[Comprehensive English and American] The years I opened a grocery store in Queens

There will be many records about [-] in history, but for the young Peter Parker, he only has one relatively clear memory in [-]: a new grocery store opened on the street.

In fact, the opening of a grocery store is not a big deal. Every day, countless grocery stores open and close across the country. The products sold in the grocery stores are basically the same, but this one is very different.

Today, the weather is bright and clear.Peter Parker hurried home from school after a day of study, and saw this newly opened grocery store at the corner of the street. Peter remembered that the landlord of this place issued a notice a few days ago to let it out, but I didn't expect to open a new grocery store in such a short period of time. The signboard of the grocery store is written in very complicated cursive English: Witch'sgrocery. (Witch's grocery store)

The door of the store was closed, and a small wooden sign was hung on the doorknob: Open after [-]:[-] pm, no cheating, no bargaining.

The name and business hours of this store are too strange. According to unauthoritative survey statistics: 90.00% of the grocery stores in New York are called "Good Neighbor" or "Department Store Feng", and you will see similar names every few steps. Grocery stores, besides, the general profit time of grocery stores is during the day, but this one is specially selected to open at night after six o'clock. From all angles, the "witch's grocery store" is very unique.

Feeling a little curious, Peter Parker looked in through the glass window of the grocery store. The room was dark and decorated with strange decorations. A pale woman with red hair was half lying on a big recliner. Long and curly, like seaweed.

Peter still wanted to check out this strangely named grocery store, but he didn't expect the peacefully sleeping woman to wake up. She opened her eyes and cast a gaze towards Peter.

The peeping was discovered, and Peter Parker panicked and ran away in a hurry.

Peter ran home, out of breath, still a little scared when he thought of the woman's amber-green eyes.

"What's the matter with you?" When Peter arrived home, Aunt May had already left work.

"Nothing." Peter replied.

Aunt May had no doubts, she turned around and continued to watch TV, the evening light came in from the window, Aunt May's face showed a rare and leisurely brilliance, this beautiful brown-haired woman was Peter Parker's guardian, Peter Parker's parents died Since then, she has been taking care of Peter's daily life. She has to work and take care of housework. She is so busy every day that she can only have free time to watch the all-day soap operas that don't make much sense during the evening.

The episode ends when Mary finds out her boyfriend Justin is cheating on her good friend Annie, and Aunt May's free time ends with it.

She went to the kitchen and started preparing dinner. She was going to make chicken breast and spinach burritos, only to find that the salt shaker was out of salt.

"Peter—"

Peter Parker poked his head out: "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Aunt Mei took out some small change from her pocket and said to Peter, "There is no salt at home, go and buy a bag of salt and come back."

Peter knew that Aunt Mei was working hard every day, and he was very happy to help Aunt Mei. After receiving the money, he walked out of the house with his calves.

Although Peter is still a very young child, Aunt Mei is not worried about him going out shopping alone. Peter is very smart, and there are many grocery stores downstairs.

Peter checked the time before going out. The wall clock on the wall showed that it was nine past six, and the witch's general store should have opened.Driven by curiosity, Peter walked to the corner of the street instead of buying salt at the grocery store downstairs.

Night had fallen, and the shops and homes on the street were lit up with lights, but this witch's grocery store was lit with candles, and it looked a bit dim under the light, but it shrouded it with a more mysterious veil.

Peter pushed open the door nervously. Unexpectedly, the light inside was much brighter and warmer than it looked from the outside, and the smell in the store was also very good. Peter thought it smelled like the rose water that Aunt May used every day. The taste of a black red sour sweet candy.

The red-haired woman he saw in the afternoon didn't seem to be in the store. Peter planned to find what he needed by himself, and then put the money on the counter—he didn't dare to renege, not only because he was honest, but also because there was a big one on the counter. There was an owl in the cage, which was staring at him blankly. Peter intuitively thought that as long as he dared to renege, the owl would fly out and peck him.

Unlike other grocery stores that are arranged in an orderly manner and each type of product has a clear direction, the merchandise in this witch grocery store is very messy, and the packaging is almost exactly the same. They are all packed in uniform black kraft paper. The only difference is that There was a note on it, but Peter couldn't read the words on the note.

