Chapter 188: Potential Stock

Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Potential Stock

"Here’s some foreign candy. Please, try a piece!"

The woman at the newsstand took it with both hands, absolutely delighted.

"Oh, my! Is this foreign candy? What a rare treat!"

She held it in her hands, turning it over and over to examine it.

Then she immediately tucked it away in the back of a drawer.

"I’ll save it. When I get off work, I’ll take it home for my boy. He’ll treat it like a treasure!"

Just because of that box of imported chocolates, the woman didn’t ask any more questions.

Instead, without another word, she helped her carry out the small folding table and metal rack.

The Lantern Festival hadn’t passed yet, so many factories were still closed for the holiday.

The weather had warmed up again, and the streets suddenly became bustling.

Song Yao’s stall had been gone for a while, so the moment she set it up, a crowd immediately gathered around.

Most of the customers were parents with their children.

After asking a few questions, they’d pull out their money without hesitation. It was all very straightforward.

At the very least, they would leave with a headband.

It was almost noon, and Song Yao had been so busy she hadn’t even had a moment to catch her breath.

Only a few pairs of earrings were left lying forlornly on the stall.

Everything else was completely sold out.

How much did she make?

Song Yao hadn’t bothered to count; she was too tired to even move her fingers.

She first moved the rest of her stock to the newsstand and, while she was at it, paid off several months of storage fees.

The newsstand woman’s eyes crinkled into slits as she smiled, and she deftly helped her move the boxes inside.

"You can rest assured. Your things are safe with me. Not a single thing will go missing!"

Song Yao nodded, her expression full of confidence.

"The moment I saw you, I knew you were very reliable."

The woman was so delighted she slapped her thigh.

"Hah, I’ve heard that plenty of times!"

She turned, pulled a pack of mints from the drawer, and pressed it into Song Yao’s hand.

"Here, for your throat!"

...

Li Hanchen came home from work.

He raised his hand to knock, but there was no answer.

He took out his key and let himself in. The apartment was silent; no one was there.

"Song Yao? Song Yao."

He spun around and rushed downstairs.

Just as he reached the stairwell, he ran into Shen Rongdan heading up and blurted out, "Have you seen Song Yao?"

Shen Rongdan was wearing a backpack.

"Nope! I just got in. She’s not home?"

After speaking, Shen Rongdan tucked a package under his arm and adjusted his glasses.

Li Hanchen shook his head.

The cuffs of his shirt were still rolled up to his forearms, revealing a bit of his wrist bone.

Shen Rongdan immediately realized what was going on.

"Oh, man. Don’t tell me she went to set up her stall again."

The words had barely left his mouth when they heard a car horn honk downstairs.

"That’s what I was thinking," Li Hanchen said as he took large strides down the stairs.

Once he hopped in his car and turned out of the residential complex, he spotted someone standing by the bus stop.

Song Yao was looking down, rummaging through her bag, an empty basket slung over her shoulder.

As soon as the car came to a steady stop, she tilted her head and looked over.

"Is that my dear driver comrade?"

Song Yao immediately broke into a smile, her voice bright and clear.

"Hubby!"

Li Hanchen didn’t respond, only sighed.

But as he approached, Song Yao had already spread her arms and thrown herself at him.

"Give me a hug! My legs are about to fall off from standing all day!"

He had no choice but to resign himself and open his arms to catch her.

"Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t do this kind of work?"

Song Yao snuggled her face against his chest and said softly, "Was I supposed to just sit at home and grow mushrooms from boredom? I went out for a walk, made a little pocket money on the side, and now I feel great!"

"But you’re..."

She quickly covered his mouth.

"Don’t worry, I know my limits! I won’t overdo it, I won’t argue with people, I’ll just focus on counting money!"

"Guess how much I’ve got in my pocket?"

But Li Hanchen didn’t take the bait, only rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"The most important thing right now is for you to rest well."

He pressed the pads of his fingers against his brow bone, massaging it twice.

"Uh-huh, I’ll rest tomorrow!"

He had just let out a sigh of relief. "Rest..."

Song Yao blinked and added another sentence.

"I’ll get back to it the day after. I’ll take one day off!"

Her eyelashes fluttered, and the corners of her mouth curved up even higher.

Li Hanchen: "..."

