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Chapter 2574 Chapter Turning

After receiving the reward, Suning no longer wanted to deal with Liu Hongchang's affairs.

It's not that I'm cold-blooded, it's that I'm being too controlling.

They used the Great Dream Divine Technique on Liu Hongchang to cure He Wenhui's mother's eyes. They persuaded her, stopped her, and did everything they could.

Liu Hongchang still went to Beijing, still became He Wenhui's sycophant, and still made himself into a grotesque mess.

Suning finally understood: some people you can't stop no matter what you do. Liu Hongchang is headed straight for the fire pit. If you don't let him jump in, he'll get angry with you instead.

Let it be! Anyway, the mission is already completed, the reward is in hand, and two percent of my memory has been restored, bringing the total to ten percent.

Let Liu Hongchang do whatever he wants; it's none of my business anymore.

Suning is now preoccupied with how to make a good living.

Now that he's married to Yang Maixiang, has a home and a wife, it's time to focus on building his career.

Working as a cook in the second canteen, you earn a few dozen yuan a month. You won't starve, but you won't make a living either. It's okay to get by, but it's hard to live a good life.

Su Ning is not the kind of person who is content with the status quo. He has traveled through so many worlds, been an emperor, fought in wars, served as a powerful minister, and was once the richest man. What kind of storms haven't he weathered?

A small canteen can't keep me here.

With life becoming more comfortable, Suning's ambitions have resurfaced.

……

That evening, after washing the dishes, Yang Maixiang sat on the edge of the bed knitting a sweater.

Su Ning moved closer and sat down next to her. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up: "Maixiang, I want to discuss something with you."

Yang Maixiang didn't stop the needle in her hand, nor did she look up. She casually asked, "What is it?"

"I want to resign."

Yang Maixiang stopped the needlework, looked up at Su Ning, her eyes filled with obvious surprise, "Resign? Resign from what job? You're not going to be a chef anymore? Then what will you do?"

“I want to be a chef, but not for a factory, I want to work for myself.” Su Ning looked at her and said seriously, “I want to open a restaurant. I want to be my own boss, and whatever I earn will be mine.”

Yang Maixiang put down her knitting needles and turned to face Su Ning.

Yang Maixiang's expression was complicated, a mixture of worry, hesitation, and a little bit of excitement. "Open a restaurant? How much money would that cost? We just got married, and our savings are only enough to buy a refrigerator and a TV. How can we afford to open a restaurant?"

Suning knew that Yang Maixiang would be worried about this.

It wasn't that Yang Maixiang was timid; it was just that in those days, individual businesses weren't a big deal, and everyone felt that having a stable job was the only secure option.

Even in later generations, this view has not been completely reversed.

Especially with the economic downturn following the pandemic, jobs with guaranteed income and generous benefits have become highly sought after again.

In most people's eyes, quitting one's job to start a business is just making a fuss, abandoning a stable life to jump into a fire pit.

But Suning is different; it clearly knows which path it will take in the future.

In the 1980s, individual businesses were just beginning to emerge, and many people looked down on them, thinking that only incompetent people could do that.

But by the 1990s, those who were among the first to go into business had all made a fortune.

Suning doesn't want to wait until then to take action, because by then it will be too late.

I don't want to waste my time in the factory canteen, since I'll just be a head chef by retirement anyway.

Now is the best time; while others are still observing, we should strike first.

"Don't worry about the money, I have a way," Su Ning said confidently.

He couldn't tell the truth because it was too outrageous. He couldn't possibly tell Yang Maixiang that there was a complete pre-made food production line in the space world, which was fully automated from cutting and preparation to seasoning and packaging. It could produce hundreds of thousands of servings a day at full capacity, and they could be served after a little processing outside.

After hearing this, it would be strange if Yang Maixiang didn't think she was mentally ill.

So all I can say is, "I've saved some, and I'll borrow some more from friends, and that should be enough."

Yang Maixiang looked at him and remained silent for a long while.

I know that Su Ning isn't the kind of person who acts recklessly. What he does may seem risky, but if you think about it carefully, every step he takes makes sense.

Before Su Ning came to the second canteen, no one knew he was such a good cook; before Su Ning treated Yu Qiuhua's eyes, no one knew he could also do acupuncture.

This person always manages to do things that others can't.

"Su Ning, are you really confident?" Yang Maixiang asked uncertainly.

Su Ning laughed, "Mai Xiang, you've tried my cooking, what did you think?"

Yang Maixiang thought for a moment and then honestly said, "It's delicious. It's even better than what you get at restaurants outside."

"That's good then." Su Ning held her hand. "The most important thing when running a restaurant is delicious food. And good service is also important. Everything else is secondary. If you make good food, customers will naturally come, and once word of mouth spreads, it will be hard for the business not to be good."

