Volume One, Chapter 4: Provincial Capital Chuzhou—Future Urban Development Stuns Father!

The train station was bustling with crowds coming and going. Tang Xionghua held Tang Yichen’s hand in one hand and carried a sack of dried small fish in the other, making his way into the crowded ticket hall.

"Yichen, keep your eyes peeled too. Don't let any suspicious people get close to me!" Tang Xionghua lowered his head and whispered a reminder to Tang Yichen.

"Got it," Tang Yichen replied.

Train stations were prime hunting grounds for all kinds of unsavory characters, especially pickpockets. If you weren't careful and someone bumped into you, your pocket could be slashed in an instant, leaving you with nothing. Fortunately, there weren't too many migrant workers traveling at this time, and the county station wasn't particularly large. As long as one remained vigilant, it wasn't that easy to be targeted.

After queuing for half an hour, Tang Xionghua successfully purchased a hard-seat ticket to Chuzhou, the provincial capital. Since Tang Yichen was not yet six years old, he didn't need a ticket. The train was scheduled for 11:30, so they still had nearly an hour to wait. Father and son found a corner in the waiting hall to squat down, as there were no seats available. Even while squatting in the corner, Tang Xionghua did not lower his guard, constantly observing the people passing by.

By 11:30, the train still hadn't arrived. Clearly, it was delayed. In these days, delays for "green-skin" trains were as common as everyday meals. Fortunately, it was only delayed by about half an hour before the station staff blew their whistles to signal early boarding.

Instantly, the people in the waiting hall surged toward the ticket gates, fearing they might miss the train. Tang Xionghua hurriedly stood up and pulled Tang Yichen along, ready to squeeze into the crowd. However, Tang Yichen grabbed him. "Dad, don't rush. We have seats. Be careful, it's easy for accidents to happen in such a crowd."

Tang Xionghua thought about it and realized he was right; why the hurry? The train wouldn't leave early. In this era, many people bought standing tickets, so getting to the carriage early meant securing a good spot to settle in, which saved a lot of suffering. That was why everyone had developed the habit of "charging the gate"—it wasn't necessarily a lack of manners.

"Ah! My wallet! Where is my wallet?" A middle-aged woman suddenly shrieked in the crowd. Behind her, a few suspicious-looking young men quickly pushed through the crowd and moved away from the ticket gate. Although there was no proof, it was nine-tenths certain that those men were responsible. Unfortunately, even seeing it happen, there was nothing Tang Yichen and his father could do.

If Tang Xionghua had let his guard down even for a moment, they might have been the ones targeted.

The father and son, who were among the last to board, successfully found their seats. Unfortunately, the overhead luggage racks were already packed with bags of all sizes, so Tang Xionghua had to place the sack of dried fish at his feet. Their seats were part of a pair, and sitting by the window was a slim woman. Tang Xionghua sat in the aisle seat, and Tang Yichen sat in the middle, making it less cramped.

"Sorry, I'm taking up some of your space," Tang Xionghua said politely to the woman.

The woman had a stylish, permed wavy hairstyle. She looked at Tang Yichen and smiled. "It's fine, the little boy is quite cute."

*You're the cute one, your whole family is cute!* Tang Yichen rolled his eyes inwardly, but his face broke into an innocent, radiant smile. "Thank you, big sister. You're very cute, too."

The woman was instantly amused. "Oh, what a sweet talker! Calling me 'big sister' is just right!"

Tang Yichen didn't bother with her anymore and closed his eyes slightly, pretending to sleep. In this day and age, when you're out and about, it's best not to be too enthusiastic with strangers.

After nearly four hours of rattling along on the green-skin train, they finally arrived in Chuzhou, the provincial capital over 200 kilometers away.

"As expected of the provincial capital! It's so big and prosperous!" Upon stepping out of the station, Tang Xionghua couldn't help but look around, sighing with emotion.

But to Tang Yichen, the scene before him looked a bit messy and backward. "You call this prosperous? Just watch, Dad. In the future, Chuzhou will change every year. Thirty years from now—that will be true prosperity!"

The "Infrastructure Maniac" reputation wasn't just talk. As one of the top major cities in central China, Chuzhou’s urban landscape would eventually be very impressive even on a national scale.

"Is that so? How will it be prosperous?" Tang Xionghua couldn't help but ask.

Tang Yichen thought for a moment, and relying on his memory, pointed to a patch of brick houses across the station square. "In a few years, that will become a trade mall, nearly ten stories high. It'll be a landmark of old Chuzhou."

He then pointed to the potholed street nearby. "And that place? In seven or eight years, it will be a pedestrian commercial street. Even by 2024, it will still be bustling."

"The area behind the pedestrian street will be transformed into a large plaza in front of the station, filled with lush trees and flowers. It won't look like this factory area, all smoky and dingy."

"And over there..."

In his previous life, Tang Yichen had been sent to Chuzhou on business for two years by a Shanghai company, so he knew the city quite well. His simple sketching of Chuzhou’s future left Tang Xionghua feeling stirred and yearning.

"Whoa! My goodness, will Chuzhou really change that much? It’ll catch up to developed countries in Europe and America!"

Hearing his father's comment, Tang Yichen just smiled without saying anything. When it came to urban construction, let alone Western developed nations, there wasn't a place on Earth that could compete with China. But how could his father, standing in 1991, ever imagine all this?

The development of the Great Xia in the coming years would be like riding a rocket, creating countless opportunities for sudden wealth. Speaking of urban changes, Tang Yichen thought of a massive wealth-making opportunity at this time: urban renewal and the privatization of company shares. However, with the meager foundation he and his father currently had, they couldn't grasp such monumental opportunities. Even with the capital and the connections, they might not be able to pull it off. The waters were too deep; one misstep and they would drown. Furthermore, some of these major opportunities were accompanied by the chaos of a rough-and-tumble era, skirting the edges of the law, which could easily get them into trouble. That was not Tang Yichen’s intention; he just wanted to make money safely and reliably.

"Let’s go, Dad. I'll take you to the vegetable market nearby." Seeing that Tang Xionghua had finished his cigarette, Tang Yichen led the way out of the station square.

"Alright! Take it easy, Yichen." Tang Xionghua flicked his cigarette butt away and followed. *This kid, he’s too much of a handful. What if he gets lost?* Tang Xionghua grumbled to himself, using this to cover up the embarrassment of needing his son to lead him around the provincial capital. There was no helping it; he didn't know the way, and he was nervous!

According to Tang Yichen’s plan, they didn't need to look for agricultural wholesalers this time. If they had a market for the dried fish in the future, they wouldn't cooperate with wholesalers. In this era, anyone in the wholesale business was a savvy operator with connections. If they discovered that sourcing dried fish from the countryside was profitable, they would undoubtedly move in and monopolize the supply, effectively blocking Tang Yichen’s path.

Of course, they wouldn't be foolish enough to set up a roadside stall and peddle goods themselves. The efficiency was too low, the volume too small, and they couldn't achieve economies of scale.

Therefore, partnering with small vendors at the vegetable market was the best choice. Tang Yichen walked in the direction he remembered, but realized he couldn't find the exact location of the market. He stood there, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Looks like it's up to your old man!" Tang Xionghua said triumphantly, heading toward a nearby kiosk to ask for directions. Asking for directions was something five-year-old Tang Yichen really wasn't good at.