DLRC – Chapter 33 One More Roll, Please

The little guy finally had a slight reaction. His fine, thick lashes fluttered gently twice, but he didn’t open his eyes. Instead, his tiny mouth parted slightly, and a hoarse, milky voice slipped out:

“Mommy…”

“Hmm?” Yu Wei slipped her hands under his armpits and scooped him into her arms. She first planted a kiss on his soft, chubby cheek, then nuzzled into his neck with her head until she nudged him fully awake.

“Mommy…”

Yu Hui’s face itched from her nuzzling, and his round, deer-like eyes finally opened. His morning gaze was misty with sleep, glimmering like dewdrops in the light. He looked like a little angel gifted to Yu Wei from above—one with a healing presence.

“My son is so adorable!” Unable to resist, Yu Wei gave him another smooch. The soft bundle nestled in her arms made her want to cuddle him endlessly.

“Granny Landlord found a shop for us. Want to come with Mommy to check it out? Or would you rather wait at home for me to come back?”

Only then did Yu Hui fully wake up. He slowly lifted his small hand, wrapped his arms around Yu Wei’s neck, and buried his face against her to feel her warmth.

“I want to go too.”

As expected, Yu Wei gave his little bottom a pat. “Alright, then hurry and get up!”

Yu Hui blushed a bit from the spank, smiling shyly before crawling to the foot of the bed to open the drawer and start picking out clothes. He dressed himself, though he struggled a bit with the pants, and Yu Wei helped pull them up for him.

Once the little guy toddled off to the bathroom to wash up, the cooing and chirping from the birds hanging near the balcony in the living room began cheerfully sounding out.

The mother and son sat down at the dining table for dinner.

“Is it sweet? Not too much?” Yu Wei peeled an egg for her son. After he sweetly said “Thank you, Mommy,” she smiled and wiped the sugar off his cheek.

They had been living in their new home for some time now. These past few days felt like a dream for Yu Hui. Not only did Mommy cook different delicious meals every day, but the neighbors around them were all very kind.

There were no bullies like Big Niu, no constant scolding from Grandma. Most importantly, Mommy was very gentle now. She hugged him to sleep every night, and that overwhelming sense of security made Yu Hui afraid to wake up—afraid it would all turn out to be just a dream.

He glanced at Yu Wei sipping her milk and smiled secretly. “Not too much.”

Yu Hui happily ate, unconsciously getting more sugar on the corners of his mouth. He stuck out his little tongue to lick it up.

“Mommy, can I have one more roll?”

“Sure.” Yu Wei stifled a laugh and handed him another steamed bun. “But after this one, you have to eat your egg and drink some milk—at least half a bowl, alright?”

“Okay.” Yu Hui took the bun and took a big bite. The sweetness spread in his mouth, and the soft, fluffy dough melted on his tongue. It was indescribably satisfying.

Even though he didn’t like the thing called “pure milk,” Mommy said he wouldn’t grow tall if he didn’t drink it. So, he gulped it down in big swigs, then quickly bit into the sweet bun to chase away the bitterness.

“Look at you wrinkling your little face. Mommy’s not feeding you poison, you know.”

Shaking her head with a smile, Yu Wei cleaned up the dishes and put them away in the kitchen before finally taking her son downstairs.

Today, she wore a chiffon blouse and slim-fit pants, paired with mid-heeled leather sandals—all imported from Hong Kong, bought during a trip to the department store two days ago. She’d also picked up two new outfits for Yu Hui while she was at it.

It had been several days since her last viral livestream. During that time, Yu Wei had taken advantage of the remaining buzz, streaming herself wandering the streets with her followers for another two days. It had been tiring, sure, but considering it was such a high-paying gig, how could she complain?

The income had been impressive. Even though the buzz visibly dropped after the last stream ended, Yu Wei already knew it was time to pause the street-shopping broadcasts.

She’d have to rely on other types of livestreams to earn money in the future. But she wasn’t in a rush. She had already saved 24,800 yuan, which translated to about 2,480 in 1980s currency. That amount was enough to cover all household expenses even if she didn’t work at all.

So lately, she had been spending with a freer hand. There hadn’t been a single meatless meal at home, and they’d bought lots of new clothes. No wonder little Yu Hui thought all of this felt like a dream.

