Chapter Four: Many Imitators

Chen Xin knew that Yang Yi would start on the third day, as Tie Lei and his wife brought Yang Yi over to visit Chen Xin and wanted to confirm the exact working hours so they could arrange Yang Yi’s daily schedule.

When they arrived, Chen Xin was at home making radish cakes, while the chubby little Ezi was crawling around and playing on the living room floor.

The floor was covered with a thick rug handwoven by Chen Xin from old towels. After tying up the towels, it was about six or seven centimeters thick—plenty soft, so the little chubby one could roll around without worrying about catching a chill. With the warm air blower humming, the already mild weather felt even cozier.

Aunt Song, upon entering and seeing Chen Xin busy, quickly washed her hands and went to help cut the radish into shreds. Tie Lei, meanwhile, sat down on the soft couch with the shy Yang Yi, who was too nervous to relax.

“Tie Uncle, help yourself if you want a drink, and you too, Yang Yi, don’t be shy. And keep an eye on the little chubby one for me, will you?”

Chen Xin had moved the coffee table out to the balcony to leave the middle of the room open as a play area for Ezi, so he wouldn’t accidentally bump into the corners.

“Ezi, you have a big brother to play with now. Auntie’s going to make you some delicious radish cake, so be good, okay?”

After pinching the little one’s cheek, Chen Xin carried the mixing bowl into the kitchen. Soon after, her voice could be heard from inside, guiding Aunt Song through the process of making the cakes.

Radish cake is a famous snack from Guangdong, rarely seen in these parts. It was Aunt Song’s first time seeing someone make it.

Since Chen Xin hadn’t been able to buy any fresh shrimp, she used rehydrated and finely chopped dried shrimp instead. The white radish was cut into shreds, with mushrooms chopped up and added in. Then, diced Chinese sausage and a bit of fatty cured pork were stir-fried in a hot pan until they released their oil, followed by the mushrooms and dried shrimp, and finally the radish shreds. After stir-frying, plenty of liquid would be released; at this point, salt and pepper were added for flavor, then the pan was taken off the heat to cool.

Rice flour was mixed with a bit of wheat starch, then combined with the cooled radish mixture in a basin. After mixing well, the batter was poured into a lunch box and steamed until set.

“These can be sliced and eaten as is, or pan-fried after slicing for a different texture. They’re just right for eating plain, but if you want something spicy, you can dip them in chili sauce. They’re great with porridge—especially with fish or seafood congee.”

Since she hadn’t managed to get fresh seafood or boneless fish, and Ezi wasn’t eating meat yet, Chen Xin had prepared a pot of vegetable and pork bone congee.

Tie Lei and his wife had already eaten before coming, but Yang Yi, who was growing and had been very hungry before, was being carefully managed by Aunt Song—small portions, more frequent meals, until his stomach could handle more.

Seeing the chubby little one eating happily, Yang Yi couldn’t help but let out a loud rumble from his stomach, blushing beet red.

Chen Xin smiled discreetly and, when she came out of the kitchen, carried a bowl of congee and a plate with four slices of radish cake.

“It isn’t much, and there’s still some time before lunch. Yang Yi can eat a little—it’ll be fine.”

Aunt Song, knowing it wasn’t good to be too strict with children, took the food without hesitation and led Yang Yi to eat at the small side table. Yang Yi was embarrassed at first, but then the little one crawled over, hugged his leg, and tried to stuff an un-fried slice of radish cake into his mouth. To avoid being caught off guard, Yang Yi quickly took a bite from his own plate, which made the little one giggle, baring his tiny teeth.

“Tie Uncle, you can drop Yang Yi off at school in the morning. Aunt Song can come and help me. Our breakfast shop opens early and wraps up by around 11:00. In the afternoon, you’ll need to help prep ingredients for the next day. It’ll be a bit tough, but in the morning, please go to the market early to buy groceries.”

“That’s no problem. I’ll come early to open up. Once Old Tie has bought the groceries, he can go home and get Yang Yi ready for school, then come back and help. I went to check out the shop today—it has a freezer, so we can prep the next day’s food in advance as semi-finished products. That way, we won’t be so rushed in the morning.”

