Chapter 171

In the days that followed, Su Xiaoxiao’s family was very busy. They hadn’t expected to find a house so quickly. Since they found one before the New Year, they decided to renovate it and move in before the New Year. So, in the past few days, except for the twins and Xiao Doubao, everyone else has gone to help renovate the house.

The main structure of the house was fine. The most important place that needs renovation is the kitchen. The walls were blackened and smoked, almost as black as the bottom of a pot. They had to scrape off the wall plaster first and then put a new one on it. The stoves were also dilapidated and needed to be rebuilt. Other areas just needed a fresh coat of paint. Loose roof tiles were also fixed, and according to Su Xiaoxiao’s idea, they also renovated the small vegetable garden, building flower beds along the walls for planting flowers and vegetables.

They used the furniture in the house that was usable. The ones that couldn’t be used were discarded without hesitation. As long as there was a kang to sleep on and tables and chairs to eat on, it wasn’t a big problem. They could gradually add more.

The three little ones couldn’t help much, and having them around just caused chaos, so Grandpa Zhang took them out to play. Su Xiaoxiao and her husband, along with Fantuan, Ya Li’s family, and Bai Lan and her son, all came to help. In just a few days, the large courtyard was completely transformed, and it was now impossible to tell that it was the same old rundown courtyard.

Su Xiaoxiao looked at the newly renovated courtyard and sighed, “This courtyard is much better than I imagined.”

Ya Li said, “It’s really nice. It’s bigger and better than the courtyard we lived in in Qingfeng Town. When we plant some fruit trees and vegetables in these flower beds, it will definitely look even better.”

Everyone has been eating at Bai Lan’s house for the past few days. In fact, on the first day, Su Xiaoxiao and the others went out to eat and casually entered a seemingly nice restaurant nearby, but the taste was average, and everyone didn’t eat enough. Bai Lan cooked for them the next day, and since then, they have been eating at her house.

Su Xiaoxiao had bought the vegetables beforehand and brought them over. When they finished most of the work, the three women next door cooked. Once the food was ready, they called the men back to eat. It had been like this for the past few days.

After today’s work was done, the renovation of the courtyard was basically completed. Su Xiaoxiao specially bought a whole chicken and a big fish and cooked a pot of chicken soup and a large cabbage tofu stew with fish for lunch.

On a snowy day, with a temperature below zero degrees, everyone sat around a small charcoal stove with a steaming bowl of chicken soup and a fragrant stewed fish. They ate until their backs were slightly sweaty.

After eating enough food and vegetables, the men went next door to finish the final touches, while the women cleaned up the dishes.

“Sister Lan, I never expected you to cook so well,” Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed sincerely.

On the first day, Bai Lan only made a simple bowl of noodles for everyone, but it tasted even more authentic than the noodles Su Xiaoxiao had eaten at the entrance of an alley in the old courtyard before. The dishes of the following days were bought by Su Xiaoxiao on a whim, and Bai Lan made each one exceptionally delicious.

Ya Li also said, “I never thought Sister Lan’s cooking skills were as good as yours. You two are the best cooks I’ve ever seen. I’m really lucky to have such good food.”

Uncle Yang is also very good at cooking, but he leaned towards making big pot dishes, and he didn’t have as many varieties as Su Xiaoxiao and Bai Lan.

Bai Lan said, “Isn’t it because Xiao Xiao instructed me how to cook it? Some of the combinations she mentioned, I had never heard of before. I didn’t expect them to taste so good when put together. Actually, when I was a child, my family ran a restaurant. I started helping my parents in the kitchen when I was seven or eight years old. After seeing so much, it’s natural to be good at it.”

Su Xiaoxiao asked her directly, “Sister Lan, have you ever thought about opening your own restaurant?”

Bai Lan shook her head as she wiped the dishes and said: “I’ve thought about it before, but I dare not think about it now. To be honest with you, I was scared during those years of being sent down. Now I have no other thoughts. My son receives a subsidy for going to college, and I can support him for several years with the money I earn from selling the house. I just hope that after my son graduates from college, he can find a decent job, marry a decent wife, and have a child for me to take care of. That’s the only hope I have for the rest of my life.”

