Chapter 102:

Yu Xiang’an waited until the twins’ emotions had stabilized before leaving.

She had to return—the hotel she was collaborating on with Yu Mansheng was about to open, and she needed to oversee things.

Now, more and more hotels were gradually emerging in the area due to the thriving market.

An increasing number of people were being drawn in to invest. When choosing a place to stay, they didn’t care much about the price but rather whether the service was up to standard and the food was delicious enough.

Yu Xiang’an and her team had decorated their hotel with a Chinese aesthetic—not the gaudy, overly luxurious type—but when it came to Chinese cuisine, many foreigners eager to taste exotic flavors gave it a thumbs-up.

The Chinese food was a major selling point, offering unique flavors. Combined with antique-style calligraphy, paintings, and decorations they had purchased, the hotel became even more attractive.

Klaite became a loyal customer of the hotel and even specifically recommended Yu Xiang’an’s place to his friends. “When visiting a different country, I believe staying in architecture that reflects the country’s character and tasting its authentic cuisine makes the trip worthwhile.”

At the opening, the hotel was packed with customers, then the numbers dipped before gradually stabilizing.

Two months later, looking at the revenue report:

Yu Mansheng: “A chain hotel, huh? That’s a great idea.”

Even if he stopped doing everything else, the income from these hotels alone would be enough to cover his two children’s expenses every month.

This was a steady, long-term business.

Yu Xiang’an: “Good. Next, let’s choose a location by the sea—a seaside hotel. There’s a plot of land right by this intersection.”

She pulled out a map.

Yu Mansheng hesitated: “Isn’t that area too remote?”

Yu Xiang’an: “We can’t just look at the present. With the current pace of development, it won’t take long for this area to be developed.”

Once development reached there, the land value would be completely different.

Yu Mansheng thought about it and realized she was right.

“Alright! Then let’s go with this spot!”

—

Qin Shenghua was on leave and returned to Baishi County to reunite with his younger brother, Qin Shengsong. Then he came to the Special Economic Zone to meet Yu Xiang’an. Accompanying him was a friend.

The Northeast had many high-quality products, and Yu Xiang’an wanted ingredients from there. The other party was also looking for a sales channel. The two sides hit it off immediately and took advantage of Qin Shenghua’s leave to discuss the specifics.

It was also an opportunity to formally meet, as they would likely be long-term partners in the future.

Qin Shenghua had been stationed in the Northeast for a long time and now held a relatively high rank. He had a lean, wiry build, a crew cut, and a hearty laugh. But when he wasn’t smiling, he looked stern and somewhat unapproachable.

Qin Shenghua: “This is something I’ve worked hard to cultivate—authority, to keep the troublemakers under me in line.”

Yu Xiang’an didn’t get many chances to meet this older cousin, but they corresponded frequently. In the 1970s, thanks to him, Yu Xiang’an had enjoyed many Northeastern wild delicacies and seafood, while Qin Shenghua had also received many local specialties and sauces sent by her.

Recalling this, he said, “I remember once you sent me some spicy beef cubes. I left them by my bed, and a comrade took them out. By the time I got back, there was only a spoonful left—just enough for a taste. Later, they bought meat to make up for it, but how could that compare? It didn’t taste the same at all. I lost out big time.”

Yu Xiang’an also remembered: “After that, you wrote a letter specifically asking for more spicy beef cubes. I made three big jars for you.”

Qin Shenghua nodded: “Yeah, three big jars. I took two home, and your sister-in-law and nephew treasured them, eating them little by little over two or three months.” Back then, meat was hard to come by, let alone beef.

His eldest son was about to take the college entrance exam, so Yu Xiang’an naturally asked about him.

Qin Shenghua: “He’s already decided—he wants to go to military school. His physical fitness is no problem; now it’s just up to his grades.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, Qin Shenghua hoped his son would take this path. With his guidance, the boy could avoid many pitfalls.

Yu Xiang’an nodded in understanding.

Qin Shenghua: “Things are different now. Supplies are abundant, and you can buy almost anything with money. They say the Special Economic Zone has changed a lot.”

