Chapter 268: Chapter 260: Delicious Soup
Ever since those four people fell from power, the entire country has been like a tree in spring, bursting with life. Pedestrians on the streets also exuded a brand-new look, with every day bringing new changes.
And there were more people engaging in private trading, many well-connected individuals with the right background aimed for this big juicy opportunity. Whoever acted first could get a big slice of the pie, and He Xuewen and Yang Wenbin were naturally full of enthusiasm.
After returning from Shanghai, He Xuewen planned to make a trip to Guangzhou. Since selling clothes last time, he had only been there once or twice, each time earning tens of thousands of yuan—not too much, but not too little either.
Now that the restrictions from above had relaxed a lot, he would not be as cautious as before. He would earn as much as he could, sensing that China was about to welcome a brand new era. He needed to save up money!
This time, Sisi went with He Xuewen. She had always wanted to see what Guangzhou, especially Shenzhen, was like in the ’70s—a poor little fishing village that would become a bustling city in the future, she had heard.
Actually, she could encourage He Xuewen to buy some properties or land in Shenzhen now. Those would be worth a fortune later on. Even without doing any work, just renting out properties would be sufficient; the life of a landlady was indeed tempting!
She used to have a classmate of a classmate who was from Shenzhen, extremely wealthy. His family did not work; his father’s daily activity was just to collect rent because they owned 30 houses, all rented out to migrant workers in Shenzhen. Rent was collected monthly, so there was always something to do every day.
At the time, she was incredibly envious when she heard about it. Although she herself later became a landlady, when compared to this classmate of a classmate, she felt like a minor witch before a great sorcerer!
Guangzhou in ’76 was somewhat simplistic, but relatively bustling. By this time, actually quite a few people in Guangzhou were running small businesses because state-owned stores were too scarce and expensive. So, the government opened a few areas allowing farmers to sell agricultural and sideline products. It was said to be open, but in reality, sales were only allowed on the first and tenth day of the lunar calendar. Even so, those days were lively, with crowded streets and many people buying goods.
He Xuewen still went to meet his old partner, A Ji. A Ji no longer worked personally; he had taken in about twenty younger followers, carrying quite the air of a big brother.
A Ji was a man in his thirties, rather dark and thin, originally from Leizhou. With too many brothers in his family, he ran away to Guangzhou alone at the age of 12 to make a living, and now he had become known as Brother Ji. Few could understand the hardships he had experienced.
"Brother Wen, having known you for so many years, you seem to get younger with time. Tsk tsk, look at that tender skin of yours. If we walked out together, people would surely think I’m older than you."
When A Ji saw He Xuewen, his face was full of envy. He was eight years younger than He Xuewen, only 29 this year, but he looked older than 37-year-old He Xuewen, probably because of his dark complexion.
"Haha, A Ji, you’re the boss, and if you looked all fair and tender, how would your underlings respect you?"
He Xuewen and A Ji were very familiar with each other; they spoke casually and did not shy away from saying whatever came to mind.
"True, a boss has to have the presence of a boss. This must be your daughter, right? She is really pretty, even better looking than Xia Meng. Boy, Brother Wen, you’re so blessed!"
Sisi was 15 years old now, fair-complexioned with a delicate appearance. Her jet-black hair, cascading like a waterfall, was casually tied up with a goose-yellow hairband. She wore a light yellow blouse and a white-length skirt, her eyes were clear and bright, and she was quite charming.
"Hello, Uncle Ji!" Sisi shyly greeted A Ji.
"Okay, this is a meeting gift from Uncle Ji."
A Ji happily took out a golden thing and handed it to Sisi. She received it with both hands; it turned out to be a gold necklace as thick as a little finger, the real deal "tycoon gold".
Looking again at the gold chain as thick as a thumb hanging around A Ji’s neck, Sisi silently accepted the gift, sincerely expressing her thanks. She liked this Uncle Ji; he was so forthright!
He Xuewen, on this trip, still imported some clothes and fabric back as he had done on previous trips. There were not many choices in Guangzhou now, but these clothes still had a market in the inland regions and the profit was quite substantial.
The two, having collaborated many times and as close as brothers who knew each other well, didn’t talk much about anything. They didn’t even mention contracts or deposits, and settled all matters within minutes.
At that moment, one of A Ji’s men brought in a few bowls of soup. The soup was fragrant and mouthwatering. A Ji called out to He Xuewen and his daughter in a jovial manner to have some soup.
"Ah Nan, you don’t know, but your dad always has to have a bowl of soup when he comes here. It’s beautifying for girls too. Hurry and drink it while it’s hot, it won’t taste as good once it’s cold."
A Ji led by example and started drinking boldly, gulping it down noisily. In no time, he had finished an entire bowl. He Xuewen drank more gracefully, but also quickly, with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, evidently in a really good mood.
The soup did smell wonderful, and encouraged by the eating manner of the two, Sisi also couldn’t resist starting to drink. After one sip, she couldn’t stop herself - it was so delicious! In no time, she finished the bowl of soup.
"Uncle Ji, is there any more? This bowl is too small."
Sisi, still wanting more, licked her lips. It was so good; she had never tasted such delicious soup in her life!
"There is. When my niece wants soup, how can Uncle Ji not oblige? Fu Zai, bring three more bowls."
Three more bowls were brought over, one for each person, and they were finished quickly. Sisi burped with satisfaction, and thought it’s no wonder they say ’eating in Guangzhou’. It was indeed true; even a simple bowl of soup was so delicious. Other dishes must be even more delightful. Sisi looked forward to the coming days, but she didn’t notice He Xuewen smiling at her the whole time.
"Uncle Ji, what was that soup made of? I want to learn how to make it so I can cook it at home."
After drinking two bowls of soup, Sisi felt even more affectionate towards A Ji.
"Easy, it’s snake soup. But getting the ingredients is a bit difficult. You need the local rice paddy snake (a cobra). Ah Nan, let me tell you, if you want to make this soup, you must use the rice paddy snake, it’s fresh!"
Sisi couldn’t hear the rest of his words. As soon as A Ji mentioned snake soup, she felt the two bowls she had drunk churning in her stomach, and she barely restrained herself from vomiting. She glared at the ever-smiling He Xuewen hatefully.
He Xuewen guiltily touched his nose; he would never admit he had done it on purpose, especially when he saw how joyfully Ah Nan was eating, he almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.
When Fu Zai came in to clean the table, he stole several glances at Sisi. He had also sneaked peeks at her the previous two times he served soup, but he had been very subtle. A Ji took it as the natural behavior of a young man taking a few extra looks at a beautiful girl and didn’t mind, but now the frequency of his looks was getting a bit too much, which was embarrassing. A Ji was annoyed beyond words.