Chapter 283: To Nianzishan Village

Qingshan County Public Security Bureau!

Long Zhanjun never expected that his first stop after arriving at the Qing Shan County bus station would be the Public Security Bureau.

Fortunately, the police officers here were quite decent. Seeing that he had apprehended the thief and brought him in, they immediately stepped in to help and commended his actions.

Just as Long Zhanjun thought his mission was complete, several uniformed police officers suddenly emerged from the hallway behind him.

The one in the lead, who looked like a supervisor, strode over to him and asked with a smile, “Comrade, are you the hero who caught the thief?”

“I wouldn’t call myself a hero, but I did catch that wimp!”

“Hmm, what’s your name? From your accent, you don’t seem to be from around here.”

“Hmm, Long Zhanjun. I’m from Qin Province!”

“I’m the captain of the Qing Shan County Criminal Investigation Division. My name is Li Gang—‘Li’ as in ‘Muzi,’ and ‘Gang’ as in ‘steel.’ Thank you very much for catching the thief!”

“It’s nothing—it’s just my duty!”

Li Gang looked at Long Zhanjun’s upright posture and asked immediately, “Comrade, are you a soldier?”

“I used to be, but I’ve since retired!”

“That’s quite a coincidence—I’m a veteran too!” Li Gang said with a smile.

Long Zhanjun had actually already figured it out. From Li Gang’s gait and the way he spoke, he had easily deduced that he had served in the military.

He smiled and said, “Comrade Captain, I’ve handed the thief over to your people. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way!”

“Alright, thanks again. If you ever run into any trouble in Qing Shan County, you can come straight to the county bureau and find me!” Li Gang said.

“Alright!”

Just as Long Zhanjun was about to leave, something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked immediately, “By the way, Captain Li, can I ask you about something?”

“What is it?”

“I was wondering how far the Hongqi Commune is from here?”

“That depends on which village you’re going to. If you’re heading to the commune headquarters, it’s about 8 kilometers from the county seat…”

“I’m going to Nianzishan Village!”

“Nianzi Mountain Village?”

Upon hearing the name, Li Gang couldn’t help but give Long Zhanjun a once-over. It suddenly occurred to him that Li Yi’s new wife was from Qin Province—could she be here to look for them?

He asked tentatively, “Comrade, are you visiting family in Nianzishan Village, or are you there on business?”

“I’m looking for someone!”

“Who are you looking for?”

Perhaps fearing Long Zhanjun might misunderstand, Li Gang immediately explained, “To be honest, I have quite a few friends in Nianzishan Village. If you give me a name, I might know them!”

“Li Yi!” Long Zhanjun said.

Upon hearing those two words, Li Gang burst out laughing. “So you really are looking for that kid! I knew it—who else would go all the way out to that godforsaken place called Nianzishan Village?”

Long Zhanjun had now caught on and asked, “Captain Li, do you know Comrade Li Yi?”

“I know him all too well!”

Then he added, “But you’ve really come at the wrong time—he shouldn’t be home right now!”

“Not home?”

“Right. He went to Beijing a while back. He even stopped by my place before he left. He probably hasn’t come back yet!”

Hearing this, Long Zhanjun immediately frowned.

He had come here specifically to find Li Yi. Now that Li Yi wasn’t here, what was he supposed to do?

“Captain Li, do you know when he’ll be back, or do you know his address in the capital?” Long Zhanjun asked again.

“I really don’t know about that, but he didn’t bring his wife with him to Beijing this time. Maybe asking his wife would help you find out his address there!” Li Gang said.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll head over to his place right now!”

“Let me drive you there. It’s already 4:30. By the time you get to the village, it’ll be dark!” Li Gang said.

“I can’t possibly accept that!”

“Haha, Li Yi and I are close friends. Since you’re his friend, you’re my friend too. No need to be so polite!”

With that, Li Gang immediately instructed the deputy captain to interrogate the thief right away to see if it was a gang operation.

As for himself, he led Long Zhanjun straight into the courtyard and headed toward the small jeep!

…….

Nianzi Mountain Village. The Li Family Ancestral Home!

Tang Xue and Li Na had just returned from the livestock shed and were drinking water inside the house.

Although their pretty faces were rosy from the cold, they were in high spirits.

Lately, their older brother-in-law had been leading a caravan to the pastures every few days, and each time he returned, he brought back a large number of cattle and sheep.

Over the course of several trips, they had already purchased more than 800 lambs and over 300 calves.

They heard another batch had arrived today, so Li Na took Tang Xue over to take a look.

Over at the livestock shed, they saw the batch of lambs and calves. Most of them were just a month old, or one or two months old; each one was tiny and adorable, utterly charming.

According to her brother-in-law, these lambs and calves were all off-season livestock; such young animals usually struggle to survive the long, cold winters in the pasturelands.

If they didn’t buy these little ones, it would be a miracle if even twenty percent of them survived.

That’s why their trip deep into the pastures was so warmly welcomed by the herders, and they were able to buy the animals at exceptionally low prices.

As many veteran herders put it, the money didn’t matter—as long as they could give these lambs and calves a chance at survival.

Hearing this, both Tang Xue and Li Na felt incredibly happy.

This initiative not only helped the villagers and the herders but also saved so many lambs and calves—truly killing three birds with one stone.

“Third Sister, those little lambs are so cute. Do you think we could take one home to raise?” Tang Xue asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“I’d love to, but Mom and Dad might not be too keen on the idea!”

“Why not? Can’t the two of us take care of it?” Tang Xue suggested.

“Haha, normally it wouldn’t be a problem, but look at you right now—with a belly that big, who would dare let you touch these little ones!” Li Na said.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. I’m not going to hold it…”

Before she could finish, Li Na cut her off: “Lambs are livestock, after all. They move around. If one trips you or something, that would be a huge problem!”

“If anything were to happen to you, knowing Xiao Yi’s temperament, he’d tear this house down!”

“It wouldn’t come to that!” Tang Xue said, sounding a bit unsure.

She hadn’t realized just how much Li Yi cared for her before, but over the past few days, she’d truly come to understand the depth of his love for her.

Not to mention the tall brick house at the east end of the village and the stereo system everyone in the village envied—or the fact that he’d given her two thousand yuan even before she’d officially married into the family, just to make her feel more secure here.

More importantly, he kept her in his thoughts at all times—he clearly valued her more than his own life.

“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you try it when my parents come back?”

Tang Xue immediately shook her head and said, “Better not…”

Just as they were speaking, a sudden rumbling sound came from outside, followed by a jeep pulling up in front of the gate.

Seeing the car outside, Tang Xue’s eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, “Sister Na, there’s a car—has he come back?”

With that, she didn’t even bother to put on warm clothes and hurried out the door!

Li Na was startled and quickly grabbed the clothes from the bed before following her out!

…….

Qingshan County Bus Station!

When Long Zhanjun stepped off the dilapidated bus, he was completely stunned!

Although he had seen the dilapidation and desolation along the way from Ning City, he had already braced himself for it.

But when he actually arrived, he was still stunned by the scene before him.

The place was utterly dilapidated—completely different from what he had imagined.

Compared to the vast majority of county seats in Qin Province, Qingshan County looked more like a large town—it fell far short of the standard for a county seat.

To put it this way, most townships and communes in their own Yong County would be on this level if you picked one at random.

It was truly hard to imagine how such a dilapidated place could have produced someone like Li Yi—a man of such open-mindedness, astonishing ability, and extraordinary resourcefulness.

He glanced once more at the address in his hand to make sure he hadn’t come to the wrong place, then took a deep breath and walked toward the exit of the bus station.

Long Zhanjun had left Yong County for Saibei Province the day before yesterday, after settling his mother and younger sister.

After their successful surgeries, his mother and sister had stayed at a major hospital in the provincial capital for over twenty days before he brought them home to recuperate.

After more than a month of recuperation, both had recovered quite well.

His younger sister, in particular, recovered exceptionally quickly thanks to her youth and strong constitution; she was already able to move about like a normal person.

Although she still couldn’t engage in strenuous exercise, she was doing quite well.

At this point, Long Zhanjun recalled the promise he had made to Li Yi: once his mother and sister were out of danger, he would go find Li Yi.

Consequently, he began to consider traveling to the North to find Li Yi.

He then discussed this with his mother.

His mother, Jiang Yuefang, was very supportive of her son’s idea. During her stay in the provincial capital for surgery, Li Yi and Tang Xue had frequently visited her, and she had also learned about Tang Xue’s background.

Consequently, Jiang Yuefang felt a deep fondness for both Li Yi and Tang Xue, and was deeply grateful to them for covering the substantial medical expenses for her and her daughter, Xiaofeng.

Now that both she and her daughter were nearly fully recovered, it was time for her son to go find work and pay off the debt.

With his mother’s support, Long Zhanjun quickly put this plan into action.

First, he entrusted his mother and younger sister to the care of Zhou Ling and another young woman named Huang Nier. He then placed his group of younger brothers under the leadership of Niqiu and Zhou Chong, gave them some instructions, and subsequently set off on his journey to North Sai Province.

He left his hometown in Yong County the morning before last, arrived in Chang’an by noon, and reached Ning City by train last night.

Since he was unfamiliar with the area and had no local connections, Long Zhanjun stayed at the train station until dawn.

He then learned that there were no trains from Ning City to Qingshan County—only buses, and they didn’t depart until the afternoon.

He waited until the afternoon and finally boarded the bus bound for Qingshan County.

Although he had now arrived in Qingshan County, Long Zhanjun had no idea how far it was from there to Nianzishan Village in Hongqi Commune, as indicated on the address.

So after getting off the bus, he was about to ask someone for directions.

Just then, among the crowd waiting in line for the bus, a man with a sharp nose and sunken cheeks caught Long Zhanjun’s attention.

He saw the man surreptitiously reaching toward a woman holding a child—it was clearly a thief.

Seeing this, Long Zhanjun frowned. As a former soldier, his sense of justice as a soldier wouldn’t allow him to turn a blind eye to such behavior.

He grabbed his simple travel bag with one hand and slowly approached the thief.

The thief was so focused on his crime that he didn’t notice Long Zhanjun, but just then, Long Zhanjun suddenly struck.

He dropped his bag and charged at the thief.

By the time the thief realized what was happening, Long Zhanjun had already pinned him to the ground.

“Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing to me?” the thief shouted as he struggled.

The sudden scene startled everyone present, and they all turned to look at him in astonishment.

Without offering an explanation, Long Zhanjun pinned the man down with one hand while reaching into his side pocket to pull out a small bag wrapped in a handkerchief.

When the woman holding the child saw the handkerchief-wrapped package, she let out a gasp: “Oh my God, that’s my money… it’s mine!”

Only then did Long Zhanjun speak up: “This guy is a thief!”

Only then did the crowd realize that the young man had intervened after witnessing the theft.

Instantly, they couldn’t help but applaud him, and everyone spoke up in support of his actions:

“Good on you, young man! These thieves are despicable—that’s exactly how they should be dealt with!”

“Exactly. These guys are so wicked. Stealing money and tickets is bad enough, but sometimes they even take people’s letters of introduction and household registration books—that’s just hurting people!”

“I know that guy. I heard he was just released from prison not long ago…”

Long Zhanjun didn’t want to waste any more time on this. He immediately addressed the crowd: “Excuse me, where is the police station? We need to turn him in so he doesn’t go out and harm others again!”

