October 20th, the original owner finally began moving their belongings to vacate the storefront. Until then, the formalities for the transfer between both parties had not yet been fully completed. Because of the several days off during the National Day holiday, the process had taken a bit longer. Back then, Shenzhen was relatively efficient in handling such procedures. During the holiday, Li Juan and I were not idle either—we separately ran errands for the formalities or visited building material markets to pre-order renovation materials.
A week later, the storefront was finally emptied, and the formalities were also completed.
Seeing the interior of the storefront in a complete mess, I was deeply taken aback and said with dismay, "How could it be in such a state?"
Li Juan said, "It was a small restaurant that had been operating for five or six years. Once emptied, none of them look good."
I asked, "If we do the preliminary renovation work ourselves, how much money do you think we could save?"
She said, "Good sister, drop that idea! Some tasks are not meant for women like us. If we insist on doing them ourselves, we’ll end up wasting effort and time, and we won’t save much money either. We should save where we can, but we must be willing to spend where necessary."
I said, "I’ll listen to you. I know nothing about these matters, so you’ll have to take the lead."
She asked, "How much authority will you give me?"
I said, "Full authority."
She asked, "Even the authority to act first and report later?"
I said, "Yes!"
The night university had entered its exam period, and it was said the exam questions were more difficult than in previous years. I dared not take it lightly and was more than happy for her to take charge alone. And to avoid distracting me, she was also willing to take charge alone. After the construction team started work, Li Juan supervised the construction at the storefront every day, fearing that something might not be done properly here or there. Meanwhile, I spent my days reviewing at "home," hardly distracted. I only had two tasks to do—when she returned, I would make her a cup of tea. After she drank a few sips and rested for a while, I would accompany her to the "Clear Water Public Bathhouse" for a bath. After the bath, I would accompany her to dinner and order the dishes she liked. Back at "home," she would spread the drawings she had made on the bed and report to me about where additional electrical circuits were needed, where water pipes had to be connected, what color the walls should be painted, what size floor tiles to choose, and so on. Honestly, my head would spin just hearing about these things. I felt as if she were renovating a home she would live in for a long time, worrying about it but also enjoying it. Yet, I couldn’t share in her joy at all. I simply thought that she and I needed a relatively fixed "little nest," and we would pay ourselves salaries, no longer having to put up with any boss’s attitude.
I did well in the exams, and to congratulate me, Gao Xiang and Director Li treated me to a meal together. By then, my relationship with Teacher Gao Xiang had already become quite good. That misunderstanding had actually brought us closer. I no longer felt constrained in front of him, nor did I feel the guilt of once regarding him as a "swindler and a bad person." During the meal, Director Li mentioned that there were too many students in that year’s class and too many exam papers, making the grading pressure quite heavy. He asked if I would be willing to serve as a temporary secretary to assist the grading team.
Hearing this, I panicked and said, "I’m also a student. How could I possibly have the qualifications to grade exams?"
Teacher Gao Xiang explained that it wasn’t about grading exams but about serving as a liaison between the grading teams of different majors, collecting information in real time and reporting promptly to the working group so they could stay updated on various situations and progress.Teacher Gao Xiang said that night university was still a university after all, and its diploma was nationally recognized; the grading work was serious, and any cheating would be considered a criminal offense. The previous liaison had encountered issues again. And he felt that I was a student who could not only keep secrets but also had no complicated social connections, so he recommended me as a temporary replacement.
Director Li added, "Teacher Gao has a sharp eye for people, and I trust his judgment. Moreover, we have conducted necessary investigations on you. This job will last at most a month, at least over twenty days, but the pay is generous—eight thousand yuan regardless of the duration."
I thought of Li Juan, who had been handling the storefront renovation almost entirely on her own, sometimes even having to do manual work herself, starting early and finishing late, working extremely hard. Her hands had already suffered minor injuries multiple times. I initially intended to decline outright. But as soon as I heard the words "eight thousand yuan," I was immediately tempted, secretly delighted—it was the amount I could earn after working for over three months!
Suppressing my excitement, I pretended to be calm and asked what specific requirements there were.
Director Li said there were no unusual demands, just that I would have to stay confined in a place with the grading teachers, unable to leave the compound and cut off from any contact with others. Because the discipline was strict, the compensation was high.
I asked for a day to think it over, and both Teacher Gao and Director Li happily agreed.
After the meal, Teacher Gao invited me to his photo studio, saying he had something to give me. I had already developed trust and goodwill toward him, so naturally, I didn’t refuse.
On the way, I asked him why he recommended me.
He said, "I explained it clearly to Director Li during the meal."
I asked again, "Do you really think you know me well?"
He said, "For me, understanding a person is sometimes simple. Even understanding a very complex person is just a matter of looking a few more times."
"Can you read faces?"