Before they left, the little guy ran to the birdcage hanging nearby, wanting to feed the two little cuties inside. But because of his height, he couldn’t reach and anxiously called out:

“Mommy!”

“Wait a sec! Let me have a sip of water first.”

Yu Wei set down her glass and came over to take the birdcage down. Inside were two pearl birds with special little feeding bowls. Yu Hui didn’t dare stick his hand inside—he was afraid the birds would peck him while gobbling up the millet.

Since her sweet son didn’t dare, naturally the task fell to Yu Wei.

She reached inside the little door and took out the two bowls, shut the door again, and while the birds chirped happily, she let Yu Hui fill the bowls.

Yu Hui grabbed a handful of millet and carefully distributed it evenly between the bowls. When he finished, he clapped his little hands and said softly, “All done. Mommy, you can put them back now.”

Yu Wei patted his short hair and returned the bowls to the cage. After adding a bit of water to the little tank, she finally took Yu Hui out the door.

In the courtyard, Auntie Jiang and her husband had already finished dinner. Her husband was washing dishes in the kitchen. Yu Wei called out toward the house:

“Auntie Jiang!”

“Oh hey, Yu Wei’s coming down!”

Auntie Jiang was resting at the table, casually fanning herself with a palm fan.

Her life seemed quite good. Yu Wei had learned in casual chats that Auntie Jiang had three children who sent her living expenses every month. Her husband quietly helped with chores, and she had monthly rental income. In the whole of Lu City, who else lived as comfortably as she did?

“Ms. Jiang, I made these cookies this morning. Please have a taste.” Yu Wei smiled as she asked Yu Hui to hand over the bag of cookies to Jiang Aihua. The little guy walked over slowly and placed the cookies on the table in front of her.

“Aiyo, more cookies again? Yu Wei, you’re just too polite! Why not keep them for your son to eat!” Though she said this, Jiang Aihua accepted them with a smile and gave Yu Hui’s shoulder a squeeze.

Yu Hui slipped out of her grasp and ran over to Yu Wei, grabbing the hem of her shirt while looking toward Jiang Aihua.

“He has plenty. There’s never a day without cookies for Yu Hui—these are especially for you!”

Jiang Aihua’s eyes lit up with satisfaction. After carefully putting the cookies away, she called out to Wang Shouyi, who was still washing dishes inside, saying she was heading out. Then she led Yu Wei toward the front gate.

“You’re just too kind. It’s only been a few days since you moved in, and you’ve already given me so many snacks. You really shouldn’t trouble yourself like this anymore!”

“You’ve been helping me look for a storefront every day, running around so much—I really feel bad. It’s just a few cookies, nothing expensive. My son likes eating them anyway, so I made extra for you. It’s no trouble at all.”

“You, girl, not only have a sweet mouth but also skillful hands. You cook well, you know how to dress up—your son is truly blessed to have a mom like you!”

As she spoke, she gave Yu Wei an admiring glance. Today’s outfit, once again, made it hard to look away. And Yu Hui—his clothes didn’t even look like the ones those kids on the street usually wore.

It wasn’t that the clothes were particularly fancy, but something about how they looked on him just gave off a different air. That alone made people feel they must be something special.

But to say Yu Hui was lucky to have Yu Wei as a mother—perhaps it was even more accurate to say that Yu Wei crossing over into this life was a blessing for him. Otherwise, given the child’s original situation, who knew if he would’ve had any kind of future?

The early morning streets of Lucheng had a misty, just-awakened feeling. The few passersby walked slowly, not at all like the hurried expressions seen in later generations. Everything beautiful began with the morning.

Yu Wei just chuckled softly at Jiang Aihua’s words. They had only walked a few steps out the door when they saw Song Xia returning with a full basket of groceries, enough to last the whole day.

“Heading out?”

“Hey, Song Xia!”

Jiang Aihua greeted her. When Song Xia noticed Yu Wei beside her, her eyes lit up. “Out so early? Where are you two off to?”

“We’re going to look at some rental spaces,” Yu Wei replied.

Song Xia looked enlightened, then glanced at the stylish little Yu Hui next to her. “Yu Wei, you’re opening a shop?”

“Mhm.”

“Oh wow,” Song Xia looked genuinely surprised. “It’s rare to see a woman opening a shop while raising a kid all by herself! What kind of shop?”