Having been rooted in the Northeast for so long, he wanted to take this leave to visit Yu Xiang’an and see the place for himself—the forefront of reform and opening up.

Yu Xiang’an: “Then I can be your tour guide. There are a few places you’d regret not visiting.”

Qin Shenghua: “Then we can’t miss them.”

Yu Xiang’an: “How many days of leave do you have left?”

Qin Shenghua: “Three more days. I plan to go sightseeing tomorrow, visit my comrade’s family the day after to see his child, and then take the train back.”

Yu Xiang’an: “Comrade?”

Qin Shenghua: “You know him—his father is Lan Wangshan.”

Yu Xiang’an remembered—they had met on the train when her family traveled north to Qincheng.

His son and Qin Shenghua had been comrades-in-arms, but the son had died in service.

Since Qin Shenghua was back, he wanted to visit the family. “My comrade’s son just enlisted last year. He also has a younger sister back home.”

When he returned from the Lan family, he brought a young woman with him. “This is Lan Xiaoni, my goddaughter. Her grandfather is away on business, so she’ll stay here for a few days. He’ll come pick her up later.”

Yu Xiang’an: “???”

Why had he suddenly brought a girl back?

Though puzzled, Yu Xiang’an remained friendly: “Xiaoni, how old are you?”

Lan Xiaoni nervously fiddled with the hem of her clothes: “Seventeen…”

Yu Xiang’an: “Still in school?”

Lan Xiaoni: “Mm, second year of high school…”

After a few more questions and answers, Lan Xiaoni visibly relaxed.

“You can stay here. The bedding is all ready, and I’ll get you some clothes later.”

She had come with nothing.

“Let me know if you need anything, and I’ll get it for you.”

Once they were alone, Yu Xiang’an asked Qin Shenghua what had happened.

Qin Shenghua’s face darkened with anger. “Her grandfather was away on a long trip, and she was home alone. Her uncle and aunt lived next door, so no one worried about strangers—but it turned out her uncle and aunt were the problem. While her family was gone, they tried to marry her off. This poor girl lost her father early, and before she could grow up, her mother also passed away from illness. She lived with her grandfather, and now her brother is in the army while she attends school at home. Just as life was starting to look up, her uncle accepted a high bride price to marry her to a lame man in his thirties. They planned to force the marriage through, thinking that once it was done, they could use the money to get a wife for their own problematic son. By the time her grandfather and brother returned, it would be too late.”

He shuddered at the thought. When he arrived, Lan Xiaoni had been locked in a room with no way to escape.

Thankfully, he had arrived in time.

Yu Xiang’an sighed. “Then let her stay here peacefully until her grandfather comes. She’ll need to go back to school, right?”

Qin Shenghua nodded. “Her uncle withdrew her from school, but at her age, what else can she do?”

Even if she didn’t get into college, a high school diploma would still be valuable for finding work.

A high school education was quite respectable at the time.

“Don’t worry. While she’s here, I’ll make sure she’s well taken care of.”

Lan Xiaoni settled in. Qin Shenghua had already called Lan Wangshan, who would return as soon as possible.

Lan Xiaoni was introverted and shy, rarely speaking unless spoken to. Worried she’d be bored, Yu Xiang’an turned on the TV for her daily, showed her where the newspapers and magazines were, and promised to bring back any books she wanted.

If she felt cooped up, she could go outside for a walk.

Yu Qingshan also took care of the girl, letting her help with small tasks when she offered.

Being able to contribute—not just freeloading—made her visibly more at ease.

Less than a week later, Lan Wangshan arrived, exhausted and red-eyed.

Seeing Yu Xiang’an, he apologized and handed her a gift: “I’m sorry for the trouble. My family has failed in their duty—I didn’t raise them right.”

Yu Xiang’an shook her head. “Uncle Lan, don’t blame yourself too much. Without you, Qianqian’s life would be much harder.”

Lan Wangshan forced a smile. “Don’t worry, I know my limits. I plan to live a long life and take good care of Qianqian from now on. With me around, nothing like this will happen again.”

