1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 187 I was so tempted by the braised pork rolls that I cried (6k words combined)

As is customary, everyone wiped all twelve tombstones in the garden, swept all the fallen leaves in front of the tombs clean, poured a glass of wine in front of the tombstones, and lit a cigarette.

Then everyone came to the old man's tombstone and knelt down in worship.

"Mingming, pray to your grandfather to bless you to get married soon and bring me a daughter-in-law."

"Zhou Jie, then you should ask your grandfather to bless you to make more money."

"Fanwa kneels down, begging your ancestors to bless you with academic progress."

When people pay respects to their ancestors, they burn yellow paper at the gravesite and make simple wishes, praying for their ancestors' blessings so that their desires may come true.

One by one, the people stepped forward to offer their prayers.

Zhou Yan knelt down and kowtowed three times before slowly getting up.

"Youngest daughter, come here." Aunt Zhao beckoned Zhou Momo over.

The little guy was kneeling on the soft cushion.

"What do you want your grandfather to bless you with?" Aunt Zhao asked with a smile.

Zhou Momo clasped her hands together, her face full of piety, and said in a childish voice, "Grandpa, I wish you happiness every day and good health."

Everyone fell silent, looking at Zhou Momo with some surprise.

The old lady looked down at her, a doting smile on her face.

He's always wanted a daughter, and now that he has such a well-behaved granddaughter, he must be very happy, right?

Zhou Yan smiled too. The little girl, who always greeted her grandfather's portrait every time she went to the old lady's house, didn't understand anything about blessings. She was just offering her purest wishes.

Zhou Weiguo stepped forward and raised his right hand in salute.

He was wearing a military uniform today, his left arm bare, the sleeve swaying in the wind like a flag.

Zhou Yan stared at him blankly, lost in thought. His uncle was a posthumous child, and his grandfather didn't even know he existed when he passed away.

But ironically, he is the one who looks most like his grandfather.

He carried back the second plaque recognizing him as a first-class meritorious official.

But this time, he didn't let the old lady stand at the village entrance to receive the plaque; he returned alive after all.

The old woman stepped forward last, picked up the remaining wine in the bottle, and slowly poured it in front of the tombstone, murmuring, "The wine brewed by Zhang Laosan at the bridgehead, your favorite. Fill your glass, drink slowly. Weiguo went to work, became the head of the armed forces department, and is still leading troops. Zhou Ming and Zhou Yan caught four carjackers a couple of days ago, they were both good..."

The Zhou family descendants stood behind, listening to the old lady speak.

For more than 30 years, this has been the case every year. Except for those who have joined the army, everyone must come back to attend on this day.

This is the true family tradition of the Zhou family.

After all the yellow paper had burned and the cigarette butts had burned out, everyone packed up their things and left.

After leaving the cemetery, we slowly climbed up the back mountain towards Laoxiao Peak.

Zhou Yan was carrying a basket containing braised meat and braised vegetables.

Zhou Jie also carried a basket containing corn pancakes that his aunt had made early in the morning, one of the few culinary skills she was good at.

Zhou Hai carried the steamed buns made by the old lady.

Several children ran ahead, chattering away, seemingly tireless.

Everyone else slowed down and climbed up, accompanying Zhou Weiguo, who had difficulty walking, the elderly lady, and Zhang Zhengping as they slowly made their way up, chatting along the way and enjoying the rare time together.

Zhang Zhengping, panting heavily, leaned against a tree, took a sip of water from the bottle Zhou Jie handed him, and shook his head with a smile, saying, "You can't deny getting old, even climbing this little slope makes me breathless. In the past, we would carry the wounded up this kind of road in one go."

Zhou Weiguo also stopped, looked up at the mountain road, and a smile appeared on his lips: "In the past, when we were in the garrison, we could run 60 kilometers a day, more than half of which were mountain roads."

“Then you’re even more ruthless than me.” Zhang Zhengping looked at him, his eyes full of admiration.

The old lady looked at him and smiled, "You should exercise more often. Look at me, I'm a few years older than you, and I climbed all the way here without any trouble."

“I exercise regularly…” Zhang Zhengping blushed.

The group climbed slowly along the winding road, occasionally seeing stone tablets hidden in the hay, which were the calligraphy and paintings left by ancient celebrities and poets.

Laoxiaoding, also known as Gaobiaoshan, is a mountain located in Jiaozhou City. It is one of Jiaozhou's landmarks and has been climbed by many celebrities throughout history, who have left behind poems.