Yang Maixiang was tempted by Su Ning's words, but she still had concerns. "Can you manage all this by yourself? You have to cook, serve guests, buy groceries, wash dishes, and do all that. You'll be exhausted."

"Try it out first. If business is good, you can come and help me, or you can hire some staff."

"Alright!" Yang Maixiang didn't ask any more questions.

The main reason is that she understands Su Ning; if someone doesn't want to talk about something, you can't get it out of them no matter how much you ask.

Now Yang Maixiang only knows one thing: Su Ning will not lie to her, and will not do anything he is not sure about.

Since Suning dared to make this request, it means he has already made up his mind, and even if you try to stop him, you can't.

“Okay, let’s do it! You should also apply for a leave of absence without pay.” Yang Maixiang gritted her teeth, as if she had made a great decision. “Anyway, we’re still young, we can afford to lose. If we lose money, we can both go back to work at the factory. It’s not like we can’t survive.”

Looking at Yang Maixiang, Su Ning felt a warm glow in her heart.

This woman is wonderful.

She was not only content with a simple life, but also willing to take risks with Suning.

This kind of trust is more precious than anything else.

In particular, such good women are becoming increasingly rare in later generations, especially in this simple and unpretentious 1980s.

"Don't worry! We won't lose money." Su Ning held her hand tightly. "Maixiang, trust me, our lives will get better and better. We'll not only open one store, but also open branches and build a brand so that people all over Nanjing and the whole country can eat our food. You won't have to sell tickets anymore; you can just stay in the store, collect money, be the boss's wife, and enjoy a life of leisure."

Yang Maixiang blushed at Su Ning's words and gently pushed him, "Don't just talk nice things, let's get the store up and running first."

But at this moment, the corners of her mouth were already turned up very high.

Then Suning picked up Yang Maixiang...

……

Suning acted immediately.

The next day, I went to the factory to apply for a leave of absence without pay. The procedures were completed quickly. The lady in the personnel department looked regretful and said, "Master Su, your skills are so good. It's a loss for the canteen if you leave."

"I have some personal matters that take a long time to resolve, so it's more convenient to apply for a leave of absence without pay."

"I see! But your second canteen is indeed quite strange. Liu Hongchang left, and now you've left too."

Su Ning smiled and said nothing more.

First, I folded my work clothes and put them in the locker, then handed back the key to the changing room. As I walked out of the factory gate, I looked back and felt a little emotional.

I spent more than half a year in the second canteen, where I met Liu Hongchang and Yang Maixiang, and also completed a task.

Now, it's time to turn the page.

……

For the next period of time, Suning was extremely busy.

Find a storefront, negotiate rent, obtain licenses, buy tables and chairs, and renovate the store.

The shop he chose was in the south of the city, not far from the bus route Yang Maixiang ran. There was a lot of foot traffic, and the surrounding area was full of residential areas, so there was no shortage of customers.

The storefront is small, about 30 square meters, with seven or eight tables that can seat 30 or 40 people.

The decoration doesn't need to be fancy; clean and tidy is enough. White walls, gray floors, wooden tables and chairs, and a few calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall make it look quite elegant.

Yang Maixiang would come over to help after work, wiping tables, sweeping floors, painting walls, doing all sorts of chores.

Watching this small shop change day by day, from empty to well-organized, fills me with indescribable joy.

Now she sells tickets on buses, standing for more than ten hours a day. Her voice is hoarse and her legs are swollen, and she only earns a meager salary each month.

Now things are great. By opening a store with Suning, I can work for myself from now on. The more I work, the more I earn, and there's hope for the future.

What makes Suning most worry-free is the pre-cooked food production line in the Space World.

This production line can supply military rations to hundreds of thousands of troops, easily producing tens of thousands of rations every day, with frighteningly high efficiency.

First, we adjusted the production line to its minimum capacity, producing a few hundred servings a day, which was enough for the store.

The ingredients are grown in the space world, without pesticides or fertilizers, and taste much better than what you buy outside.

When guests arrive and order good dishes, all you need to do is take out the pre-made dishes produced in the space, heat them up, and serve them with fresh vegetables.

……

On opening day, Suning prepared flower baskets and set off firecrackers, marking the official opening of its "Su Ji Xiao Guan" restaurant.

Yang Maixiang stood at the door, smiling, greeting the people coming and going.

Business was so-so for the first few days. Not many people knew about this newly opened shop. There were only a few customers, some of whom came in out of curiosity to try it out, and others who were just passing by and taking a break.

Everyone who has tried it has a positive opinion of it.

Braised pork belly is fatty but not greasy, and melts in your mouth; sweet and sour pork ribs are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour; shredded pork with garlic sauce is savory, slightly spicy, and goes very well with rice.

