1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 127 To be prominent in public, one must first suffer in private (6.5k words, two chapters combined)

At this hour, the lazy Zhou Momo was naturally still sleeping.

She's the only one in the family who can stay in bed and sleep until the sun is high in the sky.

"I'll go see what your new house looks like."

The old lady put down the jar of rock sugar, and instead of starting work, went upstairs for a walk.

Zhou Yan followed behind and turned on the lights in the hallway.

After hitting his head last time, Zhou Yan decisively installed a light in the stairwell with a double-control switch, which could be turned on and off from both the upstairs and downstairs.

There was no other way; the hallway had no windows, so it was dimly lit even during the day.

The stairwell wasn't painted white, but a thin layer of cement was scraped across the surface. It wasn't exactly smooth, but it wasn't rough or scratchy either.

The lime used for painting now is not the putty or latex paint of later generations. If you rub this stuff on your clothes, it will leave a white mark.

The stairwell is already narrow, and if you wear thick clothes in winter, going up and down the stairs can turn your black clothes white.

As soon as I went upstairs, the light immediately brightened up.

The old lady looked around the empty living room with her hands behind her back, nodded and said, "This house is quite spacious. With the white walls painted, it looks quite nice. It's much better than your old dilapidated house. This is a new home."

Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao followed them upstairs and laughed when they heard this.

"Is this a newly built house?" The old lady walked towards the bedroom.

Zhou Yan quickly followed and helped open the door.

The curtains weren't hung yet, and the sunlight streamed into the room, making it bright and airy.

The large room was empty except for a large bed made of wooden planks and a long bench against the wall. There were two boxes next to the bed. A new quilt was laid on the bed, and Zhou Momo was sleeping soundly in the middle, smacking her lips as if dreaming, completely unaware of what was happening.

"A cozy little house is better than the imperial palace." The old lady nodded, then turned to look at Zhou Yan: "You're really good at handling things, arranging things perfectly for your mother and father."

"Of course," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"This building is warmer than the old house, and it's more convenient to stay in the shop without having to run around every day," Zhao Tieying said with a satisfied smile.

“It’s always good for the whole family to live together.” The old lady nodded, her gaze falling on Zhao Tieying’s ears, and asked with a smile, “A new gold earring?”

Zhao Tieying subconsciously touched her ear.

“I bought these for Tieying. I’ve never bought her any gold jewelry in all these years of marriage. Yesterday, I went to a department store in Jiaozhou and asked Zhou Yan for an advance on his salary to buy her a pair of gold earrings,” Zhou Miao said quickly, his slightly awkward smile tinged with affection.

"It looks great. It makes people look radiant. You two have good taste." The old lady said with a smile, "It's not a skill to find a wife, but it's a real skill to pamper your wife."

After saying that, the old lady glanced at Zhou Yan and said, "You've learned something. When you get married in the future, you should also follow your father's example. People are all made of flesh and blood, and only sincerity can win sincerity."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded, keeping it in mind.

The old lady glanced at the new watch on Zhou Miao's wrist, then at the Shanghai watch that Zhou Yan was also wearing.

“Zhou Yan bought one for himself to use for braising meat, and also bought one for his father, saying it would be more convenient for him to keep track of the time so he wouldn’t have trouble sleeping at night,” Zhao Tieying immediately explained.

"You're a good kid, you remember your old mother and your old man." The old lady lifted Zhou Yan's hand and looked at it. "How much did you make this year?"

"Seventy," Zhou Yan replied.

"It's much cheaper now. Last year it cost a hundred, and the year before that it cost a hundred and twenty-five. I can really get it for this price." The old lady nodded. "It looks good on me too. Wearing a watch on your wrist will make people look at you more respectfully when you go out to talk business."

"I'll get you a new one later," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

The old lady was highly respected in the family, not just because she had enough authority, but also because she was never a spoilsport and always made people feel comfortable and respected.

