Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

As Li Chunsheng hesitated, his gaze involuntarily fell towards the doorway.

Old Wu was tidying up his things with his head down, while Xiao Wu was holding an empty tray in his arms, staring longingly at the plate of trembling braised pork. The two looked at each other, and Old Wu, being a seasoned veteran, immediately knew what to do.

"Master, please have a seat. Mr. Mei is so kind as to invite you to sit down. It would be impolite of you to refuse again." Old Wu spoke first, cupping his hands in greeting to the important figures at the table. "There's not much else to do. Da Hu and I happen to have some trivial matters to attend to at home, so we'll take our leave and head back now."

"Yes, yes, we have things to do," Xiao Wu chimed in, understanding the unspoken message.

Li Chunsheng knew that the two men were worried that their presence would make it inconvenient for these distinguished guests to talk, so he nodded and said, "Alright, Mr. Wu, Da Hu, please drive carefully. Don't rush to get up tomorrow morning, take a rest."

Yunniang was also very sensible. After bringing over a pot of freshly warmed yellow wine, she returned to the west wing herself.

Li Chunsheng then sat down with a sense of ease.

"That's more like it! Come on, Mr. Li, have a sip of this Shaoxing wine first." Feng Gengguang personally poured Li Chunsheng a full cup from the pot. "This fish head is absolutely amazing. I, Feng, have traveled all over the country and have eaten at many Hunan restaurants in Shanghai and Beijing, but this is the first time I've ever had such a delicious chopped chili fish head."

Li Chunsheng took a sip of wine and smiled, "Mr. Feng, although this chopped chili is the same as what you find in the market, I added a little high-proof liquor and some rock sugar and resealed it. I also added a few dried fermented black beans while steaming. The liquor brings out the fermented aroma of the chili, while the fermented black beans can suppress the fishy smell of the fish head. When these two are combined, the taste is naturally better."

"I see! It seems there are many intricacies involved in cooking!"

As they ate and chatted, half the dishes were finished. Because of the private environment of Liuxianglu and the spicy food, the conversation inevitably shifted from the chopsticks and cups on the table to the turbulent world situation.

Feng Gengguang sighed: "In the current situation, although the Northern Expedition has been nominally successful, there will probably be a fierce battle between Chiang Kai-shek and the warlords in various places. Beiping is not peaceful at all. People's hearts are still hanging in the balance. I don't know how long Yan Xishan can stay here."

Zhang Boju took a sip of wine and sneered, "I've been wandering around the antique market lately and seen so many national treasures from former Qing dynasty princely palaces being sold to Japanese and Westerners by those thugs and old-timers for a few silver dollars? It's truly a tragedy!"

Mei Lanfang remained silent, recalling his planned visit to the United States. In this turbulent era, taking his opera troupe across the ocean was, in a sense, a reluctant act of cultural sowing.

Mr. Qi Baishi had been silent until now, but suddenly spoke up: "All I know is that the fields in my hometown are barren, and grain is expensive in Beiping. On the first day of the Lunar New Year this year, the number of poor people kneeling at the entrance of Baiyun Temple has doubled compared to previous years. We are eating fish heads here, while people outside are gnawing on tree bark. If we don't find a new way to deal with this world, I'm afraid even God will take people away."

Inside Liuxianglu, the charcoal fire in the brazier occasionally crackled softly, and the aroma of wine intertwined with the spicy scents, creating a unique and comforting warmth.

However, as Mr. Qi Baishi uttered this remark, the atmosphere at the table inexplicably became somewhat heavy.

Mei Lanfang turned his head and looked at Li Chunsheng. He spoke softly, "Chunsheng, you entertain all sorts of people here every day. You've seen the miserable rickshaw pullers and you've also seen us so-called dignitaries. In your eyes, what is the state of Beiping and the world? Do you think our lives will get better in the future, or...?"

Mei Lanfang didn't say the worst part aloud, but everyone at the table understood the unspoken meaning.

Li Chunsheng sighed inwardly. As a soul that had traveled from the future, he certainly knew what would happen next. He knew about the Great Depression after 1929, the gunfire of the September 18 Incident, how the moon over Lugou Bridge was obscured by the smoke of war, and what kind of phoenix rebirth this nation would undergo from ruins and bloodshed.

But he also knew that in 1929, what could he change on his own? All he could do now was to guard this stove and protect his friends.

Thinking of this, Li Chunsheng smiled self-deprecatingly. He reached out, gently picked up the wine pot, filled Mr. Mei's cup first, and then poured another cup for Mr. Qi.

"Mr. Mei, your words have stumped me." Li Chunsheng put down the pot, smiled, and waved his hand. "I, Li Chunsheng, am just a cook. In a cook's eyes, there are only two things in this world: the heat and the saltiness. Too much heat and the meat will burn; too little salt and the flavor will be bland. As for the people in this world, they are all guests when they enter the door. I only care whether they are hungry or full when they enter, whether they want a drink to warm them up or a bite of meat to satisfy their cravings."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Mr. Qi said that some people outside are gnawing on tree bark. When I heard that, my heart ached. But with my two hands, I can only cook one pot of vegetables and serve one bowl of soup at a time. I can't save all the poor people in the world. I can only guarantee that every waiter who comes to my Li's Restaurant will receive his full wages and that every diner who comes to my Li's Restaurant will eat delicious food."

Zhang Boju shook his folding fan, looking at him thoughtfully: "Boss Li, are you saying that everyone should accept their fate and fulfill their responsibilities?"

"To be frank, gentlemen," Li Chunsheng stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to his distinguished guests, "I invited you all here today for the grand opening of this private room, simply because I'd like to share some very mundane thoughts: to let you all taste this cuisine, and incidentally, to boost our reputation. So, I think we shouldn't discuss national affairs or the big picture here; let's just talk about whether the fish head is fresh, whether the tofu is numbingly spicy, whether the wine is strong enough, and whether the meat is tender enough. What do you say?"

A brief silence fell over the room.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Feng Gengguang burst into hearty laughter first. He slammed his hand on the table, pointed at Li Chunsheng, and said to everyone, "What a fine way to talk about food but not national affairs! We brothers have lived half our lives, studied half our lives, and worried half our lives, and in the end, we don't even see things as clearly as a young man in his early twenties! Boss Li is right, we can adjust the saltiness of the food, but as for the state of the world, if we just sit together and sigh, will the fighting stop? That's just being deluded!"

He raised his glass, looked at everyone, and said, "Come on, we're all a few years older than Boss Li, yet we've been caught up in this! I'll punish myself with a drink!"

"Well said! I'll punish myself with a drink!" Zhang Boju laughed loudly, picked up his cup, and drank it all in one gulp.