Lan Xiaoni burst into tears and threw herself into his arms. “Grandpa, grandpa! I was so scared—”

She hadn’t cried in front of Yu Xiang’an or Qin Shenghua, but now, with her grandfather here, she couldn’t hold back.

Her sobs brought tears to Lan Wangshan’s eyes as well.

“Don’t be afraid. Grandpa’s here now. From now on, I won’t go anywhere. Oh, and we’re moving—we’re going to live near your godfather. He’s already arranged a school for you. You’ll continue your studies there.”

“Moving?” Lan Xiaoni was stunned. “Not living with Uncle anymore…?”

Lan Wangshan patted her head. “He’s not your uncle anymore. If we stayed there, we’d have to see him every day, and that would just make things worse. We’re moving—it’ll be closer to your brother too.”

Lan Xiaoni smiled. “Okay. Let’s go to where Brother is.”

After resting for a day, Lan Wangshan took Lan Xiaoni and left.

Yu Qingshan was somber. “Her aunt is one thing, but how could her uncle let this happen? Xiaoni’s father was a martyr, and her grandfather seems like an upright man. How did he turn out like this?”

Yu Mansheng and his family happened to arrive just then and overheard. He chuckled. “Uncle, even dragons have nine different offspring. While people say ‘like father, like son,’ there are plenty of cases where a tiger fathers a dog or a dog fathers a tiger. It depends on innate nature and upbringing—education is the most important thing. Even if someone has a naturally aggressive temperament, proper guidance can set them straight.”

Yu Qingshan looked at him with newfound respect. “Have you been taking classes lately?”

Yu Mansheng ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, actually. My daughter’s about to start kindergarten, and we’ve been looking for a good one. Haven’t found anything suitable yet, so I wanted to ask if you knew of any.”

Lu Anran had previously found one she liked, but a few days ago, a neighbor had gone to pick up their child on a whim and caught the teacher secretly pinching the kids. It turned out this wasn’t the first time—since the children were too young to articulate what was happening, they’d been suffering in silence.

After hearing this, Lu Anran didn’t dare send her child there anymore.

She sighed. “I’ve checked out other kindergartens, but they’re all about the same. Lunch is just plain vegetables with no oil or flavor—kids can’t eat that. Plus, one teacher has to manage dozens of children. When one cries, another wets themselves, another needs water… Even with three heads and six arms, the teachers couldn’t keep up. There are better ones, but they’re too far away.”

She didn’t expect perfection, but the current options were unacceptable.

Yang Huili: “I say just skip kindergarten. Can’t I take care of her?”

Yu Mansheng patiently explained: “Mom, that’s not the point. Kindergarten lets kids interact with peers and learn from teachers. It’s different.”

Yang Huili scoffed. “None of you went to kindergarten, and you all turned out fine.”

Yu Mansheng: “Back then, we didn’t have the means. Now that we do, why shouldn’t our child go? When she grows up and all her friends talk about kindergarten, should she be the only one who says she never went?”

Yang Huili had no rebuttal this time. “Fine. Or I could bring her lunch or stay there during the day. That way, no one can bully her.”

She was also worried about bullying.

As for the food, she wasn’t too concerned—the child could eat well at home in the morning and evening, and bring snacks for lunch.

Yu Mansheng disagreed. “What about when the younger one starts kindergarten? We still need to find a reliable school.”

Lu Anran turned to Yu Xiang’an for advice. Yu Xiang’an: “Back then, we sent ours to a daycare nearby. The teachers were gentle and took good care of them. They didn’t learn much there, but we had time to teach them at home and lay the foundation.”

Lu Anran frowned. “We don’t have that kind of time now. If nothing else, I’ll try to come home early. She can just play at kindergarten, and we’ll teach her at home.”

It was a dilemma—she wanted a place that would care for her child well while also teaching her something.

Yu Xiang’an sighed. “If there’s no other choice, you’ll have to compromise. Unless you start your own school, you can’t have everything.”

Lu Anran’s eyes lit up. “You’re right!”

Yu Xiang’an: “?”

