Chapter 119: The Little Girl Watching the Bathhouse

  Because Qiu dad made an advertisement in the loudspeaker of Shida University at the suggestion of the girl, so all the family members of Shida University knew that the bathhouse reopened today. After Qiu dad set off firecrackers, people came to take a bath one after another with small baskets.

  Everyone is suffocating, the teacher's university bathhouse at their doorstep stopped operating and expanded three months ago. The people of the teacher's university have to go to other units' bathhouses to take a bath. The closest one is the research institute's bathhouse. Although the facilities are better there, but when the people from the teacher's university go there, the number of people taking baths increases, and it's always crowded every day. There's never a time when there are few people. After going a few times, everyone doesn't like to go anymore. Taking a bath is like fighting a war, who would want to go if they didn't have to?

  This time I heard that the new bathhouse opened by the Normal University is bigger and cleaner than the one in the Research Institute, so everyone came to try it out.

  Qiu Ye came especially to help her mother sell tickets today, and this box was designed by herself. Although her mother knew how to use it, she was afraid that when there were many people, she would be busy and confused, so she came to substitute for a day.

  Qiu Ye sat in the big chair of the small hut, smiling at people all day. Whenever someone came to buy a ticket, she would smile and serve them, taking money, making change, collecting deposits, and handing out lockers. As soon as one person was done, another would come along, so Qiu Ye's smile never faltered.

  Qiu Ye also saw many familiar faces, mostly neighbors, who would come up and chat with her when they saw that it was the old Qiu family's daughter visiting the bathhouse.

  Qiu Ye is generally very reserved, just smiling at people and not saying anything, because there's really nothing to say. However, when it comes to collecting money, she will absolutely not be lenient. She has already told her parents that unless it's a family member, anyone who comes must buy tickets normally, and can't just wave their hand and let them take a free bath just because they're acquaintances or neighbors. In the entire Qu Shi Da Yuan community, her parents know at least 70% of the people, so if they were to give free baths to everyone they know, they would only be able to collect a few yuan per day, not even enough to cover the daily operating costs.

  In fact, Qiu Ye didn't say it, but Qiu's mother knew that she was a practical person. She wouldn't give away things for free to anyone, as she relied on this job to earn enough money for her children's education. How could she be so generous?

  Due to Qiu Ye's excellent service, it didn't take long for everyone to tacitly call her "the little girl who watches the bathhouse". When Qiu Ye heard this, she was so angry that her mouth twitched. What kind of terrible nickname is this? She is a beautiful young girl in her prime, and if she were to be known by this name at the Normal University, she would lose face and wouldn't dare go out again. It seems that she can't keep doing this job for long. So later on, she pulled her mother over and prepared to train her mother into becoming "the aunt who watches the bathhouse".

  Qiu Feng didn't idle around either, he moved a stool to sit in the hall and helped his sister keep watch. He was afraid that someone would sneak in without paying, sometimes several people would come at once, and Qiu Ye couldn't see clearly from inside the small room how many people had arrived.

  Qiu's mother watched the girl busy herself on the side, and when she couldn't keep up, she helped out. As they worked together, she really got the hang of it. Later on, she shooed the girl away to the side and took over chatting with customers while handling payments, not missing a beat.

  Moreover, Qiu Ma is even more slick than Qiu Ye. When people taking baths bring their kids along, as long as the kid isn't taller than an adult, Qiu Ma uniformly doesn't charge them money and will politely say: "Oh my, they're all just kids, why bother buying tickets? Come on in, come on in, today's water is good, not too hot. You brought your kid along, but make sure to give the kid a good wash."

  Most people are very pleased with such small favors, and upon hearing Old Lady Qiu say so, they would politely compliment Qiu Feng and Qiu Ye on being clever, then happily take their children to bathe.

  After Qiu Ye Kong took over, he observed his mother for a while. His mother had been doing business for so long and wasn't inexperienced, she was busy finding money and wouldn't make mistakes. After Qiu Ye Kong felt at ease, he quickly handed the position over to his mother and started his own small business.

  She saw the business opportunity in this bathhouse, and since her own bun business couldn't be done due to her mother's retirement, she came up with a new business idea under the current conditions, which wasn't really new, just selling popsicles and drinks.

  Qiu Ye had prepared several foam boxes in the small house, with ice pops and drinks inside. The ice pops were five-fen and one-mao each, while the drinks were the big white pear flavor that Qiu Feng loved to drink. They weren't high-end goods, because the people who came to take baths were ordinary folks, if she sold them too expensively, sales would definitely decline, she was taking the path of low profit and high volume.

  Ice cream and drinks were taken to Qiu's cold storage in advance for freezing. The ice cream, apart from being placed in foam boxes, was also covered with a layer of cotton blankets to ensure it wouldn't melt for a day. The drinks were directly put into the foam boxes, as long as they remained icy, that was fine.

  These goods were brought back by Qiu Ye and Zhu Zi Ge after they delivered tea eggs, and they also went to the beverage market and ice stick factory for wholesale.

  Qiu's mother did not think much of her daughter's idea of selling ice lollipops and drinks in the middle of winter, thinking it was unlikely that anyone would buy them.

