When she rode her bicycle to the downtown, Yao Nan’s mother had just finished handing over to the woman in the white down jacket. The furniture had been taken away, and she stood reluctantly at the store entrance.
With the wealth-bringing Furniture gone, she started to worry about the business again.
Seeing Hua Jie arrive, Yao Nan’s mother lost any pretense of helping others and instead greeted her as warmly as if she had seen a wealth-bringing Child.
“Mom, this is my classmate, and also Hua Jie’s desk mate,” Yao Nan introduced.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Yao Nan’s mother responded nonchalantly and immediately pulled Hua Jie to sit on the couch inside the shop.
What she had in abundance here were sofas and chairs.
“…” Shen Mo silently turned his head and glanced at Yao Nan, wisely reducing his presence and casually chose an armchair to sit in, silently observing.
“Auntie, did that set of furniture sell well?” Hua Jie, after sitting down, pulled Yao Nan’s mother to sit next to her, her demeanor not at all like a shy and timid high school student but rather bold, like an adult.
“It sold really well, all of it. There were still many people asking about the price. You see, we should hurry and prepare a few more sets to put at the entrance,” Yao Nan’s mother, though a merchant, had the straightforward and sincere manner of a northerner, with not a hint of wanting to compete for credit with Hua Jie, and spoke quite frankly.
“It must be because the location of your shop is good, and you promote it well,” Hua Jie complimented smoothly.
Yao Nan’s mother burst out laughing at the praise but quickly denied taking the credit.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, she took out the 1400 yuan earned from that previous set of furniture, the 800 yuan deposit left by Li Fengtian, and another 1000 yuan deposit, handing over a stack of red bills all together to the young girl:
“All real money, I’ve checked them all with a money checker.”
“Wow, so much money!” Yao Nan was instantly stunned, his eyes wide as he leaned in closer.
He had never handled so much money before; his allowance had always been minimal, and his New Year’s money would just pass through his hands momentarily.
“Go sit over there, children shouldn’t interrupt when adults are talking,” Yao Nan’s mother scolded.
“But Hua Jie is also a child,” Yao Nan immediately protested loudly.
“Hey, right, can you handle this money? Do you want your parents to come and check?” Yao Nan’s mother asked with a smile.
“No need, Auntie, I can decide for my family,” Hua Jie said, taking out a 100 yuan note from the stack of money:
“Auntie, I promised you a 5% commission, don’t think it’s too little.”
“How can I take your money? This furniture set at my storefront is attracting customers. I’ve sold quite a bit of furniture yesterday and today, all because people saw your set and came in.” Yao Nan’s mother hurriedly declined.
“Auntie, I will need to ask you to help sell on consignment often in the future. Just this booth, and with all the help you’ve been both in front and behind the scenes, I’m actually worried this money is too little,” Hua Jie insisted as she pushed the money towards her.
Holding the banknotes in her hand, Yao Nan’s mother suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion.
This child in front of her was not only cute and smart but also very open and straightforward in handling things—a truly good kid!
From this set, she took 100 out of the 1400.
And from two other sets that totaled up to 4500, she took another 225.
Altogether, that was over three hundred yuan—a considerable sum in this era.
Although the profit was less than selling furniture herself, she was just helping with delivery and didn’t need to bother with anything else.
There was no need to take a train to Qiqihar, no running around looking for materials, and no need to buy and assume all the risks. Consigning goods was an easy way to make money.
Especially since she had been worried about affording the rent for the shop after the New Year, and now with this new way to make money, which also helped attract customers, her shop might even outperform the neighboring one during the festive season.
Moreover, before she delivered that set of furniture to a customer’s house in the morning, she took a photo.
She had arranged with the factory she usually worked with to make a few sets of lower-end furniture similar to what Hua Jie’s family had made. She wasn’t stealing business from Hua Jie’s family, but making some money from the trend was normal after all. If she didn’t make this money, soon, someone else would surely eye up and take over the shop front.
