After finishing the count of all the letters, the postmaster briefly went over a few precautions, reminding everyone to stay safe while making deliveries, before sending them on their way. He then turned and went back inside.
Hugo walked over to Bai Ci, a shy smile appearing on his face as he said softly, “Lora, I’m heading out to deliver the mail now. I might be back a bit late, so go on home first and be careful on the road.”
“Alright, don't worry about me. Stay safe, and I'll wait for you to come back,” Bai Ci replied with a gentle smile, nodding as a perfect touch of concern filled her eyes.
Hugo nodded, stole another glance at her, and then turned to walk out of the post office with Old Tom, Lin Wan, and the others, each heading off in their own directions.
Once everyone had left, the lobby fell quiet again, leaving only Bai Ci and Mrs. Ella inside.
Bai Ci turned around, walked up to Mrs. Ella, and offered an apologetic smile. “Mrs. Ella, I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help me with something. I'd like to go out and buy some food and groceries. It looks like we're running a bit low on ingredients at home.”
“Hugo is already tired enough from delivering mail, and I don't want to worry him with this. Since I've just arrived here, though, I don't know where the good spots in town are. Could you recommend somewhere?”
This was the excuse she had just cooked up. She wanted to investigate the return address she had spotted in Hugo's mail carrier bag earlier—the grocery store.
Hearing this, Mrs. Ella’s face lit up with approval. “Miss Lora, you are so considerate. Hugo is truly blessed to have a fiancée like you.”
With that, she walked over to the counter, picked up a piece of paper, drew a simple route map, and handed it to Bai Ci. “Walk straight along the plaza, make two turns, and you'll find a commercial street. There are several grocery stores and bakeries there. The goods are very fresh, and the prices are fair.”
“But you must be careful. Things haven't been peaceful in town lately, and quite a few people have fallen ill. If you see anyone coughing or feverish on the way, make sure to stay far away from them. Don't go near them, and avoid the back alleys. There are fewer people in those alleys, making them dangerous.”
“Okay, thank you for the warning. I'll definitely be careful,” Bai Ci thanked her quickly, then probed further. “By the way, Mrs. Ella, do you know of a grocery store in town that sends out promotional letters through the post office? I heard Hugo mention it earlier and thought I might drop by while I'm out.”
“You must be talking about Winston's Grocery Store,” Mrs. Ella said after a moment's thought. “I have no idea what that owner is thinking. He has us deliver promotional letters every single day, yet he never seems to actually run his business properly. The shop is at the very end of the commercial street. You can go take a look, but don't buy anything from him—his stock isn't fresh.”
“Understood, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Mrs. Ella,” Bai Ci thanked her again and turned to leave the post office.
After bidding farewell to Mrs. Ella, Bai Ci stepped out of the post office and headed toward the commercial street, following the map.
People on the streets were still hurrying about. Occasionally, she spotted a few pale-faced individuals coughing, whom everyone else steered clear of from a distance.
Finding the most luxurious-looking shop on the commercial street, she went in first to break her large bills into change before heading off to look for Winston's Grocery Store.
Winston's Grocery Store was reasonably large. It had a wooden storefront with a wooden sign hanging above that read “Winston's Grocery Store.”
Compared to the other shops on the commercial street, this grocery store was exceptionally desolate. There were no customers coming or going, and even the display windows held very little. The shelves inside were empty, giving the place a deeply rundown appearance that didn't match the massive volume of promotional letters they sent out at all.
Bai Ci hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and pushing open the door to the grocery store.
A faint smell of dust filled the shop. The shelves held only a meager selection of daily necessities and food, mostly cheap bread, candles, and soap, all scattered in disarray. It had clearly been a very long time since anyone had tidied up.
“Hello, is anyone here?” Bai Ci called out softly, her voice echoing in the empty shop.
Before long, a young man wearing a worn-out shirt emerged from the back room. He looked to be in his early twenties, his eyes carrying a weary look.
Upon seeing Bai Ci, a flash of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly regained his composure. Walking forward, he said in a flat tone, “Are you looking to buy something, miss? I'd actually suggest you try another grocery store. We don't have much here.”
Bai Ci feigned confusion as she looked at the shelves. “How can that be? Is your store closing down? I'm so sorry, I didn't realize the flyer I saw was outdated.”
“It's not closing down,” the young man said, shaking his head slightly with a sigh of helplessness. “The owner hasn't said anything about closing. He's just letting it drag on like this.”
“He hired me to watch the shop, saying we'd reopen in the future. But I've been here for nearly a month, and aside from having the post office deliver those promotional letters, he hasn't done a thing. He doesn't restock the store, leaving the shelves empty like this. I have no idea what's going on in his head.”
Spending money to send out flyers but refusing to restock the store was clearly abnormal.
Could those so-called promotional letters have nothing to do with advertising the grocery store's goods, but serve some other purpose instead?
A look of sympathy appeared on Bai Ci's face. “Perhaps something happened to the owner's family? Some kind of sudden misfortune that cut off his cash flow, leaving him to just drag things out like this. How tragic. Since I'm already here, I should buy an item or two anyway, if only to bring you a bit of business.”
Hearing this, the young man looked surprised, then waved his hands to stop her. “Miss, you are truly too kind. But honestly, you shouldn't buy anything. These items have been sitting here for a long time; they aren't fresh, nor are they of good quality. Besides, our boss doesn't care about this tiny bit of business anyway.”
It was clear that the young man was an honest soul. Bored out of his mind watching the empty shop, he was glad to finally have a visitor, especially one as gentle as Bai Ci. He couldn't help but talk a bit more, even going out of his way to dissuade her from purchasing anything.
Seeing this, Bai Ci followed his lead, reacting with feigned surprise. “Oh? Why do you say that?”
The young man hesitated, then lowered his voice as if sharing a secret. “To tell you the truth, this is gossip we clerks from different shops share among ourselves.”
“Our boss bought this shop three months ago. And it's not just this one; he bought three or four other shops in town as well. They're all like this—he buys them and just leaves them sit. No renovations, no restocking, just hiring people to watch over them. I don't know what screw is loose in his head, or if he just has too much money to burn.”
Buying three or four shops but running none of them, only hiring people to keep watch, yet spending money to send out promotional letters.
This was definitely not how someone behaved when they simply wanted to do business.
However, she knew she couldn't press too hard lest she arouse his suspicion. She simply played along with his words, nodding in agreement. “That is indeed rather strange. Perhaps he has his own plans. In that case, I won't buy anything here. Could you recommend a few reliable grocery stores and bakeries? I've just arrived in town and don't know my way around yet.”
The young man nodded immediately upon hearing this, enthusiastically recommending several nearby shops. He detailed their locations and specialties, making sure to point out which place had the freshest bread and which offered the cheapest daily necessities.
Bai Ci listened intently, nodding in agreement from time to time. Once the young man finished speaking, she pulled a small-denomination bill from her pocket and handed it to him, saying gently, “Thank you for your help. Please take this small tip.”
The young man waved his hands in a hurry, trying to decline, but Bai Ci firmly pressed it into his hand. “Take it. Watching a shop isn't easy, so consider this my thanks for your warnings and recommendations.”
Looking at the bill in his hand, a look of gratitude washed over his face, and he thanked her repeatedly. “Thank you, miss! Thank you so much!”
Rate on N.U.
