1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 143 A Joyful Reunion (6k-page compilation)

Stepping through the gate, you enter a quiet courtyard where the flowers and plants have turned yellow and fallen leaves, and a wintersweet tree in the corner has yet to bloom.

Although the house had been renovated, it still exuded an air of decay and old age.

Duan Yuyan pulled Zhou Yan inside and asked in a low voice, "What are you going to say when you meet my grandmother later? Do you need my help?"

"Just don't say anything. Let me sound out the old lady first. If she doesn't, then we shouldn't play matchmaker." Zhou Yan paused and said in a low voice.

Duan Yuyan raised her eyebrows slightly, revealing a hint of worry: "Don't bring up a grandfather for me. I don't care, but I'm afraid my dad and my uncle won't be able to handle the unexpected arrival of a father."

Zhou Yan looked at her and said, "You said that if you resolve the old lady's concerns, you'll sell me the house for ten thousand yuan. Does that still stand?"

"Don't worry, I keep my word." Duan Yuyan nodded and continued walking forward: "My grandma is practicing calligraphy in the study. Come with me."

Zhou Yan followed, carrying the basin, looking around. The mansion was larger than he had expected, with two courtyards and quite a few rooms. The overall layout was exquisite and ingenious, and many rooms were empty and locked.

After walking through the corridor, we arrived at the door of a room that was open.

Duan Yuyan stepped forward, knocked on the door, and looked at the old lady who was writing at the long desk, saying, "Grandma, Zhang's braised beef grandson has brought some."

"What do you mean by 'that grandson'? People from Hong Kong are a little impolite, aren't they?" Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow, his gaze following the direction of the conversation into the room.

The study was decorated in an antique style, with one wall of bookshelves filled with ancient books.

A long solid wood table was placed by the window on the right, with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones displayed on it.

An elderly woman sat at the table, facing away from the doorway. She wore a black, three-quarter-sleeved cheongsam, her back ramrod straight, her silver hair neatly tied up with a peach wood hairpin inserted at an angle, and a calligraphy brush in her hand.

Zhou Yan's gaze fell on her face. The corners of her eyes were full of fine lines, but the lines of her profile were still soft, just as elegant as they had been back then, with an added touch of solemnity.

In a daze, he seemed to see Miss Qiu, holding a blue and white porcelain basin, turning around, her shoulders trembling slightly, tears falling at the head of the Suji stone bridge.

She is still the same person. More than forty years have passed, and it seems that only a few fine lines have been added to her face before she gracefully ages.

Mr. Duan did it; he must have treated her extremely well.

Upon hearing the sound, Qiu Qi's hand trembled slightly, and ink dripped onto the paper, spreading into a blotchy mess.

She turned back to look at the doorway, her gaze falling on Zhou Yan, who was standing there holding a porcelain basin, and she was slightly dazed.

The boy standing in the sunlight always stood at the door like this, holding that blue and white porcelain basin.

Unfortunately, it wasn't him after all.

Qiu Qi put down her brush and smiled, "Are you Zhang's grandson?"

"Yes, my grandmother asked me to give you my regards." Zhou Yan smiled and nodded in return.

"She...remembers me?" Qiu Qi's face showed a hint of surprise.

"Grandma saw your wedding with Mr. Duan at Feiyan Restaurant when she was young and had a deep impression of it." Zhou Yan stepped forward and placed the porcelain bowl in his hand on the table: "Miss Duan said you wanted to eat braised beef, so I specially braised a portion for you today."

Looking at the porcelain basin covered with an enamel lid, Qiu Qi reached out her hand, but stopped just before touching the lid, a hint of hesitation on her face.

Duan Yuyan clenched her fists nervously, her eyes fixed on Qiu Qi. It was the first time she had seen such an expression on her grandmother's face. It was not as serene and elegant as usual, but rather showed a hint of... panic.

Zhou Yan stood quietly, waiting for her to lift the lid.

After hesitating for a moment, Qiu Qi finally lifted the lid.

In the white porcelain basin, pieces of braised beef are arranged in a circle, stacked layer upon layer, neatly piled up.

Qiu Qi stared blankly at the beef in the bowl, pursing her lips, and two lines of clear tears finally slid down her cheeks.

Forty-eight years have passed, and the braised beef in the porcelain bowl remains exactly the same in this study.

She used the table to help her up, walked to the cabinet next to the bookshelf, opened the cabinet door, and took out a blue and white porcelain basin.

