1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 112 See? No meal is ever free! (4.4k words, second update!)

When it comes to work ethic, He Zhiyuan and Xiao Li are truly impeccable.

It took nearly an hour to take the two photos.

From the amount of broth in the bowl to the subtle angle at which the beef slices were arranged, to the adjustment of Zhou Yan's posture, the capture of light...

After all that fuss, Zhou Yan was exhausted.

Aunt Zhao and the others watched with great interest.

"Perfect! These two photos are absolutely outstanding!" He Zhiyuan was excited after taking the photos. He hadn't taken any satisfactory photos during his trip to Emei, but he unexpectedly stumbled upon a gem on the way back when he met a friend.

Especially this braised beef, once served in a blue and white porcelain bowl, its quality is elevated eight hundred times!
The soup was clear, the beef was tender and pink, and the tripe glistened with oil, making it look incredibly tempting.

The dipping sauce on the side is the finishing touch; the contrast of red and white perfectly showcases the characteristics of Sichuan cuisine: "fresh and delicate flavors, and spicy and numbing flavors."

Once the photos are developed, if the results are good, he will definitely try to persuade the editor-in-chief to put the "Qiaojiao Beef" on the cover of the next issue.

"Editor-in-Chief He, could you take a picture of our family with your camera?" Aunt Zhao walked over, carrying Zhou Momo, and asked with a smile.

She had changed into a blue patterned polyester shirt at some point, and was still wearing new leather shoes. Zhou Momo had also changed into a clean blue and white long dress and had her hair braided into two small braids.

He Zhiyuan subconsciously took a half step back, but quickly put on a smile and said, "Of course, come on, your whole family stand at the restaurant entrance, and I'll take a family photo for you."

"Thank you!" Aunt Zhao was delighted and quickly beckoned Zhou Yan and Zhou Miao over.

Aunt Zhao stood in the middle, holding Zhou Momo, while Zhou Yan and Zhou Miao stood on either side.

Zhou Yan smiled. A family photo—what a rare phrase! He'd never seen one like it before.

"Brother, what are we going to do?" Zhou Momo tilted her head and looked at Zhou Yan. She was too young to understand what taking pictures meant.

"Taking photos is like using that camera to draw our likeness," Zhou Yan explained to her with a smile.

"What kind of chicken is a camera? Can chickens draw?" Zhou Momo blinked, feeling even more confused.

He Zhiyuan, holding a camera, began directing the group:
"Come on, stand a little further forward so I can capture the signboard in the photo."

"Yes, yes, I'll count to three, and you'll laugh."

"Little friend, look at Uncle here, smile."

"Come closer, why are you all acting like you don't know each other very well? That's it, just like that, one, two, three..."

Zhou Momo was being held by Aunt Zhao, but her head was tilted and rested against Zhou Yan's chest, revealing a sweet smile.

Click!

As the shutter clicked, the family's smiles were captured in that moment.

He Zhiyuan carefully packed up the camera, looked at Zhou Yan and the others and said with a smile, "I'll develop the photos for you when I get back, and I'll send them back to you together when the next issue of 'Sichuan Cuisine' magazine comes out."

"Okay, thank you." Zhao Tieying looked at the two who were packing their things to leave and said with a smile, "We're about to have lunch too, why don't you have something to eat with us before you go?"

"No need, no need. We'll go back and pack our things. We need to catch the bus to Jiaozhou. We're heading back to Chengdu today," He Zhiyuan waved his hand.

“Editor-in-Chief He, even if you go to Jiaozhou, you still need to find a place to have lunch. Why don’t you have a simple meal with us at the restaurant before going back?” Zhou Yan also said, “I’ll go cook now. We also have three bricklayers who are helping out upstairs to eat with us today.”

He Zhiyuan smiled and nodded, "Okay, then we won't stand on ceremony. You're right, it's not easy to find a better restaurant than yours near Jiaozhou Station anytime soon."

Zhou Yan turned around and went into the kitchen to cook.