I was secretly surprised and grew wary of him again. Because I never believed in things like fortune-telling or face-reading. Anyone who claimed to have such abilities was, in my eyes, nothing but a charlatan.
He countered, "Do you like watching movies?"
I said, "Yes."
He asked again, "Do you know what a facial close-up is?"
I said, "Yes."
"Even if a person is complex, that complexity cannot fail to reflect on their face at all. In movies, that relies on acting skills. So, facial close-ups are used to magnify that performed complexity as much as possible, so even less perceptive viewers can see it. And photographers are all perceptive people. Sometimes when we take portraits, we like to capture candid shots. What do we capture? Nothing more than subtle expressions on people’s faces that others might miss—expressions that might reflect the good side of a person’s heart or the dirty, vulgar side. Some people may appear dignified on the surface, but through the magnifying lens, we photographers see faces full of indulgence, greed, and hypocrisy. Others may be plain-looking or even ugly, but through the lens, we perceive kind eyes and a clean face. Ancient Chinese people said, 'A righteous heart shines through the eyes,' and 'the face reflects the heart.' There is definitely some scientific truth to that. I’ve observed countless people through the camera lens, so even if I couldn’t read faces before, I can now. Remember my words—an ugly face is one thing, but an ugly countenance is another. An ugly face is due to the features, while an ugly countenance is the manifestation of the heart."Teacher Gao had two beers that day and became noticeably more talkative. His explanation dispelled the doubts I had begun to harbor about him.
At his photo studio, he gave me several photographs he had taken of me, each framed in different sizes. The largest was magazine-sized, the smallest just a few inches, all in black and white. He also handed me the negatives. While placing the photos into a paper bag, he said, "Keep up your good habit of reading. Among Chinese people today, faces with a scholarly air are becoming rare."
I was secretly startled again, as I had never mentioned any hobbies to him.
As he saw me out, he added, "Eight thousand yuan should cover your rent for over half a year. Don’t let down Director Li’s kindness."
Then I understood—he had recommended me partly because of that eight thousand yuan, which was, first and foremost, an act of goodwill toward me.
When I entered the "home," I saw Li Juan fast asleep in her clothes, one shoe off and the other still on her foot. The work clothes she wore were splattered with white and colored specks of plaster. She lay face down on the bed, hugging a pillow, her head turned to the side, drool trickling from the corner of her mouth and soaking the bedsheet. She looked like a colorful, feigning-death lizard.
As I removed her shoe, she woke up.
She greatly admired my photos, repeatedly saying they "captured my essence."
"Hey, Wan Zhi, you may not be considered pretty, but it’s absolutely true that you have good presence. The saying 'what you sow is what you reap' isn’t entirely accurate. Even the same seed depends on where it’s planted. If I had been born into a good family, even with an Adoptive Father who was a county magistrate, my face wouldn’t be so devoid of any refined presence! Hey, look at me, look at me—what kind of presence do I have on my face?"
Having caught up on sleep and not having chatted idly with me for days, she was in high spirits for conversation.
Deep down, I felt she deserved some kind of reward. With no bonus or prize available, spiritual encouragement was essential. So, I put on a solemn expression and said, "You have the aura of a heroine."
"Really?..."
She searched everywhere for the small mirror—the one I had kept from Yao Yun’s belongings.
I said, "Here it is."
She picked up the mirror, smoothed her hair, and asked while looking into it, "Where can you see it?"
I said, "Between your brows."
She asked, "Where is 'between the brows'?"
I said, "The space between your eyebrows."
She leaned closer to the mirror, squinting as she examined herself. "I can’t see it myself. There’s nothing there." Clearly, she was deliberately trying to amuse me.
I said, "A heroine’s aura can’t always be worn on the face. It’s usually invisible, only appearing occasionally. When it does, your whole face glows with heroism..."
"Hold on, sis—which 'heroism' are you talking about?"
"Of course, the heroism of a heroine—like in the old saying, 'unmoved even if Mount Tai collapses before you, unshaken even if a fierce tiger roars behind you'... it’s... it’s..."
I couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing.
Li Juan said, "Sis, do you really think I’m so foolish that I can’t tell you’re just trying to cheer me up? To be honest, I was also trying to cheer you up! This time, I didn’t say anything to hurt your delicate little heart, did I?"
I didn’t know what else to say, so I just shook my head with a smile.
She said, "Then let’s get to the point—how did the exam go?"
I said, "I feel pretty good about it." Then I laid out the opportunity to earn eight thousand yuan and asked for her opinion."Agree to it! Agree to it! Don't hesitate, and absolutely don't refuse! No refusal! Understand? Don't worry about me, I can handle it. You must earn that eight thousand yuan for both of us! Eight thousand—that's no small amount! Good sister, with that extra eight thousand, it'll make a huge difference for our renovation!..."