These trendy, high-volume, low-margin pieces of furniture produced before others could react were what could really bring in more money.
Once they started selling, they would surely make the furniture shops on the surrounding streets uncomfortable.
If Hua Jie’s family could keep producing unique furniture that other shops didn’t have, even if other stores followed a few months later, it wouldn’t be a concern—they would always be ahead.
Once the reputation was established, perhaps the shop could even expand.
With that thought, Yao Nan’s mother even envisioned the shop’s prospects for the coming years.
As Yao Nan’s mother watched Hua Jie, her gaze became more intense and eager.
“Did your father make these pieces of furniture?” she asked, grasping Hua Jie’s hand.
“Yes, Auntie.”
“When would be a good time for me to invite your family for a meal?” Yao Nan’s mother said with a beaming smile, already calculating plans to negotiate an exclusive supply deal with Hua Jie’s father to increase their shipments.
“My dad will be home this Saturday, I’ll ask him then,” Hua Jie responded with a smile.
“Alright, I have some carpentry resources here. If your father gets too busy, we can lend a hand here as well. You haven’t had lunch yet, right? Come on, let’s go to the top floor of the Fuyun Building for a meal,” Yao Nan’s mother said cheerfully.
“That’s alright, Auntie, we’ll just go eat by ourselves, we won’t disturb you,” Hua Jie said, securing her money and standing up to leave.
“Don’t be polite, come on, let’s go, and bring that boy along,” Yao Nan’s mother insisted warmly, also beckoning Shen Mo.
So, leaving Yao Nan’s father to watch the store, Yao Nan’s mother took the three kids upstairs for fried noodles.
Yao Nan took advantage of Hua Jie’s presence, ordered a big special meal, and ate heartily without any reservations.
After the meal, Hua Jie and Yao Auntie agreed to communicate over the phone if anything came up. Yao Nan was taken back home by his mother for an afternoon nap, and the two groups parted ways.
Shen Mo waited until Yao Nan and his mother had walked away before patting Hua Jie on the head and remarking,
“Not bad at all, earning so much money at such a young age.”
In Shen Mo’s fifteen years of life, the girl before him seemed so different.
Everything about her was special, often surprising, and every closer encounter with her revealed fresh and interesting qualities.
She was like a treasure trove.
Hua Jie patted her pocket and laughed; she had been cautiously watching it ever since they left Fuyun Furniture Store, fearful that a thief might steal her money.
In this era, 2100 yuan was a considerable amount of money.
“I’ll earn even more in the future,” she declared unmodestly.
“Really impressive,” the usually bold and brash young man suddenly showed a tender expression he considered gentle, affectionately praising her.
Hua Jie, feeling proud, looked up as if to laugh heartily, but realizing they were in a shopping mall, she restrained herself, turning it into a bright, silent, and proud smile.
“Come to my place for a nap, your home is too far,” Shen Mo suggested as he led her downstairs.
“Are you sleepy?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“If you’re not tired, come with me to Wenzhou City for a stroll, I haven’t been there yet.” After being reborn, she hadn’t wandered the streets even once! It was simply not refined.
“…” Shen Mo glanced at her, didn’t say a word, but after leaving the building, he took the lead towards the Wenzhou City pedestrian street.
Hua Jie pursed her lips and hurried to catch up.
This guy was really stubborn, filled with the melodramatic airs of an adolescent teenager, which was really endearing.
Wenzhou City was a long alley, lined with shops mostly selling clothes on both sides.
The prices were cheap, and the fashion was trendy, introducing a breath of 21st-century Western influence into the northern small town, sweeping away the little and large amounts of money from the pockets of the youth.
“Do you eat ice pops?” Hua Jie’s eyes suddenly landed on a small shop in front, where several cardboard boxes were placed on the ground, filled with various types of ice cream.
Snowman, Northeast Big Board, ice bricks, and so on—it was all very tempting.
“In this cold weather?” Shen Mo pointed at the sporadic snowflakes drifting from the sky.
