Chapter Ninety-Eight: Let Dreams Illuminate Reality

Among the whole family, only the eldest uncle had arrived on a motorcycle; everyone else walked. Haizhou was a small city, and it took no more than twenty minutes on foot to reach any of the relatives’ homes from here. Thus, the dozen or so family members set out together, walking in a group, with Li Mu’s eldest uncle reluctantly pushing his motorcycle behind them.

Li Mu’s parents and grandparents walked at the front, while Li Mu lagged behind, teasing Xiao Hao and quietly asking, “Hey, kid, how’s that little romance of yours going?”

“Pretty well,” Xiao Hao replied cautiously, glancing around to make sure his parents were far enough away before lowering his voice. “After we ate KFC, I took her to the park to go boating, and on the way back, we held hands.”

Li Mu nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s impressive.”

Xiao Hao grinned, scratching his head. “Bro, when are you going to Yanjing?”

“End of the month or early next month.”

“Can you treat me to a big meal before you leave?”

“Sure, what do you want to eat?”

Xiao Hao thought for a moment, shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe we can go to the Haizhou Restaurant again?”

“Alright.” Li Mu agreed readily. “When do you want to go?”

Xiao Hao scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “I need to ask Nana first. I bragged to her before, told her my brother’s really handsome and rich, said you always take me out for fancy meals, then asked if she wanted to come next time. She said yes.”

“Alright then…” Li Mu patted Xiao Hao’s head, chuckling. “You’re much more restrained than I was at your age. Back then, when I boasted, I told everyone I had a cousin who worked on an aircraft carrier.”

Xiao Hao looked up at Li Mu, asking seriously, “Bro, were you out of your mind as a kid?”

“Forget it, no big meal for you now.”

Xiao Hao immediately switched to a fawning expression, hugging Li Mu’s arm. “Bro, don’t take it to heart. I’ve already promised her.”

Li Mu laughed. “In a couple of days I’m taking the road test. Once I pass, I’ll get my license. If you really want to show off in front of her, I’ll borrow a car and take you both to Jinling Happy Valley for a day.”

“Really?” Xiao Hao was so happy he nearly fainted. There were so many fun things in Jinling, especially the newly opened amusement park. Only a couple of classmates had ever been, and they’d brought photos back to school. He still remembered the name—Happy Valley. He’d dreamed about it for ages. Now his cousin promised to take him, and with the girl he liked! Happiness had come so suddenly…

Seeing Xiao Hao’s disbelief, Li Mu nodded. “Of course it’s real. But the girl probably won’t be allowed to stay out too long, so we’ll go and return the same day.”

“Bro, can you really borrow a car? What kind? A van?”

“A sedan.”

Xiao Hao froze, then looked deeply moved. “Bro, let me bow to you…”

He started to bend a knee, imitating the martial arts movies, but Li Mu grabbed him with one hand. “You can go, but you must keep it absolutely secret from your parents. Understand?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell them even if you beat me!”

In a few minutes, they arrived at the Li family’s Metersbonwe specialty store.

Aunt asked in surprise, “Brother-in-law, why did you stop?”

Li Mu’s father pointed to the Metersbonwe storefront by the roadside. “This is it.”

At that moment, the store was brightly lit, the sign glowing, all the lights inside turned on. The large glass window was shuttered with a security grille, which blocked the view somewhat, but not much. Keeping the lights on at night was Li Mu’s idea—eye-catching, only a bit of electricity, but the advertising effect was substantial.

Aunt stared at the grand storefront, blurting out, “Second brother-in-law, are you kidding? This shop uses the Wan Ying Company’s building ads. Everyone says it’s run by the boss’s relatives. How could it be yours?”

Li Mu’s father didn’t know about the building ads. Seeing his sister-in-law didn’t believe him, he took out the keys and opened the security grille.

As the door opened, the advertisement pasted on the glass entrance was revealed: “Metersbonwe officially opens in Haizhou on August 18. Spend 299 and get a shoulder bag, while supplies last!”

Everyone was stunned.

August 18—Aunt checked her phone, and sure enough, that was tomorrow. Even though Li Mu’s father had unlocked the grille himself, she still couldn’t believe he owned the store.

Uncle didn’t believe it either.

Nor did Aunt-in-law.

Those who liked to belittle others found it hard to suddenly look up to someone, especially someone they’d always looked down upon. They preferred to think that Li Mu’s father was simply the store’s security guard, which explained why he had the keys to open the grille.

