Opening a Store
“Did your mom say when she’s coming back?” Li Tianci asked as he puffed on his pipe.
While the family was having breakfast, Li Tianci couldn’t help but speak up. These past few days had been nothing short of miserable for him; his eldest daughter was so sloppy in her work that it always sent him, with his perfectionist streak, into a rage.
“Take her, for instance,” he mused. “She actually listens and works diligently without slacking off. But Xiangyu? You have to prod her every step of the way—she doesn’t move unless you tell her to. She needs to be told what to do for every single task and lacks any initiative whatsoever. It makes my scalp tingle with frustration.”
He seriously doubted that if he let this pair keep serving him like this, he’d end up joining his ancestors in the afterlife long before his time!
Lanlan had told him that Xiao Lan wasn’t like this in Beijing—so why did she start slacking off the moment she returned home? This only made him miss Jia Fanghua, who was far away in Beijing, more and more.
“I haven’t told her. My mom doesn’t know how to buy tickets, so we’ll have to get Lanlan and the others to do it. I also have no idea what the weather’s like in Beijing!”
Li Xiaolan woke up this morning to find snow already falling outside. They’d returned in the late twenties of the month and planned to head to Beijing right after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. They’d earned quite a bit last year; after coming back, they’d paid off all their debts and still had quite a bit left over.
She hoped the snow would stop before they left; otherwise, it would really hold them up!
After lunch, Zhou Zhijun helped clear the table, while Li Xiaolan kneaded the dough for their midday noodles and set it aside in a bowl to rise.
The family was settling in for another winter. They’d been able to visit relatives and such just a few days ago, but with this snowfall, the paths up the mountains and down into the valleys were all slippery. They’d have to wait until the weather cleared up.
This snowstorm has affected the entire central and northern regions. Li Lanlan went to the train ticket agency early this morning to inquire, and found that all westbound trains had been suspended.
Tickets for the next few days were basically sold out, so she could only buy tickets for later dates—though she had no idea what the situation would be then.
Li Lanlan decided not to buy a ticket and went straight home.
When Jia Fanghua heard the news, her first reaction was one of relief; a weight lifted from her chest. Though she didn’t know how long she could put it off, she figured she’d take it one day at a time.
Fortunately, the new store was already set up. Since there wasn’t much major work left—just building a few cabinets and such—it would be finished in a few days.
Li Lanlan and Wang Dashan took advantage of the fact that the training school hadn’t started yet to spend their days at the store preparing for the grand opening. Jia Fanghua helped look after the children for two days, and then the kindergarten started.
Li Lanlan noticed that the kindergarten’s schedule basically aligned with the workweek. Come to think of it, that made sense—this kind of on-site kindergarten was designed to ease the burden on working parents.
It was actually quite convenient.
Once the kindergarten started, Jia Fanghua began working at the store. Li Lanlan and Wang Dashan agreed to start paying her wages from the day she began working.
It was unclear how long she’d be able to work. Snow had started falling back home—a blizzard, at that. The only way to get from their hometown to An City was via the highway; there were no trains running at that time.
In such severe weather, the highway had already been closed. Since the route between the two places was mostly rugged mountains, driving in these conditions made the roads slippery. One slip could send a car tumbling into a crevice.
In the past, some people had been stubborn enough to take to the roads in heavy snow—the outcome was predictable: they ended up in ditches. In the dead of winter, it was impossible to even recover the bodies. So Li Xiaolan and Zhou Zhijun couldn’t make it over for the time being; they’d have to wait until the snow stopped and the roads reopened.
These past few days, the snow showed no signs of letting up, and the weather forecast predicted it would continue for some time.
Li Lanlan, Wang Dashan, and Jia Fanghua all silently breathed a sigh of relief. Each had their own plans, but the snow had inevitably put all their activities on hold.
With everything packed up, the restaurant was ready to open. The tenth day of the first lunar month was considered an auspicious day, so they set that as their opening date. Outside, the snow was still falling heavily; they set off six bursts of firecrackers to mark the occasion.
The shop next door sold stationery, and the one across the street was another restaurant specializing in stir-fried dishes. The two businesses didn’t compete with each other.
This wasn’t the right season to sell cold noodles. Jing City was quite different from Ningzhou. In Ningzhou, people ate cold noodles and cold dishes regardless of the season; even in the depths of winter, when it was freezing and snowing, banquets would still start with eight cold dishes.
But that doesn’t work here. Fewer people eat those things in winter, so Li Lanlan’s little shop has to follow the rhythm of the people in the capital.
Occasionally, however, fellow northwesterners come here to enjoy authentic hometown flavors.
During this season, they mainly serve hot dishes. Now that they have a storefront, their selection of ingredients is much richer, and the shop primarily caters to customers looking for a proper meal.
Still, they plan to keep the small street stall they used to have out front. Business from students brings in a decent income, so they don’t intend to give that up. For staples, they’ll offer rice, steamed buns, and pancakes, depending on what the customers prefer.
For now, Li Lanlan handles the cash register, while Jia Fanghua serves food, clears tables, and washes dishes.
Li Lanlan didn’t want her mother to work so hard and had intended to have her handle the cash register, but Jia Fanghua refused. She knew she should stay away from money matters—otherwise, it might look like she was taking advantage of the situation.
“Mom, I won’t have time later—I have to go to work. You should come with me and learn the ropes today.”
Jia Fanghua agreed. Her feet had been like this for so many years that she’d actually gotten used to it, and besides, there was a food cart here; if it came down to it, she could use that.
