1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 137 No, no, no... Stop it, you stubborn fool! (Bonus chapter for 4k monthly votes and 5500 votes!)
Duan Yuyan was also stunned when she saw Zhou Yan carrying two plates of dishes out of the kitchen.

She is 1.68 meters tall and usually loves to wear high heels. However, when she arrived in Jiaozhou, she found that the young people here are generally not very tall, so she consciously changed into low-heeled boots when she went out.

But the young chef in front of me is at least 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist; his physique is even better than that of TVB stars.

Looking up at her face, he had a neat buzz cut, sharp features, and deep-set eyes that seemed to look at even dogs with affection. He was looking at her now, and after a brief glance, he gave her a polite smile.

She is indeed quite good-looking.

Duan Yuyan is a worldly person, a regular in the front row of Hong Kong Coliseum concerts, and often accompanies her aunt, who is an investor, to visit film sets, so she is not prone to infatuation.

But seeing such a young and handsome chef in a small restaurant in this small town was somewhat surprising.

She would think it would be more reasonable if the steak were being grilled in a high-end Western restaurant in Central.

but!

Could he have some kind of relationship with his grandmother?

Grandma's long-lost grandson? Her half-brother? Or her first love's grandson?
Duan Yuyan's mind raced, trying to find the answer in Zhou Yan's face.

Damn!

He's so handsome, there's a good chance he inherited his grandmother's beauty!
Why did Grandma ask me to find Zhang's Braised Food?

Let us, brother and sister, recognize each other?
I...wouldn't mind having another handsome distant cousin.

But can my dad handle it?
And... will he fight me for the inheritance in the future?
In just a few seconds, Duan Yuyan had already imagined a whole drama of palace intrigue in her mind.

The content even includes clichéd plots like my half-brother falling in love with me and me beating his head off.

Oh! What a terrible guy!

No, no, no...

Stop being so stubborn!

Don't overthink it; they haven't even said a word yet.

As a detective novel enthusiast, she sometimes finds herself at a loss with her own brilliant mind.

To express her apology, she returned Zhou Yan a subtle smile.

Also stunned was Grandpa Wang Ran, who had extended the invitation. He looked at Duan Yuyan with his mouth slightly agape, his eyes filled with undisguised surprise, and his hands, hanging by his sides, trembled slightly.

How could it be... so much like her?
Long-buried memories, like a pond suddenly stirred up, now surge with turbulent waves.

Yan Fei glanced at Grandpa Wang, then fixed his gaze warily on Zhou Yan.

Before leaving Jiaozhou, the boss's first priority was to protect Miss Duan and the old lady, and the second priority was to prevent Miss Duan from being targeted by villains.

Yan Fei earns 800 yuan a month, which is equivalent to the salary of his brother who retired with him for a year and a half. He cherishes this job very much.

The boss said that he would receive a bonus when Ms. Qiu returned to Hong Kong unharmed.

He and his wife have already found a house in Chengdu that they like, and they're just waiting for the bonus to come in before they buy it.

In the past few months alone, more than double-digit numbers of blond-haired thugs have been chased away from the vicinity of the Qiu family's old residence. If any blond-haired thug who passes by even glances at them, he will be slapped twice.

All he could see was the desire for the prize money.

So, when Zhou Yan smiled at Miss Duan, he had already set his sights on her.

However, Zhou Yan's skill level is much higher than that of the blond guy on the street; he's tall and handsome.

The kind of handsome that all men acknowledge must be ruggedly handsome.

Observe again.

Upon hearing what Grandpa Wang said, Zhou Yan smiled and said to the Hong Kong-style young lady, "Miss, you can consider what Grandpa Wang said. Of course, sharing a table at noon and in the evening is entirely voluntary; first come, first served."

With a Gucci bag, a Cartier watch, and bodyguards following him, the first person Zhou Yan thought of was the Hong Kong businessman's daughter at the Qiu family's old mansion on East Street.

What a coincidence! Before he could even go looking for her, she showed up at his door.

If you don't seize this opportunity, where will you find connections to get help next time?
Are you flustered when you see the young lady?

Don't panic at all!
As a beauty blogger in the food industry, after becoming famous, I have had many encounters with wealthy young ladies and socialites.

Of course, most of his experience is limited to casual interactions on WeChat, and he has relatively little experience in offline confrontations.

Fortunately, he has a thick skin and isn't afraid at all.

Before addressing someone as a "female comrade," one should first establish the image of a simple and honest young person.

"Female comrade?" Duan Yuyan was a little surprised. She had only been called that once in Rongcheng when she met her father's leader, who was an old leader in his fifties.

Others usually call her Miss Duan or Miss Duan, some aunties call her sweetie, and some call her little sister.

It did feel a bit unusual for Zhou Yan to call her "comrade."

She even started to feel guilty.

What a stupid idea! How could they smear this comrade like that!

Duan Yuyan glanced at the empty table, which faced the kitchen doorway. Sitting there, she should be able to see the kitchen and the chefs cooking.