“Are you, a hot-blooded youth, scared of this?” Hua Jie didn’t hesitate to pull out a yuan, bought two ice bricks, and handed one to Shen Mo.
Thus, the two teenagers who stepped into Wenzhou City, one after the other, became side-by-side, nibbling on ice bricks.
Shen Mo had his hands in his pockets, with the ear muffs Hua Jie bought for him hanging on his elbow, walking straight ahead without glancing around, looking completely unlike someone out for a leisurely stroll.
Hua Jie walked beside him, her big eyes darting curiously from one interesting sight to another, finding it both tacky and amusing.
The fashion street of the millennium, the taste was somewhat sharp.
It was occasionally an eyesore.
“Are you actually going to buy anything or not? Why aren’t you going into any of the shops?” Shen Mo quickly finished his ice brick, threw the stick into a trash can, and turned to ask her.
“I haven’t seen what I want to buy yet.”
“What do you want to buy?”
“Gloves.”
“Don’t you already have gloves?” Shen Mo looked down at Hua Jie’s hands.
“Who said I was buying them for myself?” Hua Jie looked up at him and smiled.
“…” Shen Mo stared into her eyes, paused for a moment, then suddenly turned his head away, his expression somewhat arrogant, yet his smile unconsciously spreading.
The hands tucked in his pockets rubbed together; he was wearing a pair of fingerless gloves and indeed, his hands were a bit cold.
But fingerless gloves, although warm, are quite silly, and only kindergarten children would wear them. He definitely would not wear them.
Even if Hua Jie bought them, he would refuse.
“My dad’s gloves are worn out, I’m planning to buy him a pair,” she said with a smile, watching his expression and teasing him on purpose.
“…” Shen Mo’s face instantly stiffened, turning almost green with embarrassment. He held his breath, glaring fiercely at her, ready to turn and walk away.
“Hahaha.” Hua Jie couldn’t help but laugh, grabbing his sleeve, “Just kidding, just kidding, I’m buying them for you!”
“…” Shen Mo felt an itch in his hand.
He held back for a while but finally couldn’t resist anymore. Suddenly, he reached out to grab the girl, intent on flicking her forehead until it was swollen.
However, Hua Jie seemed to have anticipated his outburst. Just as the young man reached out, she burst into laughter and started to run.
Shen Mo reached out but missed, and immediately started chasing after her.
The girl with the short legs had only run two meters before being caught.
Shen Mo locked her in by the throat and grabbed her shoulder with his other hand raised high, scaring her into screaming loudly, but he gently flicked her forehead.
“Bang! Bang!” Two flicks, not very painful.
Hua Jie grabbed the arm around her throat with both hands, and since the flicks weren’t painful, she laughed again.
“…” Shen Mo looked down at the girl as she laughed, her eyelashes fluttering wildly, and his heart trembled along with them.
As his emotions calmed down, he realized they were making a scene in the street. People were watching from a clothing store window, their gazes burning.
He quickly let go of her, stepping back with a grimace, and without giving Hua Jie a chance to see his expression, he walked ahead, leaving her only his back.
Hua Jie was laughing so hard she was nearly in tears. Teasing him was just too much fun.
Shen Mo, like a temperamental young wild beast, always liked to keep a straight face, using his aura to scare everyone off, yet he still had a childlike innocence.
He was smart, wise, with a hint of naivety in his eyes. He had thin skin, could not handle provocation, took things seriously, and always reacted strongly to jokes.
This was a demeanor that even the most seasoned trickster couldn’t feign, a youthful spirit difficult to disguise.
Ahead, he walked with large, forceful steps, but his ears were red.
The winter of the millennium was really cold, with snow falling every few days, whether heavy or light.
The newly opened Wenzhou City, which would be replaced by skyscrapers ten years later, was still fresh and bustling now.
The young man walked in the middle of the street, striding boldly, his spirits high, easily moved by trivial matters, sometimes melancholic, sometimes joyful.