A middle-aged man kindly took Long Zhanjun’s bag and added, “The police station isn’t far from here. Just go out the station exit, turn right, cross the Shizhu intersection, and walk less than 200 meters straight ahead—you’ll be there!”

After saying thank you, Long Zhanjun grabbed the thief by the collar with one hand and his arm with the other, intending to drag him to the police station.

Despite the thief’s pleas along the way, Long Zhanjun remained unmoved.

Judging by the thief’s modus operandi, this guy was definitely a career criminal.

People like him had long grown accustomed to this lifestyle of getting something for nothing; if he didn’t turn him in to the police station, this guy would just keep hurting others.

Seeing that his pleas were useless, the thief began making all sorts of threats and even struggled to break free and run away.

But Long Zhanjun wasn’t just an ordinary soldier in the army; he was no slouch in combat. There was no way a thief like this could escape from him.

And so, Long Zhanjun dragged the guy all the way to the Qingshan County Public Security Bureau.

Meanwhile, back at the county police station, Li Gang was holding a case analysis meeting in the Criminal Investigation Division’s conference room.

Over the past couple of days, the bureau had received several reports from the public claiming that their money had been stolen.

Some had lost money at the supply and marketing cooperative, others at the credit union, and still others at the movie theater—a total of seven or eight victims had filed reports.

Upon receiving the reports, Li Gang immediately concluded that this was a classic case of pickpocketing carried out by taking advantage of crowds.

Cases like this tend to occur most frequently as the Lunar New Year approaches.

Moreover, since the suspects operate relatively covertly—and it cannot be ruled out that they are itinerant criminals—solving the case is extremely difficult.

The best way to solve the case was to set up fixed surveillance posts in areas with heavy foot traffic.

Consequently, he immediately convened a meeting, assembled the elite members of the Criminal Investigation Team, and prepared to set up surveillance at the county’s most crowded locations—the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and the bus station.

We’ll root out this brazen thief and restore peace and order to the community.

However, just as Li Gang was about to assign the stakeout duties, a young police officer hurriedly pushed open the conference room door and shouted, “Captain Li, the case is solved—the thief has been caught!”

Hearing this, everyone in the Criminal Investigation Division froze in surprise.

Li Gang himself jumped to his feet and asked immediately, “Xiao Liu, what did you say? The thief has been caught?”

“That’s right, he’s been caught!”

“Who caught him? Was it the Public Order Division?”

“No, it was a member of the public. He saw the thief in the act and turned him in to our station!”

Hearing this, Li Gang immediately grabbed the peaked cap from the table and said to the group in a stern voice, “Let’s go. We’ll go check it out and see just who this hero is who helped us get the job done!”

With Li Gang leading the way and the rest of the comrades following close behind, the group set off in a grand procession!

Beiguan Village. Hot Pot Restaurant!

Li Yi had no idea that the casual suggestion he’d made would come true so quickly.

Nor did he realize that this incident had firmly cemented his reputation as a “prophet” with an uncanny ability to predict the future in the eyes of Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua.

To be honest, while Li Yi knew Ye Jianhua was getting married in a few months, he had no idea when his family had actually started arranging the wedding for him.

This was nothing short of a stroke of luck—or perhaps just a case of the door slamming on his dick!

Besides, given his personality, he wouldn’t have cared even if he’d known.

Right now, he was busy attending to the steady stream of customers coming into the shop.

After seeing Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua off that afternoon, Li Yi closed the shop and rested briefly with his head on the table.

It wasn’t until Dongzi and the others showed up at 4:30 p.m. that he opened the shop again!

That’s how it usually goes in the restaurant business!

However, what Li Yi and the others didn’t expect was that customers started arriving before 5:00.

It was a young couple; they didn’t ask for a private room but simply found a seat in the main dining area.

At first, Li Yi thought this was an exception—after all, these days, factories and businesses typically let employees off work between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m., and people usually eat around that time; it was rare for anyone to dine at 5:00 p.m.

But he never imagined that these two customers were just the beginning.

Shortly after seating them, a car pulled up in the empty lot outside. Several middle-aged men got out and walked into the restaurant.

From 5:00 p.m. all the way until 9:00 p.m., the flow of customers never stopped.

By 7:30 p.m., the peak dining hour, there were over thirty tables of diners in the restaurant, filling nearly half the seating capacity.

Keep in mind that for a restaurant, a 30% occupancy rate is already quite good, and reaching 50% is considered a huge success—after all, you have to factor in table turnover.

With so many customers, Dongzi and his team were kept incredibly busy.

At the busiest moments, even Li Yi, the owner, had to step in as a server to bring out dishes to the guests.

By 9:30 p.m., after seeing off the last table of customers, the group was nearly exhausted.

After a quick bite to eat, Dongzi and the others headed back to the kitchen to clean up, while Li Yi sat at the front desk to tally the day’s earnings.

Li Yi had already tallied the afternoon’s receipts earlier that day; they had served a total of 12 tables, with a turnover of 667 yuan.

In addition, the restaurant had collected over 70 jin of grain coupons.

There was no way around it—these days, grain coupons were required to buy many things. Without them, not only would you have to pay a high price, but you might not even be able to get what you wanted.

Therefore, Li Yi’s restaurant collected one jin of grain coupons from every customer who walked in.

However, calculating profit required accounting for costs, which meant weighing the remaining beef and mutton. Li Yi didn’t bother with that effort; he planned to handle it all at once that evening.

He took out all the money and grain coupons from the drawer to count them: 965 yuan in cash and 112 jin of grain coupons.

Adding the 667 yuan from lunch, the total daily revenue came to 1,632 yuan.

Next came calculating the costs, after which he could determine today’s profit.

Since almost all the beef and mutton purchased today had been sold, the small amount left over could be offset against yesterday’s leftovers. He only needed to factor in today’s purchase price to determine the cost, so the math was straightforward.

After doing the math, Li Yi was surprised to find that, after deducting various costs and expenses, the shop’s profit for the day had reached 808 yuan.

To be honest, Li Yi was quite taken aback when he saw this profit figure.

As for this barbecue and hot pot restaurant, Li Yi had always held high hopes for it.

After all, this was Beijing in 1980—the Imperial City of that era was practically paved with gold, brimming with opportunities.

In an era where selling tea eggs was more profitable than building missiles, even pushing a cart down the street selling pancakes could easily earn you a month’s salary in a single day.

Not to mention that he was running a barbecue and hot pot restaurant—making money was definitely a sure thing.

But even so, Li Yi thought that a daily profit of three or four hundred yuan would already be quite good.

It wasn’t that Li Yi lacked confidence in his shop; it was simply that current purchasing power was what it was.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that reform and opening-up have already taken place—whether in the countryside or the city, incomes haven’t changed much.

And since his was a high-end restaurant, most people simply couldn’t afford to eat there!

Yet, to his utter surprise, the restaurant made 800 yuan in just one day.

Wow, that really took him by surprise.

If he could maintain this level of revenue, his monthly profit could easily exceed 20,000 yuan.

With that kind of income, he could easily afford a courtyard house in Beijing every month.

After crunching the numbers, Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

To help the villagers resolve their food crisis and to ensure the shop would have access to his own cattle and sheep in the future, Li Yi had already invested over 40,000 yuan in the village alone.

And this was just the beginning; he might have to invest even more in the future.

Add to that the 15,000 to 16,000 yuan he’d put into opening the shop, and the money he actually had left to spend was now less than 10,000 yuan.

Not to mention, he still owed the bank a 40,000-yuan loan.

Although this loan wasn’t a major burden for him, it would be nice if business at the shop picked up and he could pay it off as soon as possible.

After crunching the numbers, Li Yi couldn’t help but think of Tang Xue, who was far away in Nianzishan Village!

It had been over twenty days since he left at the end of October, and to be honest, he really missed that girl.

Now that the shop was up and running and turning a profit—a pretty substantial one at that—

He wanted to share this good news with her right away.

He figured she’d be thrilled to hear the news!

Unfortunately, Nianzishan Village was too remote and underdeveloped; not a single household had a telephone yet.

Although he could contact his family via telegram, that method simply isn’t suitable for everyday greetings and communication. Setting aside the cost, the most important thing is that the villagers’ understanding of telegrams is different from that of city dwellers.

To the villagers, sending a telegram is usually reserved for emergencies—often matters of life and death.

Li Yi could easily imagine that if he actually sent a telegram home, it would certainly not be a pleasant surprise for his family—it would more likely be a shock.

On second thought, maybe I’d better not!

At the same time, Li Yi thought of his older sister back in the county seat.

If things went as expected, her due date would be in just over ten days.

He thought back to his previous life, when his older sister, under the abuse of those scum at the Yang family’s house, ultimately couldn’t bring that poor child into the world—and she lost her own life in the process.

In this life, he absolutely couldn’t let anything happen to her or the baby.

So Li Yi was just waiting for business at the shop to stabilize a bit before heading back—he had to be there to make sure his older sister gave birth safely.

However, he was a bit worried—what would happen to the shop if he went back now?

Could Dongzi and the others handle things on their own?

The answer was clearly no!

Although Dongzi, Qiangzi, and the others were hardworking and reliable, and had learned a lot from him recently, they were still young and lacked experience. If an emergency arose, they certainly wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Li Yi couldn’t help but think of the “Eight Golden Warriors” he’d commanded in his previous life. With those capable, independent-minded men by his side, he wouldn’t have had to worry about anything like this at all.

Unfortunately, in this life, he’d only managed to bring Long Zhanjun back; the other seven were still following their predetermined paths.

Perhaps they would cross paths at some point in the future, but for now, there was no way those men could come to his aid.

Thinking of this, Li Yi couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy and helplessness!

What he didn’t know was that the help he was waiting for was about to arrive!

As he emerged from the alley, Ye Jianhua was about to hail a cab to head to Beiguan Village.

But then he realized that if he went alone, that kid might not even give him the time of day.

Ye Jianhua wasn’t stupid; he could tell that Li Yi didn’t seem to care much for him.

At the very least, that guy treated him completely differently than he treated Old Jiang.

Although he was just as blunt with Old Jiang, it was clear that he genuinely cared about him.

As for him, he was just a bystander, caught in the crossfire!

After much deliberation, Ye Jianhua decided to go to the Jiang family first to get Jiang Longcheng out, then have him accompany him over.

However, instead of going to Jiang Longcheng’s home, he headed straight for the Jiang family’s ancestral home.

After all, his aunt and uncle had been staying at the Jiang family’s old mansion these past few days, so once that guy found the prescription, he would naturally head there first.

The Jiang family’s old mansion wasn’t far from the Ye family’s old mansion—just one street away, less than two hundred meters as the crow flies.

When Ye Jianhua arrived at the Jiang family’s old mansion, he was immediately stopped by the security guard at the gate.

The guard recognized him, though. After asking the reason for his visit, he told him to wait outside and then called inside.

Soon, Jiang Longcheng strode out from inside.

“Hey, how’d you get here so fast?”

Ye Jianhua glanced at him and said with a somewhat grave expression, “Come on, come with me!”

“Where are we rushing off to in such a hurry?” Jiang Longcheng asked curiously.

“Beiguan Village!”

“Looking for that kid again?”

“Yeah!”

“But we just got back from there… It can’t be that the medicine is faulty, can it? I just told my old man about it…”

“Cut it out. It’s got nothing to do with the medicine—it’s my business!” Ye Jianhua snapped.

“What could possibly be wrong with you?”

Ye Jianhua paused for a moment before saying, “I might actually be getting married!”