Zhou Yan looked at the blue and white porcelain basin she brought to the table. The glaze had been scratched many times, a corner of it had been broken and then repaired, and a crack stretched across half of the bowl, but the peony at the bottom of the bowl was still in full bloom and incomparably beautiful.

Surprisingly, she still kept the basin.

The mottled and broken marks made Zhou Yan think of Wang Yu; how similar he was to this blue and white porcelain basin.

The two basins were placed together and looked almost the same size.

Qiu Qi wiped away her tears, examined the arrangement for a long time, then turned to Zhou Yan and asked, "Did you arrange this?"

“My grandma said that back then, the fourth young master of the Wang family would always bring a blue and white porcelain basin to buy braised beef, and he would always tell her to arrange it nicely so that he could give it away as a gift.” Zhou Yan nodded.

Tears welled up in Qiu Qi's eyes again, and she said softly, "Thank you, you're so kind."

Zhou Yan looked at the blue and white porcelain basin on the table and said, "This should be the same blue and white porcelain basin from back then, right? I didn't expect you to still have it."

Qiu Qi gently stroked the blue and white porcelain basin with her fingers, her eyes slightly dim. "This is the last thing he left me. Keeping it is a memento. After all, I don't even know if he's alive or dead."

"You don't want to go to Hong Kong because of him?" Zhou Yan asked gently, but his words were unusually direct.

Duan Yuyan leaned forward slightly, her eyes full of anticipation. Today's gossip was truly big and round; she was finally getting to hear gossip from her grandfather's generation.

It has to be Zhou Yan; she would never dare to hand over that knife.

Qiu Qi's gaze drifted to the window. After a long silence, she slowly spoke: "I want to see what he looks like, to know how he has been all these years, and I want to see him again. If he is still alive, he can find me here."

Zhou Yan and Duan Yuyan exchanged a glance, and the other girl silently gave him a thumbs up.

“He’s still alive,” Zhou Yan said.

Qiu Qi turned around abruptly, looked at Zhou Yan, and asked in a trembling voice, "Where is he?"

“Su Ji,” Zhou Yan replied, “I went to see him before I came. He said that not disturbing your life was his last act of dignity and tenderness, so he has never sent you a letter or come to see you in all these years.”

"But the letters he wrote to you filled a large box. For decades, they never stopped. They were stamped, addressed, and then locked away in the box."

Qiu Qi's mouth was slightly open, her eyes filled with shock and heartache. Her hands, which were on the table, were clenched into fists and trembled slightly. Tears streamed down her face.

Duan Yuyan looked at Qiu Qi, who was in tears, her eyes glistening with tears, and said, "This tragic love story is so heartbreaking! How could Grandma have missed out on such a good person back then? Is Grandpa really a villain?"

She quickly looked up at Zhou Yan again, realizing what he meant: "No! Brother? If you do this, I might really end up with another grandfather!"

"Is he alright?" Qiu Qi looked at Zhou Yan and finally spoke.

"He's doing well, in good health, and in a good mood." Zhou Yan nodded, looking at her and said, "Would you like to see him? He said that if you're willing, he'd like to see you too."

"Yes." Qiu Qi didn't hesitate for a moment, her eyes lighting up as she stood up and said, "Shall we leave now?"

The old lady's decisiveness surprised Zhou Yan.

But isn't this the same Miss Qiu who dared to resist the adjutant's coercion, waited for the two-year agreement to be fulfilled, and even made a special trip to Suji to say goodbye to Wang Yu?
She was elegant, but never weak.

"Let's meet under the banyan tree at the Suji Bridge at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll arrange the time with him," Zhou Yan said.

He got Grandpa Wang drunk at noon in an attempt to get information out of him, because he didn't want their hard-won meeting to end with Grandpa Wang appearing as a drunkard.

"Okay." Qiu Qi nodded and looked at Zhou Yan softly, saying, "Thank you for your help. I still don't know your name."

"My name is Zhou Yan, you can just call me Xiao Zhou," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“Alright, Xiao Zhou, you’re about the same age as Yu Yan, so just call me Grandma.” Qiu Qi smiled and said, “Sit down for a while, I’ll have Chen Sanmei pour you some tea.”

Zhou Yan glanced at his watch; it was already four o'clock. He shook his head and said, "No need, Grandma Qiu. I should go back to the restaurant. If I go back too late, there won't be enough time to prepare the dishes."

