The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 776 The People of Old Liu's Village on the West Bank!
Compared to the bustling urban business district on the east bank of the river, the old town of Liujiazhuang on the west bank is just as prosperous.

South Street on the west bank of the river has now become one of the four major commercial districts of Yanjing (old Beijing), covering a vast area and known as the "Golden Street".

On weekdays, the place is bustling with visitors, numbering between 30 and 40, while on holidays the crowds surge to over a million.

Shops are scattered along both sides of the street, including well-known shopping malls such as "Jingxi Department Store", "RT-Mart" and Oriental Plaza, providing citizens with a pleasant shopping and leisure environment.

At the same time, this is also a must-visit place for tourists from other places to Yanjing, and an excellent place to experience the charm of the ancient capital and the prosperity of modern times.

As night falls, South Street takes on a different look.

The neon lights illuminated the entire street as if it were daytime, and the colorful signs shimmered with an alluring light, attracting passersby to stop and look.

Near South Street is a famous food street, where the aroma of snack stalls wafts through the air. From traditional Beijing-style fried noodles, braised pork offal, and roast duck to modern desserts, there is something for everyone, making passersby drool and unable to move on.

On the top floor of the "Jingxi Department Store", a newly opened Western restaurant with a view has become a popular choice for couples' dates.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can overlook the bustling scene of the entire South Street, and in the distance you can see the skyscrapers on the east bank of the river. The blend of ancient and modern scenery is breathtaking.

Every weekend, various cultural activities are held in the square in the center of South Street.

Sometimes it's traditional opera performances, sometimes it's modern band performances, attracting citizens of all ages to come and watch.

Elderly people sat on benches fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans, while children played by the fountain, creating a vivid scene of everyday life.

It is also worth mentioning that South Street has attracted many century-old brands from Yanjing to set up shop there.

These quaint shops stand side-by-side with modern shopping malls, complementing each other perfectly.

Among them, "Zhouji Silk Shop" was the first to come to Liujiazhuang to develop in the 1970s. The current head of the business is Zhou Yiming, who returned to take over the family business after graduating from university.

Zhou Yiming modernized the management of Zhouji, making the business of "Zhouji" increasingly prosperous.

Sometimes, the talkative Zhou Yiming would introduce the products to customers while telling tourists about the vicissitudes of this old street over the decades.

Across from Zhouji Silk Shop, there is an inconspicuous secondhand bookstore. The owner, Lao Zhang, is the "know-it-all" of South Street. There is nothing about Liujiazhuang that he doesn't know, even after decades of running around.

He always said, "I've watched Liujiazhuang grow from a young age."

Although his family's bookstore is inconspicuous, it is very famous in the Yanjing secondhand book market.

The bookshelves on the second floor of the bookstore are piled high with old books and periodicals, many of which are out of print, some of which were printed in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Scholars often come here specifically to look up information.

Old Zhang is a chatterbox. When he meets visitors from out of town, if they get along well, the hospitable Old Zhang will brew a pot of jasmine tea and tell them about the history of Liujiazhuang.

Once, Old Zhang pointed out the window and said to a guest, "Do you see that crooked locust tree outside the window? When my whole family moved to Liujiazhuang in 1965, this tree was already here and had a history of a hundred years."

When I was a child, I was very naughty and would often climb up this tree to play.

One summer, right after it rained, I climbed up the tree to catch cicadas. But the trunk was so slippery after the rain that I slipped and fell down..."

"Oh dear! Mr. Zhang, are you alright back then?" the customer exclaimed in surprise. The tree was quite tall; a child had fallen from it, and the outcome...

"How could I be alright? I fell and was bleeding profusely from my head, and I was unconscious."

Back then, we didn't have the advanced medical conditions we have today. I was lucky to have survived because Grandpa Liu personally intervened..."

"And who is this old master of the Liu family?"

"Hey, to talk about this old master Liu, we have to start with the history of Liu Family Village..."

