Chapter 504 | Chapter 505 | Chapter 506
Chapter 504: Preparing to Open the General Store
“Go ahead and take Yi Yi back after dinner.”
“It’s dark and the roads aren’t easy to navigate. Don’t let it delay her school tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to worry about your mother-in-law’s side. It’s the perfect opportunity to let Old Fourth take good care of her and thoroughly reflect on his actions.”
If seeing Mother Gu lying on the hospital bed suffering and exhausted couldn’t wake Gu Tinghao up, then this man was truly beyond saving.
“Alright, Grandma, please don’t worry.”
Hearing the words of the two elders, Sheng Wanyan felt relieved. She had been worried that if she went back, there would be no one to take care of Mother Gu, especially since Eldest Sister-in-law Gu was pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to move around.
However, she had only been at school for a little over half a month, so she absolutely could not take any leave. The professors for her major classes wouldn’t agree to it either.
Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao headed back after dinner. Before leaving, Gu Tingxiao went to the hospital to deliver food to Father Gu and the others.
When he arrived, Mother Gu had already woken up. She just stared out the window in silence, completely ignoring Gu Tinghao, who was kneeling to one side.
But the sheer disappointment in her eyes toward Gu Tinghao was plain for everyone to see.
Upon returning to their courtyard near Peking University, Sheng Wanyan resumed her normal routine.
“Tomorrow morning when I get up, I’ll brew some chicken soup. Keep an eye on the fire for me, and you can deliver it to Mom in the afternoon.”
Sheng Wanyan couldn’t truly ignore Mother Gu. Even if she couldn’t be there in person, she could still prepare plenty of things.
“Alright.”
Gu Tingxiao naturally had no objections. It was just that his wife had to work a bit harder, waking up early every morning to brew chicken soup.
“Oh right, Wife, Mom sent a letter. She said she’s setting off for the Capital tomorrow.”
“She’ll arrive in a week.”
Hearing this, Sheng Wanyan nodded. Once Mother Sheng arrived, the general store could officially open for business.
She needed to find a warehouse to store the goods from her space first, and then find someone to haul them over here. Otherwise, Gu Tingxiao would definitely become suspicious.
The next day at noon, Sheng Wanyan started looking for a warehouse nearby. After searching for two days, she actually managed to find a small warehouse of about twenty square meters.
Sheng Wanyan placed the vegetables and meat to be consumed from her space into the warehouse, along with the inventory she had plundered from over a dozen large supermarkets in her previous life.
Flour, rice, noodles, notebooks, pencils, candies, pastries, shampoo, body wash, and so on.
There was a massive variety of everything, and she prepared them all, tearing off all the modern labels and replacing the packagings with transparent wrappers.
She brought out everything that could pass off as acceptable in this era. Her inventory wouldn’t have any problem lasting a good ten or eight years.
Since there was no surveillance equipment nowadays, she had to seize this window of opportunity to make a fortune.
Once the warehouse was ready, Sheng Wanyan hired someone to help haul the goods to the general store under the cover of night.
When Grandfather Sheng and Grandma Sheng saw this, they came over to help arrange everything. In the future, this general store would be the place where the two elders killed time.
It was for the best that they became fully acquainted with the placement of various items and their prices.
Sheng Wanyan began writing out the prices of the goods and pasting them onto the shelves so that customers could see them at a glance when buying things.
“Grandpa, Grandma, this is the price sheet. When you collect the money, just match it against this.”
Sheng Wanyan prepared a price sheet and placed it at the checkout area, neatly organized by category. Grandfather Sheng and Grandma Sheng would be able to understand it with a single glance.
“Alright.”
Having nothing else to do, the two elders often came over to look around. They were already very familiar with the place and knew exactly where everything belonged.
Sheng Wanyan double-checked the area to make sure nothing was missed.
When the time came, they could install a fan here—the kind that hung from the ceiling—so they could be more comfortable during the summer.
Sheng Wanyan and the two elders took the items out and neatly arranged them. Each shelf held a different category of goods, and at the very top of the shelves, there was a sign indicating the general section.
