Era: Rise from the Wilderness

He Ling rushed to open the door, and Li Yunjing followed closely behind.

When the door opened, Li Hongfeng stood there, his face flushed and a faint smell of alcohol on him.

"Dad, sit down and rest."

Li Yunjing deftly poured in some warm water.

Li Hongfeng gulped down most of the glass and let out a long sigh of relief.

"How is it?"

He Ling asked impatiently, "Has Brother Ma agreed to help?"

"With your man involved, is there anything he can't accomplish?"

"I did as Yun Jing suggested, bringing gifts and explaining our family's difficulties."

Li Hongfeng slapped his thigh triumphantly, "Brother Ma immediately called his wife over to ask about the situation."

He lowered his voice: "My sister-in-law said that the school is indeed going to re-contract the canteen, but the news hasn't spread yet."

"She'll go see the principal first thing tomorrow morning and tell us to prepare the contract payment and wait."

"Oh! This is wonderful!"

He Ling was so happy that she kept wiping her eyes, and her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

After the initial joy, practical problems came to mind.

"But our family hasn't saved much money over the years, and we still need to save it for the kids' schooling..."

He Ling said worriedly, "I wonder how much the contract fee will be, and whether it will be enough?"

Li Yunjing, who had never been very clear about her family's financial situation in her previous life, curiously leaned over and asked, "Mom, how much money do we have now?"

"Snapped!"

He Ling subconsciously patted Li Yunjing lightly on the back of the head, nervously lowering her voice and saying, "Keep your voice down! Why do you have to shout everything out? There are so many people around in this courtyard, what if outsiders hear us?"

Li Yunjing shrank his neck, chuckled, and then realized what was happening.

In the early 90s, social order was relatively complex, and flaunting wealth was indeed a major taboo.

"Hehe, I was wrong, Mom."

He lowered his voice and asked curiously, "Then tell me quietly, how much money do we have right now?"

"My company went out of business a few years ago, so I stopped working. Our family relies on your dad's salary alone."

He Ling glanced at her husband, and seeing Li Hongfeng nod, she leaned close to her son's ear and whispered, "After all these years of saving and scrimping, we only have about five thousand yuan in our savings account."

"This is for your schooling and for emergencies."

"I wonder how much initial investment is needed to open such a small shop? Is five thousand yuan enough?"

Li Yunjing felt more confident.

Five thousand yuan was indeed the savings of an ordinary working-class family in a small industrial town in Northeast China in the early 1990s; every penny was soaked in the blood and sweat of the parents.

"Don't worry about the money."

Li Hongfeng was clearly more confident than his wife. He waved his hand and said, "The money in the savings account cannot be touched; it's our family's lifeline."

"I raised the capital needed to open the shop from my former employer, friends, and coworkers."

"Once the store opens, I'll be able to pay it back quickly."

With the matter of the convenience store basically settled, Li Yunjing felt a weight lifted from his heart, but another hidden worry surfaced in his mind.

Looking at his father, who was full of vigor, he recalled his past life, where his father held great power and worked in the supply department of a large state-owned enterprise, handling the procurement of bulk materials.

Which of those factory directors of township enterprises and private business owners wasn't all all smiles, hoping to slip some orders through their fingers?

But my father was so upright that he was almost pedantic. He never took a penny more than enough to get his fill of food and drink.

When the wave of layoffs arrived, the family hadn't saved much money.

"In this life, I must change my father's mindset."

Li Yunjing made up his mind.

"Dad, when you go on business trips in the future, don't just drink with those bosses from the other side of the supply chain."

Knowing that speaking directly would backfire, he casually remarked, "They're counting on you for orders, so taking a small commission is the only practical thing to do. These days, if you only care about appearances and not substance, you'll only hurt yourself."

"Reiko, listen to this!"

Li Hongfeng was in high spirits when he heard this. He was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, "Our son knows everything about clients, contractors, and kickbacks!"

He laughed heartily, but a complex look flashed in his eyes.

His son's precociousness surprised him and made him feel uneasy.

"Yun Jing, don't talk nonsense!"

He Ling quickly chided, "Your dad knows what he's doing. We earn our money honestly. Don't think about those crooked ways!"

Li Yunjing smiled bitterly to himself; his parents were traditional, honest people!

Little did they know, a lowly electrician in the company would one day own several houses!

One logistics staff member has dozens of old, dilapidated apartments in their hands!

Where did this old, run-down house come from?

These were all houses built by the work unit itself, without property certificates. They were haphazardly built here and there, and eventually ended up in private hands.

All the cunning people got rich, but only honest people like Li Hongfeng, who gained a lot of face at work, ate delicacies, and made a fortune, didn't have a single extra penny!

"The book says, 'Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles!'"

Li Yunjing chuckled and skillfully changed the subject, "I just think Dad is too honest and should think more about his own family."

These words amused both parents.

The family of three chatted enthusiastically for another half hour, looking forward to the booming days after the convenience store opened.

Around 10 p.m., filled with anticipation for the future, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

These days, working-class families don't have much of a nightlife; everyone is used to going to bed early and getting up early.

Li Yunjing lay on the hard bed, but tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Having grown accustomed to smartphones and the internet of later generations, he felt extremely uncomfortable suddenly finding himself in a night filled only with the chirping of insects and the distant whistles of trains.

"No short videos, no mobile games... this night is too long!"

But the silence also gave him space to think.

Today is the first day of rebirth, and the butterfly's wings have already begun to flutter.

The convenience store is just the first step; bigger opportunities are yet to come.

He recalled the momentous event that would change the nation's financial landscape six months later; that was the real fast track to wealth.

"We must accumulate enough capital before the Lunar New Year."

Li Yunjing opened his eyes wide in the darkness, his gaze sharp and intense.

He didn't fall asleep until the sky began to lighten.

He had only slept for three hours when his biological clock woke him up at six in the morning.

He fetched a basin of cold water, buried his face in it, and the biting cold instantly dispelled his sleepiness.

"Youth is wonderful!"

Looking at his youthful yet energetic face in the mirror, Li Yunjing couldn't help but sigh.

I slept for only three hours but felt no tiredness at all!

In his previous life, when he was in his forties, staying up this late would have almost killed him. He would have felt palpitations, cold sweats, and his mind would have been in a mess. He definitely wouldn't have been able to work properly the next day!

Breakfast consisted of white rice porridge, pickled vegetables, and boiled eggs.

As Li Yunjing ate the breakfast her mother had prepared and saw her parents' relaxed brows, a long-lost warmth welled up in her heart.

This simple happiness is something we desperately pursued in the city in our past lives, but always lost.

"Dad, Mom, I'm done eating! Time to go for a run!"

After finishing breakfast, Li Yunjing washed the dishes and then greeted her parents.