“Huh…”

After a moment of stunned silence, the fire of curiosity blazed in Jiang Longcheng’s eyes, and he asked eagerly, “Wow, that kid really nailed it. Spill it—what’s the story?”

Ye Jianhua shot him a glare and said, “Why do I feel like you’re gloating?”

“Ah… You must be seeing things. That’s not true at all!” Jiang Longcheng denied it outright.

“Hmph, don’t think I didn’t see that…”

“Stop beating around the bush. What happened? Spit it out!”

Ye Jianhua sighed and proceeded to recount everything that had just happened to Jiang Longcheng.

After hearing Ye Jianhua’s account, Jiang Longcheng’s mouth dropped open in shock. “You and Xiao Ying’er?”

“Yeah!”

“Xiao Ying’er is only 21 or 22 this year, right? Anyway, she’s several years younger than you. You’re a classic case of an old bull munching on tender grass!”

“Bullshit. Do you think I enjoy this? I had no choice!” Ye Jianhua retorted.

Just then, Jiang Longcheng seemed to think of something. He slapped his forehead and exclaimed, “That kid really has a way with words!”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember the last thing that kid said just now?”

“Good fortune is near, but fortune and misfortune are hard to predict!” said Ye Jianhua.

“No, there’s more after that!”

Jiang Longcheng continued, “He said if you aren’t ready to settle down, don’t get involved with that girl—otherwise, the entire Ye family will suffer along with you!”

“Hmm!”

At that moment, Jiang Longcheng said in a low voice, “I didn’t quite get it just now, but now I’m starting to see what he meant!”

“What do you understand?”

“Think about it. Although the Lin family can’t compare to your Ye family, their overall strength isn’t weak either. If you treat Xiao Ying’er well, there’s naturally no problem. With the Lin and Ye families joining forces, they could lift you up even if you were a pile of mud!”

Then, changing the subject, Ye Longcheng continued, “But what if you treat her badly? Have you thought about what would happen then?”

Ye Jianhua froze on the spot. He wasn’t stupid; he quickly grasped the crux of the matter.

That’s right. If he and his future wife couldn’t see eye to eye, the relationship between the Lin and Ye families wouldn’t just fail to be a powerful alliance—it could even turn into a bitter feud.

Given the Lin family’s power, they might very well inflict damage on the Ye family.

At this thought, a sense of foreboding couldn’t help but rise in Ye Jianhua’s heart.

Just then, Jiang Longcheng spoke again: “You’re a great guy in every way, but you’re a bit of a womanizer, and Xiao Ying’er is rather innocent. If you don’t rein yourself in and end up breaking her heart, the consequences could be unpredictable!”

Hearing Jiang Longcheng’s analysis, Ye Jianhua’s mind was completely thrown into disarray!

Now he finally began to believe Li Yi’s words, and asked, “Come on, let’s head over to Beiguan Village!”

“No way! Why go? You need to know that the decision is entirely up to you—Brother Li Yi was just giving you a heads-up!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Um… so what should I do now?”

Jiang Longcheng glanced at him and said, “Why don’t you tell your old man that you absolutely refuse to marry the Lin family’s daughter!”

“That won’t work. I tried to refuse just now, but my old man threw a shoehorn at me. Luckily I ran fast—otherwise I’d have gotten another beating today!” Ye Jianhua said, still shaken by the experience.

“That’s a dead end. Looks like you’ll just have to put up with it!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“But I’m only twenty-five—am I really going to be tied down by a wife and kids already?” Ye Jianhua said, sounding a bit resentful.

“That’s still better than going to jail!”

“Go to jail?”

“Yeah, don’t you remember when Brother Li Yi first met you, he said you were destined for romantic troubles? If you can’t keep your pants on, you’ll end up behind bars. I think what he said back then was related to this!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“You actually believe what he says?” Ye Jianhua frowned.

“I do!” Jiang Longcheng replied earnestly.

Ye Jianhua paused for a moment, then said, “Hmm, I see.”

After that, he dismissed the idea of going to find Li Yi.

Just as Jiang Longcheng had said, the decision didn’t lie with Li Yi—it was largely up to him.

With that in mind, he sat right at the entrance of the Jiang family’s old mansion and began to carefully ponder the matter.

Seeing Ye Jianhua like this, Jiang Longcheng couldn’t help but be secretly shocked.

He had always known that Li Yi was truly capable; he had never doubted that.

But he never imagined his abilities would be so extraordinary—even his grandfather and his usually stoic third uncle were taken aback.

Half an hour earlier, when he told his family about Li Yi’s diagnosis of his third aunt’s condition, everyone was taken aback, because someone had said something similar to them eight years ago.

According to his third uncle, when that person from the U.S. visited China back then, he had brought along a highly skilled personal physician.

At the time, the family had invited him to examine Auntie No. 3. According to the doctor, whose name was George, Auntie No. 3 suffered from a rare condition called depression, a disease that was extremely difficult to treat anywhere in the world.

Dr. George explained that a significant number of patients, once their condition worsened, lost control of themselves—either harming others or themselves—and the suicide rate was alarmingly high.

This was exactly what Li Yi had said.

However, Dr. George had also noted that research on depression abroad was still in its early stages, and there were no particularly effective treatments available.

Therefore, when Jiang Longcheng told his family about Prozac and Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals, Uncle San immediately said that regardless of whether it worked or not, the doctor’s diagnosis of Aunt San’s condition alone was reason enough for them to give it a try.

He immediately promised to get the medication as quickly as possible.

Combined with what had happened earlier, Jiang Longcheng was completely convinced by Li Yi!

“Clatter!”

The creaking of the old wooden door opening and closing inevitably caused the weathered windowpanes to “protest.”

Naturally, this startled everyone inside.

When he got a clear look at the young man who had entered, Ye Huaihai—who had been worried sick about his sister’s condition just moments ago—was instantly livid. He shouted, “Where the hell have you been? Didn’t I tell you to come back early?”

Seeing his father looking like a lion ready to pounce, Ye Jianhua instinctively took a step back and turned his gaze to his mother standing beside him.

Wu Yongmei immediately looked at Ye Huaihai and said, “Come on, Jianhua’s back now. Why get so worked up?”

“You, you just spoil him. You should know that spoiling a child is like killing him!” Ye Huaihai said, his face full of disappointment.

Wu Yongmei wasn’t the type to be blind to right and wrong. She immediately fixed her gaze on Ye Jianhua and said, “And you, too. Didn’t I call you at noon? Why did you come back so late?”

“Mom, I had something to take care of!”

“What could possibly be more important than a family meeting? You’re in your twenties—can’t you tell what’s urgent and what isn’t?”

“There is! I went to look for a way to treat my aunt’s illness. Mom, tell me—is that important or not?” Ye Jianhua said stubbornly.

“You little bastard, don’t use your aunt as an excuse!” Ye Huaihai snapped angrily.

“What do you mean, ‘using my aunt as an excuse’? I really did go look for a solution, and I’ve even found one!”

Hearing this, everyone’s gaze fixed on Ye Jianhua.

At that moment, the old man in the seat of honor snapped out of his daze and immediately asked, “Jianhua, tell Grandpa—have you really found a way to treat your aunt?”

“Yeah, but I can’t guarantee it’ll work!”

“Hurry up and tell me exactly what the solution is!” Old Man Ye asked immediately.

“It’s like this. The friend I consulted said my aunt has a condition called depression, and it’s already progressed to a severe stage—it’s very dangerous, and she could attempt suicide at any moment…”

Before he could finish, Ye Taibei suddenly interjected, “That’s exactly what that Dr. George from the U.S. said a few years ago—it’s this depression!”

“Didn’t that foreign doctor say there was no cure for this illness?” Old Master Ye frowned.

Ye Jianhua immediately replied, “My friend said there’s a company in the U.S. called Eli Lilly. They’ve developed a drug specifically designed to treat this type of depression—it’s a miracle cure!”

“Really? What’s the name of the drug? We’ll have someone go get it right away!”

Old Man Ye said in a deep voice, his tone trembling slightly as he spoke.

“The drug is called Prozac. The active ingredient is something called fluoxetine…”

Before he could finish, Second Uncle Ye Taibei, standing nearby, said in a stern voice, “Prozac, is it? I’ll call the eldest brother right now and have him get the medicine as soon as possible!”

“Hmm, why don’t you give the Jiang family a call while you’re at it and see if they can come up with a solution?” the old man said.

“Grandpa, there’s no need to call the Jiang family. I went over there with Brother Longcheng, and he knows about this too!” said Ye Jianhua.

“Alright!”

The old man then looked at Ye Jianhua, a long-absent smile spreading across his face. “You’ve always been a mischievous little rascal since you were a kid, and you love getting into fights, but when it really counts, I can still count on you!”

“Thanks for the compliment, Grandpa!” Ye Jianhua replied.

However, the old man suddenly changed the subject and said, “But you’re no spring chicken anymore. Why aren’t you in a hurry to settle down?”

“I… Grandpa, I’m still young…”

Before he could finish, Ye Huaihai, standing nearby, couldn’t hold back any longer and blurted out, “You’re an old donkey and you still think you’re a kid?”

“What do you mean, ‘old as a donkey’!” Ye Jianhua muttered under his breath.

“When I was your age, your older brother was already running errands for the family. How can you say you’re still a kid?”

“That’s because you were precocious…”

Before he could finish, his father suddenly stood up, reaching for his belt to give him a whack!

Just then, Grandpa stepped in: “Enough, Third Son. You’re no spring chicken anymore—control your temper!”

“It’s just that this little bastard is so infuriating!”

Although he said this, Ye Huaihai ultimately held back. After all, with Grandpa still present, he dared not cause a scene.

The old man smiled and turned to Wu Yongmei, who was standing nearby. “Third Son’s wife, you have quite a wide social circle. Find a suitable girl for this boy!”

“I don’t care about others, and I’m not in a hurry, but you, as his mother, can’t just brush this off!”

Hearing this, Ye Jianhua was suddenly overcome by a sense of foreboding.

For some reason, Li Yi’s earlier words popped into his mind: “Good things are coming!”

Sure enough, the thought had barely crossed his mind when his mother spoke up from the side: “Father, you know what? Just the other day, someone actually mentioned this to me. I was just planning to discuss it with Huaihai before making a decision!”

“Oh, what a coincidence! Whose daughter is she?” the old man asked with a smile.

“The third daughter of the Lin family’s second son—her name is Lin Ying!”

At that moment, Ye Huaihai suddenly interjected, “How old is that little girl from Second Brother Lin’s family? Is she really old enough to get married already?”

Wu Yongmei shot him a look and said, “The girl is already 22 this year. She’s even graduated from college. Do you think she’s old enough to get married?”

The old man nodded and said, “The Lin family is a good one—they have strong family values, and the girl is a college graduate. She’s more than a match for this young man!”

“Hmm, I think she’s a good match too. Second Brother Lin might have a bit of a temper, but he’s honest and protective of his own,” Ye Huaihai agreed.

Ye Hainan, the fourth son of the Ye family, added, “That girl named Lin Ying is a classmate of my son Jianming. We’ve met a few times before. She’s quite pretty and very polite—she’s a good match!”

Hearing what his grandfather, father, and fourth uncle had to say, Ye Jianhua’s heart began to race. Li Yi’s second half of the sentence flashed through his mind once more: “Fortune and misfortune are hard to predict!”

Just then, his mother, Wu Yongmei, spoke up: “In that case, I’ll go over to the Lin family tomorrow to sound them out. If it works out, let’s finalize the arrangement!”

