Today's temperature was even hotter than yesterday.
They'd prepared a total of three hundred drinks in two flavors, and they estimated these wouldn't last long.
But there was no way around it—if they made any more, the two of them wouldn't be able to handle it all.
Most of them would be sold to the people taking exams, but passersby also contributed a good chunk of sales.
This just confirmed the consumer psychology of the herd effect.
When people saw a long line in front of a certain stand, they'd always subconsciously think that whatever was being sold there must be good...
Even if they didn't even know what it was.
A crisp bicycle bell sound rang out from the distance, particularly pleasant in the hot air.
Ethan looked up toward the sound.
He saw Sarah and Ashley riding their bikes toward them.
Their wheels rolled over the dappled shadows of the trees, and the sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting fine spots of light on them.
Recognizing that it was Sarah and Ashley approaching.
Ethan greeted them with a smile. "Oh wow! The two beauties came this early."
"I thought you guys wouldn't show up until this afternoon."
Ashley parked her bicycle in the shade of a tree.
She bounced over to the front of the stand, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "We're here to help you sell stuff!"
"Pretty cool of us, right?"
She was naturally cheerful and lively, like an energetic little bird.
In contrast.
Sarah was the calm, steady type.
She parked her bike unhurriedly, raised her hand to tuck some loose hair behind her ear, and said softly, "Good morning, Ethan."
"Are the drinks selling well?"
Ethan smiled knowingly.
"Super cool of you guys! That's what I call real friendship, haha."
"Good morning, Sarah."
"They're selling great. It's not exam time yet, but once they finish and come out, these'll be gone in a few minutes."
He'd long been used to the personality differences between the two—Ashley was as enthusiastic as the midsummer sun, while Sarah was as calm and gentle as an autumn lake.
But it was this complementary dynamic that made them such great best friends.
Just like Sarah's greetings and questions at this moment—always so concise, appropriate, and to the point. Never a wasted word.
He bent down and pulled two cups of handmade lemon tea from the cooler and handed them to the two girls.
"You guys try it and tell me if my drinks are any good or not."
After taking the handmade lemon tea.
Ashley picked it up and examined it from all angles. The sunlight refracted an amber glow through the lemon tea, and the lime slices floated gently in the cup.
"Wow, Ethan! This looks really nice!"
She shook the cup playfully. "Just don't know how it tastes yet."
Sarah also took her cup, her fingertips touching the cold surface. She nodded slightly, a light smile appearing at the corners of her lips. "It does look very well-made."
The simple words were full of acknowledgment of Ethan's craftsmanship.
Ethan smiled. "You'll know once you drink it."
The two took a sip at the same time.
Ashley's eyes suddenly widened, and then she let out an exclamation. "Oh my god! Ethan, this is so good!"
She excitedly grabbed Ethan's arm. "The sweet and sour balance is perfect! The lemon fragrance is amazing!"
Sarah savored it carefully. The cold tea liquid slid down her throat, dispelling the summer heat. She sighed with satisfaction. "Seriously, this is really great. The iced temperature is just right, and the sourness of the lemon and the tea aroma blend perfectly. The taste is excellent—very refreshing."
After drinking, both girls gave extremely high praise, which deepened the smile on Ethan's face.
Ashley happily took a few more sips of the cold lemon tea, then suddenly blinked as if realizing something was missing—Jack wasn't here!
'That's kinda weird,' she thought to herself. 'There's no way Ethan would let his workhorse off duty!'
She bit her straw and asked through it, "Where's Jack? Didn't he come?"
The sunlight cast dappled light and shadow on her face through the leaves, making the curiosity in her eyes even more obvious.
Ethan had already guessed their question and explained with a smile. "Why wouldn't he come? He's set up at the entrance to Jefferson High. He'll meet up with us here once he's sold out."
"Ohhh—" Ashley drew out the sound, showing an "I knew it" expression, and shook the cup in her hand with a grin. "I knew it! There's no way you'd let such good free labor go!"
After saying that, she took a big gulp of lemon tea happily, the cold taste making her eyes squint comfortably.
Sarah suggested softly, "Should we go over and help Jack?"
Ethan lazily sprawled out on the folding chair and waved his hand. "Nah, just let him handle it. Jack can manage that small scene on his own."
He pointed to the cooler. "The drinks are all ready to go. Once that exam bell rings, they'll be sold out within ten minutes."
Actually, what Ethan said wasn't wrong. The whole sales process was very simple, and everything was ready-made—customers just told you what they wanted.
The only annoying part was collecting money. In this era when mobile payment hadn't yet become widely popular.
The clinking of coins and rustling of bills became the most familiar background sound of summer.
Sarah nodded when she heard this. "Okay then!"
Ashley suddenly leaned closer to Ethan. "Hey Ethan, where are we eating lunch? Should we go straight to the library after we eat?"
Ethan was caught off guard, then realized he hadn't actually considered lunch.
He rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "How about this—when Jack gets back, let's all go to the farmers' market together to buy some ingredients, then head to my place for a home-cooked feast?"
He thought about it for a moment. A few people could go to a small restaurant to eat, but there was no need. Better to go home and make a proper meal!
This was a specialty from his family's Southern roots—he'd often watched his grandmother cook it when he was a kid, so he'd gotten pretty damn good at making this kind of big home-cooked meal.
"Home-cooked feast?"
Hearing Ethan's proposal, Ashley literally jumped up, the ice in her cup clattering. "Yes, yes, yes! Let's go to your place to eat! I've been dying to have your cooking again."
"The last time I had it was after finals last semester, right? That Southern-style cooking with all those pickled vegetables totally hit the spot."
After saying that, she licked her lips.
Although Sarah was more restrained in her reaction, her bright eyes and slightly raised corners of her mouth had already revealed her anticipation. She nodded slightly, with rare joy in her voice. "I remember the food you made last time was particularly flavorful. The crispy bits at the bottom of the pot were just perfect."
A simple sentence expressed her deep appreciation for Ethan's cooking skills.
However, she thought about it for a moment and proposed a more efficient plan. "How about this—Ashley and I will go buy the groceries first. Then when Jack finishes up, we can head straight home and start cooking. That'll save us from wasting time going to the market later."
Her slender fingers gently tapped the cup wall, making a crisp sound.
"Good idea!"
Faced with Sarah's proposal, Ashley raised both hands in agreement, her ponytail swaying gently with her excited movements. "I know this stall at the farmers' market that sells really good quality pork. My grandma buys from them all the time."
Ethan glanced at his phone—it was almost eleven o'clock—so he nodded. "Sarah's got the right idea. Let's do it that way."
It made total sense.
By the time the exam ended and they sold out the drinks, it would be around eleven o'clock.
If they went to the farmers' market to buy groceries according to the original plan, they probably wouldn't actually eat until after one in the afternoon.
But Sarah's proposal would allow them to eat right around noon, which was exactly when they'd all be hungry.
Under the shade of the trees, the three of them reached a consensus.
This seemingly simple lunch plan really showed Sarah's thoughtful character.
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