1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 216 My Sister is So Cute! (6k-page compilation)

According to Zhou Yan's original plan, it would definitely be to demolish and rebuild, keeping only the foundation, and then building a new building according to his own needs, taking into account both opening a restaurant and living needs.

But Old Lady Qiu gave so much. The cabinet full of ancient books was of immeasurable value, the huanghuali wood eight-immortal table was sold by weight in later generations, and the wardrobe full of mother-of-pearl inlay and a complete set of mahogany chairs were also quite valuable.

This old house must hold a very important place in her heart.

So when Grandma Qiu looked at him and asked this question, Zhou Yan hesitated for a moment, then said tentatively, "I might need some time to make a plan. This old house must be of great significance to you. The furniture is arranged quite harmoniously like this. If it can be preserved..."

“You’re wrong.” Old Mrs. Qiu laughed when she heard this. “From the moment I agreed to give you this old house, it no longer meant anything to me.”

"Huh?" Zhou Yan was stunned.

"You are very thoughtful and kind. If my reunion with Wang Yu was a coincidence, then the success of the overseas Chinese in finding their relatives was due to your keen intuition and meticulousness," said Old Mrs. Qiu with a smile.
"I chose to live here, partly because I wanted to wait for him, and partly because it's convenient to go out for food and play cards."

Now that I've met him and am preparing to stay in Hong Kong for a while, this old house holds no more meaning or attachment for me.

I'm stubborn, but I'm also a carefree person by nature. I've always been indifferent to material possessions; only people can make me care.

Yu Yan told me that you bought this house because you liked the location; you wanted to open a restaurant in Jiaozhou.

Old Mrs. Qiu's words made Zhou Yan feel as if he were seeing Miss Qiu again, who had kept her promise for three years and then resolutely entered into marriage with Duan Xingbang. She was indeed a free-spirited and clear-headed person.

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes, I'm interested in this place because it's close to the dock and there are many merchants and tourists coming and going. I plan to save up enough money to renovate this courtyard and move the restaurant here to seek better development."

"That's a good idea. People strive for better things, and water flows downhill. Jiaozhou Textile Factory is doing well, but it only has three thousand workers. Its upper limit is predictable and difficult to break. Jiaozhou City, on the other hand, has a large population, and in the past two years, the number of tourists from all over the country visiting the Buddha has gradually increased. As long as you build a good reputation, your business will definitely take off." Old Mrs. Qiu looked at him and said with a smile:

"You must understand these things very well yourself. To open a restaurant in the city, you need a larger storefront, a more respectable hall and private rooms, so this old building must be demolished and rebuilt."

So what are you hesitating about? If this furniture is becoming a burden for you, I'll have it all removed tomorrow.”

“You’re right, that was my original plan. But after seeing this courtyard with you today, I feel it would be a shame to overturn it.” Zhou Yan nodded, somewhat embarrassed.

"Ten thousand yuan is not a small amount. Your whole family works hard from dawn till dusk every day. How much effort would it take to save that much? If you're just coming to the city to buy an old courtyard house, why spend this money on this small, dilapidated one?"
"Back then, the Qiu family built this mansion because they couldn't stay in Rongcheng anymore. They sold their Rongcheng house and retreated to Jiaozhou. The land there was only three or four hundred square meters, and only the gatehouse was built to look grand. There are bigger and better old mansions in Jiaozhou. You can go and choose whatever you like. It won't cost ten thousand yuan." Old Mrs. Qiu shook her head with a smile.

Zhou Yan: ...

The old lady was so frank that he didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Grandma Qiu continued, "Look at this layout, it's so gloomy. No matter how you change the rooms around the small courtyard, they won't meet your needs of both living and running a shop, so you'll have to tear it down and rebuild it."

Besides, it's not comfortable living like this now. I'm even afraid of setting the house on fire if I run an electrical wire. The city of Jiaozhou is renovating its drainage system. When you rebuild, you can change the dry toilets, and the shop will be cleaner and more hygienic.

Nowadays, everyone is more equal, and not much money is in their pockets. If you want to make money by opening a restaurant, you still have to take the path of small profits and quick turnover, and follow the mass line.

Feiyan Restaurant and Leming Restaurant used to cater mainly to high-end customers, but now a plate of twice-cooked pork only costs three yuan. If you want to book a few private rooms, you'll have to make a fortune; you missed the boat.

