1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 198 A good job deserves a reward! (6k words combined)

Comrade Zhou turned on the light. In the kitchen, the enamel basin containing pork cracklings had rolled to the ground, spilling half a basin of pork cracklings all over the floor.

The situation is quite bad.

"These rats are too arrogant! They managed to knock such a heavy enamel basin to the ground!" Zhou Yan was so angry that his teeth itched. There were at least three or four pounds of pork cracklings in the basin. Pork cracklings are an important side dish for stir-fried pork cracklings with cabbage.

He had originally planned to render lard next week, but now he has to buy lard to render lard tomorrow, otherwise the pork cracklings and cabbage will be out of stock.

As the only stir-fried vegetable dish currently served at the restaurant, the braised cabbage with pork cracklings sells very well due to its affordable price.

"What should we do with these pork cracklings?" Comrade Zhou asked Zhou Yan.

"Sweep it up and take it to Grandma's to feed the chickens and geese tomorrow. It's definitely not suitable for cooking for guests," Zhou Yan said with a hint of helplessness.

"What a pity." Old Zhou felt a little sorry for him, but he still went to get a broom and started cleaning.

Zhou Yan walked quickly to the small stove and checked the two pots of brine. The lids were tightly closed, so it was safe for the time being.

But he wasn't entirely at ease, so he went and brought two more stone slabs to cover the pot lid, ensuring the brine was safe.

Once the pork cracklings are thrown away, you can render a new pot of lard and have some left.

But his two pots of old brine are different. If the brine is spoiled, it's not something that can be done overnight to make another pot.

These two pots of old braising liquid are very precious.

Zhou Yan checked the shelves again and found that five or six potatoes had been bitten, all of them only half-eaten and left out.

The vegetable oil and lard were both fine when covered, and heavy objects were placed on top to ensure safety.

It's not uncommon for kitchens to have rats. This is something that even restaurants in shopping malls in later generations would find difficult to avoid, let alone his small kitchen in a rural town.

They don't stockpile food, and they usually cover up their oil and pork cracklings, so the situation wasn't too serious before.

I never expected them to be so arrogant tonight, they even knocked over the pork cracklings, causing quite a loss.

"Want to get a cat? If there's a cat in the house, the mice won't dare to come near. I heard that even state-run restaurants keep one," Comrade Zhou asked Zhou Yan.

“We can’t keep cats. It’s not appropriate for us to keep cats in the kitchen of our restaurant,” Zhou Yan shook his head, his attitude firm.

"Mice aren't necessarily cleaner than cats, are they?" Zhou Miao retorted. "Look at how these potatoes have been chewed up, what a waste. Your grandma kept cats precisely to keep mice away."

“It’s different at home, you can raise whatever you want,” Zhou Yan said with a smile. “If you’re not careful about hygiene at the restaurant, you’ll be shut down. If someone reports you, you’ll be caught red-handed. You can’t be careless about this.”

"Then forget it." Zhou Miao didn't understand, but when he heard that the door would be closed, he didn't insist.

Zhou Yan shone his flashlight toward the window. The window was boarded up every night, but there was a hole chewed in the corner. The wood shavings were still fresh, so the rat must have crawled in through there.

There are also five or six holes at the top, which are meant for ventilation and to let out cooking fumes, but they have also become quick passageways for rats.

Inside the kitchen, the tall pile of firewood behind the stove was an excellent choice for rats to make their home.

The split oak logs were piled together, forming holes of varying sizes. Once a rat burrowed into one, it disappeared without a trace, making it virtually impossible to catch.

Zhou Yan didn't believe there weren't any rats hiding inside.

"Tomorrow I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy some wire mesh to seal up the windows and holes in the kitchen. This will keep the air ventilated and prevent more rats from getting in," Zhou Yan said, his gaze falling on the pile of firewood. "I'll also ask Grandma's tabby cat to catch the rats for a night. Getting rid of the rats in the back kitchen should keep them occupied for a while."

The restaurant kitchen is too special; putting rat poison there is absolutely impossible, especially with little Zhou Momo at home.

In later generations, the method of preventing rats in kitchens was simply to use rat guards, which are physical barriers.

Their kitchen is made of cement, which is slightly better; they only need to seal the visible holes.

However, the existing rats in the kitchen must also be dealt with, otherwise the hygiene risks will be too great.

