1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 215 The Duan Family is Just Too Rich! (6k words combined)

The next day, Zhou Yan got up very early and bought all the ingredients needed for the day.

The young chicken was tied to the tree by the door with a rope, and the pig's head was dealt with first.

He only bought one pig's head today.

Since he needed less today, Zhang Laosan had some free time and had already cleaned it quite thoroughly. He only needed to rinse it clean when he got it back.

It was only 6:30, and the beef and pig's head meat had already been put into the braising pot one after another.

Zhou Yan took a small aluminum pot, prepared a separate pot of braising liquid, and started braising vegetables while the meat was simmering in the pot.

The quantity is not much: one pound of lotus root, one pound of dried tofu, and one pound of soaked dried bean curd sticks.

Aunt Zhao specifically requested braised vegetarian dishes, so we'll pack a separate portion for them to have as snacks while they go out today.

There's no rush to cook the beef and ribs; you can start cooking them an hour in advance. Bringing the ingredients to our restaurant makes them look fresher.

At eight o'clock, Aunt Zhao, beaming, led Zhou Momo downstairs to find something to eat.

Zhou Yan had already boiled hot water in the pot for them to wash their faces.

"Good morning, bro~~" Zhou Momo was wearing the little leather jacket that Duan Yuyan gave her today. She had three tufts of hair sticking up on her head and was still a little sleepy. She ran over and snuggled into Zhou Yan's arms, who was sitting on a small stool in front of the stove. She asked in a soft and cute voice, "What are we having for breakfast? Noodles?"

"Yes, I'll make you some braised beef noodles later." Zhou Yan smiled as if he were holding a soft kitten, and reached out to pinch her chubby little face. The little one's skin was even better than when they first met a month ago, fair and tender.

It seems she's been eating and sleeping well lately, which is quite good for raising the child.

However, the little guy eats quite a lot every day, but he hasn't gained much weight. His face has become a bit rounder, but his belly hasn't gotten any fat.

Come to think of it, she's always jumping around, going out to play and then coming back to work her day-paid sales job. As the top salesperson, she must be exhausted.

"Braised beef noodles? Is this a new type of noodle?" Zhou Momo's eyes widened suddenly, and her face showed anticipation.

“Yes, it’s a new flavor.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

“Okay! I want to eat this.” Zhou Momo nodded.

"Where's the old man? Isn't he up yet?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at Aunt Zhao.

"He saw so much money last night that he was too excited to sleep. Let him sleep a little longer; it's a rare opportunity for him to sleep in," Aunt Zhao, beaming, replied casually.

She combed her hair at the door, tied it up with a hair tie, scooped a spoonful of hot water into an enamel basin with a gourd ladle, stirred a towel in the basin a few times, and waited until the hot water had dripped down. Then she wrung out the towel and walked towards Zhou Momo.

"Don't want to wash!" Zhou Momo buried her face in Zhou Yan's arms, resisting somewhat.

"You're going to visit Sister Yuyan today. If you don't wash your face, you'll look like a little kitten, and people will laugh at you," Aunt Zhao said with a smile. "Fine, don't wash it then."

"I'll wash!" Zhou Momo immediately stuck her face out, closing her eyes as if facing death.

"Didn't you say you weren't going to wash it?" Aunt Zhao asked with a smile.

"Then...don't I have any pride?" Zhou Momo pouted.

Zhou Yan and Aunt Zhao both laughed.

This little guy is so small, yet he already knows how to care about his image.

Aunt Zhao covered her face with a hot towel and rubbed her face and neck together.

Zhou Yan watched as Zhao Niangniang's chubby little face was being rubbed and changed shape, and couldn't help but find it a little funny. Zhao Niangniang's strength was really something else.

"Come on, let's go to the door to comb your hair. I'll braid you into pretty double braids." Aunt Zhao carried Zhou Momo out the door.

Zhou Yan got up and started kneading and pulling the dough. He boiled water in a pot, put the noodles in, and then took out a piece of braised beef weighing about half a pound from the braising pot and cut it into large, thin slices.

"Noodles for breakfast?" Old Zhou came downstairs, peeked into the pot of boiling noodles, and asked with a smile.

He slept two extra hours today and looks refreshed.

"Old man, would you like braised beef noodles or beef and bamboo shoot noodles?" Zhou Yan asked, turning around.

"Braised beef noodles, how about trying your new twist?" Old Zhou said.