I had never seen her so elated.
At noon on New Year's Day 2004, I was still confined at the grading site, but we managed to meet—separated by the iron bars of two courtyard gates. I was inside, she was outside, the scene reminiscent of a prison visit.
White bandages were wrapped from the top of her head down to her chin, and her appearance truly startled me.
She said half a tile had fallen on her head, but it was nothing serious, just a flesh wound.
My heart ached, and tears welled up in my eyes.
But she smiled and said she missed me, mainly wanting to see me, to tell me the renovation was progressing smoothly, everything was going as expected, so I could rest assured.
Saturday, January 17, 2004, was the day our supermarket officially opened. My "liaison officer" duties also ended, and I handed over the eight thousand yuan to Li Juan.
I hadn't been able to imagine what the renovation would look like. Several times I wanted to go see, but she wouldn't allow it, telling me to just wait until opening day. When I asked what she had named the shop, she was evasive, keeping it a secret, saying, "You'll find out on the day, won't you?"
Looking at the renovated storefront, I couldn't help but cry. I hugged Li Juan and said, "Juan, you've worked so hard!"
Although the bandages on her head had been changed, they still couldn't be removed yet.
She whispered in my ear, "Not hard at all, not hard at all—I'm very happy! It's still your contribution that's greater. Thanks to you earning that eight thousand yuan, it really came in handy during the final stages!"
The storefront Li Juan designed had a Russian style, which was rare in Shenzhen at the time. There were originally windows on both sides of the door, and she added wooden outer frames to them, making them quite attractive. With this decoration, the windows were no longer just windows—they became part of the scenery. She said they were mechanically pressed, very easy to make, and didn't cost much.
Almost all the girls from the packaging factory workshop came, which also gave me an unexpected surprise.
One girl said to me, "Sister Juan personally came to the factory to invite us—how could we not come to celebrate!"
I said, "If Zhao Ziwei finds out, you'll definitely get scolded when you go back."
The girls then clamored to tell me—Zhao Ziwei had gotten into trouble: gambling, smuggling, producing counterfeit goods, selling invoices, and possibly even involvement with drugs. In any case, he had many charges, and the combined crimes were serious. It was said he'd be locked up for seven or eight years. Moreover, his "chief secretary," that Sichuan "vase," had also been implicated. The packaging factory had been taken over by Zhao Laoda. Zhao Laoda was more upright than Zhao Ziwei, managed things properly, and the atmosphere in the factory was less oppressive. They no longer indoctrinated employees with "Zhao Yun culture," and "One Big, Two Upright, Three Unconcerned" was no longer used as a slogan...
In just two or three short months, some people's lives had taken such dramatic turns, filling me with endless wonder. Thinking about how I had been forced to go to great lengths to do utterly ridiculous things for Zhao Ziwei, I could only laugh at myself in silent self-mockery.
Teacher Gao and Director Li also came.
Li Juan insisted that I invite these two "somewhat distinguished" figures to lend their presence. I couldn't refuse her, so I invited them, and they happily agreed. By then, I had already become familiar friends with them.Since they had come, Li Juan arranged for them to cut the ribbon—the horizontal plaque, over half a meter wide and nearly three meters long, was still covered with red silk at that time. Li Juan was tight-lipped; I asked several times but couldn't pry the store name out of her.
Two pairs of scissors cut simultaneously, and the colored rope holding the red silk snapped. Amid the sound of firecrackers, the red silk drifted down and was caught by Li Juan and a young woman waiting below.
Then I saw the five purple characters on the horizontal plaque: "Immortal Peak Supermarket." The background featured a blue sky, white clouds, green hills, and red leaves—in one corner was the silhouette of a woman holding hands with a little girl.
Director Li said to Teacher Gao, "Doesn't the Russian-style storefront clash too much with this plaque?"
Teacher Gao replied, "I agree with you."
I quickly said to them, "Only compliments are allowed, not a single word of criticism!"
I knew that achieving what she had done, Li Juan had already exhausted her creativity to the fullest extent of her aesthetic sense.
Next, a truck arrived. Two young men, one on the truck and one on the ground, placed four flower baskets on either side of the entrance—one of them apologized to Li Juan, saying, "Please forgive us, there was a traffic jam on the way."
Li Juan said, "It's fine, not too late. You arrived just in time. We won't deduct your pay."
She also gave each of the young men a bottle of soda.
I asked, "Who sent us these flower baskets?"
She said, "Who would send us any? I paid for them. The organization and names were made up. Having them is better than not having them. The right atmosphere must be created."
She then pointed to the plaque and said to me, "Those two silhouettes are you and your Principal Mother when you were little."
Even if she hadn't said it, I would have known who those silhouettes were. Hearing her say it aloud still warmed my heart with emotion.
