1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 176 Mr. Duan, I'm Just Not a Fool When It Comes to Smile (6k words combined)

"Baby, you still have such good taste." Duan Yuyan smiled and bent down to pick her up.

"Mua~" Zhou Momo leaned over and kissed her, exclaiming in a childish voice, "Wow~ Sister Yuyan, you still smell so good! But this time, it smells like peaches!"

"My goodness, you can actually smell the peach scent." Duan Yuyan looked at her in surprise. The perfume she was wearing today had a hint of peach, but the scent was actually very subtle. She didn't expect the little one to be able to smell it.

"Mmm, I like peaches." The little one nodded, smiling brightly. "I also like my older sister."

"You're so good, and you're so good at praising me. I like you too." Duan Yuyan smiled and kissed her cheek, put her on the ground, and showed her the box in her hand: "Look what I brought you."

"What?" Zhou Momo peeked over with a face full of curiosity.

"I bought you a little leather jacket and a little hat." Duan Yuyan opened her pocket, pulled out a brown leather jacket, and then took out a burgundy baseball cap.

Zhou Momo's eyes sparkled as she clapped her little hands and exclaimed in her childish voice, "Wow! It's shaped like a duck's beak, just like my sister's hat!"

"Come on, put it on and let me see." Duan Yuyan put the hat on Zhou Momo's head. The little one had her hair in pigtails today, and the baseball cap fit her perfectly.

"Hehe, cute! And kind of cool too." Duan Yuyan nodded with satisfaction, took Zhou Momo's hand and walked into the store. "Come on, take off your little floral jacket and let's try on a little leather jacket. This was brought over from Hong Kong by someone. The styles in Rongcheng Department Store are a bit ugly."

The driver, Xiao Yan, got out of the driver's seat, jogged to the other side, and opened the car door. "Mrs. Qiu, please be careful."

"It's alright." Grandma Qiu got out of the car. Today she was wearing a gray mid-length cheongsam, her hair was still neatly tied up, and she was wearing a beige shawl. She looked at Duan Yuyan holding Zhou Momo's little hand and smiled.

This little guy is so adorable. He's so small, yet he has such a sweet tongue and always knows how to praise people accurately. It shows he has good upbringing and is very intelligent.

"Hey hey hey! Isn't that a Crown?! Holy crap, even Su Ji can see this car?!" Huang Bing and Huang Ying, riding side by side, exclaimed in surprise when they saw the car parked in front of the restaurant.

"What are you getting so worked up about? It's not like we've never seen a car before." Huang Ying shook her handlebars and rolled her eyes at him.

"You don't know anything about this! This is a Crown! Even if we sold our Feiyan Restaurant, we might not be able to afford one." Huang Bing craned his neck to look. "I thought there was only one in Jiaozhou. She even ate at our restaurant before. She was a very pretty girl, and she was wearing a black one..."

"Huh? Why are the license plate numbers the same?"

Two bicycles stopped in front of the restaurant.

Huang Bing and Huang Ying both looked into the shop at the same time.

An elderly woman wearing a cheongsam with her silver hair tied up high, and a young woman wearing a leather jacket and a skirt were walking into the store.

"Isn't that Grandma Qiu? She's a regular at our restaurant!" Huang Ying covered her mouth, her face showing surprise.

"That's her!" Huang Bing stared at the girl wearing a baseball cap. Her fashionable outfit was unmatched in Jiaozhou City.

The brother and sister exchanged a glance and saw worry in each other's eyes.

"They probably don't know Yan Ge well, right? A Hong Kong businessman who drives a Crown Casino wouldn't come to town to eat so often, would he?" Huang Bing said in a low voice.

"I hope so," Huang Ying whispered.

Then, the two saw Duan Yuyan putting a coat on Zhou Momo inside the restaurant; it was a small brown leather jacket.

The little guy was also wearing a burgundy baseball cap.

This outfit is exactly the same as Duan Yuyan's.

"It seems like we're not just familiar, we're quite familiar." Huang Bing's smile carried a hint of bitterness.

"Then we can only hope they don't order braised pork." Huang Ying sighed softly.

What is Feiyan Restaurant most afraid of?
It's just that a regular customer, Zhou Yan, ate here last week!

The two stopped their bicycles.

Huang Bing felt a chill run down his spine. He turned around and met the gaze of the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the Crown, a gaze that was icy and carried a hint of murderous intent.

