Meng Xiao Ni had officially graduated.
In theory, as a promising fresh graduate, she should have started to look for a good company to work for while she was still in her final year. But she did not choose to do so. Upon graduation, she packed up all her belongings, and took the high-speed rail back to Fengdu.
Fengdu is her hometown.
She was on her way home to carry on her family business—a ramshackle hot pot1 eatery.
Meng Xiao Ni was adopted at a very young age. She had always been a quiet and well-behaved child.
Her adoptive parents owned a small hot pot eatery in Fengdu. It is the textbook definition of what is known colloquially as a “housefly eatery”2—the kind of small, hole-in-the-wall eatery that can be found everywhere in streets and alleys. They somehow managed to attain a food hygiene license and have operated for several years.
There are simply too many hot pot eateries in the Sichuan-Chongqing area. For a small, plain, and run-down eatery like theirs to be able to survive for so long – it was really a miracle.
Meng Xiao Ni grew up as a beloved child in such an environment.
Her parents doted on her, and never allowed her to lift a finger to help. They only had requested one thing from her: to study hard.
Meng Xiao Ni grunted as she dragged her luggage to her seat in the second-class carriage, and with some effort, shoved them in the space given.
At school, she made her parents proud. She passed her high school leaving examinations with flying colors and enrolled in one of the country’s best universities. However, during her four years in university, she neither chose to pursue a postgraduate research, nor did she choose to enter the public sector. Instead, she spent much effort to shift through and select a few choice commercial enterprises for internship opportunities.
In four years, she not only saved enough money to pay for her tuition, but also amassed a savings of about 20,000 RMB, which will be sufficient to support herself as she begins to work.
The four years of study and internship experiences cumulated in her graduation thesis—an extensive survey and research on the mainstream food and beverage establishments in the market.
To most people, the catering industry doesn’t seem particularly complex or sophisticated.
It seems like anyone can get started in this business and establish their own foothold in this industry.
The equation seemed straightforward enough.
Ability to cook + sufficient capital = your own small store.
But in reality, it was not so simple.
Anyone can open a store, but not anyone can open a chain store. And even if you can run a chain business, it doesn’t mean you can successfully operate throughout the province, much less become a national or global brand.
Take grilled fish, for example. You can find it in small street-side stalls, Michelin-star establishments, or national chain stores.
Why was there such a difference?
To what extent can a store be transformed?
How can one revitalize a small family business?
What was the difference between a chain store and an international brand?
This was Meng Xiao Ni’s major and area of research.
Upon the completion of her research, she submitted her thesis, attended the graduation ceremony, and obtained her degree. Full of motivation, she packed her things and made the journey home, fully intent on giving her family’s housefly eatery a complete transformation!
“Di——Di——” The doors of the high-speed rail started to close.
It will take an entire day to arrive at her destination. Meng Xiao Ni took out a pair of earphones from her bag, sat back in her seat, and prepared herself for the long journey ahead.
The seats were arranged in two blocks of three seats and two seats, with an aisle in between.
Meng Xiao Ni sat in the seat by the aisle. There was a family of three across the aisle from her—a couple with their young daughter who were on holiday.
She took out her e-book and started to read.
The secondhand device, which was almost brand-new, cost only a few hundred RMB. E-books were much cheaper than printed books and were good ways for her to pass the time.
The high-speed rail quickly picked up its pace and stabilized. The family of three next to her chatted idly while they snacked. The couple was currently discussing the plans for the next leg of their trip—where they would be getting off, the location of their accommodation and comparing the merits of various attractions.
They chatted till it was mealtime.
The aroma of food filled the air.
Meng Xiao Ni glanced at the time. Taking off her earbuds, she bent over to open her backpack and fished out the cup noodles inside.
With her e-book in one hand, and the cup noodles in the other, Meng Xiao Ni set off to get hot water.
A crowd had already formed in front of the hot-water dispenser.
As she was a patient person, Meng Xiao Ni waited calmly for her turn.
She was often alone, but she liked people, and especially liked being in crowded places. The hubbub of the crowd, as long as it didn’t affect public order, was pleasing to her.
When it was finally her turn, the hot water had run out.
Meng Xiao Ni waited for a while for the water to be ready. After she poured the hot water, she made her way back slowly with a fork in her mouth.
I wonder what that family is doing now? she thought.
When she reached her carriage, she saw that they were having lunch.
They were having your run-of-the-mill, railway boxed meals that were sold onboard. The one that they have purchased was the pricier set.3
They had also brought some cooked food with them. The small fold-out tables in front of them were filled with food.
The middle-aged lady saw the cup noodles in Meng Xiao Ni’s hands and gestured to her. “Miss, are you having cup noodles alone? Do you want to join us for lunch? We can’t finish so much food by ourselves anyway.”
