Chapter 67: Grand Opening of the Store

On January 24th, Liyun’s Pan-fried Dumpling Shop officially opened its doors.

The name was inherited from the breakfast shop Jiang Liyun had in her previous life. It held sentimental value for her and reflected her past. Back then, she used this shop to buy a car and a house, and she accumulated enough capital to start an online business.

She liked the name, and since people recognise it now, she decided to keep it for her shop in this life: “Liyun’s Pan-fried Dumpling Shop.”

Jiang Liyun usually wakes up early, and on this day, she woke up even earlier.

The old-fashioned alarm clock on her bedside table rattled and emitted a vibrating sound. Jiang Liyun opened her eyes, pressed down the “little hammer” on the clock to silence it, and adjusted the alarm time to silence it completely.

Getting out of bed, she put on the cotton-padded jacket laid out on the bed in the dark and headed outside.

Her roommate Jiang Liru was still sleeping soundly in the bed next to hers, and Jiang Liping on the adjacent bed was the same.

Yesterday, Sun Jinshan and Jiang Lihai went to negotiate business with the chicken farmers in the township, and Jiang Liping went along.

She not only went along but also dressed up, wearing a pair of small leather shoes.

Although most of the way, Jiang Lihai rode a bicycle carrying her, there were still many paths she had to walk by herself.

When she returned home yesterday, her small leather shoes were covered in mud and no longer in good shape, and there was a cut on the back of her heel.

Jiang Liyun sometimes couldn’t understand why Jiang Liping, who was usually quite lazy and often delegated household chores to her, could suddenly become so diligent when it came to finding a partner.

Perhaps it was due to different aspirations. Even in her previous life, she never thought that after getting married, she would do nothing. After marrying Xie Zugen, she continued to work.

Back then, when the sofa factory’s business was poor, she still went to the town to set up a stall despite strong objections from the Xie family.

But Jiang Liping’s aspiration had always been to marry a good husband and then enjoy life without doing anything.

This might also be related to gender; many women, from childhood, have unconsciously accepted such ideas.

Jiang Liyun set her alarm for four o’clock.

The crippled couple, being old, had less sleep, and they were already up. As for Feng Yi, Jiang Liyun went to Jiang Youwen’s house to wake him up.

After the carpenter finished making the tables, chairs, counters, and benches needed for the shop, he started making doors, windows, tables, and chairs for Jiang Lihai.

It was still piecework, and because they were busy with many things recently and the carpenter was from the same village, Jiang Liyun even discussed not providing meals for him.

The carpenter had no objections. Although Jiang’s family had good food, without providing meals, he would be paid a bit more, and he preferred the extra money.

Now, the doors and windows of Jiang’s new house had been partially made, but they were not yet completed. There was temporarily no place to live.

Jiang Lihai and Feng Yi still lived at Jiang Youwen’s house.

When Feng Yi got up, Jiang Lihai was also awake and said to Jiang Liyun, “I took the day off today. Liyun, I’ll help you.”

“Okay,” Jiang Liyun agreed.

Today is the first day, and things might be a bit chaotic, but having help will make it much easier.

By the time Feng Yi got up, Gu Dafa had also arrived.

Gu Dafa came by bicycle, while Jiang Lihai rode Jiang Liyun’s bicycle, and Feng Yi carried Jiang Liyun along with the crippled couple. They all headed to the town in the pre-dawn darkness.

In her previous life, when Jiang Liyun passed away, the rural roads here were already equipped with streetlights. However, now there were no streetlights, not even in the town.

Fortunately, Feng Yi was familiar with the route, so they wouldn’t get lost.

They reached the town at 4:40 a.m., and Feng Qiufeng was already up.

She was busy making buns, placing them in the steamer after wrapping them.

Because the shop had just opened, Jiang Liyun didn’t have a wide variety of items. She sold xiaolongbao (small steamed buns), mantou (steamed buns), pan-fried buns, pan-fried dumplings, vermicelli, soy milk, and tea eggs.

Xiaolongbao cost fifty cents for six, while the price of pan-fried buns and pan-fried dumplings had increased to one cent each. Mantou, larger than xiaolongbao, also cost one cent each. Vermicelli soup and soy milk were two cents per bowl.

Vermicelli soup consists of soaked and cooked vermicelli. If a customer ordered, it would be served in a bowl, garnished with chopped pickled vegetables, sausage, and green onions, ready to eat.