"Mine is fine, it'll last another ten years without any problem." The old lady shook her head with a smile, walked to the bedside, looked at Zhou Momo, smiled, turned around and gently closed the door: "Come on, let her sleep, little babies need to sleep more to grow well."

After going downstairs, Zhou Yan started busying herself with stir-frying meat sauce and toppings.

Comrade Lao Zhou went to kill chickens and prepare pig heads.

The old lady sat behind the stove helping to tend the fire, and said leisurely, "It would be good for your old man to help you in the shop, to cut the braised meat. It's really too much for one person to handle slaughtering cattle and selling meat."

“That’s right. He now helps others slaughter cattle once or twice a week, and his skills haven’t deteriorated. People still call him Master Zhou, which makes him happy,” Zhou Yan replied with a smile.

The grandfather and grandson chatted idly, exchanging a few words here and there.

Zhou Lihui didn't have to light the fire today; after fetching water, he watched Zhou Yan cook attentively.

"Huihui, you've been here for so many days, have you learned a single dish yet?" the old lady asked, looking at him.

“Grandpa, I’ve learned half of it.” Zhou Lihui grinned. “I can season the noodles now. I’m in charge of seasoning the base of the noodles in the shop.”

"Then you've learned real skills." The old lady nodded, then asked, "And your studies? Didn't you have an exam the other day? How did it go?"

Zhou Lihui stopped laughing, clenched his hands, lowered his head and said embarrassedly, "It's very stable, still third from the bottom."

"That's fine too, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Poor grades don't mean you're not good enough. Look at you, you always come in first in running, you're the anchor in tug-of-war, and nobody can beat you in arm wrestling. On average, you're still pretty amazing." The old lady smiled indulgently, "As long as you're down-to-earth and hardworking, you can do whatever you want in the future. Look at your uncle, he didn't even graduate from junior high school, but now he's a chef and he's doing just fine."

Zhou Lihui glanced at Zhou Yan and nodded with a smile: "Yes, I understand, Grandpa."

Zhou Yan: Don't think I'm trying to comfort myself. I'm a legitimate public university student from a second-tier college!
Once the ingredients were cooked, the customers started arriving one after another.

Zhou Yan made noodles, and the old lady watched with great interest from the side, occasionally asking a few questions.

She had eaten Zhou Yan's ramen last time and thought it tasted better than store-bought noodles, so she specially came to learn how to make it today.

“Kneading dough and pulling noodles is too much work. Grandma, if you want to eat, just come to the shop,” Zhou Yan said.

"It's too much trouble to make a special trip to town just to eat a bowl of noodles. I can easily stretch enough noodles for two people at home. When I was young, I could carry 150 jin (75 kg) of braised meat on one shoulder!" The old lady rolled her eyes at him. "Demonstrate again how you stretch and fold this noodle..."

The old lady's talent for making braised dishes is absolutely off the charts, and she's also a master of everyday cooking.

She can also make steamed buns and mantou. After watching Zhou Yan pull noodles for half an hour, she pinched off a small ball of dough and went to the side to practice. She successfully pulled noodles after only a few tries.

"Hey, cook this bowl of noodles for me later, I'll eat it myself," the old lady said to Zhou Yan with a smile, grabbing a handful of noodles.

"Grandma, you're a genius!" Zhou Yan couldn't help but exclaim.

Aside from being slightly uneven in thickness, with some noodles being flat and others round, the old lady's first attempt at making ramen looked quite presentable.

The older generation certainly had some talent.

"What genius? Just rambling on like this is nothing special." The old lady waved her hand with a smile. "As long as it's edible, that's fine. I don't need to make it to sell to customers. This level of quality is enough."

Zhou Yan smiled and nodded, then used a bamboo strainer to cook the noodles separately for the old lady.

The braised beef and braised pig's head for today's banquet are already simmering in the pot. This first batch needs to be simmered early and soaked for a sufficient amount of time so that it can be delivered in advance and the chefs can arrange for it to be cut and prepared.

