Wei Changrong and Xu Lixin were Li Xiangdong's junior high school classmates.
Previously, relying on the power of Wei Changrong's father, Wei Baoping, they had arrested Li Xiangdong, taken him to the interrogation room, and beaten him.
However, Li Zhen quickly brought Liu Donglai, then the secretary of the Huichuan County Party Committee, to the rescue.
Later, because of Deputy Director Zhang, Wei Baoping was reported and dismissed from his post.
Li Xiangdong is so busy every day that he has no time to pay attention to these two people.
I never expected to run into my older sister at her hot pot chicken restaurant.
However, judging from their clothes and their demeanor, it seems that neither of them is doing very well.
Li Xiangdong watched for a while, then asked the waiter to send the chicken over.
Let's eat, everyone is a guest.
Li Xiangdong did not come forward to meet them.
Based on his understanding of Wei Changrong, if he left at this time, Wei Changrong would probably never come to the hot pot chicken restaurant again.
Li Xiangdong is the kind of person who doesn't usually kick someone when they're down unless his bottom line is crossed.
To put it bluntly, Wei Changrong was just a spoiled rich kid. He wasn't as malicious as Pan Jixian and Xu Lixin, and he hadn't done anything particularly heinous.
Soon, the chicken served in a copper hot pot was brought out. The charcoal fire glowed red, and the dark red chicken bubbled in the chicken soup, topped with a layer of sesame seeds.
In addition to the flatbread they ordered, the waiter also brought over two bowls of rice, saying, "The boss gave these to you!"
Wei Changrong and Xu Lixin couldn't wait to pick up their chopsticks and eat the chicken.
"Chang Rong, their stewed chicken is really delicious!"
With a mouthful of scalding hot chicken, Xu Lixin mumbled something incoherently.
Wei Changrong was a little absent-minded; he thought he had just seen a familiar figure flash by.
"Eat up, eat quickly! Once we finish the chicken, we'll have more vegetables to eat!"
"Hey, I think I just saw Li Xiangdong?"
Xu Lixin was taken aback. "Who?"
"Li Xiangdong!"
"Oh—him!"
Xu Lixin snorted and said in a tone that was half jealous and half sour, without even realizing it himself, "He's doing well now, he's climbed up the social ladder by marrying Liu Donglai!"
Wei Changrong nodded dejectedly, "They didn't rely entirely on Liu Donglai."
Xu Lixin curled his lip, "Only you would believe such a thing!"
After saying all this, and thinking about the gap between himself and Li Xiangdong, even the chicken he was eating didn't taste so good anymore.
The two remained silent for a while. Wei Changrong glanced at the cashier and said, "This store seems to belong to Li Xiangdong as well."
Xu Lixin said sullenly, "No way, isn't it his older sister's family?"
"What's the difference? They're all from their family!"
The chicken soup was almost gone in no time as it was steamed over charcoal, and the waiter came over with a large copper kettle to refill it.
Thick, white chicken broth was poured into the copper hot pot, and the chicken pieces floated to the surface.
Wei Changrong put a piece of chicken into Xu Lixin's condiment bowl. "Eat! After you finish, let's hurry to the city market. It's almost Chinese New Year, and the canned food from Baiyanghe Food Factory is selling fast! We brothers can earn some money to get by for the New Year!"
"New Year's living expenses" refers to the money used for celebrating the Chinese New Year, buying New Year's goods, and social obligations.
After finishing their meal, Xu Lixin and Wei Changrong stood up, pushed open the door, and stepped into the vast snowstorm.
Outside the door, the cold wind howled, and snowflakes fluttered down.
The world was a pure white expanse, as if covered by a thick layer of silver.
The wind whipped up the snowflakes, making them dance in the air like a swarm of frantic butterflies.
Wei Changrong tightened his slightly thin clothes, took a deep breath of the cold air, and felt the refreshing coolness.
He took firm steps and stepped into this world of ice and snow, with Xu Lixin following closely behind.
Xu Lixin and Wei Changrong walked side by side on the snow, each step leaving deep and shallow footprints. The footprints behind them gradually receded into the distance and were soon covered by the falling snow.
The two remained silent, the only sound being the crunching of their feet on the snow as they walked.
Li Xiangdong was now in the warm room, watching their figures gradually disappear into the distance through the glass window.
He originally thought that Xu Lixin was just using Wei Baoping's influence to take advantage of Wei Changrong.
To his surprise, the two men, now down on their luck, were still able to become such good friends.
"Xiang Dong, come and eat!"
Li Lan called to him from behind.
"Hey, here it comes!"
Li Xiangdong regained his composure and quickly went to eat.
The world is vast, but nothing is more important than eating.
Li Xiangdong's slight sentimentality was quickly dispelled by the delicious chicken stew.
Chicken stew is a way of eating that Li Lan developed based on hot pot chicken.
The chicken stew is not spicy; it has a savory, sauce-like flavor, making it more suitable for the elderly, children, and those who cannot tolerate spicy food.
Li Lan is truly gifted when it comes to food.
"Big sister, have you ever thought about opening a branch in Yanjing?"
"What? A branch?"
"That's right! Our food tastes are similar to those of people in Yanjing and Bincheng. I think since the people here love hot pot chicken so much, people in those two big cities must love it too!"
Li Xiangdong slowly analyzed for Li Lan, "In terms of the consumption level of ordinary people in Huichuan County, there is definitely a gap compared to those two big cities. We can afford to run a hot pot chicken restaurant here. If we were to open a branch in a big city, the business would definitely be very good."
Li Lan was very interested after hearing this, "It's just that I can't handle it all by myself!"
"Hey, how can you run a business with just one person? You could work yourself to death and still not make it big!"
Li Xiangdong suggested to Li Lan, "You should master the hot pot chicken recipe yourself, and then directly deliver the seasoning packets and chicken to the branches. This will ensure the taste of the hot pot chicken. As for the staff, just find a reliable store manager to keep an eye on things."
Li Lan pondered the possibility of the method Li Xiangdong had mentioned, and after thinking it over, he was surprised to find that it actually worked!
"Then, if I opened hot pot chicken restaurants in Yanjing and Bincheng, wouldn't that be a huge business for me!"
Li Lan laughed heartily, looking quite spirited.
Li Xiangdong nodded with a smile, "Of course! We can drive them to other cities, and after we've covered the whole country, we can even drive them abroad."
Li Lan chuckled, "I wouldn't dare think that far ahead!"
To open a branch in Yanjing, you need to choose a location, obtain a business license and food business permit, train employees, and select a store manager...
All of this work needs to be done.
Li Lan suddenly felt a lot of pressure.
However, the pressure was great, but so was the motivation. She quickly finished her meal and sat down next to Li Xiangdong to watch him eat.
Li Xiangdong couldn't stand his older sister's pleading look any longer. He finished the chicken in his bowl in a few bites and then pulled Li Lan aside to discuss the next steps.
The wind and snow outside had stopped sometime ago, and the moon shone on the snow, reflecting a bright light.
Li Xiangdong and Li Lan trudged along towards Lijiapo, their steps uneven.
As soon as the two arrived at the village entrance, they saw that the village was brightly lit, with people moving around, and the sound of firecrackers crackling.
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