During each lunar calendar solar term, South Street always presents a unique scene.

During the Qingming Festival, the chefs at the time-honored brand "Dehezhai" will make qingtuan (green glutinous rice dumplings) on site, and the fragrance of mugwort will fill the whole street.
On the winter solstice, the roast duck chefs of Quanjude will perform their amazing duck-slicing skills at the store entrance, with the duck meat as thin as cicada wings drawing cheers from passersby.

The busiest time is before the Spring Festival, when shops along the street hang big red lanterns and paper-cutting artist Grandpa Wang sets up a stall in the square. A set of "Havoc in Heaven" that he cuts by hand can sell for thousands of yuan.

The lively scenes of these traditional festivals always evoke fond memories for the long-time residents.

Every evening, Aunt Li, who is over sixty years old, goes for a walk with her neighbors. They love to stroll along South Street.

She always liked to stop at the entrance of "Dehezhai" and look at the new pastries in the shop window. She would say to the neighbors, "When I first married into Liujiazhuang in 1966, this shop was a village-run enterprise and just a small workshop with two storefronts."

The mornings on South Street have a unique charm.

As dawn broke, steam rose from the steamers of the breakfast stalls on the food street, and the aroma of soy milk and fried dough sticks filled the morning mist.

Elderly people carrying birdcages chatted in the park.

As sanitation worker Mr. Wang swept the street, he greeted familiar shop owners. He had worked on this street for over 20 years and could remember the pattern of every single paving stone clearly.

On South Street in the early morning, the most eye-catching sight is the long queue in front of "Old Liu's Tofu Pudding" stall.

This tofu shop is a time-honored brand that has been passed down for five generations; their ancestors have been making tofu in the village for generations.

Their tofu is exceptional; the tofu pudding made with their family's secret brine is as smooth and silky as cream, and paired with their secret sauce, it makes many office workers willing to get up half an hour earlier just to have a bowl.

Stall owner Liu Yuancai always greets regular customers with a smile: "Accountant Wang, double the cilantro again today? Teacher Li, please add extra chili!"

Don't let his unassuming appearance fool you; those who know him well know that he's a member of the Liu family, with considerable wealth. His annual dividends from the family business alone are enough to make some private business owners worth hundreds of millions green with envy.

Although he was a hidden tycoon, Liu Yuancai still insisted on working and setting up his stall with his employees every day for decades without fail.

In his words, he believes in loving what you do and that he has spent his whole life working with tofu.

A long queue formed in front of Liu Yuancai's tofu shop, with old neighbors chatting while waiting for their tofu.

Grandma Zhang, a retired cadre, said with a smile while carrying a bamboo basket: "The tofu from Boss Liu's shop is something my grandson misses even while studying abroad."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuancai smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits, but his work didn't slow down at all.

Turning the corner, Manager Hu of the 30-year-old tea shop "Chunmingxuan" was directing his staff to unload newly arrived pre-Qingming Longjing tea.

Under a large tree near the shop entrance, several retired professors from a nearby university were engrossed in a game of chess, while the aroma of Tieguanyin tea wafted from a purple clay teapot beside the chessboard.

Wiping his sweat, Manager Hu said to the chess players, "Yesterday, we received a batch of Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea. Why don't you gentlemen come over at noon and have a taste?"

"Hmm, this tea is good, I should try it."

Professor Pan Weimin of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine's eyes lit up upon hearing this. A tea connoisseur, he decided to stop playing altogether. He tossed aside his chess pieces and said, "I'm done playing. Let's go have some tea. It's on me today..."

Professor Ma from the College of Agriculture, sitting opposite Professor Pan, pointed at him and laughed, "You old Pan, you're about to lose, and you're taking advantage of the situation to cheat!"

"Hahaha..." A group of guys burst into laughter.

Inside Chunmingxuan, several elderly professors were enjoying the newly arrived Lapsang Souchong.