Zhou Yan nodded repeatedly, clearly seeing that Old Lady Qiu was not satisfied with the living experience in the old house. He smiled and said, "You're right. Actually, I've been thinking about demolishing and rebuilding it. We can demolish everything and build a multi-story building. The first floor can have a large hall with thirty tables and a big kitchen. The second floor can be used for living. This way, the commercial and residential areas can be completely separated."

“This arrangement is quite good.” Old Mrs. Qiu nodded, and after thinking for a moment, she said, “If you can build a three-story building, you can put a few private rooms on the second floor to arrange banquets and entertainment, which can meet the needs of more guests and follow the path of Feiyan Restaurant.”

Zhou Yan thought about it seriously for a moment and nodded, saying, "I'll think about it some more."

The specific plan will definitely be based on the needs of the hotel, but Grandma Qiu's suggestion is indeed worth considering: arrange private rooms on the second floor so that some high-end banquets can be served.

We can also create a banquet menu, featuring dishes that aren't suitable for casual dining, such as Snowflake Chicken Noodles.

If we want to move the restaurant from the entrance of the textile factory to Jiaozhou City, we certainly can't follow the exact same path again.

The century-long experience of Feiyan Restaurant and Leming Hotel is worth learning from.

"If you are going to rebuild, do you have an approximate date?" Old Mrs. Qiu asked, looking at him.

Zhou Yan said, "I've done a rough calculation, and rebuilding according to my plan would cost a lot of money. I'll have to wait at least three months before considering it again."

Grandma Qiu nodded slightly, looking at the wintersweet tree in the corner of the yard, and said, "Alright, when you're ready to start rebuilding, go to the Duan family's old house and let them know. Someone will come and dig up these wintersweet trees in the yard. Let them bloom again in this little yard this winter."

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded in agreement.

Grandma Qiu looked at him and said with a smile, "I look forward to seeing this house again when it has been reborn."

"I hope I won't disappoint you." Zhou Yan nodded.

There was a knock on the door.

The nanny hurried to open the door, and Grandpa Wang came in. He was wearing a new Zhongshan suit today, and his silver hair was neatly combed up, making him look quite energetic.

"You've arrived," Grandma Qiu said with a smile.

Grandpa Wang nodded: "A few young readers came to the library early this morning. I helped them find their books before coming over, which caused the delay."

"Uncle Wang," Zhou Yan greeted him.

"You didn't even wait for me when you came up here, kid?" Grandpa Wang laughed.

"I'm here to be the chef today, so I can't be late. I really didn't dare wait for you." Zhou Yan said with a smile, "You two can chat for a while. It's almost time, so I'll go and prepare. I'll start by cooking the beef and ribs in the pot."

"Go ahead and do your thing," Grandpa Wang nodded with a smile.

Zhou Yan turned around with a smile, and vaguely heard Wang Yu's voice: "This is the first time in all these years that I've come to your house for dinner..."

The Qiu family's kitchen was quite large, with a three-hole stove, two large pots, and a small pot that could fit in the middle hole, making it perfect for boiling water or making soup.

"Do you need any help?" The Qiu family's nanny, a woman in her early forties surnamed Li, led Zhou Yan into the kitchen and asked with a smile.

"No need, it's just a table of dishes, nothing special," Zhou Yan said with a smile, shaking his head.

“Okay, then…” Aunt Li’s hand hung awkwardly in front of her. “Then I’ll be outside the door. Just call me if you need anything.”

Zhou Yan glanced at her and suddenly said, "Auntie, could you help me start a fire? I'll cut the beef out first."

"Okay," Aunt Li replied, and went behind the stove to start a fire.

As Zhou Yan cut the beef, he casually asked, "Auntie, where are you from? Are you related to the old lady?"

“We’re not relatives. The old lady said she doesn’t hire people from relatives to avoid arguments and hurt feelings.” Aunt Li replied with a smile, “I’m from Lijiawan, Suji. I was introduced to this job to cook and clean for the old lady. I’ve been doing it for three years.”

“Su Ji? That’s quite a coincidence. I’m also from Su Ji. You know Zhou Village, right?” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“Zhoucun! I know, it’s famous for slaughtering cattle.” Aunt Li looked up at Zhou Yan. “Everyone says that people from Zhoucun make a lot of money slaughtering cattle. Does your family not slaughter cattle?”

Zhou Yan said with a smile, "My family has been butchering cattle for generations. My father was the best butcher in Zhou Village, but I can't butcher cattle anymore, so I became a chef instead."