Aunt Zhao carefully picked up the blue and white porcelain bowl, found a large bowl, poured the soup into it, washed it, and then dried it with gauze.

“This blue and white porcelain bowl is wonderful. You must keep it safe and don’t let anyone steal it. Some people are really wicked these days. They take advantage of farmers’ ignorance and try to trade some towels or water cups for antiques in the countryside,” He Zhiyuan warned Zhao Niangniang.

“Okay.” Aunt Zhao nodded.

"Uncle, you have this rooster in your bag, doesn't it crow? How does it paint? It finishes painting in a snap?" Zhou Momo leaned closer, looking at He Zhiyuan's bag full of curiosity.

"Huh?" He Zhiyuan was stunned for a moment before he understood what Zhou Momo meant, and he and Xiao Li couldn't help but laugh.

The little girl is exquisitely beautiful, with two little braids that make her especially adorable, and she speaks in a very interesting way.

“This camera of mine doesn’t usually make a sound. Let me show you the pictures it’s made.” He Zhiyuan rummaged through his bag and took out a small photo album containing pictures of scenery and people he had taken during his travels in various parts of Sichuan.

"Wow! It's drawn so well! This duck looks so delicious! This river is so winding! This lady is so pretty..."

Zhou Momo came over to take a look, exclaiming in amazement, praising the camera, but He Zhiyuan's smile never stopped.

The little guy is so good at praising.

Unlike those old guys in the editorial office.

The photos he developed and kept in his album were his proudest pictures from the past few years.

After flipping through the photo album, Zhou Momo blinked her big eyes and looked at He Zhiyuan: "Uncle, did the camera go to many, many places with you?"

"Yes, it's my best companion on my journey," He Zhiyuan nodded with a smile.

Xiao Li: ? ?

Then what am I?
“Come on, let me have the camera draw a picture of you separately, and I’ll send it to you next time, okay?” He Zhiyuan took out the camera again. He rarely takes pictures of people on his own initiative, but this little guy was just too well-behaved today.

"Okay! Okay!" Zhou Momo nodded and took a picture while sitting on a small stool at the entrance of the restaurant.

"It's time to eat!"

Zhou Yan and Zhao Hong brought the food out and called down the three men, including Master Zhang, from upstairs to eat together.

Ten people, filling the table to capacity.

Zhou Yan stir-fried twice-cooked pork and pork liver, killed two crucian carp to make crucian carp with mint, ordered a serving of beef with dried bamboo shoots, sliced ​​a plate of braised pig's head meat, and also stir-fried some green vegetables.

The props from the morning shoot were reheated. The beef and tripe didn't taste as good as when they were freshly cooked, but it's still a soup, after all.

"You've arranged such a lavish spread! We're just hoping to benefit from the boss's treat." Chef Zhang looked at the table laden with fish and meat and smiled somewhat sheepishly.

He Zhiyuan wore glasses and a Zhongshan suit, and his demeanor was that of an urban intellectual. The fact that Zhou Yan arranged such a feast was enough to show how much importance she placed on it.

The apprentice and the laborer sat somewhat awkwardly. They had been busy all morning, and their bodies were covered in mud, except for their hands, which were clean.

“We’re the ones who benefit from your success. You’re the ones decorating the boss’s house, and we’re just here to have fun.” He Zhiyuan said with a smile, picking up his chopsticks. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony. This table full of food makes me hungry just looking at it.”

"Let's eat, no need to be polite," Zhou Yan said with a smile, first placing a piece of twice-cooked pork on Zhou Momo's plate next to him.

Everyone started eating.

The dishes Zhou Yan arranged for lunch were actually quite particular. Apart from the twice-cooked pork that Zhou Momo loved, all the other dishes were ones that He Zhiyuan and the others hadn't had yesterday.

I didn't mean anything by it, it was just pure showing off.

Let them have a good meal before they leave, so they'll think about it every day when they get back to Chengdu.

Whether Qiaojiao Beef can make it onto the cover depends on his help in getting it.

