Zeng Shuyi was pretty and had a sweet mouth.
She dared to call out loudly while selling, so she sold faster than the other street vendors.
Leaving the last popsicle, she gave it to her second sister to eat.
“It’s almost time. You should go home. I’m going to get another box of popsicles and sell them at the entrance of the department store.”
Zeng Shuyue saw the sweat beading on her sister’s forehead and raised her hand to wipe it away.
“Shuyi, I feel like you’ve changed.”
“Changed how?”
“I can’t say exactly. When I see you selling popsicles, you seem more vibrant,” Zeng Shuyue said.
“Well, I feel that way too. Before, I thought about us as one family, so I would tolerate some things. But now, I won’t put up with it. I want to fight and struggle to make myself rich!”
After bidding farewell to her second sister, Zeng Shuyi carried a box of popsicles to the department store entrance and began selling again.
However, the department store manager soon came out and said they weren’t allowed to sell there.
“Even if it’s the entrance, this is our department store’s turf. Don’t think I don’t know — you petty vendors are all operating without a permit. If you don’t leave, do you think I won’t report you?”
The manager pointed at Zeng Shuyi and the others, his gaze fierce.
Zeng Shuyi felt that leaving would only expose them more.
She argued back firmly, “We’re selling on the street, not even stepping onto the department store’s steps.
Aren’t you being a bit too domineering?”
“Little missy, are you really courting death?” The manager glared at her. “If you have the guts, wait here. I’m going to make a call now. I don’t believe you, a yellow-haired girl, are running a legitimate business!”
“I… I’m doing business openly and aboveboard. How is that not legitimate?” Zeng Shuyi’s face flushed red with anger.
She wanted to argue more, but a little girl grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
The girl looked about twelve or thirteen, skinny and dark-skinned.
“Sister, is this your first time here? Don’t argue with him; Huang 0 really will report you.”
“Huang 0” was the nickname they gave the manager who had just chased them away.
Zeng Shuyi followed the little girl around to the side entrance of the department store.
This area was much quieter and far less busy than the front entrance.
Zeng Shuyi said, “Huang 0?”
“That’s the manager who just chased you away. We gave him that nickname. Don’t you think he talks too much? Doesn’t he look like a toad?” The little girl chuckled. “By the way, my name’s Duoduo Bai. I’m thirteen this year. I’ve been selling Tofu Alley’s Foam Box for half a year now. There’s nothing around here I don’t know.”
Zeng Shuyi thought for a moment.
“He does look a lot like that. But if he’s always chasing people away, how do you sell Foam Box?”
“You still have to sell outside the department store, but you have to keep your eyes and ears open. If anything seems off, run. By the way, were you selling popsicles outside the cinema yesterday?”
Duoduo suddenly asked.
Zeng Shuyi said yes.
“My mom came home yesterday and told us that a little girl showed up at the cinema entrance. She was especially pretty and shouted out without any shyness. I knew right away it was you, sister. You’re really beautiful,” Duoduo said, very chatty.
Zeng Shuyi felt a bit embarrassed from the compliment, so she gave Duoduo a popsicle in thanks.
Duoduo also shared her Foam Box, which was fragrant and sweet with a chewy texture—very delicious.
After selling popsicles with Duoduo for a while and timing the cinema’s dismissal, Zeng Shuyi hurried back to the cinema entrance to sell.
That’s how she met Duoduo and her mother.
When selling popsicles, she would even help Duoduo’s mother call out to customers.
After selling popsicles for over ten days, it was already late September.
The weather was cooler, and Zeng Shuyi’s popsicles weren’t selling as well.
One day, sitting with Duoduo at the cinema entrance waiting for the show to end, Zeng Shuyi sighed, “Foam Box can be sold year-round, but popsicles only sell well until the National Day holiday. Duoduo, what other small business do you think I could do?”
“Shuyi, you’re articulate and cultured. Actually, many small businesses are possible, but the problem is you need a permit to operate openly without fear of being reported.”
Duoduo’s family only had one permit, but all her siblings sold Tofu Alley’s Foam Box.
Her father said since they were minors, even if caught, they’d only get a warning or a few days’ detention at most.
