Chapter 53: The Sweet Soup Shop

Su Fuling said very earnestly, "What I'm saying is true. Auntie's sweet soups are so delicious—it would be such a waste if only we got to eat them. You could start a business and let more people taste your cooking, and the family could earn a lot of money too."

Zhou Huijuan was nervous. "How could I ever manage that? I can't do it."

She had only ever worked as hired help—she had never run a business. Just thinking that her products might not sell, she knew she'd be anxious every single day.

Su Fuling said, "Why couldn't you? I can run a medical clinic, so Auntie, you can definitely do this." She turned to her uncle. "Uncle, don't you agree?"

Su Jueming looked awkward and conflicted. Opening a shop wasn't something settled with a single sentence.

The family did have some savings, but those were set aside for their future living expenses and raising the children. If the business lost money, they'd be finished.

"Running a business isn't that simple. It takes more than skill... Your auntie's cooking is good, but she has no experience. And it's easy to get taken advantage of in business these days. What if those triad punks come collecting protection money, eating for free and making trouble?"

Zhou Huijuan nodded hurriedly. She didn't want to deal with those triad types either.

Su Fuling looked at Su Jueming. "Uncle, have you forgotten? I know some people. No one will make trouble."

Su Jueming remembered that, but still...

"And you don't need to worry about money either," Su Fuling said with a smile. "I just came into a sum of money—perfect for the family to start a business. Once you're earning, you can pay me back. And if you don't earn anything, just count it as a failed investment on my part."

This money had come easily to Su Fuling, so parting with it didn't pain her. Using it to help her uncle's family in a pinch pained her even less. Her uncle and aunt had let her live and eat at home without ever mentioning money. Now that she was able, she naturally wouldn't haggle over such things.

Su Jueming shook his head. "You work so hard for your money... and opening a shop takes more than a little..."

Su Fuling said, "The money came rather unexpectedly, actually. I saved a fairly wealthy patient, and out of gratitude he gave me a thank-you fee. Forty thousand in total. I plan to keep twenty thousand to support my medical career, and I'd like to put the other twenty thousand toward Auntie's sweet soup business."

Forty thousand!

The couple gasped in shock.

David came running over. "Sis Ling, you made so much money!"

"Go do your homework, don't interrupt the adults. And another thing—don't go talking about family matters outside, or I'll give you a proper lesson," Zhou Huijuan lectured sternly.

David quickly ducked his head and went off to do his homework.

Su Jueming stared at Su Fuling in astonishment. "Ling, why would anyone give you so much money..."

"I saved his life. He's rich and insisted on giving it—said he'd worry no one would save him in the future if I didn't take it. So I had no choice but to accept. And I wasn't the only one; everyone else who saved him got some too."

Hearing this, the couple finally relaxed. Since everyone had taken it, it must be fine.

But Ling's luck was just too good—running into such a wealthy, generous patient who gave so much money.

Su Jueming's face lit up, and he stood, laughing heartily. "Ling, your fortune is truly flourishing! Those workers barely make over ten thousand a year, and you got forty thousand in one go. Our Ling has really made it big!"

Zhou Huijuan reminded her, "You need to save it properly."

Su Jueming said, "Save it! Ling, listen to me—don't spend this money carelessly. Use it for university next year when school starts. Your auntie and I had already discussed it—we were going to send you to university next year. I'll figure out the enrollment, see if you can take the entrance exam. There are agencies that can help, though it costs money. Once you're a medical university student, you'll graduate as a doctor at a big hospital—a member of society's elite!"

Listening to her uncle paint this beautiful future, Su Fuling realized that he and her aunt had been secretly planning her future all along, never letting on. And just hearing it, it would clearly cost a lot... No wonder her uncle had been working so hard before.

Su Fuling's eyes grew warm. More than at any moment before, she deeply felt that her uncle and aunt were her true family—like her grandfather, they genuinely wanted what was best for her.

Su Jueming was still daydreaming. "Ah, when will I ever meet such a generous patient? Though it wouldn't help if I did—my medical skills aren't as good as yours. Granny Sun even came to my clinic today to tell me the prescription you wrote worked..."

Su Fuling insisted, "Uncle, we still have to open the sweet soup shop."

"..." Su Jueming looked at her and sighed. "Ling, I know you're a good child, but you have plenty of uses for your own money. Honestly, with this sum, your auntie and I both feel much more at ease."

