Born in 1958, Zhang Lan is a pure Beijing resident from Beijing and a descendant of the Zhenghuangqi family. Still, her life path has not been easy. Since the day she was born, Zhang Lan has been labeled as an "unlucky thing".
Before she was born, her father ran away from home, and in the days that followed, there was no news of this experience that sowed in the depths of Zhang Lan's young heart, which made her silently determined to spend her life trying to get rid of this disgraceful title.
The hardships of life are not over. After her mother remarried, the young Zhang Lan was sent to rural Hubei with her family. In a resource-poor environment, she uses her survival instinct to learn how to get food from nature, such as digging birds' eggs, catching toads and snakes, to improve her family's life.
This experience has tempered her tenacious and fearless character, and laid the foundation for her fighting spirit in the future.
In 1989, at the age of 31, Zhang Lan made a major decision that changed the trajectory of her life, that is, to go to Canada alone to work hard. This decision forced her to hand over her 8-year-old son, Wang Xiaofei, to the care of her family.
With a vision for the future and concern for her son, Zhang Lan embarked on a journey to the ocean.
During her years in Canada, Zhang Lan had the most difficult days of her life. She lives in a damp and dark basement and works up to 16 hours a day. During this time, she had to make breakfast for her landlord, wipe down the bodies of the elderly, unload trucks with black men in burger joints, carry pork, wash potatoes and plates, and finally rush to the barbershop to wash customers' hair.
Although she was physically exhausted, whenever she thought of her son who was far away in China, she would grit her teeth and persevere.
During these difficult days, Zhang Lan's cousin helped her sign up for a beauty pageant in order to help her find a more convenient way to make money. Surprisingly, Zhang Lan won the beauty pageant championship in the Toronto area with her charm.
However, she was not fooled by the false name, but always remembered her original purpose of coming to Canada - to fight for her son's future.
On Christmas Day 1991, Zhang Lan stood at the crossroads of her life, holding $20,000 and immigration paper in her hand, on the one hand, the opportunity to stay in Canada to continue to work, and on the other hand, she was determined to return to China to start a business.
In 1992, Zhang Lan returned to Beijing with her hard-earned savings and began her entrepreneurial journey.
After returning to China, Zhang Lan conducted in-depth investigations into many industries, and finally chose to work in the catering industry, which she is most familiar with. She opened her first Sichuan restaurant, named "Alan Restaurant".
In order to give customers a different dining experience, Zhang Lan personally went to Pixian County, Sichuan Province to select bamboo, and decorated the restaurant in a unique "bamboo house" style.
From the very beginning of the front desk work, to the later waiter and purchasing positions, Zhang Lan is personally responsible. She understands the importance of talent, so she spares no expense to hire top Sichuan chefs and gives them the best treatment among her peers.
This dedication to quality soon paid off, and with its unique decoration style and exquisite Sichuan cuisine, "Alan Restaurant" quickly became one of the most popular restaurants in Beijing, and even set an astonishing record of 40,000 yuan per day, and in just two years, the second branch was successfully opened.
However, Zhang Lan was not satisfied with this. By 2000, "Alan Restaurant" had brought her a considerable income of 6 million yuan. But she began to think, "Is this what I'm worth?" Am I willing to be a restaurateur for the rest of my life? What exactly am I after? After careful consideration, Zhang Lan made a decision that shocked the people around her - to close the "Alan Restaurant" and start anew.
Faced with the incomprehension and doubts of relatives and friends, Zhang Lan said without hesitation, "My favorite thing in my life is the catering industry, but I am not satisfied with being the owner of a small restaurant, I have greater ambitions, I want to build an international Chinese food brand."
With this ideal in mind, she started her entrepreneurial journey and founded the "South Beauty" boutique Sichuan restaurant.
Zhang Lan hopes to locate the first store of "South Beauty" in Beijing Guomao, so as to better showcase Chinese food culture to the global business elite. However, the reality was far from ideal, and although she drew up an almost perfect plan, she ended up with a small 600-square-meter storefront.
After opening, "South Beauty" was deserted almost every day, and its monthly income was not even enough to pay rent and employee salaries.
In the face of difficulties, Zhang Lan did not give up, she gritted her teeth with her savings and insisted on maintaining operations. After four months of difficult operation, "South Beauty" finally ushered in a turnaround. After the word of mouth was gradually established, it attracted more and more people to come here.
Zhang Lan's persistence eventually paid off, and "South Beauty" began to get on track and develop and expand rapidly.