Categories like “Daily Necessities,” “School Supplies,” “Meat and Vegetables,” “Grain and Staples,” “Snacks,” “Pastries,” “Sundries,” and “Fruits” were all written out plain as day.
This way, as soon as people walked in, they would know roughly which direction to head for the items they wanted.
It was convenient for the customers, and it also made it easy for the family to restock.
Sheng Wanyan’s prices were one dime higher than those at the supply and marketing cooperative, but she didn’t require any ration coupons!
She knew endless people would be thrilled to buy from her. After all, nowadays, coupons were far more valuable than cash.
“There’s no need to register every single item you sell; just log the inventory when it’s taken out of the warehouse.”
“If you two get hungry or thirsty while you’re here, just go straight to the warehouse and grab something to eat. Don’t worry about accounting for it.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t impose so many rules on her own family. Her main goal was to give the elders something to do while earning a bit of pocket money.
Once they expanded later on or hired outside help, it wouldn’t be too late to establish strict rules.
“These are all things that bring in money. Your grandpa and I won’t eat them.”
Grandma Sheng was used to being frugal. In her eyes, these goods represented her granddaughter’s hard-earned money, and she couldn’t bear to spend it.
“Grandma, when you’re bored here during the day, just eat some snacks to pass the time.”
“Our family has plenty to eat, so don’t skimp on yourselves.”
“Besides, consider this employee benefits.”
Working at the general store naturally came with employee perks. Even when they hired staff in the future, there would be an employee discount for purchases.
“Alright, alright, we won’t skimp, we won’t skimp.”
Grandma Sheng knew her temperament well. If the two elders didn’t agree, this granddaughter of theirs would nag them the entire day.
“Oh right, Grandpa, Grandma.”
“If Yi Yi comes over, absolutely do not give her any snacks.”
Sheng Wanyan gave them a preventative warning first, just in case the two elders couldn’t resist secretly feeding Yi Yi snacks.
Usually, whenever Yi Yi went over to their place, the two elders would secretly give her treats. Yi Yi would finish eating them in the room like a little mouse before coming out.
Sheng Wanyan had seen it before but chose to turn a blind eye to avoid playing the villain.
But with an entire general store sitting right here, if Yi Yi really ate snacks constantly, it would be disastrous. Did she still want her teeth or not?
The two elders nodded, though they couldn’t bear the thought of seeing the child’s longing eyes. When the time came, they would probably still sneak her a tiny bit.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t expect the two elders to refrain completely, but she only hoped they could exercise some restraint.
Eating snacks was fine, but it couldn’t be treated as a meal, and it was terrible for the teeth.
“Yi Yi woke up today complaining of a toothache, so Grandpa and Grandma must remember this.”
“Don’t worry, your grandpa and I understand.”
Hearing that Yi Yi was complaining of a toothache, Grandma Sheng began to take it seriously as well. It seemed sweet treats really couldn’t be eaten too often; what if she turned into a girl with rotten black teeth in the future?
After tidying up the place, the three of them headed back. Gu Tingxiao was cooking at home, and dinner would be ready by the time she returned.
“How is Mom doing?”
“Her fever has gone down. She just needs a few days of quiet rest before she can be discharged.”
“Who’s looking after her?”
“Dad goes during the day, and Gu Tinghao goes after his classes end at night.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded. It was fine as long as someone was looking after her, but the chicken soup couldn’t stop.
“That’s good then. Still, Mom’s body needs nourishing, so send soup over every day.”
“Did you buy the pig’s trotters I asked you to get?”
“I did, they’re in the kitchen.”
Hearing this, Sheng Wanyan nodded. She would prepare pig’s trotter soup for Mother Gu tomorrow, and she could also make braised pig’s trotters to eat.
The couple worked in seamless harmony to get through the next few days. Gu Tingxiao shuttled back and forth between the city, Peking University, and the Beijing Dance Academy every day, while Sheng Wanyan prepared nutritious soup for Mother Gu without fail.
