Hello, Welcome to Merit Supermarket (SUPERMARKET)
Huh? What!
Luo Qiuming and Zhang Miaomiao stared in bewilderment as the abacus beads shrank and returned to the young man.
Had they just been deducted five thousand Merit Points? Why didn’t they feel anything?
"Yep, it’s been deducted." They had unknowingly voiced their question, and Jiang Chenyi, having just completed his first transaction, beamed with delight.
After all, he would receive 30% of those five thousand Merit Points as his commission—that’s fifteen hundred Merit Points!
Fifteen hundred! That’s a lot!
Then, he pointed to the Mountain Spring Water and the bowl in front of them. "These three items are free of charge as my gift to you. But you’ll need to pay me seven dollars."
Seeing the couple still frozen in shock, Jiang Chenyi waved his hand in front of their faces. "You’re not going to refuse to pay seven dollars, are you?"
He couldn’t waive the seven dollars—it was a strict rule of the supermarket.
Luo Qiuming looked at the vibrant green sapling in the bowl then at Jiang Chenyi’s smiling face while feeling a bit dazed.
After all these years of hardship, had their wish finally come true?
The next moment, the man in his forties burst into tears while hugging his wife tightly.
"Wife! Miaomiao! We have hope now!"
His words were filled with heartache.
Zhang Miaomiao couldn’t hold back her tears either.
The couple had been married for many years, and both adored children, yet they had never been able to conceive.
Long ago, she had been pregnant, but unfortunately, she had a miscarriage. After that, she never became pregnant again.
Thinking of the pregnancy, Zhang Miaomiao suddenly remembered something Jiang Chenyi had said earlier. "Wait! You mentioned before that my miscarriage was caused by malice? So it wasn’t an accident, was it?"
Jiang Chenyi leaned forward slightly before resting his chin on his hands with his bright eyes fixed on them. "Actually, deep down, you’ve always suspected it, haven’t you?"
His words instantly calmed the crying couple.
Yes, they had indeed suspected it, but without any evidence, and with no subsequent pregnancies, they had even wondered if it was their own fault.
Their doubts were written all over their faces, and Jiang Chenyi kindly reminded them, "I suggest you go to a hospital now and quietly get a check-up. Just the two of you. You can get the results by the afternoon."
Their hearts skipped a beat, and they immediately understood what Jiang Chenyi was implying.
"Is it... her?" Zhang Miaomiao's voice trembled as she spoke.
The other party had practically made it clear that all the previous tests they had done were fake!
This immediately made Zhang Miaomiao think of her assistant, who had always been by her side—her aunt, Zhang Hong.
However, Jiang Chenyi turned to Luo Qiuming and said, "Not her, but them."
It was impossible for just one person to deceive the couple for so many years.
Because they trusted Jiang Chenyi, his words hit them like a nuclear bomb.
Betrayal.
Betrayal by someone they knew, and not just one person.
The excitement they had felt upon receiving the sapling instantly froze, as if they were standing naked in Antarctica with their thoughts nearly frozen solid.
"Clap! Clap!" Two sharp claps snapped them out of it.
"Calm down. The most important thing for you now is to safely place the sapling for a week. After that, you can settle the score."
The couple clutched their chests with their hearts pounding so hard it hurt. But the pain was good—it helped them stay calm.
Luo Qiuming took a deep breath and glanced at his wife.
Zhang Miaomiao's face no longer showed the lifelessness from before; her eyes were as sharp as blades.
At this moment, she overlapped with the image of her from over a decade ago when he first met her.
His wife, a grand slam actress, had been so worn down by the issue of having a child that the light in her eyes had faded.
"Miaomiao..." His voice carried a hint of tears again.
Zhang Miaomiao exhaled but felt better than ever and her mind clearer than ever.
"Let's handle this first. Otherwise, it won't be convenient once I'm pregnant," she said with unwavering determination.
As she and Luo Qiuming locked eyes, a spark of vitality finally returned to the couple.
Seeing them transform from their earlier lifeless state to this newfound determination, Jiang Chenyi was quite satisfied.
Good people should have good karma, right?
The couple stood before him while holding a bowl, and bowed in unison.
Jiang Chenyi didn't dodge; he deserved this bow.
"We'll go for a physical check-up first. After we finish investigating this matter, we'll come back to you. We hope you'll be there when we get the results."
Speaking to someone over a decade younger than him, Luo Qiuming respectfully changed his form of address.
Seeing Jiang Chenyi frown, Zhang Miaomiao quickly interjected, "We're just worried that if something goes wrong... this fruit will be wasted."
Jiang Chenyi thought for a moment and found her reasoning sound.
The more precious something was, the more cautious one had to be. If something really went wrong, they wouldn't have another 50,000 Merit to exchange for a new sapling.
"Alright, I understand."
Zhang Miaomiao was much quicker than her husband. She immediately opened her phone's WeChat QR code. "Let's add each other. I'll transfer the money to you now."
She hadn't forgotten about those seven yuan.