The mountain is not high, but it is especially rare in the city.

We walked and stopped frequently, and it took us an hour to reach the summit.

The Taoist temple on the mountain is unmanaged and exudes a dilapidated atmosphere, yet one can still vaguely see glimpses of its former glory.

It's Sunday today, and there are quite a few people visiting.

Zhang Zhengping found a long stone to sit on, let out a long sigh, and laughed, "Little Gaobiao Mountain, taken down."

Zhou Yan walked to the platform and looked out into the distance, taking in the entire city of Jiaozhou.

He had climbed Laoxiao Peak before.

However, by then, the surrounding area was already filled with tall buildings, making Laoxiaoding appear small and difficult to match as the number one building in Southwest China.

But nowadays, Jiaozhou City is full of blue-tiled bungalows, giving it a gray and white feel. When you climb up to a high place and look into the distance, your vision suddenly becomes broader.

“Look, that’s the direction of the Jiaozhou Buddha!” Zhou Jie pointed.

Zhou Yan looked in the direction he was pointing. Boats were sailing on the Minjiang River. He could not see the Buddha clearly in the distance, but it seemed even more solemn.

There is a large ginkgo tree in front of the temple, with golden leaves scattered all over the ground. When the wind blows, they flutter and dance in the air. A group of children pick up the ginkgo leaves as if they were collecting treasures.

"Look, brother! These are the leaves from Sister Yao Yao's drawing!" Zhou Momo held up a handful of ginkgo leaves to Zhou Yan, her eyes full of joy. "They're so pretty! Can I take them home?"

“Okay, I’ll take it back and make it into a specimen for you, so it can be kept for a long time.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

Who doesn't love golden ginkgo leaves? He used to love putting ginkgo leaves in his books when he was little.

It's as if keeping this leaf will allow us to hold onto autumn.

After playing for a while, the children started to complain of being hungry.

Several baskets filled with food were placed on a long stone bench: a bowl of chopped pig's head meat, a bowl of mixed braised vegetables, a basket of corn pancakes, and a basket of steamed buns made with old dough.

"Would you like me to heat up the pancakes? I brought a small pot with me." Zhou Jie took a flat-bottomed iron pot out of his basket. "I've tried it, heating them up makes them much more fragrant."

"Great job, Brother Jie! You've thought of everything!" Zhou Ming laughed, pointing to the side and saying, "We can build a stove, gather some firewood, and start a fire to heat up the pancakes."

"I'll move the stones!"

"I'll go collect some branches!"

The brothers immediately responded and quickly built a makeshift stove.

It's called a stove, but it's really just a three-sided flattened structure made of stones and broken bricks, big enough to hold a flat-bottomed pan.

Zhou Lihui led a few children to collect some dead branches.

"Alright, no need to pick it up anymore. How much wood do you need to heat up a pancake?" Zhou Yan laughed, calling the children to a stop. Looking at the corn pancakes, braised meat, and braised vegetables, he had an idea. "I'll make you a braised meat and corn pancake."

“Okay, you go ahead.” Zhou Jie immediately moved aside, took out a match, and started to light it.

In those days, forest fire prevention wasn't so strict. As long as you didn't go into the mountains to start fires, no one cared much about cooking or barbecuing in the open. In the countryside, people were burning straw everywhere, and the sky was still a clear blue.

The fire was quickly ignited. Zhou Yan picked out a few larger pieces of wood and stuffed them into the makeshift stove. After the fire stabilized, he washed his hands, took a cornbread from the basket, and put it into the pan.

The pancakes were spread very thinly, golden in color, clearly made using this frying pan. They were the perfect size, and once heated, the aroma of corn quickly filled the air.

With a flick of his wrist, the cornbread flew up and flipped over in the pan. The bottom was already slightly browned. Zhou Yan picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of braised pig's head meat and braised vegetables on the cornbread. The surface of the braised meat quickly became slightly oily, sizzling and releasing the aroma of the braised meat. The aroma of the meat immediately filled the air above Lao Xiaoding.

"smell good!"

"Zhou Yan really has ideas, no wonder he's a chef."

The eyes of the Zhou family members immediately lit up.

Other tourists, drawn by the aroma, also turned to look, all swallowing hard.

As noon approaches, people who eat three meals a day regularly in this era immediately feel hungry when they smell the aroma.

