Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

"Sweetheart, what are you crying for? I’m living a very comfortable life here." The old lady reached out, patting her cheek with a smile. "Look, in the morning, I get up and have half a steamer of paper-thin shaomai, followed by a bowl of Emei Tofu Brain. For lunch, I pop over to Zhou the Third’s next door for a serving of fresh-braised beef. It’s cooked so tender, and the flavor is wonderful.

"In the afternoon, if I have nothing else to do, I’ll get together with a few old friends to play mahjong, or I’ll go down to the Min River to enjoy the breeze, drink tea out by the river, and chat. At night, we’ll go out for Niu Hua malatang or hot pot.

"The theater puts on a Sichuan opera every now and then. For just a few dimes, I can buy a ticket, sip tea, and watch for a whole afternoon. It’s incredibly relaxing. My days are all planned out, nice and clear. How is that a hard life?"

Duan Yu Yan was taken aback. She loved to sleep in, almost always waking up just in time for lunch. Her grandmother would sometimes cook at home and sometimes take her out to eat.

After eating, she would wander around, maybe browse the department stores, see a movie at the cinema, or go to the theater to watch their cultural performances.

It had never occurred to her that her grandmother’s daily life was so rich and colorful.

"But you don’t have any family here. If you come to Xiangjiang, we’ll all be there with you," Duan Yu Yan said.

The old lady smiled and shook her head. "Your father and your uncle are busy with business, flying all over the place. Your mother is lucky if she gets to spend three months a year with him, let alone an old woman like me.

"Your aunt married a Brit. Even though they have a place in Xiangjiang, she has to go to the United Kingdom for over half the year, and she has two kids to look after. She has even less time to spend with an old woman like me."

Duan Yu Yan was momentarily speechless. When she was little, she often went a whole month without seeing her father even twice. Things were a little better now that the business had stabilized, and they could often have meals together.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "They might not have time, but I do! Xiangjiang is a lot of fun, you know. I can take you to Ocean Park to see the sharks, ride the roller coasters at the water park, go shopping at Central Plaza, go to Causeway Bay..."

The old lady looked at her, her smile gentle. "Sweetheart, you’ll have your own life too. I’ve never felt that anyone owed me anything. This is the life I chose for myself, every single step, so I can bear all the consequences."

Duan Yu Yan leaned her head in and nuzzled against the old lady’s hand. ’Grandma is so cool. So clear-headed I can’t even argue with her.’

Her father was such a domineering man, but in front of the old lady, wasn’t he just as meek, without a hint of his usual temper?

The meal lasted for over an hour.

They only ate about half of the four dishes.

The old lady asked the waiter to pack up the leftover braised pig’s head meat.

Huang He personally saw them out. The pedicab that had brought them earlier was already waiting at the door.

"Old Man, who was that beautiful girl just now? How come I’ve never seen her before?" Huang Bing had just returned from Suji and was about to practice his Knife Skills. Catching a glimpse of Duan Yu Yan’s profile, he felt as if he’d seen a Celestial Immortal. He waited until the pedicab was far away before stepping forward to ask in a low voice.

Huang He shot him a glare and said in a low, serious voice, "Don’t you get any funny ideas. You can fool around with those brainless girls on the street, and as long as you don’t get anyone pregnant, I can’t be bothered to care. But if you dare to have a single crooked thought about Miss Duan, I swear I’ll teach you a lesson."

"Old Man, I was just asking. Why are you being so harsh?" Huang Bing flinched and muttered, "Is her family really rich?"

"They’re Hong Kong businesspeople. And they have major investments in Rongcheng. Remember this: if you see her out and about, you walk the other way," Huang He warned.

"Got it." Huang Bing nodded. Watching the pedicab disappear into the distance, he couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. "She really is beautiful."

"Well, consider whose granddaughter she is. Still, compared to Mrs. Qiu back in the day, she’s not quite there yet," Huang He said with a smile.

...

The early winter evening breeze was a bit chilly. The old lady pulled her shawl tighter, her expression serene as she gazed at the distant, sparsely lit streets.

"Grandma, are you waiting for someone?" Duan Yu Yan finally couldn’t hold back the question that was on her mind.

After a long silence, the old lady said softly, "Tomorrow, have Yan drive you to Suji. Help me see if Zhang’s Braised Shop at the Suji Stone Bridgehead has reopened. I’m craving some of their braised beef."

"Okay." Duan Yu Yan nodded, her eyes sparkling.

’I’ve been here for half a year, and this is the first time Grandma has ever asked me to run an errand for her! Could the answer be in Suji?!’

A few years ago, both the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion and the Duan Family’s Old Mansion had been returned to them.

The Qiu Family’s Old Mansion was in disrepair from age and located in a bustling part of the city. With people constantly coming and going, and the endless whistles from tour boats and ships on the river, it was far too noisy to live in. It was a far cry from the Duan Family’s Old Mansion, which occupied a larger, better-located plot of land and was much better preserved.

When her father came back at the beginning of the year, besides keeping the old lady company, he also spent a sum of money renovating the Duan Family’s Old Mansion. He bought many antiques and restored it to its former elegant charm. In any case, her father was very pleased with it.

But the old lady only went to look at it once. She said the renovations were nice, but she never spent a single day living there.

Now, the Duan Family’s Old Mansion stood empty. They’d hired a clansman to watch over it, responsible for cleaning and maintenance.

The Qiu Family’s Old Mansion was really too dilapidated. The old lady had also rented out two of its storefronts, making the place crowded and disorderly. Her father wanted to tear it down and rebuild, but the old lady refused.

This worried her father sick. He had no choice but to hire people to do some simple reinforcement and repairs, but he still felt it wasn’t safe for the old lady to live there.

This was also why he wanted to sell the dilapidated Qiu Family’s Old Mansion.

A family of stubborn mules; no one could convince anyone else.

One time, her father came home after drinking with friends and mentioned to Duan Yu Yan that he felt the old lady was waiting for someone.