1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 203 Great minds think alike (6.4k combined)

"I'm glad you like it. When your uncle comes home, I'll send you other delicious and fun things." Qian Siyuan couldn't stop smiling. He didn't expect the little guy to be so happy to receive such a small box of cookies. His emotional value was off the charts.

A friend came from Shanghai a couple of days ago and called him in advance. Qian Siyuan, who was worried about what gift to give Zhou Momo, asked his friend to bring some toys and snacks.

Because of the rush, he didn't buy a suitable doll and only brought a box of imported cookies. He was worried that the little guy wouldn't like it, but now it seems that he was just worrying for nothing.

"No need, no need, these cookies are great! Uncle, you can keep the money for yourself." Zhou Momo hugged the cookie box with obvious delight. She had never seen such a beautiful box before, and she had even thought about how to use it. She smiled and said, "I'll eat the cookies, and then I can use the box to store my money!"

Qian Siyuan's heart melted. The little guy was so well-behaved, even thinking of him. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, Uncle has money. I'll have your brother write down an address for me later."

Zhou Momo looked at him curiously and asked, "Brother, you said your home is abroad. Which country is it?"

“The United States, a country very, very far away from Sichuan,” Qian Siyuan replied with a smile.

"America? A beautiful country?"

Qian Siyuan smiled and nodded: "Yes, that's about the idea, but China is great too."

Zhou Momo nodded, put the cookie box aside, and continued to focus on her meal.

"Master Zhou, the snowflake chicken soup you made today is amazing! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it was made with chicken." Qian Siyuan looked at Zhou Yan with eyes full of admiration.

"Mr. Qian, you flatter me," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"The braised meat is also very good. The guests all say it is good and that they can't find such good braised meat in Linjiang."

"Guest satisfaction is our greatest pursuit."

"Alright, you can take your time eating. You can go back after dinner. There's a scene to film this afternoon." Qian Siyuan patted Zhou Yan's arm, toasted the guests at this table, and then moved on to the next table.

He adapted to Chinese interpersonal relationships very quickly.

Aunt Zhao helped Zhou Momo hold the tin box, examining it closely and saying, "Is this a foreign product? What are all these scribbles on it? The box is really pretty. Now my youngest daughter has a place to put her change."

“Yes, imported cookies. I doubt even department stores in Chengdu carry them.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile and continued eating.

Qian Siyuan reserved two separate tables for the chefs of the Kong School, and they are currently eating and chatting.

"Uncle Xiao's Nine Bowls is absolutely delicious! Fifty tables in one go! The Dongpo pork knuckle, the salted braised pork belly, and the sweet braised pork belly are all exceptionally well-prepared! The cooking time and flavors are superb, especially the pork knuckle, the combination of sour, sweet, salty, and spicy flavors is simply unbeatable!" Kong Liwei exclaimed in amazement.

Kong Guodong laughed and said, "That goes without saying. Your Uncle Xiao used to be the head chef at a textile factory. He had to coordinate so many chefs in the canteen to cook for more than 3,000 people. If that were to be arranged into a banquet, that would be more than 300 tables. In terms of practical experience, he is definitely number one among our three generations of disciples."

Kong Qingfeng looked at everyone and said with a smile, "Guodong is absolutely right. You all have your own specialties, with your strengths and weaknesses being quite obvious. But Shitou is different. He doesn't have any particularly outstanding strengths, but he has almost no weaknesses. He's proficient in everything from stir-frying, steaming, braising, deep-frying, boiling, simmering, quick-frying, and sautéing. He's basically learned all of your Uncle Kong's cooking skills."

The "Nine Bowls" banquet at the market mainly consists of steamed dishes. You all know how to steam one basket of dishes in the kitchen. But fifty tables, each with nine bowls, steaming simultaneously and serving almost at the same time—that's the real test for a chef. It's no exaggeration to say that if you were put in charge of organizing a market banquet, you wouldn't understand it in less than three months.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Only those who have actually worked in the kitchen understand the difficulty of serving food simultaneously.

Xiao Lei, along with Zheng Qiang and several kitchen helpers, managed to organize a banquet for fifty tables, a truly admirable feat.

"Putting aside the steamed dishes, the braised meat today is amazing!" Xu Yunliang had just chewed and swallowed a piece of braised beef, his eyes filled with amazement: "The beef and pig's head meat are braised so well! The beef has a firm texture and a rich braised aroma. The more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes. It's absolutely perfect with alcohol! Zhou Yan's braised meat skills are no less than the snowflake chicken soup he made today."