Chapter 505: Mother Gu is Discharged; Wang Chunmei and Gu Jinmin Lie in Wait
Gu Tingxiao wouldn’t be back so early, so Sheng Wanyan went to pick up Yi Yi herself.
Sheng Wanyan took out ten slices of century-old ginseng and had Gu Tingxiao bring them along to nourish Mother Gu’s body.
Gu Tingxiao had always blindly followed Sheng Wanyan’s instructions without question. When Mother Gu saw the ginseng slices, she was scared half to death.
“Old Third, take this back.”
“Save it for Yi Yi to use in the future.”
Mother Gu had nearly recovered and could be discharged the next day.
She could clearly see the filial piety of Old Third’s branch. Gu Tingxiao came every single afternoon, and every time he arrived, he carried a thermos of soup brewed by her third daughter-in-law.
It was either chicken soup, pig’s trotter soup, or bone broth—all packed with meat.
She was well aware of how good Old Third’s wife was being to her; she wasn’t a blind mother-in-law. Besides, with Wang Chunmei as a stark contrast, Mother Gu’s requirements for her other two daughters-in-law had become exceptionally lenient.
“My wife told me to give it to you.”
Gu Tingxiao just repeated this phrase over and over, unable to squeeze out a single extra word. Mother Gu really couldn’t out-argue him, so she could only accept it.
She would return the favor in the future when Old Third’s branch needed it. If not, she would keep it safe for Yi Yi to use as a dowry later on.
A girl needed a substantial dowry so she wouldn’t suffer grievances at her in-laws’ house.
Mother Gu was discharged the following day. Gu Tinghao reported to her bedside every single night, looking as though he had grown up overnight, appearing much more mature and grounded.
People were just like that sometimes; they could go a lifetime without growing up, yet a single event could force them to mature in an instant.
Looking at him, Mother Gu felt a pang of sorrow, and the lingering anger in her heart had long since faded.
“Take Jingjing back with you this weekend.”
“As a father, you let that child live away from her parents for so many years just because of Wang Chunmei.”
“Now you should make proper amends to her.”
“Your eldest sister-in-law is pregnant and doesn’t have that much time to help look after the child for you.”
Mother Gu sighed. Jingjing hadn’t been by her parents’ side these past few years, and as a child, it was impossible for her not to long for a father’s love.
Now that Wang Chunmei was gone, her Jingjing should return to her father’s side and be a child who was cherished by a doting dad.
Returning now meant there wouldn’t be that unreliable mother to abuse her, allowing the father and daughter to properly build their bond.
“Alright.”
“Treat Jingjing well. You must remember that both you and Wang Chunmei have wronged her.”
“I know…”
Gu Tinghao’s voice hitched slightly. At the end of the day, after all these years, he had managed to do right by everyone else.
He had even done right by a bastard child, yet the only one he had wronged was his own biological daughter.
“Your eldest brother and sister-in-law have helped look after Jingjing and the elders for years without a single complaint.”
“Your third brother and sister-in-law tried everything they could to pull Jingjing out of that miserable pit.”
“Old Fourth… you failed as a father, you failed as a grandson and a son, and you failed as a brother.”
With every word Mother Gu spoke, Gu Tinghao’s head dropped an inch lower. He knew the foolish things he had done in the past, and he had no face to see anyone, let alone argue back.
“I only hope you won’t be so muddled in the future.”
Having said her piece, Mother Gu turned her head away, leaving him to sit there and reflect thoroughly on his actions.
Gu Tinghao sat to one side with bloodshot eyes, not daring to speak, his presence noticeably more restrained and mature.
If Mother Gu hadn’t seen that he truly recognized his mistakes and had grown from them, she wouldn’t have said so much to him today.
She also felt pained that Old Fourth had met the wrong person, resulting in a fractured household and a broken family, but she felt even more pained for Jingjing, that poor, ill-fated child.
The next day, Mother Gu was discharged and returned home to rest quietly, slowly recovering from the shock of recent events.
