DLRC – Chapter 36 Taking Him Out Would Be So Impressive

Yu Wei couldn’t possibly not know why her son was crying—she was helplessly exasperated.

There were quite a lot of people walking back and forth on the street at this time. Many of them glanced over when they saw her carrying her child.

Lately, Yu Wei had made a decent amount of money. Her outfits were fashionable and trendy, mostly stylish imports from Hong Kong. Just walking down the street, she unconsciously drew attention. She was generous with her spending, and even her son was dressed in trendy clothes that stood out in the crowd.

“Alright now, our good little boy mustn’t always cry. Mommy didn’t say she’d send you to kindergarten right away—she was just asking Auntie Song about it. If we don’t go to kindergarten now, then Mommy will keep you with her a while longer so you can keep me company, okay?”

The little one seemed comforted by her words and finally stopped crying. He raised a chubby hand to wipe his tears and mumbled, “Mommy, I want to stay with you. I don’t want to play with other kids.”

“Okay, then let’s make desserts together! We’re going to earn lots and lots of money so we can buy a big house!”

Yu Hui finally broke into a teary smile. Yu Wei sighed in resignation. Her good little son must have been pretending—he started smiling the moment she agreed not to send him to kindergarten. What a little rascal.

Still, it made sense. They had only moved into the new house a few months ago, and his little heart was still healing. Sending him off to a strange environment like kindergarten so soon really would be a bit too cruel.

Besides, he was sensitive and severely lacking in a sense of security. It was natural for him to resist. If he didn’t want to go, then fine—they’d wait and see. It wasn’t the end of the world if he didn’t go to kindergarten. It just meant she’d have to put in a little more effort herself.

The shop had just been renovated two days ago. Yu Wei had cleaned everything herself and secretly installed some new appliances in the kitchen. If anyone asked, she’d say she had them brought in from Hong Kong through a friend.

After all, in a small city like Lucheng, people who had actually been to Hong Kong were few and far between. No one would suspect a thing.

When they arrived at the storefront, Yu Wei was surprised to find a large crowd already gathered—young and old—clustered around the glass display window she had just installed yesterday, all peering inside and chatting excitedly. From a distance, she could already hear the lively commotion.

Yu Hui curiously perched on her shoulder and peered out, only to discover that what used to be a wooden door had turned into a clear, spotless glass window. Everything inside sparkled through the floor-to-ceiling glass.

His mouth opened in awe as he blankly stared at the approaching shopfront. Above the store was a warmly colored sign with stylized lettering. It was a very unique and modern nameplate that read: “Yu Ji Dessert House.”

Of course, Yu Hui couldn’t read, but in his heart he thought: Mommy’s dessert shop is so pretty…

“Excuse me, please make way.”

Yu Wei, carrying her son, walked up to the edge of the crowd. The people finally realized someone was behind them and turned around. Upon seeing a beautiful woman with a child, they instinctively parted to let her through, even though she had only gently called out.

When she put her child down and took out the key to unlock the shop, realization dawned on everyone—She’s the owner!

Once the door was open, the interior was still a bit dim. Yu Wei walked to the wall and flipped on all the lights. The shop instantly lit up, and the crowd finally got a clear look inside.

Clean, warm-white walls. The white bulbs hanging from the ceiling were ones Yu Wei had scoured all of Lucheng to find.

Inside, there were four or five large display counters arranged neatly around three walls. Two slightly smaller oval-shaped wooden counters sat in the center, gleaming brightly under the lights.

The dessert displays were crafted from natural wood at the bottom and glass on top. While glass display cases weren’t rare, what made these special was their shape—unlike the boxy ones in department stores, these were curved, with lift-up doors rather than sliding ones. Very trendy for the times. The floors weren’t cement like most shops, but wooden and waxed, polished clean by Yu Wei just last night. They gleamed so much it looked like they glowed. Every footstep echoed with a crisp tap.

But the true highlight, the thing that stole everyone’s attention, was the dazzling array of fragrant, delicious-looking desserts inside the cases. None of the onlookers had seen anything like them.

As the doors opened, the crowd couldn’t help but move closer. A store this bright and modern was rare in Lucheng. Maybe you’d find a few similar shops downtown, but compared to this dessert house, they didn’t even come close.

Such stylish and new decor—it truly showcased the effort of her online friends who had helped plan it. In a place as remote as this, there really was nothing like it.

Even the adults were stunned silent. The dessert shop buzzed with excited chatter.

It happened to be Sunday, so the kids were all home from school. As they passed by, they were lured in by the sight of the shop. One by one, they pressed their faces to the glass, eyes wide at the strange and marvelous desserts.

