In the Years When I Was a Father-Chapter 28: The Partial Dad (8)

After renting the storefront, Qi Sheng and his eldest son took a few days off from selling. It was nearly January now, and they needed to open the marinated snack shop quickly—if they timed it right, they could make a killing during the Chinese New Year rush.
The two of them repainted the walls of the shop first, then ordered a counter and a transparent shield. The shield would not only keep out dust but also prevent the crowding students from making a mess. Plus, it allowed passersby to see inside at a glance, giving the place a more hygienic, trustworthy feel.
Qi Sheng had already made detailed plans. He partitioned a small section at the other end of the counter to sell meat flatbreads and fried chicken cutlets. By offering several types of food, they could attract more foot traffic and boost sales across the board.
Once the renovations were done, Qi Sheng began preparing the marinade base while sending his son to the wholesale market for ingredients. After a week of hard work, they finally got everything ready.
That Monday, Qi Sheng and Qi Xiangdong showed up at 5:30 AM as usual. In the mornings, they’d sell meat flatbreads and fried chicken cutlets. Then at noon and in the evening, they’d start selling marinated dishes.
Their family already had a good number of loyal customers. Many had seen them renovating and even stopped by to ask about it. So when the store officially opened, students came out in full support. The prepared flatbreads sold out in no time.
“Dad, now that we have a store, we can sell even more meat flatbreads!” Qi Xiangdong said happily. The best part? No more pushing a cart back and forth every day. Even though it hadn’t been far, it was tiring. Now that they could cook and sell right in the store, it was much easier—and in this cold weather, working inside was way more comfortable than standing outside in the street!
After the breakfast rush, Qi Sheng started simmering some meat and vegetables in the marinade. Since it was just a trial run, he didn’t make too much of anything.
By lunchtime, when students came to buy flatbreads, Qi Sheng told his son to include a bit of marinated food with each one. Some curious students couldn’t help buying a few liang of duck neck, chicken wings, and duck bones. After tasting them, they were full of praise.
These marinated dishes could easily be eaten as a meal. Once students got a taste, many bought a plain meat flatbread and added small portions of several marinated items. It was perfect to eat the flatbread along with the savory snacks!
The marinated food sold out quickly, leaving students feeling regretful. Many of them urged Qi Sheng to make more that evening so they could take some home. Qi Sheng naturally nodded and agreed.
The marinated dishes captured the hearts of both students and their parents on the very first day. Unlike meat flatbreads, which were more like street snacks, the marinated food could be eaten as a proper dish. Many working families just bought plain steamed buns and told their kids to pick up marinated snacks after school to bring home for dinner.
As the school holiday approached, many parents came under the pretense of picking up their children and asked if they could reserve some marinated meats and vegetables for the New Year. They wanted to gift them when visiting relatives—Southeast-Style Marinated Snacks had already become a favorite among parents in the area.
Earlier, Qi Sheng had asked his two sons where they planned to spend the New Year.
“How about we stay in the capital this year?” Qi Xiangdong suggested, his face beaming. Rather than going back to brag to his buddies in his hometown about everything that had happened in the past six months, he was more excited to stay and experience the festive cheer of the big city.
Qi Sheng had no objections. The Qi family didn’t have many close relatives, so going back or not didn’t really make much difference.
Qi Xiangnan didn’t have any objections either. Wherever his father was felt like home—whether they returned or not, they were still together as a family.
And so, the family of three happily decided to stay in the capital for the New Year. When customers started coming to place orders for marinated meats, Qi Sheng naturally agreed. To be safe, however, he had each customer confirm the exact weight they wanted and required a deposit upfront.
Once the students went on break, the father and sons worked together to prepare all the preorders.
Since marinated meats were best enjoyed fresh and didn’t keep for long, Qi Sheng decided to prep all the necessary ingredients ahead of time. He asked buyers to give him a day’s notice so he could cook the dishes fresh for pickup.
Qi Sheng also had some custom packaging bags made, printed with the label “Southeast-Style Marinated Snacks.” Not only did it make the gifts look more presentable, but it also helped advertise their brand.
After working non-stop for about five months, the family could finally catch a breather during the New Year. Qi Sheng gave each of his sons 300 yuan in pocket money so they could go out and have some fun.
He did some quick calculations. After five months of hard work—deducting rent, utilities, and daily expenses—they still managed to save over 10,000 yuan. It was a great start, and things were bound to get even better from here. He’d already discussed with his eldest son that for now, all the earnings would be managed by him to help open future branches and expand the business.
Having worked with his father for five months, Qi Xiangdong was fully convinced of his dad’s business skills. Qi Sheng was decisive and had unique recipes—he knew what he was doing. Qi Xiangdong didn’t mind that they hadn’t split the profits yet; he wasn’t married and didn’t care much about money. He trusted his father wouldn’t treat him unfairly.
A few days before the New Year, Qi Sheng took both sons to a large department store nearby, intending to buy them some New Year gifts.
“Come on, see what you want—watches, tape recorders, bicycles… anything under 300 yuan is fine!”
Qi Xiangdong’s eyes lit up as he excitedly scanned each display counter, wondering what would be the best choice. A watch? It looked cool, but he still had to work, and wearing a watch wasn’t very practical. A tape recorder seemed better—he could play music tapes and listen to radio broadcasts!
He quickly made up his mind, while Qi Xiangnan hesitated a little. Qi Sheng noticed and said, “Just say what you want—what’s the problem with Dad spending money on you?”
“Dad, I want a tape recorder too!” Qi Xiangnan finally voiced his wish. He used to feel too shy to ask his father for things, but deep down, he often wished he could ask as confidently as his older brother. Now that his father treated him with so much care, he wanted to indulge just once.
“Alright, no problem. Let’s go check out the models you like.”
With that, the two boys eagerly rushed to the tape recorder section. Seeing the various models on display, each picked one they liked.
Qi Sheng paid for them, and watching his sons proudly holding their new “treasures” made him chuckle. Entertainment was simple back then, which was probably why they appreciated it so much.
He also bought each of them a new outfit and stocked up on fruits and snacks for the New Year. After all the money they’d earned this year, he was determined to make sure they had a good holiday.
During the New Year, red lanterns were hung all over the streets of the capital. The firework restrictions weren’t too strict yet, so there were plenty of fireworks, which fascinated the boys. Some places even held large open-air performances. All in all, the New Year in the capital dazzled the entire Qi family.
Apart from preparing the marinated dishes for preorders, Qi Sheng didn’t restrict his eldest son much—he’d matured a lot and was dependable outside. The younger son was even more well-behaved, spending his time either reading at home or going on walks with his dad.
Before the holiday, Qi Sheng had called their old neighbor back home and asked him to keep an eye on their house. The two families had a good relationship, and Qi Sheng had already spoken to them before leaving. This time, he also mailed them a few New Year gifts as a token of thanks.
Once the New Year celebrations ended, the Qi family’s new year of hard work began—but it would also be another year of fruitful harvests.