I asked, "Is using the words 'Immortal Peak' really a good idea?"
She said, "Yes! Absolutely. I thought of at least ten store names, and none were as good as 'Immortal Peak.' 'Immortal Peak' must be a high and beautiful place, capable of sparking pleasant imagination. Someone like me, for instance, would be drawn in just by seeing the words 'Immortal Peak'..."
Li Juan had distributed flyers in advance, and nearly a hundred people from two nearby neighborhoods came—men, women, old, young, adults, and children, all eager to go inside and shop. The flyers prominently read, "Grand Opening, Discounts for Customers." Being able to buy affordable goods is always something city residents never tire of.
Teacher Gao said to us, "You two hurry inside and start selling. Leave the welcoming and sending-off to Director Li and me!"
We quickly went into the store and got busy. At first, Li Juan was in charge of guiding customers, and I handled the cash. Accounting is my weak point, and before long, my mind felt like a bowl of paste. I was almost tempted to count on my fingers. Li Juan quickly took over for me, and I took on the guiding role. I wasn't much better at guiding customers either, as it was my first time "visiting" our supermarket, and I had no idea where anything was. Li Juan quickly called in a few young women from outside to help me. In the end, I just became a "greeter," standing at the entrance, constantly bowing, wearing a smile that was more flustered and delighted than I had ever managed in my life, and repeating, "Welcome" and "Please come again."
After more than two hours, the store was finally empty, and outside had quieted down considerably.
The cash drawer Li Juan was using was already overflowing, and she had resorted to using a plastic bucket to hold the money.
I asked, "Should I count it, or will you?"She said, "No need to count now. It's only noon, we'll have more income in the afternoon and evening. Let's count it all together after closing." With that, she poured the money from the drawer into a bucket and carried it up to the loft.
I picked up the broom and dustpan and went outside to sweep up the scattered paper scraps. As I swept, I turned around and saw Li Juan standing by the trash can on the sidewalk, smoking. I put down the broom and dustpan, walked over, and asked with a smile, "When did you start smoking?"
She smiled back and said, "I learned a long time ago, but I quit. Lately, there's been too much going on, and I couldn't help but start again. Don't worry, I didn't take these from our supermarket—I bought them myself."
I said, "I'm just worried you'll get addicted. It's not good for your health."
She immediately stubbed out the cigarette and said firmly, "I won't smoke again." Then she took the cigarette pack from her pocket and tossed it into the trash can without hesitation.
I said, "We should take a photo in front of the supermarket."
She replied, "Yes, I'll arrange that."
I said, "Earlier, I didn't have time to properly appreciate the inside of our new home."
She nudged me and said, "Then let me be your guide."
Li Juan had hired workers to paint the supermarket's ceiling with a pattern of blue skies, white clouds, and several birds in flight.
"Ordinary workers couldn't do this job. I hired artists from a decoration company. I thought, since this will also be our home from now on, why not make it beautiful?"
As she spoke, I was looking up.
I said, "I like it."
She said, "Maybe this expense was unnecessary. In other areas, I believe every penny was spent wisely."
I said, "This expense was worth it too."
When I turned to look at her, I saw she was on the verge of tears.
Surprised, I asked, "What's wrong?"
She said, "After all the hard work to make it like this, I was afraid you might not be satisfied."
I said, "I'm so satisfied I don't even know how to express it."
In truth, my aesthetic standards had dropped to zero at that moment. Everything I saw moved and impressed me deeply.
I couldn't help but hug her, and feeling that still wasn't enough to express my emotions, I kissed her.
Only then did she smile, a little embarrassed.
If I had been in charge, with such a limited budget, I could never have done it so well. And despite our small supermarket, there was even a dedicated children's area, with shelves for stationery, toys, and books, as well as rocking horses for kids to ride—one red and one yellow.
Juan said, "We're not trying to make a fortune from this small supermarket, right? A place like this can't make us rich anyway. Since we can't get rich, we might as well give up that dream and focus on making it a place where adults and children alike enjoy shopping. If people are willing to come and buy things, and if we have many returning customers, our little supermarket can last. Books are a must—whether people buy them or not is one thing, but whether we thought of having them is another. A children's area is also an attraction for adults. Having books adds a touch of culture to our little supermarket..."
Listening to her speak so logically, I almost wanted to hug and kiss her again.
At noon, just as we were about to go up to the loft to rest, a customer came in. He looked to be in his fifties and was wearing a pair of white gloves. The gloves puzzled both Juan and me.
Juan asked him what he wanted to buy.
He didn't say clearly, just wandered around, looking here and there.I whispered uneasily to Juan, "Could they be here to cause trouble?"
Juan said, "They don't look like bad people. Don't worry about anything, I'm here."
