As Fang Zhenyue drove the young policewoman home again, Yi Jiayi began to think about when she could buy a car for herself.
In her previous life, she had obtained her driver’s license right after graduating from high school. This time around, she just needed to adapt to the switch between driving on the left and right, which shouldn’t be too difficult.
At her request, the Jeep took a detour to pick up the custom-made curved tube lights. Suddenly, she remembered the first time Sir Fang gave her a ride. She had asked him to take a detour to Bi Street to pick up her bicycle. Back then, they were still strangers, and she hadn’t yet joined the Major Crime unit.
Not much time had passed since then, but everything had already changed dramatically.
As a CID detective, she had been involved in solving her first case. She felt like there was a bubble in her heart, floating towards the sky, heading straight for the moon.
When the car arrived, her elder brother was already waiting in the shop as agreed. The door of Yi Ji was open, with two late-returning customers enjoying chicken cutlet and charcoal-grilled pork rice.
In Hong Kong, that’s how it is. As long as your shop is open, there will always be customers. Those who return late, hungry and with rumbling stomachs, always need such delicious and quick-service eateries.
The Jeep parked at the curb, and Fang Zhenyue efficiently unloaded the curved tubes. Yi Jiadong was ready to take over, but Sir Fang had already picked up the items and was striding towards the shop.
Jiadong went to greet the customers, lighting two candles on the table, inviting them to enjoy a candlelit dinner while waiting. He then pulled the main switch and set up a sturdy long table, ready to step on it to change the sign.
Fang Zhenyue looked at Yi Jiadong and cheerfully said, “I’m taller than you; let me do it.”
Without another word, he climbed onto the table, with Yi Jiayi hurriedly stabilizing it.
Yi Jiadong, who usually managed both inside and outside the home, suddenly found himself unable to help, only able to cooperate by passing things to Fang Zhenyue.
The old sign, hung for a long time and covered in dust, shed dirt at the slightest touch. Little Jiaru quickly grabbed a cloth to cover Yi Jiayi’s head to keep her from getting covered in mud.
The neighbors from both sides came out to watch the excitement. In their mundane daily lives, changing a sign was an event worth talking about.
The newspaper vendor Uncle Ah Gan was closing up his stand nearby. Seeing the commotion, he dragged his cart filled with old newspapers and magazines over, supporting his old back, and looked up at Fang Zhenyue at work.
“Jiadong, what good fortune, a fresh new look,” said Uncle Ah Gan before bending over to rub his back.
“It was Jiayi who arranged it on her payday. I’m used to the old ways; I wouldn’t have thought of changing it,” replied Yi Jiayi, taking the dimmed section of the tube that Fang Zhenyue had removed, coughing from the dust.
“Jiayi is really a good kid, thoughtful and caring for the family. Look at her, just got her salary and didn’t buy anything for herself, but first changed the shop’s sign. She’s really considerate,” said the toothless auntie from the neighboring grocery store, munching on a handful of sunflower seeds while praising her.
“Yes, indeed. But if you ask me, why spend the money? The old sign was fine as it was; if it’s not bright, then so be it. The regulars and neighbors remember the way here. It would be better to save the money for a dowry,” Yi Jiadong said, laughing as he chatted with the toothless auntie.
“Jiadong, you’re sounding more and more like an elder,” chimed in the rent-collecting landlady, grabbing some seeds from the toothless auntie and looking up at Fang Zhenyue.
From the robust arms raised to remove the old light tubes, to the nimble and slender fingers, to the glimpses of his strong waist revealed under the T-shirt when he raised his arms, and further down to the tight, perky buttocks due to standing at the desk, and his long, powerful legs that seemed improbably long.
She turned and gave a meaningful look to the gap-toothed old lady, who raised her eyebrows high and nodded at the landlady, signaling that she had already been sneakily watching for quite a while.
The two old ladies watching the spectacle started to behave oddly, their gazes not really on the sign…
“Is that your son-in-law?” the meat stall’s plump Uncle also stepped out, fanning himself with a hand fan while looking up at Fang Zhenyue working.