She wanted to observe Zhou Yan more closely.

She glanced at the old man again.

The old man was tall and thin, with a straight back, wearing black-rimmed glasses, his face was full of fine lines, and his white hair was parted in a neat and tidy way. He must have been quite good-looking when he was young.

He was wearing a faded indigo Zhongshan suit with several patches on the elbows and trousers, and cloth shoes with thick soles. He didn't look shabby at all; instead, he looked clean and refreshing, exuding a scholarly air.

Duan Yuyan subconsciously straightened up a bit. She saw a resemblance to Professor Luo from their Chinese Department in this old man, and her eyes naturally showed more respect.

"If you don't mind, I would be honored," Duan Yuyan said with a smile.

She had never shared a table with a stranger before, but this old man seemed quite kind, and since she had arrived first, he was willing to share a table, so she nodded.

"It's nothing." Grandpa Wang had regained his composure, nodded, and turned to walk towards the table.

"Mom, take the guests' orders," Zhou Yan called out, then turned and went back to the kitchen to get busy.

There is only a peak period at noon, so we must get the workers to eat lunch as quickly as possible and give them enough time for a lunch break.

Zhou Yan was genuinely curious as to why this capitalist's daughter would appear at his restaurant.

The most likely scenario is that they came to Suji for sightseeing and then, seeing how well this small restaurant was doing, they came in out of curiosity.

In any case, he had to find a way to create some connection with her and find the key to that old house.

Grandpa Wang sat down on the inside.

Duan Yuyan quickly took a step forward and sat down to the right of the old man. From this position, she could see a large area of ​​the kitchen by slightly turning her head, such as Zhou Yan cooking in front of the stove and the drowsy little girl sitting on a small stool next to the stove.

Eh?
The little girl is quite cute.

It didn't matter; her gaze was mainly focused on Zhou Yan.

From behind, he wore a white cotton shirt tucked into black trousers, with a belt around his waist that accentuated his slim waist and long legs. He held a spatula in his hand, constantly stirring the food. His shoulders were quite broad, and his rolled-up sleeves revealed a section of his forearm, which was full of well-defined muscles. His fingers were also quite beautiful, long and straight.

Duan Yuyan's throat bobbed.

Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she quickly looked away.

Damn!

Why are you swallowing your saliva?!
Correct!
It must be because it smells so good.

It smells so good, it smells like meat!

Her gaze shifted to the left and landed on the twice-cooked pork that had just been served at the next table.

Twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, the curled pork slices, the green and white garlic sprouts and leaves, all glistening with oil, how can it smell so delicious?

"The menu is on the wall, take a look and see what you'd like to order," Zhao Tieying said with a smile as she walked over. "I'd like a plate of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, and a bowl of rice," Grandpa Wang said.

“Okay.” Zhao Tieying wrote quickly on the paper.

Duan Yuyan didn't rush to order. She first looked through the menu, then glanced at the tables next to her, and asked, "Auntie, what kind of soup did they order?"

"Oh, that's braised beef with ribs," Aunt Zhao replied with a smile.

Duan Yuyan frowned slightly, glanced at the menu, and suddenly realized, "Then I'll have a serving of braised beef with 'qiaojiao' too."

The beef soup looks good, with a clear color. He hasn't had a good soup in a long time.

"I'd also like a serving of braised pork ribs, a serving of stir-fried beef with two kinds of peppers, a serving of cold chicken salad, and a serving of braised pig's head," Duan Yuyan ordered quickly, looking at the menu.

After finishing writing, Aunt Zhao looked at Duan Yuyan and said, "Goodness, there's a lot of food for the two of you."

"It's alright, Brother Yan has a big appetite, he can finish it." Duan Yuyan smiled sweetly.

"Hmm." Yan Fei nodded. What could he do? The young lady was treating him to dinner, and whatever he ordered, he could pay for whatever he couldn't finish.

"Okay," Aunt Zhao replied, tearing off a few pieces from the menu and handing them into the kitchen.

Duan Yuyan rested her chin on her hand, pretending to think, while her eyes were fixed on Zhou Yan in the kitchen.

He's so busy, managing two big woks all by himself. On the left, he's stir-frying twice-cooked pork, and on the right, he's stir-frying spicy pork liver. In between, he's also serving braised pork ribs and beef with dried bamboo shoots.

He works alone in the kitchen, and all the dishes for the nearly 60 or 70 customers in the restaurant are made by him.

Despite being busy, he worked in a methodical and organized manner.

One dish after another was brought out of the kitchen and served to the guests' tables.

You can tell whether the food is good or not just by looking at the guests' expressions.

Almost every guest wore a satisfied smile.

She had never seen such a hearty smile from someone enjoying good food in the upscale restaurants in Central, Hong Kong, where everyone wore a cautious, fake smile.

She stayed in Jiaozhou for more than half a year and didn't feel bored. Besides being able to eat all kinds of strange and wonderful food every day, seeing the pure and beautiful smiles on most people's faces when she went out was probably a very important reason.