Li Lanlan actually wanted to sell some noodles or something, but she wasn’t sure if the locals here would be used to the flavors from back home.
She had her mom knead up a large bowl of dough—just enough for a family of seven to eat three meals. If sales were slow, they could simply eat it themselves; that way, nothing would go to waste.
“Hey, you’re open! Happy New Year! Wishing you prosperity!” Bai Leyu, who had just started middle school, was taking tutoring classes nearby and often came to eat here. This little stall was exceptionally clean and the food tasted great, so he came here frequently.
His family lived nearby. Since they weren’t cooking at home today, they’d sent him to pick up some stir-fried dishes to take back. After ordering at the restaurant next door, he planned to buy some school supplies while they prepared his meal. But as soon as he stepped out, he spotted this newly opened shop—and realized the owner was someone he knew!
Wang Dashan came out, pulled back the curtain, and greeted him warmly, “Come on in, come on in! It’s cold out here. Is school starting soon for you guys?”
“No, not until after the 15th day of the first lunar month. What do you serve here?” Bai Leyu looked at the spotless interior—the place had a completely different vibe—and a delicious aroma wafted out from inside.
His family was from Shanxi Province and had always loved noodles. Even though they’d been living in Beijing for three generations, they still craved them. He noticed a few strands of noodles laid out on the counter—they were clearly handmade.
“What kind of noodles are these? The knife work is truly impressive!”
He noticed the noodles were pale yellow and slender—a type that really tests a chef’s skill. They’re easy to cut through, and if they lack elasticity, they can shrink to the length of a chicken feather brush while boiling.
But these noodles looked incredibly resilient.
“How much is this? I’ll have a bowl!” Bai Leyu had eaten too much rich food over the New Year holidays and had been craving something light lately. He picked out a few blanched vegetables as well. Wang Dashan told him the price and sent him over to Li Lanlan to pay, then went inside to cook the noodles.
The noodles were boiled three times, rinsed with cold water twice, then given a final rinse under cold water. After ladling on the meat-based broth, Jia Fanghua brought the bowl over.
Bai Leyu looked at the bright red noodles and assumed they’d be extremely spicy. He gently picked up a bite with chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The noodles were chewy and smooth; though the broth had a layer of red chili flakes, the heat wasn’t overwhelming—it was mainly aromatic.
This dish was different from the flavors of his hometown, and unlike the fresh, sweet taste of bamboo-pole noodles from Guangdong and Guangxi. Instead, it had a rugged flavor reminiscent of the winds of the Northwest—bold and sweeping, yet perfectly balanced. In any case, his carb-loving palate found it hard to resist.
The noodles came in small and large bowls; Bai Leyu ordered the large portion. The bowl was heaped high with noodles, and he found himself wolfing it down in no time, slurping up every drop of broth. He felt full, yet his mouth was still craving more—he wanted another bowl.
Rationally, he knew he was already full, but his mouth kept screaming, “Not enough! Not enough!”
Even though he hadn’t finished his hot dishes yet, he said, “Owner, can you pack this up for me? Your noodles are so delicious! Why didn’t you serve this before?”
“The place used to be small, and since the noodles had to be cooked fresh, we were too busy to handle it, so we didn’t offer that.” Wang Dashan was also pleased with the customer’s praise; after all, this was where the shop’s profits came from, and better business was always welcome.
After finishing his meal, Bai Leyu went next door to pick up the stir-fried dishes and headed home. He placed the food on the table; since their house was nearby, the food was still warm.
He set the cold dishes he’d brought back on the table as another side dish, then told them he’d already eaten his fill out and went inside.
Bai’s parents were quite surprised. Having eaten too much hearty food lately, the family hadn’t really felt like cooking, so they’d ordered stir-fried dishes from this restaurant that everyone liked. They had no idea what Bai Leyu had eaten out to be so full.
Their family had always been very open-minded, and Bai Leyu wasn’t the type to make a fuss. If he said he was full, then he was truly full.
The couple didn’t press the matter and began eating themselves. Seeing the bright red noodles, Bai’s mother picked up a pair of chopsticks and took a bite. It was spicy, numbing, fresh, and fragrant. She ate it quickly with rice, not forgetting to remind her husband, “Old Bai, this is delicious—you have some!”
Mr. Bai took a bite and agreed. The couple devoured the hot noodle dishes in no time, and before long, they were full. Mrs. Bai even scooped up a spoonful of soup to taste—it was delicious.
Glancing at the stir-fried dishes on the side, they’d barely touched them. Bai Leyu came out and saw that his parents had finished all the hot dishes, which made him chuckle.
“Isn’t it delicious, Mom?” Seeing his son’s smug expression, Mrs. Bai couldn’t help but tease him playfully.
“Absolutely! Where did you find this place? They use top-quality ingredients and seasonings here—definitely a business with integrity.”
Mrs. Bai could naturally tell the difference, especially with dishes like blanched vegetables. If there are too many additives, you’ll get incredibly thirsty after eating them; if they use too much chili extract, some can even make your head ache from the heat.
Their family places a high value on quality of life. With everyone busy with work and school, they often eat out, but as the saying goes, “You can’t walk down a dark road forever without encountering a ghost”—they’ve also come across many restaurants that cut corners.
Even at some of the places they frequent, certain shop owners would cut corners for profit—it’s impossible to guard against it. But this place looks pretty good so far.
“Of course! It’s right near where I go for tutoring. This place has always tasted the same. Even when they were just running a street stall, they put more effort into it than anyone else.” Bai Leyu was eager to share his favorite spot with his parents.