After traveling through the book, I realized my wish in my previous life

When little Mu Sheng was over three years old, Shen Xiaoxia put her idea of ​​opening a coffee shop and library together on the agenda, and has been busy with related matters in recent months.

On a March morning, she stood in an open space on Gulou West Street in Beijing, and the white air exhaled in the chilly spring air lingered before her eyes.

Shen Xiaoxia tightened her beige windbreaker and looked at the piece of land she had just bought. It was a square piece of land of one thousand square meters. It faced the street and she could see the clock tower of Beijing University not far away.

"How is it? Are you satisfied?" Jiang Yan came from behind, his black wool coat still stained with the scent of morning dew. He held the hot soy milk he had just bought in his hand and stuffed it into Shen Xiaoxia's cold palm.

Shen Xiaoxia took a sip of the sweet soy milk, her eyes sparkling. "Very satisfied. Look at this direction. The morning sunlight can just cover the entire floor."

She stood on tiptoe and gestured, "When the time comes, the entire wall will be made into floor-to-ceiling windows, with white window frames..."

"Mom, are we going to build a big house?" Jiang Musheng poked his little head out from behind Jiang Yan, his rosy face still stained with sesame seeds from his breakfast. In his arms was a toy building block, which was the model of the "three-story building" he had just built yesterday.

Shen Xiaoxia squatted down and looked at her son level. "Yes, it's built according to the house Shengsheng built." She pointed to the open space. "The first floor is for delicious food, the second floor is full of picture books, and the third floor is Shengsheng's playroom. Is Shengsheng happy?"

Jiang Musheng clapped his hands happily, "Happy!"

Shen Xiaoxia plans to sell coffee, bread, desserts, etc. on the first floor. When milk tea becomes popular in the future, she can add milk tea as well.

The second floor is used as a library, where books are displayed according to their categories, including literature, social science and philosophy, art and life, science and technology, children's books, novels, journals and magazines, etc. They are mainly for sale, but can also be read indoors. Tables and chairs are arranged inside.

The third floor will be Shen Xiaoxia's private area, where her office, rest area, and fitness area will be arranged. Jiang Musheng will also be provided with several places suitable for him to play.

Jiang Yan smiled and took out his mobile phone. "I'll help you contact the designer. You know him, Chen Chen, who has been working with us for a long time. He just came back from a study tour in France and his mind is full of new designs."

Three days later, Chen Chen appeared in the living room of Shen Xiaoxia's house with a thick stack of blueprints. He spread them out on the coffee table and tapped a spot with his pen. "I suggest using tempered glass curtain walls. It's a new German technology with a high safety factor and good lighting."

Shen Xiaoxia's fingertips traced the lines on the blueprint, and suddenly stopped at the second floor plan. "Can we add a spiral staircase here?"

"Great!" Chen Chen pushed his glasses, "But we have to pay attention to the fire regulations..." He quickly wrote down a few lines of numbers on the edge of the drawing.

Jiang Yan came out of the inner room, holding the sleeping Jiang Musheng in his arms. He lowered his voice and asked, "The construction team is looking for Lao Zhao's team? They just finished the project at the Friendship Shopping Mall."

"Well, but I have to keep an eye on it myself," Shen Xiaoxia gently stroked the drawing, as if she had already touched the outline of the future building.

On the first Monday of April, the construction team officially entered the site. Shen Xiaoxia stood at the edge of the construction site wearing a safety helmet, watching the bulldozer flatten the last piece of weeds.

"Boss Shen, please take another look at the foundation drawings," said the foreman, Lao Zhao, who handed over the drawings covered in dirt.

Shen Xiaoxia took the blueprint and looked at it. "Well, no problem, just follow this."

The May sun began to get warmer, and the frame had been erected to the second floor. Shen Xiaoxia would come to the construction site twice every day.

As soon as she arrived that day, she saw Lao Zhao and someone arguing about something among the exposed steel frames.

"The steel structure must be added here, otherwise the glass curtain wall will not be able to bear the weight..."

"But this will destroy the overall beauty..."

Shen Xiaoxia walked over and took out a brown paper bag from her bag and handed it to Lao Zhao, "Mr. Zhao, this is the book you said you wanted to buy for your son last time."

Old Zhao didn't expect that Shen Xiaoxia would remember what he casually mentioned. He was very pleased. He reached out to take the paper bag and said thank you with a smile, "Thank you, Boss Shen."

"You're welcome," Shen Xiaoxia understood the point of the argument and said, "As for the load-bearing problem, can this solution be used?" She drew a curved support structure.

Lao Zhao thought about it and agreed, "Boss Shen is really smart. This design is both beautiful and practical."

A rainstorm in June suspended the project for three days. Shen Xiaoxia took advantage of the rain to perfect the interior design in her study. She opened a European interior design yearbook and copied the Art Deco lines in it.

Jiang Musheng lay on the carpet, drawing a little sun on the edge of his mother's design with crayons.

"Mom, I want this!" He suddenly pointed to a brass chandelier above the yearbook.

Shen Xiaoxia kissed the top of her son's head and said, "Okay, Mom will find someone to make it for you."

In mid-July, the main structure of the building was completed. Shen Xiaoxia stood in the frame where the glass had not yet been installed, looking up at the sunlight pouring down from the patio on the third floor, casting geometric spots of light on the three white walls. She turned around, and the hem of her skirt swirled into a graceful arc.

During the decoration stage, Shen Xiaoxia followed up the whole process and personally selected every floor tile.

"This glass has great light transmittance," the installer exclaimed as he touched the smooth surface.

Shen Xiaoxia smiled without saying anything and turned to check the coffee machine that had just been shipped from Hai City.

In mid-August, the interior decoration was coming to an end. Shen Xiaoxia came to do the final acceptance. Jiang Musheng stumbled and ran on the brand new floor, playing back and forth on the small slide in the game area on the third floor.

A week before the opening, employee training began. Shen Xiaoxia interviewed more than 20 applicants and finally selected five. The one who surprised her the most was the barista Lin Wen. This girl with a ponytail had worked at the Overseas Chinese Hotel in Shanghai and could make swan-shaped coffee latte art.

“What we want to do is not just sell coffee,” Shen Xiaoxia told her employees at the newly laid oak table, “but to create a space where people want to stay.”

Lin Wen nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly asked, "Boss, can I borrow the books on the second floor?"

"Of course," Shen Xiaoxia smiled, "We are not a library, but good books deserve to be read by more people."

Two days before the opening, in the kitchen, Chef Zhou was preparing the last batch of desserts.

When Shen Xiaoxia pushed the door open, the rich aroma of butter hit her in the face. Master Zhou had his back to her and was concentrating on sprinkling gold foil on a plate of freshly baked macarons. His movements were so light and graceful, as if he was completing a work of art.

"Master Zhou, customers will be able to taste these in two days," Shen Xiaoxia walked closer and looked at the dazzling array of desserts on the workbench, including tiramisu, Black Forest cake, a modified version of "Donkey Roll Mousse", and even some exquisite snacks she had never seen before.

Chef Zhou wiped his hands and smiled, a rare moment. "This is 'Tanghulu Mousse,' a new one I've tried," he said, pointing to a small, gradient red cake. "It's got hawthorn jelly on the outside, cream cheese in the middle, and a shortbread base underneath."

Shen Xiaoxia cut a small piece to taste. The sweet and sour hawthorn and the dense cheese blended on the tip of her tongue. It retained the flavor of Beijing candied haws and added the layered texture of Western desserts.

"Absolutely amazing!" she exclaimed sincerely, "This is definitely our store's signature."