“No, it’s Jiayi’s boss, the chief inspector,” Yi Jiadong waved his hand, everyone had been joking that he was Yi’s father for a long time, and he had no objections to Uncle’s ‘son-in-law’ nickname.
“Get me a n Iced milk tea to cool off,” Uncle peered into the shop. “The power’s out, huh? Can you still make it?”
“Just a moment,” Yi Jiadong replied and then busied himself handing a new curved tube to Fang Zhenyue.
Chief Inspector Fang, both driver and laborer, busied himself for half an hour. Finally stepping down from the desk, his fingertips and arms were covered in dust, and Yi Jiayi hurried him to wash his hands.
She leaned over the sink, watching his handsome fingers rinsed by water. In the dim light, she stole glances at him before whispering, “Thank you, Chief Fang.”
“You’re welcome,” Fang Zhenyue replied, turning to take a hand towel from Yi Jiayi, but in the darkness, he missed his grasp, flailing like a blind man.
Yi Jiayi chuckled, and suddenly, the man flicked water at her with both hands, splashing countless droplets on the young lady’s face, startling and amusing her.
As they emerged from the shop into the darkness, the patrons who were enjoying a candlelit dinner had also settled their bills and stood outside, looking up at the newly hung curved tube sign.
“Jiadong, is it ready yet? Turn on the lights, let’s see!” Neighbors stepped back a bit, arms folded, heads tilted up like children waiting for New Year fireworks.
“It’s ready, it’s ready!” Yi Jiadong’s voice echoed from the back room.
Yi Jiaru and Yi Jiajun, standing beside their elder sister Yi Jiayi, craned their necks as if they were about to snap.
Suddenly, with a snap, a gust went through both inside and outside the Yi’s shop, and then everything lit up.
The curved tube lights came on, and the masterfully crafted glass tube script instantly shone with colorful lights. The sign “Yi’s Teahouse” blazed brilliantly, even brighter than the stars and moon in the sky, stunning all the onlookers with its brilliance.
Not only did the two big words on the sign light up, but the square sign was also surrounded by two rows of curved tube lights in different colors, illuminating the phrases “Famous Near and Far,” “Curry King,” and “Yi’s Yi’s Iced Delight” clearly for all to see.
“I haven’t had enough~”
“Show off a bit more.”
Jiaru and Jiajun’s bickering continued all the way until they got home, still buzzing with excitement.
New changes in life seemed to inject new hope into the children.
The new sign became evidence that their days were gradually improving. The sense of thriving intentions integrated into their feelings, making them happier and their smiles even brighter.
…
The next day was a day off, and Yi Jiayi slept in. When she got up for lunch at Yi’s shop, she surprisingly saw Sun Xin.
The guy from the mainland was busy running around, helping the older brother wash and prepare vegetables and chop on the cutting block.
She gave Yi Jiadong a questioning look, and only then did he take her to see the small storage room behind the kitchen. There, the small bed used for his naps had new sheets, and next to it were two burlap bags, one of which was open and showed some clothes inside.
“He couldn’t pay his rent and had nowhere to go. He came in the morning to deliver steamed buns, and I asked him to make some pickled radish. He put down his luggage and started working right away. I thought since he can cook and has nowhere to go, why not just…”
Yi Jiadong sighed, “That’s one more mouth to feed.”
Turning to look at the kitchen, Sun Xin seemed to be listening to their conversation, probably afraid of being driven away again.
Glancing around, she noticed some new items in their kitchen: Sichuan bean paste, various shapes of dried chili peppers, different colors of Sichuan peppercorns, and several jars, probably for pickling vegetables.
After exchanging looks with her brother, she whispered, “If his cooking is good and he’s willing, let’s keep him. Sichuan cuisine is delicious. Let him showcase his two best dishes, and we can add authentic Sichuan dishes to our menu to attract customers.”
Yi Jiadong breathed a sigh of relief; his sister had grown up and now, unconsciously, he sought her approval in his actions.
“His salary, I’ll talk to him about it, but I’ll pay it.”
“How can that be?”
“It’s settled,” Yi Jiayi said, closing the door of the small storage room. Peeking at the young man, who was blushing and focused on his chopping, she walked past him and then caught his eyes sneaking a look at her.