My grandma's tabby cat, which is good at catching mice, became the best choice.

Borrowing a cat to catch mice for one night and then returning it the next morning is called a mouse-catching operation, which is completely different from keeping a cat in a restaurant.

This kind of thing is quite common in rural towns.

Especially in villages where no cats are kept, if the rats infest their homes and rats get into the granary, they will bring fish to invite a tabby cat home to catch the rats.

Grandma's tabby cat isn't very old, but it's already quite skilled and has a great reputation in Zhoucun.

It catches mice, but doesn't like to eat them; however, it's quite enthusiastic about trading mice for fish.

"Alright! We'll patch up the hole tomorrow." Old Zhou nodded, agreeing with Zhou Yan's suggestion.

Zhou Yan loaded all the potatoes from the shelf into a bamboo basket and carried it to his room on the second floor for temporary storage.

His room was small and sparsely furnished, leaving no place for the rats to hide. If one dared to come, it would surely never return.

"Old man, you should go to sleep early too. Let them go tonight." Zhou Yan said to Old Zhou, then closed the door and went to sleep.

The moment my head hit the bed, I fell asleep instantly.

The next morning, Zhou Yan first went to the bridgehead to order a carton of lard from Zhang Laosan. In the afternoon, he took some time to render the lard so that he could continue selling fried cabbage with pork cracklings that evening.

Then I took the pork cracklings that I had spilled yesterday to the old lady.

"It's such a waste to feed such good pork cracklings to chickens." The old lady shook her head repeatedly, glanced at the tabby cat sleeping soundly on its back on the shelf by the door of the main room, and laughed: "If you want to catch mice, just catch them and take them back. You can catch all the mice in your shop in one night."

“Okay, I’ll come back tonight after I close up shop and ask it to come back,” Zhou Yan said with a smile, and the matter was settled.

The old lady spoke up again: "You shouldn't keep any more cats or dogs in your shop. Some people can't stand cats and dogs, and they might try to trip you up. If there are rats, just take my cat and catch them. Catching one rat will keep them away for a while."

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. The old lady always thought things through so thoroughly.

After the store closed at noon, Zhou Yan went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought a roll of wire mesh. The mesh was so dense that only a little finger could fit through it, so a mouse definitely couldn't get in.

They borrowed a ladder from the security department next door, and Zhou Yan and Comrade Lao Zhou, armed with hammers and pliers, nailed wire mesh inside and out to all the holes in the kitchen, making sure it was double-layered for extra protection and to ensure physical isolation between the kitchen and the outside environment.

This job looked simple, but the father and son spent half an afternoon working on it.

Old Zhou went to return the ladder, while Zhou Yan busied himself rendering lard in a pot. Quite a few customers had asked about stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings for lunch today. As Zhou Yan's skills improved, this dish became quite popular.

"This wire mesh is installed very neatly. I wonder where the rats will be able to get in this time." Aunt Zhao looked at the newly added wire mesh on the window with a satisfied expression.

"Brother, will you take me to pick up Huahua tonight?" Zhou Momo brought in a small stool, sat down next to him, and asked Zhou Yan with anticipation.

"Okay, I'll take you to pick up Huahua tonight." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

That tabby cat never gave him a second glance, but it was very affectionate towards Zhou Momo. If she didn't go, it might be difficult to get her to come.

Even raccoon dogs have tempers.

After closing for the evening, Zhou Yan grabbed a crucian carp from the water tank, packed up the two remaining portions of braised pork ribs from the pot, and headed straight for the old house with Zhou Momo.

"Grandma! Uncle! Huahua~~" Zhou Momo skipped in and greeted them first.

As Zhou Yan entered, he saw the tabby cat rubbing its head against the little guy's hand, making gurgling noises, as if it had an engine inside.

Only the little one gets this kind of treatment; they're incredibly affectionate towards her.

Zhou Yan carried the lunchbox into the main room. The old lady and Zhou Weiguo were having dinner. There were two dishes on the table: twice-cooked pork with cabbage and shredded potatoes. It was clear that they had just started eating.

Zhou Yan smiled and placed the lunchbox on the table: "Just starting to eat? The braised pork ribs that weren't sold today are just right, still warm, no need to heat them up."