The man finally stopped in front of us and struck up a conversation, asking, "Which of you is the boss?"
I quickly said, "I am."
The man looked me over and asked, "Are you from Guizhou?"
I said, "Yes."
"From Yu County?"
"Yes."
"But you're not from Shenxianding, are you?"
"No, I'm not."
"Have you been there?"
"Yes."
"You've certainly chosen an interesting name for your supermarket."
Li Juan couldn't help interjecting, "Sir, please just say directly what you want."
"Don't misunderstand, ladies. I'm from Shenxianding in Guizhou. I drive a small truck doing individual deliveries. I was passing by when I saw the words 'Shenxianding' and felt a sense of familiarity, so I turned my truck around and came back..."
The man handed me his business card.
I said, "I'm not someone who likes to claim fellow townsmen, especially not with people from Shenxianding."
The man looked embarrassed.
Li Juan reacted quickly, smiling as she asked, "Are you perhaps looking to discuss delivery business?"
She took the business card for me.
"Yes, yes, nothing else, just what you mentioned..."
The man spoke with genuine sincerity, then turned his face toward me, looking at me with hopeful eyes as if to say, "This is beneficial for both of us, don't reject it outright!"
The supermarket was already connected with the words "Shenxianding," reflecting Li Juan's deep affection for me, which I had to accept gladly. But a man from Shenxianding suddenly appearing before me brought me no joy at all. On the contrary, it caused me great psychological discomfort. In Shenxianding, there was already a "whole nest" of people surnamed He and their descendants who had become involved in my life in ways both relevant and irrelevant, making my existence no longer easy—I certainly didn't want to form any relationship with another person from Shenxianding! I looked out the window.
Li Juan said, "Boss, why don't you step aside? Let me handle the business matters."
I turned and headed toward the ladder leading to the loft bed, while Li Juan gestured toward the door for the man to follow.
The loft bed had about thirty square meters of space for sitting and lying down, noticeably larger than a small hotel room. Aside from not being able to stand up straight, it was quite a nice shared space for two working girls, and its privacy was unquestionable. On both sides were rows of shelves for storing miscellaneous items, books, and folded clothes; in the middle was a long table with drawers, where we could eat or write. None of the wooden items were painted, retaining the natural color and grain of the wood. Apart from the scent of the wood itself, there were no other odors.
Thinking back to when I first arrived in Shenzhen, Li Juan, Qian Qian, and I shared a truck compartment, with barely enough room to roll over. A little over a year later, Li Juan and I had actually opened a small supermarket and had such a spacious place to sleep, no longer needing to spend money on renting a place—I suddenly began to feel grateful for my working life, and my affection for Li Juan grew even stronger. If Juan hadn't been in my life, how could I have become a small business owner? Even if I had the desire and the money, I wouldn't have had the courage or ability to do it on my own!
When I came down from the loft bed, Li Juan had already prepared two boxes of instant noodles.
She smiled and asked, "How does it feel?"
I said, "Like a dream, but better than a good dream."
Juan said the man from Shenxianding was named Zhang Jiagui. He had come to Shenzhen not long after its development began and had already established his own small transportation company, with over a dozen delivery trucks.
As we ate our instant noodles, we chatted about Zhang Jiagui.
At the time, I had no idea that he was the man who, over twenty years ago, should have become my eldest sister's husband but ended up in prison for killing a cow. Such matters are usually resolved with compensation nowadays, but back then, he couldn't afford to pay, so he had to serve a prison sentence instead.Juan said, "He's very interested in you. He asked if you're from Xianrending, and why the supermarket is connected to Xianrending?"
My nerves instantly tightened, and I asked urgently, "How did you answer?"
"Of course, I said no comment. Don't worry, anything about you is locked away in a safe with me. No one could pry it open even with a drill."
Hearing this, I felt relieved.
Juan said she believed Zhang Jiagui was clearly a good person. He took the initiative to establish a business connection with our supermarket purely out of goodwill, with no ill intentions whatsoever.
"He said if he could regularly transport goods for us, it would be a joy for him as someone from Xianrending. We just need to pay a symbolic amount. For his company, having our business or not is negligible. As the boss, he can direct any of his trucks to bring back the goods we need as a side task. We can't act like bandit kings and reject someone's kindness, right?"
There was a hint of criticism in Juan's words.
I said, "Agreed."
My tone also carried a touch of self-reflection.
As the midday quiet passed, just as Li Juan had predicted, customers streamed in again in the afternoon. Just before closing at ten in the evening, a man came in to buy a pack of cigarettes and took away a case of beer. The cash drawer was full again, and we had to use another small bucket to hold the money.
Li Juan locked the door from the outside and took me to a small restaurant a few dozen steps away to eat wontons. She said that restaurant opened early, had a good variety of breakfast options, and closed at midnight. We could eat all three meals there in the future, and it wouldn't cost much more than cooking ourselves.