But Li Mu’s father entered with calm confidence, pushing open the glass door, stepping halfway inside, then turning: “Come in and have a look. I checked the calendar—tomorrow at 9:58 a.m. we officially open for business. It’s Saturday, so if you’re free, come by in the morning to show your support.”

With those words, even the most stubborn doubters had no reason to deceive themselves. Besides, the business license hanging inside clearly stated the taxpayer and owner as Li Daoping—a fact as solid as iron.

Uncle’s face looked terrible. He couldn’t understand how Li Daoping had suddenly managed such a big venture, quietly opening this store. How much could a store like this earn in a month?

He’d never run a clothing business, but had heard things. He worked in the tax department, and he’d heard that even the smaller specialty stores in Haizhou, far tinier than Li Daoping’s, had monthly turnovers of two or three hundred thousand. This large one could easily make four or five hundred thousand.

Meanwhile, Aunt-in-law stared at the almost palatial décor, calculating one thing: just how much money this all cost.

As for Aunt…

Thinking of her boastful words at dinner, her face flushed, her eyes dry with embarrassment.

Recalling that second brother-in-law had asked her for advice, she felt even more mortified. This specialty store’s décor was far superior to her own home, lights left on all night for effect, money to spare. Her own little clothing shop was barely bigger than their checkout counter. What advice could she possibly give? The thought was laughable.

For the first time, Aunt realized her past mistakes—too self-centered, too arrogant, always thinking others were beneath her. Yet when those others lifted the veil, the landscape they revealed was grander and more beautiful than she’d ever imagined.

The other relatives were surprised as well, but didn’t ask much, simply wandering around, occasionally expressing admiration.

After careful calculation, Aunt-in-law finally spoke, her tone awkward. “Daoping, opening this store must have cost at least two lots of two hundred thousand, right?” She deliberately emphasized “two.”

Aunt thought silently: Metersbonwe is a famous brand. She herself sold off-brand children’s clothes but knew the industry. A store like this, a single two hundred thousand wouldn’t cover the franchise fee and inventory, let alone such a large space. The rent alone, the decoration alone—she guessed the decoration must have cost nearly two hundred thousand. Altogether, not two, but five or six hundred thousand at least.

Li Mu’s father didn’t name a specific figure, simply said modestly, “More or less.”

Aunt-in-law nodded with a complicated expression, giving uncle a look. Uncle quickly asked, “Daoping, do you have other ways to make money you haven’t told us about?”

Li Mu’s father chuckled. “Xiao Mu already said last time—we flipped some electric coal.”

Uncle didn’t believe it, suspiciously asking, “Your mine’s director, Guo Lin, is famously corrupt. Every ton of coal needs his approval. How did you get electric coal from him?”

Li Mu’s father explained, “It wasn’t Xiling Mine, but another one. A high school classmate worked there, so I made the connection. The big profit went to my classmate and to Xiao Mu’s classmate’s father. I just helped connect them and got a small share.”

Uncle felt sour. A small share was enough to open such a store? His wife might not be good at numbers, but he wasn’t stupid. At a glance, the hardware alone cost over three hundred thousand, plus rent and other expenses, at least four hundred thousand.

If a small share meant forty thousand, then any bigger share would be in the tens of thousands.

It hurt. Damn, it hurt.

He’d always thought himself the pillar of the family, the most successful. Together with his wife, they saved thirty thousand a year. He’d thought they were doing great. After a few more years, maybe he could buy a car—a Santana, which still cost over a hundred twenty thousand. Maybe in two years he could finally buy one.

Before tonight, everything was fine—peaceful world, happy life, bright future. But at this moment, his years of superiority collapsed completely. He felt not just lost, but twisted with discomfort.

Li Mu, meanwhile, was in high spirits. What was the point of reliving this life, if not for this? He wanted his parents to be proud, to stand tall, to earn others’ respect—the dream he couldn’t fulfill in his past life, now being realized step by step.

Even thinking calmly, since his rebirth, he hadn’t actually made much money—most of it spent on the store—but he wasn’t worried. Opportunities to make money would only multiply in the future; in a year or two, picking up cash might strain his back.

True satisfaction wasn’t just the increase in a bank account, but the process of bringing dreams into reality. When the dazzling light of your dreams pierces the shadows of everyday life, the feeling is nothing short of magical.