"There are vegetables at home. You could have kept them to cook noodles for your own family tomorrow. Why did you bring them over?" the old lady said with a hint of helplessness.

“Exactly,” Zhou Weiguo agreed, but he had already picked up his chopsticks, taken a piece of pork rib, and put it in his mouth, nodding repeatedly, “Mmm! It tastes absolutely delicious!”

"I left some more, I'll bring some for you to try on the way," Zhou Yan said with a smile, holding up a crucian carp tied with straw in his other hand. "Grandma, should we feed this crucian carp now, or keep it until we come back tomorrow? Should we cook it?"

The old lady glanced in the direction of the main room entrance: "It won't even smell the cooked fish. If you put the fish in that plate by the door, it will eat it by itself, and only after it eats it will it work for you."

"Okay." Zhou Yan replied, placing the nearly dead crucian carp onto the plate.

Zhou Momo pointed and said, "Huahua, eat some fish! Then you can go catch mice!"

"Meow~" The tabby cat meowed in a low voice, jumped down from the shelf, approached the plate, pressed down on the crucian carp that was trying to turn over with one paw, and then lowered its head to eat.

With a crunch, it chewed the fish meat with its sharp teeth, eating with great relish. In no time, the eight-ounce crucian carp was reduced to a single, intact skeleton. It ate it clean, and even licked its paws afterward, carefully cleaning them.

"Gulp~" Zhou Momo swallowed hard, looked up at Zhou Yan and asked, "Brother, is raw crucian carp delicious?"

"Crucian carp is a freshwater fish, so you can't eat it raw," Zhou Yan said with a smile. He really is a little foodie; even watching a cat eat fish makes him drool.

"Grandma, should we leash this cat?" Zhou Yan asked.

"Just put it in the basket. Momo's here, it'll follow you," the old lady replied.

"I'll do it!" Zhou Momo stepped forward and picked up the tabby cat after it had washed its face.

The tabby cat stretched out its long legs, letting her hold it without moving.

Zhou Momo said in her childish voice, "Huahua, be good, I'll take you back to catch mice~~ If you catch them well, Guoguo will give you a fish to eat!"

After leaving the yard, Zhou Yan put the tabby cat in the bicycle basket.

It sized him up, a hint of wariness in its eyes.

Then Zhou Yan lifted Zhou Momo onto the front bar and sat her down. The tabby cat immediately relaxed, found a comfortable position to curl up in the basket, tilted its head to look at Zhou Momo, and even stretched out a leg to try to play with her.

“Good boy, let’s go home~” Zhou Momo reached out and touched its white glove, then chattered away to it all the way home.

With her there, the tabby cat remained completely calm, and even as it bounced all the way back to the restaurant in the car basket, it didn't seem to try to run away.

Some cats are timid and easily stressed when their environment changes. This is a hunting cat that spends most of its time catching mice for others; it's seen a lot and is quite different.

Push the bicycle into the restaurant and park it against the wall.

Zhou Yan put Zhou Momo on the ground.

The tabby cat then stood up from the basket, stretched, and jumped off. It strolled leisurely around the restaurant, its eyes scanning left and right with unusual sharpness, like a general inspecting his territory.

Aunt Zhao had finished washing the dishes and wiping the table. Looking at the tabby cat wandering around, she laughed and said, "It's really something. Last time, Aunt Wang's granary had a rat infestation, so we asked it to help catch them. It caught eight in one night, the biggest of which weighed about two pounds. I didn't know we had so many rats in our shop."

After circling the hall, the tabby cat went into the kitchen, its eyes quickly locking onto the woodpile. It stared intently at the woodpile for a while, then jumped onto it, found a comfortable, flat spot, and lay down to sleep.

"Why isn't Hua Hua catching the mice?" Zhou Momo asked, puzzled.

"It's waiting for the mice to come out on their own. It's quite clever," Zhou Yan said with a smile. He went into the kitchen, carried upstairs a large pot of pork cracklings that he had cooked at noon, and threw a few cracklings on the ground as bait.

"Hua Hua, you have to be strong!" Zhou Momo encouraged it.

"Meow~" The cat raised its eyelids and responded to her.

To create a good environment for the cat to catch mice, he and Lao Zhou postponed their chess game tonight until tomorrow night, and the whole family went upstairs to bed early.