“If the old lady would invite you to cook at her home, your cooking skills must be exceptional.” Aunt Li laughed. “I used to work as a kitchen helper and butcher in a restaurant for two or three years before I came to work for the old lady. My cooking is just home-style, which the old lady probably doesn’t like very much. She eats out every few days. She’s kind-hearted, so she didn’t fire me.”

"Then the old lady is going to Hong Kong, what are you going to do?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at her. There were people looking after the Duan family's old house, but now that the Qiu family's old house had been sold to him, he didn't need to hire someone to look after the house separately.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Li's expression darkened, and she sighed, "I guess I'll have to go back to farming. I don't have any skills, and I can't get into a factory."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan's heart stirred, and he sized up the woman.

She was of medium build, dressed in a clean indigo outfit, her hair tied up, looking neat and tidy.

An elderly woman facing unemployment.

And he just happened to be from Suji.

This actually fits his need to hire a waiter.

However, he didn't rush to speak; he would ask Grandma Qiu about the situation first.

The old lady is very insightful; she can use the same nanny for three years without changing her, so she must be quite good.

Zhou Yan cooked while chatting idly with her, basically checking her household registration information.

Aunt Li's real name is Li Lihua. Her husband is a farmer who stays at home to farm and has no bad habits.

They have two children, a son and a daughter. The daughter is married and lives in Chengdu, and only comes home once a year for the Spring Festival.

My son is eighteen years old this year and works as an apprentice in a factory in Jiaozhou.

Her goal with her husband was to save money to get her son a wife.

Her family background is quite clean, and it's easy to tell from the conversation that this Aunt Li has a simple and honest personality; she speaks her mind and has no ulterior motives.

He has trypophobia; he's not afraid of anything except people who are cunning and manipulative.

Zhou Yan smirked and started ordering people around: "Aunt Li, could you wash these garlic sprouts for me? And could you peel these bamboo shoots for me? And do you know how to kill a crucian carp? It would be even better if you could help me kill it..."

"Get it!"

"I know how to kill crucian carp, so you can rest assured that you can leave it to me."

Li Lihua responded, quickly lit the fire in the pot, added two pieces of firewood, and got up to work.

Zhou Yan put the beef and ribs in the pot to cook, while observing Li Lihua working.

I must say, she's quite efficient. She peeled the bamboo shoots and easily put the shells into the winnowing basket. She also cleaned the crucian carp with swift, skillful strokes, scraping off the scales cleanly while leaving the skin intact. She said she had worked as a kitchen helper and prep cook in a restaurant for two years, and she really does have some skills.

"Aunt Li, how much do you get paid a month working for the old lady?" Zhou Yan asked casually.

"Salary? Twenty a month!" Li Lihua's face showed gratitude when she talked about her salary. "You know, even the waitresses at state-run restaurants only get twenty a month. The old lady is so good to me. She even provides me with three meals a day and lets me stay at her house."

"That's good." Zhou Yan nodded, having a general idea of ​​what was going on.

The crucian carp was marinated in water with scallions and ginger, and the chicken breast was minced and prepared as a paste and set aside. Beef and ribs were simmering in two large pots over low heat. Zhou Yan raised his hand and glanced at his watch; it was exactly eleven o'clock.

Duan Yuyan said that the banquet would start promptly at 12 o'clock.

With nothing else to do, Zhou Yan took a stroll outside the kitchen.

Starting today, this is his house. Apart from the kitchen in this corner, there are ten other rooms of various sizes. The front yard is larger, and there is a small garden after passing the main hall. The owner's bedrooms are in the backyard.

The white walls and gray tiles bear the marks of time, while the eaves and carved wooden windows are exquisite.

Zhou Yan thought to himself that if he dismantled these blue bricks, tiles, wooden windows and doors and rebuilt a beautiful little courtyard, it would surely be extremely beautiful.

Wood that has not rotted for decades must be of excellent quality, and nowadays it is not easy to find a carpenter with such good carving skills, and the time and money required are unknown.

He had seen news reports of entire buildings being demolished and rebuilt elsewhere, but the entire building was unnecessary. He just wanted some exquisite components to build a charming courtyard that suited his living habits.

The more he looked at it, the more he liked it, but figuring out where to build it was a bit of a dilemma for him.

It's best to be close to the restaurant; separating the shop and home later is also a good option.

Of course, he still wanted to build a suite on the third floor, so that he could wake up, draw back the curtains, and enjoy the view of the river, as well as the Buddha and the pagoda in the distance—what a beautiful view!

