I’m a Cute Little Koi [9]

Over the next year, time passed at a steady pace.

Every day, Yin Minglu and Yin Yujiao carried warm lunch boxes, waking up before dawn to go to the town for their studies. Initially, the journey took two hours each day through the mountainous roads. Despite the hardship, Grandma Luo couldn’t do much, as education conditions were tough in those days.

At some point, Fu Peian got wind of their situation and sent a brand-new bicycle from Beijing, leaving the villagers in awe. From then on, Yin Yujiao rode the bike while Xiao Bao sat on the back seat, significantly shortening their commute.

By the time they reached school, the lunch was still warm, and Yin Yujiao managed to spend an extra half-hour reading compared to her classmates, improving her academic performance even further.

As a token of gratitude, Yin Minglu, who had learned to write, personally penned a long thank-you letter to the young man. Upon receiving it, the young man couldn’t help but read it repeatedly. He carefully placed it in an exquisite box along with the letters the other party had previously sent, and even added a lock to safeguard it.

Previously, Yin Yujiao had been the ghostwriter, and there was always some distance between them, even in their correspondence. Now that Xiao Bao could write, although his handwriting was far from the graceful and elegant style of his sister Yin Yujiao, it had a unique personal touch. For instance, if he didn’t know how to write a certain character, he would spell it out in pinyin or draw a circle. Sometimes, Yin Yujiao couldn’t decipher what her brother had written, but magically, the young man understood at a glance, feeling a sense of familiarity and fondness.

Xiao Bao: The little plum blossoms in our village have bloomed! They’re so beautiful! (Pressed a dried plum blossom in the envelope)

Fu Peian: That must be a breathtaking sight. Remember to wear warm clothes and don’t catch a cold. (Received a plum blossom bookmark x1)

Xiao Bao: Great~

Xiao Bao: My family makes delicious meat sauce. I’ve already asked my uncle to send you two bottles. It’s a unique secret recipe passed down from our ancestors. Give it a try and see if you like it. If you think it’s good, I hope my uncle and aunt don’t have to work in the fields anymore and can engage in the family meat sauce business. (Sending two bottles of meat sauce)

Fu Peian: Received them, and after a taste, I indeed find it delicious. Fragrant but not greasy, spicy but not choking. I see a promising market for this sauce. Please be careful not to disclose the secret recipe.

Xiao Bao: Really? Wow, hahaha! (Overjoyed, sends another five or six bottles)

In Beijing, the Fu family.

The Fu family’s youngest daughter, Fu Jiashan, was enjoying her Western-style lunch when she noticed her second brother receiving a dusty large package from the mailman at the door. Immediately curious, she set down her knife and fork, leaned out, and sweetly inquired, “Brother, what did that country girl send you this time?”

At his words, the young man shot her a cold glance, evaded her hand, and continued to open the package. As expected, he found several bottles of meat sauce, enough to last an ordinary family for an entire year. Fortunately, the meat sauce was well-sealed and didn’t appear to be spoiled.

“Oh, it’s meat sauce.” The young girl’s eyes flashed with disdain. She adjusted her plain dress casually and said indifferently, “As expected from a rural person, exuding the air of a poor, rustic household. How can you send such homemade crude things as gifts?”

The Fu family originally made a fortune through military achievements. Later, due to the turbulent national situation, they became involved in political struggles to secure their safety. Consequently, they transitioned their entire family business into commerce, and it thrived remarkably. The current head of the Fu family, who married the stunning beauty Shen Qin two decades ago, had a happy and harmonious marriage. They had three sons and one daughter before the implementation of the national family planning policy.

Shen Qin, when she was young, was a renowned beauty in Beijing, equally known for her talent and charm. Even the preserved black-and-white photos from that time could still mesmerize viewers today. Therefore, the three sons and one daughter born from her were all exceptionally good-looking.

Among them, the most outstanding in appearance was the second son, Fu Peian. Consequently, he was most favored by the family head, who intended to pass on the position of heir to him. This led to some disharmony among the siblings in the Fu family. Regarding the recent kidnapping incident, each family member knew who was behind it, but they refrained from escalating the situation.

In the eyes of the young girl, her older brother seemed to have fallen for a rural girl named Xiao Bao after an incident involving falling into the water. They often exchanged letters, and recently, he even bought a Yongxin brand bicycle for the girl. This was a type of bicycle that would take at least four months of not eating or drinking for an employee in a state-owned enterprise, earning a monthly salary of just over forty yuan, to afford.