Zhou Yan finished making the accounts, picked up "How the Steel Was Tempered" from the bedside table, took a deep breath, and decided to read ten pages today!

He had borrowed this book for too long, but he had been too busy during the day to read it. Every time he picked it up in bed, he would fall asleep after reading only a few lines.

I've only gotten to page eight so far.

The main reason is that the content is so hypnotic. He doesn't have an iron will, but he has a good night's sleep that many people envy, falling asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

Because the hypnotic effect was so good, he was almost reluctant to switch to another book.

"Paul Korchagin from..."

Having just read ten lines, the book was gently placed over Zhou Yan's face, and he had already fallen peacefully asleep.

The next morning, Zhou Yan got up early, changed his clothes and went out, just in time to see Old Zhou and Aunt Zhao coming out.

"Mom, why are you up so early?" Zhou Yan asked Zhao Niangniang in surprise.

It's only five o'clock. Lately, she usually sleeps until around six o'clock before getting up.

"I'll get up early and clean the kitchen and living room so that no cat hair gets on the table unnoticed and makes the guests uncomfortable," Aunt Zhao said with a smile. "And while I'm at it, I'll check how many mice Mimi caught!"

“Yes, you’ve thought this through very well.” Zhou Yan nodded, and the three of them went downstairs.

The three of them walked down the stairs and were stunned when they saw two rows of rats neatly arranged at the kitchen door.

A family of nine, all of them having died together from childhood to adulthood, all from two bloody holes in their necks.

The smallest mouse weighs about two ounces, while the largest is estimated to weigh two pounds.

The tabby cat squatted on a stool to the side, licking its paws as if it were a victorious general wiping its blood-stained sword.

"Nine! There are so many rats hiding in this pile of firewood!" Aunt Zhao exclaimed in surprise.

"It's pretty impressive!" Old Zhou exclaimed in surprise.

"Good job, deserves a reward!" Zhou Yan went into the kitchen and grabbed the fattest crucian carp from the bathtub.

Hua Hua's gaze was immediately drawn to the lively crucian carp in Zhou Yan's hand. She followed him to the door and squatted down to enjoy her reward.

Comrade Old Zhou had already swept the whole family of mice into a dustpan and dumped them far away outside.

This tabby cat is good at catching mice, but it doesn't like to eat them.

In comparison, she clearly prefers to eat fish.

"It's not messy at all. The kitchen is spotless, and the living room is fine too. I'll just wipe the whole thing down, and I think that'll be enough," Aunt Zhao said with a smile as she walked around, wearing an apron and holding a rag.

“Okay, just apply it all over.” Zhou Yan nodded.

This mouse-catching method is incredibly effective; it caught nine mice in one night, much more reliable than animal traps or sticky mouse boards.

No wonder it's the cat with the highest cat-going rate in Zhoucun.

He's really good at catching mice.

Once the rats were caught, he was relieved of his worries, otherwise he would always be concerned about the safety of the brine.

Zhou Yan watched as it devoured the entire crucian carp before pushing the bicycle out the door, patting the basket and saying, "Huahua, let's go! I'll take you home."

Hua Hua glanced at him, then jumped onto the bicycle basket, found a comfortable position to lie down in, squinted her eyes, and made gurgling sounds.

After eating two of his crucian carp, Hua Hua's affection for him increased significantly.

Zhou Yan rode his bike and first took the cat back to his grandmother's house.

"Did you catch it?" The old lady took Huahua out of the bicycle basket and held her in her arms, stroking her.

"We caught them! Nine in one go! They were neatly arranged at the kitchen door this morning. That's amazing!" Zhou Yan nodded, his tone full of admiration.

The old lady laughed when she heard this, and stroked the cat's head, saying, "Oh my, catching nine in one go, you're a bit clumsy."

"Meow~~" Hua Hua responded in a high-pitched voice, purring very loudly.

"Grandma, I'll go buy some meat now. If there are rats again next time, I'll ask it to catch them," Zhou Yan said.

"Go ahead," the old lady waved her hand.

After returning to the restaurant from grocery shopping, Zhou Momo was squatting by the door brushing her teeth, her cheeks puffed out. Hearing the sound, she looked up, saw Zhou Yan, and immediately spat out the water, saying triumphantly, "Brother! Hua Hua caught nine mice!"

With their smug little faces, anyone who didn't know better would think they were catching it together.