The cold, dry rations and steamed buns in my hands suddenly lost their appeal.

Zhou Yan used chopsticks to pick up the edge of the cornbread and rolled it up, turning the braised meat and braised vegetables into a braised meat roll. He took out a piece of oil paper, wrapped it up, and handed it to the old lady, smiling as he said, "Grandma, try it and see how it tastes."

"Okay, I'll try it." The old lady took it, blew on it, and took a bite.

The heated corn tortillas are soft and chewy, and when you bite into one, you'll find it filled with braised pork head meat and dried bean curd.

The fatty yet not greasy pork head meat becomes tender after heating, paired with soft but not mushy, and fragrant braised tofu skin. One bite is full of meaty flavor, which is so satisfying.

The satisfaction of enjoying a hot braised pork roll in the wild is unparalleled.

The old lady nodded repeatedly and said, "It's delicious. Braised pig's head, dried bean curd, and corn cakes go so well together. They taste even better after being heated up. Zhou Yan is really skilled; he knows how to combine them. Haiyan's corn cakes are also very good. The moisture is just right, and the texture is both chewy and soft."

After listening, Aunt Wu Haiyan rubbed her hands together, a bright smile on her face.

A group of children stood around the pot, swallowing hard and staring longingly at Zhou Yan's pancakes.

Zhou Yan quickly fried another pancake, rolled it up, and handed it to his great-uncle Zhang Zhengping.

"It smells so good." Zhang Zhengping took the pancake, took a bite, and his eyes lit up. After swallowing, he looked at Zhou Yan and exclaimed, "Delicious! You're really good at this! This braised pig's head meat and corn pancake are a perfect match! It's fragrant, soft, and has a hint of corn sweetness. It's absolutely delicious!"

The old lady and her great-uncle's praise really whetted everyone's appetite.

The aroma of the braised meat wafted further and further, making the tourists on Laoxiao Peak restless and frequently glancing in their direction.

"Old man, what are they eating? It smells delicious!"

"Mom! I want some too!"

One child was so tempted that he cried, begging for the pancakes. "Alright, give them a few rolls first, look how much their mouths are watering," Uncle Zhou Qing said with a smile.

The others nodded and smiled, telling the old lady and Zhang Zhengping to start eating first.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan handed the freshly rolled pancake to Zhou Momo.

Zhou Momo is the oldest among the children, but the youngest.

Although the children were envious, this was their most beloved youngest aunt, and none of them thought it was unreasonable.

"Wow, bro, is this egg pancake?" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up as she reached out and took it, carefully holding it in both hands, and asked curiously.

“This isn’t an egg pancake. If we really want to give it a name, we could call it a braised pork roll,” Zhou Yan replied with a smile, his hands still busy.

Zhou Momo blew on it, opened her mouth wide and took a bite. Her big eyes immediately lit up, and she even shook her head involuntarily.

Soft and sweet! And inside there's meaty filling!

smell good!
She didn't know how to describe it; it tasted different from sweet egg pancakes.

But it's still very delicious.

"Gulu~"

The children passing by all swallowed hard, and the crying child cried even louder.

The parents, worn down by their persistence, approached with a forced smile and asked, "Hello, do you sell these pancakes? My child is crying because he's craving them, and I really can't do anything about it. I'll pay for them."

"I'm sorry, this is our lunch, we really can't sell it." Zhou Yan said with a smile, politely declining. There were probably only about twenty pancakes, and he couldn't even guarantee that each family member could have one.

Besides, so many children are watching; if this opening is made, there will be a chorus of wailing and crying.

He hasn't decided yet to set up a stall selling braised meat rolls on Laoxiaoding.

"Alright, sorry to bother you." The man nodded, turned around, picked up the crying child, and left. "Come on, immortal, I'll take you down the mountain to eat some Sichuan-style boiled chicken!"

“With this skill, you’ll never go hungry, no matter where you are,” Zhang Zhengping said with a smile.

The old lady nodded with a smile: "Being a chef is a hard-working profession. As long as you are hardworking enough, you can always have food to eat."

Zhou Yan worked quickly, rolling up one pancake after another. Soon, everyone in the Zhou family had one and started eating, their praises ringing out.

The old lady took a piece of parchment paper, folded it into a bag, filled it with lotus root slices and potatoes, and distributed them to the eagerly waiting children, who were overjoyed.

The second aunt had clearly counted the number of people; there were exactly twenty-six corn pancakes, not one more and not one less.

