Chapter 9: Harvest

After stepping out of the security booth, Chen Bingwen and Gao Zhenhai quickly set up their stall in the corner on the east side.

Gao Zhenhai nimbly hung up the sign that read "Chen's Secret Recipe Sweet Soup," while Chen Bingwen lifted the lid of the insulated bucket. A rich, nutty aroma of sesame immediately permeated the air.

"Brother Wen, is this spot really okay?" Gao Zhenhai wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking around with some concern. "It's a bit far from the factory gate."

Chen Bingwen smiled confidently. "Don't worry. There are over two thousand workers in this area. As long as our sweet soup is good enough, we won't have to worry about a lack of customers."

As he spoke, the lunch break bell rang out suddenly. Workers in blue uniforms began to pour out of the building one after another.

Chen Bingwen took a deep breath and called out, "Chen's Secret Recipe Sweet Soup! Freshly made red bean paste and black sesame soup!"

His voice immediately caught the attention of the workers.

"Hey? Isn't that the young man who sells sweet soup over by Huafeng?" a middle-aged worker wearing glasses asked his companion in surprise. "I went to Huafeng to visit a fellow villager last week and tried their red bean paste—it tasted authentic! I didn't expect them to be selling over here today. We're in for a treat."

With that, he pulled his companion toward the stall.

"Little boss, give me a red bean paste combo and him a black sesame soup combo." The bespectacled man took out his wallet, looking rather impatient. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I had it last time. I was even wondering when I'd get the chance to go back to Huafeng!"

"Thank you for your business, sir," Chen Bingwen said with a cheerful smile as he collected the money.

Gao Zhenhai quickly ladled out two steaming bowls of sweet soup and served them with a side of savory deep-fried dumplings.

The man with glasses took the bowl, took a large gulp without waiting, and squinted in satisfaction. "This is the taste! Sweet with a hint of salt, rich in bean flavor—much better than the regular sweet soup shops!"

His companion tasted the black sesame soup and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! This sesame soup is rich, smooth, and has a faint hint of almond. It’s perfect!"

Their praise drew the attention of more workers. In less than five minutes, a long line had formed in front of the stall.

The Chen's Sweet Soup stall was meticulous about both their ingredients and their preparation. Furthermore, with the flavors modified by Chen Bingwen, the soup perfectly suited the dietary preferences of people in this era.

Watching the rapidly growing line, the corners of Chen Bingwen's mouth curled upward. Many workers in the queue had been attracted by the praise of the customers ahead of them; this word-of-mouth effect was even better than he had anticipated.

In less than half an hour, all six buckets of sweet soup were sold out.

On the way back, Gao Zhenhai pushed the tricycle, excitedly telling Chen Bingwen, "Brother Wen, business was booming today! We sold out of all six buckets in less than half an hour."

Chen Bingwen nodded and smiled. "The lunch break is too short. After working all morning, the workers are tired—who would want to go out of their way to find a sweet soup shop? By bringing the soup directly to them, we save them time, and they get to enjoy a delicious treat. Naturally, business is going to be good!"

"You're so clever to have come up with this idea," Gao Zhenhai said, looking at Chen Bingwen with admiration.

"Ah Hai, as long as you observe more and learn more, you can do it too," Chen Bingwen said, smiling to encourage him.

When they returned to the shop, Wang Qiaozhen and Auntie Zhang had already prepared lunch and were waiting for them to arrive so they could eat. Chen Guofu and A-Mei had already returned, as the Huafeng Garment Factory was closer.

Seeing Chen Bingwen and Gao Zhenhai return, A-Mei immediately ran up to them, excitedly chattering about their sales. "Brother Wen, Brother, guess how much we sold today? A full six buckets, and there were still many workers who didn't get any."

Gao Zhenhai affectionately ruffled his sister's hair. "We didn't do badly either; our six buckets were all sold out as well."

Chen Bingwen looked at the siblings' interaction, his lips curving into a smile of their own accord.

After lunch, Gao Zhenhai and his sister and Auntie Zhang went home to rest. Chen Bingwen’s family of three sat around the small table in the sweet soup shop, beginning to count the day's earnings.

