Ch 160: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

At Song’an Academy, students have one rest day every ten days, totaling three days off each month.

The day before a holiday, the students were particularly restless, barely able to sit still. Teacher Lin sat at the front with a slightly displeased expression. Recently, a place called a “cinema” had opened on Song’an Street, stirring up quite a bit of excitement. These energetic youngsters couldn’t stop talking about it, eager to visit as soon as they were on break.

Little did they know that the ticket price was quite high—thirty copper coins per ticket. For most families, supporting a student was already a strain, let alone spending extra on something as frivolous as a movie.

Teacher Lin had heard his colleagues discuss the cinema multiple times and had initially planned to visit himself. But upon learning of the high ticket price, he changed his mind, thinking it was better to spend that time reading a few more books at home to cultivate a peaceful heart.

Finally, class was dismissed, and students Zhang Ziqi and his friend Liu Mingyuan quickly gathered their books and dashed out of the classroom.

Zhang Ziqi beamed, “Finally, it’s break time! We’re going to the cinema!”

Liu Mingyuan hurried alongside, his steps quick. “I’ve saved up two coins, so tomorrow I can buy a bucket of popcorn.” Every day, he walked past the cinema, tempted by the sweet smell, and had longed to try it.

Zhang Ziqi said, “My older brother has tomorrow off, so I convinced him to take me to buy tickets and watch the movie.”

Liu Mingyuan looked envious. “If only I had an older brother too.”

Zhang Ziqi replied, “Your sister’s home, right? You could ask her to take you.”

Liu Mingyuan shook his head. “She’s at home working on her wedding dress.” His family situation was different from Zhang Ziqi’s; Zhang’s older brother was a squad leader in the city patrol, so street vendors often sought his protection. With his brother’s monthly salary, a movie or two wasn’t a big deal.

After a brief silence, Zhang Ziqi said, “Then I’ll tell you all about it after I go.”

Liu Mingyuan’s eyes brightened. “Deal!”

…

At the Cinema

After the last movie screening of the afternoon, Lu Yao called over Zhu Zhu, Wen Jian, and Gouzi and gestured to Ku Ba, saying, “This is Ku Ba, our new ticket checker. Wen Jian, when you have a moment, show him the ropes—mainly checking tickets, guiding guests, and doing some cleaning.”

The cinema still hadn’t found a dedicated cleaning staff, so cleaning duties were currently split among the employees. After thinking for a moment, Lu Yao added, “I’ve noticed that many guests aren’t sure how to use the restroom. Now that Ku Ba’s here and we have an extra set of hands, I’d like someone stationed near the restroom doors to assist during exit times.”

Initially, the restrooms had clear written instructions, and later, pictorial signs were added, yet many guests were still confused and needed guidance.

Ku Ba couldn’t help but laugh, looking at Lu Yao with a peculiar expression. “Boss, are you joking? Who doesn’t know how to use a restroom? Are all the people of Liangjing idiots?”

Wen Jian, Zhu Zhu, and Gouzi all looked at him with calm, almost sympathetic expressions.

“What are you all staring at me like that for? Am I wrong?” Ku Ba protested.

Lu Yao waved at Wen Jian and Gouzi. “Could you both please show him the screening room and restroom facilities? Walk him through tomorrow’s tasks. Little Chef premieres its first show tomorrow, so let’s make sure he’s well-prepared to assist guests smoothly.”

Ku Ba was ushered away by Wen Jian and Gouzi, while Lu Yao motioned for Zhu Zhu to come closer. “Do you have any girlfriends who’d like to watch a movie?”

Zhu Zhu nodded eagerly. “So many! My neighbor, Sister Xiaohua, found out I work at the cinema and has been talking to me a lot lately. And Sister Xue’e from across the street even slipped me some peanuts this morning, asking about ‘Ye Qingzhou.’”

Lu Yao’s brow furrowed slightly. “That’s strange. Despite all this interest, the only customers we’ve seen these past few days are men—not a single woman has come in.”

She had been observing daily and hadn’t seen any women visit the cinema. Occasionally, some ladies would linger on the street and glance over, but when Lu Yao approached them to chat, they’d immediately distance themselves.

After spending around ten days with Lu Yao, Zhu Zhu knew that her boss held no strong views on strict separation of men and women and seemed to treat men and women alike. Despite working here for half a month, Lu Yao treated her no differently from the others.

Zhu Zhu hadn’t shared this openly, but her working at the cinema was a topic of conversation among the neighbors. Her parents, torn and anxious, had almost pulled her out at one point. Yet, even at her young age, Zhu Zhu had been helping her mother with work since she was little and understood how hard life could be.

In her mind, working at the cinema was far better than becoming a maid in a wealthy household, so she was firmly set on staying. No matter how her parents protested, she wouldn’t agree to quit. She had even learned a few phrases from Lu Yao to hold her ground against them. They might not have been convinced, but they couldn’t refute her, so she just kept at it day by day.