As the customers eating noodles in the shop gradually left, Zhou Yan glanced around and, not seeing the Huang siblings, couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

It seems asking them to cycle half an hour from Jiaozhou for breakfast is too much to ask; neither of them seems like they can manage it.

He even saved two separate bowls of noodles for them, so they wouldn't have to come all that way only to miss out on a meal.

Outside the gate, two bicycles slowly came to a stop.

Huang Ying gripped the handlebars, drenched in sweat. Her round face was flushed, and her bangs were plastered to her forehead with sweat. Large drops of sweat trickled down her face and onto her chin. Her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her body, revealing three "spare tires" around her waist. She was panting heavily, completely disregarding her appearance.

Huang Bing, lying on the handlebars, looked utterly dejected, his face pale and bloodless, as if his body had been hollowed out.

I stayed up all night drinking with my friends yesterday, and this morning Huang Ying dragged me out of bed. When I rode my bike out the door, I was completely dazed.

There was no other way; his mother had given him a strict order: if he wanted to get three large bills today, he had to accompany Huang Ying to Suji for dinner three times.

He'd already figured out how to spend the money before he even got his hands on it.

A picture of someone refueling a motorcycle.

I bought a box of face cream for my girlfriend whom I just started dating yesterday.

There's also a photo of him treating his underlings to drinks that night.

Everything was arranged perfectly.

Huang Shao is highly respected outside, but at home, getting a little pocket money is a real struggle.

If you want to be prominent in public, you must first suffer in private.

It's not easy for Huang Shao either.

"Sisters, are you here for noodles?" Zhao Tieying asked with a smile when she saw the two of them as she was clearing the table.

"Sister Huang Ying! You're here!" Zhou Momo had just finished breakfast and ran out when she heard the voice, calling out to Huang Ying enthusiastically.

"Yes, Auntie, let's eat noodles." After catching her breath, Huang Ying pulled at her clothes to smooth out the wrinkles on her stomach, put on a smile, and looked at Zhou Momo, saying, "Momo, I'm here!"

"Call me Sa too." Huang Bing looked at Zhou Momo with an expectant expression.

Zhou Momo hid behind Zhao Tieying and shook her head: "Guoguo said to stay away from people who look fierce."

"Am I fierce? I'm clearly very gentle..." Huang Bing looked hurt.

“Yes, stay away from people like that, they’re not good people.” Huang Ying smiled brightly, stopped the car, took a lollipop from her small bag and handed it to Zhou Momo: “Here, this is candy I brought for you.”

"Thank you, sister." Zhou Momo reached out and took it. "I like you so much!"

"You're welcome!" Huang Ying took her little hand and led her into the store.

"Could a single candy make her that happy?" Huang Bing stopped the car, a thoughtful look on his face. He decided to cut back on the budget for drinks with his underlings that night and buy ten candies instead!

Even if I call him "Brother Huang" ten times, it's not as good as this cute little guy calling me "Brother Guo" once!

Zhou Yan happened to come out of the kitchen and was somewhat surprised to see the two of them covered in sweat.

These two siblings are like two extremes.

One was fat and panted after walking two steps, while the other was weak and had to support his back after walking two steps.

It's really asking too much of them to ride their bikes all the way from Jiaozhou to Suji for breakfast so early in the morning.

"Boss Zhou." Huang Ying brushed her bangs away from her forehead, then quietly pulled her clothes down a bit, and greeted Zhou Yan with a smile.

Huang Bing straightened his back and said in a deliberately profound tone, "Brother Zhou."

Eh?
Why did it automatically start calling me "brother"?

"We were almost closed for the day, I thought you weren't coming," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"I said I'd come, and I definitely will!" Huang Ying said with a smile, turning her gaze to the menu on the side and looking at it carefully.

