Let it be, without forcing it;
English
01
ENGLISH EDITION

Let it be,without forcing it;

Memoirs of a Chinese restaurateur in Portugal, read through life’s changes and the I Ching.

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If you can make ‘creation’ as natural as breathing, it is not because intention is absent; it is because all intention has already dissolved into the breath.
Sam Wang
02 · SERIAL READING

Two parts, twelve moments.

A life told through choices, losses and changes rather than a résumé.

CHAPTER I

Necessity brings change.

From arriving in Lisbon to the Madrid expansion, family, and the pandemic.

CHAPTER II

Change opens the way.

A new digital beginning with XIAOXIONG®.

03 · LIFE NOTES

The city passes.
Memory remains.

Photographs and short texts about Lisbon, restaurants, architecture, and the moments that do not fit inside the chapters.

90 translated notes · English edition
14 / 90
A diploma, a certificate of merit and a medal on a blue-and-white ribbon inside a car.
A diploma, a certificate of merit and a medal on a blue-and-white ribbon inside a car.
27 · 09 · 2026 · Lisbon · Sam Wang
LIFE NOTE

Outstanding

Our eldest; another award for excellence in her final year of secondary school 🥇.

Her diploma, a certificate of merit and a medal on a blue-and-white ribbon, all together. A lovely finish to this chapter of school.

Her mum wrote on WeChat Moments: “Another proud moment for our eldest, another year on the honour roll!”

I tapped Like and left two words;

“Well done👍”

I CHING READINGOpen another reading
I CHING READING · Author’s interpretation
Hexagram 53

Jian · Gradual Development

Classic text · interpretive translation
On the mountain there is a tree: gradual development. The noble person cultivates virtue and improves customs.

Jian speaks of gradual growth. A tree stands on the mountain, growing at its own pace; year by year, this stretch of secondary school draws to a close.

The diploma, certificate of merit and medal lie together. The photograph holds this moment; the days leading up to it need not all be told.

Her mum wrote a sentence; her dad left two words. Long or short, both carry the same joy.

Reading in briefGrowing little by little; a quiet word of praise.
MUSIC VIDEO CHOSEN FOR THIS STORY

Blessing · 祝福

Jacky Cheung · 1080p HD

Jacky Cheung’s “Blessing” accompanies the end of secondary school and the days ahead. Her dad has few words; the song carries his good wishes.

Quality adapts to your connection. You can select HD in the player settings.Player not working? Open the original video ↗
READER ECHOES

What stays with you here?

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Author 04
RESTAURANTS · ARCHITECTURE · HISTORY · I CHING

Half a lifetime
of notes

Hello, I’m Wang Sanxiong — Sam 🤝

The book’s epigraph is my motto, and the starting point for how I understand life, restaurants, and entrepreneurship.

I am a Chinese immigrant living in Portugal, originally from Qingtian, Zhejiang, and a restaurant owner. I love architecture and the history behind it; I love the I Ching, and use Eastern wisdom to interpret the stories hidden behind history.

A battle for small and medium-sized restaurants to reclaim their own customer channels;
The second half of life should be more exciting than the first — that is only reasonable;

【XIAOXIONG®】

XIAOXIONG®; it is not an advertisement in this book. It is proof that, in the second half of life, I am still willing to change.

FOUNDER OF XIAOXIONGWang Sanxiong · Sam Wang
Read this ongoing practice →Chinese original →