Chapter 318: Hand-Ground Coffee
Soon, it reached the lights-out time for the sleeper carriage, and Su He climbed up to her upper berth.
She reviewed everything that had happened today before drifting into a deep sleep.
Early the next morning, she was jolted awake by a cacophony of noise.
The sounds of washing up, talking, eating… There was no helping it; finding silence while riding a train was impossible.
Su He waited until everyone else had nearly finished washing up before climbing down from the upper berth and performing a simple wash herself.
After breakfast, quite a few people started playing poker.
In this day and age, poker cards were uniformly referred to as “cultural entertainment tiles,” though the gameplay was largely the same as in the future.
Su He lacked interest, simply watching Director Tian and the other three play.
Director Tian would call out boisterously from time to time, flaunting how superb his card skills were, only to end up with his entire face plastered with paper strips.
Su He felt somewhat bored after watching for a while and strolled over to the connecting area between the soft-sleeper carriage and the regular sleeper carriage.
Although she knew perfectly well she couldn’t get in, there was a saying: “the pavilion close to the water gets the moon first.” Perhaps she could squat there and wait for an opportunity.
The entrance to the soft-sleeper carriage was guarded by security, but because everyone had met the day before, they didn’t chase her away when they saw her hanging around.
Before long, a female train attendant emerged from inside with a panicked expression; she didn’t even notice Su He and hurried away in a rush.
Su He’s heart stirred. Trouble must have broken out in the soft-sleeper carriage, and the attendant was likely going to find Wang Qiang.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Wang Qiang hurried over.
Had it been anyone else, they would have avoided the situation, but Su He took the initiative to approach and ask, “Uncle Wang, is there anything I can help with?”
It was only because Wang Qiang found Su He pleasing to the eye that he didn’t snap and have security drive her away.
It was rare that he offered two words of explanation: “There are a few foreign guests inside who insist on drinking some kind of hand-ground coffee. Where on earth would we have that stuff?! Even the instant coffee we supply them is specially provided by the foreign trade department!
“In my view, they are intentionally looking for trouble. Because yesterday, they wanted to hold a dance party all night and we refused them.”
Su He knew the instant coffee Wang Qiang referred to was standard instant coffee; hand-ground coffee was a fresh, novel thing in these times.
Setting aside coffee machines, even coffee beans were exceptionally difficult to procure.
Su He blinked her eyes. “Uncle Wang, why don’t you go in and explain it first. If you can talk them around, that’s best. If you can’t, come back and call me. I have a way to make them settle down.”
Wang Qiang took that as mere passing talk. For one, he didn’t believe Su He could have any good method, unless she could conjure up so-called hand-ground coffee.
For another, outsiders were strictly prohibited from entering the soft-sleeper carriage, and yesterday’s business had already been an exception.
Therefore, Wang Qiang gave a vague promise and entered the soft-sleeper carriage.
Inside the carriage, the translator, Little Lin, was so busy he couldn’t even keep up!
The few foreigners clamoring for hand-ground coffee were making a massive racket, and he only had one mouth—it was impossible to translate for them.
The team leader, Ji Tong, was cursing them out in his heart, yet had to keep a smiling face to persuade them.
Although they were talking past each other, at least he indicated his stance.
As soon as Wang Qiang entered, the foreigners began gesticulating and clamoring at him again.
Even without understanding English, Wang Qiang could grasp their meaning. You’re intentionally refusing to provide hand-ground coffee; you’re intentionally wanting to slight us!
This so-called ‘land of ritual and propriety’ is all a lie!
In the end, the foreigners stated their purpose: they wanted to hold an all-night party tonight.
Wang Qiang naturally wasn’t happy about that!
First, rules and regulations could not be broken, otherwise they would assume they could act however they pleased in China.
Second, only a minority of the foreign guests wanted an all-night party, while most wanted a good night’s rest.
The final point was that if they held an all-night party, the train attendants would have to serve them all night, and even he would have to accompany them.
However, he had no way to persuade these foreigners.
Out of nowhere, he recalled Su He standing at the door. What if I let her give it a try?
He shared this thought with the team leader, Ji Tong.
Ji Tong was truly at his wits’ end, and after yesterday’s business, he held a fairly good impression of Su He, feeling this young comrade possessed a lot of ideas and, in particular, a formidable eloquence.
Thus, he nodded: “Let her come in and try.”
In any case, with him overseeing the situation, nothing too major could go wrong.
Wang Qiang went straight to the entrance of the soft-sleeper carriage. “Little Su, come in with me! Be mindful of your words, don’t escalate the situation. If you can talk them around, great. If you can’t, we’ll think of other ways.”
Su He nodded with a beaming smile. “Alright, I understand.”
These foreigners looking for trouble are simply asking to be straightened out!
However, for the sake of them being big fat sheep, she could afford a bit more patience.
The moment Su He stepped into the soft-sleeper carriage, David came over to greet her with a smile.
Su He was also highly enthusiastic, further complimenting the tie David was wearing today.
After exchanging pleasantries with David, she came over to greet Ji Tong.
Ji Tong nodded. “Little Su, explain to these foreign guests that we truly don’t have hand-ground coffee; it isn’t an intentional refusal.”
In reality, the translator Little Lin had already said this broken-record statement dozens of times, but those foreigners simply acted as if they hadn’t heard a word.
Su He greeted those people in fluent English.
The foreigners glanced at Su He, and one of them, named Augustine, said impatiently, “If you can produce hand-ground coffee, everything is negotiable. If you can’t, don’t waste our time with nonsense!”
Su He smiled. “Mr. Augustine, we have a Chinese saying: ‘A clever wife cannot cook without rice.’ We lack coffee beans, so it’s impossible for us to provide hand-ground coffee.
“You should know this is a fact, for we have no reason to slight distinguished guests who have traveled from afar.
“In reality, you simply want us to agree to your request, which is to hold an all-night party.
“However, I can tell you with absolute firmness: no.
“First, we cannot break the train’s regulations.
“Second, we cannot sacrifice the interests of the vast majority of foreign guests for the sake of the few of you.
“Third, you are all business merchants traveling to exhibit at the Canton Fair, right?
“To ignore money-making opportunities while indulging in enjoyment is truly something I cannot understand…”
Augustine asked subconsciously: “Money-making opportunities? What do you mean?”
“The train carries exhibition delegations from two of our Chinese provinces, covering nearly thirty percent of the projects at the Canton Fair. There must be projects among them that interest you.
“If you can make contact with them ahead of time, you can learn about the types, specifications, and prices of the goods on sale, facilitating comparisons with other exhibitors, and you might even secure the preferential pricing of first orders.
“Take Mr. David for instance—he secured the best price and complimentary gifts for our instant noodles yesterday.
“I’m a direct person. Dance parties can be held at any time. But money-making opportunities don’t arrive whenever you please.
“According to regulations, you cannot contact our exhibitors ahead of time. But out of apology for our inadequate hospitality, I can coordinate this matter. What do you think?”