“Hmm, I think that’s a good idea,” the old man said.

Ye Jianhua was completely dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected his marriage plans to suddenly take shape so unexpectedly.

“Grandpa, about this…”

Before he could finish, he heard his father roar angrily, “You ungrateful son! What excuse are you trying to make now? Let me tell you, if you dare refuse this time, I’ll break your legs!”

“I…”

Before he could finish, a suede shoe flew straight at his face.

Ye Jianhua knew immediately that trouble was brewing. He dodged the shoe, then flung open the door and ran out, leaving only the sound of Ye Laosan’s curses behind.

Once he was out of the old house, Ye Jianhua felt a chill run down his spine!

First, his father’s furious expression had left him terrified; luckily, he’d run fast enough, or he would’ve been beaten senseless again today.

Second, he thought of Li Yi and the warning he’d given him.

Man, if Li Yi were standing right in front of him, he’d really want to ask, “Damn, your jinxed mouth must’ve been blessed or something—it’s way too accurate!”

Ye Jianhua was deeply shaken at that moment. He had never really believed in such things, dismissing them as the ramblings of con artists trying to swindle people out of their money.

Even though he was an eyewitness to the attack on Jiang Longcheng, the worldview shaped by years of education still led him to dismiss it as a coincidence.

The reason he’d been so polite to Li Yi was partly because of Jiang Longcheng, but more importantly, it was out of curiosity.

But today’s incident made him feel as though his worldview had crumbled, leaving him feeling both panicked and disoriented!

After lingering at the entrance of the old house for a few minutes, he gritted his teeth and decided to make another trip to Beiguan Village to confront that kid and get to the bottom of this.

With that, he strode toward the entrance of the alley!

Beiguan Village. Grassland Beef and Lamb Grill & Hot Pot Restaurant!

Upon hearing Li Yi’s words, Ye Jianhua immediately said, “Brother Li Yi, as long as you can cure my aunt, I can’t promise anything else, but in this city, no one will dare to bully you!”

“That’s right. Count the Jiang family in too. With our two families backing you, as long as you don’t go and tear the sky apart, we’ve got your back!” Jiang Longcheng added.

However, Li Yi shot them a withering glance and said indifferently, “The way you two act, you look like a bunch of bandits!”

“Besides, I only said I could help—I didn’t say I’d definitely know the answer. What’s all the fuss about?”

Jiang Longcheng immediately replied, “Brother Li Yi, as long as you step in, it’ll definitely be fine!”

“I had no idea I was capable of something like this. Look at you!”

Li Yi then continued, “I have a general understanding of your relative’s condition. Barring any surprises, her depression was triggered by a severe emotional shock, and it has already reached a severe stage.”

“If left untreated, she’s likely to take her own life—suicide is almost inevitable!”

“Then… what should we do, Brother Li Yi? Do you have any suggestions?” asked Ye Jianhua.

“Depression is an illness, so naturally it must be treated with medication. Don’t even think about any other quack remedies!”

Seeing that Ye Jianhua was about to speak, Li Yi cut him off immediately and continued, “As far as I know, a research lab overseas has developed a drug called Fluxidine. It’s a highly effective treatment for depression. You should try to get your hands on some and give it a shot!”

“Fluoxetine?”

“Right. The brand name is ‘Prozac.’ You can try your luck at Eli Lilly in the U.S.!” Li Yi said.

“But… will this drug really work?”

“You’ll only know if it works by trying it. Besides, with the capabilities of your two companies, you should be able to get your hands on it pretty quickly!” Li Yi said.

“Alright, we’ll head back right away and have someone get hold of the drug you mentioned!” said Ye Jianhua.

“Mm-hmm!”

Perhaps worried about his sister-in-law’s health, Ye Jianhua turned to leave after speaking.

But just then, Li Yi suddenly said, “Wait!”

“What is it, Brother Li Yi?” Ye Jianhua asked immediately.

Li Yi looked at him and said, “There’s something I didn’t want to tell you, but since you seem like a decent person, I’ll give you a heads-up!”

Ye Jianhua’s eyes lit up instantly, and he hurriedly said, “Go ahead, Brother Li Yi, I’m all ears!”

“Good fortune is on the horizon for you, but fortune is unpredictable!”

Jiang Longcheng looked at Ye Jianhua and asked in surprise, “What do you mean? Are you getting married, kid?”

Ye Jianhua frowned and said, “No way. You know me better than anyone—I haven’t had enough fun yet. Why would I get married?”

“We’ll find out soon enough. But let me warn you—she’s a good girl. If you’re not ready to settle down, don’t get involved with her. Otherwise, the entire Ye family will suffer because of you!”

After that, Li Yi paid no further attention to the two of them and turned back toward the kitchen!

Leaving the other two staring at each other in silence!

Fortunately, Ye Jianhua and Jiang Longcheng were most concerned about the patient’s condition at the moment, so they didn’t dwell on the matter and left shortly after.

Back in the kitchen, Li Yi heard the sound of a car starting outside and couldn’t help but sigh.

Li Yi didn’t know much about Ye Jianhua’s sister-in-law’s situation, and he wasn’t entirely sure if Fluoxetine could cure her illness. However, as a highly effective medication for treating depression, even if it didn’t cure her, it certainly wouldn’t kill her.

However, Li Yi did know a little about Ye Jianhua himself.

He was three years younger than Jiang Longcheng, now 25, right at the age to settle down and start a family.

But he was a bit of a womanizer by nature, so he wasn’t very keen on marriage, which is why he’d been putting it off.

He might be content to wait, but the Ye family isn’t, so they’ve been actively looking for a bride for him.

If all goes as expected, there should be news within the next couple of days.

The young lady’s background is quite good; they’re a well-matched pair.

Most importantly, the young lady is very pretty, well-educated, and has known him since childhood.

Although she is younger than Ye Jianhua, she has a strong fondness for him.

Seeing that she was attractive and his type, and with his parents urging him on, Ye Jianhua agreed.

Three months later, the two were officially married!

Unfortunately, Ye Jianhua was the type who liked to keep things stable at home while having affairs on the side; he wasn’t about to give up the whole forest for just one tree.

He stayed faithful for a short while after the wedding, but soon began fooling around outside the marriage.

The truth eventually came out, and rumors soon reached his new wife’s ears, leading to conflict between them.

Even so, he refused to mend his ways. Ultimately, two years into their marriage, tragedy struck: his wife could no longer bear his endless betrayals and chose to take her own life.

The girl’s family was no small-time clan, and naturally, they were unwilling to swallow their pride. Consequently, they severed ties with the Ye family outright.

They began gathering evidence of Ye Jianhua’s numerous affairs, which ultimately landed him in prison. The Ye family was dragged into the scandal as well, suffering severe losses.

That’s exactly why Li Yi initially looked down on Ye Jianhua and didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

But after spending some time with him, he realized that although the guy was a bit of a womanizer, he was smart and loyal, and unlike Jiang Longcheng, he wasn’t arrogant or self-important. So Li Yi decided to give him a word of advice.

But as the saying goes, the Buddha saves those with karmic ties, and medicine cures only incurable illnesses.

His role was merely to offer a warning; he took no responsibility for the outcome!

…….

Downtown. The Ye Family Ancestral Home!

In the main hall of the courtyard compound, the second generation of the Ye family’s direct line and a large portion of the third generation were present, though everyone’s expressions were somber.

“Second Son, how is Yun’er doing?”

The speaker was a white-haired elder—Old Master Ye, the pillar of the Ye family.

“Her mood has stabilized since my brother-in-law returned, but she still refuses to eat or drink, and she looks utterly haggard!” replied Ye Taibei, the second son of the Ye family.

“Ah…”

The Patriarch sighed, his expression somber.

He had raised five children in his lifetime—four sons, but only one daughter.

As for his youngest daughter, he and his wife had always treated her with the utmost care—holding her in their hands for fear of dropping her, cradling her in their mouths for fear of her melting away—and had always protected her well.

Little did they expect that, because they had protected her so thoroughly, it had made her psychologically too fragile to withstand even the slightest setback.

Of course, this wasn’t entirely her fault; the incident itself was simply too cruel—a pain that would be unbearable for anyone.

Now that his daughter’s health is steadily declining, he truly fears that one day he will have to bury her before he passes away himself.

Every time he thinks of this, he can’t help but feel a pang of heartache.

Ye Huaihai, the third son of the Ye family, couldn’t help but speak up: “Father, why don’t we send our little sister abroad for treatment? Perhaps they have a solution there?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Ye Taibei shook his head and said, “It’s too late. If it had been a few years ago, there might have been a chance, but now our little sister’s body can’t take the strain anymore!”

“Then… then what are we to do? Are we just going to stand by and watch our little sister…”

Although Ye Huaihai didn’t finish his sentence, everyone knew exactly what he meant.

For a moment, everyone in the room fell silent!

Just then, the door suddenly swung open from the outside, and a tall, handsome figure hurried in!

Nothing happened that night, and Li Yi got up early the next morning!

He then woke up Qiangzi, and after a quick wash, the two headed straight for Dong’an Market in the city center.

Running a restaurant may be profitable, but it’s also truly hard work.

Especially for someone like Li Yi, who runs a high-end restaurant, ingredients are crucial—he has to arrive at the market early to buy the freshest ones.

Even the slightest compromise in quality could affect customer reviews and create a negative impression.

Over the course of yesterday, Li Yi’s restaurant sold a total of two and a half 60-jin fat sheep, over 60 jin of beef, and over 30 jin of pork belly, as well as more than 20 jin of chicken.

Today, he not only needs to restock but also prepare extra supplies.

This isn’t to say that business today will necessarily be better than yesterday’s, but he must plan ahead—he can’t let customers come with high expectations only to leave disappointed.

At six in the morning, the capital was shrouded in mist, and the air was thick with the smell of smoke and soot—a result of every household lighting their coal stoves.

The staff at Dong’an Market were already hard at work; they had to have all the vegetables, eggs, meat, and other groceries ready by 8:00 a.m., before the public came to shop.

Of course, there are customers at this hour, but they are usually buyers from large restaurants.

Since their orders were large and they were quite particular, they usually arrived very early.

Li Yi and Qiangzi approached the meat stall they’d been visiting for the past couple of days and called out to the burly man who was deboning meat: “Old Yang!”

The burly man turned around, immediately recognized Li Yi, and said with a smile, “It’s you two again. Back for more meat?”

“Yeah, give me three young rams today—no older than a year—and a hundred pounds of beef, preferably steaks or eye of round!” Li Yi said.

“Three sheep? Your business must be booming!”

“Heh, we just opened yesterday—it’s going pretty well!”

“Alright then, same as always—should I debone them for you?”

“Yes, and make sure they’re thoroughly deboned!”

“Got it!”

Old Yang selected three carefully chosen rams for Li Yi to inspect. After confirming the meat was top-notch, Li Yi asked him to debone them.

Meanwhile, he took advantage of the downtime to take Qiangzi to a nearby vegetable stall, where he began a frenzied shopping spree based on the list he’d jotted down the night before.

By the time they finished shopping, Old Yang had finished deboning the lamb.

Li Yi then hired a pedicab to haul the goods back to his restaurant.

By the time they returned to the restaurant in Beiguan Village, the sun had risen, and Dongzi and the others had already arrived.

Everyone pitched in to carry all the meat, vegetables, and seasonings into the shop, and Li Yi personally took to the kitchen to cook a pot of hot noodle soup with meat for the young guys.