The last one was pan-fried for Zhou Yan himself, with double the amount of braised pork, plus dried bean curd and potatoes.

The potatoes crumble easily when mashed, so you can just use them as mashed potatoes.

Finally, add a few slices of pickled radish wrapped inside the pancake.

A line of identification popped up in the corner of the eye:
A tortilla that's hard to describe.

This description amused Zhou Yan. He glanced at his watch and realized, wow, it had been frying for almost an hour.

The steaming hot corn tortillas are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, filled with plenty of braised pork head meat. With one bite, the smooth mashed potatoes, soft but not mushy tofu skin, and crisp pickled radishes create a multi-sensory flavor experience.

The fat from the braised pig's head is fully absorbed by the corn tortilla, infusing it with a savory aroma that becomes increasingly fragrant with each chew, while the pickled radish serves to cut through the richness and provide a refreshing touch.

Compared to the thin, crispy, and varied texture of Jianbing Guozi (Chinese crepe), which can be rolled with anything, it's definitely lacking and a bit hard to describe.

But being able to eat a hot braised pork roll like this in the mountains is incredibly satisfying.

Those who weren't full ate steamed buns with braised pig's head and braised vegetables, and they ate with great relish.

"Comrade, your braised food is delicious! My grandson loves it. Is it homemade or bought from somewhere?" an old man asked Zhou Yan with a smile.

Many people looked over at Zhou Yan upon hearing this.

The whole family ate with great relish, which was a real ordeal for those who were still hungry or had only brought steamed buns and biscuits.

But I have to admit, braised pig's head smells really good.

The children ate the braised vegetarian dishes with great relish, praising them repeatedly.

Children don't lie when it comes to food; they would never force themselves to eat something that doesn't taste good.

Therefore, they were also very curious about which company made the braised meat.

After we get down the mountain, we can go and buy some to take home for dinner.

"Grandpa, I made this myself. I sell braised meat." Zhou Yan said with a smile, "My shop is in Suji, the first one at the entrance of Jiaozhou Textile Factory. Zhou Erwa Restaurant is mine. If you want to eat, you can come and try it sometime when you have time."

"Su Ji? Okay, I'll definitely come and try it sometime. My brother-in-law is Su Ji." The old man nodded with a smile.

The others also kept it in mind.

Suji isn't too far away; I can go for a visit sometime when I have time.

After lunch and a short rest, everyone packed up their things and leisurely descended the mountain.

"Brother, my legs are so sore, can you carry me?" Zhou Momo tugged at Zhou Yan's clothes and swayed, pouting and acting coquettishly in a childish voice.

"I'll carry it!"

"MoMo, let Brother Jie carry you on his back!"

"Mingming can memorize it too!"

Before Zhou Yan could even speak, a group of his cousins ​​had already surrounded him, and even Zhou Ming, whose hand was still wrapped in bandages, was all over him with eagerness.

"Come on, I'll carry you!" Zhou Yan laughed as he picked up the little guy, and said to his cousins ​​with a smug smile, "You guys walk carefully, I can carry you."

"Tell me if you get tired of carrying him, and I'll take over," Zhou Jie told him before starting to walk down.

Fanwa looked at Zhou Momo, who was already sitting on Zhou Yan's shoulders, and a hint of envy appeared in her eyes. She then looked at Zhou Fei and said, "Old man, my legs are sore too, I want to..."

"Don't even think about it. You're already in elementary school. Why are you still thinking about all sorts of things? Are you trying to exhaust someone?" Zhao Hong interrupted the spellcasting and pinched his ear. "A man of the Zhou family shouldn't complain about being tired after walking just a few steps."

Fanwa blushed and nodded, saying, "Oh! I'm not tired anymore!"

“Go after your brother, he walks faster than anyone else!” Zhao Hong laughed.

Fanwa grinned and happily ran down the mountain path to chase after Zhou Lihui.

Zhou Momo sat on Zhou Yan's shoulder, chattering away at first, but her words gradually decreased, and soon she fell asleep on his head.

The little guy ran around for a while and is a bit tired.

Fearing that she wouldn't sleep well, Zhou Yan asked Zhou Jie to help lift her off his shoulder and hold her in his arms.

The tiny creature was asleep in his arms, its long eyelashes trembling slightly, just like a little gummy candy.

"I'll carry her in the car." When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, Zhao Tieying took Zhou Momo from Zhou Yan's arms and got into Comrade Zhou's car.

