Red Oil in the Alley

Lin Xiaoman resigned from a major Internet company, fled back to an old alley in Yulin, Chengdu, and took over the maocai shop left by his grandmother. The business of the small shop was deserted, and there was news of demolition in the old street. While dealing with the landlord pressing for rent and the neighbors coming to eat, Xiaoman learned to make grandma's secret recipe. The Maocai shop has become the "tree cave" of the old alley: programmers who work overtime, divorced single mothers, and the uncles who guard the old tea shop all come here to have a bowl of hot Maocai. In getting along with them, Xiaoman slowly found his own rhythm and understood what his grandmother said, "A bowl of maocai is the fireworks that support people." She used improved maocai to retain the old neighbors, and also allowed this old alley to maintain its warmth during urban renewal.