“Sun Xin,” she called him.
The young man immediately put down his knife, stood up straight and looked at her, as if bracing for a scolding or disdain with a tense expression.
“I want to eat Ice Powder!” she eagerly said in Mandarin, “That bouncy, sweet, and cool Ice Powder is so delicious, I never thought I’d still be able to eat it here in Hong Kong.”
Could this also be a perk of being a police officer? What a pleasant surprise!
Sun Xin understood, not only her Mandarin but also the acceptance beyond her words. He immediately flashed a particularly clean smile like a little boy and set aside his work to fetch edible lime, then went to ask Yi Jiadong for the necessary ingredients.
“Make five portions,” Yi Jiayi said, spreading her five fingers and adding with a smile.
Half an hour later, Jiaru and Jiajun came home for their afternoon break and sat down to some intriguing Ice Powder.
Unexpectedly, Ding Baoshu also had the afternoon off and, with his backpack in tow, followed the crowd of students out of school and walked in too. Yi Jiadong cheerfully gave his portion of Ice Powder to Ding Baoshu.
The young boy stood in front of the counter, devouring the Ice Powder like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit, his face brimming with satisfaction and happiness before running off to assist Jiaru.
With the students being let out, there was also a long queue of people buying Yi’s Iced Delight.
The students, chattering away, stood around, turning to chat with friends. Meanwhile, their backpacks swung around, bumping into others, creating a noisy scene as if a thousand ducks were squawking all at once.
Yi Jiayi, stunned, held her Ice Powder and walked out of Yi’s shop, her gaze following the long queue that even turned a corner—it was really long.
Just this queue alone had about a dozen people, and many more students, following the crowd, inquired about the particularly tasty drink everyone was lining up for, thus extending the queue even further.
Yi Jiayi, clutching her Ice Powder, swallowed.
A cup of Yi’s Iced Delight cost 6 Hong Kong dollars, and with 50 people, that was 300 Hong Kong dollars. In just this short time, there were already about fifty people in line, and more milk teas were still being sold. How much money would be made in a day?
Selling milk tea was indeed profitable!
Her eyes sparkled with the glow of banknotes, and she was somewhat elated until a sociable schoolgirl asked her what she was eating, snapping her back to reality.
“Sichuan Ice Powder,” Yi Jiayi replied, thinking that another sweet treat could be added to their home’s menu. “Sichuan is a particularly beautiful province in mainland China. There’s an ancient poem that says ‘Flowers are thick in Jincheng city,’ referring to Chengdu, Sichuan. It’s a new item at Yi’s shop, and if you want to try this, it’s the only place in Hong Kong! It’s our first day selling this, and you might become…”
Yi Jiayi counted the people in line ahead of the schoolgirl and said with a smile, “potentially one of the first ten people in Hong Kong to taste this Ice Powder!”
The schoolgirl immediately expressed her desire to try it, and Yi Jiayi quickly ran back to Yi’s shop, slapping the counter:
“Sun Xin, I’ve added the Ice Powder to our specialty desserts. Make ten more.”
“Okay,” Sun Xin obediently responded, agreeing to whatever she said.
Yi Jiayi walked to the door, picked up a small blackboard, and reduced the size of the text “Yi’s Yi’s Iced Delight.” Then, she added:
【Sichuan Ice Powder, 6 dollars each, limited to 10 portions daily. Flowers thick in Jincheng city, Ice Powder at Yi’s shop!】
Then, she placed the blackboard at a conspicuous spot at the entrance. The children, eager for a treat and with money still in their pockets, decided to buy a portion to try.
If money is tight, they consult with friends around them, and a few people chip in to buy a portion, planning to share it bite by bite.
Thus, in front of Yi’s shop, people began shouting from time to time:
“Is there any more Ice Powder?”
“Are there any purchase quotas left for Ice Powder?”
The cunning marketing of induced scarcity instantly sparked a queue, causing great anxiety among the students.
Yi Jiayi sat at the table, contentedly watching and enjoying.
Kids, life is like buying Ice Powder—just dive into the rat race.
Booming business🥳
So heartwarming! I hope Sun Xin and Baoshu become regulars haha
Her business skills>>>