I was worried about what we'd do for food during the Spring Festival when the restaurant might close.
She said tomorrow was already the 27th of the lunar month. If they hadn't closed and left by now, they were definitely planning to stay open as usual.
After we finished the wontons and returned to the shop, I couldn't help saying, "If only I could take a shower, this day would be perfect."
Juan said, "That dream of yours will come true."
She told me to close my eyes, took my hand, and led me through the shelves for several dozen steps.
"Boss, please inspect."
I opened my eyes and found myself standing in front of a small, fully enclosed bathroom.
That door was originally the back door of the restaurant. The area two meters outside belonged to the restaurant, and the restaurant's trash bins used to be placed there. At the same time, this spot was next to an old residential complex's bicycle shed, and the residents and the restaurant owner had constant arguments. When she built the bathroom here, the residents not only didn't object but were quite supportive.
"Boss, you can shower without worry. The water heater is brand new, we bought it and installed it outside. I didn't dare buy a second-hand one, afraid it might be unsafe. As I always say, money that should be spent shouldn't be saved. Sometimes saving can lead to big trouble. Settling down in the south without a place to shower? Look, the window isn't small, it's enough for ventilation..."
Before Juan could finish, I had already started taking off my clothes. From that day on, every time I showered in that small bathroom, I felt a small sense of happiness. Because it belonged to Li Juan and me, just like our supermarket. Without our permission, no outsiders were allowed in.
After Li Juan also entered the bathroom, I climbed up to the loft bed.
When she joined me on the loft bed, I began to "interrogate" her seriously.I said, "To have gotten to this point, the money I gave you definitely wasn't enough. Be honest—did you go into debt?"
She laughed, "Didn't you give me another eight thousand yuan later?"
I replied, "That would still go over."
She said, "I swear, we absolutely don't owe anyone a single cent... I... I just..."
"Did you use the ten thousand yuan you weren't supposed to touch?"
She knew she couldn't fool me and nodded silently.
I said, "Juan, you... you..." My nose stung, and my voice choked up.
She immediately responded, "If you think any of the money I spent was wasteful, just point it out. If you have a good reason, I won't object to putting that expense on my personal account..."
I said, "Juan, everything you've done for me, Fang Wanzhi, I will never forget it in this lifetime!"
She suddenly burst into laughter. After laughing, she kissed me and said happily, "It wasn't just for you either—I'm also the second-in-command, after all!"
Next, each of us guarded a bucket and started counting the money. Although the two buckets were full of money, since there were limited hundred-yuan bills, it actually wasn't too much—less than five thousand yuan in total.
Juan said, "Sitting in our own place counting money in the dead of night feels really good."
I asked, "How much profit do you estimate?"
She said, "No less than a thousand."
I asked again, "What about after rent?"
She thought for a moment and said contentedly, "That would still leave six or seven hundred. That means each of us earned over three hundred today—way more than what we'd make working a job."
I proposed my idea—not to split the money yet, but to first earn enough for a year's rent and save it, so we could pay on time every month, abide by the contract, and not delay a single day. Then, we should make up the twenty thousand yuan she spent, so she could still fulfill her responsibility toward Company Commander Zhou's son. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to sleep well...
Seeing how firm I was, she agreed.
She said there were still things we needed to spend money on, like installing a telephone, and the sooner the better. We also needed air conditioning—once Spring Festival passed, the weather would heat up quickly, and as a supermarket, air conditioning was absolutely essential. We also needed a counterfeit detector and an alarm system. And, we should at least have a TV. It would be even better to have an induction cooker and a microwave. We couldn't eat out for every meal, and if we wanted to cook something ourselves, we should have the necessary kitchenware...
We discussed until very late, and unexpectedly, I suffered from severe insomnia that day. Juan was already lightly snoring, but I still couldn't fall asleep. After holding back for a while, I couldn't resist and suddenly sat up, crawling over to Li Juan's side to wake her up. But with the larger sleeping area, there were three or four meters between us, and I actually felt a bit unaccustomed to it.
Juan rubbed her eyes and looked at me in surprise, asking, "What mischief are you up to instead of sleeping?"
I pressed a finger to my lips and shushed her.
"Is something wrong?"
Juan sat up with a sudden jolt and whispered, "Stay calm, I'm here."
She actually pulled a kitchen knife out from under her pillow.
I was shocked, "You... why do you have a kitchen knife under your pillow?"
She said, "To protect you! To protect our money! Did you hear something suspicious?"
I scolded, "You're so scary! Nothing's wrong, put the knife away, I'm scared."
Seeing me shrink back, she placed the knife back under her pillow.