Zhou Huijuan nodded. It truly felt like light at the end of the tunnel. The pressure she'd felt had suddenly vanished, because Ling was fully capable of providing for her own future. This child really was blessed!

A rare, sincere smile appeared on her face.

Su Fuling said, "I still want Auntie to open the sweet soup shop. No matter what, we can try. As for school, I'm keeping half the money, and I can still earn this year—I'm making two or three hundred a day now. Auntie, give it a try. You have real skill; it shouldn't go to waste."

Hearing this, Zhou Huijuan was tempted, but she said firmly, "Even so, we can't use your money. What would that make us?"

"Your auntie's right. If we used your money, what kind of person would I be?" The moment Su Jueming thought about it—he'd brought his niece over to help support her, and now he'd end up using her money instead? Would that even be human? Wouldn't that be bullying a junior? "Your auntie and I will discuss this some more."

Su Fuling knew that once those two "discussed it," the whole thing would probably die.

She had no choice but to propose, "Then... let's call it a partnership. When I start school, I won't be able to run the clinic, and I'll still need income. I can't exactly spend your money while I'm studying—I couldn't do that either. So if I partner with Auntie on this business now, I'll still have money coming in once I'm in school. Isn't that great? I have to plan for my future too."

Hearing this proposal, Su Jueming finally began thinking seriously.

Zhou Huijuan grew even more nervous. "What if—what if we lose money?"

"Oh, that won't happen. I have lots of customers at my shop; I'll advertise the sweet soup place to them. We'll invest a small amount at first and take it slow. Auntie, think about it—if you start earning too, how much will the family's income grow? Think how wonderful the future would be for David, Little Wei, and Shanshan."

"..."

Holding her child, Zhou Huijuan looked down at her sleeping little daughter, and her heart grew more and more tempted.

Relying on Ming alone, this family could only scrape by.

With the children to care for, she really couldn't go out to work. Everything at home cost money...

She looked at Su Jueming. "Ming, what do you think?"

Su Jueming sipped his sweet soup in silence. "We still can't use Ling's money..."

"Uncle, are you saying you don't want me to make big money together with you?" Su Fuling said deliberately.

Su Jueming: "..."

...

The sweet soup shop matter was finally settled, more or less.

Su Fuling would handle finding a storefront, while Zhou Huijuan would take care of purchasing tools and equipment herself.

With the family suddenly about to start a business, the whole atmosphere at home changed. That evening Zhou Huijuan took out pen and paper and spent the night calculating what tools and ingredients to buy and how much it would all cost.

Su Fuling planned to research some health-preserving herbal teas later, to develop more products.

She didn't understand business, but she felt that taking the first step already counted as success.

The next morning, her aunt woke up early with dark circles under her eyes—she clearly hadn't slept much.

"Ling, I kept thinking about it last night, and I'm still worried."

Su Fuling said, "Business is always like this. You'll get used to it. If it really doesn't make money, worst case we just close up shop. Auntie, the most important thing in life is to try. If you don't try, you'll regret it later."

"You're really bold. Braver than your uncle and me. When your uncle opened his clinic, he hesitated for ages."

Su Fuling smiled. "So Auntie, don't you think being bold is a good thing?"

"Of course it is. Being bold is what it takes to do big things." Zhou Huijuan looked at this niece and felt increasingly fond of her. She admitted she was snobbish—if Ling weren't so well-behaved, capable, and family-minded, she certainly wouldn't have grown to genuinely like this junior.

She had even been somewhat unwilling for the girl to come at first. The burdens of life had made her reluctant to shoulder responsibilities that weren't hers.

Who would have thought that a moment of softheartedness would bring such a wonderful Ling into her life?

"Ling, I'll work hard to make delicious sweet soups. But your uncle and I talked it over—we'll put in some of our own money too, so you can keep more of yours. Since we're going to be bosses, we can't contribute nothing, or people will gossip."

Su Fuling naturally had no objection. If her uncle's family really ran out of money, she could always put in more later.

What mattered was getting the business off the ground first.

When Su Fuling arrived at the shop that morning, Zhao Facai eagerly asked how things had gone.

Su Fuling smiled. "Everything went smoothly, of course. Next step is finding a storefront."

Chen Shasha immediately said, "I asked my brother yesterday. He has a few shops available for rent. I'll take you to see them at noon."

Su Fuling said, "They need to be vacant—I don't want anyone snatching a shop that's still doing business." She worried the Sifang Society people might not be scrupulous about such things.

