A single mother runs a coffee stand out of her car trunk—starting her day at 5:30 a.m. and closing at 3:30 p.m.—all so she can be there while her child grows up.
On a quiet street near Kaixin Tower in Wuhan’s Jiang’an District, there’s a small “world” hidden inside the trunk of a car: neatly arranged coffee beans, professional pour-over equipment, and the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee drifting through the air. This tiny setup belongs to Ms. Yi, a 35-year-old single mom who has carved out her own path between making a living and being present for her child.
It’s hard to imagine that the woman now calmly brewing pour-over coffee once spent more than ten years in the telecommunications industry. She started at 20, working as a front-desk clerk, worked her way up to a regional management role, and thought life would continue steadily—until 2023, when her department was suddenly dissolved. She left her job, opened a telecom store, but business struggles soon threw her into uncertainty.
What truly pushed her to change course was a single heartfelt sentence from her 8-year-old son. During the time she was running her store, he often sat quietly beside her. One day, he looked up and said, “Mom, don’t do this job anymore… I think you’re too tired.”
His small voice hit her like a stone thrown into a still pond, sending ripples through her heart. It made her question: Must work and being a mother always be in conflict?
In 2023, she began exploring side gigs. One or two days a week, she pushed a small camping cart to parks and subway entrances to sell coffee. It gave her the flexibility she needed and allowed her to do something she loved. After closing her telecom store earlier this year, she decided to fully commit to coffee. In early November, she moved her coffee stand to a spot near Kaixin Tower, close to home.
The foot traffic isn’t high, but for her, the location is perfect—because her schedule revolves entirely around her child.
She wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to prepare breakfast and supplies, sends her child to school at 8, and begins selling at 8:30. She closes at 3:30 p.m. so she can arrive at school by 4:30 for pickup.
“I have to pick him up, so I can’t set up too far away,” she says with a smile, her voice full of warmth.
Despite the small setup, she refuses to compromise on quality. She uses high-quality beans like Golden Mandheling and Ethiopia Aricha, and offers pour-over, moka pot, and manual press options. Every cup is freshly ground and brewed, yet costs only 18–20 RMB—extremely affordable for the area.
“High cost is fine. Quality has to be guaranteed,” she insists. Her dedication pays off: customers may be few, but many become loyal after tasting her coffee.
The entrepreneurial path isn’t easy. After two weeks, the stand is still not profitable. Daily customer traffic is low, and fresh ingredients sometimes go to waste. But she isn’t discouraged. On weekends, she sets up at Donghu Scenic Area and can sell dozens of cups a day—glimpses of hope. With winter coming, she’s planning ahead: building a customer group, taking online orders, and even learning livestreaming.
“I’m not good at talking yet, but I’ll learn. It’ll get better.”
To Ms. Yi, this little trunk café is far more than a way to earn money. In traditional jobs, balancing motherhood and work is especially difficult for single moms.
“If I made just a few thousand a month, I’d have to pay for after-school care and commuting, and there’d be barely anything left,” she explains.
Now, inside her small coffee stand, she has found balance: she earns enough to support her family, picks her child up from school every day, and spends evenings learning and growing together with him—present in every moment of his childhood.
“Maybe if I keep walking this path, I’ll eventually find the one that suits me,” she says, eyes bright with quiet determination.
No grand declarations—just steady persistence. One cup of freshly brewed coffee at a time, she distills the sweetness of life and builds a warm, steady world for her child.