Su Xiaoxiao said, “Sister Lan, it’s all over now. You’re still so young, and now you’re in a time where various industries are waiting to prosper. In the future, the atmosphere will become more open, and business conditions will only improve. You won’t go back to the past. I want to open a small restaurant. Both Han Cheng and I have to attend classes and take care of things, so if you’re willing, I’ll provide the money to open the restaurant, and you’ll be in charge of cooking and managing the shop. We’ll find two assistants. With your skills and my recipes, opening a small restaurant won’t be difficult at all.”

This place is so close to the school, so there is no need to worry about not having any customers. With their skills, running a restaurant would be more about not being able to handle the flow of customers.

Bai Lan looked at her in surprise and said, “I never thought that such a refined scholar like you would think of opening a restaurant.”

The divisions of labor among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants weren’t just relics of ancient times; they were still prevalent in this era. The pursuit of business was still seen as a last resort for making a living. Although farmers hoped to educate themselves and rise in society, they still aspired to enter government agencies or state-owned enterprises to secure their livelihoods. Someone like Su Xiaoxiao, a high-achieving student from Peking University, was already destined for success before graduating. Hardly anyone would associate opening a restaurant or engaging in business with her when they see her.

Su Xiaoxiao said, “To put it nicely, there’s no distinction between noble and humble professions. Whether it’s studying and doing research or cooking noodles in a noodle shop, it’s all the same. In simple terms, it’s about earning money to support your family, and there’s no nobler way of putting it.

You’re only a few years older than us, and there are still many days ahead. It’s a pity to let such good skills go to waste. If you’re willing, your yard can be used as a storefront. I’ll calculate the rent for you every month. I’ll cover the initial investment, and you’ll only be responsible for cooking and managing the shop. We’ll split the profits fifty-fifty, and if there’s a loss, it’s on me. You won’t need to take any risks. Otherwise, if you don’t want to use your own yard, I can buy or rent another one for the storefront.

You don’t need to rush to answer me now. Think it over carefully before you speak. Even if you decline my offer, I’ll find someone else. It’s not for anything else, but because I can’t take care of the children while I’m in class. I just hope that whenever they come back from school, they’ll still have a warm meal to eat. You don’t know our Xiao Roubao; he can eat five meals a day.”

Speaking of that chubby and adorable child, Bai Lan couldn’t help but laugh and say, “I’ve never seen such a cute child. Speaking of which, you two are really lucky. Each of your children at home is an excellent kid. How about this? I’ll go back and discuss it with my son before giving you an answer. If I were to accept your offer, I can’t take advantage of you like this. I should still bear my share of the expenses and risks. Otherwise, how can we call it cooperation?”

Bailan wasn’t an ignorant woman; she had received an education and was once the proud child of a worker. However, her family had been falsely accused by bad people, leading to years of injustice that had worn down her spirit and extinguished the fire in her heart. But if that fire were to ignite again, she would be a formidable woman capable of holding up half the sky.

Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and said: “Firstly, most of the time, I won’t be able to manage the shop, so it’s only fair for me to provide the money while you provide the labor. Secondly, our children really do eat a lot. Just their daily meals could cost as much as a month’s salary for an ordinary person. So, in case of losses, I plan to personally cover the expenses and even pay you a salary. I won’t let you work for nothing.”

Bai Lan couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “Is it worth paying such a big price just to make the children eat a few hot meals? This money is enough for you to find a clean and hygienic restaurant and have them cook ten meals for the children in a day.”

Su Xiaoxiao smiled and replied, “I’m just considering all possibilities. Rest assured, I’m ninety-nine percent confident that we’ll make a profit. If I were to hire someone else, the terms would be different. Maybe I’d just pay a high salary to workers. I know it might sound like I’m painting a rosy picture, but Sister Lan, I’m certain that I won’t stop at just one store in the future. I might open ten, a hundred, or even more. And you might not just be cooking; you could be managing all the stores, supervising the production, and so on. However, it’s still early to say these things. Let’s take it one step at a time.”

After Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, not only Bai Lan but also Ya Li were stunned. This was the Su Xiaoxiao they knew, yet somehow different.

Previously, Su Xiaoxiao had never spoken like this. Ya Li had assumed that someone like Su Xiaoxiao, after graduating from university, might choose to stay and become a teacher or work for a government agency. She might even become a diplomat. But she had never imagined that Su Xiaoxiao would have such a keen interest in business.

Ya Li recovered and jokingly said, “You make it sound tempting even for me to invest.”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, “Sure, I really want to grow bigger in the future. You’re welcome to invest any time.”

Ya Li chuckled and said, “Just kidding, I don’t know anything about these things, and with my husband’s position, I can’t do these things.”

Su Xiaoxiao believes that in any era, in order to achieve personal freedom, the first step is to achieve financial freedom. After financial freedom, it will be much easier to let go and do something.

Su Xiaoxiao felt that, regardless of the era, achieving personal freedom first required achieving financial freedom. After achieving financial freedom, it would be easier to do what you wanted. She wasn’t a saint. After getting to know Bai Lan, she really felt that Bai Lan had a good character. With Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan still young, when she and Han Cheng couldn’t take care of them due to attending school, she could trust Bai Lan to take care of them at home. So, she was not only offering her a helping hand but also finding herself a good helper and companion. Of course, everyone had their own aspirations. If Bai Lan wasn’t willing, Su Xiaoxiao wouldn’t force her; the same goes for Uncle Yang.

Bai Lan nodded and said, “I will carefully consider and give you an answer after discussing it with my son.”

……….

The project was completed early in the afternoon, and everyone repaired the roof on Bai Lan’s side before returning home. As soon as they left, Bai Lan immediately discussed it with her son.

After Chen Ping’an got to know Han Cheng and Zhang Hongtu, he almost worshipped them. Han Cheng and Zhang Hongtu were so knowledgeable that talking to them often led to enlightenment, as if “listening to one speech was worth reading ten years’ worth of books.” Later, he found out that he was not even as good as the little kids. He accidentally heard them say something about the theme of the next season’s serialization and realized that they were actually the small authors of the serialized comics in the newspaper he read every day. These two little guys, combined, were barely as old as him!

He also heard that another author was their seven-year-old brother, who had been involved in creative work since he was five. Then he saw them writing and drawing on their own courtyard wall, each piece a masterpiece, with the adults helping with coloring and providing suggestions. After they began discussing how to help Su Xiaoxiao design the restaurant, he had no other thoughts.

These two families are different from all the people he has had contact with before. How should he put it? They are the kind of powerful people that he wouldn’t have come into contact with if he hadn’t been forced to sell their courtyard.

After listening to Bai Lan’s words, Chen Ping’an immediately expressed his position: “Mom, Uncle Han, and Uncle Zhang’s families are extraordinary people. I’ve never met anyone as smart as them. If we follow them, we won’t walk the wrong path. I feel like we’ve met our benefactors. As long as we’re sincere to them, they will never treat us badly in the future. When interacting with such smart people, we just need to treat them sincerely and not think too much about other things, let alone have small-mindedness.”

Bai Lan’s eyes turned a little red as she listened to her son’s words. For these past years, this was the longest conversation she ever had with her son. She said with a double entendre, “You’re right. They are indeed our benefactors. Since you don’t object, I’ll tell Xiaoxiao tomorrow that we agree to cooperate. Ping’an, in this town, we’re alone, and you don’t have any siblings or uncles to rely on. I also feel that we must treat Su Xiaoxiao’s family well in the future. I hope that if we have any problems in the future, they can lend us a hand.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Mom, there’s no need to be deliberate. We’ll still stick to what I said. We just need to treat them sincerely, and they’ll know that we are truly sincere to them. Being too deliberate will only make us look like we have hidden intentions. Let’s just act as usual.”

Bai Lan looked at her son, who rarely spoke to her and didn’t know when he had become the backbone of the family. She felt extremely relieved and said, “Okay, my son has grown up. Mom will listen to you. I really like their family, especially those children.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Me too.”