“Okay, then you go wash up first, and I’ll take it out of the pot right away.” Zhou Yan replied and started seasoning in the bowl.

Having decided to have noodles for breakfast, he asked Zhang Laosan for two pork bones when he went to buy meat in the morning. He stewed them in a small pot early in the morning, making a pot of rich bone broth.

When it comes to food, he never compromises.

When the noodles are almost cooked, first ladle a spoonful of rich, white broth into the earthenware bowl, stir the seasonings at the bottom of the bowl evenly, and let the steam rise. Then, use a bamboo strainer to scoop the noodles out of the pot, shake off the water, pour them into the earthenware bowl, cover them with a thick layer of beef, and sprinkle with some cilantro and chopped green onions.

A bowl of braised beef noodles in red broth will do.

The large slices of beef are cut very thinly; a small amount can cover the entire bowl of noodles.

Half of it is submerged in the soup, and the other half is sprinkled with tender green scallions; it looks quite appealing.

Zhou Momo's bowl was a size smaller, filled with pure bone broth noodles, without chili oil or cilantro. However, the amount of meat was not reduced, and it was even piled up more than the other three bowls.

The little one doesn't eat cilantro, but likes chopped green onions.

"Brother, look how pretty my braids are~~" Zhou Momo ran into the kitchen, her two little braids swinging back and forth.

"It looks good, very cute." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. Zhao Niangniang's braiding skills were getting better and better. She picked up her bowl of noodles and walked out: "Go sit down, we'll go into town after breakfast."

Old Zhou came in and brought out the other two bowls of noodles, exclaiming, "This braised beef noodle soup looks really good, there's so much meat! Does this bowl also cost six cents?"

“If we sell this much beef for six cents, it would be a losing proposition.” Zhou Yan shook his head. “Braised beef needs to be reduced in size. About six ounces of beef can be obtained from one pound of beef. According to our usual practice of using one ounce of beef per bowl of noodles, six qian of braised beef is just right for one bowl of braised beef. Cutting it into such a thin slice, there will be six slices. This ensures a certain texture and also looks good when placed on the noodles.”

“Since the price of beef has dropped, why don’t we add two more slices to each bowl? The cost increase will be limited, but the customers will have a different experience,” Aunt Zhao interjected. “After all, braised beef is not like beef with dried bamboo shoots, where the dried bamboo shoots make up half the dish. It’s much more monotonous. You see, fewer people order spare rib noodles.”

Zhou Yan considered it for a moment and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll listen to Mom."

The increase in cost is indeed limited. Beef is now only one yuan per kilogram, which has greatly reduced the cost of braised beef.

"Come on, try it and see how it tastes." Zhou Yan sat down and handed out chopsticks to everyone.

"The surface is covered with meat, it looks so good!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up. She couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks, take a slice of braised beef soaking in the soup, blow on it, and then put it in her mouth.

Thinly sliced ​​braised beef becomes much softer after being soaked in boiling bone broth, and it tastes so delicious!

She didn't know how to describe it, but it was easier to chew than the original large braised beef, and it didn't take much effort.

good to eat!

After finishing a piece of braised beef, she pushed aside the braised beef on the noodles, picked up two strands of noodles, and slurped them up in small bites, her cheeks puffing out as she ate with great relish.

"Mmm, this braised beef tastes so good after soaking in the bone broth. It's very fragrant and has a bit of spiciness. The texture is firm but slightly softer than when it's cold. It's delicious!" Aunt Zhao praised. "I think it's a good choice. I'm sure some customers will like it."

"I think that's a good idea too. The braised beef, after being soaked like this, has a freshly cooked feel, which is perfect for pairing with noodles." Old Zhou nodded repeatedly, very satisfied.

The response has been great; no wonder it's the recipe of a ramen giant that has opened stores all over the country.

Zhou Yan picked up a slice of beef soaking in the soup. The slices he cut were large and thin enough.

It is slightly translucent, but not so thin that it would be blown away by the wind, nor would it dissolve in hot soup and disappear without a trace.

The bone broth, simmered in an earthenware pot over low heat for more than two hours, was a rich white color, tinged with a bright red hue by the chili oil.

The cooled braised beef is firm, but when submerged in the boiling broth, it becomes as if it has entered a gentle embrace. Absorbing the broth, its texture softens and trembles slightly when picked up.