Upon hearing that someone worked hard climbing mountains, he immediately bought the bicycle. However, when this younger sister of his saw a beautiful pair of foreign leather shoes in a large shopping mall, priced at only two hundred yuan, he refused without hesitation. The differential treatment left the younger girl displeased, but she had no choice. After all, her second brother miraculously survived the recent cross-province kidnapping case. Despite the police reporting it beyond forty-eight hours, and the kidnappers claiming to have dumped the body deep in the mountains, the second brother came back unharmed. The position of heir was now firmly established, leaving her no option but to continue relying on him.

If her father passed away in his old age, who would support her and her fiancé’s comfortable life? The second brother, who was generous to outsiders even before establishing a family, heightened her sense of crisis. She often criticized the rural girl mercilessly, unaware that the more she criticized, the further she pushed herself away from her brother.

“And, brother, what kind of sauce do you want that we don’t have in our country? Didn’t Dad bring back some goose liver sauce from France the day before yesterday? There are also many fresh secret sauces in the mall. Why bother trying this sauce without even a trademark, sent from afar? It looks greasy, and the taste is probably bad. I doubt if there are bacteria inside. What if you get food poisoning?”

The girl continued her disdainful chatter, and the young man couldn’t be bothered to respond. He sealed all the airtight jars of sauce in the cupboard, opened one of them, and then ate it with white rice.

However, when he twisted open the mouth of the glass jar, the fragrance of the sauce wafted out. It was as if an invisible hand had grabbed the girl’s neck, causing her eyes to widen, leaving her speechless.

She sat in her chair, staring blankly at the exquisite plate of tender beefsteak in front of her. The dominating aroma occupied her nostrils, and she involuntarily swallowed saliva, feeling that the steak in front of her suddenly lost its appeal.

Looking at her second brother, who was like a straight and tall jade bamboo, delicately manipulating his chopsticks, it seemed that the dishes on the table were less appealing than a jar of sauce.

Stubbornly gripping her knife and fork, she said, “It does smell good, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it tastes good.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the elderly head of the Fu family, already over fifty, wearing casual sleepwear, stumbled down the stairs. He looked at his children at the dining table, took a deep breath subconsciously, and said, “What kind of sauce is this? It smells so good.”

Afterwards, he called the cook to serve him a portion of rice, picked up his chopsticks, and started eating. A bowl of rice quickly disappeared. Mr. Fu, after finishing his meal, had a flushed face and a dry mouth, but couldn’t help but ask his son, “Is this the family sauce you wanted to invest in last week? Indeed, the taste is extraordinary, very authentic Chinese flavor. Whether eaten with rice or dipped in vegetables, it gets tastier with every bite.”

At his age, he could still finish a large bowl, which was quite remarkable.

While eating, Mr. Fu picked up a vegetable with his chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and tasted it. He continued to praise, “I also have high hopes for this sauce. It won’t be a problem to enter every household’s dining table within ten years. Instead of investing, perhaps we can buy the recipe and produce it ourselves.” After all, sauces like this were timeless products. The older the brand, the higher the national recognition.

The young man shook his head, advocating for the rights of that child, “This is a family secret recipe, and it cannot be disclosed.”

Initially, the exaggerated reaction of their father had already surprised the young girl, making her wonder if it really tasted that good. Upon hearing his words, she hastily interjected, “What family secret recipe? Clearly, it’s just a recipe privately held by a farmer in the village, without a patent. Given the money and gifts Second Brother has given them during this period, we can easily buy the recipe.”

In other words, let’s take advantage while there’s no patent, and we can just acquire it.

Upon hearing this, a chilly air crept into the young man’s gentle eyes. He stared at the young lady and said, “Miss Fu, you’re meddling too much. When Dad and I discuss matters, you should keep quiet.”

The blunt words left the young lady teary-eyed. She pouted and turned to her father, saying, “Dad, you hear that? Just to shield that rural girl named Xiao Bao, he calls me Miss Fu! She just saved him once, and inexplicably, he’s head over heels for her!” How did she know it was a rural girl? Well, given her brother’s peculiar behaviors, like their collection of stamps—1980 Zodiac stamps, landscape stamps—worth a fortune after a few years, and numerous foreigners wanting them. She even begged for them multiple times, but her brother refused. Strangely, he was willing to stick them on envelopes and send them out. If they weren’t in some ambiguous relationship, why would he be so generous?

Moreover, she once secretly opened one of the letters and found that the reply was written in an exceptionally elegant font. Though it was signed by someone named Xiao Bao, the handwriting clearly belonged to a girl. So, when her brother insisted that the person was a little boy, she was certain he was lying to her, defending that woman.

“Xiao Bao!” Hearing this familiar name, Mr. Fu suddenly realized and then looked puzzled. After his son’s incident, he personally went with bodyguards to bring him home. He knew that Xiao Bao was indeed a little boy and had no connection whatsoever with any rural girl.

