Chapter 75:

Yu Xiang’an’s lottery left Yu Mansheng utterly baffled—this was way too much of a loss! Before even making much profit, they’d already spent hundreds of yuan, which was equivalent to a year’s salary for most people at the time.

However, this was actually a case of survivorship bias.

Every participant in the lottery would win something, and the vast majority of prizes were drinks, like sour plum juice. How much could sour plum juice possibly cost? Those who won such prizes wouldn’t be excited enough to go around telling everyone. But those who won prizes worth more than ten cents were different—the more valuable the prize, the more excited they’d be. It became a talking point, something they couldn’t help but share.

Of course, there would be losses—these prizes were bought with Yu Xiang’an’s real money. Though some wholesale prices were much cheaper, the expense was worth it for publicity. Once the reputation spread, the money would quickly be recouped many times over.

Thanks to this extravagant lottery, Wuwei’s reputation skyrocketed overnight. The takeout business was also thriving. Around mealtimes every day, Sun Dongsheng would ride his bicycle to deliver orders, often carrying dozens at a time.

For those who wanted something better, there were meals with both meat and vegetables. For those looking to save money, there were vegetarian options—though even those came with a ladle of savory braising sauce to mix with rice, making them incredibly fragrant.

Sun Dongsheng couldn’t handle all the deliveries alone, so another person was hired and also given a bicycle to ensure timely service.

Yu Mansheng’s construction team had ordered set meals, with lunch and dinner delivered straight to them. The menu was decided in advance, and any changes had to be made a day prior.

He had ordered mid-range meals for his team—not purely vegetarian, but with a bit of meat, a drizzle of meat sauce, or even an egg. The portions weren’t huge, but they were still considered good boxed meals.

Many construction sites ordered the cheapest meals for their workers—just enough rice and vegetables to fill their stomachs.

Compared to those, Wuwei’s meals, with their rich flavors and similar prices, stood out effortlessly.

Yu Xiang’an also had a firm grasp on cost control. With the implementation of the household responsibility system, people were more motivated to farm, and with no major disasters, grain yields had increased. Food shortages were no longer a pressing concern, and raising pigs and poultry was no longer restricted. Sourcing ingredients had become much easier, and shortages were rare.

Especially for vegetables—in the south, except for certain periods, there was rarely a shortage.

Once the reputation was established, Yu Xiang’an wasn’t too worried about repeat customers—and reality matched her expectations.

Life wasn’t as hard as before. People had a bit more money now, and if conditions allowed, they didn’t mind treating themselves a little better.

Plus, those who came here to work found that as long as they had jobs, their wages weren’t too low—at least better than what they’d earn back home. The restaurant was on par with state-owned ones, with better service and tastier food. Spending a little extra here wasn’t a big deal.

And there wasn’t much disdain for private businesses here, since most people were involved in them anyway.

The restaurant’s business was booming, takeout was thriving, and there was even wholesale.

Yes, she had started wholesale here too, led by Zeng Wang’s relatives. They’d come to buy goods in bulk, load them into baskets, and sell them elsewhere, wrapping them in dried lotus or banana leaves for customers.

Just like in the capital, Yu Xiang’an sold to them at a fixed cost, no matter how much they marked it up afterward.

The spending power here was astonishing—profits were on par with her two shops in the capital, bringing in four figures a month.

And every now and then, a big order would come in, pushing her income to two or three thousand yuan.

Why did so many people still go into private business despite the stigma?

Because it was highly profitable.

Of course, it was also exhausting. Preparing ingredients started late at night and lasted until dusk. Yu Xiang’an even noticed her pants had gotten looser—she had lost weight from the workload.

Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhou Lili, sisters working as waitresses at a nearby shop, dressed in white shirts and slacks, wore makeup and lipstick like Hong Kong fashion. They earned decent wages—nearly forty yuan a month—since they spoke both Cantonese and Mandarin. If sales increased, they could earn even more.

When they saw the commotion at Wuwei’s grand opening, they went to check it out. Hearing about the lottery—with a bicycle as the grand prize—they immediately lined up to order. Zhou Yuanyuan got braised pork rice, while Zhou Lili chose minced meat fried rice with egg.

The portions were generous, leaving both sisters full.

Since their orders exceeded ten cents, they split the bill to get two lottery chances. Zhou Yuanyuan won a bowl of soup—tasty but modest—while Zhou Lili got a small plate of braised peanuts, which were delicious.

Hoping for the big prize, they returned for three days, ordering twice daily for more chances. On the third day, Zhou Yuanyuan finally won a decent prize—a pair of lotus-patterned bowls, which they happily used.