I said worriedly, "What if you have a nightmare and, half-awake, mistake me for a bad person? Wouldn't that be terrible for me?"She said, "If there really is trouble, how can I protect you and our money without a weapon in hand?"
I thought for a moment and suggested buying two baseball bats tomorrow, one for each of us, to keep on the loft bed. Compared to a kitchen knife, a baseball bat was easier for me to accept.
"Agreed. Even if we install an alarm, self-defense weapons are absolutely necessary." Juan lay back down as she spoke.
I pulled her up and said eagerly, "Don't sleep yet. I want to become sworn sisters with you!"
She was taken aback, utterly confused, and asked, "Wan Zhi, are you awake or sleepwalking? We're both women—what kind of oath are we swearing?"
I said, "I want to become sworn sisters with you!"
She immediately asked, "Like men used to do in sworn brotherhoods?"
I replied, "Yes, why not?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Isn't that unnecessary? Without all that, aren't we already like sisters?"
I said, "Like means not entirely. With a ceremony, 'like' becomes 'are.' Anyway, this is what I want to do most right now. If you don't help me do it, I won't sleep, and you won't get to sleep either!"
She said, "Fine, fine, I'll do it with you, I'll do it with you. If I want to sleep, I'll have to go along with whatever you say, won't I? In the middle of the night, look at the fate I've got!"
I said, "The middle of the night is the best time to make vows together."
"But where?"
"On the loft bed is fine!"
"I've never heard of anyone swearing oaths on a loft bed."
"Anything can be innovative!"
"Formal oath-swearing requires incense, and our shelves just don't have any. Good sister, how about tomorrow? Tomorrow I'll get some incense..."
"Right now! If we have incense in our hearts, that's enough."
"Formal ceremonies require facing something, like the moon, or Guan Yu—even Zhao Zilong would do. What are we facing?"
"We'll face Chang'e and Wu Gang."
"Where are they? You say face them, and we just face them?"
"They're in the sky, of course. Isn't the ceiling of our supermarket painted like the sky?"
"Are you kidding me? It's painted with blue sky and white clouds—there's no sun or moon up there."
"It's dark now, so let's pretend the moon is out."
"Alright, alright, I won't argue with you anymore. I'll do whatever you say, okay?"
Li Juan finally stopped being difficult, so I pulled her to my side and made her kneel with me, facing the dimly lit ceiling.
I whispered, "Where do Chang'e and Wu Gang live?"
She said, "The Moon Palace."
I asked again, "Do you have it in your heart?"
She asked back, "What?"
I said, "The moon."
She said, "Yes, yes, I can even see the Moon Palace clearly. I see Chang'e holding the Jade Rabbit, looking down at our world, and Wu Gang chopping at the osmanthus tree. Oh, good sister, I just don't understand—there's only one tree in the Moon Palace, and it's a fragrant osmanthus tree. Why does he insist on chopping it down? Isn't he just too idle, with nothing better to do? It's clearly damaging the Moon Palace's environment!"
I said, "Stop being silly. You start."
She said, "Me start? Start what?"
I said, "Start the oath-swearing ritual. Sworn sisterhood is a folk ceremony, and you should know more about folk ceremonies than I do. Besides, you're more than half a year older than me—those words should be spoken by the older one..."
After spending so much time with Juan, I had unconsciously started using Northeastern slang."This... it was clearly your idea, how did it become my business again? Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, my home has a crying night child—I know that chant. I know several drinking game chants too. But sorry, little sister, I’ve never even heard of that sworn sisterhood chant, no way, no way!"
Juan pushed back with absolute determination.
Helpless, I had to preside over the ceremony myself, thinking as I spoke: "Sister Chang'e, Brother Wu Gang, please bear witness from the heavens above. I and the northeastern girl Li Juan are kindred spirits, hearts in harmony, sharing sincerity and loyalty, weathering storms together. Though we were not born on the same year, month, or day, we wish..."
"Fang Wanzhi! Don’t you dare say 'die'!..."
I wasn’t good at that chant to begin with, and being interrupted twice by Juan’s loud shouts completely scrambled my thoughts. Something like this couldn’t just be restarted, so I had to keep improvising: "We wish... we wish to make money together in the future, not seeking immense wealth, just hoping for daily earnings like a steady stream, flowing gently and never stopping. We ask Sister Chang'e and Brother Wu Gang to bless us both, that we may soon become a pair of good sisters with houses, cars, and a few million in savings..."
"You’re ridiculous, haha, absolutely absurd! And you’re even closing your eyes! Is this a sworn sisterhood or a prayer to the God of Wealth?..."
After pushing me over, Li Juan added, "Chang'e and Wu Gang are deities, can we mortals just casually call them brother and sister? Aren’t you afraid of offending them? Besides, even gods have their roles—making money isn’t their responsibility at all! God of Wealth, please don’t be angry, my little sister here doesn’t understand the ways of the world, she can’t tell..."
