Chapter 949: Black Hills Town....
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“All right, there will be some significant changes here.” Su Binglan nodded.
Luo Jin’an smiled when he saw his wife’s confidence. The couple then walked along the streets and saw people selling groceries, food, and daily necessities.
Further inside was a small street at the corner that had many stalls. People shouted left and right.
“Come and get your sesame seed buns here!”
“Would you like some eggs, sir?”
“Fresh fruits for sale!”
The hawkers’ voices made the streets livelier as others strolled around with shopping baskets. They even stopped at the stalls and bargained with the merchants before buying some things and heading home.
Su Binglan and Luo Jin’an also bought some snacks as they walked. Su Binglan said, “This sesame seed bun tastes okay, but it’s cheap. I saw quite a few people buying it.”
Luo Jin’an added, “There’s not much food around here if you noticed. There wasn’t as much variety, either. It’s not as lively as Su Teng Village yet.”
Su Binglan made a guess, “It looks like this place needs a little work. We’ve yet to transport most of our products here. There aren’t any hotpot restaurants here, either.”
The couple would have already seen a hotpot restaurant if they were in another state. That was because Su Wenwu had arranged for his subordinates to open restaurant chains in various places.
Since his hotpot business was perfect, there was no reason there should not be one at the border province.
Luo Jin’an said, “This place has just begun working toward a brighter future. It looks like the people have just started repairing the streets and houses. Perhaps it won’t be long before a hotpot restaurant opens here.
“Wenwu can also bring his other businesses here, like his mala hotpot and kebab restaurants.”
The border prefecture’s traffic was crucial from Su Binglan’s point of view. If they traded with other countries, it would boost Chu Country’s economy.
Foreign business people could sell their goods here, and the locals could buy goods from other countries before transporting and selling them in various parts of Chu Country.
Merchants worldwide would gather in the border province to share their culture and trade goods. It would then become a vital economic town.
The couple realized it was late and soon rested at an inn for the night. As they rested, they could hear many people talking at the restaurants. Su Binglan and Luo Jin’an could gather plenty of information just by listening.
“When did the border province change so much?”
“Yeah, there weren’t many people here during the war because most of them moved out. The new emperor has brought peace and stability. Everyone moved back to their homes because they feel much safer.”
“Yeah, even my family and I returned.”
“I think there’s an excellent business opportunity here. Since there aren’t many snacks here, we should open a shop and sell something unique.”
“Yeah, we’ve been to Teng County, right? I remember how lively it was there. Still, we don’t know how to make different snacks.”
“We can make pancakes with eggs, vegetables, and ketchup. I know they’ll be delicious because we’ve eaten them before. Don’t forget that we can also make kebabs. We just need to get the seasoning right.”
“Yeah, let’s open a shop or set up a stall. We should revisit Teng County to buy some ingredients and then return here to sell them.”
“We can also import and sell stinky tofu here. It’ll save us time and effort. After all, we’ll only need to buy and fry the products here.”
The three siblings discussed and planned how to start a business in the border province. Considering their conversation, their home was at the border, but they had fled to escape the war.
During their time away from their home, they visited many places and realized how developed Teng County was. Although they initially wanted to settle down there, they ultimately changed their mind and decided to do business in their hometown.
Therefore, they returned to assess the situation before deciding to start their own business.
“Big Brother, Second Brother,” a girl said, “Can I learn how to make pastries once we earn enough money? I want to open a pastry shop.”
“Don’t worry,” the big brother said, “We’ll rent a shop for you to make and sell pastries once we’ve earned enough.”
The girl’s eyes sparkled when she heard her elder brother’s words. The latter added, “We can’t forget about reclaiming the wastelands that the government has arranged for us. We can use that land to grow food and crops. The government will even reward us for doing that.”
“If we have children in the future, they can attend school for free and learn many skills to build better lives.”
“The border province will only improve from now on because it’s safer. We’ll be okay with the general and his two hundred thousand troops that are stationed here. We just need to build our lives starting now.”
Su Bingnlan overheard everyone’s discussion. Most who had moved back had ambitions and planned to improve their lives. She could already feel the border province improving.
After resting at the inn that night, the husband and wife continued their journey. A day later, they arrived at Black Hills Town and saw a large restaurant that was full of customers.
There was also a dumpling shop next door with the Su family’s name on it. Not only were there many customers inside, but there were also parasols at the entrance outside. People sat on stools under the parasols and ate dumplings.
“Waiter, I’ll have a few hawthorn dumplings. They’re so refreshing and easy to digest.”
“Okay, please wait a moment while I get your order. They should be ready very soon.”
“I’ll have a plate of cabbage, pork, and eggs with wild vegetables, please.”
“Right away, sir.”
Su Binglan looked at the two people serving the customers and said, “Jin’an, look. Isn’t that Wei Song and Wei Yong from Black Mountain Village?”
She was familiar with the villagers because she had stayed in Black Mountain Village before. Of course, the villagers also consisted of the Wei family members.
Back then, Su Binglan had taught the villagers how to cook dumplings and other cuisines. Before returning to Su Teng Village, Su Binglan suggested that they open a dumpling shop.
Even so, she was shocked when she saw how big the shop was and how popular it had become. There was not even enough space for the customers, and some had to sit by the entrance.