1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 121 Holy crap! This was made by a twenty-year-old chef?! (5.5 million words update, please vote!)

Zhao Dong's wife, Yan Xue, stood to the side, smiling somewhat awkwardly.

"Uncle, is this restaurant good? I don't think the state-run restaurants in Suji are good at all." On the bicycle at the far end sat a plump girl, wearing a floral dress, about eighteen years old, weighing at least 180 pounds. She was Huang He's daughter, Huang Ying.

Huang Ying and Huang He were about the same size, with round faces and fair skin, making them quite pleasing to the eye. Their voices were a bit high-pitched and didn't quite match their size. They were looking at Zhao Dong with anticipation.

“It must be delicious, that’s why your uncle brought you guys here.” Zhao Dong replied with a smile, then looked at Huang He and said, “Brother-in-law, let me tell you, don’t be fooled by the fact that this little restaurant is not very nicely decorated and looks small, but the owner’s cooking skills are really good. The food is much better than that of state-run restaurants. If you eat here and don’t like it, I’ll give you that badge.”

Upon hearing the badge, Huang He became interested: "What?"

"Okay, sir." Zhao Dong nodded with a smile.

“Then let’s try it. If we both think it’s not as good as the state-run restaurant, the badge is mine.” Huang He said, “If it’s really as good as you say, I’ll treat you and I’ll also give you a bottle of 52-degree Wuliangye.”

“Okay!” Zhao Dong nodded immediately.

His brother-in-law is rich and generous. For something as sure as this, he'd be thrilled to earn a bottle of Wuliangye liquor.

Zhao Shulan looked at her husband and younger brother, shaking her head helplessly. What else could she say?

"Where's Bingbing?" Old Mrs. Zhao looked around at Qin and asked.

"Mom, don't worry about that brat. I told him he's here. If he dares not to come today, I'll deal with him when I get back," Huang He said with a smile.

"Yes, teach him a lesson!" Huang Ying said gleefully, holding her chubby hand.

"Woo——"

The roar of a motorcycle came from afar.

Everyone turned around and saw a military green motorcycle approaching and stopping in front of the restaurant.

"motorcycle!"

Many guests in the restaurant turned around and looked at the entrance with curiosity in their eyes.

"It's a Jialing 70! I didn't expect to see this car in Suji! It has all the parts imported from Japan, and it seems to cost more than 2,500 yuan!"

Those who recognized him marveled at his skill.

Even Zhou Yan couldn't help but peek out from the kitchen when he heard the noise.

The motorcyclist was a young man in his early twenties, wearing bell-bottoms, slicked-back hair, canvas shoes, a floral shirt tucked into his pants, a black leather jacket over it, and sunglasses. He was riding a military green motorcycle.

This outfit is definitely a trendy look for men in this era.

And he's also a wealthy and trendy guy.

Zhou Yan had been to Jiaozhou twice and occasionally saw motorcycles on the road, but they were usually Jialing 50s, which were far inferior to the Jialing 70 he was riding.

In an era when the average monthly wage in a factory was only around thirty yuan, what did it mean to ride a motorcycle that cost over two thousand yuan?
He's a typical rich kid who drives luxury cars.

He was tall and thin, with somewhat compact features and a pale complexion, looking like he had kidney deficiency.

"Grandma!" Huang Bing stopped his motorcycle, pulled his sunglasses down to his nose, and looked at the old lady with a smile, saying, "Look at my new motorcycle, want to take you for a spin?"

"Don't do anything reckless, or you'll make your grandma uncomfortable." Zhao Shulan raised her hand and punched Huang Bing's arm.

"Who are you, this toad spirit?" Old Mrs. Xiang frowned as she looked at Huang Bing.

"My dear Bingbing, you don't remember me again?" Huang Bing's smile faded, replaced by a hint of melancholy.

"You're talking nonsense. My Bingbing is only this big." The old lady Xiang gestured with her hand, indicating how big it was, up to her armpit.

