Chapter 27
Herman hadnât seen it coming. Anastasia showing up at the Blissful Beat. He had a lump in his throat, and he asked, âHave you guys seen the big boss of Elysian Technologies?â
Anastasia shrugged. âNope, Monica said, she only caught a glimpse of a figure. The place was packed, and she didnât get a good look. But that glimpse seemed to excite her. Is your boss really that hot?â
Herman breathed a sigh of relief âCompared to me, he falls a bit short.â
Anastasia chuckled. âYouâre pretty cocky. If your boss heard that, he might not be too pleasedâ
Herman replied Tm a programmer. If this company doesnât want me, there are plenty others that will. But I donât think our boss is that pettyâ
Anastasia asked curiously, âHerman, your boss is loaded and handsome, why is he still single? Do you think he has some unique preferences?â
âI donât have a clue Thatâs his private life, not something we employees should discuss Herman quickly changed the subject. âDidnât you say you were heading out to set up your stall at five? Are your goods all ready?â
âOh, I almost forgot, I need to go and move the goods.â
Anastasia thought to herself, âThe CEO of Elysian Technologies, was way out of her league. They were from two different worlds. She should be focusing on hard work and making money.â
Only with money could she support herself.
This time, with Hermanâs help, he took care of all the heavy lifting. Once everything was ready, they headed to Alder Night Market together.
Anastasia rented a stall there
When she first started this business, Anastasia was clueless about the industry. She got caught by the city management, fined, and her goods were confiscated
At that time, Anastasia was terrified and heartbroken over her goods. She cried miserably and didnât dare to tell her mother what had happened. She bore all the hardships alone.
It was Hermanâs first time setting up a stall. He didnât know a thing, but Anastasia was an old hand and quickly set up the stall and lit a small table lamp
1
Herman looked at the small table covered with trinkets made by Anastasia. He was deeply moved because Anastasia had survived in Riverdale by hawking. Herman looked around the Night Market. There were many vendors selling trinkets, and most of them were young girls. The competition was fierce
There were also stalls selling clothes, daily necessities, and snacks. It was bustling
The Night Market was surrounded by several universities, so it got very lively when school was over. The local residents also liked to stroll around, and the foot traffic was huge.
Anastasia took two stools from the trunk and handed one to Herman. âSit on this.â
Herman didnt say anything and sat down after taking the stool.
As the weather was a bit stuffy, Anastasia also prepared a small electric fan for Herman âHere, lan yourself so you wonât feel too hot.â
It was Hermanâs first time in such a place. Anastasia was worried he would not be comfortable, so she prepared a lot for him. Besides the fan, there was also water and snacks. To keep him from getting bored, she also carried a tablet for him.
Herman felt pampered and smiled. âDonât worry, Iâm not uncomfortable, this place is quite niceâ
Anastasia was very polite and cautious, afraid that Herman might feel uncomfortable.
Anastasia laughed Tm afraid youâll get boredâ
She sat next to Herman. The owner of the stall next to them also arrived. He was a clothes seller and said with a smile, âAnastasia, is this your boyfriend? Heâs handsomeâ
Anastasia was about to speak, Herman corrected, âIâm Anastasiaâs husbandâ
The clothes seller, Duncan, was nearing forty, and he looked mature as a result of the hard life Was Herman jealous? Was he in such a hurry to claim his
status?
Anastasia smiled. Duncan, this is my husband.â
Duncan was surprised. âAnastasia, when did you get married? You never mentioned it before.â
âWe just got married Anastasia changed the subject âDuncan, itâs just you today? Whereâs Poppy?â
Duncan sighed, âShe took our kid to the hospital Our child had another episode, and someone had to run the stall and earn money. If we miss a day, the rent for the stall goes to waste, and we wonât make any money Our kidâs medical bills need to be paidâ
With a resigned tone and simple words, he told the story of living life at the bottom of society After a sigh, life went on.
Anastasia explained quietly to Herman, âDuncanâs son has leukemia, they havenât found a suitable bone marrow transplant. He and his wife have spent all their money and are heavily in debt Now, their relatives and friends are avoiding themâ
Herman, as the CEO of a big company, had never come into contact with the poor at the bottom of society. In his world, they talked about investments and projects, which were all projects worth tens of millions of dollars, far from these peopleâs quality of life
However, he saw an unyielding spirit in these people. No matter how hard their lives were, they were still trying to live.
Anastasia sighed, âDuncanâs health is not great either. Heâs the rock of their family If he falls ill, their family is screwed. Back when I started this stall thing, I didnât know the ropes. It was Duncan and his wife who took me under their wingâ
Despite their own life being a mess, they still found time to care for others
Herman cast a glance at Duncanâs stall and said, âYou know what they say, âAfter every storm, thereâs a rainbow. Theyâll pull throughâ
He then looked at Anastasiaâs stall, asking, âIs there anything I can do?â
Anastasia gave him a look, saying. âJust sit here and wait for customers, thatâs allâ
Herman wasnât cut out for selling trinkets, so they sat around shooting the breeze. âHow much do you make on average per day?â
âProbably around 40 or 50 bucks. Now that youâre here to lend a hand, with your good looks and all, it might draw in more buyers. Itâs a joy just looking at youâ
Herman smiled, he liked that.
Night fell quickly, and the crowd swelled. After more than an hour, Anastasia hadnât sold a single piece of jewelry. Normally, she would have started making sales by now
Anastasia found it odd. Every passerby would take a look at Herman; some even turned around for a second glance, but no one approached.
Soon, Anastasia figured out the problem. Her main clientele were girls. And Herman was simply too handsome. Just sitting there expressionless, he seemed like a high and mighty figure, to be admired from afar but not to be touched. Naturally, the girls felt shy and didnât have the guts to make a purchase
Anastasia handed him a mask. âHerman, you might wanna put this on, or we might not make a dime tonight.â