Soy milk was available in sweet and savoury varieties. Sweet soy milk was flavoured with sugar, while savoury soy milk was seasoned with soy sauce, chopped pickled vegetables, fried dough sticks, and green onions, providing a hearty bowl.

After looking around, Jiang Liyun poured herself a bowl of savoury soy milk.

She liked to add a bit of vinegar to the soy milk. This would cause the thick soy milk to coagulate. A bowl of this piping-hot concoction made her feel full.

The buns were steamed in the courtyard. Gu Dafa had built a mud stove here, on which he placed a pot, a steaming rack, and a steamer. This setup allowed them to steam buns. Jiang Liyun even bought an alarm clock specifically for this purpose, placing it nearby to keep time.

Before they arrived, Feng Qiufeng had already finished steaming the buns. At this moment, Gu Dafa started making pan-fried buns and pan-fried dumplings.

Their shop opened very early, and people were already waking up at this time.

Liu Changlong, the director of the synthetic fibre factory, went to bed at eight every night and woke up around four. He couldn’t lie in bed and would get up to wander outside.

Previously, he would first go to the teahouse for morning tea, spend an hour or two there, then have breakfast outside and buy some for home.

But today, when he woke up to stroll around, he saw that Jiang Liyun’s pan-fried dumpling shop was already open. He decided to enter and said, “Is your shop open? What do you have to eat?”

Jiang Liyun pointed to the price list posted on the wall and replied, “We have pan-fried buns, pan-fried dumplings, and xiaolongbao.”

“Give me five pan-fried buns and a bowl of vermicelli soup. I haven’t tried these two things yet,” Liu Changlong said.

Jiang Liyun asked, “Do you eat pickled vegetables, green onions, and sausage in the vermicelli soup?”

“Yes, I eat them all,” Liu Changlong replied.

Jiang Liyun served him a bowl of generously topped vermicelli soup and said, “You’ll have to wait a bit for the pan-fried buns.”

“Sure, I have nothing else to do anyway,” Liu Changlong said. “It’s really nice that you’ve opened a shop. Now, I don’t have to freeze outside.”

Jiang Liyun smiled at his words.

While she had set up a folding table when selling pan-fried dumplings before, most people would still take their food to go. However, having a shop now would indeed be much better.

Liu Changlong took a sip of vermicelli soup and commented, “The taste is quite good, very fresh!”

Jiang Liyun said, “Currently, I can only add bits of sausage to the vermicelli soup. It would taste even better with diced beef.”

“You should add some beef next time!” Director Liu suggested.

“My culinary skills aren’t great; the beef I make wouldn’t taste good,” Jiang Liyun replied.

In her previous life, when she sold beef vermicelli soup, she bought the beef from a deli. Their beef was particularly delicious, and sprinkling a little on the vermicelli soup enhanced its flavour significantly.

However, the deli she used to buy from was only in the county seat and had not yet opened in their town.

Liu Changlong sighed. “Then why did you mention it?”

At this moment, more people arrived. Some inquired about the prices and left, but most stayed and ordered food.

Inside the shop, Jiang Lamei and her husband, along with Feng Qiufeng, were making buns and dumplings. Gu Dafa was responsible for pan-frying dumplings and steaming buns, while Feng Yi handled the money and helped customers with pan-fried dumplings and buns, as well as handing out the buns.

After customers paid, they could either take the pan-fried dumplings and buns to go or find a seat and eat there. If they also ordered soy milk or vermicelli soup, Feng Yi would alert Gu Lanlan, who would prepare and bring it over.

Jiang Liyun’s previous shop operated similarly, and with her experience, she had trained the staff early on, making everything run smoothly.

Director Liu had already tasted the pan-fried buns and commented, “These pan-fried buns from your place are really good! Eating here is much more comfortable than at the state-owned breakfast shop. I’ll come here every day from now on.”

Hearing Director Liu’s praise, the others who came to eat buns nodded in agreement.

This Liyun pan-fried dumpling shop was indeed excellent.

The state-owned breakfast shop hadn’t even opened at this hour. Even when they did, the person serving them at the state-owned shop would have a bad attitude, as if they hadn’t paid.

Moreover, Jiang Liyun had prepared vinegar and a local, not very spicy chilli sauce on the tables. The chopsticks and spoons were also clean, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

“I’ll be waiting for you, Director Liu.” Jiang Liyun smiled.