When they arrived back at the military compound, they spotted Wang Chunmei and Gu Jinmin again. Gu Jinmin’s clothes were completely covered in dirt, and he had thinned down significantly.
Wang Chunmei looked even worse; her face bore visible injuries, and her hair was a disheveled mess—a clear sign that she had been thrashed by the adulterer’s legal wife.
Seeing them return, she scrambled forward and fell to her knees, begging for Mother Gu’s forgiveness.
“Mother-in-law, I beg you.”
“No matter what, I still gave birth to a daughter for the Gu family!”
“Jinmin has also shared a bond with you for three years, you can’t be this heartless!”
“I swear, I’ll definitely live a proper life from now on and won’t just focus on my maiden family.”
Wang Chunmei begged incessantly, pulling Gu Jinmin along. Half of the 200 yuan she had been given had already vanished over the past few days.
Finding a place to stay, eating, drinking, and basic survival all cost money, not to mention her hand needed its dressings changed.
She had always been a spendthrift and had long lost the ability to control her spending habits.
Moreover, having Gu Jinmin with her meant even higher expenses; she had never lived such a destitute life before.
In her heart, she continuously blamed the Gu family for being heartless and cruel, and she hated Gu Tinghao even more for disregarding their years of marriage by divorcing her the second he said so.
But she had no other choice, no way to make a living, and her job had been stripped away because of this scandal.
That man wouldn’t care about the mother and son either—after all, how could he dare offend the Gu family?
Furthermore, the entire factory residential compound knew about these matters. His own job was on the line, and his wife and children were clamoring for a divorce and a division of property, leaving him completely unable to look after himself.
“Get lost!”
“Don’t mention that bastard to me!”
The moment Mother Gu saw her, her fury flared instantly. She directly kicked her away, her chest heaving violently from anger.
Seeing this, Father Gu quickly ushered her inside. Gu Tinghao followed behind with a dark expression while Gu Jinmin burst into loud wails, running up to clamp himself around Gu Tinghao’s leg.
“Daddy! Grandma!”
“Xiaomin knows he was wrong, I won’t argue with Little Sister Yi Yi ever again.”
“Daddy… waaaah…”
“Xiaomin won’t snatch things from Little Sister Yi Yi anymore, I’ll never snatch again.”
“Grandma, don’t throw Xiaomin away… waaaah…”
Hearing these words, Gu Tinghao felt an intense bitterness in his heart, and Mother Gu felt even more wretched.
“I am not your father.”
“Don’t ever show your face in front of us again.”
Gu Tinghao felt conflicted looking at him, utterly unwilling to face this child.
On one hand, he wished he could strangle him to death, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but think of their years of father-son affection.
He was caught entirely in the middle, and whatever he did felt wrong.
“I am not your grandmother. In the future… don’t come back.”
Mother Gu’s voice trembled with a sob. She didn’t dare turn back to look at him, fearing that a single glance would make her heart soften, yet also fearing she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from strangling him.
“Grandma!!!”
“I am not your grandmother!”
“You are not a child of the Gu family! Your surname is Zhang!”
From now on, there would be no Gu Jinmin in this world, only Zhang Jinmin. His biological father’s surname was Zhang.
When they divorced, Grandfather Gu had strictly ordered that the surname must be changed. The Gu family would not allow it, and given his identity, he wasn’t worthy of it either!
Clutching her chest, Mother Gu was supported inside by Father Gu, walking forward without looking back even once.
“Grandma! Don’t leave Xiaomin behind!”
“Waaaah…”
A three-year-old child could only use crying to express his terror. He didn’t understand why everything had turned upside down in an instant.
Gu Tinghao took a deep breath, pried the boy’s hands off him, turned around, and walked inside.
“Daddy!”
“Daddy! Do you not want Xiaomin anymore?”
“Daddy!”
Gu Jinmin ran after him while crying, but in the end, he was blocked at the gates of the military compound. The mother and son were once again shut out.