Fine.
Jiang Chenyi knew what she meant, but as long as it wasn't excessive, he wouldn't refuse.
And...
He looked at the transfer that was more than seven yuan.
He first refunded the money, and only accepted the final amount.
"I've already received payment, and taking more would make me seem greedy. However, there is one thing I need your help with."
The couple, who had been uneasy seeing him refuse the payment, immediately brightened up upon hearing that he needed assistance.
"Please, tell us! Whatever you need, we will do our best!"
They didn't mention anything about not breaking the law, as Jiang Chenyi's previous actions had already made his style of doing things clear enough.
"It's nothing too troublesome. You are my first customers, and this store isn't easy to advertise, so I need to rely on old customers bringing in new ones."
This statement was both true and not entirely accurate.
The Merit Supermarket indeed couldn't actively solicit customers, but sometimes, when a customer's desires were particularly strong, it would resonate with the supermarket and form a "commission." At such times, he would have to personally intervene.
However, the emotions required for such commissions were extremely intense, and those who could meet this criterion were exceedingly rare. He couldn't just sit idly in the supermarket waiting, could he?
After Jiang Chenyi finished speaking, the couple immediately agreed and even inquired about the requirements for customers.
They could tell that not just anyone could enter this supermarket.
"The requirements are quite simple—just be a good person." Jiang Chenyi, worried they might misunderstand and added an explanation.
"When I say 'good person,' I don't mean someone who has never done anything wrong. As long as the good deeds outweigh the bad ones and there has been some form of retribution, that's enough."
His requirements for customers were neither numerous nor strict; in fact, they could be considered quite lenient.
But the next sentence he uttered left the couple deep in thought: "However, even that alone might not be enough to enter here unless the person has a strong desire."
Jiang Chenyi pointed at Luo Qiuming: "Just like when you were by the river, I could hear your thoughts from a hundred or two hundred meters away."
Only those with a strong desire would qualify for a transaction.
Zhang Miaomiao was a bit confused at this point: "Why does there have to be a strong desire?"
Isn't having enough Merit enough?
Hearing this question, Jiang Chenyi instinctively paused.
He had asked his father the same question when he was young—why did there have to be a strong desire to become a true "customer"?
"Because human hearts are fickle. Today, I might want money because I'm poor; tomorrow, I might want health because I'm sick; the day after, I might want beauty because I think I'm ugly. These things don't require much Merit. If all these desires were fulfilled, what would happen next? The world would fall into chaos." He repeated his father's words.
To be honest, it's difficult for poor people to accumulate enough Merit unless their ancestors had accumulated virtue that passed down to them.
But for the wealthy, it's quite simple.
Donating a million could easily net them tens of thousands of Merit Points. If they could make wishes so casually, the wealthy would be able to obtain anything they desired.
"Even extending their lifespan."
Luo Qiuming and Zhang Miaomiao's eyes widened instantly, and their breath caught for a moment.
Lifespan... Could that really be traded?
Jiang Chenyi smiled without saying a word but his attitude was enough to convey everything.
The two of them had been in a state of shock and excitement all day, and when they left, there was still a hint of daze in their eyes.
After seeing them off, Jiang Chenyi decided to close up shop for the day.
He shut the window and returned to the second floor.
The second floor had two rooms: one was his master bedroom, and the other was the side bedroom where Dad and Father used to sleep.
He walked into the side bedroom, where everything remained exactly as it was before they disappeared.
"Today, I got my first customer, and I also opened that door." he said softly while sitting by the desk and looking at the photo on the table.
The photo showed two men smiling at the camera.
The one who looked gentle and refined was his Dad, while the other, who appeared more robust but smiled shyly, was his Father.
Now, both of them are gone, off to some unknown world.
He rambled on about recent events to the photo, and after finishing, he slumped over the desk while poking at the picture with his finger.
"I miss you both. You were so heartless, leaving just like that…"
Jiang Chenyi choked up for a moment but quickly composed himself.
"Dad! Father! I’ll manage the supermarket well."
He hadn’t forgotten the promise he made that year and would continue to uphold his principles.
A glimmer of light shone in his eyes, like a flickering flame and dancing in the dimly lit room.
………
Meanwhile, on the other side, Luo Qiuming and Zhang Miaomiao returned to the hotel carrying their bowls.
As soon as they entered the room and set down the sapling, Zhang Miaomiao’s phone rang.
Seeing the caller ID, her eyes instantly turned cold and distant. However, she suppressed her emotions well and not letting any of it seep into her tone. "Hello Aunt?"
Whatever was said on the other end elicited a mocking smile from Zhang Miaomiao.
Still, her voice remained lifeless. "It’s nothing… I just came to see Ah Ming. No, you don’t need to come. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow. I’ll visit the children’s hospital tomorrow."
After hanging up, her first words were, "Guess why she doesn’t want me to have children?"
The couple exchanged a glance before,both letting out a bitter laugh.
What else could it be? It was all about their massive fortune!