With one bite, the braising sauce and rich broth burst on the tongue. The bone broth is delicious but not overpowering, providing a moisturizing effect, while the aroma of the braising sauce remains strong.

After absorbing the broth, the beef becomes tender, and it does indeed taste somewhat like freshly cooked braised beef.

When using beef as a topping for noodles, thinly sliced ​​beef is the right choice.

This makes it easy to finish the slice of beef and then slurp up a mouthful of noodles, which is very smooth and silky, without having to stop and chew for a while.

Slurp! Slurp!

The family of four remained silent, focusing solely on eating their noodles.

In the end, they even drank every last drop of the noodle soup.

Zhou Yan wiped the slight sweat from his forehead, feeling warm all over. What a blissful thing it was to eat a bowl of hot noodles on a cold winter morning!

Zhou Yan thought braised beef noodles were a really good choice.

However, the beef cannot be braised on the same morning, so it has to be braised yesterday. How to ensure the freshness of the braised beef is a problem that must be carefully considered.

If only we had a refrigerator, our food would be much more reliable for preservation.

Of course, in this weather, braised beef will most likely not spoil even if left overnight.

To be on the safe side, Zhou Yan decided to wait for another round of cooling down.

After breakfast, Zhou Yan went upstairs to change his clothes, putting on the chef's uniform he hadn't worn many times, and then pushed his bicycle out the door.

"Aren't you cold wearing such thin clothes? Put on your new clothes," Aunt Zhao said, looking at him.

"It's not that cold during the day, and the new clothes are too hot. I get all sweaty when I ride my bike." Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile. He is afraid of heat but not cold. He used to enjoy winter swimming, but lately he has been taking cold showers every night.

"It's alright, young people have a fiery spirit. When I was young, I would even wear a vest to slaughter cattle in the winter," Comrade Zhou laughed.

Aunt Zhao smiled upon hearing this and said no more.

Zhou Yan placed the burlap sack containing the money into Old Zhou's old-fashioned bicycle basket. Zhao Niangniang sat down on the back seat, supporting Old Zhou with one hand and holding the burlap sack with the other, making sure everything was secure.

"Brother, I want to ride in your car." Zhou Momo came closer, wearing the hat that Duan Yuyan had given her, and said in a childish voice.

"Come on." Zhou Yan reached out and lifted her up, placing her on the front bar, letting Old Zhou ride in front while he followed behind, ready to respond promptly if anything happened. Carrying ten thousand yuan into the city felt like escorting a heavy cargo.

The journey into the city proceeded smoothly without any setbacks.

The bicycle stopped in front of the Qiu residence. Zhou Yan first put Zhou Momo down, then took the heavy sack from Old Zhou and knocked on the gate of the Qiu residence.

The braised food shop had just opened when the young owner heard the noise and came out to look. He was taken aback when he saw Zhou Yan, then smiled and said, "It's you? What, are you here to ask Grandma Qiu about buying a house again?"

"Yes, I brought some local specialties for the old lady." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, and even showed off the burlap sack in his hand.

"Brother, let me tell you, this won't work. Old Mrs. Qiu's ancestors were wealthy, and now her son is even wealthier. What local specialty can work? Your friend wants to buy this Qiu family old house, but he'll have to find another way." The shopkeeper shook his head, with a hint of contempt.

"What brilliant ideas does the boss have?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.

The shop owner glanced at him and asked, "Did Grandma Qiu like the braised beef you gave her last time?"

"It's hard to say. You see, it's been almost a month since I last came here." Zhou Yan suppressed a laugh. It seemed that the boss was still quite bothered by the matter of him delivering braised beef to the Qiu family last time, and probably hadn't been sleeping well lately.

Upon hearing this, the shop owner breathed a sigh of relief, a smug look appearing on his face: "That's true. When it comes to food, Old Mrs. Qiu is known for being very particular. She doesn't even buy much beef from my family, so she probably only had a taste of yours."

At this moment, the gate of the Qiu residence slowly opened.

"I knew it was you guys at this hour!" Duan Yuyan stepped out, calling out with a smile, "Momo!"

"Sister Yu Yan~~" Zhou Momo called out in a soft and cute voice, rushing over and being picked up by Duan Yu Yan.

"Oh my, you're wearing the little leather jacket I gave you today, and the hat looks nice too." Duan Yuyan's Hong Kong and Taiwan accent was quite soft.