After some thought, Zhu Zhu said, “It’s not that they don’t want to come; it’s just that as women, it’s inconvenient, and the money is controlled by their parents. Not to imply the ticket is expensive,” she quickly added. She had seen the movie herself and felt it was worth the price.

The experience of a film was something words couldn’t describe. Even now, thinking of Ye Qingzhou and Senior Sister, Zhu Zhu felt a lingering heaviness in her chest and an unresolved sadness.

Lu Yao pondered this. She had known from the start that this era had its limitations, but seeing women doing business on the streets, she hadn’t realized how restricted it was. In her mind, business was open to all, regardless of gender, age, or status. Yet the cinema had opened in this era, and she secretly hoped to give women here a chance to experience it, at least to be exposed to new things.

She led Zhu Zhu to the ticketing system and printed forty tickets, noting the ticket numbers and adding a subtle magical mark that only she could detect. Lu Yao then handed the tickets to Zhu Zhu, saying, “Here are twenty tickets for The World‘s Greatest and twenty for The Little Chef. Do me a favor and pass these out to any women you know. Let them know the cinema is inviting them for a complimentary viewing experience.”

Zhu Zhu nervously clutched her hands together, hesitating to accept. “Are these tickets free?”

Lu Yao nodded. “Yes. They’re for tomorrow’s second morning show and second afternoon show. Just bring the tickets to the counter, and each one comes with a free popcorn and cola combo. But remember, only give these to women. I won’t accept men using these tickets.”

The Little Chef was priced lower than The World‘s Greatest, at twenty coins per ticket, so the forty tickets together amounted to a string of coins, with food included as well. Zhu Zhu felt her boss was being extremely generous, although she couldn’t quite grasp the reasoning behind it. The cinema was packed every day, with long lines for tickets. There seemed no need to go out of the way to drum up business like this.

Though puzzled, she trusted Lu Yao. Taking the tickets, she held them tightly and whispered, “Boss, can I give one of these to my mother?”

Her mother constantly worried about her working here yet wouldn’t buy a ticket herself. This was the perfect chance to show her the cinema was perfectly respectable.

“Of course,” Lu Yao replied. “You could even give a few tickets to Auntie Zhu to share with her friends. They could all come together.”

“Thank you, boss!” Zhu Zhu gave Lu Yao a deep bow, her smile bright with joy.

Lu Yao asked, “Can you distribute all forty tickets?”

Zhu Zhu nodded eagerly. “Don’t worry, on my street alone, there are many women who’d love to visit the cinema. If the tickets are free, they’ll definitely want to come.”

“Would it still be inconvenient?” Lu Yao asked curiously.

“Most issues are for young, unmarried women,” Zhu Zhu explained. “If they’re accompanied by their mothers or elders, there won’t be any gossip.”

Lu Yao was relieved. “Great. If you manage this well, I’ll bring you something delicious tomorrow.”

The mention of food only brightened Zhu Zhu’s smile further.

“The food the boss prepares is incredibly delicious, so much so that it makes you want to bite your tongue.”

After discussing business, Ku Ba, Wen Jian, and Gouzi returned. Ku Ba looked unusually quiet, stealing a glance at Lu Yao, then another, thinking she wouldn’t notice.

In his eighteen years, he’d never seen a restroom cleaner than a kitchen. And the peculiar toilet? As soon as you stand up, water flows to flush away the waste—he had no idea where it went. Then there was the paper, so soft and far more useful than bamboo slats.

Ku Ba had to reconsider his initial thoughts. This shop was indeed mysterious, and the female boss seemed quite suspicious.

Ignoring Ku Ba, Lu Yao called Gouzi over. “Come early tomorrow to show me your skills with the popcorn and drink machines. If there are no issues, you’ll be officially hired.”

Gouzi’s eyes brightened. “Thank you, boss, for the opportunity.”

The staff here were young, making them more adaptable. Since joining, Gouzi, who was once a resourceful street child, now showed a quiet diligence. He still had a rough way about him, though, like when he ate, which he tried to correct by observing how Lu Yao and Wen Jian acted. Recently, he’d even started speaking in a more formal tone, adopting a slightly literary style.

Lu Yao noticed this but didn’t say anything.

After wrapping up for the evening, Lu Yao dismissed the staff.

…

Ku Ba left the cinema and quickly found an inn to stay for the night. He wrote a long letter to send back to Lingxiao Pavilion, mentioning that he’d be staying in Liangjing for a while. However, he kept certain details vague. Even if he planned to uncover secrets about the young boss, he’d wait until he had his purple hair first.