"What are you looking for?" Just as Peter was at a loss, a voice appeared above him, and it was the red-haired woman that Peter had seen in the afternoon.

For some reason, Peter was a little afraid of her. She was about the same height as Aunt May, but thinner than Aunt May. She was wearing a loose black robe, and there was no trace of blood on her face. Thanks to her amber green eyes and red hair Compensating for the pale complexion, she seemed to be a character who came out of the forest fairy tale that Peter read.

What Peter didn't know was that when he was nervous, this red-haired woman named Isabella was also nervous.Because the arrival of this little boy brought her her first business, she had never sold a thing before, and if the transaction with this little boy was successful, it meant that she would earn her first income.

She was both excited and nervous, and really wanted to tell her hairless and paralyzed father immediately: Dad, look faster than you, I sold the first item!

But the little boy in front of her didn't know why she kept silent, and she kept looking at him eagerly.Isabella saw a rule in "The Way to Succeed in a Grocery Store", that is: when facing a hesitant customer, don't rush, but let him feel your enthusiasm.Although the customer in front of her is young, she is also her God.

Peter was a little terrified of being stared at. He wondered if he had really stepped into the story of the underworld. Red-haired women, owls, and strange commodities were all standard items under the underworld. Peter reminded himself not to Panic, all fairy tales convey a truth: in a dangerous environment, panic is useless.

Peter mustered up his courage, and like every successful hero in the story, he asked, "Excuse me, where is the salt?"

Salt? !

Seeing her froze for a moment, Peter began to look for the goods. She moved quickly, and immediately took out a bag with a white seal among the group of goods in the same packaging: "The salt you want."

Peter took the paper bag, but he couldn't understand the words on it. The only thing he could recognize was the number 1, which probably meant that the price was one dollar, which was too cheap. Generally, the price of salt was around three dollars.

Peter thanked him, took out a dollar, and said a word simultaneously with Peter's action: "The price is one pearl, thank you."

Peter: ...I seem to have encountered a black shop...

Peter's hand froze in mid-air. He made sure he had heard the price correctly, then silently withdrew the money and stuffed the paper bag back into her hand.

A bag of salt sells for one pearl, which is a sky-high price. Peter felt that the salt he ate in his life might not be worth one pearl. He walked back, thinking that it would be better for him to go to the grocery store downstairs to buy salt. , although the boss looks fierce, but the price is still reasonable.

"Wait a minute." Peter ignored her words and continued to walk forward, following the direction of the story. Once he stopped and turned around, she would immediately blow a puff of smoke at him, and then he would pass out.

"I told you to wait!" Isabella rushed ahead of the child and stuffed the paper bag into his hand, "Here you are."

"I can't afford a single pearl." Seeing that she had blocked his way, Peter knew that he was doomed, but he still showed his so-called heroic courage to face it.

"Well... Our new store is open, and we have a special offer for the opening, so this is for you."

Peter, with a dull expression, was holding a free bag of salt in his arms. When he went out, he saw the familiar streets of Queens. He didn't stray into any fairy tales. Looking back, the owner of the witch's grocery store leaned against the door frame and waved at him. , There was a smile on her lips, like a flower growing in the deep forest.

Aunt Mei was very anxious at home. She had already asked the owner of the grocery store downstairs, and he said that Peter did not buy salt from him.It's been so long, and Peter hasn't come back yet, and he doesn't know where the child has gone.

When Peter appeared in front of Aunt May holding a paper bag filled with salt, and told her excitedly that it didn't cost a single dollar, Aunt May's eyes were moist, and she immediately put aside the idea of ​​scolding Peter, but pressed on. hugged him tightly.

What a sensible child, in order to reduce the burden on the family, he went to exchange for free salt.

That night, Aunt May made two servings of spinach and chicken breast burritos with great care using the salt that Peter "brought". However, when eating, there was no taste of chicken breast. The big fish hopped between the tongues.

Isabella finally completed the first transaction, and she wanted to tell her father who had no hair and paralyzed legs immediately. As soon as the first number was planted, she heard a long-lost familiar voice: "Do business like this. , your store will close down soon.”

This hoarse and sexy voice came from a woman in a tight black uniform sitting on a large reclining chair. She entered the store at some unknown time.

Isabella was very happy to see her: "Long time no see, Agent Romanov."