Chapter 215: It’s Really Not Easy to Sleep In

Chapter 215: What a Luxury It Is to Sleep In

The next day, Su Shiming got up early, had breakfast, and rode out on his ancient bicycle.

Wen Qing watched him leave with concern and called out, "Be careful!"

She had to stay home to help their daughter with the embroidery, pushing to meet the deadline. It should be finished by next month, and once it was done, she could go help their daughter too.

"Don’t worry, don’t you trust me?" Su Shiming chuckled.

He had retired two years ago and had been lazing around at home for a long time. Now, it felt like he had finally found a satisfying job again, his face lit up with energy.

Folks really shouldn’t stay idle, especially in a country that’s rapidly developing.

Everyone around him was busy, while he was the only one with nothing to do, with no one to even chat with.

Look at Fu Dajun, for instance—he was still sweating it out in the fields.

But he himself had retired early.

It’d be fine if they had money, but they didn’t.

Whenever he wanted to buy something for his daughter or grandchildren, he was flat broke.

Truth be told, over the years, nearly all their money went to Su He.

Su Shiming’s salary had never been high, and Wen Qing never held a steady job, often just doing odd jobs or handicrafts.

Now, the two of them were scraping by on Su Shiming’s meager pension.

In truth, the couple pinched pennies.

They only ate decently when Su He visited.

Because every time Su He came, she would buy groceries—plenty of veggies and meat—and cook delicious meals for them.

He and Wen Qing had finally caught a break after all the hardship.

Over the past two years, their daughter had finally grown up.

In high spirits, Su Shiming took his time pedaling his bicycle toward Su He’s shop.

His daughter’s words rang in his ears—safety first.

When he arrived at the shop, the door was already open. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Fu Yanju stocking the shelves.

She was pulling items from the warehouse while jotting down what was running low.

It was still early in the morning, so there weren’t many customers.

"Sis Ting Hua, you’re up and at ’em early," Su Shiming said cheerfully.

"Oh, Uncle, you’re here already?"

It was just past eight, and Fu Yanju was taken aback by how early Su Shiming was.

"Haha, us old-timers can’t sleep, so I got up early and headed straight over after breakfast. By the way, have you eaten?" Su Shiming asked with a smile.

"Oh, I have. Right now, I’m just stocking up and checking inventory," Fu Yanju answered right away.

"I’ll give you a hand," Su Shiming said, moving toward Fu Yanju.

"No need—customers will be here any minute. Take a break—you’ll have your hands full later. I’ve got this. Plus, you don’t know where everything goes, so you’d just wear yourself out for nothing," Fu Yanju quickly replied.

Restocking was backbreaking work, even if the items weren’t heavy. It still required several trips back and forth, and Fu Yanju didn’t dare overwork Su Shiming—her brother’s father-in-law.

Since Fu Yanju insisted, Su Shiming didn’t push further—after all, he didn’t want to make things worse.

Just then, a customer came to pay, so Su Shiming took the opportunity to handle the payment, easing past the awkwardness.

Honestly, Su Shiming never got bored working here.

There were almost always customers around, so he never had a dull moment.

Early in the morning, Fu Tinghua drove over, bringing over the durians Fu Dajun had dropped off at home yesterday.

Su He’s guess was right—today, the number of people buying durians had gradually decreased.

The novelty had worn off, so the durians, usually a quick sell, had barely moved by mid-morning.

At 1.5 yuan per half-kilo, even the wealthiest families could only splurge on them once in a while—maybe once a month or week. Buying them daily was out of the question.

Instead, the store saw more shoppers for groceries and snacks.

Word had spread, drawing curious newcomers.

Most were repeat customers who found it convenient to browse here, with clear prices and a pleasant shopping experience.

Su He’s shop also kept long hours, open from around 8 a.m. until past 9 p.m.

Back then, most shops opened mornings but closed for lunch and dinner.

Once it got dark, most simply locked up for the night.

If you needed something after dark, good luck finding an open store.

Su He had the guts to stay open late.

Even with the ongoing crackdowns, public safety was still much worse than in later years.

Thanks to her kung fu, Su He wasn’t worried.

By the time Su He woke up, it was already past 10 a.m.

She knew her sleep routine would be wrecked now—since she couldn’t take afternoon naps, she’d just sleep in naturally.

Otherwise, if she got up too early, she’d be exhausted by noon.

She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.

Sleeping in was a rare treat.

Ever since transmigrating into this world, she’d always had to rise early.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, lifting her mood.

Everything was moving in a positive direction—she just had to keep working hard.

When she went downstairs, she saw the three kids in the yard, carrying buckets to water the vegetables they’d planted.

The seeds had only been planted a few days ago, but the vegetables in the garden were already starting to sprout tender shoots.

These seeds were all obtained from her space, future-enhanced varieties, so they were highly resilient.

Seeing the kids up early in the morning working hard while she had been sleeping in her room, Su He couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.

"Mommy!" The moment Niu Niu saw her, she immediately put down the ladle in her hand and ran to Su He, tightly hugging her leg.

Dad said not to disturb Mommy’s rest, so she had been obedient and didn’t go to bother her.

Not only that, but the kids hadn’t been noisy either. They had been helping Wan Er water the plants all morning.

"You guys are amazing, being so helpful all on your own. Today, Mommy will reward each of you with a lollipop."

Appropriate rewards boost the kids’ enthusiasm, right?

If there’s no reward for effort, who would want to do it next time?

"Wow! Really? But we’ve already used up our candy allowance for the week," Niu Niu said a little dejectedly.

"This is an extra reward for you. But after eating the candy, you must rinse your mouth, okay?" Su He gently patted her daughter’s head.

"Got it! Mommy is the best, I love Mommy the most!" Such a sweet talker.

Zai Zai finally put down the ladle in his hand and walked over to Su He, saying, "Mommy, you should eat breakfast now."

Su He: ... Sleepyhead.