At dusk, Hua Jie walked out of Shen Mo’s study with her schoolbag, her face filled with resentment and dejection.
The boy who followed behind her, however, looked refreshed and satisfied, with a flush similar to Hua Jie’s on his face but his eyebrows relaxed and his eyes moist, showing contentment and pleasure.
He looked like a tyrant who had succeeded in bullying a girl, and she like a flower ravaged.
“Are you angry?” Shen Mo stepped forward, tilting his head to ask her.
Hua Jie glanced at him sideways and ran off with her schoolbag thumping against her back.
When she reached the ground floor, she looked up and shouted, “Thank you for the tutoring!” She then bid farewell to Shen Jiaru in the studio and hurried off.
Shen Mo leaned against the stair railing, watching the girl’s silhouette disappear like a little sprite running into the snow.
He couldn’t help but chuckle, reminiscing fondly.
“Little Potato” really had a slender waist, hidden under her baggy sweater. He had always thought she was shaped more like a barrel, but now it was clear she wasn’t. Girls in sweaters are like fluffy dogs; it’s all fake bulk, and once wet, their slim true form is revealed.
He remembered how she struggled helplessly in his grip, getting annoyed and finally, blushing furiously, calling him ‘daddy’ in a hushed voice.
“Ha!” He laughed out loud, startling himself, and looked around, relieved to find no one else there.
Turning back, he returned to his study, sitting back at his desk to savor the memory and smile to himself.
His cheeks gradually reddened, and his smile grew wider.
…
…
That morning, while Hua Jie was learning to paint with her teacher, her parents went to the Fuyun Building and rented the smallest furniture shop available.
After signing the contract and paying the money, the couple checked the two shops, noted down many details like the electrical outlets, re-measured the dimensions, and tidied up a bit.
The other shops, rented out earlier, were undergoing renovations. Hua’s father looked around, pondered, and then turned to his wife:
“I’ll go to the section office this afternoon to apply for unpaid leave. I’ll handle the renovations of these two shops myself.”
“Are you sure you can manage? Maybe we should hire a renovation team to do the main work, and you can focus on the furniture?” Hua’s mother was somewhat worried, the two shops together were over 200 square meters—a not insignificant amount of work.
While they were discussing, a chubby man from the neighboring renovation peeked out from behind the curtain, smiling:
“Did you rent the biggest shop here?”
He said, extending a cigarette towards Hua’s father.
The chubby man was covered in white dust, his hair and beard caked with dust and renovation debris.
Hua’s father took the cigarette, lit it with a lighter, and then passed the lighter back.
The chubby man waved his hand, lit his cigarette with his own matches, and continued to ask with a smile:
“I’m Wen Tuan, and I’m in charge of renovating these two shops here. May I ask your esteemed surname, sir?”
“Hua.” Hua’s father responded with a smile, then asked, “A full renovation package?”
“Yes, I’ll handle everything, including the materials,” Wen Tuan took a drag on his cigarette, glanced at the shops behind Hua’s father, and continued, “Leave it all to me for peace of mind. You just focus on running your business and making money. I’ll take care of all the messy work.”
“Hua’s father is quite the spender, renting the biggest shop space. Looks like you’re planning to go big.”
“Not at all, it’s more about my daughter’s ambitious plans; she wants to start big.” Hua’s father turned around, somewhat emotionally, “Money just keeps flowing out, it really burns a hole in my pocket. Woke up with a couple of cold sores this morning, definitely feeling the pressure. Afraid of making a loss, you know.”
“??” Wen Tuan was momentarily puzzled.
What? Daughter? What does that mean?
Hua’s father, catching Wen Tuan’s confusion, didn’t bother to explain further.
“Hua’s father, are you sure you don’t want a professional renovation? I’ve got skilled craftsmen with me—plasterers, carpenters, electricians, and the like. Whatever you want to be done, we can handle it,” Wen Tuan chuckled as he continued the conversation.
“No, thanks, I have quite a few unique ideas I want to implement myself,” Hua’s father pocketed the design drawings by his daughter. The main materials for the renovation would be wood, and he could handle other tasks like welding and tiling himself.
The house they were currently living in had been almost a bare shell when they bought it, and he, along with his wife and friends, had worked on it themselves.
Simple electrical and plumbing work, he could manage.
Moreover, his daughter’s designs were very avant-garde and highly original.
He wasn’t keen on relying on others, fearing they couldn’t execute her ideas well, and also worried about someone stealing his daughter’s designs.
Wen Tuan raised an eyebrow, looking Hua’s father up and down with some surprise:
“Hua’s father, you’re doing the renovation yourself? Just by yourself?”
“Yes, the workload is manageable,” Hua’s father smiled lightly, already envisioning the steps to start the work.
Besides, as they needed to allow some time for factory customization of low-end products, it would be just enough time for him to get the two shops fitted out.
Renovating a shop is not quite like doing a home; it’s more about making it look good on the surface, and it doesn’t really need to be livable.