"Sister looks so pretty today, and smells so good." Zhou Momo tilted her head and looked at Duan Yuyan, showering her with compliments.

"You have such a sweet tongue. I'll take you to play later." Duan Yuyan pinched her cheek, looked at Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao standing to the side, and said with a smile, "Auntie and Uncle are here. Come in and sit for a while."

"No need, no need. We just brought some things up for him on our way. We were planning to go out and have some fun on our own. It's rare to have someone to look after the kid, so we'll go shopping first," Aunt Zhao said with a smile and a wave of her hand.

Duan Yuyan smiled and nodded: "Okay, if you get tired later, come and sit at my house for a while."

"Okay," Aunt Zhao replied, and she and Comrade Zhou rode off on their bikes.

Duan Yuyan then looked at Zhou Yan and asked, "You haven't forgotten the braised beef, have you? My grandma mentioned it yesterday, saying she hasn't had your braised beef in a while."

"I picked out some fresh beef to braise this morning. How could I forget something like this?" Zhou Yan said with a smile, pulling a small bamboo basket from his backpack. The basket was covered with a white gauze to keep out the dust and contained braised meat.

"That's fine. My grandma is writing in the study. Come in." Duan Yuyan nodded with a smile, picked up Zhou Momo, and turned to walk into the door.

"Brother, you...you haven't told a single truth!" The braised meat shop owner was dumbfounded and almost cried with anger.

Miss Qiu personally greeted her, and Grandma Qiu kept thinking about how delicious the braised beef must be.

Is this kid really going to buy the Qiu family mansion?

Depend on!
He's in the same industry!
Is the friend he mentioned actually himself?
The boss was on the verge of tears, and all he wanted to do was slap himself twice.

Stop talking!

Zhou Yan smiled and comforted him, "It's okay, brother. Life is full of disappointments, and the remaining few are even more unbearable to recall. I'll buy the house later and give you two more days to move in."

boss:……

I was so angry I was trembling, and I also felt a little cold.

"I*****"

Zhou Yan didn't hear him; he had already gone inside.

The nanny from the Qiu family came out to help carry the other dishes in the basket.

This is Zhou Yan's second time entering the Qiu family's old house. After today, it will belong to him.

He thought the place would be emptied out, but when he entered the courtyard, the artificial hill was still there, and the trees and flowers were unchanged.

The well-maintained solid wood tables and chairs in the main room perfectly matched the style of the old house, giving him a fleeting sense of returning to the heyday of the Qiu family fifty years ago.

The Qiu family was a scholarly family with ancestors who had served as officials. They gradually declined during the Republic of China period, but later prospered again for a period of time due to a marriage alliance with the Duan family.

Before liberation, most of the direct descendants of the Qiu family went to Hong Kong or abroad. Old Mrs. Qiu bought back the old Qiu family house, carried out some renovations, and lived there for several years.

The old lady came from a distinguished family. He had seen her when she was young, and she was dignified and elegant. Although she was old now, elegance was ingrained in her bones, and the Qiu residence still maintained a clean and tidy appearance.

"Will you move these furniture later?" Zhou Yan asked.

"Ask my grandma later, I'm not too sure about her plans either," Duan Yuyan replied, putting Zhou Momo down, taking a chocolate from the candy box next to her, peeling off the coating and feeding it to her.

"White chocolate?" Zhou Momo asked in surprise.

"Yes, try it. Don't worry, it's not bitter," Duan Yuyan said with a smile.

Zhou Momo opened her mouth to take it, chewed it, and her eyes lit up: "Sweet! Delicious~"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cookie, which she held up to Duan Yuyan, smiling as she said, "Sister Yuyan, here you go~"

"Oh? You brought this for me?" Duan Yuyan was a little surprised. She reached out and took it, then tore it open with a smile. "It's cookies! Let me see, they're imported from Japan. I'll try them."

She took a bite, smiled, and squinted her eyes: "It's sweet too! Delicious~"

After saying that, both of them laughed.

Zhou Yan laughed too; these two really do get along well.

Zhou Yan placed the basket of braised meat on the dining table, picked up the sack of money, and followed Duan Yuyan to the door of the study. He stopped but did not go inside.

Grandma Qiu was wearing an elegant, plain-colored cheongsam, her silver hair styled in a bun. She was standing in front of her desk writing, and after finishing the last few words, she put down her pen and looked towards the door with a smile on her face, saying, "You've arrived."

