Since his wife wanted chicken, Li Yi naturally wouldn’t refuse, so he immediately went to the kitchen to get to work.
Taking into account Tang Xue’s physical condition and the ingredients available at home, Li Yi decided to make a famous Northeastern dish—chicken stewed with mushrooms.
Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms originated in Northeast China, and during festivals and celebrations, it’s a staple at almost every banquet.
But the real reason this dish has become popular nationwide is that it’s fragrant without being greasy, making it suitable for all ages.
It’s loved not only by people from Northeast China but also by those from other regions.
Since Tang Xue is currently pregnant and they happened to have dried mushrooms on hand, Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms was the obvious choice.
Li Yi first cut the prepared rooster into small pieces, then blanched it in a pot of boiling water. At the same time, he soaked the dried mushrooms he had sun-dried in warm water.
Meanwhile, Li Yi asked his third sister to prepare some scallions, ginger, garlic, and basic seasonings for him.
After blanching the chicken, he washed the pot, then added the drained chicken pieces and stir-fried them over medium-low heat.
He stir-fried them until all the moisture had evaporated—this makes the stewed chicken especially fragrant…
While Li Yi was cooking, Tang Xue pulled up a stool to sit beside him, watching and chatting with him.
Taking advantage of this time, Li Yi recounted to Tang Xue and his third older sister everything that had happened to him in Beijing recently.
When they learned that Li Yi had opened a large restaurant spanning several hundred square meters in the capital in less than a month, they were both stunned.
Although Li Yi had previously mentioned wanting to pursue opportunities in the capital, neither Tang Xue nor Li Na had taken him seriously.
After all, given the current climate, they had to operate their street stalls in their small county town on the sly—let alone venture to the capital, right under the emperor’s nose.
But they never expected Li Yi to actually pull it off—and with such good luck, too, timing his venture perfectly with a policy shift in the capital. It was truly a stroke of incredible luck.
Of course, only Li Yi himself knew if it was really just a coincidence!
It’s just that some secrets are best kept to oneself!
What shocked Tang Xue and Li Na even more was the shop’s business. According to Li Yi, daily revenue had been over a thousand yuan lately, sometimes reaching two to three thousand.
After deducting various expenses, the profit was around half of that.
In other words, that shop in the capital was turning a profit of several hundred to over a thousand yuan a day—more than what they’d made selling mushrooms just a short while ago.
Keep in mind that making that much money from selling mushrooms required the entire village to help with the harvest. After setting aside portions for the children and paying for the fresh mushrooms, the Li family actually didn’t make much profit.
More importantly, running a restaurant isn’t like foraging for wild produce—it has no seasonal restrictions and can operate year-round.
So, after hearing what Li Yi had to say, Li Na remarked with some surprise, “Xiao Yi, doesn’t that mean your restaurant is like a goose that lays golden eggs?”
Li Yi smiled and said, “Not quite, but it’s close!”
“So you’re going to strike it rich, then!”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m getting rich, but with this restaurant, the village’s cattle and sheep will finally have a market. Then, not only will our family make money, but the villagers will benefit too…”
Just as he was speaking, a deep voice came from outside: “What’s there to benefit from?”
As the door swung open, Li Yi saw his father, Li Shankui, and the village Party branch secretary, Feng Kai, walk in—and it was Feng Kai who had spoken.
“Uncle Feng, what brings you here?”
Li Yi asked, keeping an eye on the fire under the stove.
Feng Kai stuffed tobacco into his pipe as he replied, “Heh, I heard from the villagers that a car pulled up near your place. I figured you must be back, so I came over to take a look!”
“Well, you’ve come at just the right time. Why don’t you stay for lunch? We’ve got chicken stewed with mushrooms, and in a bit I’ll open a bottle of good wine for you and Dad!” Li Yi said with a smile.
“Aren’t you supposed to keep your father from drinking?”
“Hehe, we’re in a good mood today, so we can make an exception and have a little!”
“What’s so joyful that it’s made your dad break his rule?” Feng Kai asked with a smile.
Li Yi first pulled a burning twig from the stove and lit Feng Kai’s pipe, then said, “It’s great news—my older sister gave birth, and both mother and child are doing well!”
“Hahaha, that really is great news. We should have a drink!”
Meanwhile, Li Shankui, standing nearby, asked excitedly, “She really gave birth? When did it happen? Why haven’t we seen your brother-in-law come to share the good news?”
“She gave birth at 9:30 this morning—a big, healthy baby boy weighing 7 jin and 9 liang!”
Li Yi continued, “As for my brother-in-law, he’s at the hospital taking care of my older sister—how could he have come over?”
“Great! Great! Great!!!”
Li Shankui, not one for many words, repeated “Good!” three times in a row, showing just how happy he was.
After a bit of small talk, Feng Kai asked again, “When I came in just now, I heard you say the villagers would benefit from this too. What exactly are they getting out of it?”
Li Yi smiled and said, “I’ve already opened a shop in Beijing that specializes in beef and mutton. It goes through three sheep and a hundred or so pounds of beef every day. From now on, the cattle and sheep raised in our village can be sent to Beijing to sell—no need to worry about finding a market!”
“That’s wonderful!” Feng Kai said happily.
“Uncle Feng, how are those lambs and calves doing? Are they easy to raise?” Li Yi asked.
“They’re quite easy to raise. It’s been almost a month now, and only two lambs have died. The rest are all lively and healthy—they should make it!”
“That’s good to hear!”
Li Yi had actually been a bit worried. The villagers had never raised sheep before, and if they couldn’t manage it, they’d lose their entire investment.
“By the way, Yi, are beef and lamb expensive in the capital?” Feng Kai asked, puffing on his cigarette.
“It’s manageable. With meat ration tickets, beef is 1.8 yuan a pound and lamb is 2 yuan. Without tickets, it’s even more expensive!”
“Then give me a rough estimate—how much do you think we’ll be able to sell this batch of cattle and sheep for once they’re fully grown?” Feng Kai asked again.
Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “The sheep we’re raising now are all long-haired sheep from the pastoral regions. They’re ready for market once they reach 60 to 70 jin. Conservatively speaking, each one could sell for 120 yuan, so 1,000 sheep would be worth about 120,000 yuan!”
“Let’s not talk about cattle for now—their growth cycle is too long. You can’t expect to sell them for at least a year and a half, so there’s no point in discussing that right now!”
Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Feng Kai’s eyes lit up.
120,000 yuan—according to the agreement they’d signed earlier, Li Yi would take half and the villagers the other half, which meant 60,000 yuan.
With over 200 able-bodied workers in the village, that averages out to 300 yuan per person.
And if they added the cattle to the mix, just from raising these cattle and sheep, each villager could earn five or six hundred yuan a year—enough to match the wages of a full-time job in the city.
“All right, all right. If this works out, the whole village will really be benefiting from you!”
Li Yi smiled and said, “Uncle Feng, please don’t say that—I was just joking earlier!”
“Well, I know what’s going on. By the way, how are Qiangzi and the others doing?” Feng Kai finally asked about his eldest grandson, Feng Qiang.
“They’re doing great. They’ve been helping out at the store in Beijing lately, and I’ve also had someone teach them the ropes of running a business!” Li Yi replied.
“Haven’t they caused you any trouble?”
“Not at all. It’s just been pretty busy at the store lately, so Qiangzi and the others are pretty tired!”
“A little tiredness is nothing for young men!”
Feng Kai then stood up and said, “Alright, I won’t disturb your family reunion. If you’re not too busy, go check on the livestock shed. I’ll be heading out now!”
With that, without waiting for Li Yi and Li Shan Kui to try to keep him, he strode out of the Li household!