1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 144 I think I believe in love again (Bonus chapter for 8000 monthly votes!)
Zhou Yan rode his bicycle along the riverbank, the cool river breeze stirring his emotions.

To choose a good partner and grow old together—what a romantic promise!

What kind of people will he meet, and with whom will he grow old together?
Xia Yao's image appeared in his mind, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

They should be considered good friends now, right?

If I have time tonight, I can write her a letter.

He suddenly felt a strong urge to share, wanting to share this love story that began during the war years with her.

He can be considered a witness!
"Life is full of partings and reunions, so let us enjoy each other's company while we can." He could say the same thing to her the next time they met.

What a magnanimous statement!

What a carefree outlook on life!

"What's got you so happy? Your lips are practically dripping with oil." Aunt Zhao asked with a smile as Zhou Yan pushed his bicycle in.

"I found a dollar when I went out," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Wow! What great luck!

Everyone was happy now, and some looked at him with envy.

"Come on, everyone gets a share." Zhou Yan pulled out a handful of coins and gave each person a dime.

"Oh! A dime!" Zhou Momo's eyes widened as she looked at the banknote in her hand with delight. She leaned over and hugged Zhou Yan's leg, exclaiming, "Brother! Loyalty!"

"Good girl!" Zhou Yan smiled and patted her head.

A loyal little cutie who would give a penny.

"Come on, let's pool our money and buy half a pound of dried melon seeds!" Aunt Zhao suggested.

“Okay!” Zhao Hong immediately handed over her one cent.

"I'll go buy it," Old Zhou said with a smile.

"I want some sunflower seeds too!" Zhou Momo held up a dime in her hand, ran over and grabbed Old Zhou's hand: "Dad, let's go buy some!"

"Come on." Old Zhou, holding a handful of coins, led Zhou Momo towards the door.

Zhou Yan smiled and turned into the kitchen. She didn't know when it started, but she was too lazy to bend down for a penny if it fell on the ground. But now, a penny can still bring her happiness.

With thirteen tables of guests and no need to order braised dishes or braised beef, the food preparation was quite fast.

Braised pork ribs and beef with dried bamboo shoots are stewing in a pot, and then the pork liver is prepared.

This morning, Zhang Laosan told him that starting next Monday, pork prices will be lowered overall. The price of pork belly will drop from two yuan to one yuan, and the price of spare ribs will drop from one yuan and eighty cents to nine mao. Basically, the price will be reduced by half.

The policy has indeed been issued, and it is being implemented simultaneously in all townships and towns of Jiaozhou and Jiaozhou City.

The shoe has dropped, a huge positive development.

The price of beef has also been confirmed to drop. He has already pre-ordered beef shank with several uncles today, and plans to officially launch braised beef on Monday.

He was almost embarrassed to put up a price tag on the braised beef, which cost four yuan per pound.

Three yuan a pound, that's quite a different story.

Braised beef is priced the same as braised pig ears and braised pig snout, making it a great value for money.

Unlike the scarcity of pig ears and pig snouts, it is relatively easier to obtain more beef shank.

No joke, Zhoucun was his backer when he slaughtered cattle!
In Suji, and even in Jiaozhou, no one could get more beef shank than him.

Jie Jie Jie...

Zhou Yan coughed lightly twice, correcting his expression.

Putting everything else aside, at least Feiyan Restaurant will soon have a stable source of income.

Huang He had been craving braised beef for a long time.

Exclusive rights are out of the question, but selling it to him is no problem at all.

Moreover, with the drop in meat prices, the profit margin for braised pig heads, which was originally 30%, immediately skyrocketed to over 50%.

Hehe, he won't lower the price!

Anyway, the initial promise was to reduce the selling price by 20%, but his selling price hasn't changed.

Guests arrived one after another.

The braised pork ribs and beef, along with the braised bamboo shoots, are transferred to a clay pot and simmered over a low flame on a honeycomb briquette stove. The amount is small, just enough to keep it warm.

