readease Chapter 368: Not Meant to Be a Stepmother 9
Chapter 368: Not Meant to Be a Stepmother 9
Next, Yuan Chun welcomed wave after wave of children buying small snacks.
It was August, the children weren’t in school, and they were all playing at home. The locals living in this alley were well-off, most were dual-income families who would give their kids some pocket money.
So, the snack consumption at Yuan Chun’s grocery store was quite large.
And the most profitable were the small snacks.
Don’t underestimate the five-cent packets of sour plum powder or the ten-cent for six fruit candies; the costs were just about half, so those little snacks essentially earned double.
The smaller the item, the smaller the cost, yet the more profitable it was.
This was the experience Yuan Chun gained after selling groceries for half a month.
In September, when students went back to school, there were fewer children coming to buy small snacks, as kids would save their pocket money to buy things at school.
After school started, Yuan Chun sent Xiao Bao to a nearby daycare.
Unlike the previous owner, Yuan Chun didn’t take on manual work in the store; instead, she added braised delicacies to her offerings.
Braised pig’s head meat, braised pig’s offals, braised beef, braised big bones...
A new counter appeared at the entrance of the grocery store, displaying trays of fragrant, steaming braised meat. People passing by on their way home from work would get off their bikes upon catching a whiff, and slice up a plate to enjoy with a drink at home.
Whatever didn’t sell, Yuan Chun would secretly store in a space that kept it fresh and warm, bringing it out to sell the next day with no waste at all.
Later, Yuan Chun bought a lot of fish, shrimp, and chicken legs, turning them into fried fish, fried shrimp, and fried chicken legs...
The grocery store was small, so she bought some bricks and hired a mason to expand the shop on the side, doubling its size. One side housed shelves for the groceries, while the other featured counters for the braised and fried foods.
To make her work more convenient, Yuan Chun even custom-built a nine-hole coal stove, placing it inside the braised food counter, allowing her to cook while minding the store.
With her busy work, her income was also considerable.
When the previous owner was around, the store’s monthly average income was about 750 yuan.
With the addition of braised and fried foods, as well as items like rice and flour, Yuan Chun could earn over 3,000 yuan a month.
In the ’90s, 3,000 yuan was equivalent to two years’ wages for a worker.
Though it was hard work, earning so much, Yuan Chun felt a great sense of satisfaction.
Yuan Chun, a widowed woman, had money and a home and was capable, which attracted a fair number of people’s attention. However, Yuan Chun had long stated she would not remarry.
But there were always some who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Seeing how much she earned each day, some envious people had their own ideas.
For instance, an Aunt Li from a nearby alley leaned on the braised food counter, looking at the busy Yuan Chun inside and blabbering on, "Yuan Chun, you say you’re handling the store alone, working, and taking care of the child, how do you manage? Coincidentally, my family has a nephew, about your age, who recently got divorced and is looking for a wife. I think you’d be a good match. I’ll bring him over tomorrow for you to meet, and if you take to each other, having him help you would make things easier."
"Aunt Li, there’s no need, I’m fine with just my son. I swore to my late husband that I wouldn’t remarry and would live the rest of my life with just my son." Yuan Chun lifted her head slightly, refusing with a hint of impatience.
This Aunt Li had brought this up a couple of days ago, only to be turned down.
Yet she mentioned it again today, as if she couldn’t understand plain words.