The Cheap Joint.

The Cheap Joint. Tracy class 1

Mr. Reece was a fairly poor farmer. He and his wife grew lots of stuff. For instance vegetables, chickens, some ducks plus some carp, a kind of common fish in the farm’s pond. For a garbage disposal they kept a pig.

One day after a hard day of work Mr. Reece said to his wife. “Let’s go to the big city next Sunday. We can have a good lunch at a restaurant and then I’ll buy you a new dress that I’ve been promising you. Afterwards we can watch a movie at the cinema.” (Picture Theater)

Well Joy his wife was very thrilled to hear this. She told her husband that that there was a big sale on at a dress shop and that she’d be able to get a nice dress cheaper there. Joy was also happy to hear that she didn’t have to cook her husband a Sunday dinner as this was a lot of work for her. Both she and her husband were big eaters as they worked hard on the farm and needed lots of energy. Actually Joy hated cooking three times a day every day.

When Sunday morning arrived they caught a train from the nearby small country town to the city. When they got to the city they caught a bus to the downtown center of the city where all the shops were. They walked about the downtown area for about an hour before becoming hungry. It was then noon meaning twelve o’clock. There were many restaurants about in the downtown area. Some were displaying very expensive menus in their windows. Mr. Reece and his wife couldn’t afford to eat at such costly places.

They felt very lucky when they came across an old but clean restaurant that had a sign outside on the footpath that said they had a Sunday special on for lunch only; all you could eat for 20 RMB a person, from 12:30 to 2:30 PM. Wow, said Mr. Reece, we can eat for two whole hours for 20 RMB each. That’s really cheap considering what we can eat. “This is the place for us” He told his wife.

The restaurant owner was really pleased to see them leave two hours later. He thought that only pigs could eat as much as Mr. Reece and his wife Joy had eaten. He decided to change his sign then and there for future Sundays to all you can eat in half an hour instead of two hours.

After finishing their lunch Mr. Reece went with his wife to the big dress shop that had the sale on. Joy saw a dress that she liked for quarter price but another country lady did also. They started to fight over who should have the dress. A man standing beside Mr. Reece said to him. “Just look at my wife fighting that other woman would you!” “I bet my wife wins!” “You think so do you?” asked Mr. Reece. “Yes I’d bet a 100 RMB that my wife wins!” replied the other man. “Okay then, I’ll accept the bet. I’ll put 100 RMB on the other woman” stated Mr. Reece.

Just when Joy looked like loosing she swung her handbag and knocked out the other woman. Then she bought the dress. My Reece accepted the 100 RMB off the other man with a big smile; soon after her and his wife left to watch a movie at the picture theater. After enjoying the movie they left to go back to their farm. It had been a very good day thought Mr. Reece as he had paid for everything and still made a profit after winning the bet.