Era: Rise from the Wilderness

Ling had long felt the pain of losing the money she had invested and wished she could hear the cash register drawer jingling immediately.

"Yun Jing is right!"

Hearing her son's insightful analysis, which resonated deeply with her, she immediately expressed her full support: "Since I'm just anxiously waiting at home anyway, I might as well come and help out at the store!"

"Every ice cream we sell is a bonus, every bottle of soda we sell is a bonus!"

"Open for business soon, so you can have peace of mind!"

Seeing that his wife and son were both resolute and reasonable, Li Hongfeng stopped insisting: "Fine, you two decide. Anyway, I have to go to work during the day."

He waved his hand, which was a sign of agreement.

So, the father and son, disregarding their fatigue, began setting prices by the dim light of the 15-watt bulb in the shop.

The rustling sound of cardboard boxes rubbing against the ground, and the echo of footsteps on the concrete, were particularly clear in the empty and quiet night of the campus.

It wasn't until 7:30 p.m., when the price of the last item was set, that the family of three finally straightened their aching backs.

Looking at the neatly arranged space that finally resembled a "small shop," although I was exhausted, a sense of peace and anticipation burned quietly in my heart like a small flame.

The next day, at the crack of dawn, the family of three all got up.

Li Hongfeng hastily ate a few mouthfuls of porridge and drove his van to work.

He Ling and Li Yunjing also rode their bikes to the convenience store.

The storefront was bare and simple, without a signboard.

Anyway, everyone in school knows what this is for.

Li Yunjing used colored chalk to write three large characters, "Small Shop," on the white wall next to the door, crookedly but forcefully.

The chalk dust fell softly, the writing was bright and eye-catching, exuding a simple vitality.

The doors and windows of the small shop were fully opened, allowing for ventilation, and it felt like the shop was opening its arms.

He Ling sat on the old chair behind the counter, her back ramrod straight, her hands neatly placed on her lap, waiting with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation for the first customer's footsteps.

In mid-July 1990, on an ordinary summer morning, Old Li's small shop at No. 25 Middle School quietly began its trial operation.

Li Yunjing wandered around outside the convenience store for a while, but finally decided not to stay and help out.

He knew his mother's personality well. He Ling was thin-skinned and soft-hearted. If she saw her son bringing a group of friends over, she would most likely give them a warm welcome, offering one popsicle and another a bag of preserved plums.

This affection is heartwarming, but the household accounts are growing cold.

With his hands in his shorts pockets, he strolled leisurely to the parallel bars and horizontal bars area at the edge of the playground.

The morning sun was already quite warm, and several familiar figures were hanging and spinning around there. When they saw Li Yunjing, they immediately started shouting.

"Yun Jing! Why are you only arriving now?"

"I looked for you for ages yesterday!"

"Exactly, there aren't enough people, so playing basketball isn't fun!"

"Exactly! We haven't seen you around lately, and what about Lü Ruoxi? Did you two elope?"

……

"Something came up at home."

Li Yunjing ran over laughing, leaped up, grabbed the basketball, and slammed it into the hoop. He then swung the rim twice before landing, yelling, "Come on, come on, today I'll make you cry for your parents!"

"Damn it! Who's afraid of who!"

"Five against five, the loser has to buy drinks and ice cream!"

"agree!"

"Just do it!"

Several boys immediately gathered around, and the sound of basketballs slapping against each other and excited shouts filled the concrete ground.

Sweat streamed down the boys' tanned foreheads, and no one noticed the passage of time.

……

He had been sitting upright in the convenience store for almost half an hour.

At 8:40 a.m., the campus gradually became lively.

The bicycle bells jingled, and footsteps approached in quick succession.

Several students passed by the door, peering inside curiously.

"Huh? A convenience store has opened here?"

"Really! Do you have popsicles?"

Two girls walked in hand in hand, their skirts swaying gently with their steps.

He Ling immediately stood up, but because she moved too quickly, her knee hit the bottom of the counter, causing her to wince in pain. Despite the pain, she plastered a smile on her face: "Yes, yes, yes! Mung bean and milk flavors are in the freezer, pick one yourself!"

Her voice was half an octave higher than usual, revealing an undisguised nervousness.

After waiting all morning, the first wave of customers finally arrived, which put He Ling's mind at ease.

The girls opened the freezer door, and cold air mixed with frost rushed out.

They whispered and compared for a while, and finally each of them took a mung bean popsicle.

"Auntie, how much?"

He Ling's mind raced as she recalled the prices she had agreed upon with her husband and son the night before: "15 cents for mung beans, 20 cents for milk."

After she finished speaking, she paused for a moment.

Did it really sell?

Is it that simple?

The girl handed over three cents, which consisted of two crumpled bills and a five-cent coin.

He Ling took it, and only when her fingers touched the cold coin did she truly feel its reality.

She opened the drawer.

It was an old cookie box that served as a makeshift cash register.

He carefully put the money in.

"Thank you! Come again next time!"

She added a sentence to the girl's retreating figure.

The door closed, and the shop returned to silence.

He Ling sat back down in her chair, stared at the three cents in the cookie box for a long time, and then suddenly laughed.

She reached out and gently touched the coins, as if caressing something precious.

It turns out that the "clinking" sound doesn't necessarily have to come from a metal drawer.

The soft "click" of a coin falling to the bottom of the tin box is quite pleasant to hear.

At 10 o'clock, the convenience store experienced its first peak.

The boys and girls who came to play on the playground during summer vacation were a bit tired, and with the sun being quite strong, the students poured in, and the narrow space was suddenly crowded with people.

The sounds of asking prices, muttering as people picked out snacks, and shouts urging their companions to hurry up blended into a buzzing background noise.

"Auntie, how much is this hawthorn candy?"

"Soft drinks! Where are the soft drinks?"

"I want two packs of dried fig strips!"

……

He Ling was extremely busy, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She had to answer the price, give change, and keep an eye on things to prevent anyone from stealing.

It wasn't that she thought badly of people; Yun Jing had specifically instructed her last night: "Mom, you have to be careful when there are many people around; not all students are well-behaved."

Now she truly understood what her son meant.

A tall boy grabbed a bag of fish skin peanuts and tried to stuff it into his pocket, but He Ling, with her sharp eyes, immediately called out, "Excuse me, that's a dime!"

The boy froze, awkwardly put the snacks back on the shelf, and slipped out.

There was warmth even amidst the chaos.

A girl wearing glasses bought bubble gum and realized she was shortchanged by a penny. She timidly pointed it out.

He Ling apologized repeatedly, making up for it, but the girl felt embarrassed instead: "It's okay, Auntie, you've just opened your business, you must be busy."