his boss's inquiring gaze. His eyes revealed a bit of helplessness and feigned fatigue, as if he was really in an extremely difficult predicament.
When the owner of the hotel heard this, his heart skipped a beat. With these people gone, he would lose one more business. This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for him as his business was already struggling.
So he quickly asked with concern:
"Brother, why don't you stay here? Is there something wrong with our service? Please point it out to me. If the service is not considerate, I will improve it for you immediately."
The words were full of eagerness and sincerity. After all, retaining customers meant retaining income.
Wang Jianguo quickly waved his hands, still with a wry smile on his face, and said:
"No, no, brother, don't think like that. The service here is very good. This is our own business."
"Well, we have been out for so many days. We came here to visit our relatives, hoping that they could find us a job so that we can earn some money to support ourselves."
"But who would have thought? After so many days, I still couldn't find my relatives, and I still couldn't find a job. I had spent all my money, and all I had left were some things given by the old man."
"I have no choice but to find a pawn shop to pawn some things. If we can't sell them, we'll just go home. Brother, let me ask around to see if there's a pawn shop nearby."
Wang Jianguo spoke with such sincerity and even tears in his eyes that it was hard to doubt the truthfulness of his words.
The owner of the guesthouse couldn't help but feel sympathy after listening to Wang Jianguo's story. He frowned and thought for a while, then asked Wang Jianguo:
"Brother, what are you going to be?"
In his opinion, if he could understand clearly what items the customers wanted to pawn and perhaps help with some ideas, it could be considered as doing his bit of help. After all, everyone is trying to make a living in this difficult world.
Wang Jianguo raised the corners of his mouth slightly, but that smile was like a dying flower in autumn, with a bit of bitterness and helplessness.
He sighed softly, his eyes full of emotion for the hardships of life, and slowly said:
"Hey, brother, you don't know the situation at my home. It's really too difficult."
"We are just ordinary farmers, living on those few acres of thin land. All year round, whether it is sowing, irrigation, or harvesting, it all depends on our hands and a hoe."
"I am so tired that I can't even stand up straight, but the harvest is just enough to barely make ends meet. If there is a natural disaster and the harvest fails, the whole family will have to tighten their belts and have no food to eat next time."
As he spoke, Wang Jianguo's gaze became somewhat distant, as if he saw the dilapidated house and the hard-working family members at home.
"My mother was very worried when I went out this time. She kept complaining that she was worried that I would be hungry and cold outside and not have a hot meal."
"Before leaving, she took out a few pieces of jewelry that she had kept at the bottom of her box and was reluctant to wear, and handed them to me carefully."
"She also told me repeatedly, son, if you are really desperate and have no food to eat, you can pawn these jewelry to get some money to survive for a while."
As Wang Jianguo spoke, he subconsciously stroked the corner of his clothes with his hand, as if it contained his mother's deep concern and reluctance; the movement was gentle and full of respect.
The owner of the guesthouse stood quietly by, listening attentively to Wang Jianguo's story, his facial expression gradually moved as he spoke.
The boss frowned slightly, his eyes showing a thoughtful look, as if he was carefully weighing something in his mind. After a moment, as if he had made up his mind, the boss took a step forward, bent down slightly, lowered his voice, and said to Wang Jianguo in a mysterious tone:
"Brother, you have lived here for so many days, I know you are all honest people, and you have taken care of a lot of my business. Now you are in trouble, I really can't bear to see you anxious, I will give you a suggestion."
The boss's eyes narrowed slightly, flashing with a hint of shrewdness.
"Take the jewelry your mother gave you to the black market and try your luck. You may not know much about this, but the black market is very chaotic and full of all kinds of people."
“But sometimes, some rare things can be sold there for unexpectedly high prices. Just like these ornaments in your hand.”
"If the quality is good, take it to a pawn shop. The pawn shop owners are very calculating and will lower the price very much. You won't be able to get much money."
"But if you get to the black market, if you're lucky enough to meet a knowledgeable buyer, you might be able to sell it for a lot more, and it might even help you out of your immediate need."
As the boss spoke, he gestured with his hands, his face showing both excitement and anticipation, as if he had already seen the scene of Wang Jianguo taking the money and walking out of the predicament with a smile on his face.
After hearing what his boss said, Wang Jianguo's eyes lit up instantly. The flash of light was like a shooting star across the dark night, lighting up a glimmer of hope in his heart.
But almost at the same time, a look of embarrassment quickly emerged on his face. He gritted his teeth slightly, hesitated for a long time, and then said:
"Brother, I also know that the price on the black market is high. It must be a good place to make more money. If it were normal, I would definitely go there without saying anything. But..."