World 2. Chapter 1
“Ma’am, I’ll take a carton of milk. Put it in my car.”
“Weigh out two jin of eggs.”
“Boss, give me a pack of cigarettes.”
It hadn’t been long since they opened for the morning, but Yimin Supermarket was already bustling with customers. Lin Yanan was busy at the cash register, her husband Zhang Dachun was handling customer inquiries, and their employee Luo Junhao was helping customers carry their purchases. Though they were busy, the three of them worked in an orderly fashion.
“Eleven yuan and fifty cents. Here’s your change.” ” Lin Yanan glanced at the electronic scale on the counter, quickly announced the total, and then placed the customer’s bananas into a bag.
“Madam, you’re in a great mood today—and more generous than usual.” Seeing that Lin Yanan was all smiles, with not a trace of irritation on her face, the regular customer couldn’t help but tease her.
“Don’t say that. When have I ever not rounded down for you? Do you think I’m usually stingy?” Lin Yanan deliberately put on a stern face, but the laughter in her eyes was about to spill over, making her look anything but intimidating. As they chatted, she couldn’t help but smile again: “But I am in a really good mood today. My son is coming home today—how could I not be happy?”
“Mingxuan’s coming back? No wonder you’re so happy.” The regular customer clearly knew a thing or two about the Zhang family: “But I thought the school break hadn’t started yet?”
“Well, his dad went to move some goods a few days ago and accidentally sprained his ankle. Mingxuan was worried, so he insisted on coming back over the weekend to check on him. No matter what his dad and I said, he wouldn’t listen. That kid is just so stubborn.” It sounded like a complaint, but if you listened closely to her tone, it was more like she was showing off.
“Mingxuan may not be very talkative, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s always been a dutiful child since he was little. You’ll be living the good life in the future, Mrs. Zhang!”
“Thanks for the good wishes!” Why did she feel so happy when others praised her son?
As the crowd gradually thinned out, Lin Yanan began helping to restock the shelves. Their family’s supermarket was on the first floor, while the second floor served as their living quarters. Each floor was 200 square meters—there was nothing wrong with building a larger home for their own family. Back when the area was being redeveloped, they owned far more land than this, but the rest had been converted into settlement payments. It was thanks to those payments, combined with their savings, that they were able to open the supermarket.
As the area continued to develop, their family gradually transitioned from living cramped in the small supermarket to their current enviable lifestyle.
Yimin Supermarket carries a pretty comprehensive selection. In addition to everyday household goods, they stock daily necessities specifically for the sick—like bedpans, adult diapers, and wheelchairs. They also offer foods popular with elementary school kids, such as grilled sausages, bubble tea, hamburgers, seaweed rice rolls, and fried skewers. These aren’t made in-house, though; they’re all purchased from outside vendors and sold as a side business.
Although the space is large, there’s a lot of merchandise. She has to hurry and organize everything while there are few customers, otherwise it looks messy to shoppers.
“Thanks, I…” After working for a while, Lin Yanan struggled to stack the boxes, but her arms were already aching, and she couldn’t lift them very high. Just then, someone suddenly reached out, took the boxes, and stacked them effortlessly. After thanking the person, Lin Yanan turned around and saw that it was her son who had returned.
“Mingxuan?” Lin Yanan’s eyes immediately lit up with joy. “You little rascal, why did you come back all by yourself? You should’ve called ahead so your dad could’ve picked you up.”
“Mom, you shouldn’t always do this kind of work by yourself. I think your back might be hurting again.” Mingxuan quickly finished organizing the remaining items and turned to see Lin Yanan secretly rubbing her back.
“I’m fine. I’ll just put a pain-relief patch on it when I get home. You look thinner to me. You need to eat well now that you’re back. “Old Zhang, our son’s back. Hurry to the shop on the street and get him some roast duck—his favorite.” Seeing the disapproval and concern in her son’s eyes, Lin Yanan quickly changed the subject.
“Alright, I’ll go right away.” Zhang Dachun was a quiet, unassuming man. Though he was delighted to see his son home, he didn’t say much, but the joy on his face was plain to see.
Zhang Mingxuan watched his parents, who were overjoyed to see him, and couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up. This was his safe haven; no matter when he returned, his heart always felt warm.
After Zhang Dachun left, Zhang Mingxuan naturally took over his duties. Once Lin Yanan had finished checking the delivery slip, he effortlessly moved the goods into the storage room, sparing her the slightest bit of trouble. Zhang Mingxuan had lived in the supermarket with his parents since childhood. Back then, they only had a small storefront where they not only sold goods but also lived. After finishing his homework in the back, the young Mingxuan would voluntarily come out to help with sales so his parents could get some rest. He had always been a quiet little sweetheart!
“Mingxuan, come upstairs for dinner. Let your brother Junhao watch the store for a bit first.” ” When it was time to eat, Lin Yanan called Zhang Mingxuan upstairs for dinner. In the evenings, there were fewer customers, so they usually had Luo Junhao eat early and watch the store while they went to eat. Since they were near the hospital, they generally stayed open until around 11 p.m. Sometimes, if someone urgently needed to buy something, they would open the store on short notice, which helped them build a good reputation.
“Okay, I’ll be right there.” Zhang Mingxuan smiled as he handed over the shift to Luo Junhao and handed him a bag of local specialties he’d brought back specially. Usually, he didn’t have time to come home while at school, so the more Luo Junhao could look after the shop, the more at ease he felt while he was away.
“You must be starving. Come eat. Here, this is your favorite roast duck, and their homemade mini roll pancakes.” At the dinner table, Lin Yanan pushed Zhang Mingxuan’s favorite foods toward him.
“I’ve been craving this ever since I left for school.” He spread a layer of homemade sweet-and-spicy sauce on a thin wrap, then piled on roast duck, shredded cucumber, shredded potato, and scallions before rolling it up. Taking a bite was simply divine.
Watching Zhang Mingxuan devour one after another, Lin Yanan and Zhang Dachun beamed with joy. But life isn’t always smooth sailing; unexpected surprises you’d rather not see or hear about always find their way into your life.
“It’s your mom calling.” The phone rang. Lin Yanan scowled and tossed the phone to Zhang Dachun.
“Hello… Mom, it’s Dachun.” Zhang Dachun glanced at his wife, then at his son, unsure whether to answer the call. But the caller on the other end was relentless, dialing back again after a short while. Finally, with no other choice, Zhang Dachun tremblingly pressed the power button on his phone.
“You still know how to answer the phone? You still know you’re my son? What’s the matter? Now that you’re rich and successful, you’ve forgotten about your old mother…” The moment he answered, Zhang Dachun was hit with a barrage of criticism. Seeing the look on his face, Lin Yanan knew exactly what had been said. She immediately took the phone and set it aside to play with it; even without putting it on speaker, the other person’s voice was clear enough for all three of them to hear. The warm and pleasant atmosphere that had been there was instantly replaced by a sense of oppression because of this single phone call.