“Mama…” Yu Hui softly called, lifting his head to look at her, one small hand reaching toward her, but his eyes remained fixed on the sweet treats behind the clean glass. He couldn’t help but lean forward for a better look.

Though he had come yesterday, everything looked different again today. Mommy’s dessert shop was so big… so beautiful… so fragrant.

If Yu Wei had heard what her sweet little son was thinking, she might have sighed aloud: Of course it’s beautiful—it cost me seven to eight hundred to set this up! It hurt just to think about it.

Just when she thought the décor was enough to leave people speechless, each glass case suddenly lit up from within. Somehow Yu Wei had found a hidden switch, and with a click, soft golden lights came on inside the displays, making the desserts look even more tempting.

“Are you the owner of this dessert shop?”

Someone called from outside. No one dared step in—the shop was so spotless and exquisite, they were afraid their dusty shoes would ruin the pristine floors.

Seeing the crowd hesitating at the entrance, Yu Wei found it a little funny, but she kept a polite smile and replied, “Yes, I’m the owner. If you’re interested, feel free to come in and have a look. If you see anything you like, you can buy some to try.”

“Wow, your desserts are really beautiful…” someone marveled aloud.

Hearing praise for her shop brought a bright smile to Yu Wei’s face. She placed her cloth bag into the hidden compartment under the cash register, then brought her son to the back and gently told him, “Mommy has to work now, be a good boy and stay here. Don’t run around, or go play with the other kids, okay?”

Yu Hui nodded obediently, knowing she had something important to do. Only then did Yu Wei feel at ease stepping out.

She had dressed up especially today—hair neatly tied up, wearing a vintage Hong Kong-style jacket with black chiffon trousers and polished leather shoes. She looked elegant and composed, drawing admiring glances.

This shop owner really was beautiful. So poised. She was a mom like them, yet she looked completely different.

Yu Wei glanced around—already a dozen people had come in, with more still crowding at the door, peeking curiously.

The stunning interior naturally drew the most attention from the children. Hearing that they were allowed to come in, the little rascals who had been plastered to the glass whispered excitedly among themselves.

No child could resist sweets. They stood outside the shop, peering in with longing, swallowing their drool at the sugary scent wafting out. Yet they hesitated to step inside, afraid of dirtying the gleaming floor.

Yu Wei thought for a moment, then raised her voice to call out: “We’re celebrating our grand opening today! Every child who comes to support us gets free cookies!”

That was all it took. A crowd of somewhat shy children instantly erupted with excitement and bolted into the shop, lining up in front of Yu Wei.

“Wow! I want to support your shop too!”

“Auntie, what do we have to do to support you?!”

“Cookies! Where are the cookies?!”

“Are they really free? Like, no money at all?! Big sis—!!”

That last shout came from Zou Gai Gai, the son of the neighbor living on the second floor. He always called Yu Wei “big sister” instead of “auntie,” unlike the other kids. Even though she was a mom, and clearly beautiful and young, “big sister” felt… a bit much. Still, he was sweet and knew how to talk—every time he saw her, he cheerfully called out “sister,” making her feel young.

Zou Gai Gai wasn’t just sweet-mouthed, he was lively, too. He always tried to hang out with Yu Hui, saying he wanted him as his little brother. Once, Yu Wei asked curiously, and the boy replied, “Big sister, your son is too pretty! I want him to be my little brother. I’ll protect him. If I take him out, it’ll look awesome!”

Hearing that left Yu Wei speechless. Is my son a “blue-faced calamity”? So young, yet already attracting boys who want to show him off—truly amusing.

Even when Yu Hui ignored him, Zou Gai Gai didn’t mind. He was the talkative type and could chatter like a machine gun all on his own.

The more Yu Wei thought about it, the more helpless she felt. Fortunately, she was no stranger to public attention. In just a few seconds, she calmed her pounding heart and maintained her smile: “That’s right! Our dessert house is open today. You all came to support us, so you each get free cookies!”

Now that they understood “supporting” was this easy, the little monkeys all jumped for joy. The wooden floor echoed with crisp bouncing sounds.

“This is awesome!”

“Thank you, Auntie!”

Zou Gai Gai: “Thank you, big sister—!!”

Yu Wei stifled her laughter as she led four little ones toward the register. These kids were so fascinated by the shop’s cozy, unique design and the delicious-looking sweets that they’d long forgotten their fear of dirtying the floors.

“Hui Hui, what kind of cookies is your mom giving us?”

“Hui Hui’s mom is amazing—this big cake shop is all hers!”