Zhou Yan didn't go into the backyard. The handover hadn't officially begun yet, and it wasn't appropriate to wander around the residential area. He stood at the side door of the hall, lost in thought, when he heard people talking and laughing as they came into the hall.

Zhou Yan turned around and saw Old Lady Qiu in front of him, with a young girl in a long cotton dress and gold-rimmed glasses beside her. She had long black hair and a smile on her face.

"Teacher Song?" Zhou Yan asked in surprise.

Beside Old Lady Qiu was Teacher Song Wanqing. Looking further back, Grandpa Wang was chatting with an old man with white hair and beard, wearing a traditional Chinese jacket.

If I'm not mistaken, this is none other than Master Song Changhe, whom Zhou Ming has been seeking but has never met.

The two mysterious guests at today's banquet are Song Wanqing and Song Changhe.
Unexpectedly, he met Song Changhe before Zhou Ming.

Jiaozhou is still too small!
Alright, let's take this opportunity to learn about Master Song's temperament and see how we can help Zhou Ming break out of this predicament.

"It's you!" Song Wanqing was also somewhat surprised to see Zhou Yan here.

Upon hearing the sound, Song Changhe looked over at Zhou Yan, his sharp gaze sweeping over him from head to toe. He noticed the chef's uniform Zhou Yan was wearing and a look of confusion crossed his face.

Is this the Zhou family boy? Why is a martial arts master dressed as a chef? He's not bad looking, he has some of my charm from back in the day, but he looks quite young, even younger than Wanqing?

This girl seems to have been bewitched lately, always siding with outsiders and favoring that Zhou family boy. Could it be because of his face?

That's too superficial. Where did all that reading of the classics go?
"You two know each other?" Old Mrs. Qiu smiled upon hearing this.

“My cousin is Professor Song’s colleague. He met Professor Song once when he visited him last time, but unfortunately he didn’t get to meet Professor Song in person,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“Yes, we’ve met once.” Song Wanqing nodded with a smile and introduced him to Song Changhe: “This is Zhou Ming’s younger brother, the one who makes braised meat.”

Upon hearing this, Song Changhe smiled and nodded to Zhou Yan: "Young friend, the braised meat you made tastes very good."

"I'm glad Mr. Song likes it. My name is Zhou Yan, and I've long admired your name," Zhou Yan replied with a smile. This old man doesn't seem like a strange person, so why can't I even meet Ming-ge?
"Zhou Yan, where is your braised food shop? I'll go buy some braised pig's head later, it'll be perfect with my drinks," Song Changhe said, glancing at Song Wanqing with a hint of smugness in his smile.

Song Wanqing bit her lip lightly; this old man was actually quite clever.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "My restaurant is located in a small town. If Mr. Song wants to eat braised pig's head, I can ask Brother Ming to bring it to you later. Anyway, he is a colleague of Teacher Song, so it's very convenient."

Song Changhe stopped laughing, glanced at Zhou Yan, and thought, "This kid seems to be up to no good too."

If we frequently ask him to bring us braised pig's head, wouldn't that give him the opportunity to be in contact with Wanqing every day?
"Okay, we'll talk about it next time." Song Changhe nodded and didn't respond.

Zhou Yan smiled at Old Madam Qiu and said, "Mrs. Qiu, the guests have all arrived, so I'll go and prepare the dishes. They'll be served promptly at noon."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Grandma Qiu nodded.

Zhou Yan turned and walked towards the kitchen.

"Grandma Qiu, how do you know Zhou Yan?" Song Wanqing sat down next to Grandma Qiu and asked curiously.

Her grandfather and Mr. Duan were friends for decades. He saved their lives when they were young, and when they went to the countryside, her grandfather happened to be working in the armed forces department. He took good care of them and didn't let them suffer much.

In previous years, the two families were very close and often dined together. Since Mr. Duan passed away, their contact has become less frequent, but they still eat together during holidays, mostly at restaurants.

Grandma Qiu came from a wealthy family and didn't know how to cook. When she heard that Grandma Qiu was going to Hong Kong to visit relatives and didn't know when she would return, she found it a little strange that they were invited to her home for dinner.

Upon arriving, they were even more surprised to see Zhou Yan dressed in a chef's uniform.

Zhou Ming had mentioned this cousin to her, saying that he not only made excellent braised meat, but also cooked other dishes exceptionally well.