Mother Gu directly sent a warning to the Wang family: if they allowed Wang Chunmei to harass the Gu family again, the Gu family would have no choice but to teach the Wang family a lesson.
Chapter 506: The General Store Opens! “Yi Yi’s General Store”
The Wang family had no choice but to take the mother and son away. As for how they would be settled, it was no longer the Gu family’s concern.
Mother Gu only hoped that Wang Chunmei and Gu Jinmin—no, Zhang Jinmin—would never show their faces in front of her again.
Terrified that the Gu family might actually take action against them, the Wang family quickly relocated the mother and son, and they never appeared before the Gu family again.
Knowing that Mother Gu had been discharged, Sheng Wanyan intentionally had Gu Tingxiao take Yi Yi back to live with her for two days to comfort the elderly woman.
Sheng Wanyan had to prepare for the store’s opening and didn’t have much time to rush back and forth. She needed to get everything arranged before Gu Tingxiao returned to Bingcheng.
Over the weekend, Gu Tinghao brought Gu Jingjing back to the government residential compound. Knowing she was returning to live with her father, Gu Jingjing felt a little anxious.
Yet, when she realized her mother would never come back, a wave of profound relief washed over her, completely eclipsing her anxiety and fear. She could finally return to her own home. She no longer had to lodge at her eldest aunt’s house, and returning home meant she never had to worry about being abused by her mother again.
Gu Jingjing also needed to attend school. Although it was inconvenient for Gu Tinghao to raise a daughter by himself, Mother Gu knew that Gu Jingjing had to be sent back sooner or later.
Eldest Sister-in-law Gu was pregnant with her second child, making it unsuitable for Gu Jingjing to continue living there. Eldest Sister-in-law Gu had already been exceptionally kind and generous to do what she did over the past few years.
At the very least, she had acted far more decently than Gu Tinghao and Wang Chunmei, the child’s biological parents.
Since both Gu Tinghao and Gu Jingjing had school, he would drop her off before his classes and pick her up afterward. Life wasn’t unmanageable.
As for their three daily meals, with money and coupons in hand, they certainly wouldn’t starve.
At most, Gu Tinghao would just have to work a bit harder, but as a father, working hard for his own child was exactly as it should be.
Mother Gu no longer intended to share his burdens. The more she helped him, the less he would grow, and the more muddled his mind would remain.
Life in the Gu family slowly returned to its proper track, and Mother Sheng finally arrived in the Capital!
This meant that Sheng Wanyan’s general store could officially open for business!
Gu Tingxiao drove out to pick Mother Sheng up. The moment she arrived, Mother Sheng headed straight for the general store without even stopping to rest.
“Wanyan, you’ve got everything sorted out?”
Seeing that the general store was fully organized and ready for its grand opening, Mother Sheng couldn’t contain her delight.
“Yes. Mom, let’s eat first.”
“After dinner, once you’ve had a good rest, I’ll go over the details with you.”
“Alright, alright, let’s eat first.”
Mother Sheng was overjoyed. She gathered Huzi and Yi Yi into her arms and gave them both a big kiss. From now on, she could stay right by her children’s side.
Just thinking about it filled her with happiness; she would never have to suffer the pangs of longing again.
“I brought things for the in-laws this time. You guys can take them over later.”
Mother Sheng hadn’t just brought things for the Gu family; she hadn’t forgotten the Pan family either. During her last visit, she had gone to check on the two elders of the Pan family, and they were both in excellent health.
“Mom, why did you bring so many things?”
Pan Yue was stunned by the sheer volume of items she had brought. Mother Sheng had practically moved half their household over; she had no idea how the woman had managed it all by herself.
“It’s not much. Leaving them at home would be useless anyway.”
“Besides, now that I’m here, I’m not leaving. Your dad can just make do at the cafeteria by himself.”
“Leaving them at home would just be a waste.”
Mother Sheng spoke without blushing or missing a beat, completely disregarding Father Sheng.
Father Sheng, who was entirely alone back home: “…” Am I not worthy?