“Grandma, he runs a restaurant in Suji, and business is booming,” Duan Yuyan finally chimed in.

"Okay, business is important then, don't delay, come for tea again next time," Qiu Qi said quickly.

"Let's go, Xiao Zhou, I'll see you out." Duan Yuyan said to Zhou Yan with a smile, and walked towards the door first.

"See you later," Zhou Yan said to Qiu Qi, and followed Duan Yuyan out the door.

"You're amazing! You managed to get my grandma's worries out of her with just a few words. My dad and I worked on this for half a year, and it wasn't as good as what you did in a day." Duan Yuyan slowed down and walked alongside Zhou Yan, looking at him with admiration.

“I told you, I will be an excellent partner for you.” Zhou Yan’s lips curled up slightly.

"Don't get too cocky. If my grandma and that Grandpa Wang rekindle their romance and have a passionate twilight love affair, and she doesn't want to go to Hong Kong and insists on staying at the Qiu family mansion, then I won't be able to sell this house to you," Duan Yuyan said, her brows furrowed, her face full of worry.

She is now desperately praying that this outcome will not occur.

Otherwise, if she pulls this stunt of finding a father figure for her dad, he'll most likely come all the way from Hong Kong tomorrow and beat her up.

"You have so little faith in your grandfather? I think you're overthinking it," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Duan Yuyan thought for a moment and then said, "They met tomorrow morning and arranged to have lunch at your restaurant. Could you save me a table?"

"Tomorrow is the weekend, so you need to make a reservation beforehand. I'll buy whatever ingredients you want to avoid waste," Zhou Yan replied.

"Then let's get one of everything on the menu," Duan Yuyan said without hesitation.

“If the driver doesn’t come to the table, the three of you won’t be able to finish seven dishes,” Zhou Yan shook his head.

"Then I'll have a twice-cooked pork, a crucian carp with mint, a beef stew with dried bamboo shoots, and a braised pork rib."

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded, not expecting to take on another order along the way.

"Tell me, who exactly is Wang Yu? What is he doing in Suji now? What does he look like? Is he a good match for my grandma?" Duan Yuyan asked curiously.

"You'll find out tomorrow morning." Zhou Yan stepped out the door, hopped on his bicycle, and waved goodbye. "See you tomorrow."

"Ugh! You..." Duan Yuyan stomped her foot, hands on her hips. She hated people who kept her in suspense and those who wouldn't let her keep her in suspense!
Yan Fei had just sat back in the driver's seat, feeling annoyed about the lost bonus, when he saw the culprit come out of the Qiu residence, ride away on his bicycle, and not forget to make an appointment with Miss Duan to meet tomorrow.
Then look at Miss Duan, stamping her feet and putting her hands on her hips. This girlish behavior is something he hasn't seen in the past six months.

Miss Duan is like a fairy, aloof and cold to everyone outside, just like Old Lady Qiu.

"Sigh... Oh well, at least I got my salary." Yan Fei resisted the urge to step on the gas and send Zhou Yanchuang flying, continuing to mourn the bonus he had lost.

When Duan Yuyan returned to the mansion, she saw her grandmother taking out one cheongsam after another from the wardrobe and trying them on in front of the mirror. Seeing her come in, her grandmother smiled and asked, "Yuyan, which one do you think will suit me to wear tomorrow?"

Looking at the old lady's smiling face, Duan Yuyan felt a little complicated. They had lived together for half a year, and she had rarely seen a smile on the old lady's face, and had never asked her which cheongsam she should wear when going out.

"Grandma, what kind of person is Wang Yu?" Duan Yuyan asked curiously as she approached.

"Him..." Qiu Qi looked at herself in the mirror and smiled slightly. "Everyone says he's a good-for-nothing who spends his time walking birds and fighting crickets, but they don't know that he's thoughtful and considerate. Every time he delivers braised beef, he secretly brings me a small bag of candied fruit. Everyone says he's an uneducated playboy, but when the country was broken, he was the one who climbed over the wall at night to go out of Sichuan to fight the Japanese."

"Before he left, he asked Zhang to send me a plate of braised beef and a letter. He dedicated himself to the country and made a two-year promise with me. I never imagined that forty-seven years would pass in the blink of an eye, and I have never seen him again." "His appearance has become blurred in my memory."

"Look, I'm not the same person I used to be."

Qiu Qi took a step forward, her fingers tracing the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and chuckled softly, "It's nice to be able to see each other again even when we're old."

