Chapter 224 Spring Festival of
Ever since the opening of his first private restaurant, Lee Seung-ri has been waiting for the policy to be liberalized. In his free time, Lee Seung-ri would make some five-spice melon seeds and five-spice peanuts to sell, as these are in short supply and are indispensable for watching the fun.

Li Shengli saved nearly a thousand yuan by selling roasted nuts like a guerrilla war, which was the capital for opening a restaurant in the future.

The Spring Festival came quickly. Li Shengli had been running to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau recently. The people there were a little impatient. According to the reply from the leaders of the Bureau, Li Shengli also knew that the business license for the private restaurant should be approved after the New Year.

After hearing the good news, Li Shengli returned home excitedly and told Han Qiuyun the news.

"Now you can open your restaurant." Han Qiuyun was also very excited. During this period, Li Shengli often went out to sell some fried snacks, which made Han Qiuyun very worried. He was always afraid that someone would report him.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the policy came out.

"Shengli, where are you going to open the restaurant?" Han Qiuyun thought about it and realized that it would be difficult to choose a location.

"It's on Jiaodaokou Street not far from home. I think there's a lot of traffic there." Li Shengli had already made plans. He still had some capital in his hands. If he was going to open this restaurant, he couldn't just open a restaurant with only two or three tables.

"Did you find a house?"

"I plan to go see Director Wang after the New Year. She should have a list of houses for rent. Even if she doesn't have a list, a well-informed place like the Street Office should know where there are houses for rent." Li Shengli thought about it and decided to rely on the Street Office for this matter.

"If you can't do it, you can go find Qiuyu. She also works in the street office. She should have houses for rent." Han Qiuyun thought about it. His sister is now a clerk in the street office and should be well-informed.

"Okay, I'll go ask Director Wang first to see if there's one nearby. If not, I'll ask Qiuyu." Li Shengli nodded without refutation of Han Qiuyun's words. In fact, it would be okay to ask Han Qiuyu to help keep an eye out, as he didn't say he only opened one restaurant.

Li Shengli first plans to look at the turnover. If the turnover is sufficient, he can open two more stores. Now is a good time to accumulate capital.

A few years ago, Li Shengli went to the street office twice with some peanuts and melon seeds, and found Director Wang to ask if there was any place for rent nearby.

After listening to Li Shengli's request, Director Wang looked at Li Shengli with surprise. This policy said that people could open industrial and commercial self-employed businesses, but generally those who came to apply were unemployed young people with some skills, or those whose families were really short of money and whose children had no jobs, so parents took their children with them to become self-employed businesses.

There is really no one like Li Shengli. Li Shengli has such a good job. He works as a cook in such a big steel rolling mill. His monthly salary is 48.5 yuan, which is more than enough to support his family. What's more, there are not so many people in Li Shengli's family.

"Li Shengli, are you really planning to be a self-employed business owner?" Director Wang confirmed with Li Shengli again and again. She really couldn't understand what Li Shengli was thinking.

"Director Wang, you know, the sixth-level cook is the top position in this factory, and I can't be promoted any higher. I'm still young. Besides, the policies have been relaxed now, so I plan to try my luck," said Li Shengli with a smile.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for you on that place." Director Wang was just asking, he couldn't advise on such matters himself.

"Thank you, Director Wang." Li Shengli thanked Director Wang repeatedly, and left the street office after finishing his work.

"Director, what do you think Li Shengli is thinking? He's doing a first-rate job." A clerk from the street office who had heard the conversation between the two leaned over to take a look and then chatted with Director Wang with a gossipy look on his face.

"Who knows? But isn't our street office here to serve the people? If they want to be self-employed, then they can be." Director Wang also shook his head. "Is this considered capitalist behavior?"

"That doesn't count. The policy has already been implemented." Director Wang thought about it. If Li Shengli became a self-employed person, a job would be vacant in the steel mill. Li Shengli would have to hire people in the future, so several jobs could be solved. Now it seems that Li Shengli has made a contribution.

After Li Shengli talked to Director Wang, he returned to the courtyard. The next step was to wait. At this time, renting a house and other things had to be registered with the street office.

While waiting, Lee Seung-ri was not idle. The Chinese New Year is the time when peanuts and melon seeds are selling best. Lee Seung-ri took advantage of the time to make more peanuts and melon seeds in the past few days. Before the New Year, Lee Seung-ri started selling peanuts and melon seeds on his bicycle as usual. This time, Lee Seung-ri made more.

"Comrade, two packs please."

"Give me four packs."

Li Shengli was busy in full swing.

"Lee Seung-ri?" Just when Lee Seung-ri was busy, a questioning voice came to his ears.

Li Shengli looked up and saw that it was Yan Bugui. Yan Bugui had retired now, and people in the compound no longer asked him to write couplets. He no longer received the annual writing fee, and no one gave him peanuts and melon seeds. Yan Bugui came out just to buy New Year's goods, and seeing a group of people gathered in front of him, Yan Bugui was curious about what was happening here.

Yan Bugui squeezed into the crowd and found that they were selling melon seeds. Yan Bugui glanced at the sign hanging next to the bike which said 1.5 cents a bag. Yan Bugui was reluctant to spend so much money to buy a bag of melon seeds. Until Yan Bugui found that the melon seed seller looked familiar and the bicycle in front of him looked very familiar too.

Yan Bugui thought about it carefully and realized that this must be Li Shengli who lived next door, so Yan Bugui asked in confusion.

Li Shengli sighed after hearing what Yan Bugui said. Is Yan Bugui a fool? Didn't he see that he was wearing a mask? He just didn't want to be recognized by others. You called his name right away, which made all his disguise useless.

Li Shengli didn't even look at Yan Bugui. Continuing to talk to him would make him look stupid, so Li Shengli continued selling his peanuts and sunflower seeds.

Yan Bugui looked at Li Shengli in some confusion, thinking that he must have seen it right.

"Are you going to buy anything or not? If not, get out of the way." An older woman shouted in dissatisfaction when she saw Yan Bugui standing in front of the stall without buying anything.

Yan Bugui left the crowd with a puzzled look in his eyes. Yan Bugui would not buy such expensive melon seeds.

"Who are you?" The old lady who was shouting glanced at Yan Bugui with contempt, and then shouted at Li Shengli, "Give me four packs."

Li Shengli raised his head and looked at Yan Bugui's back with a look as if he was a fool. How could he admit who he was in this situation?

(End of this chapter)