Chen Shasha said, "My brother said they're all empty. People were doing business in them before, but they didn't make it and gave up the leases. Actually, that happens every quarter. The good spots get snapped up though, so the remaining ones are a bit lacking. Still, they're much better than this place. Doctor Su, do you want to move your shop too?"

Zhao Facai: "..."

Su Fuling smiled. "I'm not considering that for now. My customers have just gotten familiar with this location—moving suddenly would be pointless. And there's enough space here."

Zhao Facai quickly chimed in, "Exactly. Moving suddenly is the biggest taboo in business. Master, there's no rush. Once your business grows bigger, we'll carefully pick a spot with perfect feng shui."

Chen Shasha: "..."

This time, Su Fuling was genuinely invested in the sweet soup business. Having no business experience herself, and since He Li and Ding Lanxiang both ran businesses, she asked them about it.

Before He Li could speak, Sun Zhonghao, who was queuing behind her, said, "Doctor Su, you're opening a shop? I can help you with the planning."

He came every day now. Not only that, he brought his daughter along for checkups too. As for his wife An Hui, she lay obediently in her hospital bed, not daring to go anywhere.

Sun Zhonghao came for daily checkups partly to stay safe, but also to strengthen his connection with Doctor Su. Now that he'd found an opening, he naturally wouldn't let it pass.

He Li was displeased. "Doctor Su was talking to me—why are you cutting in? Do you even know how to run a shop? I just opened a dessert shop, you know. Come to think of it, my shop and Doctor Su's family's sweet soup shop could even cooperate—a powerful alliance."

Ding Lanxiang said, "Yes, with our pastries, we could order some sweet soups to sell alongside. Customers having pastries would enjoy some sweet soup too."

Sun Zhonghao immediately said, "I can cooperate too! Our company needs sweet soups for afternoon tea every day! And those mahjong parlors—my wife can have people place orders as well."

Su Fuling: "...You really don't need to go out of your way to support the business. I just wanted to know how to run one."

He Li said, "Doctor Su, this is just how business works—everyone helps each other with referrals. Since you're buying anyway, of course you buy from people you know. And your family's sweet soups are bound to be good."

Su Fuling said, "That's true, my auntie's sweet soups really are good. Next time I'll bring some for you all to try. I'll also make some health teas later; we can sell those together."

"Oh my, Doctor Su's health tea—that would definitely be an exclusive formula. That could be advertised. If it succeeds, you might even set up a production line and build a factory someday... The mainland really welcomes Hong Kong brands right now, so you might even sell there. The market is huge—mainlanders love these kinds of tea products too. Doctor Su, this business has great prospects."

In one breath, Sun Zhonghao had planned out the entire business—and planned it very far ahead.

Su Fuling could only think that these business people really were bolder. She just wanted to open a small shop to improve their lives, and this man was thinking miles ahead.

She still knew her own limits. "Let's just start with a small shop."

Hearing this, He Li—who had been a bit jealous of Sun Zhonghao showing off his resources in front of Doctor Su—immediately perked up. "Exactly. Doctor Su is so capable that making big money would be easy for her. She's opening a shop purely for the sentiment of it."

Su Fuling: "..." Not exactly.

"Never mind, let me do your checkups first."

Both parties' checkups turned up nothing wrong, of course. He Li felt increasingly reassured. Ever since her son stopped participating in the Sifang Society's brawls, he was safe and healthy every day. She was truly content, and even more grateful to Su Fuling.

If Su Fuling hadn't talked some sense into him, her son might never have come around. "Doctor Su, I'll help you plan that sweet soup shop when I get back," He Li said enthusiastically.

Sun Zhonghao wouldn't back down either. "My wife knows lots of designer friends. I'll have someone draw up renovation plans first."

Su Fuling said, "I don't plan to renovate much. As long as we can cook, that's fine."

"Doctor Su, even simple renovations need design. A small shop can be designed to feel spacious. Don't worry, I'll leave it all to my wife. She's lying in her hospital bed with nothing to do—this will give her something to occupy herself," Sun Zhonghao said.

Beside him, his daughter Sun Xiaofeng thought to herself: "Mommy isn't idle at all—she goes over the company accounts every day, keeps track of the stock market, and even has people come to the hospital to give her beauty treatments..."

Soon after they left, and after Su Fuling had seen two new patients, she spotted familiar faces—Chen Shan and Huang Bao, whom she'd met just yesterday.

