My Courtyard Shelter

Chapter 18: Lantern Festival

Xu Ting continued her analysis: “Even if they only open ten stores, that’s 3. 6 million a year—enough for a new apartment every year!” “Three million six hundred thousand won’t get you a decent house in Yanjing—you’d need at least five or six million to start with.” Xu’s mom had been in Yanjing for nearly half a year now; as she’d gotten to know the city better, her horizons had naturally broadened considerably. “Mom, I’m talking about buying a house in Luyang. How did you even pick up on this ‘Versailles’ stuff? It’s just the two of us here—is it really necessary?” Xu Ting complained helplessly. Mrs. Xu was completely baffled. “What’s ‘Versailles’? I’ve never learned anything about Versailles.” “You don’t need to study it—if you’ve got money, you’ll pick it up on your own,” Xu Ting teased. “Never mind. I don’t go online, so I don’t understand what you young people are talking about.” After chatting for a few more minutes, Xu’s mom saw that it was getting late and started preparing dinner, with Xu Ting helping her out. Meanwhile, after touring the Siheyuan, Xu’s dad led his son-in-law to a convenience store. Compared to the Siheyuan, this was his “base”—the place where he felt most at home. “Ma Jie, don’t let the small size of this store fool you—I make 10,000 to 20,000 yuan in sales every day. My revenue is higher than that of some medium-sized supermarkets,” Mr. Xu explained enthusiastically. “That’s great—it really is impressive,” Ma Jie replied, though he didn’t know much about the retail industry and could only offer a vague response. Mr. Xu continued to talk at length: “We were actually planning to open on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year—after all, the Winter Olympics were kicking off, and there were plenty of tourists. But Dongzi insisted on taking the whole family on a trip, so we ended up wasting several days of prime business time. Otherwise, this month’s revenue would’ve definitely broken the one million mark.” “Dad, Dongzi is just being a dutiful son to you two!” Ma Jie interjected casually. Xu Dong chimed in, “Dad, you can never make enough money—why work yourself to the bone? The most important thing in life is to seize the day and enjoy yourself!” This was a lesson he’d learned from the salted pork incident. Xu’s father gave his son-in-law the benefit of the doubt and said nothing more. Otherwise, just for those four words—“seize the day”—a stern scolding would have been inevitable. Back in his younger days, he would have been beaten so hard his cane would have snapped. After that, the three of them took a stroll around the neighborhood before heading home. When they arrived, they happened to run into Yang Lina and her group, who were returning with their arms full of groceries. Dinner didn’t start until after 8:00 p. m. , mainly because Xu Ting and the others hadn’t eaten until 2:30 p. m. The meal was lavish, with over twenty dishes filling a large table. There were three hot pots alone: one with mixed seafood and pork ribs, one with beef, and one with seafood. The meal was a lively affair. The children played and roughhoused with one another, while the adults clinked glasses and toasted each other, making Xu Dong feel that this meal was the true New Year’s Eve dinner—which, to some extent, made up for his earlier disappointment. All good things must come to an end. Before they knew it, it was the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. Although they were all reluctant to leave, Xu Ting and her group had to depart. Before they left, Xu’s mother pulled her daughter aside and secretly slipped her a bank card. “There’s 100,000 yuan on the card. As soon as you get home, withdraw it and transfer it to your own account.” Xu Ting was taken aback and quickly protested, “Mom, what are you doing? Dongzi paid me back the 100,000 yuan he owed me a long time ago.” “I know,” Mrs. Xu said, forcing the bank card into her daughter’s bag. “This is a little something from your dad and me. I also gave Jingyi a big red envelope.” “But…” “No ‘buts.’ This money was originally meant to help Dongzi’s family—you know how things were back then. But your younger brother’s family isn’t short on money now; your eldest brother only has Jingyi as his daughter, so his burden is light; it’s your family that’s carrying the heaviest burden. Just take it—the PIN is your birthday.” Hearing this, Xu Ting’s eyes welled up with tears. Her family’s financial situation wasn’t exactly bad, but it was only average. On top of that, with two children who would eventually go to college and a house to buy for her son, the financial burden was indeed growing heavier and heavier. “Thank you, Mom!” Xu Ting wiped away her tears. “There’s no need to thank Mom. I just hope you’re all doing well and that you’ll have a safe and smooth life.” After seeing off her older sister’s family and her niece, and with the Lantern Festival approaching, Xu Dong actually felt increasingly at peace. A storm is brewing; the times are about to change! February 15, 2022—the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the day of the Lantern Festival. At 7:00 a. m. , Xu Dong woke up on time as usual, then took a hot shower. He got dressed and finished his morning routine. He first went to check on the triplets; the three little ones were fast asleep. Tiptoeing out of the bedroom, Xu Dong headed straight to the kitchen, where Xu’s mother and Yang Lina had already prepared breakfast. Breakfast consisted of rice porridge, a plate of tea-eggs, fresh milk, a few stir-fried dishes, and some fried dough sticks bought from a nearby shop. Xu’s dad was sitting at the dining table, scrolling through his phone while sipping his congee; it looked like he was almost finished. “Dad, today is the Lantern Festival. Should we close the store for the day?” Xu Dong asked, taking a gentle sip of the sweet, fragrant rice porridge. Dad Xu frowned and refused without hesitation. “We have regular customers. How can we just close up shop on a whim? Since we’re called a convenience store, we should put ‘convenience’ first…” “Here we go again,” Xu Dong thought to himself. Before long, Xu’s dad put down his chopsticks, took the fur hat Xu’s mom handed him, and turned to head off to work at the convenience store. Ever since Xu Dong started going out to the countryside to pick up deliveries, his father had generally been taking the bus to and from work—it was only two stops away, so very convenient. By the time Xu Dong had finished eating, the Ke Ke sisters had finally woken up. Xu Dong didn’t waste any time, skillfully braiding their hair. As for Xu’s mom and Yang Lina, they were busy helping the triplets get ready at that moment. After breakfast, Xu Dong first took a stroll around the convenience store, then wandered through the nearby farmers’ market, picking up some farm produce that wasn’t available in the warehouse. At 11:30 a. m. , Xu “Street-Slinger” Dong returned in his small truck, bringing back some snacks for his two daughters along the way. For lunch, they had hot pot. Xu’s mom sliced five or six jin of donkey meat and prepared a large bowl of vegetables to cook in the broth, and the whole family ate to their hearts’ content. In the afternoon, Xu Dong picked out a specialty supermarket and loaded up more than half the truck with fruits and vegetables straight from their warehouse. Since fresh produce has a short shelf life, this was the best time to stock up. Seeing Xu Dong unloading the truck again, Xu’s mother was already used to it; she just asked offhand, “What did you buy?” “Fruits and vegetables—for the store tomorrow.” “Weren’t they delivered straight to the store before?” Xu Dong made up an excuse on the spot: “This is a new supplier specializing in high-end fresh produce. I’m bringing a batch back first to test the waters.” Mrs. Xu’s interest was piqued as soon as she heard this. She stepped forward, gave the vegetable leaves a few gentle tugs, and praised, “They really are quite good—they look so fresh and crisp.” “Mom, why don’t we try some of these vegetables tonight to see how they taste?” Xu Dong suggested. “Sure, then I’ll pick out a few more varieties.”