Setting up a Dumpling Stall?

Lin Xiaoyu lay on the upper bunk and blinked in surprise.

She hadn’t expected her mother to come up with this idea.

“Sure, Mom. Your dumplings are so delicious, if you set up a stall, they’d definitely sell well. But won’t it be too hard for you?”

After all, it meant being exposed to sun and wind, and she might even be laughed at by people who know her.

She personally didn’t think setting up a stall was anything to be ashamed of.

Whether working a job or running a stall, it was all about earning a living with one’s own hands.

But many people still thought street vending wasn’t dignified.

Li Shuping saw her daughter’s support and felt happy inside. “As long as it makes money, a bit of hardship is nothing.”

“I’ll help at the stall after school,” Lin Xiaoyu promised. If her mom was going to work hard to earn money, all to support her schooling, she couldn’t just watch her struggle alone.

Li Shuping said, “No need, you just focus on your studies…”

..

The next day

After breakfast, Lin Xiaoyu went to school, and Li Shuping slung on her army green shoulder bag and stepped outside.

She was going to the secondhand market to see if there were any used tricycles for sale.

Buying a new one required a ration ticket, which she didn’t have, so she had to check the secondhand market.

The market wasn’t far, so she decided to walk.

After about twenty minutes, she arrived.

The market was quite large, selling not only secondhand furniture and appliances but also pots, pans, and bicycles.

Li Shuping walked deeper inside and entered a shop selling used bicycles.

“Comrade, may I ask if you have any used tricycles for sale here?” she asked.

The young woman behind the counter glanced at her. “Yes, we just got a batch a few days ago—tricycles retired from the government canteen.”

“May I take a look?” Li Shuping smiled.

“They’re stored in the back. I’ll take you there,” the woman said, standing up and leading her toward the rear.

In the backyard, Li Shuping saw the tricycles lined up against the wall.

They looked quite old, and some had dents in their cargo beds.

But Li Shuping didn’t have high standards—as long as they worked, it was fine.

“Don’t be fooled by their appearance. They’re all rideable. The wheels and chains that were broken have been replaced by our shop’s mechanics. You can try one out,” the woman explained.

Hearing she could test ride, Li Shuping picked the best-looking one among the few tricycles and rode a couple of laps around the yard.

“Not bad. The handlebars don’t wobble, pretty steady.”

“How much?” Li Shuping asked.

The woman said, “Our prices are the fairest around. This one’s a bit newer, eighty yuan.”

Li Shuping thought eighty was a bit steep. “Can you go lower? Look at the cargo bed—its metal is dented. The bell’s rusty and barely works.”

“Really can’t lower the price. That’s the set price. If you buy a new one, it’d cost two or three hundred yuan.”

“A new one would last many years, but this used one might break after just a year or two.”

“You can repair it if it breaks.”

“But repairs cost money too.”

Using her persuasive skills, Li Shuping finally got the tricycle for seventy yuan, ten less than the asking price.

Riding the tricycle through the secondhand market, she felt great.

She bought a big aluminum pot, two large porcelain basins, dozens of old noodle bowls, and five pairs of chopsticks. (The chopsticks were new bamboo ones, not old.)

Passing a furniture shop, she also bought two sets of foldable small tables and stools. In this era of cramped housing, many families had such tables for meals.

After buying everything, Li Shuping rode the tricycle out of the market.

…

Halfway out, she slowed down.

Ahead, a man carrying a big water jar and a woman with curly hair were walking side by side in the middle of the road, blocking the path.

She rang her bell twice.

Suddenly, a man on a bicycle sped past the curly-haired woman.

She dodged to the side and bumped into the man carrying the jar.

The man staggered and both he and the jar fell to the ground.

Crash!

A heavy object hit the ground and shattered loudly, followed by sharp curses.

“Ah! My big water jar! You little brat, I paid you to help carry it home, and you broke it! You have to pay me back!”

Qin Ye sat on the ground, sweat dripping from his face.

He lifted his hand, which was scratched by shards when he broke the fall, and looked up at the middle-aged woman who was yelling and pointing at him.

“It was you who suddenly stepped toward me and bumped me, which caused me to lose balance and drop the jar,” he tried to explain.

“Don’t talk nonsense! When did I ever bump into you? Who saw it? Don’t slander me! This jar cost me five yuan, and you must pay!” she shouted.

Qin Ye looked around desperately for help, but no one had seen it and no one spoke for him.

He felt wronged and upset.

He was only helping this lady carry the jar for two dimes.

How could he afford to pay five yuan?

Besides, it wasn’t even his fault.

“It was you who bumped into me, causing me to drop the jar!” Qin Ye shouted, eyes reddened.

The curly-haired woman took a step back. “Whoa, why so fierce? You want to fight?”

Li Shuping’s heart ached hearing the boy’s desperate roar like a trapped animal.

“Sister, can you watch my things on the bike for me?” she asked a nearby woman who looked kind and reliable.

The woman nodded readily, even patted her chest and said, “Don’t worry, with me here nothing will get lost.”

“Move aside,” Li Shuping pushed through the crowd to the front.

She saw a skinny boy of about seventeen or eighteen sitting on the ground.

His shirt collar and sleeves were frayed; his right hand was bleeding.

His dark face was handsome, but now marked with both injustice and anger.

“If you don’t pay, I’ll report you to the police and have you arrested,” the curly-haired woman threatened.

“Oh wow, you’re so tough—say ‘go to jail’ and you go to jail,” Li Shuping couldn’t help but sneer.

The woman glanced her up and down, waiting for her to say: “None of your business, mind your own business, go away.”

Qin Ye looked up at the woman who had just defended him. The morning sunlight shone on her, making her seem to glow.

“It is my business. I was riding behind you just now. I clearly saw a young man on a bike pass on your right. You dodged left and hit this boy, causing him and the jar to fall,” Li Shuping said firmly.

“You really expect this boy to pay you? You must be wicked-hearted,” she scolded, hands on hips, full of disdain.

With a witness confirming that it was the curly-haired woman who bumped into the boy, the onlookers began pointing fingers at her.

“How can you be so cruel? You hit the boy and now you want him to pay you back?”

“Exactly. The boy is just trying to earn money carrying things at the market. You’re just trying to cheat him.”

Qin Ye was known in the market for helping carry goods.

Many people recognized him.

“You’re worse than Huang Shiren,” someone said.