Hua’s father got some white plastic cloth and covered his two rented shops with it.
It was partly to shield other people’s eyes, creating a private space for himself.
In addition, it can block the dust; with other families renovating nearby, the area is filled with dirt and grime. Without protection, the floor they clean today would be covered with a layer of mud and dust by tomorrow.
Once everything was set up, Hua’s mother went to the building materials market to buy items from Hua’s father’s list, while Hua’s father rode his motorcycle to a factory on the outskirts of the city to place orders.
He had agreed with Hua Jie that all items ordered from the factory would be made only as components.
He had the factory specializing in wood make furniture parts like tabletops, table legs, seat surfaces, chair backs, and drawers.
And the factory specializing in hardware would make various metal components.
Once all the components were ready, they would bring them back and assemble them themselves to prevent the factory from seeing the finished product. This would avoid the risk of blueprint leakage and premature imitation by other factories.
Hua’s father went straight to the factory they had chosen. After having lunch with the workshop director, he finalized the orders.
On the way back, he spent money twice, lightening his pockets.
The couple met at the shop. Hua’s mother took care of the accounts, re-planned their expenses, and organized everything before heading home.
Hua’s father then went straight to the railway department.
It would take some time to complete all the procedures, but having filed the application and processed the paperwork, there should be no major issues.
A young man, just months after graduating from technical school, was lucky to take over Hua’s father’s position. He would start his shift immediately, guided by Hua’s father’s old colleagues, working and learning at the same time.
Hua’s father had little to hand over and was just waiting for a few more procedures to be processed.
Stepping out of the office building and standing in the courtyard, he took a deep breath.
The old man sweeping the snow in the courtyard glanced at him curiously.
Hua’s father, who was in charge of maintenance before the train was put into storage, wore a small cap and carried a small hammer. He walked out of the station, chatting with a conductor about a recent incident where a train collided with a cow.
“The front of the train was repaired, and there was no damage to the tracks or the body—eh? Isn’t that Old Hua?” The maintenance chief waved his small hammer at Hua’s father and shouted with a smile:
“Hua Zhaoyuan!”
Hua’s father then came back to reality and turned to look.
“Old Guo~ The train conductor is here too.”
The conductor walked over and patted Hua’s father on the arm. “I approved your application for a leave of absence with pay. Why are you suddenly quitting? Are you doing like that other guy, leasing a car to drive a taxi?”
“No, no, I don’t even have a driver’s license. What would I drive?” Hua’s father laughed.
“What? You’re not running trains anymore?” Old Guo was surprised and asked.
“Ah, I really can’t do it anymore.” Hua’s father laughed and sighed, “Just the last trip, I met four drunks. I still have pain in my arm from being hit with a bottle.”
“Ah, that too. After the accident with the cow, I’ve been working on the locomotive head every day during my days off,” Old Guo said helplessly, sighing.
“I don’t want to do this anymore either. After that accident last quarter where we hit a person, I still have nightmares about it,” the train conductor rubbed his forehead.
“Was it a suicide?” Old Guo asked, following up.
“Even if it was a suicide, what difference does it make? What would their family say?” the conductor coughed lightly, “Just bear with it. Work another decade or so, then you can retire.”
“Sigh, every time we stop, I have to go down and do a round of inspections. Handles get ripped off, axles freeze over, and if we hit someone, we still have to scrub and repair the damn thing. Last trip, a child in the carriage was screaming his head off. By the end of those three days, I felt like killing someone.”
“Running trains really wears you down,” Old Guo said, shaking the small hammer in his hand. It sounded quite eerie.
After venting, he remembered to ask:
“So what are you doing now?”
No one’s family has a mountain of gold or silver. Railway workers earn just enough to get by month to month. If not this job, we’d need another trade to keep the family going.
“Well, I was a carpenter before, wasn’t I? My daughter is studying art, and she’s quite talented.”
“She designs the furniture, and I make it when I’m off duty. Turns out, it sells well.”
“It’s just enough to earn some pocket money to help with household expenses, but recently they’re opening a furniture mall in Fuyun Building, and I’m quite tempted,” Hua’s father said as he walked alongside the conductor and Old Guo.
“Fuyun Building? The tallest building in the city center? I heard everything there is pretty expensive. My wife was persuaded by someone recently to go there and buy a coat, and we had quite a few arguments over it,” Old Guo interjected.
“Yeah, that Fuyun Building. They say it’s going to be a comprehensive building, selling everything. It’s well planned,” Hua’s father said.
“Going into business? That’s too risky… But go on,” the conductor was still curious about what Hua’s father was up to.
“Tempting as it is, renting a storefront, buying stock, and materials, everything costs money. I initially just thought of it as a wishful idea, not something to seriously consider.”
“But then my wife and daughter both supported it,” Hua’s father said, his lips curving into a smile.