Professor Pan took a sip, squinting as he savored the aroma of the tea: "Hmm, the tea soup is bright orange-yellow, with the fragrance of pine smoke and the sweetness of longan. It is indeed a fine tea from Tongmu Pass." Shopkeeper Hu nodded with a smile: "Old Pan, you are truly an expert. I only managed to get this batch of tea through old connections."

"Old Hu, you wrap up the rest for me. I'll take all the tea," Professor Pan said with a smile.

"Hey! You old codger, are you trying to hog all the food again? What do you mean you're going to eat it all? What about the rest of us?" Old Ma said unhappily.

"Old Hu doesn't have any good tea here, so if you want something else, just buy some!"

"Look at this old man, is he even speaking human language?"

"..."

As the sun rises higher, South Street begins to awaken.

Old Zhao, the postman, rode his new electric bicycle through the crowd, honking his horn. His basket was full of newspapers and magazines subscribed to by nearby residents.

He would always stop at the entrance of Zhouji Silk Shop and personally hand over the Business Weekly that Zhou Yiming had subscribed to.

Postman Lao Zhao has also come into a good life, because he no longer needs to deliver mail by bicycle. His ride has been replaced by the "Yanshan" brand electric bicycle, which was just launched last year by "Liujiazhuang Electric Vehicle Group". It is not only fast, but also does not require oil.

Old Zhao is also an old man in Liujiazhuang. He came to work in Liujiazhuang when the post office was first established. Unfortunately, he suffered from his lack of education, and after so many years he is still just an ordinary postman.

When people who knew him met him, they greeted him and joked, "Hey, Lao Zhao, you've upgraded from a slingshot to a cannon and are now riding an electric scooter?"

Old Zhao often joked, "That's right, this electric bike was developed by our Liujiazhuang Electric Bike Factory. You can't find it anywhere else!" As he spoke, he patted the seat, his face beaming with pride.

After delivering the last item, postman Lao Zhao parked his electric bike in front of the No. 9 branch of "He's Restaurant".

Store manager Qin Shulian personally came out to greet him and handed him a cup of iced tea: "Uncle Zhao, it's hot, why don't you rest for a while before you leave!"

Old Zhao wiped his sweat and laughed, "Manager Qin, you're too kind. At lunchtime, the aroma of your restaurant's food fills the whole street. I just came back after delivering this and had a bite to eat."

"Haha... Alright, what would you like to eat? I'll have the kitchen prepare it for you." Qin Shu replied with a smile.

Old Zhao replied, "The usual three dishes, braised pork, dried shrimp and cucumber, and a pot of 'Taihang' liquor. I'm off this afternoon, so I can have a drink..."

"Alright!" Qin Shulian nodded with a smile, watching the postman, Old Zhao, ride away on his "Yanshan" brand electric bike.

Qin Shuping thought to herself, "Hey! Electric bikes are really convenient."

You can ride it by simply twisting your right hand, and it doesn't need gasoline; it only needs to be charged to run, and the speed isn't even full. Maybe next time we go back to Qinjiazhuang, I should buy one for Old Qin too?

"Liujiazhuang Electric Vehicle Group" is a newly established group formed by the merger of the former "Liujiazhuang Bicycle Factory" and "Jingxi Motorcycle Group". The current person in charge of the group is Yan Jiekuang.

Yan Jiekuang's life trajectory was completely different from that of his two older brothers.

During his middle school years, the Yan family's financial situation gradually improved, which laid a good foundation for his later studies.

With his excellent grades, he was admitted to a prestigious university and gained valuable opportunities to study abroad.

After completing his studies and returning to China, he joined the renowned "Liu's Investment Group," thus beginning his professional career.

After twenty years of unremitting efforts, Yan Jiekuang, with his outstanding business acumen and management skills, gradually rose to become a core member of the management team of this financial giant.

