Looking at the lively scene at the entrance, Su Xueming lowered his head and gently asked Chu Hongyu—
"There are too many people here, and we can't see what's inside. Let's not go into that crowded place; it wouldn't be good if you got hurt. How about we sit in the coffee shop next door?"
Her fiancé had always been very considerate of her, so Chu Hongyu smiled and said, "Okay."
She released her grip on Su Xueming's arm and led him to the coffee shop.
Even now, it's still fashionable for men and women to not hold hands when they go out.
She had only touched his arm quietly because she noticed there were many people and everyone's attention was on Ning Yuan's store.
The coffee shop was almost full.
As soon as Su Xueming entered, he smelled the aroma of coffee throughout the room.
Mr. Tang and the students who were working part-time to support themselves arrived early and warmly greeted the guests.
Although it was a bit noisy next door, the lively atmosphere was a rare treat, and the customers found it novel, since such a trendy shop was the first of its kind in Shanghai.
"Good morning, Grandpa. One latte, one mocha, plus a plate of pineapple cakes and a plate of almond tarts."
Chu Hongyu spoke softly and gently to Old Tang in Shanghainese.
In the two months since it opened, the coffee shop has had a better supply of cream and more snacks.
Old Tang glanced at Su Xueming, then looked at Chu Hongyu and nodded with a smile: "Okay, wait a moment."
Su Xueming led Chu Hongyu to sit down and looked around.
He was somewhat surprised to find that, in addition to various foreigners, there were also many others.
There were also quite a few aunties and old gentlemen.
After the reform and opening up, they would occasionally change out of their work clothes and put on old clothes that had been hidden away in trunks for more than 20 years, such as suits, Zhongshan suits, and woolen coats.
The ambiance of the Heart of the Era made these elderly gentlemen and ladies feel as if they had returned to their own youthful days.
Their hair was neatly combed and they were impeccably dressed. Even their old leather shoes were polished to a shine as they sat there drinking a not-so-cheap eight-cent cup of coffee.
It's a unique sight that can only be seen in Shanghai.
Ning Yuan perfectly captured the essence of Shanghai.
In just two months, she achieved her initial goal of making the Heart of the Era a cultural landmark.
Moreover, business is booming.
"My roommate is amazing, isn't she? She managed both of these stores single-handedly."
Chu Hongyu said with a smile, a hint of pride flashing in her eyes.
Su Xueming nodded with a smile: "Women hold up half the sky, that's really amazing..."
The surrounding area was full of foreigners and stylish uncles and aunts, creating a relaxed atmosphere, and there were no red armbands from the neighborhood committee.
The two sat closer and closer in the coffee shop, whispering to each other for an hour or two.
At noon, Manhua and Huazi took over first, while Ningyuan hurriedly went to the coffee shop next door for lunch.
Rong Zhaonan had something to do and had already said goodbye and left.
Ning Yuan spotted the person next to Chu Hongyu at a glance. She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "This must be Comrade Su?"
One look at Su Xueming's pretty face, and she knew why Chu Hongyu had said Rong Zhaonan was better looking than Chen Chen.
Rong Zhaonan was born with a refined yet sharp appearance. Beneath his aloof and ascetic exterior lay the brutality, wildness, and unruliness of a warrior and his weapon.
Su Xueming, however, was exceptionally refined and gentle, with remarkably handsome features. If he wore a white shirt, he would be the dream lover of many girls, and now he also possessed the composed and steady demeanor of a government official.
Like her, Chu Hongyu was a typical "face-value enthusiast," only liking good-looking men.
“Sister Hongyu often mentions you to us. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Put today’s bill on my tab.” Ning Yuan extended her hand to him with a graceful and generous manner.
Chu Hongyu and she got along exceptionally well, and Chu Hongyu always took care of her like an older sister. Naturally, she was also generous to Chu Hongyu's fiancé.
Su Xueming looked at the girl in front of him with her pretty big eyes and cherry lips. She looked very young, and he didn't know if she was seventeen years old or not.
She wore a pale yellow headband, had two long braids, and carried a shoulder bag containing the morning's payments.
She wore a light yellow wool coat and a long corduroy plaid skirt.
Su Xueming nodded slightly: "Hello."
He reached out his hand, shook it casually, and immediately withdrew it.
Ning Yuan, being such a sensitive person, could immediately sense Su Xueming's cold attitude.
She didn't care. When she decided to become self-employed, she knew that not many people would respect her anymore.
Moreover, a highly educated young cadre like Su Xueming, who is rare in China, would probably look down on her for her money.
Ning Yuan smiled and said, "I'll go to the kitchen to eat first. I'll relieve Sister Manhua later so she can eat as well."
After saying that, she went to the kitchen, tactfully leaving the space to Chu Hongyu and Su Xueming.
Since the other person doesn't like her, she doesn't need to socialize with them.
After watching Ning Yuan leave, Chu Hongyu couldn't help but frown and look at Su Xueming: "Brother Xueming, what's wrong with you?"
Su Xueming took her hand, looked at the bustling shop next door, and said gently—
"That girl has too much of a mercenary air about her. This kind of self-employed person is ultimately not respectable. You'd better not get too close to her, or I'm afraid it will have a bad influence on you."