Chen Guofu carefully took out stacks of crumpled banknotes from his money belt and laid them neatly on the table. Wang Qiaozhen held the ledger, recording each transaction one by one.

"We sold six buckets at Huafeng, earning 1,260 yuan," Chen Guofu said while counting the money. "It was six buckets at Lai Chi Kok as well, totaling 1,120 yuan... adding it all up, that's 2,380 yuan..."

Wang Qiaozhen’s fingers moved rapidly across the abacus, and she whispered in astonishment, "After deducting costs... we made a net profit of over 1,300 today!"

The figure left the elderly couple feeling dazed. Only a week ago, the daily turnover of the Chen's Sweet Soup shop was less than 100 yuan, and they were often failing to make ends meet. Now, they had earned in half a day what used to take half a month.

"Mom, how much money does the family have in total now?" Chen Bingwen asked with a smile, seeing his parents' surprised expressions.

"Excluding the expenses from this period, including today's earnings, we have over 5,600, almost 6,000. Why, do you need money?" Wang Qiaozhen asked after doing a quick mental calculation.

"The speed of making money is still too slow!" Chen Bingwen sighed inwardly. However, he kept a smile on his face and said, "I have some ideas, but I need to understand the situation a bit better before I decide."

"Sure, just let me know when you need the money," Wang Qiaozhen said without hesitation. Although she was the one managing the family's money, Chen Bingwen's recent performance had earned the trust of the entire family.

Chen Bingwen nodded, but his mind was racing. 5,600 yuan was a significant sum in Hong Kong in 1978, but it was far from his goal. Not to mention the long term, he needed sufficient capital to seize more opportunities during the upcoming economic boom. Even in the short term, the rent for the sweet soup shop and the wages for Gao Zhenhai and the others would total over 7,000 yuan. Fortunately, there were still twenty days left until the end of the month; at the current rate of profit, it would be enough to cover those costs.

In the afternoon, Chen Guofu and Wang Qiaozhen prepared the ingredients for the next day. Chen Bingwen went to help, but his mother pushed him aside. "Go, go, go! We'll handle this manual labor; you go and get some rest."

Watching his parents' busy figures, Chen Bingwen felt both warmth and a touch of bitterness. In his previous life, he was an orphan and had never experienced the happiness of being unconditionally supported by a family. Now that he had been given a second chance at life, he was determined not only to bring the Chen's Sweet Soup shop back from the dead but also to ensure his parents lived a life of abundance and comfort.

With nothing else to do, Chen Bingwen went to the newsstand on the corner.

"Ah Wen, why haven't you come to buy the newspaper these past few days?" Old Man Fu, who sold the papers, greeted him warmly the moment he saw him.

Chen Bingwen smiled and handed over some change. "I've been busy at the shop lately and haven't had time to read. Old Man Fu, give me a copy of the newspapers from the last few days."

Old Man Fu nimbly pulled out several papers. "You're a promising young man! You know how to help your parents. My own good-for-nothing son is never even seen around here."

Chen Bingwen smiled modestly. "Brother Sheng is very filial to you!"

Old Man Fu's son, Ah Sheng, was two years older than Chen Bingwen and had joined a gang early on, gaining some notoriety in the Sham Shui Po area. For young men in Sham Shui Po, the choices were usually to work in a factory or join a gang; it was rare to see someone like Chen Bingwen running a legitimate business.

Old Man Fu sighed and handed the papers to Chen Bingwen. "If only Ah Sheng were half as sensible as you."

Since it involved gang matters, Chen Bingwen didn't want to say too much. He took the papers and asked casually, "Old Man Fu, any fresh news lately?"

As the "Know-it-all" of Guilin Street, Chen Bingwen’s question hit the nail on the head for Old Man Fu. He immediately perked up, adjusted his reading glasses, and said, "I heard the colonial government is going to develop the New Territories! Many real estate developers are scrambling for land!"

As he spoke, to add credibility to the news, Old Man Fu pointed to the headline on the newspaper. "Look, Mr. Li from Cheung Kong Holdings has just acquired another plot of land."