Huang Bao was still in a wheelchair, but he was dressed quite respectably now, nothing like yesterday when he'd clearly looked like a triad member.

His demeanor hadn't changed, but at least the new clothes masked some of that gangster air, so he didn't frighten the patients.

At this moment, looking at Su Fuling, Huang Bao truly felt his scalp tingle. He didn't dare let a single stray thought cross his mind, afraid this master would somehow know.

Chen Shan greeted her first and got his checkup, since he and Huang Bao were going out together to see Uncle Wen later. Given the current situation, he had to be cautious—better to confirm his safety before heading out.

Only after Su Fuling examined him did he feel at ease.

Once done, Chen Shan glanced curiously at Huang Bao, who had been silent the whole time. "Your turn."

Only then did Huang Bao force a smile. "Doctor Su, we meet again. I'm here for a checkup, and also to report on my repayment of gratitude. I delivered the money to that Chen Shan fellow yesterday, and to the police as well. Look, it's already in the papers." He handed Su Fuling a newspaper—the morning edition. It carried a group photo of Huang Bao with the police commissioner. The paper covered at length the moving story of how the police had risked their lives defusing a bomb to protect citizens, prompting a triad boss to personally come express his gratitude.

The police and the triads had always despised each other, so this whole spectacle was quite the sensation for the Hong Kong media. The coverage was extensive.

But from the photo alone, you could tell Huang Bao's face was full of grievance.

Seeing his expression, Su Fuling couldn't help laughing. "Mr. Huang, that doesn't look very heartfelt..."

Huang Bao quickly explained, "I'm just not used to it yet. Once I do more good deeds, I'll get used to it. So Doctor Su, if anything happens to me in the future, I'll have to trouble you to warn me again. I'd like to repay more kindness too. Heh heh heh."

Crude as he was—usually rude to Chen Shan, whom he considered a junior—a man didn't survive in the underworld and climb to his position on brute force alone; he had a slick side too. With big shots like Uncle Wen, he knew how to be agreeable, and with a master like Su Fuling, he naturally knew what attitude to adopt.

But Su Fuling didn't treat him any differently for it. She just pointed at the signboard. "If you care about your health, come pay for a checkup. Then you'll be my patient, and you won't need to keep thinking about spending money to repay kindness."

Huang Bao knew the fee, of course—he just hadn't expected the master would actually charge exactly that... This master really was living in seclusion among ordinary folk.

Still, he felt he couldn't truly pay so little. "Doctor Su, I think my life, Huang Bao's life, is worth quite a lot."

Su Fuling said, "In my eyes you're no different from anyone else—everyone pays twenty. But if you ever harm ordinary people, I won't examine you even for two hundred thousand."

Huang Bao: "..."

At that moment, Huang Bao truly understood: this master was genuinely different from the kind of "masters" he'd known before.

Those masters would never charge so little, nor would they see everyone as equal. To them, people like him weren't worth a fart!

"Doctor Su, I promise—not only myself, I'll keep my underlings from bullying ordinary people too. Underworld matters will be settled within the underworld."

Su Fuling nodded without any particular response, since she wasn't inclined to take promises on faith.

Chen Shan, on the other hand, was somewhat inclined to trust Huang Bao's promise. Knowing the man as he did, it was no small thing for Huang Bao to make such a pledge. With his foul temper, even Uncle Wen couldn't control him.

After Chen Shan and Huang Bao left, Zhao Facai picked up the newspaper they'd left behind and started reading.

After flipping a page, he suddenly exclaimed, "Master, the police really caught the killer!"

Su Fuling said, "I know."

"It's in the papers." Zhao Facai pointed at the article. It was the official announcement that the culprit in a three-year-old cold case had been found.

The paper devoted extensive coverage to how the Yau Ma Tei police had cracked the cold case—and of course, it didn't forget to mention in passing that a热心 citizen had provided a clue. Though amid all the descriptions, that single line wasn't very prominent.

The patients waiting for consultations heard him mention the case and started chattering about it too.

"They say it was old man Bao's own son. Ah, who would have thought a son could be so heartless?"

"Yes—not only drowned him, but abused his body too. All because he thought the old man was playing favorites and wouldn't leave all the money to his children and grandchildren."

"Utterly deranged."

The waiting patients discussed it heatedly, while Su Fuling concentrated on seeing patients, uninterested in the topic.

But Zhao Facai was still thinking about the reward money on his master's behalf.