Early the next morning, Li Yi got up to find his parents already out working in the fields.
After washing up and grabbing a quick bite, he started his preparations.
Nianzi Mountain Village was a full 15 kilometers from the county town, and it would take at least two hours by mule cart. To reach the county before noon, he'd need to have the cold noodles ready and all the side dishes cut within two hours.
Fortunately, he was already well-practiced at this, and it didn't take long for him to finish.
Once everything was loaded onto the mule cart, Li Yi set off straight for the county town.
Driving along the dusty rural road, watching the lush crops on either side and breathing in the freshest air nature had to offer, Li Yi felt incredibly uplifted.
Though he was currently poor, even lacking a dime to his name, his spirit was brimming with hope and purpose.
Thinking back to his previous life, he had built his own business empire, with assets peaking in the billions. Yet, late at night, the guilt over Tang Xue and the child he never got to meet would gnaw at his heart. Despite the fame and fortune, the loneliness and remorse left him feeling empty, forever grappling with regret.
But now, Tang Xue was still alive, and if all went well, she was already carrying his child. There was still a chance to make things right.
At 11 a.m., Li Yi arrived at the county town. But instead of heading to the city center, he directed the cart to the entrance of the county's sugar factory.
The county town had a decent population, but this was only the start of the new economic reform era, and Qingshan County, located in a remote inland area, still held very conservative views. Individual businesses were still not widely accepted.
Setting up a food stall in the city center would risk him getting caught.
The sugar factory, on the other hand, was a different story. While located on the outskirts, the factory employed seven or eight hundred workers. These were formal employees, earning a monthly wage of thirty to forty yuan, giving them strong purchasing power.
More importantly, Li Yi knew the sugar factory didn't have a staff cafeteria, so workers either brought meals from home or had to go back home to eat.
With a safe environment and a customer base, this was the perfect spot for his stall.
Finding a suitable spot, Li Yi set up the cold noodles, side dishes, and condiments on the cart, then waited for his customers.
At 11:50 a.m., a crisp bell sounded, signaling the end of the work shift, and workers began to exit the factory!
Li Yi perked up, feeling like his business empire was about to take its first step from this small factory gate.
A few minutes later, workers began to trickle out through the factory entrance.
Seizing the moment, Li Yi called out loudly, "Authentic Qin-style cold noodles, only twenty cents a serving, first come, first served!"
"Don't miss out, authentic Qin-style cold noodles, tasty and refreshing!"
"For just twenty cents, you're not losing a thing but gaining a cool, delicious cold noodle…"
The unusual hawking quickly drew a crowd, and as people caught sight of the cold noodles and the array of side dishes on the cart, several couldn't help but swallow in anticipation.
Finally, someone gave in. A middle-aged man asked, "Young man, what's this food? I've never seen it before."
"Big Bro, this delicacy is called liangpi, the most famous and classic summer treat from Qin Province, guaranteed to make you come back for more!" Li Yi replied with a grin.
"How much is it?"
"With soup and toppings, it's twenty cents plus two ounces of ration tickets per serving!"
"Twenty cents and ration tickets too? That's a bit steep, don't you think?"
"Big Bro, it takes a whole pound of wheat flour to make one serving of liangpi. The supply store sells wheat flour at sixteen cents per pound. Add in the other ingredients, and you tell me if twenty cents is unreasonable," Li Yi explained.
"Now that you put it that way, it's actually fair. Alright, give me one to try!"
"Coming right up! Just a moment, please!"
Li Yi deftly lifted a large piece of liangpi from the tray, then sliced it into strips on the cutting board. He mixed in various seasonings and topped it with a small scoop of chili oil.
He placed the liangpi into a bamboo tube, handed it to the middle-aged man, and passed him a pair of bamboo chopsticks.
The man skillfully pulled out two ten-cent bills and a local ration ticket for two ounces of grain, then squatted next to the mule cart and began to eat.
After only a couple of bites, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Kid, you're good! This flavor is amazing!"
"Thanks for the compliment, Big Bro. When it's hot out, I wouldn't trade liangpi for even a pork knuckle!" Li Yi replied with a grin.
"Is it really that good? I'll have one too…"
"Me too…"
Following the man's lead, within ten minutes, all 62 portions of liangpi that Li Yi had brought were sold out. The demand was unbelievable.
After promising the workers he'd be back the next day with more liangpi, Li Yi finally broke free from their enthusiastic "encirclement."
On the mule cart, Li Yi counted the cash and sorted out the ration tickets.
As he finished tallying his earnings, a satisfied smile crept onto his face.
Twelve yuan and forty cents, plus 12.4 pounds of grain tickets!
The profit was astronomical!
To put it into perspective, a pound of wheat flour cost sixteen cents and could make about five servings of liangpi. Selling each serving at twenty cents meant he could earn a yuan from that pound, with vegetables and chili grown at home at no extra cost.
In other words, with a mere sixteen cents' worth of ingredients, he had sold a yuan's worth of food, netting a profit margin of 625%!
And this business required no rent, utilities, or employees. It was practically like filling bags with money.
Given how popular the liangpi had been today, it was clear that a few dozen portions wouldn't satisfy demand. Li Yi decided to make a larger batch for tomorrow.
However, he'd almost used up the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar at home. He decided to head to the supply store to stock up on ingredients first.
The supply store was located in the main area of the county town, about five or six miles from the sugar factory.
As he rode along, Li Yi took in the low, run-down houses lining the muddy, littered streets. It was hard to reconcile this with the image of the same area in the future—a national top-tier county with tall buildings, wide roads, and clean streets.
Then again, it was the early days of the economic reform. The constraints of the planned economy were still firmly in place, and more importantly, Qingshan County's coal industry, its future economic lifeline, lay hidden underground. It made sense that the economy hadn't taken off yet.
When he arrived at the supply store, it was bustling, with mule carts and bicycles parked all around the entrance.
Squeezing his way inside, Li Yi found a clerk to ask about the prices of oil, salt, and vinegar. Prices were reasonable, but everything required ration tickets, which was frustrating.
Despite having money in hand, many things simply couldn't be bought without tickets.
Reluctantly, Li Yi spent two yuan and eight cents on twelve pounds of flour and two large twisted dough sticks before leaving the store.