"You mean the driver was staring at my claws?" Huang Bing shrank back.

"I'm afraid someone like you with blond hair will get close to his young lady," Huang Ying said matter-of-factly.

"Bullshit! I can tell he's a good guy at first glance," Huang Bing retorted.

Yan Fei watched Huang Bing and Huang Ying walk into the restaurant before turning his gaze away and parking the car to the side.

Having failed to defend against both the crew-cut man and the old man, he had given up hope of winning the prize money.

To his surprise, neither Miss Duan nor Mrs. Qiu came to Suji in the past two weeks, and Zhou Yan did not come to the Qiu residence to look for Miss Duan either.

Mr. Duan didn't fire him; he continued to pay his salary and even gave him a raise of fifty yuan.

A scholar dies for a confidant!

Yan Fei was determined to protect Miss Duan and Mrs. Qiu with his life. If a young punk like him were to appear near the Qiu residence, he would have already thrown him far away.

He's quite adept at dealing with blond-haired guys!

Inside the restaurant, Zhou Yan and Aunt Zhao stood to the side watching Zhou Momo, who had changed into her new clothes.

The leather jacket fits perfectly, and the style is similar to the one Duan Yuyan is wearing. The leather looks soft.

After Zhou Momo changed into the new outfit, she looked energetic and cute, and the baseball cap on her head made her even more adorable.

This is how wealthy people buy clothes: they only care about a perfect fit and don't consider the possibility of buying new ones for their children next year.

"Yes, it looks good, and the size is just right. My taste is definitely on point." Duan Yuyan nodded with great satisfaction, reached out and pinched Zhou Momo's chubby cheeks, and said with a smile, "It's a gift from your sister, so wear it well."

"It looks good, and it's so warm!" Zhou Momo twirled around, touching her leather jacket with a bright smile. "Thank you, Sister Yuyan."

Zhou Yan first greeted Old Lady Qiu, then looked at Duan Yuyan and said, "Thank you for going to all this trouble, even bringing her clothes from Hong Kong."

"That's right, buying such nice clothes for the baby." Aunt Zhao also looked embarrassed. She had seen the price of leather jackets at the department store last time, and one of them cost more than a hundred yuan.

Although Zhou Momo's dress is small, it's a high-end item from Hong Kong, and it might even be more expensive!
“There’s no need to spend money on this. She’s my sister. Is it okay for me to buy her some clothes?” Duan Yuyan said matter-of-factly, her eyes full of doting affection as she looked at Zhou Momo.

Zhou Yan felt conflicted. Zhou Momo had managed to get a taste of being a kept woman first!
He just said it casually that day, but he didn't expect Duan Yuyan to take it to heart.

It's great. Putting everything else aside, when Zhou Momo goes back to the village for Chinese New Year this year and puts on this little leather jacket, she'll be the prettiest girl in the whole village.

"By the way, I have a few words to say to you." Duan Yuyan walked to a corner, and Zhou Yan quickly followed.

“My grandma has agreed to sell the Qiu family’s old house to you. She’s started moving things out these past few days, moving her belongings to the Duan family’s old house. She estimates she’ll be done by the end of this month,” Duan Yuyan said.

"Really?!" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up; he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.

“My grandma said she definitely wouldn’t sell to anyone else, but if you want it, she’s willing to sell it to you,” Duan Yuyan said with a smile. “She thinks you’re a good person.”

Zhou Yan smiled upon hearing this and nodded, saying, "I should be able to raise the money by the beginning of next month."

"You're quite impressive, aren't you?" Duan Yuyan looked at Zhou Yan with some surprise. Last time, Zhou Yan said that he only had two thousand yuan on hand, but he would be able to save up ten thousand yuan by the beginning of next month. It was clear that his restaurant business was really doing well.

"I earned this money by risking my life," Zhou Yan said with a smile, his upturned lips carrying a hint of youthful pride.

“We handled this matter beautifully. My dad gave me a penthouse in Central, and I’ll be the general manager of the branch office when I get back,” Duan Yuyan said calmly.

Zhou Yan's smile froze, and a hint of bitterness crept into the corners of his mouth.

I suddenly felt a little dizzy, like I had heatstroke.

That's not right! He comes from a poor family, how could he get heatstroke!

"Hey? Why aren't you smiling anymore?"

“Mr. Duan, I’m not naturally inclined to smile,” Zhou Yan said calmly.

