In the wonton shop in the town, there are customers who come all the way from the county seat just to have a taste of the wontons.
Early in the morning, before the wonton shop had opened, Song Yinhua was making wonton fillings alone in the kitchen.
She soaked scallions and ginger in spring water, poured it into the minced pork, cracked in an egg, and stirred vigorously until it became sticky. She also added a suitable amount of salt during the process.
By the time the waiters arrived for their shift, the wonton fillings were almost all ready.
"Sister Yinhua, yesterday some guests from the county said they wanted to see you." The female waitress who had been there the longest said while washing her hands, "They've come three or four times in a row, but you weren't there. Those guests even asked where you live."
"Do you know why they're looking for me?"
"They didn't say anything, they just said they wanted to see you and had something to discuss with you. They said they would come over again this morning."
Song Yinhua didn't take it seriously.
I made wontons with several waiters.
When the time comes, the waiter opens the door to start business.
A number of customers had already gathered outside the door to eat wontons.
The waiter, unfazed, ushered the guests in.
Through the glass, you could see wontons being cooked in the kitchen. Soon, the whole shop smelled the delicious aroma of wontons, making people's mouths water.
The waiter brought out the cooked wontons, and four guests from the county town sitting around a table asked, "Is your boss here?"
The waiter nodded, glanced at the kitchen through the glass, and said, "Sister Yinhua is in the kitchen."
"You all eat first, I'll go talk to her." One of the guests from the county got up and went to the kitchen to find Song Yinhua.
Just as Song Yinhua was about to go home, a customer saw her and immediately stated his purpose: to inquire about the recipe for the wonton filling and offer to buy it for a high price of 10,000 yuan.
"I'm sorry, the recipes for the fillings in this shop are not for sale."
The customer from the county town haggled with Song Yinhua for a long time, even raising the price to 100,000, but Song Yinhua still refused to agree.
In the following days, customers from the county town kept approaching Song Yinhua to discuss purchasing the filling recipe. They raised the price by more than double, but Song Yinhua remained firm in her offer.
Undeterred, these people went to Song Yinhua's house.
Finally, Song Yinhua, worn down by their persistent nagging, offered a solution.
They funded the opening of branch stores and were responsible for their operation, while she provided the recipes, and the net profits were split 50/50.
The guests from these counties agreed on the spot.
When signing the contract, the customers from the county town learned about Song Yinhua's tragic past and thought she was easy to bully. They deliberately played tricks in the terms and conditions. When Song Yinhua found out, she refused to cooperate with them.
No matter how much the guests from those counties apologized, it was to no avail.
When word of this reached Tangzhuang Village, Song Qiuxue called Guo Rui, asking him to partner with her to open a wonton shop.
As long as they get their hands on Song Yinhua's recipe, they can open wonton shops in county towns, provincial capitals, and even all over the country.
The two had also figured out how to get the recipe for the wonton filling.
They had Song Caixing approach Song Yinhua and, under the guise of opening a branch store together, secretly obtain the recipe, and then kick Song Yinhua out of the game.
Song Caixing refused to go to Song Yinhua.
"The eldest sister doesn't have any children of her own. We're opening a branch store with her as a partner. When she gets old, our children will take care of her in her old age!"
“Your eldest sister has no children. She’s getting old. Won’t all her property go to our children?”
What if the eldest sister leaves all her property to the second brother's two sons?
"How can you be so selfish? Your eldest sister's wonton shop makes so much money every year, and the fruit in the orchard also sells for money every year. Do you still want to keep it all for yourself?" Guo Rui pretended to scold Song Caixing. "Your eldest sister only has you and your second brother as her siblings. After she dies, her property can only be left to us and your second brother's children. There is so much money. If the children divide it, it will be quite a lot. Don't be too greedy."
"Why should my daughter have to support my older sister in her old age!" Song Caixing exclaimed angrily. "I'm not happy about it!"
“Didn’t you say before that your second brother would take care of your eldest sister in her old age? If he dies before your eldest sister, he will let his two sons take care of her. Your second brother never said he wouldn’t take care of your eldest sister in her old age!” Guo Rui pointed at Song Caixing. “You’re too selfish.”
Guo Rui persuaded her for half an hour before Song Caixing went to talk to Song Yinhua about opening a branch store.
Song Yinhua refused outright.
She realized this wasn't Song Caixing's idea.
When Song Qiuxue learned that Song Yinhua had not agreed, she suggested to Guo Rui that he recruit his second brother, Song Baogen, into the group.
If they wanted to persuade Song Baogen, Li Wenxiu had to step in.
Song Caixing and her husband invited Li Wenxiu to dinner at a restaurant in town and talked at length about finding Song Yinhua to partner with them to open a wonton shop.
Li Wenxiu knew that Song Yinhua's wonton shop was always packed with customers and must be making a lot of money.
She and Guo Rui were not only high school classmates but also relatives. Guo Rui persuaded her to cooperate, and she agreed to the partnership without any suspicion.
Only with money can you live a good life.
With money, they were able to send their two sons to the provincial capital for a good education.
When Song Baogen got home from get off work that evening, she told him about it.
"Aren't you afraid that my older sister will become dependent on you when she gets old?" Song Baogen deliberately mocked Li Wenxiu.
“You don’t need to mock me. I’m doing this all for our two sons!” Li Wenxiu repeated to Song Baogen what Guo Rui had told her at the restaurant during the day. “Your eldest sister’s wonton shop is doing so well in town. Cai Xing and I will invest in opening a branch in the county town. We’ll have your eldest sister provide the recipe, and the business will definitely be good. Your eldest sister will take half of the profits, and we’ll split the other half equally with Cai Xing and her husband. Your eldest sister won’t have to do anything and will get half of the profits!”
Li Wenxiu continued to persuade her: "Your eldest sister was planning to open a branch store in partnership with a few people in the county. However, those people deliberately played tricks in the contract, which your eldest sister discovered, and the branch store didn't open. Since your eldest sister was planning to open a branch store in the county anyway, and partnering with outsiders is still a partnership, why not partner with family members, since everyone knows each other well?"
Li Wenxiu kept whispering in Song Baogen's ear, urging him to think about his two sons.
With money, they could send their sons to the best schools in the provincial capital, and both sons would have a bright future.
“No matter how hard life is, we can’t let our children suffer. You don’t want your two sons to grow up doing dirty and tiring jobs like you, earning only a little money, right? Look at Qiuxue, going to university in the provincial capital is so different. She married into a family with connections, and she runs a real estate company with a partner. Even while pregnant, she continued to manage the accounts and received money every month. If our sons go to university in the provincial capital, they can also marry a wife from the provincial capital like Qiuxue when they grow up. If they are capable, they can also start a company and make a lot of money.”
Song Baogen was persuaded.
He shamelessly approached Song Yinhua and hesitantly proposed opening a branch store in the county town together.
Li Wenxiu, who accompanied Song Yinhua, played the victim in front of her, saying that Song Baogen worked hard from dawn till dusk and the little money he earned was barely enough to support his family.
Now I have two sons to support and four elderly parents to take care of.
Life is tough.
Out of consideration for her siblings, Song Yinhua agreed.
Song Qiuxue received the news immediately and sent the contract from the provincial capital, along with some expired gifts from home.
During holidays and festivals, people would send gifts to their in-laws' home.
Many of them are too expired to eat.
A week later, Guo Rui received the package.
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