Lu Anran: “I can start one myself! What do you think of a bilingual kindergarten? The English education here is really lacking. I’ll look into the policies. Ideally, it’d be right by our home, so we wouldn’t have to worry.”

Yu Xiang’an: “…?!” Seriously?

Yang Huili: “…” Starting a school? Is it that easy? But then again, it’s just a daycare. She didn’t object.

They had the money—why not?

And so, Lu Anran threw herself into the project with gusto. Yu Mansheng initially thought it unnecessary, but when she set her mind to something, he couldn’t stop her. He could only offer his support.

The kindergarten wouldn’t be large, with only a limited number of students. He found a suitable location to renovate, prioritizing safety above all else.

They even hired an English-speaking teacher from Hong Kong and ordered lunches from Wuwei Restaurant. Yu Xiang’an could guarantee they were healthy and nutritious.

Families with average incomes couldn’t afford it—the fees here were several times higher than other kindergartens. But the teachers were bilingual, the curriculum included intellectual development, and the lunches had both vegetables and meat. After some research, by the time Yu Cailan enrolled, she had about twenty classmates of similar age, with one teacher responsible for every six or seven children.

With the kindergarten issue resolved, Yu Xiang’an asked Lu Anran, “When the child starts elementary school, are you planning to open your own school?”

Lu Anran replied, “There’s still some time before kindergarten graduation. I’ll see how things go by then. Elementary school should be manageable—kids are older and can report problems to adults. Sending them to a school in Hong Kong is also an option, but her father disagrees, and honestly, I can’t bear the thought either, so we’ll drop it.”

Both wanted to see their child every day after work, so they didn’t want her attending school in Hong Kong.

When it came to schools and teaching quality, even Yu Xiang’an had to admit that local institutions couldn’t keep up at this point. Unlike later years, there weren’t many private schools investing heavily in hiring top-tier teachers for parents to choose from.

On her way to Wuwei Restaurant, Yu Xiang’an received a call. She pulled out her phone—a bulky device that immediately drew attention.

This thing cost tens of thousands.

Passersby couldn’t help but glance at the “brick.”

Only the wealthy could afford such a luxury.

Song Dong, standing nearby, grew more alert to the surroundings, wary of anyone tempted by the sight of wealth.

Yu Xiang’an noticed the stares and felt slightly awkward. Every time she used this “brick,” she got the same reaction, and she still wasn’t used to it.

Compared to the sleek, multifunctional smartphones of the future, this “brick” was cumbersome. But inconvenient as it was, she had no choice—technology hadn’t advanced beyond this yet.

The call was from Lin Chuanbai. She had one phone, and he had another, making communication between them easier.

Lin Chuanbai asked, “Where are you? Are you free tomorrow?”

Yu Xiang’an thought about her schedule. “What’s up?”

Lin Chuanbai said, “I got a call—Yihong got into a fight. The teacher wants to see the parents. I’m in the capital right now.”

A question mark slowly formed in Yu Xiang’an’s mind. “He got into a fight?” She couldn’t have misheard, could she?

Lin Chuanbai reassured her, “Don’t worry, you heard right. He was protecting his sister. I don’t know the details, but he wasn’t the one causing trouble.”

Yu Xiang’an sighed in relief. “Alright, I’ll go tomorrow.”

She hung up, planning to call home later and ask Lin Yihong what had happened.

Liu Sanbao, standing nearby, caught a bit of the conversation—something about a fight? What was going on?

The boss’s son always seemed so well-behaved.

The thought flashed through his mind before he followed Yu Xiang’an into the food court.

This was currently the largest Wuwei Restaurant in the special economic zone and the first food court they had built.

Like the one in the capital, it had three floors. Each level was divided into differently sized storefronts—some rented out, others used by the restaurant itself. Thanks to the prime location, foot traffic was never an issue, and renting out space was never a problem.

People could eat and drink here, and if they wanted to shop, a large supermarket was just a few hundred meters away, with a clothing market on the other side.

Gu Nanfeng was waiting at the entrance. When he saw them, he smiled and quickly ushered them inside.