“A dessert shop,” Yu Wei replied with a smile.

Song Xia lived at the end of the third floor and was the one who had given her two large jars of sauce before. She was always cheerful when they ran into each other.

Her twin daughters were sweet as well. After school, they had even come over to invite Yu Hui to play, saying they could take him out if he didn’t have any friends yet at the new place.

Having such warm and friendly neighbors was a real stroke of luck. Song Xia clapped her hand over her mouth in surprise, “Oh! Is it the same kind of cookies you gave me last time? You’re going to sell those?”

“Yes,” Yu Wei nodded, looking calm and confident—there was no sign of hesitation in her expression.

“Well, good for you!”

Song Xia had never seen a single mother run a shop in Lucheng before, but she had to admit Yu Wei’s skills with baked goods were truly excellent. They were no different from the ones sold in department stores—maybe even better. That rich milky fragrance was unforgettable. She had only eaten a few last time before deciding to save the rest for her daughters.

Thinking back, she still found herself craving more.

Song Xia nodded and praised her without hesitation, “You’re amazing! Those cookies of yours are really delicious. Who knows, your shop might actually make good money!”

If she hadn’t tasted the cookies herself, Song Xia might’ve been a little worried for her. But that kind of skill… well, it wouldn’t be surprising if Yu Wei became a successful businesswoman!

Nowadays, people with real talent could make good money—she’d seen it happen in her own factory. Everyone who had some skill got promoted. Yu Wei carried that same quiet competence.

After chatting a bit more, Song Xia said goodbye, “Alright, I won’t hold you up from seeing the shop. I just dropped my kids off at school—heading to work now.”

“Okay, I won’t keep you either. See you around!” Jiang Aihua waved.

“See you!”

The two of them continued heading toward Zhonghu Park—the one visible from Yu Wei’s balcony. According to Jiang Aihua, the shop was located nearby. If they could rent it, it’d be close to home and convenient for raising a child.

The thought made Yu Wei’s heart brighten, and even her steps became lighter.

“Yu Wei, I asked around for you yesterday. There’s a shop just across from the park that’s become available. It used to be a shoe store, but the business didn’t do well so they moved out. Funny enough, the owner is actually an old neighbor of mine. He said, for my sake, he’ll give you a discount. The original rent was 15 yuan a month, but if you want it, he’ll let you have it for 13!”

Yu Wei’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t expected a discount just by having Jiang Aihua help her look—it really showed how valuable neighborly connections could be.

“Thank you, Auntie Jiang!”

They reached the place within a few minutes. Yu Hui held his mom’s hand quietly, not interrupting their conversation, just walking along while observing the surroundings. His mood seemed light and happy.

The shop had already been cleared out—one could see straight to the back. At the end, there was a small door, which turned out to be a bathroom. It was a squat toilet but relatively clean. Beside it was a staircase.

Jiang Aihua told Yu Wei to wait downstairs while she went up to call the landlord, who lived on the second floor.

Yu Wei nodded and watched her go up, then began inspecting the area.

The foot traffic here was decent. Her home was less than 500 meters away. If she opened a dessert shop near the park, the environment was nice, and sales might be good too.

Two minutes later, Jiang Aihua came back down with the landlord—a man in his 50s, about the same age as her. He had a kind face and a friendly smile. As he walked over, he looked at Yu Wei and asked, eyes crinkled, “Is this the tenant you mentioned?”

There was a hint of surprise in his voice. Jiang Aihua caught on immediately and quickly explained, “Yes, Lao Xiang, don’t worry—this girl has good character. If she likes the place, she definitely won’t run off.”

It was a bit awkward, truth be told. The previous tenants—a shoe store—had abruptly moved out without informing the landlord because of poor business. The place had been vacant ever since, and it had been hard to find new tenants. Only today did Jiang Aihua finally bring someone over to take a look.

After a round of explanations, both Yu Wei and Xiang Dazhong expressed understanding. Yu Wei glanced around the spacious shop and asked, “Hello, may I ask how big this place is?”

“About 60 square meters, give or take.”

Sixty square meters wasn’t small—bigger than Yu Wei’s new apartment. But she hadn’t noticed a kitchen, so she asked, “Does this shop include a kitchen?”

“A kitchen?” Xiang Dazhong looked a little surprised. “Are you planning to open a restaurant?”