Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 9 Harvest
After leaving the security booth, Chen Bingwen and Gao Zhenhai quickly set up their stall in the east corner.

Gao Zhenhai quickly hung up the "Chen's Secret Recipe Sweet Soup" sign, while Chen Bingwen opened the thermos lid, and the rich aroma of sesame immediately filled the air.

"Brother Wen, is this place alright?" Gao Zhenhai wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around with some concern. "It's a bit far from the factory gate."

Chen Bingwen smiled confidently: "Don't worry, there are more than two thousand workers around here. As long as our sweet soup is good enough, we won't have to worry about not having customers."

Just then, the lunch break bell rang suddenly.

Workers in blue overalls filed out of the building.

Chen Bingwen took a deep breath and called out, "Chen's Secret Recipe Sweet Soup! Freshly made red bean paste and sesame paste!"

His voice immediately drew the attention of the workers.

"Hey? Isn't that the young man who sells sweet soup in Huafeng?" A middle-aged male worker wearing glasses said in surprise to his companion. "I went to Huafeng to visit my fellow villagers last week and tried their red bean soup. It tasted really good!"
I never expected them to come and sell here today. We're in luck!

As he spoke, he pulled his companion toward the dessert stall.

"Young boss, give me a bowl of red bean paste set meal, and give him a bowl of sesame paste set meal."

The bespectacled construction worker pulled out his wallet, somewhat impatiently, "I've been craving it ever since I had it last time, and I'm always thinking about when I can go back to Huafeng!"

"Thank you for supporting my business, brother."

Chen Bingwen accepted the money while thanking him with a smile.

Gao Zhenhai quickly served two bowls of steaming hot sweet soup, along with some salted dumplings, and handed them over.

The bespectacled male worker took the bowl, eagerly took a big gulp, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction: "This is the taste! Sweet with a hint of salt, rich in bean flavor, much better than the ones from ordinary dessert shops!"

His companion took a sip of the sesame paste and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! This sesame paste is fragrant, smooth, and has a subtle almond aroma. It's wonderful!"

The two men's exclamations of praise attracted the attention of even more workers.

In less than five minutes, a long queue had formed in front of the stall.

Chen's Dessert Shop is very meticulous in both the ingredients and the preparation of its desserts.

In addition, the flavor, after being improved by Chen Bingwen, is very much in line with the eating habits of people in this era.

Chen Bingwen looked at the rapidly forming long queue and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Many workers in the queue were drawn in by the praises of the customers ahead, and the word-of-mouth effect was even better than he had expected.

In less than half an hour, all six buckets of sweet soup were sold out.

On the way back, Gao Zhenhai pushed his tricycle and excitedly said to Chen Bingwen, "Brother Wen, business was booming today. We sold out all six buckets of sweet soup in less than half an hour."

Chen Bingwen nodded and smiled, "The lunch break is too short. After a long morning of work, who would want to go to a dessert shop?"

We deliver our sweet soups to their door, saving them time and ensuring they get a delicious drink, so business is naturally booming!

"You're so smart to come up with this idea."

Gao Zhenhai looked at Chen Bingwen with admiration and said.

"Ahai, as long as you observe and learn more, you can do it too."

Chen Bingwen smiled and encouraged Gao Zhenhai.

When they returned to the shop, Wang Qiaozhen and Aunt Zhang had already prepared lunch and were just waiting for them to come back so they could eat.

Huafeng Garment Factory is closer, and Chen Guofu and Amei have already returned.

Upon seeing Chen Bingwen and Gao Zhenhai return, Amei excitedly ran to them and chattered excitedly about the sales situation.

"Brother Wen, brother, guess how much we sold today? A whole six buckets of sweet soup, and quite a few workers still haven't bought any."

Gao Zhenhai affectionately ruffled his sister's hair: "We're doing just as well here; all six barrels are sold out."

As Chen Bingwen watched the interaction between the brother and sister, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

After lunch, Gao Zhenhai and his sister and Aunt Zhang went home to rest, while Chen Bingwen and his family of three sat around a small table at the dessert shop and began to tally up their earnings for the day.

