DLRC – Chapter 43 You Sold My Dessert Shop?!

In the past few days, Chen Caiqian’s room had indeed stayed quiet—no more of those embarrassing noises that made people blush. Yu Wei figured it must’ve been Du Yuerong’s fierce warning last time that had done the trick.

Yu Wei secretly thanked her in her heart. She hadn’t expected that neighbor, who always looked so cold and aloof, to actually be such a warm-hearted person.

Hmm… But then again, maybe she was overthinking it. What if it was just because Chen Caiqian disturbed her sleep during the day that she went over to warn her that morning?

Whatever. Doesn’t matter. The outcome was good, and that’s all that counted.

It was mid-November, half a month after the shop had opened. That morning, Yu Wei got up early to head downstairs and buy groceries.

The morning air was freezing. She shivered as she got dressed and went to wash up. When the icy cold water splashed on her face, goosebumps broke out instantly.

Tch, she thought. I wonder if they have water heaters in this era? I really want to get one. Who can stand this cold water…

Even so, she still had to wash her face and brush her teeth. It seemed like they didn’t have a hot water kettle at home either, so she made a mental note to visit the department store to buy one when she had time.

Before leaving, Yu Wei peeked into the bedroom to check on her son. The little guy was bundled up under the covers, sleeping sweetly. His little mouth was rosy red. She bent down and planted a soft kiss on his cheek—his skin was so warm it felt like it could melt her lips.

He really lived up to the nickname “Little Heater.” After tucking the covers around him a bit more securely, Yu Wei grabbed her basket and headed out.

But there was a bit of trouble closing the door. Maybe it was old and worn out, but it kept getting stuck, and it took her several tries—and some brute force—before it finally shut properly.

At 7:30 a.m., the sky was still fairly bright. Downstairs, Jiang Aihua was, as usual, watering and fertilizing the small vegetable garden with more care than most gave their grandkids.

“Morning, Auntie Jiang. Tending to your garden?”

Jiang Aihua straightened up at the sound and saw Yu Wei. She greeted her warmly, “Oh hey, Yu Wei! Off to the shop?”

“Not yet. I’m heading to the market first to get some groceries. I want to make breakfast for my son.” Yu Wei smiled. “Have you bought your groceries already, Auntie Jiang?”

“Yep, bought them earlier!”

“Alright then, I’ll get going.”

“Okay!”

As Yu Wei walked out of the courtyard, she ran into another old neighbor, Song Xia, and the two exchanged smiles and greetings.

“Off to the shop?”

Yu Wei grinned. “Not just yet. I’m off to the market first. Gotta feed my boy breakfast before heading to work.”

“Buying groceries, huh? Wait a sec, I’ll go grab my basket and join you!”

“Sure, I’ll wait right here.”

Song Xia cheerfully went upstairs and came back with a basket, her face glowing with a smile. “Just sent my two girls off to school and haven’t bought anything yet. Perfect timing!”

The two headed to the market together, chatting along the way.

Song Xia loved to talk about her home life, and that was pretty normal for women after marriage and kids. Yu Wei had grown used to the topic, and sometimes they’d even get into some pretty in-depth parenting discussions.

Even though Yu Wei was technically a new mom, her eyes sparkled just as much as Song Xia’s when she talked about her son, and their conversation was animated and full of warmth.

As Song Xia picked up a bunch of leafy greens from a street vendor, she smiled and said, “My husband’s been swamped at the factory lately, barely home at all. The girls are at school during the day, eating lunch there, so I don’t have to buy as much food now.”

“It’s the same with me and my son—just the two of us. I usually cook two dishes per meal, that’s plenty,” Yu Wei replied, grabbing some scallions. She was planning to make tomato and egg stir-fry for lunch—her son was a big fan of eggs, and whenever they were on the table, his appetite improved a lot.

“I keep things simple for myself. Just a veggie dish and I’m good. Sometimes when I’m too lazy to cook, I just eat cold rice with pickles and hot water.”

To Song Xia, this wasn’t anything unusual. People living frugally wasn’t exactly shameful. But Yu Wei was a little taken aback.

“Sister Song, don’t you make something nice for dinner at least? Even if you’re living alone, you should still treat yourself well. Money’s in your hands—you shouldn’t skimp on your quality of life.”