"My mom gave the order that as long as it doesn't rain knives, I have to eat three meals a day, not a single one can be missed." Huang Bing took out a cigarette from his pocket, put one in his mouth and was about to light it when he saw Zhou Momo covering her mouth and retreating to Zhou Yan's side. He paused for a moment, then silently broke the cigarette and put it back in his pocket.

Oh well, it's not like I can't not smoke.

"I'd like a bowl of braised beef noodles and a bowl of mixed noodles with chopped peppers and chili peppers," Huang Ying said, turning to look at Zhou Yan.

"You arrived late, so I only left you two servings of noodles, one for each of you," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"You can only eat one bowl?" Huang Ying felt like the sky had fallen.

She had cycled for almost half an hour on an empty stomach early in the morning, and now she was so hungry she felt like she could eat a whole cow. After hesitating for a moment, she clenched her fist and said, "Then... I want braised beef noodles!"

"I'd like a bowl of beef jerky noodles with shredded beef," Huang Bing decided immediately.

"Okay." Zhou Yan replied and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Zhao Tieying took two large bowls, poured hot water into them to make herbal tea, and served one bowl to each of them: "Drink some warm water."

"Thank you, Auntie," Huang Ying said sweetly.

"Thanks, Auntie," Huang Bing replied.

The two picked up their large bowls and began to gulp down the liquor.

The water temperature was just right, and the mint leaves in the herbal tea made it incredibly refreshing.

After drinking a bowl of water, I immediately felt much better.

But...

I feel like I only drank about half a cup of water.

I'm not so hungry anymore.

Zhou Momo came over to chat with Huang Ying. The little girl was a chatterbox, and topics kept popping up one after another. Especially after going to the city yesterday and broadening her horizons, the topics she talked about became even wider.

Huang Ying has a gentle personality and good patience. Her main goal is to get a response to every sentence, but she doesn't guarantee a perfect answer.

Huang Bing sat beside him and listened with amusement.

"Huang Bing, what are you laughing at?" Huang Ying glared at him.

"You're so naive, you're just talking nonsense to fool children." Huang Bing curled his lip.

"Mind your own business!" Huang Ying snorted, ignoring him and continuing to chat with Zhou Momo.

Huang Bing turned his head away, but kept listening and laughing.

He hadn't noticed before, but Huang Ying was still as funny and silly as she was when they were kids. It seemed like the little sister in his memory hadn't changed at all.

"Here it is." Zhou Yan brought out two bowls of noodles, along with a plate of pickled radishes.

The two, who were starving, were immediately drawn to the scene.

The braised beef noodles were topped with a layer of braised beef and bamboo shoots, with a layer of red oil floating on top of the broth. It looked so appetizing. The aroma of beef wafted over with the steam, and Huang Ying couldn't help but swallow.

smell good!
She glanced again at Huang Bing's bowl of double-pepper beef dry noodles. He was stirring it with chopsticks, and the crumbs of double-pepper beef were evenly coated on the noodles as he stirred. The green and red peppers on top made it look quite tempting.

"Three yuan, I'll buy this bowl of noodles," Huang Ying said.

Huang Bing, who was about to put a mouthful of noodles in his mouth, paused and glanced at her sideways: "How much?"

“Three yuan! Five times the original price.” Huang Ying held up five fingers.

"Who do you think you are? You came all this way just to eat this bowl of noodles, and you think you can buy it for three yuan!" Huang Bing put the noodles directly into his mouth, and his eyes lit up immediately.

it is tasty!
He couldn't forget yesterday's double-pepper minced beef bibimbap, and today's mixed noodles are even more amazing.

The chewy noodles are coated with crispy on the outside and tender on the inside beef chunks, and are infused with the fresh spiciness of green and red peppers and the tangy aroma of pickled cabbage. One bite is oily and refreshing, with the numbing spiciness and fresh aroma clashing on the tip of your tongue.

One bite after another, I can't stop.

Half of the large bowl of noodles was gone in the blink of an eye.

One word: absolutely!