"That's a long story," Old Mrs. Qiu smiled slightly, but didn't elaborate. Instead, she said, "As you all know, I can't cook, so I specially invited him to come over and help prepare a family feast before I dared to invite you all to my home for dinner. I've already sold this old Qiu family house to him. When I come back next time, I'll invite you to dinner here again, but by then it will have become Zhou Yan's restaurant."

"Sold?" Song Changhe was greatly surprised.

"Didn't you say this house wasn't for sale?" Song Wanqing was also somewhat surprised.

When Duan Yuyan and her father came back to visit their relatives, they hosted a banquet for their friends and relatives and renovated the old Duan family house. They even invited Old Lady Qiu to stay there, but they couldn't persuade her to.

Everyone just felt that the old lady was nostalgic and couldn't bear to part with the Qiu family's old house.

The Duan family has never lacked money. During the Republic of China era, they were the largest family in Jiaozhou. Now, the Duan family has made a fortune in Hong Kong and reached even greater heights.

Song Wanqing and Duan Yuyan are about the same age and have been in frequent contact over the past six months, so Song Wanqing has some understanding of the Duan family's wealth.

There's absolutely no need to sell the house.

Grandma Qiu said casually, "I owe Zhou Yan a favor. He wanted to buy this house to open a restaurant. I thought this young man had good vision and ideas, and he was a good person, so I agreed."

The grandfather and grandson were a little confused, but they didn't ask any more questions.

"That's great. It'll be very convenient for me to buy braised meat here once he moves the restaurant up here," Song Changhe said with a smile, looking pleased with himself.

Song Wanqing was somewhat helpless. "A master of spear fighting? I really can't see any mastery in him."

"Brother Wang, you said you also fought in the Battle of Shanghai. Which unit were you in at the time? A few of us were in the 26th Division of the 20th Army."

"I'm in the 145th Division, and your 26th Division is fighting so fiercely!"

"Our Sichuan Army's equipment was terrible; people called us the 'beggars' army.' Three men shared one gun, and each man only got a few bullets. But our Sichuan Army didn't believe in such things. We were absolutely fearless and never backed down on the battlefield. I fought the Japanese with bayonets, wielding a red-tasseled spear, and killed two of them..."

Song Changhe and Wang Yu started chatting, talking about the battles they had fought. They hit it off immediately and had a very lively conversation.

Qiu Qi listened from the side, her lips slightly pursed, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

She never asked Wang Yu what he had experienced over the years, and Wang Yu never brought it up with her, perhaps because the war was too cruel, or perhaps because he didn't want her to be frightened by hearing about it.

This was the first time she had heard about his experience of leaving Sichuan with the main force of the Sichuan Army, watching his comrades die one by one, rising from the pile of corpses time and time again, with shells exploding around him and bullets whizzing past his ears.

Even though decades have passed, the fact that the two people mentioned it, with only a slightly dirty hem of their clothes, is still heartbreaking.

Song Wanqing listened attentively as well. The old man rarely mentioned these things in front of his children and grandchildren.

But today I met Grandpa Wang, and our similar experiences got him talking non-stop.

Zhou Yan listened vaguely from the kitchen, occasionally peeking through the doorway, but still couldn't glean any crucial information.

However, one thing is certain: Mr. Song was also a veteran of the Sichuan Army, and he used his marksmanship to kill enemies on the battlefield.

He didn't just master marksmanship techniques; he mastered real killing skills!

Not long after, Duan Yuyan returned with Zhou Momo.

"Sister Wanqing, you're here." Duan Yuyan greeted Song Wanqing, then smiled and pulled Zhou Momo over, "Momo, you should call her Sister Wanqing too."

Zhou Momo held a cotton candy in her hand, looked up at Song Wanqing, and said softly, "Sister Wanqing, you're so cute~~"

"You're such a good girl, with such a sweet tongue." Song Wanqing smiled, her eyes crinkling, and asked Duan Yuyan, "Whose little darling is this?"

“Momo is Zhou Yan’s younger sister,” Duan Yuyan said, then suddenly realized, “Oh, I forgot you don’t know who Zhou Yan is.”

“I know!” Song Wanqing’s eyes darted around. Zhou Yan’s sister, that’s also Zhou Ming’s sister, so that makes her my sister.

My sister is so cute!
　The weather is getting colder, everyone please remember to keep warm!
　　I caught a cold and spent the whole day in bed. If I feel better tomorrow, I'll update more!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)