The day before, they’d watched as a woman in her twenties won the bicycle, fueling their excitement.

Back home, they told their friends, who soon joined the lottery frenzy.

Though the bicycle was gone, there were still electronic watches up for grabs—maybe they’d be the lucky ones.

Over those three days, they tried different dishes and became regulars—just one example of Wuwei’s growing customer base.

After two months, with profits stabilizing, Yu Xiang’an considered opening a second location. One shop could only cover so much—deliveries became inconvenient beyond a certain distance.

She had already scouted locations, so choosing another spot was straightforward. Land was bought, construction began, and new hires were needed.

Hiring was easy—she took on six new employees at once, including three teenage boys as apprentices. Expanding meant she couldn’t handle all the cooking alone.

The apprentices lived in simple dormitories behind the shop—crowded but functional.

As the second shop was being prepared, Yu Xiang’an finally received a call from Clayton.

She had almost given up hope after months of silence.

Clayton apologized, explaining that family matters had delayed things. He and his uncle planned to visit soon, including a stop in the special zone, to discuss business in person.

This was perfect. Yu Xiang’an smiled, sharing her contact details before reviewing her savings.

The capital from her Beijing shop had been spent on land and construction, leaving little for expansion. If Clayton wanted to collaborate, small sums wouldn’t impress him.

To negotiate as equals, she needed more capital—fast. The solution? A loan.

She started preparing.

Meanwhile, Yu Manwu received an urgent call from Yang Huili—all unmarried men in the family were to return home.

Why?

The village was redistributing land—this time, truly assigning plots to households for decades.

This was monumental. Rural families valued land deeply, sparking a rush to marry or register family members before the cutoff.

Conflicts erupted—families delayed marrying daughters to secure more land, while others hurried to wed for the same reason.

Yang Huili pressured Yu Mansheng to marry immediately.

He fled back to the special zone, leaving her fuming.

This had little direct impact on Yu Xiang’an—her household registration was in Beijing, non-agricultural. But it influenced locals, who often discussed their newly allocated fields during meals.

This gave Yu Xiang’an an idea—once funds allowed, she could lease nearby land to grow vegetables and raise livestock, ensuring stable, cost-controlled supplies.

Quality ingredients were key to good food. Later, with the rise of factory farming, taste and texture would decline. Securing land now would also hedge against future price hikes.

Meanwhile, Yu Qinghan grew concerned after not hearing from Yu Xiang’an.

“You’re still on your business trip?” he asked over the phone.

“Yes, still here,” she replied smoothly.

“How much longer?”

“Not sure. I’ll return when work’s done.”

“But what about the children? Being away so long…”

She coughed lightly. “We call often. It’s fine.”

Yu Qinghan pressed further, keeping it brief—phone calls were expensive.

He worried why a young woman was sent alone on such a long assignment.

“I’m not alone—a female colleague is with me,” she lied.

Yu Qingshan was relieved: “Oh, I see. Having company is good then.”

He then asked about the newspaper missing person ads. “I’ve been placing ads for a while now, checking every issue, but no one has contacted me. Either they’re not in the province, don’t read newspapers, or are illiterate.”

Yu Xiang’an had also asked Lin Chuanbai before, “No one reached out from the ads in the capital either.”

In the special economic zone, the contact person listed was Yu Mansheng. “Mansheng hasn’t heard from anyone either.”

Yu Xiang’an comforted him, “How’s Grandma doing? This isn’t something that can be rushed. It takes time. If they’re still alive, they’ll eventually see the notice or hear about it from others. We have to trust in our connection.”

Yu Qingshan: “Your grandmother is doing fine, but she keeps asking if there’s any good news. Every time I see the disappointment in her eyes, I can’t bear to tell her there’s still no word.”

“Dad, visit her more often. I’ve sent some things your way—clothes I bought here. They’re very affordable. Two sets are for Grandma—take them to her.”

“Alright, anything else?”

“No, that’s it. I’ll hang up now.”

After hanging up, Yu Xiang’an let out a sigh of relief. She’d managed to dodge the issue for now, but the lack of responses was still a problem. Besides newspapers, there were other avenues—radio programs and TV ads. TV commercials were expensive, and Yu Xiang’an didn’t have the capital for that yet, so she decided to try radio first. If the missing relatives were elderly and couldn’t read newspapers, they might listen to the radio. She had initially thought newspapers were the most common way to reach people but realized she’d overlooked this possibility.

About ten days after posting the job ads, Yu Xiang’an interviewed five chefs and hired two.