"Zhou Yan, can you give me a ride somewhere I'm going the same way?" Zhou Ming walked over carrying a paper bag.

"Come on up, Ming-ge, where are you going?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.

"No. 8 Dongfeng Lane, head out of the city towards Suji, just before you leave the city, there's a Jiangji Casserole Rice Noodles shop, turn in there," Zhou Ming said as he climbed into the car.

"Okay." Zhou Yan greeted Old Zhou, got on his bike, and rode off with Zhou Ming on the back.

“I’m going to pay a visit to Master Song Changhe. This old martial arts master’s spear skills are superb. He studied at Emei Mountain back then, and his spear skills are quite exquisite. His combat ability is also exceptional. However, I’ve been there twice before, but I didn’t even get to see him. I wonder if I’ll be able to meet him this time,” Zhou Ming said from the back seat.

"Liu Bei only asked Zhuge Liang three times. If Master Song is really that hard to find, then forget about it," Zhou Yan laughed.

“You don’t understand. Song Changhe is different,” Zhou Ming said with a smile. “He’s a veteran of the War of Resistance Against Japan. He really killed Japanese soldiers with his gun. His real killing skills are not the performance routines of today’s martial arts teams. Now that the older generation of martial arts masters are getting old, many skills may really disappear if they are not collected.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan was filled with respect, "Then we should go more often."

Walking out of the city, you'll see a clay pot rice noodle shop turn into a small alley. Number 8 is at the end of the alley, an unremarkable little courtyard with its gate closed.

Zhou Ming jumped off his bicycle, straightened his clothes, and went to knock on the door.

After a while, a young woman's voice came from inside the door: "Who is it?"

"I am Zhou Ming, a teacher at Emei Martial Arts School. I have come to pay my respects to Mr. Song Changhe. Please inform him of my presence," Zhou Ming replied loudly.

The sound of a latch being pulled came from inside the courtyard. The gate opened, revealing a young woman dressed in a plain shirt and a gray midi skirt. She was not tall, but had an excellent figure. Her black hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she had deep-set features and a rather heroic appearance. She wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on her nose and held a book in her hand, which added to her scholarly air.

She glanced at Zhou Ming and Zhou Yan, who was holding the bicycle behind him, adjusted her glasses, and said, "My grandfather doesn't accept apprentices, please go back."

“Young lady, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not here to become an apprentice. I’m from the Emei Martial Arts Protection and Inheritance Office. We’re currently collecting Emei martial arts materials for protection, hoping to preserve more martial arts in written form.” Zhou Ming quickly explained, “I… I hope to meet Mr. Song Changhe. He is one of the representative figures of Emei spear. He doesn’t have any disciples now. It’s a real pity that such spear techniques are not being passed down.”

"How do you know it hasn't been passed down?" The girl looked up at Zhou Ming, her gaze sharpening.

"Hmm?" Zhou Ming was taken aback, took a step back, and bowed with a serious expression, saying, "I was rude. So you are the successor of the Song family spear technique."

The girl smiled and looked at Zhou Ming with a beaming smile, saying, "My name is Song Wanqing, and I'm a Chinese teacher at No. 1 High School. Mr. Zhou, I'm not some inheritor of the Song family spear technique. Actually, I'm your junior from No. 1 High School, a year younger than you. If I remember correctly, Mr. Zhou, you were invited to No. 1 High School to train the martial arts team, right?"

"Huh?" Zhou Ming scratched his head awkwardly. "I thought you were a martial artist too."

Zhou Yan watched from behind, scratching his toes. Ming Ge was really being manipulated by this girl.

Hi junior!

Back in the day, Ming was probably a popular figure at school. He was tall and handsome, and he won city and provincial martial arts championships all the time. Countless female students secretly admired him.

Look at this junior, Song. Not only did she immediately recognize Zhou Ming as her senior, but she also knew that he would be returning to No. 1 High School for training next week.

At least it's getting attention.

“Miss Song, could you please inform him so I can meet Mr. Song?” Zhou Ming said, looking at Song Wanqing.

“No, my grandfather is very stubborn, I can’t make the decision.” Song Wanqing shook her head, looked at Zhou Ming whose expression had darkened, and said, “I’ll try to persuade him later. What you’ve done is indeed a good thing to protect the inheritance of Emei martial arts.”

　There will be an extra chapter later tonight~ Please vote with your monthly tickets!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)