Meng Xiao Ni shook her head. “I’m fine just eating cup noodles,” she replied.
“There are no nutrients in cup noodles. How about a braised egg4? It’s home-cooked.” The middle-aged man next to her pushed the lunch box towards her.
Meng Xiao Ni shook her head again.
The couple had a young girl with them. She had a clean, pale face and two neat pigtails. She looked rather adorable when they swished around.
At the moment, she was staring at Meng Xiao Ni, her eyes bright and full of envy. “Miss Sister, can I eat your cup noodles? They smell delicious, and I’m so hungry.”
Meng Xiao Ni went back to her own seat with her cup noodles and started eating in silence. She had only packed three cup noodles for the journey.
Shrimp and kamaboko5, with a dash of chilli powder. Simple and delicious.
It was a meal she could never tire of.
The little girl did not touch the couple’s food. She licked her lips and swallowed, as she watched Meng Xiao Ni eat her noodles, and unwittingly leaned forward. “Miss Sister, your noodles smell so yummy.”
She sprawled on the fold-out table; her little face full of longing.
Meng Xiao Ni had already finished half her noodles. She broke into a smile at the little girl’s look of undisguised longing.
How can I continue eating like this?
She smiled at the couple. “I’d like a braised egg, after all.” she said.
The couple exchanged a gleeful expression, and gave her not only a braised egg, but also other items.
“This is our homemade pickled cucumbers.”
“And this too—this, it’s our homemade Chinese sausage6. It’s really tasty!”
Meng Xiao Ni took them one by one, and casually set aside her cup noodles on her fold-out table. She knocked slightly on the table, a signal for the little girl to eat the noodles.
The little girl’s eyes shone. “Thank you, Miss Sister.”
The four filled their tummies, happy and satisfied.
The heat of the cup noodles gradually dissipated, and the meal was finished.
After they shared a meal together, they all naturally started to chat with ease.
“We are taking the opportunity to travel while we still can. What about you, Miss? Where are you going?” The middle-aged lady asked, with a kind note in her voice.
Meng Xiao Ni cleared up the remains of the cup noodles as she answered. “I’m going back to Fengdu. It’s my hometown.”
“Ohh, we will also be travelling there! But we won’t be getting off at Fengdu station. The Fengdu dialect is very interesting, and the place is also very big.” The middle-aged lady replied and turned to her partner. “You see, this is fate!”
“Absolute,” Meng Xiao Ni replied, in Fengdu dialect.
The middle-aged lady was so amused that gave a shout of laughter and smacked her thighs. “Ah, yes, yes. That’s it!”
Meng Xiao Ni recommended several popular tourist attractions to the couple.
Fengdu is most famous for being the “City of Ghosts”.
Legend has it, that all the ghosts under the heavens will go to Fengdu, to look at the Sansheng Stone7, enter the King of Hell’s court for judgement, walk across the Naihe Bridge8, drink Granny Meng’s soup9, before they entered the cycle of reincarnation. As the “City of Ghosts”, Fengdu has all the relevant associated amenities and infrastructure to help bring this legend to life.
Whether you believe it or not, at the very least, Fengdu was well-established as a fascinating city steeped in ancient culture and tradition.
Meng Xiao Ni liked Fengdu immensely. “I grew up in Fengdu, and my surname happens to be Meng. My classmates have always nicknamed me ‘Granny Meng’. You won’t go wrong with my recommendations.”
At this, the family burst into laughter. To have this surname in this city, is really such a fitting coincidence.
After the laughter died down, the man turned to Meng Xiao Ni with a trace of sorrow in his eyes. “Is there really such a thing as ghosts in this world?” he asked.
Meng Xiao Ni smiled. “I’d like to believe so. Heaven and Earth, life and death, it’s a natural cycle, and it’s not a bad thing.”
The couple nodded.
The high-speed rail passed several stations, and it was soon mid-afternoon.
Meng Xiao Ni was about to take a nap when she saw the little girl hesitate to speak.
She raised her brows slightly and simply looked at the little girl.
The little girl toyed with her fingers and blushed slightly. “Little sister, may I have some of your cup noodles for dinner later?”
Meng Xiao Ni smiled at her and nodded, then put on her earphones and curled up into her seat to rest.
The little girl beamed happily and obediently went to sleep without bothering anyone.
In the evening, Meng Xiao Ni prepared both of her cup noodles, and woke the family of three with the aroma of the noodles.
The little girl let out a cry of delight, and quickly scrambled over to eat the noodles.
Meng Xiao Ni and the little girl ate side-by-side.
The couple also started to prepare their own food, and eagerly shared them with Meng Xiao Ni.