After the meal, Dongzi and the others busied themselves preparing the vegetables and meat for the midday service, while Li Yi went to the front desk to record all the morning’s expenses.

The worst thing in the restaurant business is having a tangled mess of accounts. That leads to a situation where even the owner doesn’t know if he’s making a profit or a loss, let alone the exact amount.

That’s why, ever since his previous life, no matter what business Li Yi ran, he always kept his books meticulously organized and clear.

The barbecue restaurant usually doesn’t open in the morning, as they’re busy making all sorts of preparations before noon.

Before long, the morning had flown by amid the bustling preparations!

Before noon, two cars pulled up in the open space in front of the Grassland Beef and Lamb Restaurant, and seven or eight young people got out.

Although Li Yi didn’t know their names, he recognized them as the friends Jiang Longcheng had called in yesterday.

As soon as they entered the restaurant, they greeted Li Yi and then requested a private room.

Shortly after, another table arrived—a few junior managers from the foundry down the street.

From then on, customers kept streaming in, and before long, there were over ten tables filled.

Although fifty or sixty customers might seem sparse for a large restaurant spanning five or six hundred square meters, Li Yi was already quite satisfied.

After all, this wasn’t your average ramen shop or a cheap Sichuan stir-fry joint—the prices were anything but low. If the place were packed to the brim, it would be a disaster!

It’s just like those expensive Western restaurants—as long as the prices aren’t cheap, there usually aren’t many diners.

And that’s precisely why Western restaurants give off a quiet, elegant vibe—not a bit noisy.

Add some soothing light music to the mix, and the dining atmosphere instantly feels different.

With yesterday’s experience under their belts, Dongzi and the others were handling things with ease today. Although they were just four teenagers in their mid-teens, they managed over a dozen tables with ease.

At 2:30 p.m., they saw off the last table of customers.

Li Yi immediately had Dongzi close the shop, then brought out a copper pot, and the five of them enjoyed a hearty meal of hot pot lamb.

After the meal, Li Yi told the boys to head back to their rented apartment to rest and come back after 4:30.

He, however, stayed behind to clean up the mess all by himself!

After all, Dongzi and the others had been working since the morning and were exhausted; they needed to rest for a while at noon, or they wouldn’t be able to make it through the night.

However, just as he had seen Dongzi and the others off and was about to lock up and head to the back to wash the dishes, he saw a jeep pull up arrogantly right in front of the shop.

Instantly, Li Yi’s brow furrowed!

Seeing Li Yi’s expression, Jiang Longcheng inside the car knew his behavior had upset the young man.

He didn’t know what had come over him, but he immediately backed the car up a dozen or so meters and parked it neatly in a parking space before getting out with Ye Jianhua.

Seeing that Jiang Longcheng had the good sense not to block the entrance with his beat-up Jeep, Li Yi let it slide.

“It’s past dinnertime. What are you two doing here?”

Jiang Longcheng said with a smile, “We knew you’d be busy if we came earlier, so we waited a bit!”

“Hmm, you’re right on time!” Li Yi said.

“What for?”

“Come on, let’s go wash the dishes!”

“Wash… wash dishes?”

Li Yi then led the two of them to the kitchen and set about washing pots and dishes with them.

Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua were both dumbfounded. Both came from prominent families; while they weren’t exactly spoiled brats, they’d never done this kind of work in their lives.

But when they saw Li Yi squatting right there with them, washing the dishes, they knew they were in for a day of hard labor.

Fortunately, there weren’t many customers that afternoon. It took the three of them over an hour, but they finally managed to wash all the plates, bowls, copper pots, and steamer baskets, and then cleaned the kitchen thoroughly.

After finishing all that, Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua felt their backs and legs aching; they seemed completely drained.

Seeing the two of them in such a sorry state, Li Yi smiled and said, “You two are way too out of shape—you need to exercise more!”

“How do we exercise?” Jiang Longcheng asked offhand.

“Come to my shop more often. In a year at most, I guarantee you’ll be able to climb six flights of stairs in one go without breaking a sweat!” Li Yi said.

Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison.

“Don’t even think about trying to trick us into working as dishwashers for you!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Haha, seriously, if you two washed dishes here for a year, you’d definitely be in better shape than you are now!”

“That’s nonsense. I’d be in even better shape if I spent a year hauling heavy bags at the docks!” Jiang Longcheng shot Li Yi a withering look.

“Alright, you two, what’s this all about? Why are you here?”

Jiang Longcheng glanced at Ye Jianhua, then said, “You go ahead and tell him!”

Ye Jianhua immediately replied, “Brother Li Yi, the main reason we’re here today is to ask for your help!”

“What kind of favor?”

“Help my aunt with a fortune-telling reading!” Ye Jianhua said.

“I don’t do that!”

“Um… Brother Li Yi, my aunt’s condition really isn’t good. It could happen at any moment. Please help us. No matter what the terms are, our Ye family…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off and said, “What exactly is wrong with your aunt? I may not know how to read fortunes, but I might still be able to help!”

“My aunt is Old Jiang’s sister-in-law. When she was young, she had an accident that caused her to lose the baby she was carrying. Ever since then, her mental state has been severely affected.”

Ye Jianhua continued, “Things were okay a few years back when my uncle was there to look after her. But for the past two years, my uncle’s been transferred to another province, and my aunt refused to go with him. Since then, her condition has been up and down—she often gets so depressed she thinks about taking her own life. Both our families have been through hell because of this.”

Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Your aunt has classic symptoms of depression. Coming to me won’t help—you need to see a doctor!”

“De… depression?”

“Yeah, it’s a mental health condition. You can ask the doctor for more details!” Li Yi said.

“It’s no use. We’ve brought in the best doctors in the country, but they all say it’s a mental illness—there’s no cure!”

Just then, Li Yi suddenly thought of something and said, “Actually, I might be able to help with this!”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua’s eyes lit up instantly, and they stared intently at Li Yi!

Downtown… The Jiang Residence!

By the time Jiang Longcheng returned home, it was already past ten o’clock at night.

When he tiptoed in and opened the door, he discovered that the living room light was still on.

What surprised him even more was that his second older brother, Jiang Longyin—who was usually as elusive as a ghost—was actually sitting on the sofa, a cigarette clamped between his fingers.

On the other hand, his parents, who should have been home at this hour, were nowhere to be heard!

“You’re back. Come sit down.”

Hearing his second older brother’s voice, Jiang Longcheng took off his cotton coat, hung it on a coat rack, slipped on his slippers, and walked over.

“Where are Mom and Dad?”

“They went to the old house!”

“It’s so late—they should be back by now,” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Uncle San is back,” Jiang Longyin said casually.

“Uncle San? Isn’t he in Guangzhou? When did he come back?”

“He just got back. Auntie’s illness flared up again recently—she slit her wrists a couple of days ago. If it weren’t for Aunt Chen finding her in time…”

Although Jiang Longyin didn’t finish his sentence, Jiang Longcheng knew exactly what he meant.

Thinking of Auntie’s condition, Jiang Longcheng could only let out a deep sigh.

“What good will Uncle San’s return do? You know as well as I do that Aunt San’s problem is all in her head!”

“There’s nothing we can do about it. Right now, only Uncle can calm Auntie down; no one else can.”

Then Jiang Longyin spoke again: “Alright, let’s not talk about that. Why haven’t you been drinking today? That’s unusual for you.”

“It’s nothing. That kid just said my health isn’t fully recovered yet, so I should try to avoid drinking!” Jiang Longcheng replied.

“That kid? Who? Is it that young boss named Li Yi?”

“Yeah. I heard you took some people over there at noon?”

“I did!”

“How did it go?”

“Are you asking about the food or the people?”

“Of course I’m asking about the people—I can tell for myself if the food’s any good!” Jiang Longcheng said with a laugh.

“He’s a smart guy, and he’s very considerate—he didn’t charge us for lunch!”

“Haha, did one meal really win you over, the top official of this district?” Jiang Longcheng said teasingly.

“Do you really think that’s possible? Do you think I’m that easily swayed?”

“Then what do you mean? In what way are you principled?”

“That kid doesn’t look very old, but whether it’s his perspective or the way he handles things, he exudes a sense of stability and maturity—he doesn’t seem like some greenhorn in his early twenties at all!”

“How come I didn’t notice that?” Jiang Longcheng frowned.

“If you could see that, everyone would know!”

“That’s a bit insulting. What, am I really that bad?”

“Don’t you have any idea yourself how bad you are?”

“If you keep talking like that, I’m going back to my room to sleep. Our parents are finally out of the house, and here you are taking over to lecture me!” Jiang Longcheng frowned.

Jiang Longyin knew his younger brother’s temperament; the guy was a real troublemaker, and if he pushed it too far, he might just shut the door on him and ignore him.

Taking a deep breath, he said in a grave tone, “This young man you’ve met this time is no ordinary guy!”

“You don’t have to tell me that!” Jiang Longcheng said with a touch of smugness.

“Don’t interrupt me!”

Jiang Longyin continued, “First of all, the location of his shop is excellent, the decor is unique, and his business model is solid. He wisely avoided opening a run-of-the-mill noodle shop or stir-fry joint—that was a smart move!”

“Second, he’s adaptable and knows how to handle himself. He has pride but isn’t arrogant—he’s the kind of person who can accomplish great things.”

“And he has a long-term vision and knows when to make sacrifices. He’s not the type to hog all the benefits—he’s someone you can get along with.”

Hearing this, Jiang Longcheng looked utterly astonished, gazing at his second older brother as if he’d seen something utterly unbelievable.

It was no wonder Jiang Longcheng reacted this way; he knew his second older brother well. He was usually very reserved and rarely heard him praise anyone.

Not only had he praised Li Yi today, but he’d said so much about him—it was simply unheard of.

It took a long while for Jiang Longcheng to snap out of it. He finally said, “I know that kid’s capable, but how come I never noticed the things you mentioned? Did you figure all that out just from having a single meal with him?”

“Heh!”

Jiang Longyin chuckled, then asked, “How much did you spend tonight?”

“320 yuan, plus over 40 jin of grain coupons. What’s the matter?”

“A bit of a loss!”

“What do you mean ‘a bit of a loss’? What are you getting at?”

“I mean that kid took a slight loss on your order—he didn’t make any money!” Jiang Longyin said.

“No way. I spent over 300 yuan—how could he not have made a profit?”

“I’ve eaten their grilled and hot-pot meat before. Normally, a guy who goes in there eats at least a pound and a half of meat. The cost price is around 4 yuan. Add in drinks and other vegetables and seasonings, and 8 yuan is the basic bill.”

Jiang Longyin continued, “Considering you were there to celebrate your birthday today, the consumption of meat, vegetables, and drinks would be higher. However, having some female customers would lower the average price per person. The cost would be around 330 to 350 yuan, but charging you 320 yuan means they definitely didn’t make a profit!”

“How do you know what his costs are?” Jiang Longcheng asked curiously.

“Because I had someone investigate him this afternoon. I know exactly where he sources his goods, as well as the prices and quantities!”

“In… investigated? Why did you investigate him?” Jiang Longcheng frowned.

Jiang Longyin stared at Jiang Longcheng and said in a low voice, “This man’s appearance is far too bizarre, and the way he showed up feels somewhat sinister. Plus, our family is currently a target for attention—I have to be on guard!”

“Most importantly, you’re the one in our family most likely to be targeted. I have to keep a close eye on everyone around you!”

“So, what did your investigation turn up?” Jiang Longcheng asked curiously.