Most importantly, the taste is consistent and the food is served incredibly fast.

"Boss, did you learn at some fancy restaurant?" "No! I just worked in the canteen of Yangzi Petrochemical."

"No wonder it tastes so good."

Word spread quickly, and within a month, "Su Ji Xiao Guan" became a hit.

At mealtimes, a queue formed at the entrance, and all seven or eight tables were fully occupied, leaving later customers to stand and wait.

Yang Maixiang was so busy that she decided to take a leave of absence without pay at the bus station. She was busy taking orders, serving food, collecting money, and wiping tables. She felt like she was doing the work of eight people.

Suning was also extremely busy in the kitchen, but he remained calm and composed. He would heat up the pre-cooked food, stir-fry some vegetables, plate them, and serve them with ease. He was as efficient as three people.

After closing the shop in the evening, the couple sat down to settle the accounts.

Yang Maixiang poured out the money she had collected that day—one or two cents, one or two dollars—and piled it all up on the table.

She counted it once, then again, her eyes lighting up. "Su Ning, guess how much you earned today?"

Suning was washing dishes and didn't even look up. "How much?"

Yang Maixiang announced a number, her voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement, "It's more than our combined annual salaries!"

Su Ning smiled, wiped her hands on her apron, walked over and looked at the pile of money, but said nothing.

I knew this would happen. Pre-made meals plus ingredients in the space are incredibly cheap to produce and taste great. It's no wonder they make money.

But Su Ning didn't say it; even husband and wife should have secrets.

"Prepare more vegetables tomorrow, in case we don't have enough to sell," Su Ning said.

“Okay.” Yang Maixiang nodded and then put the money away. “Su Ning, when you said you wanted to open a restaurant, I was so worried that we would lose money. Now it seems that I was overthinking it.”

Su Ning wiped his hands, walked over and put his arm around her shoulder. "It will get even better in the future. This is just the beginning. Once we've saved enough money, we'll open branches, build a brand, and let everyone in Nanjing enjoy our food."

Yang Maixiang leaned on his shoulder without saying a word, but her heart was filled with anticipation.

I used to think that life was just like this: going to get off work, coming home, eating, sleeping, a mundane and uneventful life with no meaning.

But now I suddenly realize that life can be different.

With Suning, every day brings something new and something to look forward to.

Yang Maixiang didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she knew that as long as she was with Su Ning, everything would be alright.

……

When He Wenhui returned from her first winter vacation, she felt that the winter in Nanjing was damp and cold, and the wind felt like a knife cutting her face.

He Wenhui spent a semester in Beijing, which broadened her horizons and changed her a lot. She became more eloquent in her speech and actions, unlike before when she was timid and hesitant.

Yu Qiuhua suddenly looked at her eldest daughter and said, "Wenhui, do you know? That Master Su, the one who cured my eyes, he's not a chef anymore. He opened his own restaurant called Su's Restaurant, and business is booming. He married a woman named Yang Maixiang, who used to sell tickets on the bus. She's pretty and efficient."

He Wenhui paused for a moment after hearing this, then smiled and said, "Su Ning got married, that's great."

"It's really good! It's definitely better than that Liu Hongchang. I heard he went to Beijing to harass you?"

"No! Mom, let's go to Suning's restaurant for dinner together tomorrow?"

Yu Qiuhua didn't want to go at first, saying, "They're doing business, and it would be too embarrassing for our whole family to go."

He Wenhui said, "Mom, we're giving you money, not going to freeload."

"But……"

“Mom, we didn’t have a chance to thank him for curing your eyes last time. This time, we can help him boost his business.”

Yu Qiuhua then agreed, changed into clean clothes, and tidied up the children neatly.

The family arrived at Su Ji Restaurant and stood at the entrance to take a look.

The shop is small, but it's very clean. Above the door hangs a wooden plaque with the four characters "Su Ji Xiao Guan" written on it, which is definitely at the level of a master calligrapher.

Through the glass door, you could see that there were quite a few guests sitting inside. The room was steaming, and the sounds of talking, laughter, and clinking bowls and chopsticks were all mixed together, creating a lively atmosphere.

He Wenhui pushed open the door and immediately saw Yang Maixiang.

Yang Maixiang, wearing a red sweater and with her hair tied in a ponytail, was serving dishes to a table of guests. She moved quickly and efficiently, with a smile on her face, chatting and laughing with the guests.

She was more beautiful than He Wenhui had imagined; not only was she stunning, but she was also very pleasing to the eye, becoming more and more comfortable to look at the more you looked at her.

When Yang Maixiang saw He Wenhui and her family come in, she was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, "Wenhui? You're back? Please sit down, please sit down. What would you like to eat?"

