After that brief interlude, Sun Dasheng stopped browsing and went straight to the Huavei dealership.
The dealership was packed, mostly with young people, which suggested the car was a hit with the youth. Seeing that all the salespeople were busy, he began looking at the car by himself.
"Wow! Uncle, are you here to buy a car?"
Sun Dasheng thought he heard someone call him. He looked around but saw no one.
Just then, a person in a mascot costume walked over from the entrance, took off the headpiece to reveal a cute face, and grinned at him. It was Li Sili, the little loli he had seen at the bar the day before.
Today, her hair was tied up in a cute bun, and her face, round as a steamed bun, was flushed and rosy from the sweat.
"Uncle, we meet again."
"How do I keep running into you everywhere?" Sun Dasheng asked, looking astonished. It couldn't be a coincidence that he kept bumping into this girl wherever he went. Did she put a tracker on me?
"Haha..." Li Sili giggled at his expression and explained, "I'm not tracking you, Uncle. I'm just working a winter break job to earn some money."
"This is a winter break job?"
In his mind, a winter break job was supposed to be a stable, temporary position.
Li Sili said playfully, "Uncle, your thinking is outdated. Do you think winter break jobs for young people are still like the old days? Waiting tables at fast-food restaurants or working on an assembly line in a factory?"
"They're tiring and don't pay well. Who'd want to do that?"
"This is the age of the gig economy. The day before yesterday, I was a cosplayer at a comic convention. Yesterday, I was part of the atmosphere crew at a bar. Today, I'm a mascot handing out flyers at a dealership. Maybe tomorrow I'll be a fashion model for a livestreamer."
"This kind of work pays way more than traditional jobs."
I don't get today's youth, Sun Dasheng mused, but I'm seriously impressed.
Indeed, every generation had its own way of living. He remembered how his long, bright red hair was considered rebellious in the eyes of his parents' generation. He realized he couldn't keep looking at the new generation with an old-fashioned mindset.
I feel like even though my body is younger, my mind is still pretty old.
I should make more friends with young people in the future, he decided. Hmm... and it's definitely not for the eighteen-year-old girls.
"Uncle, you've become quite handsome!" The little loli, Li Sili, leaned in, scrutinizing Sun Dasheng up close. "The lighting was too dim last night, so I couldn't see clearly. Now I see you're a proper uncle."
"You called me uncle before, didn't you?" Sun Dasheng asked, confused.
Li Sili gave him a mysterious smile. "We usually call middle-aged men 'master'. Only the handsome ones get to be called 'uncle.'"
So, I was being subtly dissed before, huh? In his previous state, he definitely qualified as a 'master.'
"You should get back to your work; I heard someone calling you. Don't let me hold you up," Sun Dasheng urged her.
"Uncle, are you here to buy a car?" Li Sili asked.
"Yes!"
"Then it's settled! I can sell cars part-time, too. Hehe... Uncle, if you put the sale under my name, my pay could multiply several times over!" Li Sili exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly in her mascot costume. She paid no mind to the stares from those around her.
Sun Dasheng marveled at how impressive today's young people were—a bunch of self-proclaimed 'social phobes' who were actually social terrorists.
After signing the contract and paying with his card, he learned he wouldn't be able to pick up the car until tomorrow. The insurance he purchased required a 24-hour waiting period to take effect, and it would take the 4S shop staff a full business day to register the vehicle and apply for a temporary license plate at the vehicle management office.
Sun Dasheng wasn't in a hurry. He had already waited for years; one more day didn't matter.
As he was leaving, Li Sili called out to him. "Uncle, wait a minute!"
"Aren't you working anymore?" Sun Dasheng asked, watching her run over in a lemon-yellow down jacket, a cute bear-ear hat, and a pair of pink sneakers.
Li Sili eagerly grabbed his arm, grinning like a little money-grubber. "Because of the car you bought, the manager just gave me a one-thousand-yuan commission!"
"Being a mascot is hot and tiring for only 200 yuan a day. I quit!"
She was already a cute loli, and when she deliberately acted even cuter, the sheer sweetness was almost too much for Sun Dasheng to handle.
"Where are you headed? I can give you a ride."
"Really? But where's your car, Uncle?"
"Right there!" Sun Dasheng pointed to the small scooter parked by the entrance.
"Wow! Kawaii!"
The scooter that had been with him for several years was indeed a nice-looking vehicle, yet a certain someone had always treated it like dirt, never once riding it.
After helping Li Sili put on a helmet, he started the engine.
"Hold on tight."
"You got it!" The young woman wrapped her arms around his waist.
It was a short ride, only about fifteen minutes.
