Republic of China, 1928: Starting from a Wonton Shop

Although Li Ji Restaurant on Qianmenwai Street had a sign that said it was closed for renovations, there was quite a bit of noise going on inside.

"Big Tiger, be careful! Be safe!"

"Master Wang, this wall needs to be smoothed a bit more, because a water sign will be hung here in the future."

With the wall between the two shops completely removed, the previously cramped lobby suddenly opened up, and sunlight streamed in through the newly installed large glass windows.

Standing in the center of the lobby, Li Chunsheng looked at the new storefront, which was over 100 square meters, and felt a surge of pride. Although the location and the scale of the place couldn't compare to established brands like Dongxinglou, it was already unique among the small restaurants in the Qianmen area.

He walked to the backyard, where the three newly recruited boys were already standing in a row. Although they were wearing the new gray work cotton uniforms made by Li Chunsheng and looked much more energetic, their young faces still showed some trepidation and confusion.

"Stand up straight!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Once you're in my Li's business, there are some unpleasant things to say upfront." Li Chunsheng dropped his usual smiling demeanor, becoming somewhat like a half-baked military instructor from later generations.

He walked up to the three men and held up one finger: "The first and most important rule for working at Li's company! Cleanliness!"

"We make food, things that go into our mouths. If our own hands aren't clean, if our fingernails are full of black grime, and we smell bad, how can the food we make possibly taste good?!"

As he spoke, Li Chunsheng pointed to the large water vat that had just been filled with water in the corner of the yard and the stack of rough porcelain basins next to it: "Today we're not practicing chopping vegetables or stir-frying. See that pile of soap? Go wash your hands thoroughly! Wash them three times! Your nails must be trimmed to the short end, and your hair must be tucked into your hat; not a single strand is allowed to show!"

The three children looked at each other in bewilderment. They had thought about chopping wood, sweeping the floor, and cutting vegetables, but who would have thought that their first lesson would be washing their hands?

"What are you all standing there for? Get moving!" Li Chunsheng looked at the three teenagers in front of him and finally understood why instructors in later generations liked to torture people. It was really satisfying to teach them a lesson.

Tie Zhu was the most obedient. Without saying a word, he rolled up his sleeves and rushed to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of icy well water and poured it onto his hands.

Guo Xiao's eyes darted around. Although she found it strange, she quickly followed.

Only the fair-skinned boy named Sun Xiaobao was a beat slower, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment before reaching for the communal soap.

Li Chunsheng witnessed this entire scene.

After the three of them finished washing their hands, their hands were red from the cold water. Li Chunsheng checked each one to make sure there was no dirt left even under their fingernails before nodding.

"Alright, let's assign tasks now."

Li Chunsheng pointed to the sacks of potatoes, radishes, and cabbages piled up at the kitchen entrance: "Tiezhu, you're strong, so you're in charge of moving these vegetables to the well, washing and peeling them. Remember, the potato skins must be thin; the radishes must be free of mud."

"Guo Xiao, you can read, go and rewrite all the labels on the seasoning jars in the kitchen for me, and then organize the shelf for dry goods. You need to know exactly what's on which shelf, and if I ask you what it is, you have to get it out for me right away."

"As for Sun Xiaobao..." Li Chunsheng glanced at the child, "Go and scald all the bowls, chopsticks and plates in the kitchen with boiling water, then wipe them clean with a dry cloth."

"Huh?" Sun Xiaobao was taken aback.

"What? Feeling wronged?" Li Chunsheng looked at him coldly. "If you want to learn to cook, you must first learn to be a person. You can't even wash a dish properly, what are you trying to learn to cook? If you don't want to do it, the door is over there. You can leave now, I won't stop you."

Sun Xiaobao trembled and quickly lowered his head: "Boss, I'll do it, I'll do it."

Li Chunsheng didn't say anything more, turned around and went into the kitchen that was being expanded. He wasn't deliberately making things difficult; it was the rule in the culinary industry, and it was also a way to test one's patience.

Tie Zhu, an honest boy, is suited for rough work to temper his character; Guo Xiao is clever and suited for fine work; as for Sun Xiaobao, Li Chunsheng always felt that the boy was a bit impetuous and needed to be kept in check.