Huang Bing doesn't usually like noodles; he prefers steamed buns and fried dough sticks.

But today's double-pepper minced beef noodles have somewhat overturned his understanding of noodles.

I never knew noodles could taste this good!
Even Huang Ying couldn't resist, so she picked up her chopsticks and started slurping the food.

This smells so good!

Soaked in broth, it's incredibly flavorful, smooth yet chewy.

The red oil on the surface looks bright red, but the spiciness is not prominent. Instead, the aroma is more intense, and it is not greasy at all.

Then take another bite of the tender, large chunks of beef brisket—it's so satisfying!
Suck, suck, suck!

They just couldn't stop eating.

Take a sip of the soup now and then; the soup is so fresh and delicious, it's absolutely amazing!

The fatigue and resentment from riding a bicycle for half an hour to Suji early in the morning vanished immediately after taking a bite of noodles.

Is it worth it?
That’s totally worth it!

Zhou Momo didn't disturb Huang Ying's meal. Seeing Zhou Yan sitting and resting, she immediately ran over and climbed onto his lap, starting to say, "Brother... Brother..."

Zhou Yan was so confused by her questions that he could only play a game of lifting her up high for a while, which made her giggle.

After finishing a bowl of noodles, Huang Bing's pale face regained some color, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He still felt unsatisfied and thought he could eat another bowl.

Huang Ying picked up the bowl and drank all the soup.
She put down her bowl and glanced at Huang Bing: "Huang Bing, are you still hungry?"

Huang Bing rolled his eyes: "Look at other people's little sisters, they're so cute, and they even call me 'Guoguo' (a term of endearment for a younger brother). Unlike you, all you do is yell 'Huang Bing! Huang Bing!' and the first thing you say is, 'I'm hungry!'"

"Then why don't you look at other people's brothers? They're handsome, have great bodies, and can even lift their sisters up high." Huang Ying crossed her arms and looked at Huang Bing: "Then I'll call you 'Brother-in-law,' and you can lift me up high."

Huang Bing looked at her silently for a while, then sighed and said, "It's okay, I think it's fine for you to call me Huang Bing..."

"Hmph, skinny dog!" Huang Ying scoffed.

"Fatty!" Huang Bing grinned.

Huang Ying ignored him and turned to Zhou Yan with a pleading look, saying, "Boss Zhou, are you really out of noodles? Half a bowl will do..."

“Indeed, there’s not a single ounce left.” Zhou Yan said with a smile, “Besides, you were actually already full from that bowl of noodles, but you ate too fast and your brains hadn’t processed it yet. You’ll feel full after a while. Eating too much is a burden on the body and is not good for your health.”

"Okay, then we'll come earlier next time." Huang Ying nodded, then asked, "What time do you open for business at noon?"

"The factory closes at 11:30 am, and our business hours are also 11:30 am," Zhou Yan said.

“Okay.” Huang Ying nodded, took out a wallet from her pink bag, counted out six mao (0.6 yuan) and handed it to Zhou Yan, smiling, “He can pay for it himself.”

"Huh?" Huang Bing's eyes widened, a little flustered. He reached into his pocket, but his hands were empty, and his heart felt empty too.

"Grandma, you should pay for what you helped me with too," Huang Bing whispered to Huang Ying.

“Mom gave you ten yuan yesterday, I saw it.” Huang Ying stared at him. “You must have gone drinking with that bunch of blondies again. You have money to drink but not money to eat? Then you can stay and wash dishes for the boss.”

Huang Bing gritted his teeth and said, "I'll pay you back double when we get back."

“You said it! If you don’t pay me back, I’ll tell Mom you’ve changed girlfriends again.” Huang Ying took out her wallet.

"No, how did you know?" Huang Bing stared at her, his eyes wide with shock.

He just changed it yesterday, who leaked the news?

"It doesn't matter to you, just pay me back when you get back." Huang Ying paid the money and went out with a smug look on her face.

