Chapter 14 — Du An's Store

That area has many new subdivisions, many elderly people and children, very suitable for convenience stores. A Tran took Tieu Manh to look after the repairs, and Mr. Pham was in charge of the new car. I was so busy that my feet couldn't touch the ground, but on the contrary, I was very confident. One afternoon, boss Liu brought a partner over. The other party finished looking at the warehouse and store, smiled and said: "Boss Tran, this set of operations of yours doesn't seem to be temporary." I said: "I've been working for seven years." He nodded. “So why have I never heard of you before?” I laugh. “Before, my name wasn't written on the sign.” Boss Luu continued next to him. “Now rewrite it.” The cooperation was very favorable. After the other person left, A Tran gave me water. “Sister, your last sentence was so cool.” “Which sentence?” “The sign has been rewritten.” I laughed. “Obviously it was boss Liu who said it.” “I'm also speaking for you.” At dusk, a new sign was installed in front of Nam Kieu store. The four words Du An Tien Dan glow gently in the sunset. I stood across the street looking for a while. The phone rang. It's Tan Hoa. She said she had been promoted to store manager and wanted to invite me to dinner. I said no need, congratulations to her. She was silent for a moment. "Sister Chen, sometimes I think, if I hadn't made a mess at the beginning of the birthday party, would I still be in the Chu family's hole?" I said: "Whether you make a mess or not, the hole is still there." “But I messed up, the first person to get hurt was you.” “So you apologized, I don't forgive you either.” She was stunned and said softly: "I know." Before hanging up, she said: "Then I will continue to do well in the future." "YES." A Tran asked: "Who is that?" “A person is crawling out of the hole.” She didn't understand and didn't ask further. The day the Nam Kieu store was tested, Mr. Ho, Mr. Luu, and Master Dien all came. Everyone gave flower baskets. There are no members of the Chu family. I am very satisfied. When cutting the tape, Tieu Manh insisted on making me say a few words. I held the scissors and looked at the neighbors passing back and forth in front of the door. "There is nothing good to say. The goods are presented truthfully, the books are accounted for clearly, people should not feel ashamed." A Tran led the applause. I cut off the red silk strip. Red silk falls, the new store opens. Sunlight shines on the shelves. Rice bags, oil cans, tissues, candy, all are the days of ordinary people. I like days like that. Clear, bustling, in your hand. Half a year later, Du An Tien Dan opened the eighth store. The Southern distribution also changed to a new warehouse, with drivers increasing from the original ten people to more than thirty people. I no longer take care of everything myself, but I will still spend a day at the store every week. Occasionally Chu Nghien Bach will appear in neighbors' gossip. Someone said he now drives for a wholesaler and is much quieter. Some people say that her mother-in-law's health has improved, but she no longer dares to brag in front of relatives that the Chu family has a fortune. After divorcing Tan Hoa, Chu Tu changed a few jobs and eventually went somewhere else. This news is like the wind blowing across the shelves. Once heard, it will pass. One day in July, the number one store on East Street celebrated its founding anniversary. Old Luu placed two rows of eggs in front of the door. If he bought enough, he would give them away. Mr. Ho sat under an umbrella to help look after the goods. When I arrived, the line had already reached the beginning of the alley. A Tran stuffed a stack of reports for me. "Sister, last year we changed the sign today. This year today, revenue tripled." I looked at that glass door. There are still a few faint marks on the door from the old sign being peeled off. If you don't look closely, you won't be able to see it anymore. "Very good." Tieu Manh ran out of the store. “Miss Tran, someone sent this.” It's an old accounting book. The cover is white and worn, very similar to the notebook I took out the night of the birthday party. Inside was a piece of paper. It is written by Chu Nghien Bach. "The books of the first store, I finally saw it from beginning to end. Sorry." Do not sign. No need to sign either. A Tran finished reading and asked: "Can you throw it away?" I stapled the paper back into the notebook. “Put it in the filing cabinet.” “Don't you feel uncomfortable?” “This is evidence and also a reminder.” Remind me to never hide my name behind someone else's sign again. When the celebration ended,

Uncle Ho pulled my hand. "Miss Tran, let's have dinner together tonight. Everyone is waiting for you." I looked inside the store. Old Luu is restocking, A Tran is scolding Tieu Manh for arranging the eggs incorrectly, and Old Pham is handing out water to the driver in front of the door. They were noisy and bustling, but no one forced me to yield to help anyone. I nodded. "Okay." The sky gradually darkened, and the lights of East Street lit up one by one. I stood under my own sign, suddenly remembering the night of the birthday party, Tan Hoa pushed the key in front of me, saying he wanted to settle the bill. She doesn't know, which is the most useful statement I've heard in seven years. The books are clear. Humans are also clear. From now on, the lights of each store will only shine because of the person who truly protects it.