They arrived at the Film and Art Vocational College. This was where Li Sili studied. At eighteen, she was a freshman majoring in drama and film acting. Unfortunately, in the current entertainment industry, even students from the prestigious Shanghai Drama Academy struggled to succeed, let alone students from an obscure vocational art college like hers.
Consequently, many students started working part-time jobs early on. First, to help with living expenses, as the costs associated with art school were quite high. Second, to build a foundation for their careers after graduation.
"We're here! Thanks, Uncle. Don't go just yet," Li Sili said as she got off the scooter, holding him back. "I'm going to call a few of my friends from school to come out. I want to treat you to a meal to thank you for the huge sale today."
That sounded fine to him. Since he was already planning to get to know more young people, Sun Dasheng didn't refuse.
A short while after she made the call, two young university students emerged from the school, bundled up in thick down jackets and fluffy earmuff hats. The two greeted Li Sili, glanced dismissively at Sun Dasheng and his scooter, and then looked away.
"These are my friends from the same major, Fang Sihan and Yun Yuqing," Li Sili said, introducing them. "And this is an uncle I recently met, Sun Dasheng."
Sun Dasheng gave them a polite smile, which they returned with a perfunctory one.
They ended up choosing a hot pot restaurant. In Li Sili's words, it would be a waste not to have hot pot in this weather. It was warm inside the restaurant, so after they ordered, everyone took off their heavy coats.
At Li Sili's suggestion, they all introduced themselves. She was an only child from a rural family in Anhui Province. Her family's finances were average, and she hoped to make it big in the city to support her parents. Her two classmates came from middle-class families, but because they both had younger brothers at home, their lifestyles weren't particularly lavish. They also wanted to earn big money, but for themselves.
Fang Sihan was from the Northeast. She was tall and slender, with the enviably long legs common among northern girls. She stood a good half-head taller than Li Sili, likely over 170cm. When she took off her coat, her two impressive, round "headlights" were revealed, startling everyone.
Yun Yuqing hailed from the southern water towns. She had a delicate face with exquisitely arranged features, carrying the gentle grace characteristic of girls from her region. It was a face made for the camera; no wonder she had chosen a career in film and television.
The young women's conversation quickly shifted from winter break jobs to the difficulty of living in Dahu City, especially the issue of housing. They all expressed their desire to stay in Dahu City rather than return to their hometowns.
"Uncle, you've been in Shanghai City for so many years. Have you bought a house?" Li Sili steered the conversation toward Sun Dasheng.
"Ah, yes, I have," Sun Dasheng answered truthfully.
"Where did you buy?" she asked.
"Bi Gui Yuan."
"Wow! Is that the Bi Gui Yuan not far from our school?"
"Yes."
This is odd, Sun Dasheng thought. She seems to be deliberately steering the conversation toward me. What is she up to?
At the mention of him owning a house in Bi Gui Yuan, the eyes of the other two girls lit up, and the way they looked at him changed.
"Your wife must be so happy to have such a capable husband like you," Li Sili said, laying on the flattery. "Houses in Bi Gui Yuan go for eighty thousand a square meter now. Anyone who can afford a place there must be a multi-millionaire at least."
"Uncle, you're really a hidden gem," Li Sili said, her face full of admiration.
"Yeah, Uncle, you must work for a big company, right?" Fang Sihan chimed in.
"Of course! How else could he afford such an expensive house if not for a high salary at a big company?" added Yun Yuqing.
Sun Dasheng could clearly feel the shift in the two girls' attitudes toward him.
"You're so handsome, Uncle. Your wife must be beautiful too. Can you show us a picture of her?" Li Sili's question was clearly crossing a line.
However, Sun Dasheng didn't feel offended; he just thought the little loli was being innocently blunt. "I don't have a wife anymore. We're divorced."
"What! Was your ex-wife a goddess or something? How could she not be satisfied with a husband as handsome and successful as you, Uncle?" Li Sili exclaimed, acting indignant on his behalf.
Her eyes darted around, and she pulled her two friends closer. "Uncle, look at these two great beauties right here. Take your pick, and I'll make one of them your new wife."
This is ridiculous, Sun Dasheng thought, giving her an exasperated look. These girls are young enough to be my daughters. How could they possibly be interested in a middle-aged uncle like me?
To his surprise, the two women just sat there smiling, seemingly not objecting to the idea.
As if her scheme had succeeded, Li Sili continued, "Do you two know why I'm treating you today?"
"Why?" the girls asked. They were indeed curious why their friend, who was normally a notorious penny-pincher, was suddenly treating them to a meal.
"Uncle bought a car today, and the sale was credited to me, so I got a thousand-yuan commission," Li Sili explained. "I'm treating you all to thank my sugar daddy here. You guys are just freeloading!"
Suddenly, an uncle with a house, a car, and good looks didn't seem like such a bad option after all.