“So far, this man’s background seems normal. He did arrive in Beijing in the early hours of October 26, and there’s no record of him being in the city before that. Setting aside the supernatural abilities you mentioned, we can at least confirm that his rescue of you was a coincidence, and he has no ulterior motives.”

Jiang Longyin continued, “I also looked into his food suppliers. He’s buying high-end beef and lamb, which is about 25% more expensive than the standard market price. That’s why I said he’s taking a slight loss.”

“Huh, so does that mean I took advantage of him?”

“It’s not just a bargain—it’s a huge one!”

“It can’t be that bad, can it?”

“I’ve seen their menu—it’s clearly priced: 5 yuan per jin for lamb and 4.6 yuan per jin for beef. That’s effectively double the cost price!”

Jiang Longyin continued, “He charged you 320 yuan, but your group actually spent around 650 yuan tonight. You saved half the cost of the meal—you really got a great deal!”

“You’re right. I’ll make it up to him tomorrow!” said Jiang Longcheng.

“No need. He definitely won’t take it!”

“Why?”

Jiang Longyin replied immediately, “That’s exactly why I said he’s a smart man. His purpose in letting you host a dinner at his restaurant wasn’t to make a profit off you, but to leverage your connections to build his restaurant’s reputation. That’s why he charged you cost price—it shows he has principles and knows when to make sacrifices!”

“Also, when we first met a while back, the encounter wasn’t exactly pleasant—he came across as quite aloof. But today during dinner, he personally demonstrated how to grill the meat for us without a hint of awkwardness. That’s what it means to be adaptable.”

“And whether he’s dealing with you, me, or that kid from the Ye family, he treats everyone as equals—he doesn’t care about our status. This shows he has a strong inner core and a sense of pride. A person like that is bound to make a name for himself.”

“Now that you put it that way, you’re absolutely right. It seems I’ve underestimated this young man!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Hmm, it’s not too late to realize that now. From now on, keep your distance from those ne’er-do-wells of yours, but you should get closer to this young man!” Jiang Longyin said casually.

“Here we go again. I’m not talking to you anymore—I’m tired!”

With that, Jiang Longcheng walked toward his room without looking back, leaving Jiang Longyin with nothing but the view of his massive, flat back of the head!

At 6:00 p.m., the sun had just set, and offices large and small across the capital were gradually winding down for the day!

The same was true in Beiguan Village!

But today, the locals suddenly noticed that the large warehouse in the southeast corner of the foundry looked different.

First of all, it was lit up like a Christmas tree—no one knew exactly how many light bulbs had been installed, but it was far brighter than any ordinary home.

In Beiguan Village, situated at the urban-rural fringe, this was quite conspicuous.

More importantly, every visible corner of the warehouse was packed with people—it was incredibly bustling!

Outside, the lot was packed with all kinds of vehicles—sedans and SUVs alike.

It’s rare to see so many cars parked in front of a single store—at least, it’s not a common sight in Beiguan Village.

Actually, people had noticed some time ago that the place was undergoing renovations, which had been going on for over half a month. The owner had even paved over the empty lot where they used to “draw maps” at night.

But since the sign hadn’t been put up yet, no one knew what exactly was going on here.

Now we finally know—a restaurant has opened here!

In an instant, passersby were intrigued by this bustling new restaurant!

Inside, Li Yi was caught off guard by the sudden influx of customers.

In fact, customers had been trickling in since 5:30.

First up was the portly official who’d come with Jiang Longyin at lunchtime. He brought over a group of more than ten people, immediately requested a large private room, and started ordering beef and lamb dishes left and right.

They’d gotten a free meal from Li Yi that afternoon and thought the owner was a decent guy.

On top of that, Jiang Longyin—the district’s top official—had nothing but praise for Li Yi and even called him “brother” himself, which naturally led those people to speculate about Li Yi’s relationship with the Jiang family.

More importantly, the grilled meat and beer at lunch had been absolutely delicious, and the hot pot lamb was excellent as well. Since the district was hosting several officials from out of town that evening, the portly official simply brought his guests here.

He figured the unique local cuisine would satisfy his out-of-town colleagues while also supporting Li Yi’s business—killing two birds with one stone.

Just as they had settled in with these officials, Jiang Longcheng arrived.

The guy was planning to host a birthday dinner at Li Yi’s restaurant that evening—a request Li Yi had specifically made. After all, with the Jiang family backing him, Jiang Longcheng usually mingled with the children of high-ranking officials or the heads of various enterprises—all well-connected and well-heeled individuals.

The fact that he was hosting a banquet here was, in itself, a sign of his endorsement of the restaurant—essentially serving as a living advertisement for Li Yi.

And the guests he was hosting were all people with significant spending power. It was only a matter of time before his “Grassland Beef and Lamb” dishes attracted a large number of repeat customers.

Within half an hour of Jiang Longcheng’s arrival, a steady stream of vehicles began pulling up in front of his restaurant.

This wave brought in forty-five or forty-six people at once, including Ye Jianhua, Lin Jianguo, and others—all guests invited by Jiang Longcheng!

Just as Li Yi thought that was all for the evening, another three or four tables of customers trickled in.

They were the very people who had come to sample Li Yi’s grilled and hot-pot meat at lunchtime—the restaurant’s first batch of repeat customers.

Some were hosting work-related dinners, others were treating their superiors to a meal, and still others had specifically brought their wives, children, and elderly relatives to sample Li Yi’s grilled and boiled meat.

Though their reasons varied, their destination was the same!

Seeing so many people pour in all at once made Li Yi overjoyed.

The arrival of these repeat customers signaled that his restaurant had begun to gain recognition among this elite crowd.

Of course, it also kept Dongzi and the others running ragged.

They could handle the three tables of customers they had in the morning.

But the sudden influx of so many people in the evening was truly unexpected.

Fortunately, Li Yi had anticipated the evening’s situation. After all, Jiang Longcheng had a wide network of contacts, and when he said he was treating everyone, it was certain that quite a few people would show up.

So Li Yi had his staff slice the grilled meat and marinate it well in advance.

He’d also washed and plated the vegetables and other sides, ready to serve them the moment the guests arrived.

Even so, the extra crowd still left them scrambling.

After all, including Li Yi, there were only five people in such a large restaurant. It was manageable when there were few customers, but once the place got crowded, they were overwhelmed.

Fortunately, the best thing about grilled and hot-pot meat is how low-maintenance it is. Almost all the dishes require no special preparation—especially the beef and lamb, which just need to be sliced quickly enough.

So, even though they were busy, the few of them could still handle it!

They worked from 5:30 p.m. straight through until 9:30 p.m. By the time they saw off the last table of customers, the group was nearly exhausted.

But everyone, including Li Yi, was happy!

The worst thing in the restaurant business is a deserted storefront with no customers—that kind of situation is torture for both the owner and the staff.

On the contrary, the best thing about running a restaurant is having a crowd—the more people, the better the business.

Clearly, judging by how things went today, they’re off to a great start!

After a brief rest, Dongzi and the others set about cleaning up and tidying the place, while Li Yi continued tallying the accounts.

After tallying everything, he had collected a total of 664 yuan tonight, plus 72 jin of grain coupons!

Of that, Jiang Longcheng’s group spent 320 yuan, the table with the portly official spent 150 yuan, and the remaining four tables combined spent less than 200 yuan.

After deducting various costs, the gross profit for the evening was roughly 160 yuan, with a net profit of 140 yuan.

The reason the profit seemed a bit low was mainly because Li Yi had given Jiang Longcheng a 50% discount.

In reality, Jiang Longcheng and his group had spent 640 yuan at his restaurant that night.

After all, their group numbered a full forty-five or sixty people. With that many people, they ate a whole fat sheep, plus twenty to thirty pounds of beef and a large amount of vegetables.

Add in the drinks and beverages, and 320 yuan wouldn’t even cover the cost!

But since Li Yi had invited them here in the first place—and the purpose was to help him get some publicity—he naturally couldn’t make money off them.

Later, Li Yi tallied the evening’s receipts along with those from lunch and discovered that, for the entire day, his actual profit amounted to a mere 4 yuan.

Even so, Li Yi was still very satisfied.

With such a successful start, why would he worry about not making money in the future?

In short, after today’s grand opening, Li Yi was brimming with confidence about the future prospects of Grassland Beef & Lamb.

After finishing the accounts, Li Yi took stock of the spices and ingredients in the kitchen and drew up a list of items to be restocked for the next day.

Meanwhile, Dongzi and the others had finished cleaning up.

Afterward, Li Yi called the younger staff members together for a brief meeting.

First, he reviewed the issues and shortcomings encountered that day and emphasized some key points to keep in mind.

Next, Li Yi assigned tasks for the following day, then sent Dongzi, Shitou, and Yongzi back to their rented apartment to rest, while he and Qiangzi stayed behind at the shop.

Li Yi was well aware that public safety in the capital wasn’t very good these days.

With large numbers of educated youth returning to the city and not enough jobs to go around, many were left unemployed, and these people had become a source of instability.

Especially since Beiguancun’s current location wasn’t the downtown area within the Fourth Ring Road of decades later, but a true urban-rural fringe—public safety there was particularly hard to describe. Otherwise, the robbery of Jiang Longcheng wouldn’t have happened.

With a store this big, if no one was watching it at night, it was almost certain to be broken into.

Therefore, Li Yi planned to have two people stay at the store every night from now on!

And on the very first night, he felt it was his duty to take the first shift!

Perhaps because they were so exhausted, after seeing Dongzi and the others off, Li Yi and Qiangzi each made a makeshift bed by pushing chairs together. Once they had their bedding in place, they quickly fell asleep.

But while they slept soundly, others were destined to lie awake!

Beiguan Village. Grassland Beef & Lamb Grill & Hot Pot Restaurant!

Just as he had settled Jiang Longyin and the others, before Li Yi could even return to the front desk, he saw Lin Jianguo walk in with a group of middle-aged men. The two leading the way were carrying a plaque.

As soon as they entered, Lin Jianguo said with a smile, “Brother Li Yi, congratulations on your grand opening! May your business thrive!”

“Thanks, Director Lin. Please, come on in!”

“I wasn’t sure what to bring, so I had this plaque made—hahaha!”

Li Yi saw the four gilded characters “Prosperous Business” carved on the side and immediately replied with a smile, “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, Director Lin. I’ll gladly accept your gift. Today, I’d like to treat you all to a taste of our shop’s grilled and boiled meat!”

“No need to treat us—we’re here today to support your business. We wouldn’t let you pay!” Lin Jianguo said with a smile.

“Hehe, Director Lin, there’ll be plenty of chances for you to spend money later. This meal is definitely on me!”

Li Yi looked up and saw more acquaintances arriving outside. He immediately called out to the staff inside, “Dongzi, take care of Director Lin and his group!”

“Got it!”

Just as he had led Lin Jianguo and the others into the private room, Ye Jianhua walked in with a few young people.

Upon entering, Ye Jianhua placed a wooden carving ornament he was holding on the table in front of Li Yi and said with a smile, “Wishing you a grand opening!”

“Thanks. What brings you here in the middle of the day?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“I came specifically to support you. I knew Old Jiang wouldn’t be able to make it at noon, so I came ahead of him!” Ye Jianhua said.

“Hahaha, welcome, welcome! But let’s be clear—this meal is on me!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“That won’t do—then we’d just be freeloaders!”

“Just come by more often to support my place, and that’ll do!”

“Alright, alright, you’re the boss—you call the shots. Hahaha!”