Chen Xin had already discussed her plan with Aunt Song. Her breakfast menu was different from traditional fare—most of it was semi-finished and cooked to order, which required a certain level of skill.

Aunt Song wasn’t ready to be the main cook, so she handled all the support tasks. Every morning, after Chen Xin brought the child downstairs and settled him in the back room of the shop, she would sell breakfast out front. Once everything was sold, Aunt Song and Tie Uncle would clean up and prepare ingredients for the next day.

While the three adults discussed business, Ezi and Yang Yi played with toys on the floor. Yang Yi was careful with the little one, never minding when he drooled, and kept wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.

“Have you sorted out Yang Yi’s school?” Chen Xin asked, watching the two children play. “He should be in fifth grade, right? Will he be able to enroll this spring?”

“No problem. Yesterday we spoke with the principal of the factory’s school. Principal Chen agreed to admit him as a visiting student, though he’ll have to return to his home district to take the exams. For junior high, it should be even easier—the teacher my son had is now the junior high principal, so we can ask for a favor and probably get another visiting student slot.”

Chen Xin nodded. Since they had already made arrangements, she had no need to offer any more advice. Even if they needed help, there wasn’t much she could do at this point, and it would only make things awkward.

It was obvious, though, that since the couple had taken Yang Yi in, they both seemed to have regained their spirits. Their hair was still graying, but they no longer looked so dejected, and they walked with their backs straight again.

There were always people around with something to say, but the Tie couple had a reputation for being upright and well-liked. Their old friends and colleagues were happy to see them energized again.

With so many laid-off workers these days, and some even facing company bankruptcies, just a few years ago people thought the sky was falling. Now, though, everyone had started to adapt, and those with any skills were opening up small businesses. In their residential area, small eateries and street carts filled two whole streets.

What’s more, their community was close to a university, and not every student could afford restaurant meals. In terms of purchasing power, the students were actually the core clientele.

This was exactly the market Chen Xin targeted. The other shops nearby were all dingy eateries, but her breakfast shop was bright and clean, with the kitchen separated by glass so customers could see everything being made. She couldn’t guarantee all the ingredients were premium brands, but at the very least, none were dubious “three-no” products or gutter oil.

Chen Xin’s main offering resembled the hand-held pancakes that would eventually take the country by storm, except she used thick spring roll wrappers. On a small stove, Tie Uncle, dressed in a clean chef’s coat, hat, and mask, expertly cooked the wrappers on a griddle.

The fillings were neatly arranged in clean stainless steel bowls on the counter. Seasonings, both spicy and mild, were pre-mixed. Aunt Song would quickly toss the chosen filling, wrap it in a spring roll wrapper, and hand it over in a small food bag. The bags kept the sauces from dripping on clothes and meant customers didn’t have to eat with their hands, avoiding a mess. There were also ready-made eight-treasure porridge, black rice porridge, vegetable congee, and soy milk, all served in sealed milk-tea cups—with a thick straw, it was quick and convenient.

The couple made spring rolls, while Chen Xin handled a simplified version of hand-held pancakes, steamed Malay cake, radish cake, and more. She also had siu mai ready in steaming baskets, with plump little soup buns steaming alongside—these could all be prepped ahead and just needed steaming.

Additionally, Chen Xin prepared sandwich ingredients. Customers could choose their own fillings, though options were limited: potato, beef, or ham sandwiches.

Most of the spring rolls and soup dumplings were sold to local residents and commuters, but sandwiches were clearly popular with students. Their orders were sizable, with each student often buying several for roommates and friends. Sometimes, everything was sold out before nine in the morning.

From the opening in February to the first of May, in just three months, Chen Xin had managed to recoup almost all her initial investment.

Even Tie Uncle and Aunt Song were surprised that a breakfast shop could be so profitable.

Of course, now several similar breakfast shops had sprung up nearby. After all, what Chen Xin was making wasn’t complicated; after watching a few times and tasting it, anyone could figure it out. The only difference was in the seasoning, but most people didn’t fuss over such details.

“What should we do now? There aren’t as many customers as before,” Aunt Song worried, her brow furrowing as she watched shops on both sides compete for their business.