"Brother, I want to ride your motorcycle! Can you take me for a ride?" Huang Ying stopped the motorcycle and ran over with her eyes full of anticipation.

“You can’t do it. The car will tilt to one side as soon as you get in, and I won’t be able to handle it.” Huang Bing immediately turned off the engine, pulled out the key, and shook his head decisively.

"You..." Huang Ying was furious, then turned to Huang He and complained in a coquettish tone, "Old man! Didn't you say you were going to teach this bastard a lesson? Hurry up and do it, I'll help you catch him!"

"Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, Cousin." Huang Bing ignored her and greeted Zhao Dong and his wife and his two cousins ​​instead. Looking up at the signboard and the small restaurant in front of him, he asked with some doubt, "Eating lunch here? It's Grandma's birthday, isn't it a bit... too small?"

"Stop talking nonsense! It's not like you're paying for this, why are you being so picky!" Huang He flicked his forehead, his face full of disdain: "Look at the pants you're wearing! All you do is hang out with your cronies. You'll start working at the store tomorrow and earn your own salary. I'll make sure your mom doesn't give you a single penny of pocket money!"

"Old man, I may be joking around, but I'll never cause you any trouble." Huang Bing grinned and hid behind Zhao Shulan, whispering, "Mom, give me a hundred yuan for gas."

"I..." Huang He glared.

"Old Huang!" Zhao Shulan stepped forward, her face darkening, and pinched his waist. "We'll talk about it back home. Don't embarrass me in public! I'll deal with him when we get back!"

Huang He winced in pain and nodded repeatedly.

Zhao Shulan glanced over, and Huang Bing dared not laugh anymore, shrinking behind the old woman.

Zhao Dong smiled and said, "Come on in, have a seat. I've already ordered the dishes. This is the first time the restaurant is open on a Sunday."

The group followed them inside.

"Director Zhao, you've arrived. Please find a place to sit." Zhao Tieying greeted them with a smile.

Hearing the commotion, Zhou Momo ran out as well, bypassing the crowd to look at the motorcycles outside. She exclaimed in amazement, "Wow! A big motorcycle!"

The little guy is tiny and adorable, making it hard not to take a second look.

"So tiny and cute!" Huang Ying had already come closer, her eyes shining as she looked at Zhou Momo.

The sudden shadow cast made Zhou Momo instinctively take a half step back. She looked up at Huang Ying with a shocked expression: "What a big older sister... so amazing!"

The Zhou family has no shortage of tall, strong men, but Zhou Momo has never seen such a big older sister before.

Zhao Hong is considered to be of stocky build, but she works hard, so she doesn't look that big.

Huang Ying was plump and would never walk if she could ride a bike. She wore a loose-fitting cotton dress that concealed her flesh. When she suddenly got close, from Zhou Momo's perspective, she looked like a mountain.

In a child's world, the concepts of beauty and ugliness are not yet influenced by adults.

So she was shocked by Huang Ying's robust size and genuinely thought she was amazing.

Huang Ying was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then couldn't help but laugh.

Because she saw admiration in Zhou Momo's eyes, a pure and heartfelt feeling.

She hadn't seen that kind of look in other people's eyes for a long time; instead, she saw disdain and contempt, along with mocking laughter coming from behind.

But she actually said I was amazing!
Spoil her! Spoil her well!
Huang Ying opened her pink crossbody bag, grabbed a handful of candy, and handed it to Zhou Momo with a smile: "Here, big sister will give you some candy."

Besides fruit hard candies, there are also coin-shaped chocolates.

Zhou Momo's eyes lit up, but she didn't reach out to take it. Instead, she turned to look at Aunt Zhao.

My mother said I shouldn't accept food from strangers.

"Just take it, sister." Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile.

Zhou Momo then stretched out her two little hands, took the candy from Huang Ying's hand, and said sweetly, "Thank you, sister!"

"You're welcome!" Huang Ying smiled and shook her head.

Huang Bing, who was standing to the side, was amused. He reached into all his pockets and searched them, but only managed to pull out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He had no choice but to silently put them back in his pocket.