Upon hearing this, everyone picked up their chopsticks and tasted the braised meat, their eyes lighting up.

"It's really well-braised! This braised pig's head is so fragrant, oily but not greasy, and the braising liquid is extraordinary! It's a genuine old braising liquid, and not the kind that's only been made for a year or two."

"Zhou Yan is too amazing! His first stir-fried pork liver was already good enough, and this time his replica of the snowflake chicken soup is even more outrageous. I didn't expect him to have such a skill in braised meat? He's practically leaving no way for his senior brothers to survive."

Everyone who tasted the braised meat was full of amazement.

They're all chefs; they can tell the difference between good and bad with just one bite.

How good is this braised meat?

Anyway, none of the people present could do it.

Kong Qingfeng looked at the plate of braised beef, savored it carefully, and said, "Why do I feel that it's a bit like the braised beef from Feiyan Restaurant? The taste and texture are similar, and the aftertaste is long-lasting. It's so delicious."

Kong Guodong looked surprised: "Master, Feiyan Restaurant's braised beef is quite famous. They stopped selling it for decades, but started selling it again recently. I heard that the business is booming with repeat customers, and many old patrons have come back to eat it. You mean Zhou Yan's braised beef tastes just as good as Feiyan Restaurant's?"

Kong Qingfeng shook his head: "The last time I ate it was more than 20 years ago. It just feels a bit familiar. I'll buy another serving to try later. Anyway, Zhou Yan's braised food is probably the best in the whole of Jiaozhou."

"Is this what geniuses are like? They can do everything well and do everything to the extreme. They're too domineering!" Kong Liwei sighed, but soon said with great interest, "I'll have to ask him for advice later. How do geniuses become?"

"Genius? Of course, that's something you're born with. If you can train yourself to become one, then you're not a genius, you're just someone who works hard." Kong Guodong rolled his eyes at him. "It's okay if you're a little slow, your master won't mind. But if you're both slow and lazy, I really want to slap you!"

"Master, with so many fellow disciples here, you have to give me some face," Kong Liwei said with a bitter face.

Kong Guodong said, "Then I'll shovel you back when we get back."

Everyone laughed and chatted as they ate, exchanging cooking tips and sharing some interesting stories from the past.

This has always been the case when exchanging ideas with peers.

Technical exchanges can only cover the first half; the second half usually consists of industry gossip.

We'll talk about whoever didn't come.

They had a really great time chatting.

After the hot dishes were served, Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang added a stool and squeezed into a table with their fellow apprentices to eat.

The crowd naturally showered the two with praise once again.

In the past two years, many rural chefs in Jiaozhou have not been up to par. As long as they can steam the dishes and serve them, they dare to go out and work as rural chefs, dragging their steamers around looking for jobs.

If your skills aren't up to par, just lower your prices, and people will still hire you.

Today, Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang prepared nine large bowls, paired with Zhou Yan's braised meat, making it an absolutely top-tier outdoor banquet in Jiaozhou.

The banquets at Leming Hotel and Feiyan Restaurant may be more upscale, but for the same price, they certainly couldn't produce the same dishes that garnered so much praise from guests.

Besides being convenient for guests to attend, the cost-effectiveness of a "baba banquet" is also a very important factor.

After the banquet, Zhou Yan originally planned to go see Sichuan opera with Aunt Zhao and the others, but he was dragged away halfway by Kong Liwei and his fellow senior brothers, who spent the whole afternoon chatting about 'how geniuses are made'.

Fortunately, Zhou Yan had recently been reading "How the Steel Was Tempered," and the experience he shared was quite solid and reliable. The theme of "diligent study and hard work" permeated his speech, which made the senior students and uncles nod in agreement.

"Xiao Zhou, when you have time, come to the base to give lectures to the trainees and share some insights. Especially for the new trainees and apprentices, they need peers like you to give them some confidence and encouragement," Kong Qingfeng said, pulling Zhou Yan aside.

"Okay, I'll definitely come next time." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. As for which next time, he'd decide later.

What can he say?

After all, he took the wrong path, and his personal experience was too embarrassing to talk about.

Xu Yunliang left at three o'clock. Before leaving, he asked Zhou Yan for his address and promised to send him the recipes when he got back.

Qian Siyuan asked the driver to take him back to Jiaozhou Bus Station, just in time to catch the last bus to Chengdu.

It's not easy being a working person.