"Yes, I rewarded it with another fish this morning, and then took it back to Grandma's house," Zhou Yan said with a smile and a nod.

"Hmph~ Why didn't you call me, Pot? I wanted to see it catch mice too..." The little guy put down his toothbrush, put his hands on his hips, and his chubby little face immediately puffed up, like an angry little pufferfish.

"I see you're still sleeping. I'll definitely wake you up next time," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Okay!" Zhou Momo nodded, a happy smile on her face: "Then I forgive you this time."

Zhou Yan pushed his bicycle into the restaurant. Not only did he wipe the tables and kitchen again, but Zhao Hong also mopped the floor twice after she arrived, giving the restaurant a very thorough cleaning.

Don't let the small size of their restaurant fool you; it may not be very well-decorated.

But when it comes to cleanliness and hygiene, Jiaozhou is among the best, not just in the whole of Sichuan.

That evening, the area downstairs was indeed quiet; the squeaking and fighting of rats and the rustling of rats gnawing on wood were no longer heard.

It was indeed a tragic case of the entire rat family being wiped out; not a single one was left alive.

Physical isolation has been quite effective. This afternoon, Comrade Zhou also checked and repaired the hall to minimize the paths for rats to enter.

The hall was empty, with only nineteen square tables and a counter, so even if a mouse got in, it would have nowhere to hide.

The shop was quite busy for the next few days.

Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang were extremely busy, hosting both a wedding banquet and a birthday banquet in quick succession.

Saturday morning.

Zhou Yan is taking the braised vegetables out of the pot.

The sounds of Master, Senior Brother Zheng, and Aunt Zhao talking could be heard outside.

"Master Zhou is busy preparing vegetarian dishes?" Xiao Lei appeared at the kitchen door and said with a smile.

"It smells so good! Chef Zhou's skills are as consistent as ever." Zheng Qiang peeked out and swallowed hard, looking at the freshly cooked braised tofu skin next to him.

"Master, Senior Brother Zheng, don't try to brainwash me." Zhou Yan looked at the two of them and said with a smile, "No work today, are you volunteering to be my workhorse?"

“That’s right, come and assist Master Zhou.” Xiao Lei nodded.

"I can only be a lackey and do some odd jobs," Zheng Qiang nodded.

"Come on, Teacher Xiao, the pig liver over there is yours." Zhou Yan pointed to the pig liver in the basin next to him.

Xiao Lei laughed and said, "To be honest, we don't have time. We just bought the side dishes and called a tractor to take the pots and pans to Linjiang Town."

"Master, are you going to help Mr. Qian organize a banquet?" Zhou Yan asked in surprise.

“That’s right. Qian Siyuan came to see me personally yesterday, and I happen to be free these two days, so I definitely can’t refuse.” Xiao Lei nodded and added, “Fifty tables. All the relatives and friends of the Kong family in Linjiang Town have been invited. You’re in charge of the braised meat. Braised pig ears and braised pig snouts will be served together on one plate, and braised pig head meat and braised beef will each be served on one plate. There are three plates here.”

"A big order!" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up. The large sum of money that was confiscated last time had been earned back.

"There's another matter. The Jiaozhou Daily has heard about Qian Siyuan's long journey to find his relatives. Reporters will be coming to cover the wedding banquet, saying they want to combine the long journey with the Confucian school to do an in-depth report to commemorate your grandmaster." Xiao Lei continued, "Your grandmaster thinks this is a good opportunity to promote the Confucian school, so he has already sent a notice to all the fellow disciples. If they can get back to Linjiang that day, they must cook a signature dish to showcase the style of the Confucian school."

"One dish? Or one dish per table?" Zhou Yan asked thoughtfully.

“That will definitely be a dish on the main table. If we make one for every table, even with such a big pot, they can’t cook it to taste the same.” Xiao Lei laughed. “Zheng Qiang and I are going to have a banquet, and we’ll be too busy to handle fifty tables. So we can only send you as our representative to cook a dish for everyone. The more unusual the better, to showcase the style of our Kong school and to commemorate your master.”

Zhou Yan looked at him and said, "Master, stop beating around the bush, just tell me what you want to do?"

"Have you learned how to make Snowflake Chicken Noodles?" Xiao Lei asked, looking at him.

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(End of this chapter)