Because of the shop opening, Jiang Liyun had prepared a lot of things. Since the shop was here, even if they didn’t sell everything in the early morning, they could continue selling until noon.

However, to Jiang Liyun’s surprise, business was extremely good, and the items she prepared were not enough. She had to go buy more meat and make more dumplings.

Today was Sunday. In rural areas, many people didn’t work, and since children had a day off on Sundays, parents would bring them to the town to play.

Most of them weren’t well-off, so they couldn’t afford to take their children to a restaurant. Instead, they would come to eat breakfast.

Before, when Jiang Liyun only had an outdoor stall, they might not have come over to eat and preferred finding other shops to sit down at. But now Jiang Liyun has a shop.

They entered, ordered pan-fried dumplings and buns, and also asked for vermicelli soup and soy milk. They enjoyed their breakfast, especially the children.

Jiang Liyun felt that these people were similar to those who, two or three decades later, would go shopping at the mall on weekends and eat in the mall. At that time, people would bring their children to the mall to eat various delicious foods.

So, while some were cleaning and washing dishes, Jiang Lamei and her husband started preparing lunch. The vegetables were washed and brought from their field the night before, while the meat was purchased from the nearby market. Living in town had the advantage of not worrying about running out of food.

After lunch, Feng Lanlan went back home, and Feng Yi went out to bring back the chickens they would sell in the afternoon. They began cutting and marinating the chicken, preparing the batter for fried chicken. By two in the afternoon, they started frying the chicken.

Although their shop was in an alley, it connected to the main street, and they had placed a sign on the street.

When they used to sell fried chicken before, they often told customers about their plan to move. Soon, someone came and asked, “Are you starting to sell fried chicken again?”

“Yes, we’ve started.” Jiang Liyun smiled.

In the afternoon, they sold fried chicken, marinated dishes, fried radish pancakes, and continued to sell vermicelli soup. A young couple who came out for a Sunday date ordered two bowls of vermicelli soup, fried chicken, radish pancakes, and marinated dried tofu. They sat in the shop, enjoying their meal.

The couple relished the food, saying, “This vermicelli soup is delicious.”

“The radish pancakes are tasty too.”

“The marinated dried tofu has great flavour!”

“The fried chicken is the best!”

…

Observing the customers eating in the shop, Jiang Liyun found that most of them were quite satisfied, easing her mind. It was impossible to please everyone, but satisfying the majority was sufficient.

The afternoon brought a lot of tasks, and only Feng Yi and Feng Qiufeng were busy, struggling to manage everything.

However, Gu Lanlan had mentioned before that she could work all day here. If she was paid more, she could handle it. Jiang Liyun was contemplating this when she noticed Jiang Fenlan and Jiang Anshu lingering near the shop entrance.

“Fenlan, Anshu, you’re here. Come on in,” Jiang Liyun greeted them with a smile.

The two children entered hesitantly, looking curiously at the shop.

Last Saturday and Sunday at noon, they had come here. At that time, Feng Qiufeng had spoken to them and deliberately left behind some meat dishes for them to eat.

Seeing those meat dishes, they were assured that Feng Qiufeng was doing well, and they were relieved. They ate the meat dishes together with Feng Qiufeng, and it was agreed that every Sunday they would come to check on her.

Now, they had come.

Feng Qiufeng was currently serving vermicelli soup to customers. Spotting the two children, she apologised to Jiang Liyun, “Liyun, the two kids came to see me.”

Jiang Liyun smiled. “It’s good they came to see you. I’m sure they missed you.”

While she slaughtered and prepared chickens, these two children had come to help on the days they were free from school. They were really understanding.

Jiang Liyun had a favourable impression of them.

“Big sister Liyun,” Jiang Fenlan whispered as she approached, bringing her younger brother Jiang Anshu with her. “Do you have any tasks for us? We can do many things.”

Jiang Liyun glanced at Jiang Fenlan and said, “Fenlan, help with slicing radish. Anshu, help with washing radish.”

Thirteen-year-old Jiang Fenlan, in this era, was considered a child by everyone, and they might hesitate to let her handle a knife. But at this time, it was no problem for a thirteen-year-old rural girl to cut some radishes.

Jiang Fenlan immediately went to slice radishes, and Jiang Anshu helped wash them on the side.

“Qiu Feng, your son and daughter are great,” Jiang Liyun commented.

Feng Qiufeng smiled. “I think so too.”

