Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

Shunzi looked at the bowl of bright red boiled pork slices and his Adam's apple bobbed.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of meat, the slice still dripping with red oil, and put it in his mouth.

Everyone was watching him.

His expression froze for a moment, then his eyes widened suddenly, and his face turned red at a visible speed, with beads of sweat instantly appearing on his forehead.

"Huff...huff..." Shunzi gasped for breath, as if she had been burned or burned.

"How is it? Shunzi? Is it good?" someone asked from the side.

Shunzi didn't say anything, but picked up the rice and took a big bite, chewing it along with the meat slices in her mouth.

"Awesome!!!" After swallowing, Shunzi shouted, "Damn, this is awesome! The meat is as tender as tofu! And the spiciness... oh my! It's so damn good with rice!"

After saying that, he didn't bother to talk to anyone else. He ate a bite of meat and a bite of rice in a whirlwind. When the diners around him saw Shunzi eating like that, how could they resist?

"Boss! Give me an order of this boiled pork slices too!"

"Me too! I want it spicier!"

"I'd like a serving of braised pork belly and a serving of boiled sliced ​​pork, I want to try them all!"

For a time, the restaurant was filled with the sounds of people ordering food.

Before long, the entire hall was filled with hissing sounds as everyone ate, sweating profusely, but they couldn't stop, eating bowl after bowl of rice.

Yunniang watched this scene from the counter, beaming with joy.

Old Wu sat behind the counter, skillfully collecting money and giving change while watching the scene. He secretly admired the owner, thinking that he was a natural-born businessman who could always come up with these irresistible new tricks.

The lunch rush lasted until after 2 p.m. before gradually subsiding. Li Chunsheng was so tired that his back ached, and he was sitting on a bench by the door to catch his breath.

At this moment, an old man wearing a blue cloth robe and carrying a medicine box walked in.

The old man had gray hair and beard, and a thin face. Li Chunsheng recognized him; he was Zhang Langzhong, a renowned physician in the area, who was highly skilled in medicine and kind-hearted. He often provided free medical treatment and medicine to the poor and had an excellent reputation in the region.

"Dr. Zhang, you've arrived! Please come in!" Li Chunsheng quickly got up and ushered Dr. Zhang into the house. "Haven't eaten yet? What would you like to eat?"

Doctor Zhang waved his hand, looking somewhat tired: "Manager Li, no need to trouble yourself. Just make some noodles. I was just coming back from a house call and passed by your place. I came in because I smelled the aroma."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all." Li Chunsheng had great respect for such a virtuous person. He poured Zhang Langzhong a cup of hot water, "Making house calls even during the New Year? That must be hard work."

Doctor Zhang sighed, "Alas, illness strikes like a landslide, it doesn't matter whether it's the New Year or not, especially in winter, it's hard for poor families to get through it. Do you know that Tong Wu?"

"Tong Wu?"

"That's the Master Tong who claims to be a member of the Eight Banners." Doctor Zhang took a sip of water to warm himself up.

Li Chunsheng's heart skipped a beat. "What? Is he sick?"

"He wasn't sick, he passed away."

"Gone?" Li Chunsheng was taken aback, then realized what "gone" meant.

"Yes, he was found early this morning in a dilapidated temple by the moat," Zhang Langzhong sighed. "When he was found, he was already stiff. I guess he left last night, cold and hungry. When he was found, he was still clutching a pawn ticket tightly in his hand. Unfortunately, the money he got couldn't save his life."

Yunniang, who was wiping the table, trembled. She remembered how Master Tong had begged in the snow that day, and her heart ached.

Li Chunsheng fell silent. He died, just like that, without a sound.

"He chose this path himself," Li Chunsheng said slowly, his voice somewhat low. "I asked him to stay and work, but he refused."

Doctor Zhang nodded: "I know, I've heard about it too. Manager Li, you've done more than enough. Sometimes people aren't driven to their deaths by the world, but by the obstacles in their own hearts. They live in the past, unable to wake up from their dreams, so the harsh realities of life naturally won't tolerate them."

"Sigh..." Li Chunsheng sighed softly. Although he didn't have a good impression of people like Master Tong, and even felt disgusted by their pedantry and laziness, it was still a living human life. This was also a microcosm of this era. The Qing Dynasty had been gone for more than a decade, but these old men and women were still rotting in the mud along with that sunken ship.

"Sir, please have a seat. I'll make you some noodles." Li Chunsheng cupped his hands in greeting and walked towards the kitchen.

Not long after, Xiao Wu came running out with a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup. "Dr. Zhang, your noodles! Be careful, they're hot!"

A golden poached egg rests on top of the noodles, sprinkled with bright green scallions, and steaming hot.

Doctor Zhang picked up his chopsticks, looked at the bowl of noodles, and gave a bitter smile: "In this world, being able to eat a hot meal is a great blessing. If Master Tong had understood this principle earlier, he wouldn't have ended up with no one to collect his body."

"Is no one going to collect the body?" Yunniang asked in a low voice.

"He had no family left. In the end, the people from the mortuary hastily wrapped him in a mat and dragged him to the mass grave."

Li Chunsheng came out of the kitchen, walked to the counter, and took down the pair of polished walnuts from the shelf.

"Dr. Zhang," Li Chunsheng said, walking over with walnuts in his hand. "I need your help with something. If you know where he's buried, could you burn some paper money for him later? These walnuts..." He paused, then put the walnuts back in his pocket. "Never mind, I'll keep them as a memento, a constant reminder not to live like him."

After finishing his noodles, Zhang Langzhong felt much warmer and his spirits improved. He took out his money to pay the bill, but Li Chunsheng stopped him.

"Dr. Zhang, this bowl of noodles is on me. You always help people and save lives. I'm just a small business owner, this is all I can do."

Unable to refuse, Zhang the physician could only bow and thank him, saying, "Manager Li, good deeds are rewarded. Your business will surely flourish."

After seeing off Physician Zhang, Li Chunsheng stood at the door, looking at the gray sky, lost in thought.

"Boss," Old Wu appeared behind him unnoticed, "that's how the world is, everyone has their own destiny, you've done enough."

Li Chunsheng turned around and smiled: "Yes, it's fate. All we can do is run this restaurant well so that every customer who comes in can have a hot meal and a place to warm up."

"Alright! Get to work!"

Li Chunsheng clapped his hands, dispelling the gloom in his heart. "We have another group of guests tonight! Da Hu, go check if we have enough firewood in the backyard! If not, chop some more!"

"Okay!"