Chapter 501: Petty
Moreover, a kind older woman saw him fumbling and helped him sell the cloth. She even kept an eye out for anyone with sticky fingers. Clayton Xavier gradually got the hang of it and sold all one hundred feet of cloth just at the machinery factory. He gave the remaining scraps to the kind woman.
Clayton Xavier did a quick calculation. He had earned seven yuan and twenty cents today, not eight yuan, because he had to give out small prizes. Clayton Xavier was quite content with 7.20 yuan; Verna Golding only made that much after digging for medicinal herbs for half a month.
"Mr. Xavier is amazing!"
Tang Xiaonan didn’t hold back her praise. ’He really is a future business magnate, so quick-witted.’ But the moment the words left her mouth, she felt a chill run down her spine. She didn’t even have to turn around to know what was happening.
’The future big shot is so petty,’ Tang Xiaonan complained inwardly, ’smaller than the eye of a needle.’ But she turned around, plastered on her most sincere smile, and praised him enthusiastically, "Mr. Hawthorne is amazing too, running so far all by himself. You’re the best!"
Adrian Hawthorne’s expression softened slightly. ’I guess this chubby girl has some sense after all,’ he thought.
Clayton Xavier said sincerely, "Kenneth is far more capable than I am. The ones who dare to lead the way are the truly wise. I’m nowhere near his level."
He was two years older than Adrian Hawthorne, yet he felt he fell far short of him.
Adrian Hawthorne felt even more pleased. ’At least this guy knows his place,’ he thought.
"Are you selling again tomorrow?"
Clayton Xavier nodded. "Yes. I’d like to take more cloth. Is that okay?"
"Do as you please."
Adrian Hawthorne’s tone was casual, but his opinion of Clayton Xavier had changed slightly. ’This guy isn’t as stuffy as I thought. He’s actually pretty good at using his head. Still a far cry from me, though.’
Clayton Xavier couldn’t hide his excitement. Tomorrow, he planned to take two hundred feet of cloth. He was confident he could sell it all, because many residents from near the machinery factory had been drawn over today. Almost every household was short on cloth. He had analyzed the situation: the current market for fabric was in a state where demand outstripped supply. Therefore, he could sell however much he brought.
However, two hundred feet a day was already his limit. Plus, he would have to switch locations every few days; he couldn’t keep selling in the same spot. Clayton Xavier now had a solid plan, and his confidence in earning money grew even stronger.
’I will definitely give Grandma and Mom a comfortable life.’
’And I will definitely get into a university.’
"Have something to eat."
Rosalind Green came over carrying a bowl of soft-boiled eggs. She had cooked two, their snow-white exteriors enclosing orange-red yolks. They looked incredibly tempting. Clayton Xavier swallowed hard. He hadn’t bought anything for lunch to save money and was already ravenous.
"Go on, eat up."
Rosalind Green smiled, placed the bowl in front of Clayton Xavier, and went back to her work. The Rosalind of today was much more confident than before. A certain fortitude had entered her expression, and she worked more deftly now. Under the influence of Phoebe Huxley and Phoebe Thorne, she had undergone a subtle but significant transformation.
"Thank you, Aunt Green."
Clayton Xavier didn’t stand on ceremony; he was truly starving. He pulled the bowl closer and began to eat. But even in his extreme hunger, his manners were still refined. He ate at an unhurried pace, quickly finishing the two eggs and even drinking the broth. He then took a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his mouth, a man of particular habits.
Adrian Hawthorne let out a soft snort. ’So pretentious for someone so poor.’
Clayton Xavier excused himself and left. He couldn’t wait to share the day’s results with his grandma and mom. If he could sell two hundred feet of cloth tomorrow, he would be able to take his grandma to the hospital to see a doctor.
「A few days later.」
Tang Xiaonan overheard the school teachers discussing how Phoenix Golding had been expelled, along with her lover. A public notice had even been posted at the entrance to the school district.
"Lifestyle issues" were an extremely serious offense in those days. Discovery meant immediate expulsion. What’s more, that wretched couple had been paraded through the streets in disgrace, utterly shaming the school. Expulsion was inevitable.