"Li Hanchen, stop nagging!"

Song Yao quickly raised a hand.

"I swear, if it’s windy? I won’t go! Raining hard? Won’t go! Freezing cold? Definitely won’t go! And I absolutely won’t go out every day. I’m just doing it for fun, whenever I’m in a good mood."

"The rest of the time, I’ll stay obediently cooped up at home, okay?"

As she spoke, she swayed Li Hanchen’s arm back and forth.

Li Hanchen couldn’t win against her and had to nod.

"Fine. If you’re going, I’ll drive you."

"Oh, no, no!"

Song Yao immediately waved her hands dismissively.

"I’m not going during rush hour. The bus stop is right at the intersection, it’s just two stops. It’s a comfortable ride."

The words had just left her mouth when she clutched her stomach and cried out.

"I’m hungry!"

Li Hanchen bent down to pick up the canvas bag she had dropped by the roadside, then took her hand and started walking back.

Before they entered the building, Song Yao giggled and poked him.

"You know, the moment I’m not home, you turn into a secret master chef and start cooking on the sly."

Li Hanchen sighed helplessly and only reminded her in a low voice.

"If you’re not feeling well, don’t push yourself."

Song Yao patted her lower abdomen, her eyes sparkling.

"Don’t you worry! This body of mine is precious, and the little one inside is the apple of my eye!"

With that, she pulled Li Hanchen’s hand over and gently placed it on her belly.

The next second, she suddenly flinched.

"Whoa! It moved! It really moved!"

Li Hanchen’s palm only felt a patch of warmth against it.

"Where? Where? It really moved?"

Song Yao nodded emphatically, her fingertips pressing a spot on the left side of her belly.

"Right here! It just pushed twice, once lightly and once a bit harder!"

But a moment later, her lips formed a pout.

"It just gave two little pushes... Now it’s stopped."

Li Hanchen was a little disappointed.

"It’s okay, how big is the baby now? The kicks will get stronger later. You’ll feel a reaction as soon as you touch!"

Song Yao comforted him cheerfully, her hand supporting her lower back, her voice full of certainty.

"I looked it up yesterday. Around the five-month mark, the fetal movements get much stronger. If you touch my belly every day, I guarantee the baby will wake up at your touch."

Just as the two of them arrived at the foot of their dormitory building, they saw Shen Rongdan already leaning against the entrance, waiting with his arms crossed.

He was wearing a dark gray hoodie, with the hood pulled low.

Hearing the car, he immediately straightened up. The moment he saw Song Yao get out, he rushed over to meet them.

"Whoa, so you really did go set up your stall?"

"Shen Songyao, are you that desperate for money you’re having a panic attack?"

"Were you reincarnated carrying an abacus in your past life or something?"

Song Yao: "..."

She lifted her chin, her eyes sparkling.

"Guess how much I brought in today?"

"How much?"

"I... I haven’t unpacked it to count yet."

"Don’t tell me you actually earned a whole sackful? Too much to even count?"

Shen Rongdan’s words were laced with sarcasm.

Song Yao was instantly displeased. She grabbed her canvas bag and shook it, the taut fabric making a RUSTLING sound.

"Let’s go! Upstairs! I’ll unbox my haul for you and blind your dog eyes!"

Shen Rongdan: "..."

"If I have dog eyes, then what kind of eyes do you have?"

Song Yao blinked.

"Discerning eyes."

"How come we’re siblings, but I get the dog eyes and you get the discerning eyes?"

Shen Rongdan asked as he followed her up the steps.

"Because you," Song Yao said, looking back as she climbed the stairs, "can’t even recognize the rising star in your own family!"

The two of them bickered their way up the stairs.

The moment the door closed, Song Yao upended the bag onto the coffee table with a loud CLATTER.

Coins, bills, and rolls of change went CLATTERING and scattering all over the table.

It was enough to truly daze Shen Rongdan’s "dog eyes."

"Holy shit... It really is a whole sackful?!"

The brother and sister immediately pulled up stools, sat down, and leaned over the table, burying their heads in the task of counting.

Li Hanchen silently turned, disappeared into the kitchen, tied on an apron, and got busy with dinner.

"One yuan, two yuan, three yuan..."

"I’ve got eighty-five over here."