Chen Guofu carefully took out stacks of crumpled banknotes from his waist bag and neatly stacked them on the table.

Wang Qiaozhen held the ledger and recorded each item one by one.

"We sold six barrels at Huafeng, earning 1,260 yuan," Chen Guofu said, counting the money. "We also sold six barrels at Lizhijiao, earning 1,120 yuan, making a total of 2,380 yuan."

Wang Qiaozhen's fingers flew across the abacus, and she exclaimed softly, "After deducting costs, we've made a net profit of over 1,300 today!"

This number left the elderly couple somewhat dazed.

Just a week ago, Chen's Dessert Shop's daily revenue was less than 100 yuan, and it often couldn't make ends meet.

Now, he earns in just half a day what he used to earn in half a month.

"Mom, how much money do we have in total right now?"

Seeing the surprised expressions on his parents' faces, Chen Bingwen asked with a smile.

"Excluding the expenses incurred during this period, the total amount, including today's, is a little over 5,600, but less than 6,000."

"What, do you need money?"

Wang Qiaozhen silently calculated in her mind, and then told Chen Bingwen.

"Making money is still too slow!"

Chen Bingwen sighed inwardly.

However, he still had a smile on his face and said, "I do have some ideas, but I'll wait until I understand the situation before I say anything."

"Okay, let me know when you need money."

Wang Qiaozhen said without hesitation.

Although Wang Qiaozhen was in charge of the family's money, Chen Bingwen's recent performance had earned the trust of the whole family.

Chen Bingwen nodded, but his mind was racing with calculations.

Five thousand six hundred dollars was a considerable sum in Hong Kong in 1978, but it was still far from his goal.

To put it simply, having sufficient funds is essential to seizing more opportunities during the upcoming economic boom.

Even if it's nearby, the rent for the dessert shop and the salaries of Gao Zhenhai and his two companions would amount to more than seven thousand yuan.

Fortunately, there are still twenty days left until the end of the month, and at the current rate of profit, we should be able to raise the money.

In the afternoon, Chen Guofu and Wang Qiaozhen prepared the ingredients they would need for the next day.

Chen Bingwen stepped forward to help but was pushed aside by his mother, who said, "Go away, we'll do these chores. You go and rest for a while."

Watching his parents' busy figures, Chen Bingwen felt both warm and bittersweet.

In his previous life, he was an orphan and had never experienced the happiness of being unconditionally supported by his family.

Now reborn, he not only wants to revive Chen's Dessert Shop, but also to give his parents a comfortable and prosperous life.

With nothing else to do, Chen Bingwen went to the newsstand on the street corner.

"Ah Wen, why haven't you come to buy a newspaper these past few days?" Uncle Fu, the newspaper seller, greeted him warmly as soon as they met.

Chen Bingwen smiled and handed over some change: "I've been so busy at the shop lately that I haven't had time to read the newspaper. Uncle Fu, give me a copy of the newspapers from the last few days."

Uncle Fu deftly pulled out a few newspapers: "This young man is promising! He knows how to help his parents. My family's good-for-nothing is nowhere to be seen."

Chen Bingwen smiled modestly: "Brother Sheng is very filial to you!"

Fu Bo's son, Ah Sheng, was two years older than Chen Bingwen. He joined the gang at a young age and was quite well-known in the Sham Shui Po area.

In Sham Shui Po, young men either work in factories or join triads; it's rare to see someone like Chan Ping-man running a legitimate business.

Uncle Fu sighed and handed the newspaper to Chen Bingwen: "If only Ah Sheng were half as sensible as you."

Since it involved triads, Chen Bingwen didn't want to say too much. He took the newspaper and casually asked, "Uncle Fu, what's been happening lately?"

As the most knowledgeable person in Guilin Street, Chen Bingwen's question hit Fu Bo right where it hurt.

He immediately perked up, pushed up his reading glasses, and said, "I heard the Hong Kong government is going to develop the New Territories, and a lot of real estate developers are scrambling for land!"

To increase the credibility of the news, Uncle Fu pointed to the headline in the newspaper, "Look, Mr. Li of Cheung Kong Holdings has acquired another piece of land."

(End of this chapter)