"Get lost, this isn’t the 'ways of the world'!" In my frustration, I pushed her over too.
She stared at me with wide, bewildered eyes, then suddenly burst into laughter. Once she started, she couldn’t stop, rolling around on the bunk bed with laughter.
At first, I didn’t know what to do, just watching her laugh foolishly. But as I watched, I couldn’t help laughing too, as if I had truly been punished by the gods, who had tampered with my laughter nerves, making me unable to stop...
The sworn sisterhood ceremony I had initiated ultimately "miscarried" amid our laughter.
Strangely enough, even though it wasn’t successful, I felt as if a great wish had been fulfilled. I no longer suffered from insomnia and fell into a deep, sound sleep. When I opened my eyes, the shop was faintly lit—dawn was approaching.
Groggily, I said, "I’m still sleepy."
Juan wouldn’t let me sleep any longer, pushing me repeatedly and saying, "You think you can just annoy me and that’s it? Answer me a question—I’ve been lying here thinking, and I still can’t figure it out. Hey, tell me, Chang'e and Wu Gang, a man and a woman alone together, why don’t they just become a couple?..."
In the end, I was so entangled by her inappropriate question that I couldn’t fall back asleep...
Perhaps because we were both young and full of energy; perhaps because we had a shop and a home we both loved dearly, "burning" with happiness; or perhaps because we had earned two buckets of money the day before, keeping our spirits high—regardless, even though we had stirred up some trouble during the night, we both woke up in the morning feeling incredibly energetic.
I asked, "Any new feelings today?"
She retorted, "Out of nowhere, who knows what you’re talking about?"
I said, "Even though you ruined the sworn sisterhood ceremony last night and it wasn’t perfect, as far as I’m concerned, it’s already a done deal. Share your thoughts."
Without hesitation, she replied, "What other thoughts could there be? If we’re talking about protecting you, little sister, and our shop and money, then with great power comes great responsibility!"That day, January 18, 2004, our gross income was quite substantial again—two full buckets, no less than the day before.
Juan said that from then on, it would decrease day by day—it would pick up again on New Year’s Eve, but from the first to the seventh day of the lunar new year, there might be no customers at all from morning till night. She said that was the norm every year, reminding me to be mentally prepared and not to be overly distressed by the quiet.
I said, "Then why not just close for business?"
She immediately retorted, "We should still operate as usual, to solidify our image of putting customers first in people’s minds."
Seeing my skepticism, she added, "You’re good at 'One Big, Two Upright, Three Unconcerned,' but I know how to run a small supermarket well. Trust me on this."
Over the next few days, the two of us were like two little money-grubbers who had "fallen into the money pit" and had no intention of climbing out. Our thoughts, discussions, and concerns revolved almost entirely around money. We wished we could take the wallet of every person who entered the supermarket and hold it hostage, not letting them leave until they had bought at least a hundred yuan’s worth of goods. And when we sat face-to-face counting money at night, we wished the small plastic bucket of cash was an inexhaustible treasure.
As expected, the first day of the lunar new year was extremely quiet. Only two adults and one child entered the supermarket—the child bought a lightbulb, one adult bought a jar of fermented tofu, and the other adult was just a passerby who bought a lighter.
That evening, we closed the supermarket early and ate instant noodles again. Climbing up to the loft, with nothing to do, we both lay on our backs, staring blankly, "sharing" the boredom and loneliness. That unprecedented emptiness made it impossible for me to even read a book.
The Spring Festival is the holiday that makes those far from home miss it the most.
Of course, I wasn’t thinking of Shenxianding, but of my former home in Yu County—which had always been called "Fang Manor" there. The family I missed wasn’t my biological father He Yongwang or my two older sisters, but my "Mayor Father"—if he were my biological father, would I be spending my second lonely Spring Festival alone away from home? To dispel these thoughts that made me resent my fate, I silently got up and fiddled with the bundles of money—smoothing out the folded corners of the bills and rewrapping the coins.
Money really is a wonderful thing. Even if you don’t spend it, just looking at it brings joy. And if there’s a lot of it, it brings even greater delight. That feeling is like parents watching their exceptionally clever, promising young children, spontaneously giving rise to hopes and dreams for the days ahead.
Li Juan leaned over and asked tentatively, "How about we go buy a TV tomorrow?"
We already had over twelve thousand yuan, enough to buy a TV.
Yet I hesitated, unable to decide right away.
Juan added, "I know a place where we can get one cheap."
I asked, "New?"
She said, "Of course. We can get a smaller one for under three thousand yuan. With a TV, we won’t feel so lost. Otherwise, I’m so bored I feel like screaming."
Finally, I responded to Juan’s suggestion: "Alright. We should spend when we need to."
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