"Really?" Duan Yuyan looked at him in confusion.

"Does Mr. Duan have any unused money? I can help you spend it," Zhou Yan asked earnestly.

"Get lost!" Duan Yuyan pouted. "I'm half Sichuanese too! We agreed that Sichuanese people don't lie to other Sichuanese people."

“Yes, we’ve both benefited from this,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Duan Yuyan is reliable; at least she resolved the house issue for him smoothly. Now she's just waiting for him to save enough money.

Moreover, she was really good to Zhou Momo. Even though the little girl could be easily made happy with just a toy, she specially asked someone to bring her some clothes from Hong Kong, and the size was just right.

"Let's order. I haven't had breakfast and I'm starving." Duan Yuyan smiled as she looked at the menu, her eyes lighting up: "Mapo Tofu! A new dish? I had Chen's Mapo Tofu in Rongcheng last time, and it was quite good with rice. There were too many people, so I was too embarrassed to eat much. I'll order a serving today to try it."

Over there, Zhou Momo had already been called over by Grandma Qiu, who helped her straighten her clothes and spoke to her gently.

Zhou Yan glanced outside and met Yan Fei's gaze as Yan Fei squatted by the door smoking. Smoke billowed up, and his eyes held a hint of murderous intent.

Zhou Yan smiled and nodded at him. What was wrong with this driver? He always felt that the driver had some kind of inexplicable hostility towards him.

Yan Fei stared at Zhou Yan. This guy was still up to his old tricks. Even when Miss Duan came to eat, he called her aside to talk to her alone.

I don't know what he said, but Miss Duan seemed quite happy. She's usually such a cold person, but today she's been smiling non-stop ever since she got out of the car.

But he had absolutely no way to deal with this crew-cut guy.

Her skill level is too high; it looks like Miss Duan is the one taking the initiative.

Damn it! This makes him look so useless!
I have completely let down the boss's trust!
Huang Ying and Huang Bing hesitated at the door for a while before coming in and sitting down at the table next to Duan Yuyan and the others. They happened to hear Duan Yuyan ordering food.

Don't order braised meat!
Never order braised beef!

The two remained silent, but simultaneously pricked up their ears to listen attentively, while silently praying in their hearts. "One Mapo Tofu, one Braised Pork Ribs, one Twice-Cooked Pork," Duan Yuyan paused, turning to look at Grandma Qiu, "Grandma, would you also like some Braised Beef?"

"Okay." Old Mrs. Qiu nodded slightly.

Huang Bing and Huang Ying's anxious hearts finally died.

Okay!

Still my favorite!
Finished!

"Can they tell that the braised meat is the same?" Huang Bing whispered in Huang Ying's ear.

Huang Ying sighed softly and whispered, "It's a package deal. Dad said that Grandma Qiu has been eating at our restaurant for decades, and her must-order dish every time is braised beef."

Zhou Yan looked at the brother and sister with a slightly strange expression. Shouldn't they avoid suspicion? Although Grandma Qiu and Duan Yuyan should have already realized that the braised beef tasted the same, it was still a bit awkward, wasn't it?
Zhou Momo noticed the two of them and happily greeted Huang Ying: "Sister Huang Ying!"

"Oh, Momo, you're so sweet." Huang Ying replied with a smile, then stood up to greet Grandma Qiu, saying, "Grandma Qiu, it's been a long time."

Grandma Qiu looked Huang Ying up and down, somewhat surprised, and said, "You're Huang Xiaoji's daughter, Huang..."

"Yellow Oriole," Yellow Oriole replied with a smile.

"Yes, yes, Huang Ying." Grandma Qiu nodded and said with a smile, "You've lost weight and become more beautiful. I didn't even recognize you at first."

"I'm so happy to hear you say that," Huang Ying said with a smile. It was only after a long time that she could tell at a glance that Huang Ying had lost weight; she was almost twenty pounds heavier.

But what is Huang Xiaoji? Is it the old man's nickname or pet name?

"Grandma Qiu," Huang Bing called out.

Huang Ying introduced him, saying, "This is my brother, Huang Bing."

"Oh, he looks just like your old man when he was young, all skinny and bony." Old Mrs. Qiu nodded with a smile.

Huang Bing felt a little embarrassed and secretly glanced at Duan Yuyan, then stared in disbelief.

