Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

Yunniang's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were more dreamy than usual. She looked at Li Chunsheng and said softly, "Chunsheng, is there anything we can't ask? Go ahead and ask."

"After the New Year, that is, after the Lantern Festival, Ya Ya will go back to school." Li Chunsheng poured himself another glass of wine.

"Hmm," Yunniang also took a sip of wine, "This is good news. Is there some problem?"

"Sister-in-law, you need a proper name for school," Li Chunsheng paused, "You can't just go in as 'Yaya,' can you? Besides, I've never asked you, sister-in-law, what's your name?"

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Yunniang's gaze became somewhat unfocused, as if she had returned to that distant, long-broken past.

"A name...?"

She gave a bitter laugh, picked up her wine glass and took a sip. "That name, I've almost forgotten it. Ever since... ever since I started this line of work, I've been called Yunniang. Who cares what my original name was? It's a tainted name."

"There's no such thing as a dirty name," Li Chunsheng said, looking into her eyes. "Sister-in-law, you're someone who earns a living through your own abilities now. The things that happened before were forced upon you by this messed-up world, not your fault."

Yunniang stared blankly at Li Chunsheng.

In Li Chunsheng's pupils, she saw a clean and respected version of herself.

After a long while, she took a deep breath.

"My family name is Shen," Yunniang said softly. "My family was originally a scholarly family, living in Suzhou. My father was a scholar, and he named me Shen Xiuyun."

"Shen Xiuyun," Li Chunsheng murmured these three words, "a good name, it sounds so nice."

"What's the use of sounding nice?" Yunniang laughed self-deprecatingly. "Later, my family fell into poverty, my father died of illness, and I was abducted to Beiping. After many twists and turns, I married Yaya's father. You know what happened after that."

"What about Ya Ya?" Li Chunsheng asked. "Whose surname does Ya Ya have? Is she with your husband's family?"

"No!" Shen Xiuyun suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with hatred. "That man! That deadbeat, he doesn't deserve it! Ya Ya won't take his surname! He almost sold Ya Ya for gambling money! If he hadn't fallen into the river and died later! I..."

Li Chunsheng never expected there to be this hidden story: it turned out that Ya Ya's biological father was not only a rickshaw driver, but also a gambler.

"So Yaya takes your surname, Shen?" Li Chunsheng asked tentatively.

Shen Xiuyun nodded. "Yes, let her take the surname Shen."

"What's his name, Shen?"

"Yaya didn't actually have a name to begin with. That gambler named his daughter Ya Tou, Chun Sheng. Why don't you help him come up with a name?"

"How is Shen Nian?" Li Chunsheng thought for a while. "If you keep something in mind, it will surely come back to you. I hope that she will cherish this love and remember how hard-won these good days are. More importantly, I hope she will have something to look forward to and live with hope."

"Shen Nian..." Yunniang murmured repeatedly, "What a good name, Nian'er, then Yaya will be called Shen Nian from now on."

"Come on, Sister Xiuyun, let's drink again for Shen Nian, for Shen Xiuyun, and for Li's Restaurant!" Li Chunsheng raised his glass, even changing his form of address.

"Dry!"

That night, Li Chunsheng and Shen Xiuyun talked for a long time.

They discussed the restaurant's expansion plans. Li Chunsheng intended to take over the vacant storage room next door, open it up, and turn it into a private room to specifically accommodate distinguished guests like Mr. Zhou and Mr. Mei.

As midnight approached, a loud bell rang out in the distance, signaling the arrival of the new year.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

"It's Chinese New Year." Li Chunsheng stood up, walked to the door, and opened it.

A blast of cold air swept over us, carrying with it the smell of artillery.

"Bang! Smash!"

Countless fireworks burst in the night sky of Beiping, illuminating the dark night sky with vibrant colors.

Li Chunsheng lit a long string of firecrackers that had been hanging at the door.

The deafening sound of firecrackers rang out in front of Li Ji Restaurant, and red paper scraps flew everywhere.

Shen Xiuyun covered her ears, stood behind Li Chunsheng, and looked at the fireworks filling the sky, a bright smile blooming on her face like never before.

Ya Ya was also woken up by the noise. Rubbing her eyes, she ran out from the backyard. Seeing the lively scene, she clapped her hands excitedly and jumped up and down, shouting, "Happy New Year! Happy New Year!"

1929 arrived.

Although he knew that in the days to come, this land would experience countless wars and upheavals, and would face an even harsher winter.

But at least for this moment, in this small restaurant, they felt warmth and hope.

"Happy New Year!" Li Chunsheng shouted.

"Happy New Year!" Shen Xiuyun and Ya Ya shouted along.

That night, the sound of firecrackers in Beiping City rang intermittently all night long, until the sky began to lighten and the sound gradually faded away.

Li Chunsheng was not disturbed by the firecrackers. He slept very comfortably. He sat up and rubbed his temples. After drinking most of a bottle of Fenjiu last night, he did not have a headache at all this morning. On the contrary, he felt refreshed and relaxed.

"It really is good wine," Li Chunsheng exclaimed. Fenjiu has a pure and fragrant aroma, a smooth and sweet taste, and doesn't cause headaches. This is indeed true.

He put on his clothes, a dark blue cotton robe he had specially made for himself before the New Year. Although the style was simple, the fabric was thick. He pushed open the door and saw that the snow in the yard had been swept to both sides and piled into two small snowmen. These were Ya Ya's masterpieces before going to bed last night.

"New Year, new look."

Li Chunsheng took a deep breath of the cold air and turned to go into the kitchen.

According to the old Beijing custom, knives and scissors are not used on the first day of the Lunar New Year. However, this custom has to be adapted to some extent in restaurants and homes. Li Chunsheng prepared the ingredients last night.

He took out a vermilion lacquer food box from the cupboard, which was called the "Good Fortune Box".

He carefully placed the food inside, first a few persimmon cakes covered in white frost, symbolizing good fortune; then a few apples, for good luck and peace; then a handful of peanuts in their shells and peanuts, for longevity; finally, he stuffed some kumquats and dried lychees into the gaps, hoping for a sweet and happy life.

Finally, some cypress branches should be placed in the box, as the word for "hundred" sounds like the word for "hundred," thus bringing good fortune for all things.

After setting out the Pepsi boxes, Li Chunsheng began preparing breakfast.

On the cutting board were slices of rice cake that had been cut last night. They were made from millet flour and glutinous rice flour and had a golden color.

Heat oil in a wok.

After the oil was heated, Li Chunsheng put the rice cake slices into the pot one by one. With a sizzle, the rice cakes quickly expanded in the oil, and small bubbles appeared on the surface, turning them golden and crispy.

Besides rice cakes, he also specially fried three sunny-side-up eggs.

These three eggs are significant. In the old saying, they are called "money eggs." When combined with rice cakes, they symbolize "rising higher every year and becoming rich!"

"Thank you, Brother Chunsheng!" Ya Ya took a big bite. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Dipping it in white sugar made it even sweeter.

"Chunsheng, you eat too. You are the pillar of the family. If you eat these golden eggs, our Li's Restaurant will have a prosperous year."

"Thank you for your kind words, sister-in-law!"