Era: Rise from the Wilderness

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I smelled an enticing aroma wafting from my direction, much richer and more complex than the smell of cooking.

He quickened his pace, pushed open the door, and saw his parents busy in the small kitchen, with the sounds of spatulas clattering and frying food filling the air.

"Hey! Goodness!"

Li Yunjing curiously peeked into the kitchen, her eyes immediately lighting up: "What's the occasion? Why are you making so many fancy dishes!"

On the stove were several kinds of ingredients that are rarely seen.

A large rooster, cleaned and chopped into pieces; a thick, gleaming silver hairtail from the Bohai Bay, being prepared by the father; a small bowl of fresh pork ribs; and two deep red, well-sauce-braised pig ears, emitting an enticing aroma…

This is a spectacle comparable to Chinese New Year!

"Son! Good news!"

"Our family has taken over the shop at No. 25 Middle School!"

Li Hongfeng was skillfully scaling a fish when he heard his son's voice. He turned around, his face beaming with uncontainable joy and pride, and laughed heartily, saying, "I just went to the school this afternoon and signed the contract! Three years! For the next three years, that shop will be ours!"

"You're back?"

He Ling was busy in the kitchen when she heard the noise and poked her head out: "Hey, what's that?"

"Mom, fish!"

Li Yunjing picked up the plastic bucket: "The contract is signed!"

He was overjoyed to hear that the great thing had been accomplished.

Wow! So many!

He Ling wiped her hands and walked over, took the bag, and looked inside. Her eyes immediately lit up: "They're all alive! Where did they come from?"

"I caught it under the bridge with my classmates this afternoon."

Li Yunjing spoke of it casually, as if it were an ordinary matter.

He Ling poured the fish into the sink, and the thirteen fish thrashed about, splashing water everywhere.

The largest fathead fish weighed over half a pound and was rampaging around in the pond.

"This one is really fat!"

He Ling picked up the large fish, weighed it in her hand, and said, "We'll add another dish tonight—the big one for soup, and the small one for braised in soy sauce. We're in for a treat tonight!"

"good!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunjing became somewhat distracted, focusing more on the contract.

He hadn't expected his father to be so efficient, settling this important matter so quietly.

"Dad, where's the contract? Let me see it!"

He suppressed his excitement and quickly pressed for more information.

While cooking, He Ling replied, "It's on the bedroom table."

"Mom and Dad, you go ahead with your work!"

Li Yunjing dashed out of the kitchen and swept into the bedroom like a gust of wind.

Sure enough, a folded contract was spread out on the old dining table.

He took a deep breath and carefully picked it up and unfolded it.

The blue penmanship is neat and elegant, carrying a sense of formality unique to the 1990s.

The contract is simple and clear: The lease is for the No. 25 Middle School's convenience store for a three-year term, starting June 25, 1990. The annual rent is 2,000 yuan. The tenant has the right of first refusal to renew the lease upon expiration.

The signature was stamped with a bright red official seal of "Dongshan Town No. 25 Middle School", next to which was the father Li Hongfeng's flamboyant signature and a clear red fingerprint.

"Three years! Only two thousand a year!"

Li Yunjing's eyes lit up.

The rent is ridiculously cheap!

Even by his most conservative estimate, after deducting rent, the convenience store could still earn his family several thousand yuan a year.

In the early 1990s, this was enough to turn a working-class family's life around.

He thought about it again and felt a little regretful.

This "golden goose" has a stable income, but accumulating wealth is still too slow.

Six months later, an opportunity arises, and Li Yunjing needs to concentrate all his capital to take a gamble.

He needs to find a way to get some money from other places!

"Once the convenience store is all set up, I need to find myself a source of income!"

He was making plans in his mind.

After putting the contract away, Li Yunjing suddenly felt that something was missing.

How could such an important event be complete without wine?

He ran back to his room, pulled out the two yuan he had saved up from the corner of a drawer, stuffed it into his pocket, and rushed out, shouting, "Mom and Dad, I'm going out for a bit!"

He dashed to the small shop at the foot of Dongshan Mountain.

The shop owner, Uncle Wang, was fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan to cool off.

"Uncle Wang, two bottles of beer, please!"

"Hey, Xiao Jing! Buying wine for your dad?"

Uncle Wang smiled and accepted the two yuan.

These days, the only beer in town is the local brewery, which produces green glass bottles. It costs five cents a bottle, and you have to pay a five-cent deposit for the bottle.

"Okay! Buy some alcohol for my dad!"

Li Yunjing remembers clearly that he used to collect bottles and exchange them for popsicles when he was a child.

"Here you go! Remember to return the bottle tomorrow to get your deposit back!"

Uncle Wang gave him a word of advice.

"Okay!"

Li Yunjing slowly walked back, carrying two bottles of ice-cold beer.

The coolness emanating from the bottle mirrored his current mood.

When he got home, he slammed the beer down in the center of the round table, served three bowls of rice, and placed three enamel mugs with the Double Happiness logo on them.

He turned on the 14-inch black and white television, which was showing an animated cartoon, but his mind was elsewhere.

Half an hour later, the room was filled with a delicious aroma.

"Yun Jing, bring the dishes!"

He Ling called from the kitchen.

"Hey, you're here!"

Li Yunjing rushed in; there were six main dishes on the stove.

Braised ribbonfish in soy sauce is glossy and fragrant; braised rooster with fresh mushrooms has a rich broth; stewed pork ribs with green beans and potatoes is tender and oily; cold cucumber and pig ear salad is crisp and refreshing; braised bighead carp in soy sauce; bighead carp soup.

This is almost like Chinese New Year!

He carefully placed the dishes on the table.

"Huh? Where did this wine come from?"

After washing his hands, Li Hongfeng came over and immediately saw the beer: "I didn't buy any."

"dad,"

Li Yunjing chuckled, a hint of pride in his eyes, "Today is a big day for our family, and I bought it with my own pocket money."

"Everyone should have a drink and celebrate!"

Under the dim light, the family sat around a round table.

"Good lad!"

"You've really made something of yourself!"

"So you know to buy wine for your dad!"

Li Hongfeng's face lit up with a smile, and he patted his son's shoulder heavily with his large, fan-like hand: "Alright! We'll make an exception today, the three of us will all have a drink!"

Li Yunjing deftly grabbed a bottle opener and pried open the bottle cap with two "bangs," and white foam instantly gushed out.

He first filled his parents' two enamel mugs with the golden liquid, and then poured himself a little less than half a mug.

"Hey, you little brat, drink less!"

He Ling quickly stopped her, "Why are you filling it so full?"

"Never mind, never mind!"

Li Hongfeng waved his hand dismissively, "He's in a good mood today, let him have a drink, it's no problem!"

Under the dim light, the family sat around a round table.

The braised ribbonfish was glossy and oily, the chicken stew with fresh mushrooms was fragrant, the pork ribs were tender and mushy, the cold pig's ear salad was crisp and refreshing, and the bighead carp was delicious...

The lavishness of this dinner was extremely rare on the Li family's usual dining table.

In an era when resources were scarce, such a "luxurious" meal was the dream of countless families.

Li Yunjing lifted the heavy teacup.