Fortunate Eighties: The Bewitching Female Rival Who Tamed Her Husband with Skill
Chapter 159 Heading South

Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Heading South

When Su Chengming and his wife nearly finished setting up their braised food shop in the county, their rental space was secured, right next to the steel factory.

Firstly, it was close to home, convenient for commuting to and from work. Secondly, the neighborhood was full of old residents, and the schools for several children were nearby, boasting a decent flow of pedestrian traffic.

Su Xianyue lent a hand to her cousin and his wife, oversaw the setup, and planned out the counters for selling braised goods and steamed buns, with space for two large cooking pots inside.

The shop was not large, but besides that, they could fit two small tables; when it got busy, they planned to add some stools outside so people could sit and eat by the entrance.

The good weather wasn’t an issue, and adding more seats would likely attract other customers since everyone loves a bustling place.

As long as the food was delicious, they wouldn’t have to worry about lacking regular customers.

On the night before the decision to return to the Provincial City, the whole family was dragged out to the braised food courtyard for dinner.

Aunt Su and her husband were there too, and by the time the family arrived, the courtyard was bustling with activity.

The next day, the whole family, young and old, brought plenty of dairy products from the county back to the Provincial City.

After eating at home, Su Xianyue went out, having asked Xiao Sun during her absence to keep an eye on the shops near the little diner, and indeed, one a street away was on sale.

"Second sister-in-law."

"Xiao Sun, what’s the layout of the shop you found?"

"The shop is a bit longer. I checked it out, there’s no dedicated storage room, but we could partition one off ourselves.

They say the landlord wants to follow their child to the Capital, that’s why they’re in a rush to sell. They want to sort it out before leaving."

Su Xianyue nodded; they looked at the shop together and decided on the spot, though the price was indeed a bit steep.

A few years earlier, it could have been snapped up for less than two thousand yuan, but now, due to the business draw from surrounding shops, the landlord’s bottom line was close to 3,000 yuan.

The next day, bright and early, Su Xianyue and the landlord went to the housing management office to handle the paperwork, exchanging money for the property.

"Young comrade, I wish you prosperous business," the landlord beamed, clutching his pants pocket tightly.

Su Xianyue was amused by the old man’s actions, "Uncle Cheng’s kind words. It’s not safe for you to carry so much money alone; would you like me to accompany you to the bank to deposit it?"

"Really? Then I’ll trouble you, young comrade."

And so, Su Xianyue accompanied him to the bank, relieving his burden of the large sum of cash. The landlord was relieved and insisted on treating Su Xianyue to a meal, finding herself laughing and crying at the familiar restaurant.

...

Su Sanya was still in confinement, and as a husband and father, Xiao Sun naturally couldn’t accompany them south. The trip would be over ten days; even if Xiao Sun and Sanya agreed, Su Xianyue couldn’t do it.

Ultimately, Su Xianyue left the new shop’s decoration, as well as the customization of garment racks and wooden cabinets, to Xiao Sun, walking him through the whole shop with her simple renovation diagram.

The responsibility for recruiting staff also fell to him for the time being; they needed two employees, one for the clothing shop and one to make noodles for the small diner.

Ideally, the sales clerk for the clothing shop should be a young girl who has been educated and can write fluently.

For the small diner, the ability to read and write was not a necessity; instead, they needed someone who was clean and presentable and could skillfully make noodles independently.

The next morning, Su Xianyue, accompanied by Su Chenghe, Zhang Guoming, her younger sister Su Nian, and the reservation-secured Lu Xiaoting, who couldn’t rest easy, boarded the train to the Capital.

Su Nian had just graduated from night school, and Su Xianyue wanted her to see the world; a young girl should broaden her horizons and not confine herself to the small sphere of home.

Other than dealing with men and children, she didn’t want her sister constantly revolving around the kitchen stove, losing herself in the so-called family after all the hard work of pulling her out of the mire.

Whether you are a child, a wife, or a mother, the foundation of it all is that you must first be yourself.

Learning to love oneself is the most important thing.

July was the hottest time of summer when they once again embarked on the southbound train.

As soon as they boarded, they were nearly suffocated by the sour stench of various animals mixed with the smell of sweat and foot odor.

Susu almost vomited from the stink, barely holding back. After waiting for a while, they got used to the smell and it didn’t bother them anymore.

Susu watched the little girl curiously observing the barren plains outside the window, occasionally letting out exclamations of surprise, and suddenly felt that time was moving too fast.

She remembered the first time she met the little girl; Su Sanya had been a timid, cowardly, and tiny girl with yellow hair, her body covered in green and purple bruises.

If it weren’t for the little girl’s courage to run away...

"Elder sister, look over there, there are so many sheep and cows. I couldn’t even imagine how good life is for others, having so many cattle and sheep that they don’t worry about meat for any meal."

Susu suddenly felt as if she saw that yellow-haired little girl again and explained with a smile,

"Those are probably herders. Although they don’t worry about meat or milk, because it’s inconvenient to buy things in the urban areas, it’s hard for them to get vegetables, and supplies are relatively scarce."

Su Nian sighed, "Ah, I see, it seems like every family has its own difficult situation to deal with."

"Something like that."

The train clacked along slowly through the uninhabited wasteland, with the bored passengers either daydreaming or closing their eyes for a nap.

Susu leaned on her man’s shoulder, dozing off, while Su Nian snuggled up to her elder sister, deeply asleep with her head on the small dining table.

Su Chenghe and Zhang Guoming, two grown men, sat opposite them, beside a woman lugging large and small bags along with two hens.

The woman, quite sociable, didn’t wait to get into a long chatter, and Susu and the others smiled politely out of courtesy.

The woman clicked her tongue, "Tsk, these two young ladies are really beautiful. Look at how well the kids grow, picking all the best features from their parents."

Susu was nearly awake already, but upon hearing the woman’s words, she couldn’t suppress a smile.

Hahaha... the lady sure knows how to speak the truth!

Go on, talk some more if you like.

Finally, the train approached the Capital, and Susu felt as if she could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

She patted her sleeping sister beside her, waking her up, "Xiao Nian, wake up. We’re about to arrive."

Su Nian woke up sweaty, rubbing her eyes and wiping her brow, "It’s so hot, sis."

"Just hang in there a bit longer. Once we change trains, we can lie down and sleep comfortably."

"Mm."

"Xiao Nian, hold on to me and your brother-in-law tightly. There are lots of people; don’t get separated in the crowd."

"Got it, sis."

Once they disembarked, it was a crush of people.

Three big men guarded the sisters front and back, forcing their way through the crowd to clear a path.

Those who boarded the sleeping car let out a long sigh of relief, each covered in a layer of sweat from the squeezing.

For safety, Susu and her sister took the middle bunks, while the three men took the lower and upper bunks.

After a long day, everyone climbed onto their own bunks and gradually fell asleep to the rocking of the train.

When they opened their eyes again, they were awakened by the tempting aroma of food.

"Comrade, we’ll have five boxed meals, please."