Meanwhile, in the newly acquired accounting room next to the front hall, Old Wu was directing Da Hu to build a new wall. This room was originally the storeroom of the general store, but now it serves as Li's new counter and accounting room.

"Dahu, hand me the bricks. This mortar needs to be thicker." Old Wu rolled up his sleeves, holding a trowel in his hand.

As Da Hu handed over the bricks, he lowered his voice and asked, "Uncle Wu, are we really going to do this in the shop? What if the owner finds out?"

"It's precisely because it's darkest under the lamp that it's safest." Without turning his head, Old Wu steadily laid a blue brick in the wall's interlayer. "The boss is a smart man. There are some things he sees but doesn't say. Since we're making a living here, we have to leave ourselves a way out."

This wall may look ordinary, but it actually holds a secret.

Old Wu cleverly designed a hidden compartment in the gap between the two brick walls. This compartment was extremely well hidden and was covered by a huge painting of the God of Wealth. Even if someone knocked on the wall, it would sound solid because the wall itself was an extension of the load-bearing column.

As Li's Restaurant grew in fame, the people coming and going became more diverse, making it a good place to inquire and exchange information.

"Hand me that tin box." Old Wu held out his hand.

Da Hu took out a flat, rust-proof iron box from his pocket. Lao Wu carefully embedded it into the brick joint, then sealed the opening with a special tarpaulin, and finally laid the outer layer of bricks on top.

"This will be our dead mailbox from now on," Old Wu said in a low voice. "If we're not in the shop one day, or if something happens to us, the higher-ups will come here to collect things."

While I was working, I suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.

"Mr. Wu, Da Hu, are you inside?" It was Yun Niang's voice.

Da Hu tensed up, and almost dropped what he was holding.

Old Wu, however, remained calm and answered loudly, "Yes, Yunniang! We're repairing this wall. The plaster is peeling badly, and we're worried about it crumbling later."

As he spoke, he continued wiping away the dust as if nothing had happened.

Yunniang lifted the curtain and came in, carrying two bowls of hot tea: "Look how busy you are, covered in dust. Chunsheng asked me to bring you some water. Take a rest."

"Thank you, sister-in-law." Old Wu smiled as he took the teacup, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Is the master scolding those kids in the backyard?"

"That's right," Yunniang laughed, "He's become addicted to being a teacher."

Old Wu took a sip of tea: "That Sun Xiaobao, he looks so delicate and fair-skinned, he doesn't seem like a child who has suffered hardship. Sister-in-law, keep a close eye on him."

"You think so too?" Yunniang asked in surprise. "I also think that this child's words and actions don't seem like those of a homeless child, but rather like those of a young master who has fallen on hard times. However, Chunsheng said that once he enters Li's shop, as long as his hands and feet are clean, his origins will not be questioned."

"The owner is kind and righteous." Old Wu nodded and said no more.

After Yunniang left, Lao Wu quickly laid the last few bricks on that wall and carefully smoothed it with lime mortar.

"Big Tiger, remember this spot." Old Wu pointed to an inconspicuous crack on the wall. "This is a mark."

"I've got it." Da Hu nodded solemnly.

After a busy morning, it was lunchtime.

Because the restaurant was closed for renovations, there were no customers from outside, so everyone ate together.

Li Chunsheng didn't cook anything fancy, but instead boiled a big pot of mixed noodles, mixed in the leftover braised meat from last night, and chopped a bowl of cabbage.

"Have a meal!"

At Li Chunsheng's command, Tiezhu was the first to rush over, picked up a bowl bigger than his face, and slurped it into his mouth. The child was really terrified of hunger, and his eating manners were fierce.

Guo Xiao was more refined, while Sun Xiaobao frowned slightly as he looked at the mixed noodles, but still picked up the bowl and ate in small bites, wiping his mouth with his sleeve from time to time.

"Xiao Bao," Li Chunsheng suddenly spoke up, "do you like these noodles?"

Sun Xiaobao's hand trembled, and he quickly put down his chopsticks and stood up: "Replying to the shopkeeper, I can eat it. I've even eaten tree bark when I was hungry before, so of course I can eat this noodle soup with braised meat."

Although the words sounded nice, Li Chunsheng clearly saw that only a third of the noodles in his bowl had been touched.

Li Chunsheng nodded: "As long as you can eat it, that's good. We cooks need to have a good appetite first, so we can have the energy to work."