Such smiles can only be seen on the faces of children in Hong Kong's streets shrouded by skyscrapers.

Life has slowed down, money is harder to spend, but the spirit is rich and relaxed.

She has read more books in the past six months than she did in her four years of university.

He looks so young, but he also seems to be a very skilled chef.

This surprised her somewhat.

She had assumed there was an older chef in the kitchen who was just a helper.

"Hello, my name is Wang Ran, and I work as a librarian in Suji Town," Grandpa Wang said with a smile to Duan Yuyan.

Duan Yuyan quickly replied, "Hello, my name is Duan Yuyan, and I am currently... unemployed."

Turns out she's a librarian!

Hidden masters often choose these alternate accounts!
The most famous of them all was the librarian at Peking University.

Professor Luo held his literary and military achievements in the highest esteem.

Duan Yuyan's attitude became even more respectful. As a college graduate from the Chinese Department of the University of Hong Kong, she had already vaguely felt the pressure.

Don't worry, I definitely won't choose a major!
“Duan…” Grandpa Wang’s hand trembled again.

“Duan Yuyan,” Duan Yuyan continued.

"A good name." Grandpa Wang nodded with a smile. "Judging from your accent, you've returned from Hong Kong?"

Duan Yuyan looked at the old man with some curiosity: "Yes, your Mandarin is quite good, and you can even tell my accent. Have you been to Hong Kong or Guangdong before?"

Unlike others, this old man spoke to her in Mandarin, with a mild Sichuan accent, which she could easily understand.

A hint of reminiscence appeared in Grandpa Wang's eyes, and he nodded slightly. "I went there, but it was in the 1940s, when we were fighting the Japanese."

Duan Yuyan was filled with respect and a bit of surprise. This old man looked like a scholar, not like a veteran who had been on the battlefield and killed Japanese devils.
"Back to visit relatives?" Grandpa Wang asked casually, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist.

“Yes, I…” Duan Yuyan nodded, about to continue.

"Miss Duan, have some soup first." Just then, the braised beef stew was served, and Yan Fei immediately interrupted her, picking up a bowl and ladling a small bowl of soup for her.

"Okay." Duan Yuyan nodded and quietly drank her soup.

Her father had told her not to confide in strangers, especially not to them.

The old man gave her a sense of being an elder, so she subconsciously said a few more words, but upon closer reflection, she felt that he seemed to be doing it a bit deliberately.

Yan Fei nodded slightly to Grandpa Wang, showing respect for the veteran of the War of Resistance Against Japan, but also making it clear that he wanted to maintain a certain distance.

Hong Kong businessmen these days are a real threat; this old man's question made him wary.

Grandpa Wang smiled and didn't ask any more questions.

Duan Yuyan took two sips of soup, her eyes immediately lit up, she blew on the hot soup, and then took two more sips.

This beef soup is so delicious!
The soup is exceptionally clear, with only a slight sheen of oil on the surface; it is not greasy at all and has no gamey smell.

She looked into the bowl, picked up a slice of beef, and without dipping it in chili powder, fed it directly into her mouth.

The beef was so tender that it gave her the feeling of eating Chaoshan beef hot pot.

The cooking time was perfect; the meat was exceptionally tender and juicy, even more flavorful than the broth of Chaoshan beef.

One slice after another, all six thin slices of hanging dragon meat went into her stomach.

After finishing the meal, I felt like I wanted more.

Duan Yuyan rummaged through the bowl and found tripe, beef intestines, and beef tendons.

She tried a piece of tripe, a very distinctive ingredient in Sichuan hot pot. Even though she doesn't like offal, she found it hard to resist its crisp and refreshing texture.

Garbage! Garbage! Garbage!
It's crunchy yet incredibly tender, melting in your mouth.

It's just missing something.

She picked up another piece of tripe, dipped it slightly in the chili powder in the dish, coated it with some chili powder, and then put it in her mouth.

"Mmm! It smells so good!"

It's changed! Completely changed!
The tripe, which originally tasted ordinary, seemed to have been given a finishing touch, and suddenly became delicious.

This chili powder looks bright red, but it's not actually that spicy.

It's primarily fragrant with a touch of spiciness, and even she, who prefers milder spice, thoroughly enjoys it.

After finishing the tripe, she tried a piece of beef tendon, which was soft and chewy.

Hmm... it's not the feeling she likes.

As for beef intestines, she thought for a moment and then refused to try them.

Duan Yuyan turned her gaze back to the menu, a thoughtful look on her face: "Six cents for six slices of beef and six slices of tripe, five cents per slice, cheaper than eating hot pot!"

"Auntie, we'd like two more bowls of braised beef." Duan Yuyan raised her hand to signal, then pushed the earthenware bowl in front of Yan Fei and said with a smile, "Brother Yan, these are yours."

Yan Fei: "Huh?"

🇧🇷
You will eat.

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(End of this chapter)