Chapter 26 – Caught a Scam Artist (1)
Xi Yun knew that today was going to be the grand opening of the dessert shop so he finished up cleaning early, prepared lunch and finally got a chance to run downstairs to see if there was anything that he could help with. He felt a bit shy, so he was just circling outside the door.
He finally mustered up the courage to go inside when He Qingwan noticed him. “Aunty He,” he said.
“Have you had lunch yet? Take a look and pick what you like?” said He Qingwan tenderly.
Xi Yun scanned across the display case and noticed that two-thirds of all the desserts were sold out. He was just about to be happy for Aunty He when he saw a man came in, said nothing, and pointed straight at one of the desserts and said, “I will take this,” before pulling out a $100 bill.
He Qingwan was just about to take the money from him when Xi Yun suddenly called out, “Aunty He.”
Xi Yun looked at the bill in his hand, then looked at the tall and stocky man, and swallowed the words he was about to say.
He was mainly finding it suspicious. He couldn’t be 100% certain, plus, who’d believe the words of a child?
Instead, he said, “Will jie jie be coming home this afternoon?”
He Qingwan, “Tiantain said she will be back....”
As she was talking, she took the money from the man and was about to give him his change back.
Xi Yun’s eyes brightened, “Does that mean she is almost here?”
He Qingwan took a look at her watch and nodded, “Yeah, should be any minute now... aiya...”
She just took out all her loose change and realized that she didn’t have enough. She was still short about $10.
“What should I do? I am still short $18?” He Qingwan was very worried.
Xi Yun bit his lips and watched a bit longer, then suddenly moved out quietly without saying anything.
He must go look for jie jie. Jie jie would know what to do.
He just knew that for no particular reasons.
Inside the shop, He Qingwan asked, “Do you mind waiting a little bit? I can go get some loose change from next door.”
The man frowned, then, with faked generosity, said, “That’s alright. Why don’t you just give me one more cake?”
He Qingwan felt very bad about it. She blushed as she apologized to the man, “How about I give you a cheesecake? I can give you a big one; a big one is $28.”
The man was stunned by her beauty. He cussed to himself, no wonder those bastards fought over who got to come over. Had he known the shop owner was so pretty, he would have come a lot earlier too!
The man chuckled and he was no longer pressing to get out. He asked, “Say, Mrs. Shop Owner, what does your husband do?”
Of course he knew this woman did not have a husband and that there was just her and her daughter at home. He had also heard that her daughter was quite a beauty as well, perhaps the both of them would... kekekeke....
The dirty thoughts that were going through his mind had inadvertently found their way into his body language and tone.
He Qingwan, who was wrapping up the pastries, paused in her action. Her face turned cold immediate and said rudely to him, “Why do you ask?”
Man, “Oh, don’t be mad. I am just looking for conversation, no other meaning.”
The way he looked at her didn’t match the words coming out of his mouth.
He Qingwan placed the cake on the table and said in a deep voice, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to sell you my pastries anymore. I will give you your money back.”
She was about to put the cake back into the display case as she was talking.
That would be bad!
The man, after all, remember the purpose of his visit. Immediately, he put on a more solemn look and said, “Alright, alright. I won’t ask anymore, okay?”