“You’re not old at all, you’re still beautiful!” Duan Yuyan shook her head, thought for a while, and then mustered up her courage to whisper, “Grandma, did Grandpa steal her away back then?”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Qi turned around and looked at her, reaching out to pat her head and smiling: "Don't talk nonsense. Your grandfather pulled me out of the mud and has protected me all my life."

"On our wedding day, the moment he lowered his head and carried me out of the car, I knew I had chosen the right person. He was such a proud man, yet he was willing to humble himself for me."

“He always said he had wronged me, but we were born in a chaotic world, surrounded by tigers and wolves. I was the one who forced him to bow his head and even wander from place to place.”

"He chose a good partner to grow old with, and I did it too."

Duan Yuyan stared blankly at her. Her grandmother's smile was full of sweetness, and she could even see a hint of girlish shyness.

She ended a relationship that was destined to fail, and then devoted herself wholeheartedly to her marriage with her grandfather.

"I think this one is great, light green, elegant and flattering." Duan Yuyan picked out a cheongsam from the wardrobe and said with a smile, "It'll definitely catch his eye!"

“Okay, then I’ll wear this one.” Qiu Qi nodded.

……

As Zhou Yan passed by the town library, Grandpa Wang, who was leaning back in his recliner looking somewhat absent-minded, immediately stood up when he saw Zhou Yan, his expression slightly nervous: "What...did she say?"

"It's settled. She'll meet you at nine o'clock tomorrow morning under the banyan tree at the stone bridge." Zhou Yan said with a smile, "Master, Grandma Qiu still cares about you quite a bit."

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Wang smiled with relief, "It's good to be able to see each other again, it's good."

"You can change into something more presentable tomorrow. I'll head back now and come find you again tomorrow morning," Zhou Yan said with a smile, then rode off on his bicycle.

The factory was about to close, and he was in a hurry to get back and cook.

"Decent?" Grandpa Wang looked down at his clothes, thought for a moment, then closed the library door, got on his bicycle, and rode to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Grandpa Wang, who had worn two sets of clothes patched and mended for many years, surprisingly replaced his entire outfit from head to toe.

……

Aunt Zhao and the others have already gone to rest.

After returning from her run, Zhou Yan took a shower and was now calculating the dishes ordered by the guests who had made reservations for tomorrow.

Another weekend has come.

Thirteen tables were booked today, four more than last week. All of them are gatherings of four or more people, which is a significant increase.

After settling the accounts, I put the money back in the money box and went upstairs to lie down.

The day passed quickly, but it was quite fulfilling.

Although he didn't know what the outcome would be tomorrow, he wasn't anxious.

On the contrary, I feel quite satisfied.

What a wonderful coincidence! Two people who hadn't seen each other for nearly fifty years were brought together again by a plate of braised beef.

He is both a witness and a promoter.

Whether or not they can get their hands on the Qiu family's old house is no longer that important at this moment.

His only thought at that moment was that when the two met again, they would still be each other's white moonlight in each other's memories.

……

It's 8:30 in the morning.

Zhou Yan had already brought all the purchased ingredients back to the restaurant, and then headed straight to the town library.

In front of the library, Mr. Wang, dressed in a smart Zhongshan suit, trousers and cloth shoes, was grooming his hair in front of the mirror. His silver hair was parted in a neat two-eight style and combed meticulously. He looked full of energy.

"Here you are." Grandpa Wang straightened his clothes and looked at Zhou Yan, asking, "How is it? Is it alright?"

"Okay! Just as upright as when you were young!" Zhou Yan nodded, changed his clothes, and stood up straight, looking exactly like a retired cadre, the kind of person that dancing grandmas in the park love.

"It's as if you've seen what I looked like when I was young. I used to wear suits and leather shoes, and I looked much more dashing than I do now," Grandpa Wang chuckled.

I've actually seen him. I admit you're not exaggerating, he really is handsome!

"Let's go, let's get there a little earlier," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Okay," Grandpa Wang nodded.

It's only a few minutes' walk from here to the stone bridge. Zhou Yan pushed his bicycle and walked leisurely with Grandpa Wang towards the bridgehead.

Zhou Yan was a little nervous, while Grandpa Wang seemed relaxed and easygoing.

"Master, it's been a long time since we last met. What do you want to say?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile, genuinely curious.

Master Wang smiled and said, "After a long separation, instead of talking about missing each other, you said: 'Tonight, I'll light the silver lamp again, for I still fear that our meeting is just a dream.'"