As she spoke, she quickly tidied up a large table, pulled out chairs, invited Yu Qiuhua to sit down, and poured hot water for Wen Tao, Wen Yuan, and Wen Da, afraid they would get cold.

"Thank you! Let's take a look at the menu first."

"it is good."

When Suning came out of the kitchen, her apron was still stained with oil, and she was holding a plate of freshly cooked sweet and sour pork ribs, ready to serve the guests.

Upon seeing He Wenhui's family, he nodded as a greeting, delivered the groceries first, and then walked over.

Yu Qiuhua stood up, took Su Ning's hand, her eyes red-rimmed, "Master Su, I've always wanted to thank you. If it weren't for you, my eyes wouldn't be healed. You are a great benefactor to our family."

Su Ning felt a little embarrassed by being pulled, so she pulled her hand back, waved her hand, and said, "Auntie, don't say that, it was nothing. It's good that your eyes are better. Take care of them in the future, don't worry too much, and don't overwork yourself."

Yu Qiuhua nodded repeatedly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Wenda, however, tugged at Yu Qiuhua's clothes and asked in a childish voice, "Mom, why are you crying?"

Yu Qiuhua wiped her eyes and said with a smile, "Mom didn't cry, Mom is happy."

He Wenhui stood to the side, watching this scene, feeling a warmth in her heart. "Master Su, I didn't expect you to get married so soon."

"If I find the right one, I naturally don't want to miss it."

"Too."

Su Ning then asked He Wenhui how things were in Beijing, whether she was keeping up with her studies, and whether she was used to the food in the cafeteria.

He Wenhui answered them one by one, "Beijing is a nice city, but it's cold and windy, and it hurts your face."

Suning laughed, "Nanjing is cold too, a damp cold, even more uncomfortable than the dry cold in Beijing."

The two chatted for a few minutes, like old friends meeting, without any particularly interesting topics.

Wentao sat beside him, head down, saying nothing.

Wen Yuan, on the other hand, was lively, looking around at the calligraphy and paintings on the wall.

He Wenhui and Yu Qiuhua looked at the menu for a long time but still couldn't decide on a dish, so Yang Maixiang took it upon herself to arrange a few of their signature dishes for them.

Braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, shredded pork with garlic sauce, Mapo tofu, plus a vegetable dish and a soup.

The dishes were served piping hot and had a wonderful aroma.

Wenda picked up a piece of braised pork and stuffed it into his mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed indistinctly, "Delicious! So delicious! Even better than Mom's!"

Yu Qiuhua glared at him, but then picked up a piece herself and tasted it. After that, she stopped talking and buried her head in her food.

He Wenhui picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors. It was indeed delicious.

I remember that time I treated everyone at the second canteen, and Su Ning made this dish too.

Looking back now, Suning was already more than just an ordinary chef back then.

With Suning's skills, he's more than capable of opening a restaurant; it's a waste of his talents to be a cook in a factory.

After finishing her meal, He Wenhui went to the counter to pay the bill.

Yang Maixiang refused to accept the money, saying, "Wenhui, it's rare for you to come all this way, so this meal is on us."

He Wenhui refused, saying, "You business people can't treat people to meals every day. Just give them whatever amount is appropriate."

After much back and forth, He Wenhui finally won and stuffed the money into Yang Maixiang's hand.

Yu Qiuhua watched from the side, feeling both bittersweet and warm inside.

What's heartbreaking is that Wenhui, this child, has been sensible since she was little and knows how to care for others.

What's heartwarming is that Wenhui has grown up and can now support the family.

It was already dark when they left the restaurant, but the streetlights were on, and the family happily made their way home.

Wenda couldn't walk anymore, so Wentao squatted down and carried him on his back. Wenda lay on his brother's back, his little head nodding, almost falling asleep.

Yu Qiuhua walked ahead, and now she could see clearly even when walking at night.

He Wenhui walked at the very back and glanced back at the signboard of Su Ji Restaurant.

She didn't mention Liu Hongchang to Su Ning today, mainly because she felt it was unnecessary.

Liu Hongchang did put a lot of pressure on her, but she couldn't possibly publicize it everywhere.

……

However, at this moment, Yang Maixiang mentioned Liu Hongchang to Su Ning, "Su Ning, I heard that Liu Hongchang went to the capital to find this Wen Hui?"

"Yes! He stayed at Peking University and worked as a cook in the school cafeteria."

"Sigh! I don't know what he was thinking."

"The world of 'simps' is often misunderstood by others."

"Do you think Liu Hongchang can catch up with He Wenhui?"

"Impossible! He Wenhui has no feelings for him at all."

"..."

...(End of this chapter)