Wow! She's so beautiful! Her aura is absolutely stunning.

And she has such great fashion sense!

This outfit looks so cool on me, just like a celebrity on TV.

In comparison, Bao Guxue's face is a bit long, her nose is a bit flat, her mouth is big, and her clothes are even more unfashionable, despite wearing different patterned shirts; her overall demeanor is vastly different.

Last time, Huang Bing only saw a side profile and a back view. Today, seeing her face, she was even more beautiful than he had expected.

Duan Yuyan was also sizing up the brother and sister, a playful smile on her lips.

Ever since she learned that Feiyan Restaurant got its braised meat from Zhou Yan, her impression of Feiyan Restaurant has dropped considerably, and she has only accompanied her grandmother there once during this period.

The brother and sister were quite bold; they knew their grandmother was a regular at Feiyan Restaurant, yet they didn't try to hide it.

Huang Ying had a round face, a pleasant voice, and was polite and courteous. Her smile was quite friendly, which made her feel somewhat favorably towards her.

It must be her brother. He has a pointed face and a monkey-like appearance, and his gaze is not very polite, which makes her a little uncomfortable.

After a brief greeting, Huang Ying sat back down and began ordering.

They're just customers and the owner; a simple greeting is enough to show a good relationship. Saying too much will only annoy people.

"Aunt Zhao, we'd like one Mapo Tofu and one Braised Beef with Bamboo Shoots," Huang Ying said.

"Another serving of braised beef with ribs," Huang Bing added.

"Okay," Zhao Tieying replied with a smile, tore off some menu items, and headed to the kitchen.

"What's that?" Duan Yuyan's gaze fell on a wooden board nailed to the menu wall, on which stood a magazine. The magazine cover featured a bowl of soup that looked a bit like braised beef.

Grandma Qiu followed the gaze, her eyes narrowing slightly, and said with some surprise, "The cover of 'Sichuan Cuisine' magazine looks like it features 'Qiaojiao Beef'?"

"It's in a magazine? Let me see." Upon hearing this, Duan Yuyan couldn't contain her curiosity and got up to walk over. When she got closer, she laughed: "It really is! It's in a beautiful blue and white porcelain basin. I didn't recognize it at first glance, but the beef and tripe are definitely Qiaojiao Beef."

"It's Zhou Yan's braised beef with ribs. Last time, the deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine came to interview him and took photos. Not only was it on the cover, but he also wrote an article about it," Zhao Tieying said with a smile as she came out of the kitchen.

"There's also an exclusive interview, let me see." Duan Yuyan picked up the magazine and opened the table of contents. She quickly found the article about "Qiaojiao Beef" in the "Four Scenic Spots" section. She opened it and saw that it was two long pages long. At the top was a solo photo of Zhou Yan standing at the entrance of the restaurant.

Although the print is black and white, the photo is well taken, and Zhou Yan's appearance is still recognizable.

She read very quickly, finishing the two pages in no time, and exclaimed, "This article is really well written! I never imagined there was such a story behind the braised beef. Zhou Yan is quite impressive."

"Really? Let me see." Hearing this, Grandma Qiu also became a little curious and said with a smile, "Sichuan Cuisine magazine is quite professional. Many first-class and special-class chefs teach how to cook in it. Although I am not very good at cooking, I like to read it. I even subscribed to the first and second issues."

"Look," Duan Yuyan said, taking the magazine and handing it to Old Lady Qiu with a smile.

Grandma Qiu took the book and read it carefully, nodding from time to time. After a long while, she finished reading it and nodded, saying, "To restore and pass down a dish from a tattered recipe, one can imagine the difficulties involved. It is truly remarkable that someone so young has such a mindset and perseverance."

She already had a very good impression of Zhou Yan, and after reading this article, she felt even more that this young man had an excellent character.

Duan Yuyan picked up the magazine, flipped through a few pages, put it back in its place, and looked at Zhao Tieying, asking, "Auntie, is this magazine available in Jiaozhou? I'd like to buy a few copies to take back to my friends so they can know what kind of delicious food I ate in Sichuan."

"This..." Zhao Tieying didn't know how to answer for a moment. She didn't know where to buy the magazine either. She wanted to buy two more copies: one for the restaurant entrance, one to put on the menu wall, and one to open so people could see the interview pages.