Today is a day off in lieu of a day off. I was supposed to have a day off tomorrow, but I have to go back and make up for it.

The dinner was just as lavish as the lunch, with the nine main dishes even featuring a variety of variations. The braised dishes remained the same, and the guests ate with beaming smiles, all praising Qian Siyuan for his vision and for taking this thank-you banquet so seriously.

Qian Siyuan gained a good reputation, while Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang secured four orders.

Every outdoor banquet is the best advertisement.

Orders can be accepted anywhere within Jiaozhou.

Anyway, it's only a dozen kilometers from Suji to Linjiang, so it won't cost much more to call a tractor to haul the stove and steamer.

Zhou Yan was also happy.

Now, when Xiao Lei and his team take orders, the primary condition is that the braised meat must be made by Zhou Yan.

Customers who had tried the braised meat gritted their teeth and agreed.

It's more expensive than making your own braised meat, but the taste is so much better!

Especially those customers who enjoy drinking, they really raved about today's braised meat.

There were even people who came specifically to ask Zhou Yan for the shop address. For foodies, it's not too outrageous to make a special trip to Suji to buy a serving of braised meat.

Serving a plate of this braised pork would elevate the entire event, making it a truly classy dish for family gatherings and entertaining guests.

Zhou Yan welcomed all who came; he really loved these enthusiastic guests.

His mission to break into new markets is waiting for their help.

The banquet ended and the guests left.

Zhou Yan and his fellow apprentices stepped forward to help, carrying Xiao Lei's pots and pans and steamers onto the tractor.

They had a lot of strong young men, and they finished packing in no time.

Qian Siyuan pulled Xiao Lei and Zhou Yan aside, took a stack of ten-yuan bills from his secretary Xiao Wang, and handed it to Xiao Lei: "Master Xiao, this is the cost of your banquet and the extra money for the braised meat. It's four yuan per table, totaling 580 yuan. Please check it."

"Okay." Xiao Lei took the money, counted it quickly, and nodded, "That's right, exactly 580."

Then Qian Siyuan took two red envelopes from Xiao Wang and handed them to Zhou Yan and Xiao Lei with a smile: "These are red envelopes. Today's banquet was very well organized. The guests were very satisfied and praised me a lot. They all said that our Kong School produces talented people. You two have worked hard."

I know you have a custom of accepting red envelopes from the host family after a meal; consider this my way of thanking you. This roots-tracing trip was perfect. I'll be returning to the United States in two days, but we can keep in touch by letter often.

Zhou Yan didn't reach out, but looked at Xiao Lei.

Xiao Lei was silent for a moment, then reached out and took the red envelope, nodding and saying, "Okay, then we'll accept it. Thank you, Boss Qian." "Thank you, Boss Qian." Zhou Yan then took the red envelope as well. The red paper contained a thick stack of ten-yuan notes, no less than the stack that Qian Siyuan had handed to his master earlier.

Boss atmosphere!

I love bosses who are generous and straightforward, and who are also very efficient and kind.

"You're welcome, you deserve it. I have something else I'd like to discuss with you." Qian Siyuan looked at the two of them and said with a smile, "This time back in Sichuan, I deeply felt the charm of Sichuan cuisine. Each dish has its own style, and a hundred dishes have a hundred flavors. It's very addictive and satisfying."

I want to open an authentic Sichuan restaurant in New York. I think your culinary skills are superb, and we have a special connection, so I would like to invite you to be our head chefs in the United States.

In terms of compensation, I will give you both an annual salary of $10,000, and I will also give you two 20% of the Sichuan restaurant's shares, 10% each. No matter how the Sichuan restaurant expands in the future, the shareholding ratio will not change, and you will both receive dividends.

I've looked into it these past few days. Rongleyuan Restaurant in Manhattan, New York, has been operating since 1979. I've eaten there twice; it's incredibly popular, and the prices are much higher than those of Sichuan restaurants in mainland China.

"Open a Sichuan restaurant in the US?" Xiao Lei was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face. This was a bit beyond his capabilities.

“Mr. Qian, I probably can’t go to the United States right now.” Zhou Yan’s attitude was very clear.

Qian Siyuan offered very favorable terms; a salary of ten thousand US dollars is not low. He had talked about the exchange rate with Uncle Lin a few days ago when they were running together, and one US dollar could be exchanged for 2.32 RMB.

In other words, one can earn 23,000 yuan a year just from salary.

In an era where everyone envies those with ten thousand yuan in wealth, it is quite attractive.