Gu Nanfeng had followed from the capital and was now in charge of all Wuwei Restaurant operations in the special zone.

A passerby who recognized Gu Nanfeng was curious about the person he was waiting for.

He asked an elderly man drinking water nearby, “Who’s he waiting for? That’s quite the reception.”

The old man glanced over. “That’s his boss.”

The passerby was surprised. “The boss? Not the boss’s daughter? She looks so young.”

A female boss wasn’t unusual, but one this young?

He had assumed the boss would be at least in their forties or fifties.

The old man nodded. “Yep, that’s her. I recognize her.”

The passerby was envious. “To build such a huge business at her age—imagine how wealthy her family must be.”

A woman handing out flyers nearby overheard and chimed in, “You know the person who just went in?”

The old man chuckled at her flyers. “You work here and don’t know? She’s the big boss.”

The flyer distributor pressed urgently, “She owns this entire food court?”

The old man confirmed, “Yep, the whole thing.”

The woman froze. “…I heard the owner of Wuwei Restaurant and this food court are the same person. All those Wuwei Restaurants belong to her?”

The old man nodded again. “That’s right.”

The woman seemed struck by some profound shock, staggering slightly. The passerby quickly steadied her. “Hey, ma’am, are you okay? You should rest if you’re tired.”

The woman forced a smile. “I’m fine, just lost in thought. Could you tell me more? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

The old man was happy to oblige. “Sure. The boss’s surname is Yu—I don’t know her full name. I’ve been a customer since the first Wuwei Restaurant opened. They had a lottery back then—my family still uses the basin we won. It’s sturdy. Since then, the restaurants have multiplied, and now they’re everywhere.”

The passerby added, “I’ve been following them for a while too. There’s a new one near my place—some are bigger, but the one near me is smaller.”

The old man said, “Size doesn’t matter—the taste is about the same.”

The passerby agreed. “Yeah, I’ve eaten at a few different locations. All similar.”

The old man continued, “I’ve got a relative who rents a tiny stall in this food court—just a few square meters, but it costs dozens a month.”

The passerby gasped. “That’s expensive! I only make a few dozen a month.”

The old man nodded. “Yep, pricey. But business is really good. My relative said the rent’s nothing compared to the profits. He’s rented other places before—less foot traffic, worse service. Here, if something breaks, they fix it. They clean, they keep security tight to deter thieves.”

The passerby asked, “Is that free?”

The old man shrugged. “Not sure. Even if there’s a fee, it can’t be much. My relative’s happy—wants to sign a long-term lease, but they won’t allow it. I wouldn’t either. Rent’s bound to go up.”

The passerby agreed. “If I were the owner, I wouldn’t either. Look at the foot traffic here—no shortage of tenants. Locking in long-term now would be a loss.”

The old man said, “Exactly. Business folks are sharp—they won’t agree. Two years max. Just imagine how big this place is. A few square meters cost dozens a month—add it all up, and the rent collected would make your arms ache…”

Listening to their conversation, the flyer distributor—Zhao Qiangniang—looked up at the bustling food court behind her. To her, the building was a colossal monolith.

She couldn’t fathom it belonging to a single person.

And yet, it was Yu Xiang’an’s.

She knew Yu Xiang’an did business in the special zone, but she never imagined it was on this scale…

Dazed, she returned to her lodgings. Today was her day off, and she’d taken a flyer job to earn extra money. She hadn’t expected to run into Yu Xiang’an—or to learn such unsettling news.

She sat blankly on a stool, staring out the window. She had no idea how long she’d been sitting there when Ding Minxiu returned—she’d also taken on temporary work. Seeing Zhao Qiangniang sitting there, she called out, “Mom, did you make dinner?”

Zhao Qiangniang snapped out of her trance. She’d forgotten. But now, cooking was the last thing on her mind. She asked Ding Minxiu, “If back then…”

She trailed off, looking at the wrinkles on Ding Minxiu’s face. The words died in her throat.

She and Yu Xiang’an were around the same age, but if they stood side by side now, they’d look a generation apart.