After that, Li Yi led Ye Jianhua and the others into a private dining room in the back!

Just like with Jiang Longyin and the others earlier, as soon as the charcoal brazier and copper pot were set out, the seasonings and condiments were mixed, and the meat was grilled and dipped.

In an instant, the aroma filled the entire private room!

After a round of cooking, everyone—from Lin Jianguo, who had arrived earlier, to Ye Jianhua and the others who came later—was won over by this unique delicacy.

Over the next hour, although no new customers arrived, the young staff were kept busily entertained.

Calls for more meat and side dishes, or for water and wine, echoed from the three private rooms from time to time—it was incredibly lively!

Just past one o’clock, Jiang Longyin and his group were the first to finish eating, then emerged from the private room with rosy cheeks.

Li Yi immediately asked with a smile, “Finished eating?”

“Yeah, this place is pretty good, kid. Let’s settle the bill!” Jiang Longyin said with a smile.

“No need to pay. As our first table of customers, your meal is on the house!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“Hahaha, is that even possible?”

Jiang Longyin didn’t insist on paying, but turned to Li Yi and said, “The dishes here look simple, but they taste really good. As far as I can tell, this place is one of a kind in Beijing right now!”

“Keep up the good work. If you run into any trouble, come find me at the district government office!”

“Alright!” Li Yi replied with a smile.

A middle-aged man standing next to Jiang Longyin also smiled and said, “You’ve got guts, young man. Not bad. We’ll be coming here often!”

“You’re most welcome!”

After seeing Jiang Longyin and his group off, it wasn’t long before Lin Jianguo, Ye Jianhua, and the others had finished their meal as well!

Although both groups offered to pay the bill, Li Yi refused both.

“They came to celebrate your grand opening—how could you be so stingy as to not even treat them to a meal? That wouldn’t do at all!”

Although the bill wasn’t settled, Li Yi still asked them if they were used to this style of grilled and hot-pot meat.

The answer was, of course, a resounding yes. These days, aside from massive restaurants, grilled meat is rarely available.

What’s more, Li Yi’s place not only served grass-fed beef and lamb but also pre-sliced pork belly and chicken, all paired with special sauces—the flavor was simply out of this world.

The hot pot lamb at his restaurant was also unlike anywhere else, especially with the wide variety of condiments—far superior to the single-flavored chive blossoms found in old Beijing, and capable of satisfying almost any palate.

So, almost all the customers raved about the meal!

After seeing off these three tables of guests, while the young staff were cleaning up, Li Yi did a quick calculation.

Those three tables—a total of 17 people—had consumed 16 pounds of beef, 12 pounds of lamb, 11 pounds of pork, and 4 pounds of chicken, for a total of 43 pounds of meat.

I have to say, these guys really have a huge appetite.

Their consumption of meat, in particular, was simply staggering—yet they barely touched the vegetables!

Oh, and they also drank five bottles of baijiu and over 40 liters of beer.

If calculated at the standard rates, they would owe 172 yuan for food and 17 jin of grain coupons, plus an additional 87 yuan for drinks.

That comes to a total of 259 yuan, which averages out to 15 yuan per person!

In other words, the average spending per person at his restaurant is around 15 yuan.

Li Yi then calculated the costs and profits: the total cost of ingredients was about 80 yuan, while the purchase price of the alcohol was 58 yuan, bringing the total cost to 138 yuan!

Excluding rent, labor, and utility costs, with an investment of 138 yuan and revenue of 259 yuan, that’s nearly a 100% profit margin.

Is that expensive?

The answer is definitely yes—it’s expensive!

After all, people’s incomes haven’t gone up yet. For the average person earning 36 or 37 yuan a month, this kind of spending is definitely not cheap.

No, it’s actually incredibly expensive—you could even call it extravagant.

But Li Yi wasn’t worried about a lack of business; after all, this was the capital, the imperial city since ancient times, where the one thing that was never in short supply was wealthy people.

Besides, the people who just came in don’t represent the average per-person spending.

Under normal circumstances, the per-person spending would never reach such a high level.

After all, these people had come today specifically to show their support for him, so they didn’t give a second thought to how much they were spending—they simply ate and drank to their hearts’ content.

By the end of the meal, each person had consumed an average of two and a half pounds of meat, while they barely touched the vegetables.

Most importantly, everyone who came today was a man.

If half of them had been women, the total bill would have been at least a third lower.

According to Li Yi’s estimates, excluding alcohol, a per-person bill of 8 yuan per meal at Grassland Beef and Lamb would be considered reasonable.

But in any case, judging by current spending, the restaurant has essentially met the standards Li Yi set for a high-end establishment.

It wasn’t that Li Yi didn’t want to open a small shop affordable to ordinary people—it was simply unnecessary.

After all, not only are supplies scarce these days, but there are also extremely strict requirements regarding labor—any business with more than eight employees is treated as a capitalist enterprise.

If he were to open a small shop, it would be too small to be worthwhile, and anything slightly larger would require hiring staff.

Chefs, kitchen helpers, waitstaff, and so on—eight people might not even be enough. Wouldn’t that just be asking for trouble?

A barbecue and hot pot restaurant like this is much better—fewer staff, higher prices, and plenty of profit!

More importantly, by establishing the brand early on, he could easily expand into a chain once the timing was right.

All in all, Li Yi was already very satisfied with the current situation.

Just as Li Yi was crunching the numbers, Dongzi and the others finished up, and they all gathered around!

“Bro Yi, how much did we make in total just now?” Qiangzi asked curiously.

“Not a single penny!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“What? That can’t be right—didn’t those people pay?”

“It’s not that they didn’t pay—it’s that I didn’t ask for it!”

“Why didn’t you take it? We opened this place to make money, didn’t we?” Qiangzi frowned.

“Hehe, today’s our first day in business. Everyone who came to eat was a friend showing their support. They gave us face, so we had to give them face too. That’s why I waived the bill for all three tables at lunch!”

Li Yi continued, “On the surface, I lost money, but I won their hearts. Plus, since our food is top-notch, I’ve won over their stomachs too. Don’t you think they’ll come back often to support our business?”

Dongzi said thoughtfully, “Isn’t that like saying you can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing the lamb?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “Although that’s not quite the right expression, it’s pretty much the same idea.”

Seeing that the younger guys still had questions, Li Yi immediately cut them off and said, “Alright, you’ll see if what I’m saying makes sense tonight.”

“What you need to do now is hurry up and restock our ingredients. Dongzi, go get two more sheep right away—I’m afraid what’s left in the fridge won’t be enough for tonight!”

“Shitou, go to the market and get another 20 pounds of pork belly, and bring back two chickens too!”

“Got it!”

…….

November 15. The 8th day of the 10th lunar month. An auspicious day for opening!

At 9:00 a.m., accompanied by a burst of firecrackers, the Grassland Beef and Lamb Capital Flagship Store officially opened!

Since Li Yi didn’t have many friends in the capital, aside from notifying Jiang Longcheng and Ye Jianhua, he hadn’t told anyone else about the opening.

Consequently, the grand opening felt rather low-key and somewhat quiet.

However, Li Yi didn’t mind. After the fireworks, he led a few excited young men into the store.

Today was the first day of business at the new store. Although it wasn’t quite mealtime yet, the necessary preparations still had to be made in advance.

Li Yi first took a look in the kitchen. Dongzi and Shitou were washing vegetables—Chinese cabbage, potatoes, and sweet potatoes all needed to be cleaned and set aside.

In addition, fresh tofu, frozen tofu, glass noodles, and dried tofu sticks all needed to be prepared—after all, this was a hot pot and barbecue combo restaurant, so they couldn’t just serve meat.

At the same time, the beef and lamb in the freezer were taken out to thaw.

Although Li Yi had the foundry help build two simple meat-slicing machines—not the electric kind, but more like paper cutters—

While they work well, the only drawback is that they can’t handle meat that’s too soft or too tough—they work best with meat that’s just right.

On the other side of the kitchen, Qiangzi and Yongzi were preparing the dipping sauces.

For grilled and hot-pot meat, the dipping sauces are especially important.

Li Yi’s restaurant offers two types of seasonings for grilled meat: a dry rub and a sauce, both of which he had formulated himself.

Although the flavor can’t compare to that of famous restaurants, it’s actually pretty good for what it is.

The dipping sauces for hot pot, however, are much more complex. In addition to sesame paste, they include everything from chopped scallions and minced garlic to fermented tofu, chili oil, and crushed peanuts.

To be honest, Li Yi went to great lengths to source all these various condiments.

In recent days, besides preparing to open the shop, he’d also contacted several ticket scalpers in town and bought a large quantity of food ration coupons from them.

After all, most agricultural products still required ration coupons at the time; without them, he’d have to buy goods at inflated prices—at least a third more expensive.

Li Yi had a clear vision for the shop’s business model: he couldn’t operate it as a low-cost eatery.

Not only would the profit margins be slim, but the demand for supplies would be high.

Just like when he ran his liangpi and white-skin pancake business in Qingshan County, he went through at least fifty to sixty pounds of flour every day, and the consumption of other ingredients was no small matter either.

But in a place like the capital, he simply didn’t have the capacity to source that much in-stock supplies.

Therefore, if he was going to do this, he would focus on high-end dining—high quality, high prices, and high profits.

This approach not only addressed the issue of profitability but also solved the problem of supply shortages, sparing him the daily headache of dealing with various ration coupons.

Before long, the morning had flown by.

Dinnertime was fast approaching, but not a single customer had walked through the door yet, which naturally made the young guys a bit anxious.

“Bro Yi, why hasn’t anyone come in yet?” Qiangzi couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah, Brother Yi, we spent so much money—are we going to lose money on this?” Shitou said, sounding worried as well.

Although Dongzi and Yongzi didn’t speak, their expressions still betrayed a hint of worry.

However, Li Yi wasn’t worried at all. He smiled and said, “Why the rush? Just be patient. It’s still early!”

Li Yi had long anticipated the possibility of no customers showing up.

His restaurant was beautifully decorated; from the outside, it looked quite upscale, and ordinary folks wouldn’t dare step inside a place like this.

Of course, ordinary people weren’t Li Yi’s target customers anyway.

And since the wealthy hadn’t heard of the place yet, it was only natural that there were no customers.

That’s why Li Yi had asked Jiang Longcheng to invite his friends over for a meal. He was confident that once they experienced his unique “grill-and-hot-pot” dining concept, they’d be hooked and become regulars.

With a base of repeat customers, word of the restaurant would spread within their circles, and business would naturally follow.

But all of this takes time, so before Jiang Longcheng hosted his gathering, Li Yi hadn’t even considered the possibility of anyone walking in on their own!

“Brother Yi, we’re just getting a little anxious. We’ve poured so much money into this—what if no customers show up?”

Although the younger guys didn’t know exactly how much Li Yi had invested so far, they figured it must be around fifteen or sixteen thousand yuan.

After all, rent alone cost over 3,000 yuan, ordering tables, chairs, and tableware cost over 6,000 yuan, and renovations cost over 2,000 yuan.

Add to that the 2,400 yuan for the refrigerator and the 700 to 800 yuan for various meats and vegetables, and the total comes to 15,000 yuan.

And that doesn’t even include other miscellaneous expenses, such as ordering various alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, and purchasing uniforms for the staff.

With so much money invested, anyone would be worried for him.

Li Yi remained completely unfazed, smiling as he said, “Don’t worry about it. I’m not the type to take on anything I’m not confident about!”