In her younger, more impulsive days, Jiang Liyun would advise people to split up if they weren’t doing well. But as she grew older, she realised that this behaviour was somewhat foolish. People were different—she wanted to solve problems, but some just wanted to complain.

She remembered once advising a woman, who then went and told her husband, resulting in the husband coming to her and scolding her. Gradually, she got used to not interfering unless she was sure the person wanted to split up.

With Feng Qiufeng, Jiang Liyun had never mentioned divorce, but she didn’t mind giving a few pointers: “Qiufeng, I noticed the two kids don’t even have a decent pair of shoes. When you get your salary, buy them two pairs of shoes and some notebooks.”

“I will,” Feng Qiufeng replied. If Jiang Liyun gave her an extra thirty yuan, she could secretly buy things for the children.

Jiang Liyun continued, “You earn fifty yuan a month. Buy some odds and ends for the kids, and then give ten or twenty yuan to your family. That wouldn’t be too little, and your in-laws won’t object.”

If Feng Qiufeng just handed over all fifty yuan, it would be foolish. She could use most of it to buy things for the kids and give the rest to the family to keep the peace.

Whether Jiang Honghai would be angry was uncertain, but Feng Qiufeng’s in-laws likely wouldn’t mind.

From their conversations, Jiang Liyun learned that Feng Qiufeng’s family treated her poorly. If she really wanted to leave, she couldn’t return to her family and had little money to start afresh with the kids.

Leaving the children behind wasn’t an option either, as they might suffer Jiang Honghai’s wrath. Given the circumstances, maintaining the status quo for now was acceptable. Anyway, given Jiang Honghai’s drinking habits, he wouldn’t live much longer.

Last time, both children ran away after finishing junior high, and soon after, Jiang Honghai passed away.

To put it bluntly, Jiang Honghai’s family was quite poor, and he couldn’t afford good alcohol. He usually drank very cheap bulk white liquor, which was harmful to his health.

Jiang Honghai didn’t work either, spending his days either drinking or sleeping. In another five or six years, he would have likely ruined his health completely.

When Feng Qiufeng heard Jiang Liyun’s words, her eyes lit up. She was afraid of Jiang Honghai and had initially planned to hand over all fifty yuan to the family. But now that she has thought about it… Jiang Liyun’s suggestion made sense.

Spending money to buy things for the two children and then handing over the rest to the family was feasible. Jiang Honghai might not be happy, but her in-laws shouldn’t be upset.

After a pause, Feng Qiufeng asked again, “Will my husband come and cause trouble at the shop?”

“You don’t need to fear him; Feng Yi can handle him,” Jiang Liyun reassured her.

Jiang Honghai might seem tough when he was drunk, but Feng Yi could handle him. Besides, he wasn’t at the end of his rope yet and wouldn’t act as extreme as Xie Zugen in his previous life. At most, he would come to the shop to complain, and Feng Yi could handle him.

In fact, with a little more strength training, Feng Qiufeng could handle him herself. She used to work in the fields at home and now does heavy lifting like moving iron pots and coal stoves here. She seemed quite strong.

Her husband, on the other hand… He wouldn’t even get up to open the door when someone knocked. Later, when they were being escorted away, he appeared to be unsteady on his feet. Feng Qiufeng realised it would be quite simple to overpower him if she wanted to.

Feng Qiufeng hadn’t resisted before, probably because she was like a domesticated elephant, scared into submission and unable to fight back.

With her heart settled, Jiang Liyun couldn’t resist saying, “Next time, if your husband lays a hand on you, treat him like a coal stove and push him over.”

Feng Qiufeng looked bewildered, wondering if she had misheard.

When the customers dwindled, Jiang Liyun had Feng Yi fry two pieces of chicken for the two children to eat before letting them leave. They were young, and it was better for them to go home early; it would be too dangerous to go back after dark.

That day, Jiang Liyun stayed in the shop to tally up the accounts before heading home. She had recorded various costs, not completely accurately but close enough.

After a simple calculation, she realised that she could earn about 120 yuan a day from running the shop.

Considering the low wages she paid to her employees, after deducting their salaries, she could still make a hundred yuan a day.

That was the salary many people could only earn in a month!

With the shop running, she would always have a stable income, which was quite good.

Although selling frozen chicken could be profitable, there was also the risk of unexpected incidents. After all, these days, anything could happen.

Having a shop to support her gave her peace of mind!