He’d always liked flashy purple—his clothes, boots, even the tassels on his sword were purple. But he’d never thought his hair could be that color too. Among all the fascinating things he’d seen at the cinema, purple hair was still at the top of his list.

…

With forty movie tickets from Lu Yao, Zhu Zhu hurried home. She went straight to the kitchen to find her mother. “Mother, I’m back.”

Her mother, Madam Zhu, didn’t turn around. “Go wash up; dinner’s almost ready.”

Zhu Zhu stepped closer. “Mother, I have something to tell you.”

Madam Zhu looked up, sensing something unusual. “What is it?”

“Mother, the boss gave me some movie tickets,” Zhu Zhu said, pulling a stack of tickets from her sleeve.

“Movie tickets?” Madam Zhu was puzzled.

Zhu Zhu explained what Lu Yao had asked her to do.

Madam Zhu, sitting on a small stool by the stove, was at a loss. “Why would we go watch that, anyway? Besides, there’s business to attend to.”

“There are two screenings: one right after noon and one in the afternoon. Our duck-blood noodles always sell well at noon, but business slows afterward. You could go then and invite Aunt Wu and Granny Liu along—it’d be lively!” Zhu Zhu coaxed.

Madam Zhu was still hesitant. “But why would your boss give out free tickets, and only to women? Isn’t there something…?”

“Mom!” Zhu Zhu stomped her foot. “The boss is just being kind, and you’re overthinking it. Haven’t you always worried about my working at the cinema? Here’s a chance to see it for yourself, and it won’t cost you anything.”

Thinking it over, Madam Zhu agreed. Zhu Zhu was dead set on staying at the cinema, and neither she nor her father had been able to change her mind. It might be better to take this opportunity to see what it was all about, especially since it was free.

Madam Zhu asked Zhu Zhu which film to see, and Zhu Zhu recommended Little Chef. She hadn’t seen the full film yet, but she thought her mother, who loved making food, would enjoy the scenes featuring the chef’s culinary skills.

Zhu Zhu gave Madam Zhu ten tickets—five for The World’s Greatest and five for Little Chef, keeping one Little Chef ticket for herself and distributing the rest among familiar neighbors.

Just before curfew, Zhu Zhu managed to give away all forty tickets. She gave two Little Chef tickets to Xiao Hua and her sister, who often visited her, and another to Liu Xue’e, who’d given her peanuts earlier that day, for The World’s Greatest.

Liu Xue’e, standing at the door, happily took the ticket and went inside.

Hearing the commotion, Liu Mingyuan came out, spotting the familiar ticket in his sister’s hand. “Sis, is that a cinema ticket?” He hurried closer, surprised his sister could afford one.

“It’s from Zhu Zhu. She said the cinema owner wanted to invite some women to watch a film,” Liu Xue’e explained.

“Why only women?” Liu Mingyuan asked, puzzled.

Liu Xue’e shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Liu Mingyuan stared longingly at the ticket. It was for The World’s Greatest, which meant he could go with Zhang Ziqi to watch it. But then Liu Xue’e lowered her head, hesitating. “Zhu Zhu said this ticket was for women only. It’s no use for men.”

Liu Mingyuan said nothing, turning and storming back inside, where he buried his head on the table, tears streaming down his face.

Just then, Mrs. Liu returned, holding a ticket herself and beaming with joy. She saw her daughter standing still in the courtyard. “Why are you just standing there? Where’s Mingyuan?”

Liu Xue’e turned around, her voice low. “Mom, Zhu Zhu gave me a movie ticket.”

Mrs. Liu raised the ticket in her hand. “Your Aunt Zhu gave me one too. It’s for Little Chef. I’m thrilled!”

“Mingyuan wants to go too,” Liu Xue’e replied softly.

Mrs. Liu frowned. “He should be focusing on his studies, not watching movies.”

“But he’s on break tomorrow,” Liu Xue’e reasoned.

After a moment of silence, Mrs. Liu relented. “Alright, you two go together. I’ll give him my ticket. I have business to take care of anyway, and I was fretting over finding the time.”

…

The next day, the cinema opened on time for the premiere of Little Chef.

The large glass wall beside the screening rooms was divided, with a poster for The World’s Greatest on one side and The Capital’s Little Chef on the other.

A line formed early outside the cinema, and tickets for the first screening of Little Chef sold out within minutes. The second screening, already down ten tickets for the special invitation, quickly sold out as well.

Chen Jingshan, having heard about the new film, arrived early and managed to snag a ticket for the first showing.

The owner of Rongxi Bookstore and the boss of Chunxi Lou were also among those in line for tickets.

The premiere of Little Chef took place in Theater 2. After the audience was seated and had watched the advertisements and safety information, the film began.

Right from the opening scene, those who had seen The World’s Greatest felt a fresh excitement—this story was entirely different.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Thingyan: Next chapter is password locked. Pw is shopping.