Instead of saying "happy," you say: "Meeting you with smiles feels like jade branches and trees leaning against each other, bathed in the warm sunshine and radiant glow."

Without discussing the future, you said: "Life is full of comings and goings; let us enjoy our time together."

Zhou Yan was filled with respect and silently took out his notebook to write it down.

A master is a master indeed; all those years of studying have not been in vain.

They walked slowly toward the large banyan tree at the bridgehead, and when they got closer, they found two figures already standing under the tree.

Qiu Qi was wearing a light green cheongsam today, her silver hair was tied up high, and she wore a pair of pearl earrings. She was smiling sweetly at them.

Grandpa Wang paused, staring blankly at Qiu Qi.

The two were ten meters apart, yet it felt as if half a century had passed between them.

Zhou Yan stopped and moved a little to the side, ready to watch the master perform.

Standing next to Qiu Qi, Duan Yuyan covered her mouth, looking at Grandpa Wang with a shocked and bewildered expression.

How could it be this old man!
Grandpa Wang, who had dinner with her yesterday and even paid the bill for her!

Is he Wang Yu?
Duan Yuyan looked at Zhou Yan, but Zhou Yan ignored her and didn't even meet her gaze.

Qiu Qi walked towards him with a smile on her face, but her eyes gradually reddened.

Wang Yu's lips trembled slightly, his mouth agape, but he couldn't utter a single word for a long time until Qiu Qi was right in front of him, at which point he finally managed to say two words: "Qi Qi..."

"Long time no see, Ayu." Qiu Qi said, looking at Wang Yu with tears welling up in her eyes, but she smiled very happily.

"Long time no see." Wang Yu smiled, as if everything had been resolved at that moment.

He looked at her, his eyes shining with boundless light.

At this moment, Zhou Yan seemed to understand the saying: "I see all living beings as grass and trees, but I see you as a green mountain."

"Ayu, let's go for a walk by the river," Qiu Qi suggested.

“Okay.” Wang Yu nodded and walked alongside her.

Zhou Yan and Duan Yuyan stood by the railing of the flood control embankment, watching the two step onto the stone bridge from afar, chatting and laughing, just like long-lost friends reunited.

"Why didn't you tell me that Wang Yu is Grandpa Wang?" Duan Yuyan said.

"I already told you, so why are you still surprised?"

"This isn't a surprise! This is a shock!" Duan Yuyan gritted her teeth, looked at the two people's backs, and sighed softly, "I never imagined that Grandpa Wang's life would be so full of hardships."

"Life is full of partings and reunions, so let's enjoy each other's company. They are both magnanimous people." Zhou Yan smiled as he watched the two figures walk away.

The old lady's fragmented memory seemed to be driven by some unseen force, prompting him to do this.

Zhou Yan and Duan Yuyan stood at the bridgehead for a long time without saying a word. They simply watched them cross the stone bridge and then sit and chat under the willow trees on the other side of the river.

Both of them had smiles on their faces, but there was a half-meter distance between them.

Zhou Yan turned to Duan Yuyan and said, "If I don't have enough money on hand, can I pay you in two months?"

"Are you that confident?" Duan Yuyan looked at him.

“Grandpa Wang let go back then to fulfill and protect her, and he stopped contacting her later to maintain appearances and avoid disturbing her. He never had any possessive intentions; he only wanted her to live well, and I think he still won’t now,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Duan Yuyan smiled upon hearing this: "My grandma said that one should choose a good partner to grow old with, and she did just that. I think they will become good friends."

"Then I'll go back to the shop and prepare for lunch." Zhou Yan glanced at his watch. "Bring them over for lunch."

“Okay.” Duan Yuyan nodded, and seeing Zhou Yan pushing his bicycle to leave, she stepped forward and said, “Zhou Yan, thank you. I’ve been in Jiaozhou for half a year, and this is the first time I’ve seen my grandma so happy.”

"You're welcome," Zhou Yan said with a smile, pedaling away with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

Duan Yuyan watched Zhou Yan's retreating figure, a smile appearing on her face.

In the distance, Yan Fei, standing next to the Crown car, was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks.

Yeah!

The buzz cut didn't stop him!
Even the old man couldn't defend himself!

If the boss finds out, will he tear him apart?

North...

(╯‵ ′)╯︵┻━┻

　Asking for a monthly ticket~~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)