  But the situation is often unexpected, Qiu Ye will ask if someone wants to eat an ice pop or drink a bottle of beverage when they come out after taking a bath, and unexpectedly, there are still many people who buy it.

  It's not surprising, no matter how cold it is outside, the temperature in this hall has always been maintained at around 27 or 28 degrees. Qiu Ma and Qiu Ye sat in the ticket sales hut, but even wearing sweaters was unbearable, let alone inside the bathhouse where it must be even hotter. Think about it, people go in to soak for over an hour, can they not come out with dry mouths? Seeing the ice-cold drinks on the shelves, how can one not be tempted?

  Moreover, Qiu Ye thought about the physical well-being of the bathers and every half hour or so, would carry a few bottles of drinks or ice pops into the bathroom to peddle, facing a group of pale and naked people, asking if they wanted a bottle of white pear juice, this visual effect was really too stimulating.

  Many people who were steamed by the hot water and squeezed by the crowd around them were sweating profusely, dizzy and lightheaded. Although it didn't show on their faces, they were burning up from the inside out. When Qiu Ye brought out drinks and ice pops, many people couldn't help themselves.

  Now without clothes, no money?

  It's okay, Qiu Ye prepared a small notebook. If they couldn't pay on the spot, she would write down the number on their key. When they returned, she would make a small note and put it in the corresponding lockbox for Qiu's mother. As long as these people paid when they returned the lock after washing, that would be fine.

  As for the men's bathhouse, Qiu Ye handed it over to Qiu Feng and made it clear that whatever money was earned from selling how much would be his. Qiu Feng's enthusiasm was high, and in a short while, he carried a foam box and went in to take a stroll.

  Through a morning of exploration, Qiu Feng thought of a way to increase his earnings. While his parents were busy and not paying attention, he sneaked into the water room in the back and opened the valve on the hot water tank a bit wider. Soon, someone in the bathtub shouted, "Is there any cold drink? Bring me one." Qiu Feng happily carried the ice pop drinks he had prepared earlier and ran in. Then, with a satisfied smile, he walked back out carrying a bamboo basket that was now half empty.

  Qiu Ye had long seen her brother's little movements, but she didn't say anything and followed him to run several more laps.

  Some people came out of the bath and said to Qiu's mother, "Today this water is really hot, I feel like my body is floating after washing."

  "Oh my, don't wash for too long, you're in a situation where it's suitable to wash frequently, but not for too long." Mrs. Qiu knew that some people might faint from washing, she was afraid of having such an issue on her first day of business, which wouldn't be auspicious. However, Mrs. Qiu didn't forget to promote her family's bathhouse: "You come to our place to wash and it'll be just right, we have public water supply, hot water is used generously. Compared to those places that don't have hot water, it's much stronger, after a few more rinses with hot water, the pores on your skin seem to open up, it feels so comfortable."

  After sending the dizzy woman away, Mrs. Qiu hurriedly asked Mr. Qiu to go to the back and check if the water had been adjusted to a comfortable temperature, fearing that someone might not be able to withstand it and faint again. Mr. Qiu went in and turned off the hot water valve and opened the cold water valve.

  Qiu Feng was standing next to him, listening quietly, and occasionally sneaking in to make some small moves to increase his income. However, Qiu Feng still had a sense of propriety and did not give the people taking baths too much stimulation, only slightly raising the water temperature.

  So this day was not only a big harvest for Qiu's mother, but also a small fortune for Qiu Ye and Qiu Feng.

  Of course, Qiu Ye was not only busy with business. When there were fewer people around, she also enjoyed the benefits that came with being a mother.

  She let her brother stare outside while she ran to the small bathroom in the back and took a nice hot bath.

  It's said to be a separate small bathroom, but in fact, it's just a simple shed built by Qiu Dad in the water room. It's actually based on the original two walls and added two more walls to form a small house, not too big, about 10 square meters. The inside is all concrete wall, because time was too tight and didn't have time to tile, because it's for their own family use, no need to be so particular, just hung a big light bulb and installed a shower head, that's it.

  Qiu Ye poured hot water and thoroughly washed his wooden bathtub inside and out, then filled it with water and soaked in.

  Ah, comfortable! Qiu Ye lay back in the bathtub and let out a comfortable sigh.

  There isn't even a water heater yet, let alone the whole country, but in the entire Oil City, how many people can live like me, where they can take a bath every day and enjoy this kind of life? It's really too good.

  Qiu Ye enjoyed herself and didn't forget her family. After washing up, she quickly scrubbed the bathtub and then went out to switch with Qiu's mother, letting Qiu's mother also take a hot bath, followed by Qiu Feng.

  Of course, not everyone enjoys this kind of enjoyment. Qiu Feng was forced to take a bath by Qiu Ye, and Qiu Feng had no interest in taking a bath at all, it can be said that he hated it deeply. However, Qiu Ye would not allow a slovenly person to appear in the house, so Qiu Feng succumbed to the tyranny of the mother-daughter duo of the Qiu family.

  Qiu Ye thought that tomorrow when she comes, she must inform her godmother and godfather to come and enjoy it too, it's really too comfortable.