Her outlook differed from Song Xia’s. Before she transmigrated, she’d lived alone too, but she never compromised on her lifestyle. Now that she had her sweet son with her, she was even more meticulous about their meals.

A woman who doesn’t treat herself well—who else will?

Song Xia just waved it off. “Oh, it’s nothing! I’m still eating, just eating simply. Back before I got married, my family was poor. Sometimes we didn’t even have enough for two meals a day. That era, food was hard to come by. One meal a day was already considered decent. This now—just some pickles and rice—is really nothing.”

Even as she said this, the smile never left her face. She truly seemed content with her current life. Yu Wei didn’t press the issue.

Still, curiosity got the better of her. “Sister Song, I’ve been living here for months, but I’ve never seen your husband?”

“My husband? You mean the girls’ father?” The term “husband” was unfamiliar to her—people usually just said “your man” or “your old man.”

“Yes,” Yu Wei nodded.

“I told you before, didn’t I? He works at a state-owned enterprise. The factory’s been doing well these last few years, so he’s been super busy—always out early and home late. Sometimes he’s working so late he doesn’t even come back at night. I don’t say much—he’s the one supporting the family, and raising two daughters costs money, so he works really hard.”

At this point, Song Xia’s face was full of affection. “He always says, while he’s still young, he wants to work hard and earn more, so our girls can live comfortably in the future.”

It really did sound like a warm, harmonious family. A husband like that was rare—whether in modern times or in the ‘80s.

“He really is working hard.”

“Of course! Don’t think I’m always buying nice meat and veggies for myself—it’s all for my husband and kids. If they’re not home, I wouldn’t spend on such good stuff.”

They had arrived at a pork vendor by now. Song Xia asked the butcher for two pounds, half lean, half fatty—very fresh.

“Oh, Yu Wei, your outfit today looks really nice! Where did you get it?”

Though Yu Wei always dressed fashionably, Song Xia usually just smiled and said nothing. But today, maybe in a better mood, she kept sneaking glances and finally asked outright.

Yu Wei replied openly, “Bought it at the department store—over in the Hong Kong goods section. If you like it, I can go with you sometime.”

Yu Wei had a keen eye for fashion. In comparison, Song Xia didn’t really “dress up” at all. She didn’t wear makeup, and her clothes were the standard for local housewives—so basic that she wouldn’t stand out in a crowd.

With her average looks and figure, she did seem rather ordinary. But she had her strengths too.

Her smile was radiant—gentle and warm, it made people feel at ease.

“Sure, sure! Let’s go sometime. Honestly, it’s been years since I bought new clothes. Don’t laugh—our family’s got a bit of money now, but I’m still frugal. The clothes I’m wearing today? Bought five years ago!”

She laughed as she said this, her eyes twinkling like crescent moons.

She didn’t have a bad base—if she started paying attention to fashion and self-care like Yu Wei did, she might really surprise everyone.

In the end, Yu Wei couldn’t help but say, “Sister Song, honestly, if you’ve got money, you should dress up. We women—we all love to look good. If you take care of yourself, your man will look at you differently too, right?”

“Haha, there’s some truth to that.” Song Xia laughed again. By then, they’d finished buying groceries and walked back home together, chatting the whole way.

Just as they reached the courtyard gate, they saw Jiang Aihua at the door looking anxious, like she was waiting for someone. The moment she spotted Yu Wei and Song Xia, she hurried over.

“Yu Wei! Yu Wei!”

“Auntie Jiang? What’s wrong?” Seeing her so flustered made Yu Wei’s heart skip a beat. Did something happen to Yu Hui?

She rushed over with her basket in hand.

“Yu Wei, you need to get to your shop right now!” Jiang Aihua grabbed her anxiously.

The shop? What happened at the shop? Yu Wei quickly asked, “What’s going on, Auntie Jiang?”

“I don’t know the details! I was walking my friend’s grandson to school, and we passed your shop. I ran into Old Niu, and he told me to let you know—he said your shop might’ve been sold to someone! He told you to go check right away!”

“What?!” Yu Wei’s face turned pale. “The shop’s been sold?! The landlord sold my dessert shop?!”