Chu Hongyu knew that the current perception of self-employed individuals was very negative.
Because many of them are people who don't have formal jobs, come from very poor families, or are just layabouts who do these things.
Who among the respectable people in factories or companies would do this?
Chu Hongyu raised her beautiful fox-like eyes and calmly looked at Su Xueming—
“Xiao Ning didn’t have parents before, so she had to find a way to support her grandparents and herself, earning money with her own hands. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
Su Xueming said gently, "I'm just worried that your friends might affect your studies. We've already agreed to get married after graduation..."
Chu Hongyu softened her voice and gently poked his forehead: "You just don't trust me. I'm all grown up now, not a fifteen-year-old little girl anymore."
That's why she didn't let Su Xueming know that she was doing business with Ning Yuan.
Su Xueming graduated from Tsinghua University, was once his father's secretary, and is now a section chief at a bank, so he is naturally more cautious.
Chu Hongyu changed the subject: "Brother Xueming, how about we try the steak at the coffee shop? It's Tang Lao's latest dish, and they only offer ten servings a day."
Su Xueming held her hand affectionately: "Okay, okay, whatever our Shanghai girl says goes."
Chu Hongyu still smiled sweetly at him, just like the fifteen-year-old girl she once was.
Ning Yuan sat behind the cashier in the coffee shop, holding her lunchbox, and couldn't help but frown.
She was somewhat unaccustomed to seeing Chu Hongyu, who was usually shrewd, intelligent, and insightful, with such an expression.
As they were talking, the wind chimes at the entrance of the coffee shop suddenly rang, and a pretty girl dressed in a gray-blue overalls, plaid pants, and cloth shoes walked in.
She seemed to have never been to such a place before, and stood timidly at the door, not daring to go in.
A male student working part-time at the coffee shop approached and asked, "Comrade, who are you looking for?"
The pretty girl was carrying a lunchbox in her hand and looked timidly into the coffee shop: "I'm here to deliver lunch to my cousin and sister-in-law."
Su Xueming saw her and waved: "Xiao Li, over here."
Chu Hongyu saw the girl first and was a little puzzled: "Why is Xiaoli here too?"
Su Xiaoli is Su Xueming's cousin from the countryside. She now works as a nanny in his home, helping with cooking.
The girl immediately came over and handed over the lunchbox she was holding.
Su Xueming took the lunchbox, opened it, and handed it to Chu Hongyu: "This is my first time visiting your school, so I asked Xiaoli to make some snacks from home and bring them over at mealtimes."
Chu Hongyu sighed a little helplessly, patted Su Xueming's hand lightly, and said softly, "You just love to make things difficult for people."
Su Xueming said to Su Xiaoli in a calm tone, "The things have been delivered. You can go back now."
Su Xiaoli nodded timidly: "Okay."
Then he glanced at Chu Hongyu, then at the coffee shop, and walked away with his head down.
Ning Yuan watched Chu Hongyu's sweet expression, all her previous aloofness vanished, and couldn't help but sigh.
After all... she probably wasn't much better off in front of Rong Zhaonan.
She quickly finished her meal, wiped her mouth, and continued on her business trip.
Meanwhile, Chu Hongyu was greeted by Yan Yangyang and Jin Bianjiang.
Ning Yuan occasionally came over for a drink of water, and it was clear that Su Xueming was getting along very well with the two of them.
The four men sat there chatting about everything under the sun, from international affairs and the latest scientific research findings to Che Guevara, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche…
Occasionally, it would attract some knowledgeable old gentlemen from next door to chime in with a few words.
A casual inquiry revealed that the old gentleman had also traveled abroad before the liberation.
It truly felt like having learned scholars among your conversations, and no uncultured person among your visitors.
Ning Yuan chuckled to herself, no wonder she didn't fit in with others.
But she was in a very good mood.
After all, it's not enough for Grandpa Tang and Grandma Xia to make the Heart of the Era a cultural landmark.
Time flew by, and it was evening.
At 8:30, the Era of Hearts boutique closes.
Ning Yuan originally planned to stay open until 9:30 pm, but... uh... there were serious shortages of certain sizes.
Having too much business can be a problem!
"How can people in Shanghai be so rich and willing to spend money? A coat costs 220 yuan, and they just pull out the money without hesitation!"
While checking accounts and clearing inventory, Manhua couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
She had already taken off her wool coat; she had only worn it to show customers the sample.
Besides the tape recorder, the wool coats are the most expensive items in their shop.
Looking at the more than three thousand yuan in payment that had come in in just one day, Ning Yuan was a little bewildered.
She thought this batch of goods would last at least two months, but she's already recouped half of her investment today... This money came too fast.
The speed at which they amassed wealth in the early days of reform and opening up is probably only comparable to those involved in finance and drug trafficking in later generations.
Even Hua Zi, a man, was completely baffled and gestured with an eight—
"I heard that the best liquor in the world is called Moutai, and it's what leaders drink. This year, a bottle is only eight yuan..."
The most expensive liquor he's ever drunk in his life was only 1.5 yuan. He's never drunk a single piece of Moutai that could be bought with just one piece of clothing!
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