Chapter 82: Finding a Way to Make Money

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Finding a Way to Make Money

"Young Miss, even a five-star hotel couldn’t hire a chef with your skills!"

Xiao Li wasn’t usually a man of many words, but he never held back on praise when it was due.

Song Yao laughed. "Easy, easy, there’s more in the pot. No one’s going to go hungry!"

As soon as she finished, she turned to tease Xiao Li, "Brother Li, you’ve got such a big appetite. How did you manage to work in the kitchen for so long without secretly sneaking a few bites?"

Hearing this, Shen Zhenwu’s eyes went wide. He quickly reached out to protect the plate of dumplings. "Hey, now! You better go easy with those chopsticks. I’ve been roughing it at the camp for half a month!"

The meaning was clear: ’This plate of dumplings is for me to eat my fill first!’

"Mr. Shen, that plate is pork and scallion. You’d better scoop up a couple more! I’m claiming all these egg and chive ones."

He didn’t stop eating as he spoke, his eyes still fixed on the rim of the pot.

Shen Zhenwu almost laughed out loud. ’I just told you to take it easy, and now you’re snatching away my favorite kind?’

Song Yao had originally figured that with two whole trays of dumplings and four hearty side dishes, they would at least have more than enough to eat and drink.

But who would have thought? The moment the first dumpling was down, Xiao Li was already reaching for the second plate, while Shen Zhenwu immediately snatched the third pork rib. Their chopsticks flew back and forth, not stopping for even half a second.

Who could have guessed? Was her cooking just too irresistible?

Or did Shen Zhenwu and Xiao Li have bottomless pits for stomachs?

In less than twenty minutes, every single plate on the table was empty.

Shen Zhenwu even scooped up the last few dumplings and drank the broth until not a single drop was left.

Song Yao stared at the spotless table, stunned for a full five seconds.

Then, she slapped down her chopsticks, her expression suddenly serious. "Dad, I really need to find a way to make money."

Shen Zhenwu was leaning back in his chair, humming a little tune. He didn’t even look up when he heard her.

"Huh? What’s wrong? Isn’t my salary always enough for us?"

Song Yao rubbed her temples. "I used to think it was enough, too. But after seeing you two in action tonight... I suddenly realize that little bit of money won’t last more than a few days."

Xiao Li immediately straightened his back, his face tense.

"I’m sorry, Young Miss! It was just too good! Once I get started, I can’t stop... Next time, I’ll watch how much I eat!"

It dawned on Shen Zhenwu too. ’Oh no, our appetites scared our daughter!’

He quickly sat up straight and rushed to explain, "Whoa, don’t you worry! You’ve never even seen my full pay stub! I used to send it all to your mother, so I’ve only ever carried a few bucks of pocket money. This time, I went to the finance office and collected it myself. I haven’t touched a cent, it’s all for you!"

As he spoke, he reached into his inner pocket, hooked a finger around the corner of a stack of bills, and slowly pulled it out.

Just as he finished speaking, he whipped out his hand. A thick stack of crisp, new ten-yuan bills landed on the table, with a neat little pile of grain coupons, cloth coupons, and meat coupons tucked underneath.

Song Yao picked it up and counted, spreading the bills across the table. She drew in a sharp breath.

"Whoa... Dad, this is almost my entire year’s salary!"

Shen Zhenwu grinned, revealing two rows of neat teeth.

"It’s all from honest hard work. There’s the monthly salary, several merit bonuses, plus combat readiness subsidies. It’s been accumulating for a while."

He paused, then added, "I haven’t touched a single cent of public funds. It’s all allowances and bonuses, every single transaction is accounted for."

Tucking the money into her pocket, Song Yao felt her motivation surge even stronger.

She now had her household registration in Beijing, owned a house with land, had a high-ranking official for a father, held her newfound savings in her hand, and had a mind full of plans just waiting to be set in motion.

She had caught the express train of the 1980s. If she didn’t dare to take a risk, wouldn’t this transmigration have been for nothing?

That night, Shen Zhenwu went to talk to Yao Yuzhen about the divorce.

Meanwhile, Song Yao switched on her desk lamp, pulled open a drawer to take out a notebook, selected a fountain pen, and began to write down, one by one, the business opportunities she had accumulated in her head over half a lifetime.

