Era: Rise from the Wilderness

Only after the boys and girls had finished buying their things and the crowds had dispersed was He Ling able to catch her breath.

She leaned against the counter, looking at the shelves that were noticeably empty, and then at the mountain of loose change piled up in the cookie box.

Most of the bills were in cents and small denominations, with the occasional one-yuan note, which made the little flame in my heart burn even brighter.

She suddenly remembered her son.

Where did that child go?

They didn't even offer to help, leaving me to handle everything all by myself!

She looked out the window and could faintly hear the noise of teenagers coming from the direction of the playground.

He Ling shook her head, but the corners of her mouth curved up.

Fine, let him play.

She can keep an eye on the shop.

This is their family's hope, and she has to protect this "beginning".

She turned around and tidied up the rummaged goods, straightened the tilted bottles, and rearranged the scattered snack bags.

The movements were careful and gentle, as if they were tending to some precious nursery.

Outside the window, the summer sun was blazing, and the cicadas were chirping louder and louder.

The midday sun was scorching, and the blinding sunlight made the cement ground scorching hot.

Li Hongfeng rode the old-fashioned bicycle from his workplace, a net bag hanging on the handlebars, with lunchboxes jingling inside.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and a small patch of his back was damp.

He was still worried.

He Ling was the only one overseeing the shop, and it was the first day of opening. What if she couldn't manage it all, or something went wrong...?

He was very nervous. He quickly finished his meal in the cafeteria, said goodbye to the director, and then rode his bicycle to No. 25 Middle School.

As I entered the campus, the playground was quiet, with only cicadas chirping tirelessly.

The shop's doors and windows remained open. Li Hongfeng propped his bicycle up under the shade of a tree at the entrance and went inside with his lunchbox.

He Ling was bending down to organize the bottom shelf when she heard footsteps and turned around. When she saw her husband, she immediately smiled. But when she straightened up, she cried out "Ouch!" and held her lower back.

"Why are you here?"

"It's the middle of the day, why don't you take a break?"

Her tone was reproachful, but her eyes shone with light.

"I'm worried, so I came to check."

Li Hongfeng placed the lunchbox on the counter. "I brought you some cooled boiled water and some steamed buns from the cafeteria, with green bean and pork filling, your favorite."

He looked around the shop as he spoke.

The shelves were quite empty, especially the freezers, where several cheap popsicles were almost gone.

The lid of the cookie box on the counter was half open, and you could see the overflowing change inside.

Everything was in good order, much better than he had expected.

"How is it?"

"How did the morning go?" he asked, his voice unconsciously softening.

He Ling didn't answer directly, but instead waved to him with bright eyes: "Hong Feng, come here, you count."

She led her husband behind the counter, picked up the heavy cookie box with both hands, and gently placed it in front of him.

The tin box was a bit old, with peeling paint on the edges, but in He Ling's hands, it seemed like a precious treasure.

Li Hongfeng lifted the hem of his work clothes to wipe his hands before taking the box.

Coins and banknotes were mixed together, a colorful mess, filling the whole box.

He sat down, and He Ling leaned in beside him, their heads touching.

He started counting.

First, one-cent, two-cent, and five-cent coins were picked out one by one and stacked into small pillars on the counter.

The coins clinked together, producing a crisp, delicate sound.

Then came the small bills, one mao, two mao, and five mao, which were smoothed out and separated according to their face value.

Finally, there were only a few one-yuan and two-yuan banknotes.

He Ling held her breath, her eyes fixed on her husband's fingers.

The cicadas chirped noisily outside the window, but inside the room it was so quiet you could hear each other's heartbeats.

Li Hongfeng counted very slowly and carefully.

After counting once, he didn't say anything, and started counting again from the beginning.

He Ling couldn't help herself and asked in a low voice, "How much?"

Li Hongfeng looked up at her, his expression a little strange, as if he wanted to laugh, or as if he couldn't believe it.

He licked his slightly dry lips, his voice a little hoarse: "Fifteen yuan... thirty-seven cents."

"How many?"

He Ling thought she had misheard.

"Fifteen dollars and thirty-seven cents."

Li Hongfeng repeated it, this time his voice was more steady, filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Just this one, there are six of them."

He pulled out the few one-yuan bills, shook them in his hand, and said, "And these small bills and cents... Lingzi, you do the math, this is more than I could ever have in half a day..."

"That's worth a day's wages!"

He Ling blurted out, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Li Hongfeng works as the head of the supply department in a state-owned enterprise. His monthly salary and bonus only amount to a little over 200 yuan, which is about 7 yuan a day on average.

This small shop sold more than fifteen yuan in just one morning, when there weren't many students during the summer vacation!

After deducting costs, it was almost the same as his salary.

The two looked at each other and suddenly fell silent.

A tremendous, overwhelming joy, mixed with an unbelievable daze, engulfed them.

He Ling's eyes immediately reddened, and she quickly turned her face away, wiping the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.

"I told you... I told you it could work."

Her voice choked with emotion, yet tinged with laughter, "Yun Jing, that child, is quick-witted."

Li Hongfeng gave a heavy "hmm," carefully placed the money back into the cookie box, and closed the lid. He stood up, walked to the shelf, looked at the empty spaces, then glanced back at his wife, who was busy and excited.

Her cheeks flushed with excitement.

I'd like to ask for leave this afternoon.

He suddenly said.

"What leave are you asking for? Don't let it interfere with your work."

He Ling quickly replied.

"It won't delay you. I'll go get the goods."

Li Hongfeng pointed to the shelf, "Look, mung bean popsicles, orange soda, and shredded figs, these sell the fastest, we need to stock more."

"Also, I see this space is a bit empty, so we can add some other small items, like erasers, pencils, stickers, etc. Students always need them."

"Keep in mind, school hasn't even started yet!"

"I'm so excited to have so many customers when school starts!"

His mind suddenly became active, and he was no longer just a husband who only knew how to clock in and go home after get off work, but like a real "manager," he began to plan his business.

As He Ling listened, her smile grew wider and wider.

She walked to the freezer, opened it, and a blast of cold air hit her.

Here, try some of our own stuff.

She took out two milk popsicles and handed one to her husband: "They sold for two cents each. How much did they cost?"

Li Hongfeng took it, peeled off the simple wrapping paper, and took a bite.

The rich milky aroma and sweetness melt on the tip of the tongue, while the coolness penetrates to the core.

He rarely eats these snacks, but at this moment they taste especially delicious.

The couple stood by the counter, drinking plain water and eating popsicles, looking at their simple yet hopeful little shop.

Sunlight streamed through the doors and windows, casting bright, shimmering spots on the ground, while dust motes danced slowly within the beams of light.

"I need to have a good talk with Yun Jing when I get home tonight."

With an ice pop in her mouth, He Ling mumbled, her eyes full of pride, "This kid has a good idea."