Sheng Wanyan laughed upon hearing this. Mother Sheng was the absolute empress at home; whatever she said went.
“Your mother is right.”
Grandma Sheng chimed in to agree. She didn’t feel an ounce of pity for her own son, choosing instead to back Mother Sheng up.
Left with no alternative, Pan Yue and Sheng Wanyan could only follow Mother Sheng’s instructions and planned to deliver the items when they had a free moment.
After resting for the night, Mother Sheng spent the next day learning about the placement and prices of the various goods in the store.
When Sheng Wanyan finished her classes, she also went over to brief Grandfather Sheng, Grandma Sheng, and Mother Sheng on a few important guidelines.
“Suppliers will come to deliver goods every month. When the time comes, just count the stock, log them into the warehouse, and settle the payment.”
Sheng Wanyan had previously asked Gu Tingxiao to help her secure a few factory suppliers. The volume wasn’t massive, but it established a steady supply chain.
This was also to lay the groundwork for the future. After all, these connections would definitely come in handy in a few years, so it was best to build a rapport now.
“Everyone will line up here to pay. When customers come in to buy things, they cannot bring their own personal bags inside.”
“We have designated shopping baskets here. They can just take one to pick out their items.”
“We’ve placed a special mark on every single piece of merchandise. That way, if any dispute arises, we’ll have proof.”
“There are storage lockers by the entrance for people’s belongings. This will help prevent shoplifting.”
This was the only method Sheng Wanyan could think of. In this era, there was no electronic surveillance, making many things highly inconvenient.
“This is a brilliant idea. It will definitely keep people from stealing.”
“Exactly. There are all kinds of people out there these days, so it’s best to be cautious.”
“Let’s paste a notice by the door that reads ‘Shoplifters will be reported to the public security.’ That way, everyone will see it the moment they walk in.”
The moment Grandfather Sheng spoke, Grandma Sheng and Mother Sheng immediately nodded in agreement. This was indeed an excellent deterrent.
We’ve already given you fair warning; if you still choose to steal, that’s your own problem.
“That works. Let’s also paste one in front of the cashier’s desk, and at the entrance and exit of every single aisle.”
Sheng Wanyan had almost forgotten about this touch. This way, if anyone harbored illicit intentions, they would look up and see those words, which would naturally give them pause.
She left this task to Gu Tingxiao. He could find an acquaintance to print them out directly as banners to hang around the shop.
Gu Tingxiao worked efficiently, bringing the banners back the very next day. One was hung over the entrance, and others were placed all around the interior of the shop.
As long as a person wasn’t blind, they would see them the moment they raised their head.
Very quickly, Mother Sheng grasped everything she needed to know. The following day, the store officially opened for business!
Opening a shop in this era was quite simple. All it took was setting off a string of firecrackers and holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony to bring in some good fortune.
A plaque hung above the entrance: “Yi Yi’s General Store.” It was named after Yi Yi—simple, yet memorable to the public.
The neighbors from all around gathered to join in the excitement. When they realized this general store was opened by Sheng Wanyan, they were completely shocked.
They truly hadn’t expected their new neighbor to be this wealthy, managing to set up a whole general store in less than a month.
Knowing that the general store was opening today, Father Gu and Mother Gu intentionally took a day off to come and show their support.
They even brought two strings of firecrackers and various items traditionally used for a grand opening. Walnuts and red dates were prepared and set out on a table in the courtyard for everyone to share.
Instantly, the entire opening ceremony became incredibly lively.
Sheng Wanyan and Pan Yue had classes and couldn’t stay to watch the festivities, but Yi Yi was deeply curious. She explicitly begged Gu Tingxiao to bring her over to watch before she had to go to her dance class in the afternoon.
At this very moment, she was fully aware that this general store belonged to her family. After all, she recognized the two characters for “Yi Yi” written on the sign!
Looking at the immense variety of food inside, Yi Yi couldn’t help but drool. From now on, she would have endless delicious treats to eat.