"I just arrived. Thank you, Grandma Qiu, for inviting me to this family dinner. I also brought the money for the house purchase with you," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Just leave it there. I'll have Afei take Yuyan to deposit it later," Grandma Qiu said casually.

"Just put it on that chair. I'll store it when I have time," Duan Yuyan said, pointing to the armchair in the study.

"Okay." Zhou Yan carried the burlap sack inside, gently placed it on the chair, and asked, "Would you like to order?"

"No need, you say ten thousand, then it's ten thousand." Duan Yuyan smiled and shook her head. "Then you two can chat slowly, I'll take Momo out for a walk."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded.

The ten thousand dollars they had carefully escorted to the Qiu residence were simply placed on a chair, and no one even bothered to open them for a glance.

This is probably the difference between people.

The Duan family is incredibly wealthy!

"Most of the things I like have been moved to the Duan residence. The furniture and items left here are all yours now." Old Mrs. Qiu said with a smile, "This desk was left by my grandfather and has been passed down for several generations. I see that your handwriting is quite good. Have you practiced?"

"I just practiced calligraphy by copying from model books, and I'm nowhere near as good as you," Zhou Yan said somewhat embarrassedly.

"The first row of bookshelves has rubbings of famous inscriptions and calligraphy models. If you're interested, you can practice them occasionally. The rest are some ancient books and other books I've collected over the years. You can keep any you're interested in, and send the rest to Wang Yu. His library has several empty bookshelves that can hold them all." Old Mrs. Qiu's gaze turned to the bookshelves beside her, her eyes gentle.

“These are too precious. They are all classic books that you have treasured for many years. How can I possibly accept them?” Zhou Yan quickly waved his hand upon hearing this.

"What good are these treasured books after all these years? Even if you take them to Hong Kong, they'll just put them in another pretty bookcase and shelve them." Old Mrs. Qiu shook her head slightly and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, "Wang Yu said you often go to the library to borrow books and maintain your reading habit. Nowadays, most young people are thinking about how to make money, and it's rare to see someone who can settle down and focus. If you can occasionally browse through them, then these books will truly realize their value."

Zhou Yan straightened up and said with a respectful attitude, "It would be disrespectful to refuse, but I would feel ashamed to accept it. I will definitely keep these books safe and read them often."

“Okay.” Old Mrs. Qiu nodded and said, “This inkstone was given to me by an old friend twenty years ago. He was generous and kind-hearted. I think your personality is somewhat similar to his, so I wanted to give it to you. I hope you don’t mind.”

"It would be my honor," Zhou Yan said quickly.

Grandma Qiu came out of the study.

Zhou Yan caught up a step behind.

"Most of the items in the house have already been moved out, leaving only some furniture in decent condition. I think you might need them, so I've kept them. When you move in, keep what you like, and the rest is up to you."

“Look at that set of armchairs. I actually bought it two years ago. The original set in the Qiu family was chopped up and burned as firewood by someone. Actually, it wasn’t in as good condition as this set.”

"That eight-immortal table must be quite old. It's made of rosewood. There's another one in the Duan family's old house. We'll leave this one for your family to use for meals. It's quite heavy and sturdy. It's been used for decades and hasn't broken."

"That wardrobe is made of mother-of-pearl. My mother had a craftsman make it for me back then. It's still presentable in the room. If you like it, keep it. If you don't like it, have someone send it to the Duan family's old house."

……

As the old lady walked, she introduced things to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan's mouth was slightly open and never closed.

A bookcase full of ancient books! A huanghuali wood eight-immortal table! A wardrobe covered in mother-of-pearl inlay! A complete set of rosewood armchairs and a tea table!

God!

He couldn't even imagine what kind of belongings the old lady had left him!
When other people sell their secondhand houses, they usually take the good stuff and leave the useless old furniture for the buyer.

The old lady was different; she picked out the things she liked and left them the complete set of furniture that was in good condition and that she thought they would need.

His original plan was to use 10,000 yuan to buy a plot of land in a good location.

Zhou Yan followed beside her, looking at the old lady with her straight back and gray hair, who was still as elegant as ever, and couldn't help but feel a little touched.

What a wonderful person she was; she deserved to be treated with kindness throughout her life.

The old lady stopped and looked at Zhou Yan, asking gently, "You bought this courtyard. Do you plan to renovate or rebuild it?"

　Asking for a monthly ticket~~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)