That tall silhouette blended into this scene, becoming a landscape Hua Jie wanted to paint, imprinting it in her memory, titled: “Small Beauties of the Millennium.”
…
…
After parting with Shen Mo and Hua Jie, Yao Nan followed his mother back to the store, asking:
“Mom, you’re really honorable, not only helping my classmate but also treating them to a meal, I really gained a lot of face today.”
“…” Yao Nan’s mother glanced back at her naive son. They were both high school freshmen, yet why was it that someone else’s daughter could handle such a big transaction alone, speaking and thinking so clearly, while her own son was so foolish?
“You know nothing, is your mom being honorable? That’s called seeing money coming,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Yao Nan didn’t understand.
“That classmate of yours, her dad’s furniture is in high demand. Our store relies on their furniture to make money. If things continue this way, the money for your college tuition will depend on Hua Jie’s dad,” Yao Nan’s mother poked her son’s head.
“Is it really that impressive?” Yao Nan held his head.
“Before their furniture came to our shop, we were almost running at a loss this month. Once we displayed that furniture, business started picking up. People see that set and think our store must be high-class. This is all business acumen, you should learn something,” Yao Nan’s mother said, thinking that once the knock-offs they were producing made money, she would give Hua Jie a share like Hua Jie had taken out 100 yuan today.
“Why should I learn this? It’s not even a big business, and what about a hereditary system?”
“If in the future it turns into a furniture city, you really might beg your mom to inherit it.” Yao Nan’s mom laughed as she pushed the door to the shop open, sending her son off, then immediately called the furniture factory, urging them to rush the production of the knock-offs to make sure the money was earned before the year’s end.
After using the restroom, Yao Nan lay down on the sofa in the back room. Yao Nan’s mom watched him for a while and, before he fell asleep, said:
“Take care of Hua Jie at school from now on; she’s now our family’s fortune-bringing fairy.”
“Pfft.” Yao Nan was first amused by his mom, then hurriedly agreed under her stern gaze.
Covering himself with a blanket and closing his eyes, he thought:
Take care of Hua Jie? It wasn’t his turn. Such thankless tasks that might even get him beaten, he wouldn’t bother.
Brother Mo’s deskmate should be protected by himself.
……
……
For the entire afternoon, Hua Jie’s left hand stayed glued to her trouser pocket.
Inside was a treasure worth thousands of dollars; her left hand was the dragon guarding it, never to leave the cave’s entrance.
It stayed there while she used the restroom, took notes, and even while drawing from life.
She might as well have been experiencing the life of Yang Guo, with her left arm seeming no longer her own, embarking on a singular mission, defiantly independent.
It wasn’t until school let out in the evening that it finally gained its freedom.
Hua Jie stuffed the money into the inner pocket of her down jacket, the thick fabric pressing the money close to her heart.
Such a thick wad felt so warm, so reassuring; now, even if bullets were fired at her heart, she wouldn’t be afraid.
The money was her bulletproof vest!
With her backpack slung over her shoulders, she was finally going home to see her parents.
Imagine the looks on their faces when she slapped that stack of hundred-yuan notes on the table.
Just thinking about that scene made her eyes sparkle with excitement, like she was on an adrenaline rush.
Yao Nan walked past her and noticed her left hand was no longer glued to her pocket.
He thought to himself, “Hua Jie, you finally look normal,” but as he looked up, he met her eyes.
No!
She wasn’t normal yet!
She looked even more abnormal!
Watching Hua Jie’s retreating figure dashing away, Yao Nan turned to complain to Shen Mo, “Bro, there’s something off about your desk mate!” But before he could speak, he saw Shen Mo stand up, put on his down jacket, ear muffs, slung his backpack over, and then, pulled out a pair of sky-blue, fluffy, fingerless gloves from his desk and put them on without complaint.
Sky-blue… fluffy… fingerless…
Yao Nan suddenly felt a pang of distress:
Bro! Where is your manly pride?