Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

February 9, 1929, the 18th year of the Republic of China, was the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month of the Wuchen year, which was Lunar New Year's Eve.

The sky over Beiping was clear for once. Although the cold wind was still biting, the sunlight shone on the snow and reflected a dazzling light, adding a festive touch to this ancient city.

Most of the shops on Qianmen Street have closed down, and even the vendors who used to work from dawn till dusk have disappeared. Only a few vendors selling firecrackers and candied hawthorns are still making their last shouts.

The door of Li's Restaurant was mostly closed, leaving only a crack. Above the door were red paper couplets written by Li Chunsheng himself.

The first line reads: The dragon departs, but its divine might remains; The second line reads: The snake arrives, bringing forth its spiritual energy; The horizontal scroll reads: Farewell to the old, welcome the new.

Although the words and phrases are a bit cliché, these days, everyone just wants something auspicious.

The restaurant, which used to be bustling with customers, is now quiet except for Li Chunsheng, Yunniang, and Yaya. The not-so-spacious restaurant has gained a rare moment of peace.

"Brother Chunsheng, isn't this 'Fu' character pasted crookedly?"

Ya Ya, wearing a newly bought red cotton-padded jacket and two red ribbons tied in her hair, pointed at the red paper on the wall and directed Li Chunsheng.

Li Chunsheng stood on a stool, holding a paste brush in his hand, and turned his head to look at it: "Is it crooked? It looks pretty straight to me."

"To the left! A little bit to the left!" Ya Ya giggled.

Yunniang was sitting at the large table by the window, picking vegetables. Listening to the two laughing and joking, a smile appeared on her lips.

Today she wore that new dark purple tweed dress, with a silver hairpin tucked diagonally into her hair. Her full breasts and slender waist formed a striking contrast, and everyone who saw her would say that she still retained her charm.

Since her husband died, she hasn't truly celebrated the New Year in a long time. In previous years, she would never have dared to dream of such a day.

There were no beatings or scoldings, no cold stares, no forced smiles for the sake of making a living, only peace, stability, and the warmth that filled the room.

"Alright, stop messing around, this is what you call good fortune!" Li Chunsheng deliberately pasted the "good fortune" character upside down, jumped off the stool, dusted off his hands, and said, "Yaya, come help me peel garlic. We're having dumplings tonight."

"Okay!" Ya Ya replied quickly, wiping the stool that Li Chunsheng had stood on and putting it back.

Li Chunsheng put on his apron and began preparing the New Year's Eve dinner.

Although there were only three people, Li Chunsheng had no intention of making do. Whether in the old society or the new century, the Spring Festival was a big event, something to look forward to after a year of hard work. Moreover, this was his first Spring Festival after transmigrating.

In this time and space, he was all alone, and Yunniang and Yaya depended on each other for survival. The three people, who were not related by blood, formed a temporary home because of this small restaurant.

"If only there were Spring Festival Gala to watch right now," Li Chunsheng thought to himself. He used to be too lazy to watch the Gala, but now he really missed the increasingly boring skits and performances.

Although he is from the South, for some reason, he really wanted dumplings today.

Li Chunsheng specially cut two catties of the finest mutton and paired it with zucchini. This is called mutton and zucchini filling, which in old Beijing was something only discerning families could afford.

"Ding ding ding ding"

The mutton was minced into a fine paste.

[Knife skills proficiency +1]

[Knife skills proficiency +1]

Hearing the notification in his mind, Li Chunsheng smiled knowingly.

"Chunsheng, I'll mix the filling. You can rest for a bit." Yunniang washed her hands and went into the kitchen.

"No need, sister-in-law, you don't have much strength. You have to stir the meat filling in one direction until it's firm so the dumplings will taste good." Li Chunsheng didn't even look up, holding a pair of long chopsticks and quickly stirring the meat filling.

"Okay, then I'll knead the dough."

As darkness fell, the sound of firecrackers outside began to intensify.

"Crackling and popping!"

A crisp sound exploded at the door; it was the neighbor's kid setting off firecrackers.

Two large red lanterns have been hung up in the restaurant's lobby.

A clean red cloth was laid on the table, and dishes were served one after another, steaming hot and fragrant.

"Wow! What a feast!" Ya Ya's eyes lit up as she looked at the table full of dishes. She reached out to grab a dumpling, but Yun Niang gently patted the back of her hand.

"That's rude of you, Brother Chunsheng hasn't even taken his seat yet."

"It's alright, let the child eat." Li Chunsheng walked in from the backyard. "It's New Year's Day today, so I don't have many rules here. Just do whatever makes you happy!"

He took off his apron, sat down next to Ya Ya, and first put a big meatball on her plate: "Here, Ya Ya, eat a meatball, so you'll grow taller next year!"

"Thank you, Brother Chunsheng!" Ya Ya said, her words muffled as she took a big bite of the meatball.

Li Chunsheng took out another bottle of Fenjiu liquor, which he had specially bought at Chen's liquor shop a few days ago. He poured a glass for Yunniang and himself, and a glass of sugar water for Yaya.

"Sister-in-law, you've worked so hard these past few days." Li Chunsheng raised his glass, looked at Yunniang, and said sincerely, "Without your help, Li's Restaurant wouldn't have become so successful so quickly, let alone be as prosperous as it is now."

Yunniang's eyes were slightly red. She raised her wine cup and said, "Chunsheng, I'm the one who should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, I don't know where Yaya and I would have spent the New Year. You are our benefactor. This cup is a toast to you, sister-in-law."

After saying that, she tilted her head back and drank the glass of strong liquor in one gulp.

The spicy liquor choked her, causing her to cough twice. Two red blushes instantly rose on her face, making her look exceptionally beautiful under the light.

"Good! It's all in the wine!" Li Chunsheng downed his glass of wine.

"Eat dumplings! Eat dumplings! And try these shredded potatoes!"

Outside the window, the cold wind howled, while inside, the wine was warm and the food smelled delicious.

The meal was eaten slowly as the two chatted about the hardships they had faced along the way, the funny stories about Lao Wu and Xiao Wu, and the everyday gossip on Qianmen Street.

Li Chunsheng was slightly tipsy. He looked at Ya Ya, who was eating dumplings with gusto, and took out a red paper packet that he had prepared beforehand from his pocket.

"Here you are, Ya Ya, this is your New Year's money."

Li Chunsheng stuffed a red envelope into Ya Ya's hand.

Ya Ya was taken aback and looked at Yun Niang.

"Take it, don't look at your mother," Li Chunsheng said with a smile. "It's a New Year's gift to ward off evil spirits and keep you safe and sound."

Ya Ya then accepted the red envelope, smiling sweetly, "Thank you, Brother Chunsheng! I wish you prosperity and all the best!"

"You have such a sweet tongue."

As night deepened, the sounds of firecrackers outside gradually subsided, with the occasional sound of a night watchman's clapper echoing in the distance.

Ya Ya is still a child. After eating and drinking her fill and making a fuss all day, she is now lying on the corner of the table, clutching the red envelope in her hand, and has fallen asleep in a daze.

Li Chunsheng took a thick cotton coat and draped it over Ya Ya, then had Yun Niang carry her to the bed. He filled his own wine cup and poured some for Yun Niang as well.

When Yunniang returned, Li Chunsheng finished his drink and said, "Sister-in-law, there's something I need to ask you."