"This motorcycle is mine. Would you like to take a ride around?" Huang Bing said, patting the motorcycle. She had just come out to marvel at it.

Zhou Momo nodded, then quickly shook her head: "No."

"Why? This is the latest Jialing 70 model, it goes incredibly fast in a flash." Huang Bing was unconvinced, thinking that no kid could resist his new car.

“My boyfriend said I can’t just ride in other people’s cars, especially motorcycles.” Zhou Momo shook her head, her eyes resolute.

Everyone laughed upon hearing this.

"See? Even a three-year-old knows you're not a good person," Huang He added mercilessly.

“There’s something seriously wrong with your older brother,” Huang Bing said, unconvinced.

"Is this a yellow oriole? Why has it gotten so small again?" Grandma Xiang looked at Zhou Momo and waved with a smile, "Come here, let Grandma take a look."

"Grandma, I'm Huang Ying." Huang Ying quickly went over, grabbed the old lady's hand, and said with a smile, "Look, you've grown so big!" "Oh my, how did Shulan feed you? She's fed you so well." The old lady held Huang Ying's hand, her face full of joy.

"Please sit here," Zhao Dong said, and everyone took their seats.

The Huang family of four and the Zhao family of five could barely fit into one eight-immortal table, it was a bit cramped.

Huang He glanced at Huang Bing, who had been squeezed to the side by Huang Ying, and then turned to Zhao Tieying and said politely, "Boss, could you put us at another table? It would be more comfortable for us to sit and eat."

"Okay," Zhao Tieying replied, and called Zhou Miao to bring over a table from the side to put together.

It's more spacious now, but with two square tables pushed together, it's not so easy for people sitting at either end to reach for food.

This made Zhao Tieying realize that if she wanted to handle such a large group dining scenario, she would need to prepare several large round tables with seats for ten people.

"Boss, you can ask Zhou Yan to cook now," Zhao Dong said to Zhao Tieying with a smile.

"Okay," Zhao Tieying replied and went into the kitchen.

"The tables aren't very professional. There isn't a single round table. It's common for two families to have more than ten people eating together. This will prevent many guests from coming to eat," Huang He said in a low voice, looking around. "The main hall is actually quite large. Why are there so many square tables? Can it always be full?"

"Not only is it always full, but if you come late, you often have to queue," Zhao Dong said with a smile. "Usually, the people who come to eat are factory workers, usually in groups of three or five. In this situation, a square table is more practical than a round table. This restaurant is not usually open on weekends, this is the first time, I guess they will make changes later."

"Queuing?" Huang He was a little surprised to hear this. He looked around the restaurant. The walls were painted white, the floor was cement, and the ceiling didn't even have a false ceiling. Ten incandescent lights were hung up, making it look rather shabby.

The menu on the wall was quite interesting; it was a wooden sign with the names and prices of the dishes.

The variety of dishes is quite rich, including noodles, braised dishes, stir-fries, stewed dishes, and cold dishes, but the selection of vegetables is pitifully small.

Braised dishes include braised pork ribs and beef with dried bamboo shoots; stir-fried dishes include minced beef, twice-cooked pork, and stir-fried pork liver; there is also crucian carp with mint; and braised dishes include braised pig's head and braised pig's feet. These are all common dishes in small restaurants.

The menu is not as extensive as that of a typical small restaurant.

There was a dish called "Qiaojiao Beef" that looked unfamiliar. His ancestors were from Suji, and he had never heard of this dish before.

The prices are reasonable, a bit more expensive than state-run restaurants and also a bit more expensive than typical Sichuan restaurants.

Is this all it takes for textile factory workers to line up to eat here?
Huang He felt that Zhao Dong was exaggerating.

"What dishes did you order?" Huang He asked.

"They're not making braised dishes, cold chicken salad, or braised beef today. We ordered one of each of the other dishes. My mom loves braised pork ribs and twice-cooked pork, so we ordered an extra one of each," Zhao Dong said.