Secondly, Zhou Yan thought they were quite nice.

They're just food bloggers of this era, which makes him feel a natural connection to them. When he was a food blogger, he also liked to go to the kitchen to film the cooking details. Although he could communicate amicably most of the time, he also had his share of being chased and scolded.

As for why he wasn't beaten, the rule of law saved his life.

He Zhiyuan tasted every dish, his head practically turning into a lucky cat.

There were too many strangers at the table, making it difficult for him to speak up for a while, but he was already quite shocked.

The crucian carp with patchouli is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a prominent patchouli flavor amidst its spicy and savory taste, making it quite delicious.

Braised beef with dried bamboo shoots is also amazing! The dried bamboo shoots soak up all the beef broth, and have a slightly crunchy texture—it's so delicious!!!
Spicy stir-fried pork liver is the last dish to be served, so it must be eaten while it's hot. The first thing you feel upon tasting it is the wok hei (wok aroma), which comes from stir-frying in hot oil over high heat, just like a fire.

The slightly curled pork liver was so tender! The outer skin, however, developed a slightly charred aroma from the hot oil.

The key to delicious stir-fried pork liver is its texture; even a seasoned chef can easily mess it up if they're not careful.

But this one was so well made; the thin gravy locked in the moisture and preserved the flavor, making it incredibly delicious with rice.

He Zhiyuan ate one piece after another, but still couldn't help looking at Zhou Yan and saying, "The stir-fried pork liver is cooked to perfection. To be honest, even in a restaurant in Chengdu, I might not be able to order such a good dish. With your cooking skills, you could make a big restaurant in Chengdu sooner or later!"

"Agreed!" Xiao Li seconded, expressing his strong approval.

Rongcheng Restaurant is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in Chengdu, boasting numerous renowned chefs.

However, ordering food doesn't guarantee you'll get the master chef's cooking. The skills of those chefs' apprentices and grand-apprentices aren't that consistent, and often they can't compare to Zhou Yan's dishes.

If Zhou Yan can maintain this level of quality, even if he goes to Chengdu, his restaurant will quickly become a well-known establishment.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "You said it yourself. If I open a restaurant in Rongcheng and have no customers, you'll have to write an article to promote it for me."

“As long as you maintain this level of quality, even if you run a restaurant in Chengdu and have no customers, I’ll write one article for you every month, one dish at a time, until you’re packed with customers!” He Zhiyuan patted his chest and said, “I’m telling you.”

"Let's toast Director He with soup instead of wine. I'll drink it first." Zhou Yan picked up the soup bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

See? No meal is ever eaten for nothing.

This is his network of connections in Chengdu.

After tasting the braised pig's head, Master Zhang paused for a moment, savoring the flavor. Then, looking at Zhou Yan with some excitement, he exclaimed, "Boss Zhou, your braised pig's head is exactly the same as your grandma's! It tastes exactly the same as what I ate when I was young!"

Memories of delicious food from over twenty years ago flooded back, and Chef Zhang could not hide his excitement.

Upon hearing this, He Zhiyuan also became interested. This wasn't the first time he had heard of Zhang's braised meat. It turned out that it wasn't just the owner of Feiyan Restaurant who was still fond of this braised meat.

"Teacher Zhang, you flatter me. Compared to my grandmother, she is still quite different," Zhou Yan said modestly.

"I can't taste any difference, it tastes just too good." Master Zhang looked at him expectantly and said, "Have you braised beef offal yet? My old man often talks about your grandma's braised beef intestines."

Zhou Yan shook his head: "At present, I can only braise pig's head. I'm not confident about beef and offal yet. I need to practice for a while longer."

Master Zhang nodded and said, "Then please leave me three ounces of pig's head meat and a pig's ear tonight. I'll take it back to my father after I finish work and let him try it."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

This is about 1.6 or 1.7 yuan, which is roughly Zhang's daily wage.

It's true what they say, the restaurant makes money and spends it all, not taking a single penny home.