“Besides, if I lose money, it’s my own money. What are you guys worried about…”

Just as he was speaking, a Volga sedan suddenly pulled up at the entrance. Four or five middle-aged men in overcoats got out of the car and walked into the shop.

As soon as they entered, Li Yi recognized them at a glance—the man leading the group was none other than Jiang Longcheng’s second older brother, Jiang Longyin.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Jiang Longyin smiled and said, “I heard your shop opened, so I came to show my support!”

“Welcome, welcome! Please come in!” Li Yi said with a smile.

To be honest, Li Yi really hadn’t expected that the first group of customers to walk through his shop’s doors would be the ones brought by Jiang Longyin.

Li Yi was well aware of Jiang Longcheng’s second older brother—a future powerhouse who would one day rule over an entire region.

Even now, he was no ordinary figure, and the fact that he had come to support a small-time operator like Li Yi left him feeling both flattered and a bit overwhelmed.

“The decor is quite unique. What kind of food do you serve here? Could you give us a rundown?”

The reason Jiang Longyin was here today was mainly because he’d overheard Jiang Longcheng calling his rowdy friends at home last night.

It wasn’t until he asked that he learned about Li Yi opening a restaurant, and subsequently discovered the bet between Jiang Longcheng and Li Yi.

Learning that Li Yi had actually started planning his restaurant ahead of schedule—and even predicted that rents for street-front shops in Beiguan Village would rise—sparked a keen interest in Li Yi as a person.

Coincidentally, a few colleagues at work had suggested going out for lunch, so on a whim, he asked his third younger brother for a reservation and brought them all here to Li Yi’s place.

“Our restaurant specializes in grilled meat and hot pot, though we also offer a variety of vegetables. I’ll demonstrate the specifics once the dishes are served!”

Li Yi was quite patient with his first table of customers.

“Alright!”

Since there were five of them, and given Jiang Longyin’s distinguished status, Li Yi invited them into a private six-person booth in the back.

Then, he had Dongzi bring out charcoal braziers and copper hot pot pans for everyone!

Next, Li Yi didn’t let them order. As the first customers to walk in on opening day, he decided to treat them to the meal.

He instructed the kitchen to prepare one pound each of beef and lamb suitable for grilling, as well as one pound each of thin slices of lamb and beef for hot pot.

In addition, he had the kitchen prepare some vegetarian dishes suitable for hot pot, such as vegetables and glass noodles.

Once the dishes were all served, Li Yi had the staff prepare several dipping sauces for them, and he personally demonstrated how to grill the meat.

There was no need to demonstrate hot pot—after all, there’s probably not a single person in Beijing who doesn’t know how to cook lamb in hot pot!

Soon, the lamb on the grill was cooked through.

Li Yi used scissors to cut the large pieces of lamb into smaller chunks, then signaled to everyone that they could eat, reminding them they could dip the meat in either dry seasoning or sauce.

For Jiang Longyin and the others, this was their first time tasting such a unique delicacy. Seeing the golden-brown lamb giving off an enticing aroma, they didn’t hesitate and immediately dug in.

The moment they put the succulent lamb in their mouths, they were all stunned.

They were all people of standing who had tasted all kinds of delicacies, but they never imagined that lamb grilled fresh like this could be so delicious.

Just then, Li Yi had Dongzi bring them some beer.

Grilled meat, hot pot, and beer—this combination would be a perfect match even forty years later, let alone in the 1980s. It was a winning combination!

In an instant, they were completely won over by this extraordinary feast.

After a long silence, Jiang Longcheng sighed and said, “I lose!”

Li Yi smiled and said, “You’re giving up already without even waiting to see what happens?”

“I’m not stupid. What’s the point of stubbornly holding on when it’s already a foregone conclusion?” Jiang Longcheng replied.

Although he was reluctant to admit it, there was nothing he could do—as soon as the news broke, housing prices skyrocketed.

It wasn’t just Beiguan Village—the entire capital was the same.

Everyone knew that these days, making missiles wasn’t as profitable as selling tea eggs; everyone knew that business was where the money was, but the only problem was that the policies were extremely restrictive.

As a result, most people didn’t dare to conduct business openly, which was why shop rents were so low.

Now that this policy straitjacket was gone, people could finally do business openly. On top of that, the capital was full of returned educated youth who were out of work.

It was inevitable that a large number of young people would rush into business, and shop rents would inevitably skyrocket.

Thinking of his bet with Li Yi, Jiang Longcheng said again, “By the way, what do you want me to do?”

“Two things!”

Li Yi continued, “First, help me get the paperwork sorted out for opening the restaurant. I don’t want to waste time standing in line.”

“No problem!” Jiang Longcheng replied.

With the approval from higher-ups, it was just a matter of a word for him—he didn’t even need to pull any strings through his family connections!

“The second thing is, when I open the restaurant, invite all your friends over for a meal—as many as you can,” Li Yi said.

“Sure. My birthday is on the 15th. In past years, I’ve always hired a private chef to prepare a big feast, but this year I’ll invite them to eat at your place!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“Then it’s settled!” Li Yi said.

“Oh, and that kid Jianhua lost too. What are you planning to do with him?” Jiang Longcheng asked again.

Li Yi frowned, then said, “I haven’t figured that out yet. We’ll see once I’ve decided!”

In truth, Li Yi had already decided what to have Ye Jianhua do. Compared to the Jiang family, the Ye family’s influence was no less significant.

More importantly, Ye Jianhua’s father currently works at a certain government ministry. Li Yi had originally intended to have them look into Tang Xue’s biological mother’s records.

Given the Ye family’s capabilities, he believed they should be able to get to the bottom of it.

However, Li Yi was currently feeling a bit hesitant about this matter.

Although he wanted to uncover the truth about Tang Xue’s background and help her find her biological parents,

But at the same time, Li Yi knew this was a double-edged sword that could harm Tang Xue and their newly formed little family at any moment.

If Tang Xue’s biological parents were just an ordinary couple, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

But based on what they’ve uncovered so far, that possibility is slim.

First, there were the records. Keeping them so well-protected was no small feat.

Second, there was Tang Meiling’s account. According to that woman, Ye Lingwan was picked up by the convoy just a few days after being admitted to the clinic.

That was back in 1961—in some remote areas, cars were a rare sight, let alone being picked up by a convoy.

Then there was the jade pendant that Ye Lingwan had left as a burial offering for the stillborn infant. Li Yi had examined it closely and found that it was made of milk-white jade, carved with simple, ancient patterns.

Although it was unclear exactly which dynasty it belonged to, it was undoubtedly a valuable piece of ancient jade.

All of this suggested that Tang Xue’s biological parents were no ordinary people.

Li Yi was deeply concerned: if Tang Xue’s parents truly belonged to a high-ranking family of exceptional status, would they even acknowledge her?

At the same time, even if they did acknowledge Tang Xue as their daughter, would they accept Li Yi as their son-in-law?

Most importantly, Tang Xue was already more than four months pregnant, and Li Yi didn’t want her to be affected or hurt by these matters.

Therefore, Li Yi decided to put this matter aside for the time being and deal with it after the baby is born.

After all, so many years had already passed; another year or two wouldn’t make much difference.

Jiang Longcheng had no idea how much Li Yi was thinking about all this. Seeing that Li Yi seemed uninterested in discussing the topic, he began wandering around the house.

Although the renovations were still underway and the place was dirty and messy, the general layout was already apparent.

After walking through the entire space from front to back, Jiang Longcheng was surprised to discover that although the place looked unassuming, its layout was refreshingly innovative.

Not only was there a main dining hall, but there were also elegant private rooms, capable of catering to customers of all levels.

This alone made it clear that Li Yi wasn’t opening this restaurant on a whim, but had come prepared.

However, when he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to find that although the kitchen wasn’t small, it had only two small stoves.

For a restaurant of this size to have only two stoves seemed a bit off.

However, he trusted that Li Yi must have his own plan, so he didn’t ask any further questions.

Li Yi didn’t pay him any mind, letting him wander around the place on his own while he directed the renovation crew to keep up the pace!

At noon, the group had another meal together, though this time Li Yi didn’t let Jiang Longcheng pay.

After the meal, Li Yi continued overseeing the renovation of his house, while Jiang Longcheng returned to the cotton mill on his own!

……

Over the next few days, Li Yi and a few of his younger brothers shuttled back and forth daily between the rental house, the restaurant, and various markets; everyone was as busy as a bee.

It took over ten days, but they finally transformed the dilapidated warehouse at the foundry into a decent-looking restaurant.

However, that alone wasn’t enough to open for business; once the structural work was done, it was time for the interior design.

On November 8, the first batch of combined grilling and hot pot tables from the foundry was delivered, followed by chairs and other equipment, all of which were brought to the restaurant.

Shortly after, Jiang Longcheng had the paperwork finalized.

Upon receiving the individual business registration certificate, Li Yi let out a long sigh of relief.

With this certificate in hand, he could finally get down to business without worrying about being reported or fearing inspections.

Afterward, Li Yi stepped up his preparations.

By November 13, most of the restaurant’s supplies were ready.

In addition to tables, chairs, and various tableware, Li Yi had specifically splurged on two Wanbao refrigerators, each costing 1,200 yuan.

To be honest, in Li Yi’s view, spending 2,400 yuan on two small refrigerators was simply not a good deal.

After all, that price was exorbitantly high—some had calculated that one yuan from that era would be equivalent to 225 yuan thirty years later.

By that calculation, the value of these two refrigerators would be equivalent to 550,000 yuan in the future!

Isn’t that outrageous?

If that still doesn’t make it clear enough, let’s compare it to the average salary of a regular worker today.

A third-level worker earns 36 yuan a month, so 1,200 yuan is equivalent to 33 months’ worth of a regular worker’s total salary.

In other words, a worker would have to go without food or drink for two years and nine months to afford a refrigerator like this.

But running a restaurant without a refrigerator is simply out of the question, so Li Yi had no choice but to grit his teeth and shell out the money.

Once the pots, pans, and other equipment were ready, Li Yi began sourcing ingredients.

Cattle and sheep farming in Nianzishan Village was still in its infancy, so that was out of the question; Li Yi had no choice but to source ingredients locally.

For a restaurant, the quality of the ingredients is the most important factor in customer satisfaction.

Especially since they were opening a restaurant specializing in hot pot and grilled meat, the quality of the beef and lamb was crucial.

So, Li Yi took a few of his young associates and scoured the nearby farmers’ markets, all in search of suitable beef and lamb.

After several days of searching, they finally found a state-run stall in the city that specialized in beef and lamb from the northern grasslands.

After confirming that the beef and lamb at this stall were indeed of higher quality than at most other stalls, Li Yi decisively ordered two sheep and 100 jin of top-quality beef from there.

Although the price was as high as 2.5 yuan per jin for mutton and 2.2 yuan per jin for beef—even without meat ration coupons—Li Yi didn’t care in the least.

Customers who could afford to dine at a barbecue restaurant truly didn’t mind spending an extra three or two yuan; as long as the beef and lamb were of high quality and tasted good, they were willing to accept the price as long as it wasn’t exorbitant.

In addition, Li Yi contacted the Yunhu Brewery in Miyun and ordered 500 liters of beer at 12 cents per liter.

Once everything was ready, Li Yi personally trained his staff and ordered matching uniforms.

As the gilded sign, engraved with the words “Grassland Beef and Lamb,” was delivered to the restaurant, the countdown to the opening of Li Yi’s first shop in Beijing began.