Xiaoji Sanxian Huimian

Xiaoji Sanxian Huimian

　　The founder of Xiaoji Sanxian Huimian, Xiao Honghe, was originally a chef specializing in Yifu noodles at the state-owned Changchun Restaurant in Zhengzhou. After retiring, he opened a huimian (noodle soup) restaurant with his two sons. Instead of following the traditional style of mutton huimian, he drew inspiration from his expertise in Yifu noodles, incorporating delicious and nutritious ingredients such as sea cucumber and squid into the mutton huimian, which he called Sanxian Huimian (Three-Delicacy Noodle Soup).

　　When Xiaoji first started out, its sign read “Sanxian Xiaoji Huimian Restaurant.” As its fame grew, the sign was changed to “Xiaoji Sanxian Huimian Restaurant,” and today the flagship store’s sign reads “Xiaoji Sanxian Huimian Food City.” Xiao Cunxing said that in the mid-1980s when Xiaoji first opened, mutton huimian restaurants in Zhengzhou were at their peak. However, because the market had just been liberalized, investors lacked confidence in long-term operations, and most establishments were small with poor hygiene. When business was good, quality was ignored; when there were more customers, water was added to the mutton soup… But from the very beginning, Xiaoji prioritized quality in order to build a reputation. Today, the Xiao brothers have long reaped the benefits of their fame and are especially protective of the Xiaoji brand. Not long ago, a relative of Xiao Cunxing opened a restaurant in Zhengzhou under the name of Xiaoji Huimian. After several failed attempts at negotiation, Xiao Cunxing ultimately resorted to legal action to protect the Xiaoji trademark.

　　The evolution of Xiao Cunxing’s “mode of transport” says a lot about the growth of Xiaoji Sanxian Huimian in Zhengzhou. At the beginning, Xiao Cunxing was both the boss and the “grocery buyer,” riding a beat-up bicycle with a basket strapped to the back, shuttling through the free market every day. Later, he upgraded to a tricycle, then to a passenger-and-cargo van, and eventually to a minivan. Nowadays, he gets around in a Red Flag sedan. Having achieved success, Xiao Cunxing is dedicated to public welfare. A familiar calligrapher once wrote him the phrase “Self-improvement without cease, virtue carries all things,” which struck a chord with Xiao Cunxing. He adopted it as a guiding principle for his family business.