As South Beauty's business continued to expand, Zhang Lan realized that she needed more right-hand men to support the company's growth. So, she fell in love with her son Wang Xiaofei, who was studying abroad.
In 2003, Wang Xiaofei, who returned from school, announced that she had officially joined South Beauty with a dual degree from HEE France and an MBA in Hotel Management from the University of Guelford in Canada, and served as an executive director.
Wang Xiaofei's addition has brought new vitality to "South Beauty". He is mainly responsible for the company's overseas business promotion, but is also involved in product design and fashion creative work. Mother and son are concentric, full of tacit understanding, and the development of "South Beauty" is like a bamboo.
As of 2008, "South Beauty" has added 8 new directly operated stores in first-tier cities, and more than 300 new menu styles, showing a strong momentum of expansion.
The year 2008 was a significant year for Zhang Lan. She was not only elected as the Olympic torchbearer, but also successfully raised 300 million yuan with the outstanding performance of South Beauty. This fund provides a strong guarantee for the further expansion of South Beauty.
Zhang Lan's achievements have been widely recognized by the society. In 2009, she was ranked third on the Hurun Restaurant Rich List, further proving her status and influence in the restaurant industry. From a single mother who started from scratch to build a nationally renowned restaurant brand, her entrepreneurial story has become a legend in the hearts of many.
However, Zhang Lan's career did not make her forget her responsibilities as a mother. Her son Wang Xiaofei, who has a successful career, has an unfulfilled wish in her heart - her son's marriage. In traditional Chinese beliefs, "starting a family" is regarded as an important measure of a person's success.
Zhang Lan hopes that her son can find a partner who truly loves him, form a happy family, and complete another important milestone in his life.
However, Zhang Lan never thought that her son's marriage would bring her so much joy and sorrow. She thought she had a successful career and would be able to tackle any challenge with ease.
But when faced with her son's emotional problems, she felt powerless and worried like never before.
Wang Xiaofei gradually became a public figure due to his success, and his love life began to attract the attention of the media and the public. Zhang Lan is not only proud of her son's success, but also worried about his future.
She understands that it is not easy to find true love in the spotlight, but as a mother, she can only silently support and guard, hoping that her son will find his own happiness.
In 2010, Wang Xiaofei's love affair with Taiwan artist Da S was like a whirlwind and developed rapidly. The beginning of this relationship was quite dramatic: it was originally An Yixuan's well-planned birthday confession, but it unexpectedly achieved the marriage between Wang Xiaofei and Da S.
It took only a few days from acquaintance to love, and it took less than two months from falling in love to getting a license to get marriedOn November 16, the two registered their marriage in Beijing, and Zhang Lan finally got her wish to see her son enter the palace of marriage.
In March 2011, Wang Xiaofei held a grand wedding for Da S in Sanya, Hainan, which was praised by the media as the most "catching" wedding scene of the year.
Huang Xiaoming insisted on flying first class, so that he was five hours late; Zhang Huimei and Na Ying sang and competed on stage; Gao Xiaosong's speech cleverly turned into a new film promotion; Liu Qian originally planned to perform a magic trick, but was pushed into the pool...... Despite the many accidents that filled the wedding process,
But this did not affect Zhang Lan's joy As a mother-in-law, she even excitedly played the drum in the audience, looking at her son's happy appearance, Zhang Lan felt that her years of hard work had finally paid off.
After getting married, Da S quickly brought a new life to the family. In 2014, she gave birth to her daughter Wang Xiyue; Two years later, he ushered in his son Wang Xijiu. Zhang Lan has become a happy grandmother, who loves her daughter-in-law and grandchildren very much, and can't wait to give everything she has for them.
During this time, Zhang Lan seemed to see the ideal family happiness, and her life seemed to be complete.
However, the happy days in the outside world did not last long, and in 2021, some media reported that there was a crisis in the marriage of Da S and Wang Xiaofei. Wang Xiaofei responded that she "didn't know", and Big S's sister Xiao S also said that she was speechless to respond.
However, Da S's mother publicly stated that the two had reconciled, but these measures did not seem to be able to save the broken marriage, and in November of the same year, Da S announced that he and Wang Xiaofei were officially divorced.
This news was like a bolt from the blue, which caught Zhang Lan off guard. According to the divorce agreement, Wang Xiaofei needs to pay monthly alimony for the two children, and the custody of the children belongs to the woman, and Wang Xiaofei only has visitation rights.