Zeng Shuyi also wanted a legal business permit, but after selling popsicles for so many days, she had only earned twelve yuan and sixty-five cents, plus the five yuan she had left before — not enough to pay for the permit.
“Enough talk, the movie’s letting out.” Zeng Shuyi hugged her foam box and ran toward the crowd.
“Popsicles! Green Bean Popsicles, Peach-flavored Popsicles, two for only five cents!”
“Give me one!”
“I want two!”
After watching the movie, everyone was thirsty and hungry.
Some bought soda, others bought popsicles and Foam Box.
When Zeng Shuyi handed a popsicle to a customer, she noticed someone staring at her.
After finishing the transaction, she looked over and recognized Wang Jie.
Wang Jie was standing with a girl, round-faced with big eyes and rosy cheeks, looking quite cute.
“Two popsicles, please.”
Wang Jie immediately recognized Zeng Shuyi, surprising him.
He hadn’t expected her to be selling popsicles outside the cinema.
“Sold out,” Zeng Shuyi said, putting on a stern face.
Wang Jie glanced at the foam box.
Zeng Shuyi quickly snapped the lid shut.
“Shuyi, you still have some left, right?”
Wang Jie saw her rosy complexion and thought of the many nights he had dreamed about her, his heart stirred.
“These are for my family,” Zeng Shuyi ignored Wang Jie and went to find Duoduo.
Duoduo’s Foam Box was nearly sold out.
Curious, she asked, “Shuyi, who was that person just now?”
“A scoundrel who beats women. Not a good man,” Zeng Shuyi muttered, watching Wang Jie walk away.
She wondered if Duoduo knew the whole story about Wang Jie.
“That’s definitely not a good man.”
Duoduo blinked her lashes and clenched her fists. “Shuyi, men like that deserve to die!”
After saying this angrily, she prepared to go home.
Her mother wasn’t selling today, so she came to the cinema entrance instead.
“Yeah.” Zeng Shuyi still had ten popsicles left.
After Duoduo left, she went back to selling, but Wang Jie was even more persistent.
No sooner had she turned away than she saw his lingering figure again.
Wang Jie gave a sly smile and said, “Shuyi, can we talk?”
“No, I’m busy.”
“Don’t be like that. I really want to talk to you.” Wang Jie had tried to contact Wang Juan before, but after Wang Juan scolded Zeng Shuyi, she told him to stop bothering her.
But Zeng Shuyi was the most beautiful girl he had ever dated.
He couldn’t get her out of his mind and convinced himself he was worthy of her, even blaming Wang Juan’s incompetence for their failed match.
Zeng Shuyi frowned.
“Big brother, don’t you understand human language? I said I’m busy—that means I’m busy. Do we know each other well? You come to bother me. Do you think the girl you watched the movie with knows about this?”
“I… she’s not what you think. She’s my distant cousin. I only brought her because she wanted to see a movie,” Wang Jie lied, still holding on to his illusions about Zeng Shuyi.
“Shuyi, why are you working so hard? Selling popsicles on the street is speculation. You get sun and windburn, and your reputation suffers.”
“I work hard to earn my own money. How is that ruining my reputation?” Zeng Shuyi’s anger flared.
“Speculation is a capitalist act that shouldn’t be done. I’m just worried about you. Look, your face is sunburned. Don’t you want a comfortable life with no worries?”
He softened his tone.
“I’m a promising technician at our workshop. The factory leaders have told me that when the deputy director retires, I’ll be promoted. Shuyi, how many men have my skills?”
Wang Jie couldn’t understand why a woman would resist the temptation of money.
“How much can you really make selling popsicles? Three cents each, and you always have to be afraid of getting caught. Why not live a good life instead of choosing this bitterness?”
He just couldn’t get it.
Wang Juan had told him about the Zeng family’s situation: a big family relying solely on Zeng Qingliang’s salary to survive, living in hardship.
They bought meat only once a week, each getting less than two yuan.
Just thinking about it made him feel sorry.
“Wang Jie, what good life are you living? Everyone in the neighborhood knows your reputation. You’re just after me because I’m young and pretty. Do you really think I’d believe you genuinely like me?”