"Just these few dishes? Aren't you going to make braised dishes and cold dishes?" Huang He looked at the other customers sitting in the restaurant with a strange expression. There were eight tables reserved for this meal.

Zhao Shulan ran her fingers across the table and said with a smile, "Although the shop is small and the environment is simple, it is quite clean. There is no grease on the tables and chairs, and they feel clean and refreshing to the touch. This is not common in small restaurants with good business."

“That’s true. Usually, hole-in-the-wall restaurants have terrible environments. They’re just cheap and the food is okay, but customers aren’t that picky.” Huang He nodded. The empty tables and benches were also neatly arranged, making it comfortable to look at.

“However, I think the chefs in these small rural restaurants are definitely not as good as Li Laosan’s at our restaurant.” Huang He said with a hint of pride, “Li Laosan’s senior apprentice is a chef who has been featured in Sichuan Cuisine. Li Laosan just got his first-class chef certificate last year. His culinary skills are second to none in Jiaozhou. Many customers come to our Feiyan Restaurant specifically for his cooking skills.”

“I don’t think so. I’ve tasted Li Laosan’s cooking more than once or twice. Just looking at the dishes on this menu, he really can’t cook them as well as Zhou Yan,” Zhao Dong said with a smile, unconvinced.

"Zhou Yan? Does Suji have such a chef? Is he from outside?" Huang He frowned and looked at Zhao Dong, asking, "How many years has he been a chef? What level of chef? Where did he learn his skills from?"

Zhao Shulan and Huang Bing also looked at Zhao Dong, neither of them believing it.

Feiyan Restaurant is now one of the top restaurants in Jiaozhou. Li Laosan is their head chef, a first-class master chef specializing in hot dishes, whose skill level is quite high.

Zhao Dong actually said that the chef at this small restaurant was better at cooking than him?

"Uncle, you can't exaggerate too much just for my old man's Wuliangye liquor," Huang Bing teased.

“Exactly, if his cooking skills are better than Li Laosan’s, then the number one restaurant in Jiaozhou should be Zhou Erwa’s restaurant,” Zhao Shulan said with a smile.

Huang Ying looked on with anticipation: "Uncle, is it really even better than Uncle Li's?"

"When have I ever lied to Yingying?" Zhao Dong said with a smile. "Zhou Yan is only twenty years old this year. He is an apprentice of Xiao Lei, the former head chef of our textile factory. His grandmaster is Kong Huaifeng, a famous chef in Jiaozhou. You should know him, brother-in-law. As for his level, I don't know. He probably hasn't taken the exam yet."

"Twenty years old? You're quite humorous." Huang He raised an eyebrow, then couldn't help but laugh: "Looks like that badge of yours is going to be mine! You've been begging for it for so many years and you still wouldn't give it to me, but this time you've delivered it to me yourself."

"At twenty years old, being able to do a good job on the chopping board in the kitchen is a testament to hard work and dedication. No wonder there are only a few dishes on the menu. I know Chef Xiao; he is indeed skilled at cooking fish, stir-fried pork liver, pork kidney, and crispy intestines, but his other dishes are rather ordinary, not as good as his senior apprentice, Xu Yunliang."

“Master Kong Huaifeng and my old man were very close back then. He was extremely skilled and could cook, stir-fry, and steam dishes very well. His braised fish was especially exceptional. When we entertained distinguished guests at Feiyan Restaurant, we would ask him to help cook a few dishes.”

"Even if his grand-disciple is highly talented, he's only twenty years old. I don't believe his skills can surpass his master's. Even his master wouldn't dare say he's better than Li Laosan in cooking."

As the third-generation owner of the restaurant, Huang He knows the famous chefs of Jiaozhou like the back of his hand. He clearly knows the apprenticeships and his ancestors had frequent contact with him.

He is 48 years old this year. He grew up in restaurants and has seen many chefs, including many geniuses. Later, he went to Chengdu to develop his career, and some even went to the United States.

He knew perfectly well what level a twenty-year-old chef was at.

