Although He Daqing knew some things about the outside world while in prison, he didn't know the actual situation. He Daqing never imagined that his family could only afford to eat two kinds of steamed buns and pickled vegetables. Before he went in, his family ate meat every few days, and cured meat was hung everywhere. But now they could only make do with two kinds of steamed buns and pickled vegetables.

Seeing his son's attitude, He Daqing looked around, but there was nothing on the wall. Not only was his son enjoying the meal, but the other children were also eating happily.

"Zhu Zi, how did our family's situation become so bad? Didn't you go hunting in the mountains with Hua Zi?"

"He Daqing, is there something wrong with your brain or is there something wrong with ours? Don't you know what kind of world it used to be? Going out hunting? Do you want to die more or do we have to die more?"

"Don't be so picky anymore. Our family isn't what it used to be. Now that you have something to eat, eat it while you can. If it weren't for the fact that you just got back, you might not even be able to get any mixed noodles."

Hearing his son's words, He Daqing could only quickly grab a steamed bun made from two kinds of dough and stuff it into his mouth. He was somewhat embarrassed because he had just wrongly accused his daughter-in-law. After finishing his meal, he hurried back to his room to learn about life outside.

He Daqing never imagined the outside world would be worse than prison. He also realized that his son hadn't had a very happy life these past years. Due to his family background and his own circumstances, he had faced some discrimination.

This made He Daqing realize his mistakes to some extent. After returning from prison, he became somewhat taciturn.

Seeing that everyone else was going out to earn money, He Daqing had no choice but to go out and find work as well.

Seeing He Daqing looking for something to do, Wei Hua had other ideas. Although He Daqing was a bad person, his cooking skills were no worse than Sha Zhu's.

Hiring both of them to the hotel would be a good option. However, He Daqing needs to be taught a lesson first, let him experience the hardships of life, before he will settle down.

My hotel is still under construction and doesn't need a chef yet, but I'll definitely need a chef like He Daqing in the future.

But before Wei Hua could even make contact with He Daqing, things took a turn for the worse. Seeing others starting their own businesses, Yu Li couldn't resist joining in. Over the years, Yu Li had been in frequent contact with Yang Tao, which introduced her to many progressive ideas.

Yu Li knew about He Daqing's culinary skills. Her husband had promised Wei Hua, but her father-in-law was unemployed. So they rented a shop on the street and opened a restaurant with He Daqing.

Moreover, part of the money used to open the restaurant was borrowed from Yang Tao. Seeing that Yu Li and He Daqing had already opened a restaurant, Wei Hua stopped contacting He Daqing. There are many skilled chefs; he could just find one with experience.

To avoid affecting others because of his own plans, Wei Hua didn't pay much attention to the matter. After all, he wasn't some so-called protagonist destined for greatness; not everyone could wait for him.

With He Daqing's skills, opening a restaurant would be the best outcome. As long as you have a skill and are willing to work diligently, you can definitely make money. Even more than working as a chef in your own hotel. If they work hard, the restaurant will grow bigger and bigger.

Seeing that others had already started their own businesses, Wei Hua didn't sit idle either. He took the instant noodle recipe he had acquired before and started experimenting on his own.

Good things come to those who wait, and there's no harm in starting early; at least you'll have some confidence. The main reason for not starting production immediately is the fear that the timing might be too uncertain. Letting others show their skills first before starting your own is not too late.

While Wei Hua was busy with these matters, Zhou Xiaobai's side was making some moves. Zhou Zhennan had remained unchanged over the years, and even after the storm had passed, he remained as stable as a rock.

But things took a significant turn for the worse. Zhou Xiaobai, who was supposed to be a medic in the army, had her fate unexpectedly changed.

Wei Hua didn't know if this change was due to his arrival or some other reason. Zhou Xiaobai, who was originally a medic, was transferred to the military hospital.

Many of the children of military personnel who were supposed to be demobilized in 1984 have returned. Wei Hua didn't have much contact with them initially, but because of his relationship with the Zhou family, he gradually got to know them, and even Li Yuanchao and Ning Wei.

Compared to the people in the courtyard houses, Wei Hua preferred to associate with these children from high-ranking families, not because of their background, but because of their abilities.

Children of high-ranking officials in this era generally have relatively sound values. Due to their parents' jobs, they received a very good education from a young age, making them much better than their peers.