“I think Zhang’s braised food has a lot of history and stories to tell. Next time I come to Suji, I’ll come back to interview you and learn more about it. I’ll leave some material for future research. I think you have a lot of literary talent. If you have any articles you’d like to submit to our magazine, just send them to this address.” He Zhiyuan gave Zhou Yan an address.

"Okay, see you next time." Zhou Yan took the paper and nodded.

"Goodbye Uncle He, Brother Li!" Zhou Momo stood at the door, waving her little hand at them.

"Goodbye, Xiao Momo." The two of them smiled and waved before turning to leave.

On the swaying bus to Jiaozhou, He Zhiyuan took out paper and pen and began to write an article.

Xiao Li silently turned his head away, pretending not to see, and closed his eyes to go to sleep.

How can I slack off when my boss is around?
……

When the restaurant was open, Zhang and his two colleagues would take a midday rest on the wooden planks on the embankment, and only resume work after the restaurant closed.

After closing at noon, Zhou Miao took Zhao Tieying back to Zhoucun to return the bowls, and specially dug a door to carry them back to the restaurant.

The experienced craftsman was incredibly efficient; he finished building both walls in a single day and even roughly plastered the second-floor wall with white lime.

The previously somewhat dark second floor suddenly became bright and spacious.

"Come back tomorrow for another coat of whitewash, and the entire second-floor wall will be finished. The door will be installed in a couple of days, and the carpenter will have to order a new door frame for you. We'll come back later to finish the wall in that room." Master Zhang took the packaged pig's head and pig's ears from Zhou Yan and reported the progress of the project to him.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Zhou Yan nodded.

He'll have to sleep on the first floor for a few more days.

Home renovation is never that simple.

The three chefs finished their work, the factory closed for the day, and the restaurant became busy again, especially the braised meat stall at the entrance, which is now immediately surrounded by customers as soon as they finish work in the evening.

Compared to the busy Master Zhou, Yang Laosan and Zhu Feng, who were diagonally opposite, were far too idle and looked worried.

Sales of pig's head meat have been halved again and again, and the price has dropped to 1.8 yuan per kilogram. Only five or six kilograms can be sold every day, earning two or three yuan, which is far worse than before.

Zhao Minghui's sweet-skinned duck, sandwiched in the middle, was also surrounded by customers.

"Try it before you buy, and if you like it, then buy it again!"

"Okay, I've weighed it out for you, here's your change!"

"Girl, just give me six cents and three cents, the change doesn't matter."

"Sister, we're sold out of sweet-skinned duck today. If you want half a duck tomorrow, I'll make a note of it. Come pick it up after get off work tomorrow night."

Zhao Minghui and Zhang Xiuqin greeted the guests with smiles and were full of energy.

Their braised peanuts can now sell 30 jin a day, and their sweet-skinned ducks have also sold one or two more than before, resulting in a significant increase in income.

Life is full of hope!
Yesterday, Yang Laosan and Zhu Feng were up to their old tricks again. They also made some braised peanuts and sold them to compete with him, and their price was only three cents a pound, which was one and a half cents cheaper than his.

However, after tasting their braised peanuts, customers either said they were too salty or that half of them were empty shells, and in the end they still bought from his store.

The two families braised dozens of kilograms of peanuts, but only managed to sell a few kilograms. They didn't dare to braise any more today.

Zhao Minghui was beginning to understand Zhou Yan's philosophy.

When your product is good enough, price wars from your competitors can't beat you.

……

Zhao Tieying greeted the guests with a smile as they entered the shop and sat down. The doorway dimmed slightly, and two people entered, smiling and asking, "Sister-in-law, are there any seats left?"

"Master Xiao!" Zhao Tieying was somewhat surprised to see who it was, and quickly nodded with a smile, "Yes, there's a seat. Please come in. Master Zheng is here too. Are you here for a meal, or to see Zhou Yan?"

"Eat first, then we'll talk to him if we need anything after we eat," Xiao Lei said.
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(End of this chapter)