"I'll add another bottle of Moutai, the one you saw last time you came." Huang He looked at Zhao Dong and said, "If you lose, give me the other badge too. I'll take the loss, it's no big deal."

"You said it, right? You can't cheat in front of the kids." Zhao Dong's eyes lit up. He could only drink Moutai at Huang He's house during the Chinese New Year; he wouldn't buy it for himself at other times.

"I said I would never lie to you," Huang He patted his chest and assured him, his smile exceptionally bright.

He wasn't worried at all about things that were a sure thing.

“I’ll be your witness! It’s absolutely fair and just!” Huang Ying raised her hand and said with a smile, “Uncle, don’t worry, if my old man tries to cheat, I’ll just steal it from his wine cabinet for you.”

"Yingying, you're even siding with outsiders with your crutch." Huang He was both amused and exasperated, feeling somewhat helpless towards his precious daughter.

“My own niece, how can she be considered an outsider?” Zhao Dong said smugly.

Everyone at the table laughed.

Grandma Xiang was also happy; it had been a long time since she had felt so lively.

At this moment, Zhao Tieying brought the dishes to the table. The first dishes served were two servings of braised pork ribs and one serving of braised beef with dried bamboo shoots.

Along with it came a small wooden bucket filled with rice, with a wooden rice spoon placed inside.

The Huang family members immediately focused their attention on the two dishes.

This wasn't just a gamble involving Huang He's two bottles of wine; it also involved the honor of their Feiyan Restaurant!

Is the food prepared by a 20-year-old chef in a small restaurant in Suji Town really better than that of the family's top chef?
"Gulp." Huang Ying swallowed first, staring at the plate of ribs closest to her and said, "These braised ribs smell so good! They look so tempting too, they seem even more appetizing than Uncle Li's."

After saying that, she picked up a piece of braised pork rib and put it in Grandma Xiang's bowl, smiling as she said, "Grandma! Today is your birthday, you eat first!"

"Okay!" Grandma Xiang nodded with a smile, picked up a rib with her chopsticks, put her mouth to it, and the meat fell off the bone.

The old lady had only a few teeth left. She pursed her lips and swallowed it in a few bites, then smiled and nodded, saying, "Mmm, so dry! It's cooked until very tender! The taste is great too."

"Then I'll eat too!" Huang Ying couldn't wait any longer. She picked up a piece of braised pork rib, which was trembling and covered with bright red sauce. It was steaming hot and looked very tempting.

When you put it in your mouth and take a gentle bite, the tender and flavorful meat bursts open between your teeth, and the juices splatter everywhere. It's so delicious!

They would suck the bones clean before finally spitting them out.

"Delicious! Much better than Uncle Li's!" Huang Ying immediately gave her opinion, her delicate eyebrows raised. "About a hundred times better!"

"It's really good, it smells wonderful!" Huang Bing exclaimed.

Upon hearing this, Huang He's expression became more serious. He picked up his chopsticks and took out a piece of braised pork ribs. The ribs were cut into uniform pieces and coated with amber-colored sauce. They looked bright red and tempting. Even if they were placed on the cheapest white plate, they would still look very appealing.

The aroma is irresistible, a blend of meaty and savory flavors, with not a trace of gamey smell.

The ribs melt in your mouth, the meat separates from the bone instantly, the fat melts in your mouth, the lean meat is tender and flavorful, and the little bit of cartilage is chewy and springy. The texture is quite layered, and the rich meat juices burst in your mouth, it's absolutely wonderful.

Spitting out the bones, the fragrance lingers on the lips and teeth.

Huang He stared at the plate of braised pork ribs in front of him in silence for a moment, then looked up at Zhao Dong with gritted teeth:

"My day!"

"You're saying this was cooked by a twenty-year-old chef?"
-
PS: 10,000 chapters needed, please vote for me! Consider this an extra chapter today – 3000 monthly votes for a bonus chapter!

　Please vote with monthly tickets for this 10,000-word update!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)