In the late autumn of 1988, a thin veil of morning mist enveloped the city, turning the plane trees lining the streets a hazy golden-brown. Outside the Shen family compound, breakfast vendors had already set up their stalls, the rising steam carrying the aroma of soy milk and fried dough sticks, spreading in the cool air and creating a vibrant, bustling scene. Lin Wanqiu stood in the entryway, tying a pink scarf around Shen Nianxi's neck. The little girl, wearing a pale yellow cotton-padded jacket, looked like a round little dumpling, her big eyes sparkling with anticipation: "Mommy, Teacher Wang said today she's going to teach us how to draw maple leaves, and I want to draw the reddest maple leaf for you!"
Lin Wanqiu smiled and pinched her cheek, her fingertips touching the soft down, her heart filled with warmth: "Okay, Mommy is waiting for Nianxi's Maple Leaf. When you get to kindergarten, listen to your teacher and get along well with your friends, okay?" Since starting kindergarten last autumn, Shen Nianxi had long since shed her initial shyness, and now she was like a lively little sparrow, looking forward to going to kindergarten and playing with her friends every day. Recalling when she first sent her to kindergarten, the child clung to her legs and cried her heart out, Lin Wanqiu couldn't help but sigh, time is truly a wondrous thing, able to make a timid seedling grow into a brave little flower.
"Okay, Mom!" Shen Nianxi nodded vigorously, hugged Lin Wanqiu's leg, and then tiptoed to kiss her on the cheek. "Goodbye, Mom! I'll bring you the maple leaf I drew tonight!" After saying that, she took Grandma Shen's hand and skipped towards the kindergarten. Grandma Shen, wearing a dark blue cotton coat, walked slowly but held her granddaughter's little hand tightly, bending down from time to time to remind her, "Walk slowly, don't fall, Grandma can't keep up with you." The figures of the grandmother and granddaughter gradually disappeared into the morning mist, leaving behind a string of crisp laughter, like scattered silver on the ground.
Lin Wanqiu stood at the door until they were out of sight before turning and walking towards the food shop. Just as she stepped out of the residential compound, she ran into her neighbor, Aunt Zhang, who greeted her with a smile: "Wanqiu, your Nianxi is becoming more and more sensible. Yesterday, when I went to pick up my grandson from kindergarten, I saw her helping the teacher distribute fruit to the other children. She's so sweet-talking, and the teacher praised her as a little helper."
Lin Wanqiu was overjoyed and replied with a smile, "It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent teaching. This child also likes to help with chores at home, but she's sometimes too naughty." Although she spoke modestly, her heart was filled with sweetness—every bit of progress her daughter made made her incredibly proud.
When they arrived at the food shop, Xiao Zhang had already cleaned it thoroughly. The shelves were filled with freshly made bread, cookies, and cakes. The golden croissants exuded the aroma of butter, and the cream on the chocolate cakes was as soft as clouds, attracting passersby to stop and admire them. "Boss lady, you've arrived!" Xiao Zhang greeted them with a smile, handing them an order book. "After you left yesterday afternoon, several more companies ordered our birthday cakes. I've written them all down; please take a look."
Lin Wanqiu took the order book and carefully flipped through it, her eyes filled with satisfaction. Since the food shop gained a foothold in the city last year, business has grown like a snowball. Not only do nearby residents frequent the shop, but even surrounding businesses and schools order cakes and pastries. She knows that this success has not come easily; it's not only due to her skills but also to her honest business practices—using the freshest ingredients, adding no preservatives, and offering more affordable prices than other shops. Over time, the reputation of "Wanqiu Food Shop" has spread.
"Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Zhang. I'll finish these orders this afternoon. First, arrange the pastries we'll sell this morning, making sure no flies land on them," Lin Wanqiu instructed, picking up a freshly baked cranberry cookie and taking a bite. The sweet and sour cranberries mixed with the aroma of butter burst in her mouth, the texture crisp and just right. "It tastes good, just the right amount of sweetness compared to last time. I'll make it using this recipe from now on."
Xiao Zhang smiled and nodded: "Okay, boss lady, I'll remember. By the way, yesterday a customer said it would be great if we could open a branch. He lives in the east of the city, and it takes him more than half an hour to walk here to buy snacks."
Lin Wanqiu's heart skipped a beat—she had considered opening a branch store before, but she had been too busy taking care of her child and managing the existing shop to think about it in detail. Now that the food stall's business was stable and Xiao Zhang could handle things on his own, perhaps it was time to put the branch store on the agenda. Just as she was thinking this, her pager suddenly went off. It was a message from Teacher Wang from the kindergarten: "Hello, Ms. Shen Nianxi, the kindergarten held a 'Autumn Colors' themed painting competition today, and Nianxi did very well. If you have time, you can come to the kindergarten at noon to see her."
Upon seeing the message, Lin Wanqiu immediately decided to finish her work in the morning and then go to the kindergarten at noon to watch her daughter's competition. She quickly gave instructions to Xiao Zhang and began preparing the cake-making ingredients, her movements much faster than usual, her heart filled with anticipation—she had never seen her daughter compete at kindergarten before, and she wondered what kind of maple leaves the little one would draw.
At 11:00 AM, Lin Wanqiu closed the food shop early, bought some fruit, and hurried to the kindergarten. Just as she reached the kindergarten gate, she heard cheerful singing coming from inside, "Autumn is here, autumn is here, maple leaves are red, chrysanthemums are yellow..." The innocent voices of the children were as melodious as a clear spring, warming her heart. She followed the singing into the activity room, where she saw children sitting around small tables, holding crayons and drawing diligently. Chen Nianxi sat by the window, sunlight streaming through the window and gilding her hair.
The little girl was looking down, her brows slightly furrowed, intently coloring maple leaves on her drawing paper. Her small hands held a red crayon, carefully applying color stroke by stroke, occasionally pausing to point at the edges of the leaves with her little finger, as if pondering how to color them more evenly. Teacher Wang stood beside her, gently instructing, "Nianxi, you can color the edges of the maple leaves a little darker; that will give them more depth." Shen Nianxi nodded, immediately adjusting the pressure of her crayon, a small smile appearing on her lips.
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