First thing’s first: she had to secure a storefront.

By now, "private business owner" was no longer a new term, but the streets were still filled with vendors with stalls, while few had official business licenses.

Why?

There was nowhere to set up shop!

The neighborhood committee wouldn’t grant approval, the housing management bureau wouldn’t budge, and in some areas, it was hard to even get a temporary stall permit.

Street vending had a low barrier to entry. While there were risks, its main advantage was flexibility.

But to open a proper store?

Rent, licenses, approvals, utility hookups, renovation permits... the bureaucracy held a lot of people back.

Song Yao didn’t lack connections, but she couldn’t exactly set up a coal stove on the roadside to sell roasted sweet potatoes either.

If she was going to do this, she had to do it well and do it properly.

The next morning, Song Yao fried a couple of eggs, heated up some steamed buns, and cooked a pot of millet congee.

She was planning to call her old man over for breakfast.

But Xiao Li came out of the kitchen with a rag in his hand and mentioned casually, "Mr. Shen left in the middle of the night. He didn’t stay over."

"He got into another argument with Madam last night. They had a falling out on the spot and went to their separate rooms."

Hearing this, Song Yao froze by the stove.

She turned and shot a massive eye-roll in the direction of Shen Zhenwu and Yao Yuzhen’s room.

’Tsk. Forgetting the pain as soon as the wound heals.’

She scooped up a spoonful of congee and took a sip.

But... she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Yao Yuzhen had actually been willing to back down and act gentle, serving Shen Zhenwu tea and fussing over him every day, the divorce might never have happened.

She put down her spoon, wiped her mouth, and her gaze fell on the open notebook on the table.

"Xiao Li, you’ve been around Beijing for a long time and know a lot of people. I’m thinking of getting a storefront to sell clothes. Do you have any recommendations for a good location?"

She had thought it through. Sticking to her old profession was the safest bet.

She’d start by selling ready-made clothes from other suppliers. Once she was established, she would gradually introduce her own designs and find a factory to produce samples.

The initial financial pressure would be significant, but it was still better than rushing into a completely new venture.

She was planning out every step in her head, right down to what freebies to give out on opening day.

Xiao Li didn’t ask too many questions. After a moment of thought, he nodded. "The area on the back street behind Qingyuan Restaurant always has some empty shops, and the rent is reasonable. If you’re interested, I can take you for a walk to check it out after we eat."

"Deal! Let’s be quick about it. We’ll go as soon as we put our bowls down."

Meanwhile, Song Shuangshuang had been summoned by Yao Yuzhen first thing in the morning. After hearing a full recap of last night’s negotiations, her heart leaped into her throat.

She didn’t even bother to comb her hair, just grabbed her bag and rushed over to Sheng Hui’s house.

Sheng Zhanhong had already laid down the law for his son: he had to go to the Northwest. It was non-negotiable.

After delaying for so long, Sheng Hui ultimately couldn’t win against his father.

Today, the ticket had already been bought. He had to catch the green-skin train that afternoon.

Song Shuangshuang chased him all the way to the train station, burst into the waiting room in a flurry, and grabbed Sheng Hui’s wrist.

"Brother Hui! If you leave, what am I going to do?"

Sheng Hui looked down at her and was silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly. "What if... I pull some strings and bring you with me?"

Song Shuangshuang’s body stiffened, and her eyes instantly went wide. "Huh?!"

Her mind immediately conjured images of endless yellow dust and crooked, withered trees. Her throat tightened. "I heard that the wind kicks up sand all year round there, that you have to walk a long way just to fetch water for washing your face, and that taking a bath is an impossible luxury..."

Sheng Hui raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh.

"You’re right. I wasn’t thinking it through. You’re in Beijing with Aunt Liu to look after you. You don’t have to worry about food or clothing, and you’re safe. I’d feel more at ease that way, actually."

"But I really don’t want to be separated from you!"

Song Shuangshuang burst into tears with a WAIL, throwing herself at him and hugging his waist. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "If you go, how many more times will we get to see each other? I... I’m afraid I’ll never get married, that I won’t be able to wait for you to come back..."