Chapter 202: Prosperity and Confusion

Chapter 202: Bustling and Booming

This era had no QR codes, so they couldn’t scan items like future supermarkets to display prices.

At checkout, you either had to do mental math or use a calculator. Though Su He and Fu Tinghua were lightning-fast, shoppers still ended up waiting in long lines.

"Hey, didn’t you say your wife’s shop carries hard-to-find items? I haven’t spotted any yet."

Qi Yunyang had scanned the shelves. While there were plenty of unusual products, nothing stood out as truly special.

"Try again tomorrow—if you’re lucky, you might snag some."

Fu Tinghua knew he meant durians, but he had no clue when the Fu family’s shipment would arrive.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Qi Yunyang pressed.

"It’s a fruit that grows on trees. Needs to be picked tomorrow and delivered here before we can sell it."

Now he was really curious—what was the big secret?

A lightbulb went off. "Wait—it’s not that durian the Shi folks won’t shut up about, is it? Your wife’s selling it?"

Wencheng’s elite couldn’t stop gossiping about this fruit—people either loved its aroma or gagged at its stench.

Spiky on the outside, but inside? Sweet, creamy flesh.

Supposedly lowered blood pressure and all that jazz. Everyone wanted to try it, but nobody knew where to buy it.

Turns out Ting Hua’s missus was the one behind it.

"You couldn’t have mentioned that sooner?" Qi Yunyang grumbled.

Xia Chengan caught wind of their chat. So Old Fu’s better half was running this durian operation? Why the secrecy?

"That’ll be fourteen fifty," Fu Tinghua said, handing change. "Talk later."

A crowd of shoppers still waited. Thankfully, his quick mental math let him tune out his friends’ banter.

"Here. We’ll swing by another day—hauling this home first!"

They’d come empty-handed but were now hauling back a serious haul.

Fu Tinghua smoothly moved to the next customer.

"Go eat—I brought you dinner." Su He tugged him from the counter.

She’d just finished her meal after packing dinners for Fu Tinghua and Fu Yanju.

The hospital wrapped up by five-thirty. Between cooking over a wood-fired stove and packing meals, it was nearly seven by the time she arrived.

His first worry was her: "Did you eat yet?"

"I’m fine. You go—don’t wreck your stomach." She pressed, practically shoving him toward the food.

After hearing Su He's words, Fu Tinghua left the checkout counter without further hesitation.

Su He took over the register and began ringing up the next customer.

As dusk fell, everyone assumed the supermarket was closing—until a floodlight suddenly lit up the place.

The storefront and entrance were instantly bathed in light.

Their signboard was strikingly bright, easily the most visible shop on the street.

To everyone's surprise, they got even busier at night.

It was such a novelty that folks killing time couldn't resist browsing.

Their merchandise proved irresistible, especially to children—no kid walked out empty-handed.

The opening day passed in nonstop chaos, and they didn't shut the doors until well past ten.

Other shops had closed up hours ago, leaving theirs alone with lights blazing, impossible to miss.

"Go on home first, sis," Su He told Fu Yanju after locking up.

"What about you?" Fu Yanju asked.

"I need to count today's take. You open tomorrow morning."

Fu Yanju saw the logic and was about to reply when Fu Tinghua arrived.

Earlier, Su He had sent him home to give Zai Zai and Niu Niu their baths.

The children had spent the evening with Wan'er, having just visited the store during daytime. After their nap, Su He made them stay put at home—too many customers made shop supervision impossible.

Only after getting the kids to sleep did Fu Tinghua rush back to help.

Past ten in the city wasn't safe—especially with today's haul being so big. He wasn't about to leave the women alone when their success might attract the wrong kind of attention.

"Tinghua!" Fu Yanju lit up at his arrival.

She'd been uneasy about Su He alone there, despite locked doors.

"Head home, sis. There's hot water—use it and keep the kettle on," he said.

"Right, I'm off then."

With the couple together, Fu Yanju had no intention of playing gooseberry.

Outside, she spotted a man hobbling toward her.

"Brother Yu? What are you doing here?"

Yu Xu had come by several times that day, just lingering by the door whenever he saw them busy.

Having waited patiently for Fu Yanju's solo departure, he'd finally found her by herself.

The neighborhood after dark worried him—he'd figured he'd walk her back.

"It's getting late, let me walk you home," Yu Xu said with a sheepish grin.

For some reason, Fu Yanju felt her face grow warm.

How people had treated her before was either scornful remarks or outright abuse—rarely had she experienced such kind gestures.

"Alright, thank you so much," Fu Yanju replied with a smile.

"No need for thanks. I should be the one thanking you. I just—I just couldn't stop worrying, so I came to check. Please don’t misunderstand," Yu Xu stammered, his words slightly flustered.

He knew his own situation all too well—broke and disabled. How could he ever be worthy of Fu Yanju?

He truly was just concerned.

"I didn’t misunderstand anything," Fu Yanju said, still smiling.

Recently divorced, she really wasn’t in the mood to think about such matters.

Their experiences were quite similar, and they understood each other's situations. Fu Yanju didn’t sense any romantic intentions from Yu Xu.

Meanwhile, after Fu Yanju was persuaded to leave, Su He planned to count up today's take before heading home.

"Why don’t you go back and rest first? This might take me a while," Su He said to Fu Tinghua, with concern in her voice.