He also promised equity dividends; all they needed to do was go there, and they would each receive 10% of the shares.

The better the business, the more money you make.

And they even earn US dollars!

But Zhou Yan's small restaurant now makes a profit of nearly 10,000 yuan a month, so this salary is no longer attractive to him.

Su Ji is just the beginning. Once he has enough savings, he will definitely open restaurants in Jiaozhou and Chengdu.

Although he lacked a deep understanding of this era, as a college student from a second-tier university who had received higher education, he was well aware that China was in a period of rapid development following the reform and opening up.

China is truly a place brimming with opportunities.

Moreover, what's even more important for Zhou Yan is that his family is here.

Once you go to America, who knows when you'll be back?

What's the harm in sending money home every year?

He would miss Zhou Momo's growth, and when he came back, Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou might be old, and the old lady might not even be alive anymore.

It's good as it is now. The family is together, working hard to earn money, living a good life, and every day is fulfilling and happy.

This cannot be measured in money.

“Then I won’t go either,” Xiao Lei said.

“I understand your feelings about not knowing much about foreign countries, but you don’t need to rush to refuse. You can take your time to learn and consider it,” Qian Siyuan said with a smile.
"New York Rongleyuan is a Sichuan restaurant jointly operated by Sichuan Catering Company and Boss Wu. It's a public-private partnership, which is why the chefs are able to go to the United States. But you are all self-employed. Whether you can get visas to go to the United States is something I need to consult with for some time, and it may even have to wait for policy changes in a few years."

Regardless of whether the collaboration succeeds or not, I will always be friends with both of you. Perhaps there will be other opportunities for collaboration in the future; who knows?

“You’re right. Who knows what the future holds?” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

“Yes.” Xiao Lei nodded in agreement.

Qian Siyuan asked the photographer to take a group photo of the three of them, and then took two separate photos of Zhou Momo. He left Zhou Yan's address and said goodbye.

Zhou Yan stuffed the thick stack of red envelopes into his pocket; it was quite substantial.

"Here, this is your money for the braised pork." Xiao Lei immediately handed Zhou Yan 330 yuan for the braised pork.

Now they work together and pay by the table. For a table with three dishes of braised meat, Xiao Lei takes 50 cents, and the rest goes to Zhou Yan.

In total, Zhou Yan can earn about 1.6 yuan per table.

The month is almost over, and he has earned more than 400 yuan just from his master's banquet.

Today alone, we should make a profit of around 160.

"He just said he was going to America, why did you refuse so decisively? Isn't it said that the grass is always greener on the other side?" Xiao Lei asked with a smile.

“Those who want to go abroad but don’t have the opportunity are the ones who imagine the moon is rounder in foreign countries.” Zhou Yan looked at him and said with a smile, “But Master, have you seriously considered this? Ten thousand US dollars is twenty-three thousand RMB, and a year’s salary is equivalent to two people with ten thousand RMB. Moreover, there are bonuses at the end of the year. Americans are rich and willing to spend money. They don’t earn US dollars slowly like we do with a few cents or a dollar.”

"Twenty-three thousand! That's almost two thousand a month?" Xiao Lei was a little shocked. "That much? We only make a hundred or eighty yuan for a banquet. If we work for two days, the two of us will only get fifty yuan. Doing eight banquets a month is considered a lot. That's about four hundred yuan a month."

Zhou Yan nodded: "If business is good, the dividends will probably be quite substantial."

Xiao Lei thought about it carefully: "Work for a year, buy a house in Chengdu, and you can have everything you need. Work for three to five years, save enough money, and you can come back to retire."

“Buying a house is no problem, but sixty or seventy thousand yuan might not be enough for retirement,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Sixty or seventy thousand isn't enough? Look how rare it is to have ten thousand yuan these days. Meat is only one yuan a pound. If I had sixty thousand yuan, I could put it in the bank and earn interest, and I wouldn't be able to eat meat every day." Xiao Lei curled his lips. "You're too ambitious, kid."

Zhou Yan casually remarked, "Society is developing, and everyone's wages will rise in the future, as will prices. Look at Chengdu, you can buy a house for a few thousand yuan now, but who knows, you might not be able to buy your dream house for a million yuan in the future."

"One million?" Xiao Lei exclaimed in surprise. "You kid are kidding me! What do you do to earn a million? If I had a million, would I still buy a house in the city? I would go back to the countryside, build a house, live in a comfortable house, grow some land, raise some chickens, ducks and geese, and play cards in the street whenever I have free time. It would be very peaceful."