One was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties who had previously worked at a state-run restaurant. After passing his job to his child, he retired but couldn’t stay idle, so he came to the special economic zone and happened to see Yu Xiang’an’s ad.

He stayed for the money.

The other wasn’t a professional chef but came from a culinary family. His father was a chef, but with limited positions, his older brothers took over their parents’ jobs, leaving him to fend for himself.

Yu Xiang’an had them cook their signature dishes and tasted them before deciding to hire them. They’d go through a trial period to see how they fit.

The other three applicants were mediocre, their skills no better than an average home cook. Yu Xiang’an didn’t want to pay chef salaries for what amounted to kitchen helpers.

With their addition, the menu expanded, and business improved.

*

Twenty-something days after the phone call, Klett arrived in the special economic zone with his uncle.

Yu Xiang’an had left them her address, so they found her easily.

Klett looked a lot like his uncle, though he was about five centimeters taller, while his uncle was slightly heavier.

Yu Xiang’an quickly invited them to sit and had tea served, speaking to them in English: “Why didn’t you let me know in advance? I could’ve picked you up.”

Klett: “No need, no need. We’re staying at a hotel and came straight here after dropping off our things. Yu, it’s been a while. You look just as beautiful as ever—not a bit changed.” His flattery hadn’t faded.

“Let me introduce you. This is my uncle, Paul. Uncle, this is Yu, the one I told you about.”

“Hello.”

“Hello.” Paul smiled as he shook her hand, his eyes appraising.

Yu Xiang’an noticed but carried on unaffected.

She had a guess about their purpose for coming. At this time, foreigners in the special economic zone weren’t rare—most were overseas Chinese.

Apart from them, there were also foreigners like Paul and Klett, who came to explore business opportunities.

In fact, Paul and Klett had already been in the area for some time. They’d secured a location and were preparing to start construction.

The uncle-nephew duo planned to build a large supermarket here, with Klett as the long-term manager.

The reason Paul personally visited Yu Xiang’an’s place was mainly because Klett had strongly recommended her restaurant—both for the food and to explore potential collaboration.

If the food was truly good, they’d partner up. No one ever complained about making too much money.

These small items might not seem highly profitable, but if the taste was good, the customer base would be wide. Small profits but quick turnover could still add up to a considerable sum.

After tasting Yu Xiang’an’s cooking, Paul acknowledged her skills. To give them a more direct experience, she had someone buy bread and made sandwiches with nothing but her homemade sauce, then grilled meat with her barbecue sauce—specially adjusted to suit Western tastes.

After the meal, Paul extended his hand. “Pleasure doing business.”

Klett looked delighted. “My uncle won’t stay here long. He’s returning home, and I’ll be in charge here from now on.”

In the early stages, his uncle would still need to visit occasionally—Klett was too young and inexperienced, and even with his uncle’s assistant staying to help, he could easily be taken advantage of.

Yu Xiang’an was happy with this arrangement. More connections meant more opportunities.

Since it involved food products, this partnership could help her break into foreign markets. Such connections were worth maintaining.

They’d chosen a plot in what was now a bustling area—no difficulty for them, as foot traffic was crucial for their supermarket.

Construction started soon after. Yu Mansheng’s team had just completed a project and managed to secure a subcontract for this large-scale development. While the main contractors took the lion’s share, smaller players like them could still get a piece of the action.

Around this time, the intermediary Yu Xiang’an had hired to source used equipment finally had news.

The intermediary arranged a meeting in the special economic zone, and Yu Xiang’an visited the factory to inspect the old machinery.

It had been used for canned meat production, but the factory was upgrading, so the old line was up for sale.

Though outdated, equipment was still equipment—priced in the tens of thousands.

Yu Xiang’an didn’t need to pay upfront, as the factory needed a month or two to transition after their new machinery arrived.

She used this time to secure a loan.

Using her restaurant as collateral, the loan was approved quickly after verifying her income.

With low-interest rates at the time, it was practically free money.

Not borrowing more would’ve been a waste—the extra funds could serve as startup capital for the factory.

The factory site had only been cleared, with no framework yet. But once the money came through, progress sped up.

Yu Mansheng, landing this big contract, thought to himself: “…”

He felt he was making decent money, but compared to Yu Xiang’an, it seemed like she was treating cash like paper. Was making money really this easy nowadays?

Yu Xiang’an didn’t plan for the factory to be fancy—speed was the priority. As long as it had enough space and met hygiene standards, it would do.

Once the factory was ready and the equipment arrived, she’d hire workers and start production immediately!