“Leaving a stable job like this, and your wife supports you? If it were me, my wife would have fought with me, and my in-laws would definitely scold me for not being serious,” Old Guo glanced sideways and smacked his lips.
“What happened then?” the conductor slapped Old Hua on the back, “Why do you keep stopping? You’re really drawing us in, aren’t you? Come on, what happened next?”
“Hahaha,” Hua’s father laughed loudly, scratching his head:
“My daughter, she… sold a painting.”
Then he talked about his daughter selling her paintings and supporting his decision to open a store.
The train conductor and Old Guo were dumbfounded, staring at Hua’s father in disbelief.
“Really?” Old Guo raised his eyebrows.
“Are you just bragging?” the train conductor couldn’t believe it.
Their kid was just a little debt collector!
And she could make money? And so much? Who are they trying to fool? It was all too unbelievable.
“It’s true, would I lie about such a big thing? Where else would I get the money to start a business?”
“Besides, if my daughter hadn’t made some money from her paintings, would I dare to open a shop? Other people’s stores often operate at a loss for months before they start to break even. Could my modest savings handle that? After a few months, the three of us would be left out in the cold.” Hua’s father stepped out of the office building.
Turning his head back, he felt a pang of emotion.
After working there for over a decade, he suddenly quit as if it were a dream.
“He’s really something!” Old Guo, uneducated, was blunt with his words.
“…” The train conductor stared at Hua’s father and after confirming he wasn’t lying, he sighed deeply, his envy obvious.
“You really have a wonderful daughter. How lucky you are to be able to do what you want now, while we still have to endure until retirement.” The conductor said, shaking his head as he came back to his senses.
Relying on their own children was impossible, and hoping to find money on the street would be even more unlikely.
“My daughter, who’s only in the fifth grade of elementary school, scratched her classmate recently, leaving his face looking like shredded potatoes. We had to pay quite a bit in compensation.” He waved dismissively, “Let’s not talk about that. You know how to raise kids. Do you think it’s because you’re a carpenter that she’s inherited your skill?”
“Hahaha, definitely.” Hua’s father laughed loudly, his words and demeanor filled with pride.
Proud of his daughter, and proud of himself for having such a daughter.
“Alright then, you’ll have to treat us next time you’re back.” The train conductor punched him playfully.
“No problem, when the shop opens, I’ll definitely treat you.” Hua’s father smiled.
“Yeah, I’ll also come by to see how beautiful the furniture designed by your daughter is.” The train conductor said.
He had recently moved to a new house, which hadn’t been furnished yet. Once it was ready, he would need a full set of new furniture.
“Then you definitely have to buy from me. You can’t find such good stuff anywhere else in the province. The last few sets of furniture were bought either by the richest people in our city or by officials. Placing them in their homes really adds a lot of style.” Hua’s father patted the train conductor’s arm and walked over to his motorcycle.
While twisting the handle and stomping on the starter pedal, which took a while to ignite, Hua’s father waved to the train conductor and Old Guo. With a trail of smoke, he roared off into the distance.
Old Guo watched Hua’s father’s receding figure and remarked:
“Hua’s tone of speaking has changed; he seems a lot younger.”
“Exactly! He’s off to run his own store, doing what he loves, no longer has to ride the rails and get shaken up. He’s relaxed, got his spirit back, of course he looks younger.” The train conductor rubbed his head, the thought of his own distant retirement and his child’s upcoming college expenses weighing on him.
“Envious, aren’t you?” Old Guo asked with a smile.
“Indeed I am,” the conductor replied.
“I’m thinking of going home and seeing if my daughter has any other talents besides scratching people. If not, I might just give her a stick and let her turn to highway robbery. At least being good in a fight is a skill.” Old Guo joked.
“Why don’t you just enroll her in some tutorial classes? Have her study and dance a bit; it’ll burn off some of her energy, and she won’t have the strength to scratch her classmates anymore,” the train conductor quipped with a clever solution.
Old Guo imagined his tough daughter taking dance lessons…
“Or maybe send her to learn calligraphy to temper her character,” the train conductor added. “I know a good teacher; I’ll give you their contact later.”
“Alright, send me the teacher’s phone number and address later.”
The two men chatted away, effectively planning how to keep Old Guo’s daughter busy over the weekends.
Snowflakes swirled around, and it had grown colder in Jinsong City recently.
…
…
Early Monday morning, Liao Shanshan pouted. Seeing Hua Jie, she only weakly touched her elbow and muttered a listless good morning, devoid of her usual cheerfulness.
“What’s wrong?” Hua Jie caught her hand as she was about to walk away, raising an eyebrow in concern.
Liao Shanshan was pulled back, looking at Hua Jie’s down jacket neatly draped over the back of a chair, and lamented:
“My mom took me to Fuyun Building over the weekend to buy a down jacket. I wanted to buy the yellow one like yours, so we could wear matching ‘yellow and pink’ couple outfits, but my mom didn’t want to spend that much money and refused, wuwu.”