Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

"Sir, you've arrived! Are you alone again today?"

Yunniang, who was tidying up the table, spotted Zhou Zhengnan at a glance.

"One person, same as always." Zhou Zhengnan smiled gently. "I saw a notice posted on the door, are they hiring?"

"That's right!" Yunniang said with a wry smile as she wiped the table. "As you can see, business is so good that Chunsheng, Yaya, and I are just too busy to handle it all. Chunsheng feels sorry for the children and is afraid of neglecting the customers, so he thought of hiring more people."

As they were talking, Li Chunsheng came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of freshly cooked Mao-style braised pork, steaming hot and glistening red.

"Hey! Mr. Zhou!" Li Chunsheng placed the basin of meat on the counter. The trembling chunks of meat swayed in the reddish-brown broth, making the surrounding diners swallow hard. "You've come at the perfect time! This is the first batch of braised pork that just came out of the pot! Would you like a serving?"

"Then one serving, and a bowl of rice with it." Zhou Zhengnan found a corner to sit down, placed his briefcase on his lap, and asked casually, "Boss Li, the wages you're offering are unique outside Qianmen."

Li Chunsheng wiped his hands, chuckled, and walked to Zhou Zhengnan's table, lowering his voice to say, "Sir, a generous reward will surely bring forth brave men. If you pay too little, you'll attract a lord, and I'll have to serve him; if you pay enough, you'll attract helpers."

Zhou Zhengnan nodded: "Boss Li is very insightful."

Soon, the food was served.

The braised pork was a glossy red, each piece cut into neat squares and coated with caramel coloring. Zhou Zhengnan picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. The rich yet not greasy, melt-in-your-mouth texture made him involuntarily exclaim "Delicious!"

His gaze, seen through his glasses, discreetly observed everything in the store.

Yunniang was fiddling with the abacus behind the counter, but she was clearly struggling. She had to deal with customers paying their bills and write down the dishes that had been added, making her quite flustered.

Ya Ya is, after all, a seven-year-old child. Although she is sensible, it always makes people nervous as she weaves through the crowded streets to carry plates.

"We really are short-handed," Zhou Zhengnan thought to himself.

After finishing his meal, Zhou Zhengnan paid the bill, took another look at the job posting, and then got into a rickshaw and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

Outside Xuanwu Gate, there is a quiet little courtyard house.

In the center of the courtyard, two figures were practicing martial arts.

The younger one was Xiao Wu, holding a wooden dagger in his hand. He moved nimbly, and each thrust was ruthless.

The older one was Lao Wu. Although his left arm was still wrapped in bandages, his lower body was extremely stable. He had one hand behind his back and used only his right hand to block. His footwork changed slowly, but he always managed to avoid Xiao Wu's sharp edge at the last second.

"Too hasty!" Old Wu uttered in a low voice, shifting his body to the side and leaning his shoulder lightly.

"Bang!"

Xiao Wu was knocked back three or four steps by the impact before he could barely regain his balance.

"Old Wu, your injury hasn't even fully healed yet, and you're still so strong!" Xiao Wu sheathed his dagger, rubbing his chest dejectedly. "I've been training for so long, how come I can't even beat you with one hand?"

"Kung Fu is a killing technique, not something you can just practice here." Old Wu took a deep breath; his injuries hadn't fully healed, and the wound was still throbbing from the earlier attack.

"Alright, let's take a break."

Just then, the courtyard gate was gently pushed open.

Zhou Zhengnan walked in carrying a roast chicken and a bottle of wine.

"Mr. Zhou!"

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and he quickly went to greet him and take the things. "Why are you back so early today? Don't you have classes at school?"

"Yeah, no classes this afternoon." Zhou Zhengnan smiled and patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder. "You've practiced well. Old Wu is an old hand, don't always think about beating him."

The three of them went inside and sat down around the stove.

Zhou Zhengnan tore the roast chicken apart, poured some wine, and the room immediately felt warmer.

Old Wu picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and looking at Zhou Zhengnan's thoughtful expression, he knew that Zhou had something to say.

"Old Zhou, is it getting tense outside?" Old Wu put down his wine glass, his expression turning serious.

"no."

Zhou Zhengnan took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket; it was a job posting for Li's Restaurant that he had written down from memory.

He spread the paper on the table and pointed to it: "Take a look at this."

Xiao Wu leaned closer and read aloud, "Li's Restaurant is hiring! Waiters get two silver dollars, accountants get four? Goodness! Is this owner running a charity?"

Old Wu squinted at the words above: "Li's Restaurant? The one we hid from before? The little boss who sang those weird songs?"

"That's right, it's him." Zhou Zhengnan nodded. "Old Wu, I remember you said that before joining the revolution, you worked in a pawnshop in your hometown?"

Old Wu was taken aback, then nodded, a hint of nostalgia on his face: "Yes, back in my hometown in Shanxi, I worked as a clerk in a pawnshop for five years. I could spot fakes at a glance. Later, the pawnshop was seized by warlords, the manager died, and I followed the army."

At this point, Old Wu gave a wry smile, looking at his hands covered in calluses and scars: "It's been so many years since I've touched an abacus. Now, these hands can only handle gun barrels."

"As long as you have the foundation, you can pick it up quickly." Zhou Zhengnan leaned forward and lowered his voice, "Old Wu, Xiao Wu, the organization is currently short of funds, and it's not a long-term solution for the two of you to keep hiding in this courtyard; especially Old Wu, your injuries require rest and you also need a legitimate identity to cover yourselves."

"Old Zhou, what do you mean?" Old Wu seemed to have guessed something.

"I want you two to apply for jobs." Zhou Zhengnan pointed to the paper. "Old Wu, you apply for the job of accountant; Xiao Wu, you apply for the job of waiter."

"What?! You want me to be a waiter? Serving tea and water to those people? Mr. Zhou, I'm a..."

"You are a revolutionary fighter!" Zhou Zhengnan interrupted him. "Revolutionary work knows no distinction between noble and lowly! Hiding here is revolution, and working as a waiter in a restaurant is also revolution! In fact, it's an even more important task!"

Xiao Wu shrank back after being scolded, muttering, "I just feel a bit aggrieved, and what if I lose my temper and beat up a customer?"

"Then you'd better bear with it!" Zhou Zhengnan glared at him, then softened his tone. "Xiao Wu, you're skilled and quick-witted. Running around in the restaurant, you can see and hear everything. Li Ji Restaurant is in a special location, with all sorts of people there, making it an excellent place to gather intelligence. Besides, if anything unexpected happens, you can protect Lao Wu from the front immediately."

After saying that, he looked at Old Wu and asked, "Old Wu, what do you think?"

Old Wu pondered for a moment, then frowned slightly: "My identity isn't a problem. With my injuries, as long as I don't do heavy work, I can manage the accounts. It's just that we haven't fully figured out Boss Li's background yet. What if he is...?"