Three hours later, Meng Xiao Ni finally reached her destination. The couple would not be going to Fengdu first, but they will drop by to do some sightseeing during their trip.
Meng Xiao Ni packed up her belongings and checked to ensure that all her luggage was accounted for. She wiped the sleep from her face and tied her hair into a ponytail.
Before she left, she turned and said to the couple. “When the Gates of Hell are open10 next, prepare some delicious dishes, and remember to offer some incense. The little girl hasn’t eaten in a long time and is rather hungry.”
Then, she turned and left, pulling her luggage behind her.
The couple stared at each other in stunned silence.
The middle-aged lady trembled as she grabbed her husband, the edges of her eyes reddening as she spoke. “Dear, what did she just say…?”
“…… Huh? Ah!” The middle-aged man stammered in shock. “When the Gates… of Hell… open.”
The middle-aged lady stood. She barely managed to take a few steps before her legs gave way. She was deeply agitated, and started to have some difficulty catching her breath.
The middle-aged man was equally flustered. He quickly patted her chest and tried to soothe her. “Calm down, don’t panic. Here, slowly, breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breathe out…”
The middle-aged lady slowly managed to calm down. “I… I’m fine.”
The high-speed rail wasn’t going to stop at Fengdu station for much time. Meng Xiao Ni got off quickly.
She turned and saw the little girl sitting atop the roof of the high-speed rail’s carriage, waving happily at her and full of gratitude for her cup noodles.
The little face that is forever frozen in time, is at this moment, full of joy.
Note: The novel is set in Fengdu county, located in the Chongqing municipality. Chongqing used to be a part of the Sichuan province until 1997. The flavor profile of the cuisine in this region is known for being pungent and spicy as a result of liberal use of garlic, chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorn, bean source, mustard, sesame paste and other ingredients.
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Translator's Notes
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Hot Pot: also known as steamboat. While a hot pot full of flavoured broth is kept simmering, raw ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked in a manner similar to fondue (hot pots usually use a water-based soup, while fondues use cooking oil). Typical hot pot ingredients include thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, vermicelli, sliced potatoes, bean products, egg dumplings, tofu, and seafood.
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Housefly Eatery: A colloquial term for a plain, unassuming food stall/ store in the Sichuan province. It is typically unhygienic and cramped but has delicious (usually traditional) and cheap food.
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Railway Boxed Meals: 火车便当 Bian dang. Similar to Japanese bento (specifically, ebiken). Prepacked meals that are sold in train stations or on trains, usually comprising of rice, meat and vegetables. There are different price points, from cheap to luxurious. Shown in the picture is an example of China’s railway boxed meals. Japan and Taiwan are known for having high-quality and beautifully presented railway bento/ bian dang.
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Braised Egg: Lu dan. Also known as marinated egg. It is a Chinese way of braising/ marinated the egg in ‘master stock’, a braising liquid typically comprised of soy sauce and spices like cinnamon, cloves and star anise.
- Kamaboko: 鱼板 Yu ban. Kamaboko is a type of cured surimi, a processed seafood product common in Japanese cuisine. It is made by forming various pureed deboned white fish with either natural or man-made additives and flavorings into distinctive loaves, which are then steamed until fully cooked and firm. Miniature, thinly sliced versions are common ingredients in instant cup noodles. Pictured on top is (fresh) narutomaki, known for its distinct shape and pattern, and at the bottom is an example of kamaboko in cup noodles, this one with the pattern of Pikachu.
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Chinese Sausage: There are several types of Chinese sausage. The one offered by the couple in the novel is ‘xiang chang’, a fresh and plump sausage consisting of coarsely chopped pieces of pork and un-rendered pork fat. The sausage is rather sweet in taste.
- Sansheng Stone: Sansheng Shi. Literally translates to “Stone of Three Lives”. It is a stone that records the past life of the beholder— its origins in its previous life, the results of the current life, and the repercussions on its next life.
- Naihe Bridge: Naihe Qiao. Literally translates to “Bridge of Helplessness”. It is the entrance to the underworld and the first hurdle leading to hell. Legend has it that the guilty deceased in his lifetime could not cross the Naihe Bridge. They had to be pushed into the “Blood River Pond” by the bull ‘s head and horses on both sides to suffer the torture of insects, ants and vipers , while the deceased who did good deeds crossed the bridge very simply.
- Granny Meng’s soup: Granny Meng, or Meng Po, is the goddess of forgetfulness in Chinese mythology, who serves soup on the Naihe Bridge. This soup wipes the memory of the person so they can reincarnate into the next life without the burdens of the previous life.
- Opening of the Gates of Hell: In Chinese culture, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day (also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival/ Zhongyuan Jie) and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month, in which ghosts and spirits, including those of deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living.
