My Courtyard Shelter

Chapter 13: Three Months

On September 1, Xu Ke and his sister officially became proud elementary school students. The school was not far from their new home—just a few hundred meters away. On September 2, the supermarket unveiled its new sign, and “Cola Convenience Store” officially opened for business. Whether in his past life or this one, Xu Dong had never had any experience selling goods and had no interest in running a convenience store. Xu’s father, however, was a different story. He had previously run a street stall, and since he couldn’t sit still at home, he’d long been eager to put his skills to the test, so he readily took on the role of store manager. With a heavy heart, Xu Dong dug out more than half a truckload of merchandise from the underground warehouse—mainly clothing, local specialties, and items like cigarettes, alcohol, and candy. Add to that half a truckload of fresh produce and a full truckload of daily necessities sourced from wholesalers, and they finally managed to get the convenience store up and running. On opening day, Xu’s dad followed the playbook to the letter: not only did he set up an archway and flower arrangements in front of the store, but he also had an advertising company print flyers and hired people to distribute them throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. Sales on the first day were excellent. Since they were selling at a loss to build a customer base, the featured fresh produce sold out completely, and the other items sold reasonably well too. However, in the days that followed, business slowed to a crawl. With daily sales hovering around 5,000 yuan, Xu’s dad was so worried he couldn’t help but sigh. After all, the monthly rent for the store was nearly 20,000 yuan—a burden they simply couldn’t afford. Later, to cut costs, Xu’s dad went so far as to fire their only stock clerk. Xu Dong couldn’t help but offer a word of advice, but not only was it useless—he ended up being roped into the job himself, accompanying Xu Dad to and from work every day. Time is invisible and intangible; just when you’re not paying attention, it has already slipped quietly past you. In two days, New Year’s Day 2022 will arrive, and there are only a little over forty days left until the massive Sun flare erupts. Xu’s dad’s complexion has improved considerably lately. After three months of trial and error, “Coca-Cola Convenience Store” finally turned a profit in December. To handle the pre-New Year sales rush, the store hired another stock clerk. The biggest contributor to this turnaround is undoubtedly Xu Dong—it was he who, quite by accident, found the convenience store’s “flagship product.” Over the past three months, Xu Dong certainly didn’t let himself be tied down to the convenience store; he was always finding various excuses to “take time off” so he could continue his stockpiling venture. With the 1 million from selling his house in Luyang and the 2. 45 million he recouped from selling the diamond ring, his bank account once again surpassed 5 million. With money in hand, Xu Dong became active again, frequently driving his small truck back and forth to rural areas around Yanjing. After purchasing free-range chickens, ducks, and eggs a few times, he came up with the idea of selling these farm products at his own convenience store. First, it would give him an excuse to go shopping in the countryside; second, well… actually, there was no “second reason”—but there was no harm in trying, and he wouldn’t lose much money anyway. After getting his father’s approval, the “Coca-Cola Convenience Store” was transformed into a specialty shop for free-range chickens, eggs, and other farm products. Since all the produce was sourced by Xu Dong himself—who spared no effort in purchasing it on his way back from the mountainous rural areas—the quality was guaranteed, and “Coca-Cola Convenience Store” gradually gained a reputation in the surrounding neighborhoods. At 8:00 p. m. , with a biting cold wind sweeping through the streets of Yanjing in winter, Xu Dong drove over to pick up Xu’s dad and take him home. As soon as he got in the car, Xu’s dad eagerly asked, “Could you deliver a few more of those free-range eggs? The small amount you send each time sells out before noon.” “Sure, I’ll go a bit farther tomorrow,” Xu Dong agreed. His trips to the countryside usually lasted anywhere from one or two days to three or four; this time, he planned to go even farther, as there were still some great products to be found in the vast mountainous regions. “Today’s sales topped 20,000. The shop is really taking off now,” Xu Dad said, unable to hide the delight on his face. Xu Dong paid him a little flattery: “It’s all thanks to you, Dad.” Xu’s dad waved his hand; he knew his own limits. “I can’t do it on my own. It’s you young people who are quick-witted and full of ideas.” “Dad, are we going back to Luyang for the Lunar New Year this year?” Realizing this was a tricky question to answer, Xu Dong quickly changed the subject. “We’re not going back,” Mr. Xu shook his head and explained, “Da Bao and the others are still too young. Let’s just celebrate the New Year in Yanjing this year—there’s no need to go through the hassle of traveling back and forth.” “Okay, I’ll have Mom pack extra New Year’s treats to send back…” As they chatted, they arrived home. After parking the car, the father and son had just stepped into the restaurant when Yang Lina asked, “Dad, a delivery of 100 cases of formula arrived today. Has formula been selling well at the store lately?” “What formula?” Mr. Xu was completely baffled. “We don’t sell formula.” Xu Dong immediately jumped in to explain, “I ordered the formula.” “Why are you buying so much formula? Even if Da Bao and the others drank it for ten years, they still wouldn’t finish it all!” Yang Lina said, pressing her hand to her forehead. “If we don’t finish it, we can take it to the store to sell. I bought high-quality imported formula—there’s no shortage of buyers. I’d hate to sell it, though!” This time, Xu Dong wasn’t lying. This formula had been specially purchased from abroad by a major supplier in the past, specifically as a thank-you gift for key clients. It was a major brand overseas that was always in high demand, and Xu Dong had specifically asked them to set aside a hundred cases for him, which saved him a lot of trouble. After all, with three babies at home, formula was definitely a necessity. In her previous life, malnutrition had caused the triplets’ health to deteriorate steadily, ultimately leaving her with a lifelong regret. Hearing this, Yang Lina’s confidence waned considerably, and she muttered under her breath: “There’s no need to buy so much at once, is there?” Xu Dong replied irritably, “Do you think I want to? They wouldn’t even sell it in smaller quantities—it’s a hot commodity.” No sooner had he finished speaking than Xu’s mother came out carrying a dish and tried to smooth things over, saying: “Enough of that. Go wash your hands and eat—Ke Ke and the others have been hungry for ages.” Xu’s dad immediately chimed in, “Nana, you don’t need to worry too much. Imported formula sells really well. I’ll take a case to the store tomorrow and see how it goes.” “Don’t rush to sell it just yet,” Xu Dong quickly interjected. “The Lunar New Year is next month, and I still need to give some formula as gifts. It’s not too late to sell it after the holiday.” In the future, formula would become increasingly scarce; if it weren’t for the expiration date, Xu Dong would definitely stockpile a towering mountain of it. “All right,” Xu’s dad nodded. Yang Lina added as a final reminder, “Be sure to keep an eye on the expiration dates—don’t forget, a single case costs several thousand yuan!” “Got it.” For dinner, they had a hot pot with air-dried chicken. The chicken was free-range chicken Xu Dong had bought from the countryside. Whatever didn’t sell at the convenience store, Xu’s mom would take home and turn into air-dried chicken, which could then be sold to nearby local restaurants. After several months of this, the courtyard was now hung with all kinds of dried chicken, duck, fish, and meat—a rough estimate put the total at at least five or six hundred pieces. Xu Dong heard from his wife that by selling these dried goods, his mother was able to earn over 10,000 yuan in personal savings every month—enough to make even his father envious. After all, they live in a Siheyuan—as soon as the owners of the local restaurants step inside, they can tell right away that the old lady is a trustworthy person. With that trust established, sales naturally went well.