"Master is right." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, not delving into the topic further, and instead asked, "So, do you want to go to America?"

Xiao Lei thought about it seriously for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Forget it! I'm not going. Your teacher's wife is most afraid of sleeping alone. If I go, she'll be raising two kids and taking care of the elderly all by herself. I don't know how hard her life will be."

"Great minds think alike." Zhou Yan smiled as well.

Middle-aged men carry too many burdens. If his master were twenty years old this year, Zhou Yan estimated that he would agree without hesitation.

Before it got dark, Zhou Yan, along with Zhou Momo, Aunt Zhao, and Old Zhou, set off on their bicycles home.

The little one had a great time eating and playing today, chattering nonstop the whole way, incredibly excited.

"Brother, that face-changing act today was so funny! He changed his face in the blink of an eye!"

"The Sichuan opera was also very good..."

Afraid the cookies would break, Aunt Zhao still held the pretty tin box in her arms, smiling as she looked at the talkative Zhou Momo.

They rode for almost an hour before returning to the hotel; it was already dark.

Zhou Yan parked the car, locked the restaurant door from the inside, and then took out the large red envelope from his breast pocket and placed it on the table.

"Boss Qian even gave you red envelopes?" Aunt Zhao's eyes lit up. "They're so big! They're full of money!"

"A big red envelope!" Zhou Momo also came over and asked curiously, "Brother, is it Chinese New Year yet?"

"The New Year is still a long way off. This is a red envelope from the host," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "I haven't opened it yet, so I don't know how much money is in it."

As he spoke, he reached out and tore open the red paper, revealing a thick stack of banknotes inside, all brand new and consecutively numbered.

Zhou Yan pinched his fingers and said with a smile, "Around five hundred."

"Wow! That's incredibly generous! A red envelope of five hundred yuan!" Aunt Zhao exclaimed, both surprised and delighted.

Five hundred yuan is a huge sum of money; the basic wage for a textile factory worker is only thirty-odd yuan.

Two months ago, their family was still worried about more than 800 yuan in debt.

Who would have thought that Zhou Yan would receive a 500 yuan red envelope today?

Comrade Lao Zhou also looked pleased.

"Wow! So much money! And it's so new." Zhou Momo's eyes lit up. She reached out, picked up a ten-yuan note, and shook it. The sound was crisp.

Aunt Zhao said with some concern, "Didn't you say that it's not easy to get money from Boss Qian? Now that the family reunion is successful, won't people talk about us if we take his money?"

“It’s alright, I only accepted it because my master accepted it. Besides, it’s the rule in the chef’s business. It’s acceptable to accept red envelopes from the host. It’s the host’s way of appreciating the banquet you’ve put on. It’s all the sentiment behind it.” Zhou Yan said with a smile, “Of course, giving five hundred is Boss Qian returning the favor. He’s going back to America in a couple of days.”

Aunt Zhao smiled again: "Okay, then keep the money safe and use it to buy a house later."

"Hey, buddy, here you go." Zhou Momo handed over the ten-yuan note she was holding.

"Okay." Zhou Yan smiled and accepted it.

Smiles were on everyone's faces. Today, they not only ate and had fun, but also made a windfall. Needless to say, they were in high spirits.

"Brother, I want to try a cookie before I go to sleep." Zhou Momo brought over the cookie box. "Can you open it for me?"

"Here, let me open it for you." Zhou Yan smiled as he took the cookie box and placed it on the table. He first tore off the outer plastic wrap. It was indeed a foreign product, but it wasn't made in the United States; it was from Japan, and there was an import label on it.

Last time I saw a lot of imported Japanese appliances at the department store, like refrigerators and TVs, I didn't expect they even had cookies.

The rectangular tin box also has hinges. When opened, it contains individually wrapped cookies, neatly arranged in plastic slots.

It's a fairly large box, but there are only about thirty cookies inside.

Typical over-packaging!
But it is indeed quite exquisite, with flower patterns on the cookies.

"Those Japanese are so cunning. They only put this many cookies in such a big box. It's not worth it," Aunt Zhao shook her head repeatedly.

"Absolutely! Condemn the Japanese!" Comrade Zhou nodded in agreement.

"Wow~~ It's flower-shaped cookies!" The little one, oblivious to all that, had eyes that lit up. He carefully picked up a cookie, examined it for a moment, and then handed it to Aunt Zhao: "Mommy! You should eat flower-shaped cookies too~"

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(End of this chapter)