The large wok was used to stir-fry the vegetables.

The food is all ordered in advance. When you arrive, you just give your name and the food will be served quickly.

"Sister Hat! You're here again~~"

"Yes! Do you think my hat looks good today?"

"Wow! What's that sparkly thing around your neck?"

"It's a diamond."

"Diamonds? How beautiful!"

"Hehe, baby, you have great taste! How about I... give you a diamond ring?"

"No, my brother said I can't just take things from other people."

"Oh, you're so good! How about next time I bring you a talking doll?"

"Hmm, can it really talk?"

"Of course."

Zhou Yan heard Zhou Momo and Duan Yuyan's conversation coming from the doorway, and knew they had finished talking and come to eat.

Just as Zhou Yan finished cooking two portions of stir-fried pork liver, he carried the dishes out and saw Grandpa Wang bringing Grandma Qiu in.

Grandpa Wang had a smile on his face, looking quite like he did back in his prime.

Grandma Qiu had a gentle smile on her face, her eyebrows relaxed, and she was gentle and elegant.

Zhou Yan put down the dishes and greeted them with a smile, saying, "Uncle Wang, Grandma Qiu, please come in."

"Okay," Grandpa Wang replied with a smile.

"Xiao Zhou, thank you." Grandma Qiu didn't rush to sit down, but looked at Zhou Yan and said gently.

"You're too kind. I was very happy to see you all walking together across the stone bridge today," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Grandma Qiu nodded slightly and sat down with Grandpa Wang.

Duan Yuyan walked in and smiled at Zhou Yan, saying, "Your sister is so cute." "If you like her, she'll be your sister from now on," Zhou Yan replied with a smile.

"Really?! You said it yourself!" Duan Yuyan's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this, and she bent down to pick Zhou Momo up in her arms. "I love her so much! Come on, call me Sister Yuyan."

"Sister Yu Yan," Zhou Momo called out obediently.

"Give me a kiss." Duan Yuyan turned her face to the side.

"Mwah~" Zhou Momo leaned in and gave her a kiss, then exclaimed in surprise, "Sister, you smell so good!"

"Yes, yes, I'm the fragrant older sister." Duan Yuyan smiled so much that her eyes almost disappeared. "You smell sweet and milky too, let's stick it together."

Zhou Yan looked at the two smiling people.

Sister, this is all the help I can give you.

This isn't Sister Xiangxiang, this is Sister Caishen!

Now you'll have a place to get your high-end toys.

See? Being cute gives you special privileges.

The goddess that everyone else dreams of, Zhou Momo kisses, hugs, and cuddles with on their second meeting, and even tries to give her a diamond ring but is rejected.

Zhou Yan thought Duan Yuyan, this capitalist's daughter, was a pretty good person. She was rich but not arrogant, had sound values, and was quite good except for being a little too filial.

If we can acquire the Qiu family's old house, we'll have to treat her to a meal.

He glanced again at Yan Fei, the bodyguard who was squatting next to the Crown car outside the door.

what happened?

Feel……

His eyes are often filled with tears?

Zhou Yan touched his neck, which felt strangely cold, and smiled as he turned and went into the kitchen.

As the dishes were served one by one, Grandma Qiu tasted each one, eating more than usual, and gave them high praise.

"Xiao Zhou is not very old, but his cooking is really good. It even tastes a bit like the old masters from back then." Grandma Qiu put down her chopsticks and said with some emotion.

"He is indeed excellent. The chef hired by the Wang family back then was not as good as him." Grandpa Wang nodded with a smile.

"The big restaurants in Rongcheng are all about the same quality, some are even worse than his." Duan Yuyan put down her bowl, praising it highly as well. She really liked this crucian carp with mint today; it was much better than the cold crucian carp at Feiyan Restaurant!

Absolutely stunning!