Zeng Shuyi chuckled.
“I’d rather work hard and struggle than marry you, a toad. Have you looked in the mirror? Ugly people make a fuss — that’s you!”
“Hey, why are you cursing now?” Wang Jie hated others commenting on his looks.
As Zeng Shuyi tried to leave, he grabbed her wrist.
Of course, Zeng Shuyi wasn’t a pushover.
She kicked Wang Jie’s thigh hard.
With a “crack,” he lost his balance and fell to the ground.
“Don’t let me see you again. Or I’ll take my loudspeaker to your factory and let everyone see what kind of man you are!” Zeng Shuyi kicked him twice more in frustration, then grabbed her foam box and walked off.
What kind of man was that?
Thinking of Wang Jie made Zeng Shuyi hate her sister-in-law even more.
But now she had no time to curse. Some popsicles had started melting and had to be sold quickly.
“Popsicles! Green Bean Popsicles! Delicious and refreshing!” Zeng Shuyi walked from the cinema toward the department store.
After selling ten popsicles, she went to restock.
No matter what happened, she couldn’t let anything delay her from earning money.
The sooner she saved enough, the sooner she could get a legal business permit and stop living in fear of being caught.
When Zeng Shuyi returned to the cinema entrance, it was just as the movie let out.
She wanted to make the most of the time to sell her popsicles.
But after selling just a few, Duoduo suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Zeng Shuyi and running.
“Run, Sister Shuyi! We’ve been reported!”
Duoduo pulled her through the narrow alleys near the cinema with practiced ease.
Not long after, they heard the whistle blowing in the distance.
Zeng Shuyi’s heart jumped into her throat.
After selling popsicles for over ten days, this was her first time encountering people from the Speculation Office.
Who had reported them?
While pondering this, she unknowingly followed Duoduo through two alleyways.
“Sister Shuyi, come in here quickly.”
Duoduo ran into an abandoned temple.
After both were inside, she quietly closed the door and led Zeng Shuyi to the temple’s backyard.
Passing through the back of the temple, they reached a small riverbank.
Walking along the embankment for a while, Duoduo first jumped into a family’s yard, then beckoned Zeng Shuyi over.
“It’s okay. This is my home.”
Zeng Shuyi let out a sigh of relief and followed her.
“Duoduo, how did you know we were reported?”
Zeng Shuyi was suddenly fearful.
The few days of smooth sailing had made her forget that they were operating without a permit.
If not for Duoduo’s reminder, she might not have escaped.
After all, she didn’t have Duoduo’s experience or knowledge of where to run to avoid the chase.
Duoduo pushed open the door and said, “My whole family sells Foam Box, but we’re spread out on different streets. We have an unspoken agreement: if anyone sees people from the Speculation Office, they immediately notify the others. Plus, we keep an eye on the Speculation Office from time to time. Today my sister saw a chubby man with a limp walk into the Speculation Office. Not long after, the red armband people came out.”
“I thought of you, since you don’t have much experience, and hurried to warn you. Luckily, I’m fast; otherwise, you might not have gotten away.”
As she spoke, Duoduo poured Zeng Shuyi some water. Hearing coughing from inside the house, she added, “Sit here for a bit. I’ll go check on my mom.”
After Duoduo went inside, Zeng Shuyi recalled the description — a chubby man with a limp and a pimple.
Good grief.
She knew exactly who it was.
After a while, Duoduo came out.
“Sister Shuyi, let’s go check outside to make sure no red armband people are nearby before you sell popsicles again.”
Unlike Foam Box, popsicles couldn’t be kept for long.
If not sold within two hours, they would start melting.
Zeng Shuyi, still upset about being reported, made a mental note to blame Wang Jie.
After finishing selling, she didn’t restock.
“Sister Shuyi, do you really know who reported us?”
Duoduo had also been reported and caught twice by the red armband people.
Once, they starved her for two days and nights to force her to betray others, almost sending her to her death.
She hated those informers the most.
“If you want to confront him, I’ll go with you!”
“Yes. I’ll make him regret crossing me!”
Zeng Shuyi gritted her teeth, her mind already made up.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.