However, after learning who the owner of the sauce recipe was, Mr. Fu stopped thinking about buying the recipe. He hadn’t expected his son to be so grateful. Since it was his son’s lifesaver, they naturally had to offer support. After scolding his unreasonable daughter, he discussed with his son about establishing a sauce processing plant near Wenshui Village.

On the other side, when the news of the sauce factory being planned reached the elders and Grandma Luo through Xiao Bao, they were stunned. They couldn’t believe it. They squeezed Xiao Bao’s shoulders, asking, “Xiao Bao, are you saying Mr. Fu wants to build a factory here? We won’t have to work in the fields anymore, just focus on running the factory? Mr. Fu will provide all the equipment and funding?”

Xiao Bao’s head was shaken so much that it swayed from side to side. After a while, he nodded, “Yeah.”

“How can we build a factory? No, no, no! I mean, how can we be qualified to establish a factory? We don’t even have money. We’ve never thought about such things. No, no, no! Could the sauce recipe passed down from our ancestors really make money? Will people really buy it once it’s on the market?” The excitement left them incoherent.

“Absolutely, it’s delicious,” reassured Minglu, injecting a dose of encouragement into his family. In this era of expensive pork, eating meat remained a luxury. However, purchasing a bottle of sauce, priced at fifty cents or a yuan, that could sustain a family of three for half a month was a cost-effective way to improve their lives. It was sufficient for families facing financial constraints.

Having tasted various gourmet dishes in his past life, Yin Minglu found Grandma Luo’s secret sauce truly delicious. He scooped it with a small spoon, mixed it with rice, and sometimes, even after finishing the rice, he couldn’t help but feel unsatisfied, licking the spoon completely clean.

As for the initial investment in building the factory, Minglu said, “Uncle, money is not a problem. Once our sauce hits the market, we’ll easily recover the costs. We can then return the upfront investment to Brother Fu. We are partners, and we must repay the Fu family properly.”

This was Minglu’s idea for lifting the Yin family out of poverty. With such a unique skill, the Yin family could thrive, becoming a renowned sauce-making family in two or three decades. Moreover, sauces were essential in people’s lives, and as long as the taste was good, the market was vast.

However, in the initial stages, without any notable recognition, the challenge was how to stand out from the existing sauces on the market, making people prioritize their purchase. This was the problem that needed solving.

But on this matter, Yin Minglu already had ideas. Faced with the sedan from Beijing inviting him to join the film crew, he hopped on without hesitation.

Life for the Yin family was on the rise. The eldest couple had not worked in the fields for several days, busy with the construction of the factory. Meanwhile, their daughter, Yue, knew nothing about it. She gathered enough money from her natal family, and with the additional clever tongue to borrow some money from neighbors, she had the initial capital for the business. Without notifying her family, she and Qin Mao went to the city to open a shop.

As a son-in-law, Qin Mao, after trying the Yin family’s sauce for the first time, was also amazed. He suggested that it might be better to start a business with sauce.

However, Yin Yue, without much consideration, refused. “Selling a bottle of sauce for at most eighty cents or a yuan, working hard to sell it, the profit is at most two or three mao¹Mao is a historical Chinese currency unit. One mao is equal to one-tenth of a Chinese yuan. Therefore, two or three mao would be equivalent to 0.2 or 0.3 Chinese yuan, which is too low. Moreover, we don’t have the funds to build a factory. We still need to hire people, find a location, buy equipment. How can we afford all of that?”

So, the matter came to an end. Of course, a significant reason for this was that Yin Yue didn’t think their family’s sauce was delicious. Having consumed it since childhood, she had grown tired of it, and sometimes even the thought of the sauce made her nauseous.

Naturally, she didn’t see any investment value in this sauce. With the sauce on the table, she wouldn’t even move her chopsticks. Thus, she missed out on this business opportunity, only to realize and regret it later when the Yin family’s sauce factory developed.

However, at present, she remained oblivious to this fact.

She and Qin Mao had rented a house in the city. After strolling through the night market, they returned home to discuss what kind of store to open.

The weather was gradually getting colder. Should they open a Taiwanese stew shop or a spicy hot pot shop? Barbecue seemed too greasy, producing fumes that could accelerate aging in women, so Yin Yue excluded it from her plans without much thought.

Author’s Note:
Tomorrow, let’s continue with more. I haven’t forgotten, ovo.
Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated with nutrients~

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  Mao is a historical Chinese currency unit. One mao is equal to one-tenth of a Chinese yuan. Therefore, two or three mao would be equivalent to 0.2 or 0.3 Chinese yuan