If I ever go out to eat again, I'd rather have my driver take me to Zhou Yan's place.

Although there were no private rooms and the environment was a bit worse, the tables, chairs, and benches were clean, and the food was clean too.

Grandpa Wang got up to pay the bill, but this time Duan Yuyan was prepared. She stood up quickly, took out the money she had prepared in advance, and handed it to Zhao Tieying: "Auntie, I calculated it in advance, and it's just right."

"Okay." Zhao Tieying smiled and nodded, taking the money.

All the dishes were cooked. Zhou Yan took off her apron and came out of the kitchen to see the three of them out.

"Little Zhou, next time you come to Jiaozhou, come to our house for tea." Old Mrs. Qiu said to Zhou Yan, then reached out and touched Zhou Momo standing next to Zhou Yan, and said gently, "Bring this little darling with you too."

“Okay, I’ll definitely come.” Zhou Yan nodded.

“Yes, beautiful grandma, I will come to see you!” Zhou Momo nodded.

"Me?" Duan Yuyan said with a smile.

"Let's see Sister Xiangxiang too!" Zhou Momo said with a smile.

"Good girl." Duan Yuyan was extremely proud.

Grandpa Wang saw Grandma Qiu off to the car. The two walked side by side, their silver hair still standing straight.

It's as if they've never bowed down to life.

One grows old while being loved.

One finds a new life in the sea of ​​books.

Qiu Qi and Wang Yu's reunion is like a serendipitous encounter spanning fifty years.

At this moment, there was a perfect ending.

"Wang Yu gave that box of letters to my grandma. My grandma was as happy as a sixteen-year-old girl receiving her first love letter. She hugged the box the whole way in the car. I think she'll open the letters one by one, year by year." Duan Yuyan watched the two of them walk away and said softly.
"Those letters, with their different colors due to the different years, stand in the box, looking like the rings of his life."

"I never imagined that loving someone could be so romantic."

"I think I believe in love again."

Zhou Yan smiled upon hearing this, saying it was good that the letters had finally been delivered to Miss Qiu.

Wang Yu's deep affection was not in vain.

“When I get back, I’ll tell my grandma about your desire to buy the Qiu family’s old house. As long as she agrees, I’ll let you know immediately.” Duan Yuyan turned to look at Zhou Yan and said with a smile, “Wait for my good news.”

“I only have a little over a thousand yuan on me right now. It might take you two months to raise ten thousand,” Zhou Yan said.

"It doesn't matter. I said I'd sell it to you for 10,000, and even if someone else offered 100,000, I wouldn't change my mind." Duan Yuyan smiled slightly. "Thank you. I can feel that Grandma's knot in her heart has been untied. If it weren't for you, perhaps they would never have met again in this lifetime. What a pity that would be."

"How about you give me a discount in cash?" Zhou Yan asked sincerely.

"No way! It's ten thousand, no more, no less." Duan Yuyan snorted. "Besides, you can save ten thousand in two months, which means you're a high-income earner. I might stay a while longer, and I'll take your money before I leave."

“The child was young and didn’t understand, so I could have kept the diamond ring for her.”

"Oh! I think you're too sensible!" Duan Yuyan turned and left, a slight smile on her lips, raising her hand without looking back: "I'm leaving, goodbye."

"Goodbye," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Brother, is that a car with four wheels?" Zhou Momo asked, tilting her head up.

“Yes, this is a car.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, watching the black Crown with the license plate slowly start. The domestic price should be enough to buy a row of courtyard houses in the capital right now.

Grandpa Wang walked over, grasped Zhou Yan's hand tightly, his lips moved, and he choked up a little, "Little Zhou..."

“Men understand, so there’s nothing more to say,” Zhou Yan said with a smile, squeezing his hand tightly.

“She gave me her Hong Kong address and told me to write to her often.” Mr. Wang’s voice was tinged with excitement: “It feels like I’ve found my anchor again in this world.”
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(End of this chapter)