As a woman who has experienced a failed marriage, Zhang Lan knows this pain, feels sorry for her son, and is even more worried about her two lovely grandchildren.
Just 3 months after the divorce, Da S and Korea artist Gu Junye entered the marriage hall again, and the two lived in Da S's mansion in Taipei to relive the relationship 20 years ago, which made the situation even more complicated.
Zhang Lan was shocked and heartbroken, she was not only sad about the breakdown of her son's marriage, but also worried about the possibility of family changes for her grandchildren, but as a mother, she could only silently support her son, hoping that he could get rid of the haze and find a new direction in life.
Just when Zhang Lan was worried about her son's marriage, South Beauty Company suffered a huge change comparable to the collapse of the sky. The company is facing a serious financial crisis, and all the property in Zhang Lan's name has been frozen, and it has fallen into an unprecedented dilemma for a while.
The fact that the wealth that has been painstakingly accumulated over the years is wiped out in an instant is a huge blow to anyone.
However, in the face of such a predicament, Zhang Lan has shown incomparable resilience. The resilient women who used to struggle in Canada seem to be back. Instead of crying because her assets were frozen, she quickly adjusted her mindset and began to actively look for a solution to the problem.
In order to save the career empire she had worked hard to build for many years, Zhang Lan ran around and actively sought support from all parties. She took the initiative to contact old friends to find new investors, and at the same time, she also carried out reforms at the company level, rebuilding the brand of "South Beauty", trying to make "South Beauty" stand firm again.
In the process, her family also gave her great support, and with the joint efforts and help of the whole family, Zhang Lan finally successfully survived this career crisis.
After this experience, Zhang Lan cherished the company of her family more and became more aware of the importance of family. She began to think that life may not only be about career success, but also about family happiness.
However, fate does not seem to intend to give Zhang Lan a chance to breathe. She had just gone through a difficult career and thought she could enjoy the joy of family life with peace of mind, but she fell into the predicament of her family again.
Zhang Lan, who is 60 years old, was looking forward to being able to tease her grandson and enjoy her old age in peace, but she had to face the family turmoil again.
This double test of career and family made Zhang Lan feel unprecedented pressure, but she clearly knew that she had to be strong to get through the difficulties. As a strong woman with strong adaptability, she firmly believes that as long as the whole family is united, no difficulty cannot be overcome.
In November 2022, Wang Xiaofei's marriage case was once again pushed to the forefront of public opinion. Regarding his ex-wife Da S's mortgage and living expenses, Wang Xiaofei posted on social media that she has been paying, including the wages of her aunt and driver, the living expenses of her two children, the electricity bill of the entire house and the mortgage of more than 1 million yuan that needs to be repaid every month.
However, the remark that he was prevented from meeting his children caused an uproar, and public opinion from all sides poured in.
At the critical moment, Zhang Lan once again stepped forward to lift the siege for her son. She not only publicly countered the doubts of Big S's mother, but also skillfully resolved the contradictions in the live broadcast, thus successfully turning the crisis into a business opportunity.
Zhang Lan's speech was very sharp, bluntly saying that Wang Xiaofei and Da S's marriage relationship has not yet stabilized, but the other party is eager to find another Korea lifesaver in the live broadcast, she promoted green tea, braised eggs, Korean-style soft rice and mattresses, and even imitated Gu Junye DJing,
Showing amazing adaptability and sense of humor, in just a few days, her live broadcast sales reached tens of millions, which fully reflects her philosophy of doing things - "when others throw mud at me, I use mud to build a tile house".
However, the hardships of Wang Xiaofei's life cannot be concealed from her resolute appearance. Zhang Lan knows that her husband Wang Xiaofei is over forty years old, and his marriage is not stable after vicissitudes. And for various reasons, Wang Xiaofei couldn't even see her child, which made her deeply worried.
That strong woman, Wang Xiaofei's mother, once supported a family by going bankrupt alone, without shedding a single tear, however, now she has red eyes because of her son's marriage problems.
"I will work hard to become a son in the end, and I pity the hearts of parents all over the world." Zhang Lan used her own experience to weave the profound connotation of this ancient saying. Whether it is the hardships and hardships of starting a business or the thoughtfulness of motherhood, she has made unimaginable efforts.
Now, her greatest wish is to hope that her son can find his own happiness as soon as possible, and that she and her husband can live a plain and happy life Although there are many circumstances, Zhang Lan still firmly supports the family, guarding her family in her way, showing the selfless love and tenacious strength of a mother.