Chapter 3

Josh looked over and saw Janice's tear-streaked face and her eyes full of resentment. His heart sank. He knew he had said the wrong thing. To a smart and educated girl, having men measure her worth in money was extremely insulting. "Janice, that's not what I meant, I—" Before he could finish, Rowan cut him off. "Just go away, stop causing trouble! I'm begging you!" he shouted. "It's fine, Mr. Holt. Didn't this idiot say he could pay 800 dollars? Sure, let's both bring money tomorrow. I'll call you 'King Josh' if you show up with 800 dollars! If not, you crawl under my crotch and eat some cow dung, then we're even!" Caesar said, glaring at Josh. "I can't get it by tomorrow, but I swear I will in 20 days!" Josh insisted through gritted teeth. "Why not make it 20 years? Get lost, you broke piece of shit! How dare you dream of marrying Janice when you're so broke? Oliver! Are you two dead in there? Come see what an idiot your son's being!" Caesar's father, Hector Kain, shouted. Oliver had heard everything. He came out with a pale face, not daring to meet Rowan's eyes. Hanging his head low, he rushed to grab Josh. "What are you doing? Get out of here!" "Mr. Holt, I'll prove I can do this when I come back tonight!" Josh declared. Oliver's hand cracked across his face before he could say more. The usually gentle Oliver was trembling with rage. "Haven't you shamed us enough? Get out! Get out of here! Are you trying to kill your mother and me by angering us?" Caesar was enjoying the show. "How is that shameful? Josh here says he'll make 800 dollars in 20 days. That's really impressive! Guess high school teaches you how to talk big!" Oliver nearly passed out from fury. Earning 500 dollars in 20 days was already impossible, let alone 800 dollars. They could not even get that much if they sold everything they owned. He wondered if his son had lost his mind by making these insane claims. "Get out!" Oliver kicked Josh's backside and grabbed a shovel. "Are you leaving or not? I'll beat you to death if you don't, you worthless son!" Josh knew hanging around was pointless now. He glanced inside. Janice had turned away; she was clearly furious. Sighing to himself, he grabbed his cart and left. Rowan glanced at Oliver, who could not meet his eyes, and thought he had it figured out. Josh was obviously planning to run away. Who did he think he was fooling with all that talk about making 800 dollars in 20 days? With no more doubts, Rowan turned and told Janice, "You're marrying him whether you like it or not! Keep arguing, and I'll tie you up and deliver you to their house myself!" Seeing her father being so unreasonable, Janice couldn't hold back her tears anymore and burst out crying. Josh heard her sobs as he walked away. Grinding his teeth hard, he picked up his pace. He would just have to work harder in order to fix this mess! He pulled his cart all to town. His heart started racing when he saw Southside Distillery. This distillery had been the town's star business. It was highly profitable with well-paid workers. Good wages meant people would be willing to spend money. There were already vendors selling boxed lunches and pasta outside the factory while waiting for the lunch break. They glanced at young Josh without much interest. When they saw his sign advertising sandwiches for one dollar each, they even laughed out loud. Sure, the factory wages were good, but workers only made thirty or forty dollars. They only dared charge half a dollar for their lunch boxes. Who had ever heard of this "sandwich" thing? And charging one dollar each? Only an idiot would buy that. The lunch box vendor nearby was a rat-faced guy named Gary Pitt. He sneered and said, "Hey kid, what makes you think you can charge that much? Better feed it to the dogs before it spoils." Josh didn't bother responding. Getting the cold shoulder, Gary just snorted and mumbled some curses. Soon enough, workers started pouring out for lunch break. All the vendors started their sales pitch, especially the lunch box guy Gary, who usually dominated the scene. A few workers came up to the stands. While ordering their usual lunch boxes, they glanced over at Josh's setup. Sandwich? What was that supposed to be? Josh caught their looks and lifted the lid off his pot. The meat seasoning was a recipe he had bought from an old man in Shellington in his past life. The moment that lid came off, the aroma hit like a wave. People walking by couldn't help but stop and look. "Damn, what's that? It smells amazing!" Even the guys buying lunch boxes drifted over. "It's a sandwich—street food from another region. You can't find it around here," Josh explained while skillfully pulling out a piece of perfectly marbled pork and mincing it. On his spotless cutting board, the chopped meat looked beautiful with its mix of lean and fat, topped with fresh green peppers. He split a freshly baked bun, stuffed it with meat, and handed it to the worker in front. "Here, give it a try and see if it tastes good." "You're not charging?" the worker asked. "Not for this one." Josh grinned and said. "It's my first day here—just trying to make some friends." "Well, you're young, but you sure know how to do business. " The worker had been drooling over the smell and didn't hesitate to take a big bite. The pork had been slow-cooked till it became tender with all the flavors locked in the juices. Combined with the warm bun and the refreshing peppers, it was delicious. "Wow, this is good! Really good! You've got skills!" The worker's eyes lit up. He had eaten plenty of pork before but never like this. This was prepared in such a unique way. "Feel free to try some, guys." Josh made a few more and handed them to two other workers. "Oh, we couldn't possibly…" they said, even as their hands reached out for it. After seeing their friend's reaction, they couldn't resist. Josh laughed and said, "Can't play favorites, right? If you like it, just spread the word for me. We're all friends here." "Sure. This kid's going places. He knows how to talk." "I can tell you must be educated!" They kept praising him between bites. Their eyes lit up with each mouthful. The first guy who tried it was not satisfied with just one. He pulled out his money and said, "Give me two more—no, make it three. I have to let my wife and kids try this!" Sure, it was expensive. But just like eating at a restaurant, splurging once in a while would not be a big deal. "Hey, Jim, what are you buying? Sandwiches for a dollar each? That's expensive! And you're getting three?" Some coworkers gathered around. "It's amazing—way better than those lunch boxes. This kid's alright too. Hey everyone, come try some! If you don't think it's worth it, I'll pay you back!" Jim called out. Free stuff could really make people do anything. Having gotten freebies, they all enthusiastically helped promote his business. Not everyone was willing to spend that much. But with hundreds of workers at the factory and that irresistible smell, soon his cart was surrounded by a huge crowd of people.