“Newspapers and magazines are available, but the stock is limited. If you need a lot, you might have to go to several different publications.” Huang Ying chimed in with a smile, “I just bought three copies the day before yesterday and even got Zhou Yan’s autograph.”

"You can even get Zhou Yan's autograph? That's interesting!" Duan Yuyan laughed upon hearing this, and said to Huang Ying with a smile, "Thank you, I'll buy it when I get back to Jiaozhou."

She was also thinking about what gifts to bring back for her friends and relatives when she returned to Hong Kong this time, and this magazine was a good one to put in a gift bag.

Then we'll show them the pictures and articles, and tell them how delicious this braised beef is, making them drool!

Her aunt loves to cook, although her cooking is terrible, but she has the same perseverance and persistence as Zhou Yan.

She'll probably like this semi-educational magazine, and she'll also like Zhou Yan's story of perseverance leading to victory.

Duan Yuyan then said to Zhao Tieying, "Auntie, please add two more servings of braised beef, one extra serving of beef for each of us."

"One serving is enough, we can't finish any more," said Grandma Qiu.

"It's alright, Grandma. Yan Fei is still outside. He loves eating braised beef, and he'll finish off any leftovers." Duan Yuyan said with a smile, "Besides, didn't we make an appointment with Grandpa Wang? He should be here soon."

As they were talking, a bicycle leisurely rode up and stopped in front of the restaurant.

Grandpa Wang, with his head of white hair neatly combed, got out of the car, straightened his collar, and walked into the restaurant.

Yan Fei, who was squatting outside the door, subconsciously stood up, but then silently squatted back down after looking at Grandpa Wang's back.

He had someone investigate the old man's background, but they found nothing; he was as clean as a blank sheet of paper.

It was so clean that he dared not investigate any further.

It was none of his business to concern himself with Old Lady Qiu's affairs. He had originally intended to investigate to put his mind at ease and ensure the safety of her and Miss Duan, but after the investigation, he was left only with fear and trepidation.

"Uncle Wang." Duan Yuyan waved.

Grandma Qiu turned around upon hearing the sound, a smile appearing on her face.

"Two young people came to borrow books, and I helped them pick out a few. Sorry to have kept you waiting," Grandpa Wang said apologetically as he approached.

"It's alright, Yu Yan and I just arrived too." Old Mrs. Qiu smiled and shook her head. "Please sit down."

"Okay." Grandpa Wang nodded and sat down next to him.

Duan Yuyan looked at him with a smile and said, "Uncle Wang, I've already ordered the dishes. Would you like to add a couple more?"

Grandpa Wang smiled and shook his head: "You always order too much food, so I think I have enough to eat without ordering anything else. I won't order any more."

"They have a new dish today, Mapo Tofu. I ordered one to see if it's authentic," Duan Yuyan said.

"Okay." Grandpa Wang nodded, his gaze fixed on Grandma Qiu beside him, and said gently, "Qiqi, are you almost done moving everything?"

Grandma Qiu replied, "I'm moving things piecemeal. The study and bedroom haven't been moved yet. I can move them when I'm about to leave. I still prefer living on East Street."

"Qiqi!" Huang Ying's gossip radar instantly activated. She pretended to drink water and secretly sized up the old man with a full head of silver hair, but whose back was straight and who had a rather refined demeanor.

She had heard her father mention that the Qiu family's old house was for sale. Her father was quite interested in it, thinking that the location of the Qiu family's old house was excellent, facing the Jiaozhou Wharf and bordering the river. He believed that if they could buy the house next door and rebuild it together, it would be even better than the current location of the Feiyan Restaurant.

It seems that the person selling the house is Old Lady Qiu's son, and now it should be her granddaughter handling the matter.

But it is said that there is a prerequisite for buying a house: one must be able to resolve Old Mrs. Qiu's emotional issues.

As for what was wrong with Old Lady Qiu, Huang Ying didn't know.

However, encountering Old Lady Qiu in Suji today, and having dinner with an old man who affectionately called her 'Qiqi', might be a very important clue.

Huang Ying glanced at Huang Bing, who was secretly sizing up Miss Duan under the guise of drinking water, and couldn't help but roll her eyes.

This guy's love-struck, he falls in love with every girl he sees!
You're still eyeing someone as beautiful as Miss Duan?

She was thinking that if she could help her father buy the Qiu family's old house, she would prepare to take over the Feiyan Restaurant.

Foolish brother, just stay a simp!

　There will be another update tonight!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)