Three years ago, in order to adapt to the new era of development, "Liujiazhuang Bicycle Factory" and "Jingxi Motorcycle Group" underwent strategic restructuring. Yan Jiekuang, with his rich industry experience and outstanding leadership ability, was unanimously elected by the board of directors to be the helmsman of the new group.

Today, under the leadership of Yan Jiekuang, this large enterprise group, which integrates the research and development and manufacturing of motorcycles, electric vehicles and bicycles, has a market value of over 10 billion yuan and has become a leading enterprise in the industry.

Yan Jiekuang's success was not accidental.

Every morning at six o'clock, he would appear on time at the gym in the group's headquarters, exercise for a while, and then go to the group's canteen for breakfast, a habit he had maintained for fifteen years.

On the wall of his office hangs a calligraphy scroll with the four characters "Heaven rewards diligence," which was personally inscribed by Liu Zhiye when he joined the company.

In Nanluoguxiang and even Jiaodaokou, Yan Jiekuang has become a new generation of legend, just like the catering king He Yuzhu and real estate tycoon Xu Damao in earlier years.

The poor boy who went to school wearing patched clothes and carrying a tattered schoolbag has now become a business tycoon.

Speaking of He Yuzhu, he is now a remarkable figure in Beijing's business circles.

This man was originally a cook at the "Red Star Steel Rolling Mill" and later became the canteen director.

Despite having such a secure job, He Yuzhu resigned in the early 1980s to start his own private restaurant.

He Yuzhu's entrepreneurial story is legendary. He took over three storefronts in Jiaodaokou and opened the first "He's Restaurant".

At that time, it was the early stage of reform and opening up, and there were almost no private restaurants in Beijing. He Yuzhu's restaurant quickly became popular with its authentic home-style dishes and affordable prices.

The most famous dish at "He's Restaurant" is "He's Braised Pork Belly". It is made with the finest pork belly and slow-cooked for four hours using a family secret recipe. It melts in your mouth but is not greasy.

This dish not only received rave reviews from the locals, but also attracted many diners who came specifically to try it.

He Yuzhu often says, "Cooking is like being a person; it's all about being honest and down-to-earth." It is this honesty and down-to-earth attitude that has made his business grow bigger and bigger.

By the late 1980s, He Yuzhu had developed the restaurant into a chain catering enterprise with eight branches.

However, he still maintains the habit of personally going to the market to select ingredients every morning and strictly controls the quality of each dish.

Today, "He's Catering Group" has become a benchmark in Beijing's catering industry, and He Yuzhu has transformed from an ordinary chef into a catering tycoon with a net worth of over one billion yuan.

He Yuzhu was also known as real estate tycoon Xu Damao.

This shrewd man, who used to work in a steel rolling mill, resigned in the early 1980s and went to the south to look for opportunities. In Bao County, he keenly seized the business opportunities in the real estate industry.

He initially contracted several old house renovation projects, and later gradually developed into a large real estate company integrating development, sales and property management.

Xu Damao's proudest project is the upscale residential area located in the high-tech development zone of Liujiazhuang.

The design of this community perfectly blends traditional architectural styles with modern living needs, making it another representative work of high-end residences in Beijing.

Xu Damao often told his subordinates, "Building a house is not like stacking building blocks; it must stand the test of time." He personally participated in the design review of each project, and his pursuit of detail was almost obsessive.

It is this meticulous attitude that has enabled "Xu's Real Estate" to remain invincible in the fierce market competition.

The sound of Peking Opera drifted from the second floor of the silk shop; it was Old Master Zhou practicing his singing along with the radio.

In the secondhand bookstore across the street, Old Zhang was wearing reading glasses and repairing a copy of "The Chronicles of Yanjing" from the Guangxu era.

The wooden stairs creaked as a young man wearing glasses came up and timidly asked, "Do you have a bound volume of 'Folk Literature' from the 1980s?"

Old Zhang's eyes lit up: "What a coincidence! I just bought one last month. Wait a minute, I'll go get it for you."

(End of this chapter)