Wei Hua met Ning Wei by chance. Ning Wei had just been transferred from the military because of an assault. Coincidentally, the apartment Ning Wei was renting was the one Wei Hua had bought recently.

Wei Hua also greatly admired Ning Wei. He happened to be short of a security captain, and Ning Wei was a good candidate.

Not only is he loyal and righteous, but he's also incredibly skilled, and most importantly, he's ruthless. This kind of person can handle some dirty business for him. Wei Hua can't guarantee he doesn't have any dirty business to deal with. Everyone has their shady dealings in life. With Ning Wei around, he doesn't need to worry about those things, so Wei Hua often goes to Ning Wei's shop to sit for a while.

Over time, Wei Hua and Ning Wei developed a close friendship despite their age difference. Although Wei Hua was more than ten years older than Ning Wei, the two got along very well.

Wei Hua wasn't in a hurry to take Ning Wei under his wing right now. Ning Wei was doing quite well, and it would be very difficult to take him in now.

Wei Hua was waiting for others to change careers and for Ning Wei to start trading foreign exchange; that would be the best opportunity. Wei Hua remembered that Ning Wei had borrowed 500,000 yuan from Zhong Yuemin when he was trading foreign exchange, but that money was all taken by Ning Wei's friends. At that time, Ning Wei had even sold off his restaurant, and Zhong Yuemin even ran into big trouble because he couldn't repay the money.

At that time, he could not only win over Ning Wei, but also Zhong Yuemin. As for the personal grudges and feuds among them, Wei Hua didn't want to get involved. Feelings are truly difficult to explain.

It's not necessarily a good thing that Zhou Xiaobai and Zhong Yuemin are together, and the relationship between Zhong Yuemin and his wife is actually quite good.

Just as Wei Hua and Ning Wei were building a good relationship, the hotel's renovations were nearing completion. Yang Tao focused all her energy on the hotel, and Wei Hua had no choice but to get busy as well.

Regardless, this was their first publicly acknowledged business venture. Both men had a long-term vision, so they offered some suggestions regarding the hotel's decor. The contractors, following the couple's requests, gradually made some modifications.

To set a benchmark, recruitment of employees began several months ago, and all employees were trained. The training standards were entirely based on the requirements of later generations.

Even Sha Zhu resigned from the steel mill early to help out at the hotel. Even though the hotel has no guests right now, it still has sixty or seventy employees.

To cook for everyone, Sha Zhu even brought his two apprentices to the hotel. Because of Wei Hua's arrival, Fatty had already been expelled from Sha Zhu's tutelage.

When they arrived at the hotel, they couldn't help but marvel at its luxury. What surprised them even more was their own wages. Sha Zhu's salary had increased almost tenfold since he arrived; his previous salary of forty-odd yuan had immediately jumped to 500 yuan. Even Sha Zhu's two apprentices had seen their salaries increase several times over.

Opening a hotel is no easy feat, especially for high-end hotels, which must be fully prepared before officially commencing operations. To project a more professional image, hotels even have uniforms.

After a month or two of training and refinement, the hotel officially opened in August 1977. On opening day, even Zhou Zhennan and the head of the heavy industry department came in person to support Weihua's hotel. Zhou Xiaobai also brought a group of second-generation heirs to celebrate.

The Peninsula International Hotel caused a sensation upon its opening. Its international standards set a new trend for all hotels. Coupled with its comprehensive facilities and attentive service, it has become a popular choice for many foreign investors.

Once the Peninsula Hotel was on track, Wei Hua gradually began to expand into other sectors. The second was naturally the instant noodle industry. Wei Hua not only created instant noodles, but also crispy noodles.

Once this product was launched, it became a huge success, much like the Peninsula Hotel. This made many people envious of Wei Hua's achievements. There were even those willing to acquire Wei Hua's factory at extremely low prices. However, two powerful figures stood behind Wei Hua, making these interested parties hesitant, especially since Wei Hua also had connections to Hong Kong businessmen and established figures.

Once you encounter these people, even with the most powerful connections, you can only sigh in despair. Since you can't acquire them, you can only produce similar products. The products they produce never last long, and interesting things often happen in Beijing. For example, a certain neighborhood might suddenly be struck by a meteorite.

The damage will be minimal; it will only smash a small building to pieces, but it won't injure anyone else. The relevant departments have investigated, but meteorites are something that cannot be controlled by humans.

Wei Hua always made a fortune because the rewards behind each punishment were incredibly generous.