"Let's go." Huang Bing said goodbye to Zhou Yan and quickly followed.

The brother and sister rode their bikes away from the textile factory, and then stopped in front of a noodle shop in Suji Town.

The two exchanged a glance.

"Another bowl?"

"your treat?"

"Let's go!"

The two sat down and each ordered a bowl of noodles.

The noodles arrived shortly afterward.

The two picked up their chopsticks, took a bite, and then fell silent.

"Why do I suddenly not feel hungry?" Huang Ying asked in surprise. This shouldn't be the case; she could usually eat at least two bowls of noodles like this.

"Oriole, Oriole! Something's wrong with you! You were just hungry, how come you can't eat now! Have you been bewitched?" Oriole tried to find the reason.

"I'm not hungry anymore..." Huang Bing rummaged through the noodles in his bowl. He took a bite and found the taste was quite different.

The pork sauce was too watery, not fragrant, and had a slightly gamey smell. Also, the noodles were overcooked, a bit soft, and didn't hold the sauce well.

Although a bowl of noodles is two cents cheaper, it's still far from the same price.

The two exchanged a glance, paid, and left.

The owner came to collect the bowls, looking at the almost untouched noodles with a puzzled expression: "That's strange. Why did you only take one bite and leave? Is there something wrong with today's noodles?"

He took another pair of chopsticks and tasted it, and was even more puzzled: "There's nothing wrong with it?"

"Zhou Yan is amazing! He said we were full, and we really couldn't eat anymore. The last time we wasted a bowl of noodles was three years ago!" Huang Ying said admiringly as she slowly rode her bike.

"Back then you only weighed 120 pounds, one bowl of noodles was enough for you for a meal," Huang Bing said with a smile as he walked alongside her. "But Zhou Yan's noodles are really delicious. If only we were in Jiaozhou, it would be so much more convenient to travel back and forth for a meal!"

Huang Ying squeezed the brakes and nodded, saying, "You're right! It's too much trouble to make a trip. I'm going to find a place by the river to have some tea, take a nap on a deck chair, and then go straight to a restaurant for lunch when it's time. That would be so comfortable!"

"No way! Mom said we have to come home to report to her after every three meals before she'll give me my allowance. You have to come back with me." Huang Bing said anxiously.

"That's you, what does it have to do with me? I have plenty of pocket money," Huang Ying said smugly.

"You're not going back, huh?" Huang Bing sneered. "Fine, then I'll go back, unpack all your chocolates, heat them up, and pour them all into the toilet!"

After saying that, he started riding his bike and ran off.

"Huang Bing, how dare you! I'll kill you!" Huang Ying pedaled her bike and gave chase.

……

"Grandma, if we divide this pot of braising liquid in half again, won't the flavor be too bland?" Zhou Yan asked the old lady, taking out the second aluminum pot.

“No problem. You braise seven or eight pig heads and more than a dozen pig trotters a day now, which is a lot. The braising liquid in this pot is also concentrated enough. Divide it into two pots. Just make sure to add enough spices, caramel coloring, and salt.” The old lady brought over the jar she had brought in the morning: “Come on, today I’ll teach you how to make caramel coloring.”

The first batch of braised meat is ready. The beef, pig's head meat, and pig's ears have been soaked for a sufficient amount of time, then taken out and placed in a basket lined with clean gauze. Old Zhou is responsible for delivering it to our door.

Zhou Yan washed the iron pot, then went over to take a look. The jar contained rock sugar, weighing about four or five pounds.

"Why are those two kids so different? One is chubby and the other is skinny. Does your family favor girls over boys?" the old lady asked casually.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "That shouldn't be the case. Their family owns a restaurant, the Feiyan Restaurant in Jiaozhou City, which is said to be one of the four major restaurants in Jiaozhou."

"Flying Swallow Restaurant?" The old lady looked at him. "Could it be Huang Silang's Flying Swallow Restaurant?"

Zhou Yan: Huh?

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(End of this chapter)