1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 221 I also encountered a ghost when I went out! (6k-page compilation)

They bought a new house for 10,000 yuan, and today they happily took a walk around the outside of the house, becoming more and more satisfied and fond of it.

The flow of people is too large. Dongda Street is full of all kinds of shops, and there are also many individual vendors setting up stalls.

Jiaozhou Wharf is now the most important waterway port in Jiaozhou. Passenger ships can go directly to places like Shancheng and Yibin. There are many merchants coming and going. When they get off the ship, they want to find something to eat, or they want to take some Jiaozhou specialties with them before boarding. They are quite generous.

The cruise ships to see the Jiaozhou Giant Buddha also depart from here. You can go to Wuyou Temple on the other side of the river, climb the mountain to see the Giant Buddha, or take a boat trip on the Minjiang River to see the Giant Buddha from the boat.

The Jiaozhou Buddha is famous both at home and abroad, attracting many tourists who are more generous with their spending on food and shopping than usual.

Zhou Yan has a good eye. This place isn't just popular with locals from Jiaozhou; the daily influx of visitors from other places brings in a lot of business.

If we really move the store here, business will definitely be good.

Zhao Tieying had already planned it all out. He would build a large stove directly opposite the entrance to the dock, and stew the beef broth there every day. The aroma of the beef bone soup would waft over, attracting hungry passengers who came from the boats.

"Mom, there's a big swing in the yard! There are goldfish in the fish tank, and lots of rooms where we can play hide-and-seek, it's so much fun!" Zhou Momo asked with equally expectant eyes, "When are we moving?"

"You're already thinking of moving?" Everyone laughed upon hearing this.

"It's still early. We still need to open a shop here and make money." Aunt Zhao smiled and pinched her cheek. After thinking for a moment, she said, "How about we go up and stay for a few days during the New Year? Then we can invite everyone over to have some fun. It will also let everyone know where our home in Jiaozhou will be from now on."

"I think that's a good idea," Comrade Zhou nodded.

“I think that’s a good idea. Everything is already prepared. We can just buy a couple of blankets and move in,” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

"Okay! I'll buy cotton and make two new quilts then." Aunt Zhao nodded, already seriously planning: "I also need to buy a new thermos and two enamel basins..."

"Mommy, I want a new little pillow!"

"Okay, I'll make one for you later."

"Mommy~ I love you, Mommy!"

Looking at the smiles on everyone's faces, Zhou Yan deeply felt the significance of buying a house for a family at that moment.

The joy and the sense of hope for life that he experienced were incomparable to anything he had achieved on his own.

Home amplifies this sense of fulfillment.

"You said you plan to tear down and rebuild this house. When will you start?" Comrade Zhou asked.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhao also looked at Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan pondered for a moment and said, "I'll plan it slowly after the New Year. I need to consider whether to do it properly all at once, or to do a simple job first and then do a proper job a few years later when the technology for building construction has improved."

“You’re planning to build a two- or three-story building, it’ll probably cost a lot of money. They say red bricks and cement are very expensive,” Aunt Zhao said.

"To pay for his son's wedding, Zhang Laosan built a one-and-a-half-story house in town at the beginning of this year. It's less than 100 square meters and cost more than 4,000 yuan, leaving him heavily in debt," said Comrade Zhou. "The exterior is red brick, and the interior is also red brick. There's hardly any furniture, and it's not as comfortable as our current upstairs house. The materials were too expensive, but the labor was relatively cheap."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "If I were to make the renovation, the standards would definitely be higher than Zhang Laosan's. The first-floor storefront should have a high ceiling, at least 3.5 meters, so that it will appear spacious and bright, and there will be more room for design when installing the ceiling later."

If we're considering turning the second floor into private rooms, then we might have to build another floor on the third floor for living quarters.

I don't think precast concrete slabs are very reliable. I'm wondering if it's possible to make a reinforced concrete monolithic frame. That way, it won't easily crack or collapse in the event of a minor earthquake, and I'll feel more at ease living there.

He has actually been thinking about this problem for a while.

Sichuan is a bit different from other places; it shakes a few times every year, and there's no way to avoid it.

Even now, some people in the countryside are still building rammed earth houses; those who can build brick and tile houses are considered to be very capable in the village.

Zhou Yan wasn't very familiar with the current construction market, but he preferred to use a reinforced concrete frame to ensure the overall strength of the frame.

Safety is always the top priority.

He planned to ask Meng Anhe about the situation sometime, since she was a leader at the architecture institute and would definitely know more about it.

Comrade Zhou pondered for a moment and said, "Reinforced concrete casting must use a lot of cement and steel bars. Your house is so big, the cost must be enormous. Old Zhang San uses precast concrete slabs, and he says it's much more comfortable."

Zhou Yan said with a smile, "Renovating the house will cost money. We're going to open a restaurant in the city, so we can't be as casual as we are now. We need to do a complete renovation, and we'll need to prepare another sum of money. I estimate that it will cost around 40,000 to 50,000 yuan in the end."

"Forty or fifty thousand!" Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou were both stunned when they heard this.

In the past, this would have been an astronomical figure.

After all, Comrade Zhou can't even earn a thousand yuan a year by slaughtering cattle; he would have to save forty years without eating or drinking to earn forty thousand yuan.

Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "I think it's a good idea! If we work hard for half a year, spend less and save more, we'll make it! Since we're going to do it, let's do it properly all at once!"

"Listen to your mother," Comrade Zhou nodded.

“Listen to Mom!” Zhou Momo nodded in agreement.

Zhou Yan smiled and nodded: "Okay, then let's listen to Mom. I'll go and find out the market situation later, and then find a professional to help draw up a design. We'll build a new landmark for Jiaozhou cuisine!"

Zhou Yan loved the feeling of the whole family working together as one, united in their efforts to build their business.

Zhou Yan didn't have such grand ambitions. He just wanted to build a century-old shop in Jiaozhou that wouldn't seem outdated even decades later. He thought it was worthwhile to spend more money in advance to lay a solid foundation.

"Oh, by the way, I hired a new waiter today, and he'll start work tomorrow morning," Zhou Yan said.

"Weren't you supposed to be cooking? Why did you suddenly hire a waiter?" Aunt Zhao was quite surprised.

Zhou Yan gave a brief account of Li Lihua's basic information.

After listening, Aunt Zhao smiled and nodded: "Okay, quick and efficient, and of good character, those two points are enough. Finding someone will make things much easier for Zhao Hong and me immediately."

Zhou Yan glanced at his watch. "It's five o'clock. I'm going to prepare dinner. This morning I only took the chicken breast from that chicken. I also bought taro this morning. We'll have taro chicken tonight."

“Okay! I like taro~” Zhou Momo immediately jumped up and down.

“Okay, your senior brother’s taro chicken was really delicious last time.” Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile. “I’ll go peel some taro for you.”

"I'm going to feed Zaozao!" Zhou Momo followed and ran towards the kitchen.

"It's my first time doing this, so it's definitely not as good as Master Zheng's. I'll practice more so that I can be presentable at the New Year's dinner party." Zhou Yan smiled and turned into the kitchen.

An hour later, Zhou Yan came out carrying a large bowl of braised chicken with taro.

It has a bright red color and a fragrant aroma.

A decent taro and chicken stew.

Zhou Yan's lips curled up slightly; it was indeed a level below what Senior Brother Zheng had done.

However, for Zhou Yan, who was trying to replicate for the first time, being able to reach the "good" threshold was already quite satisfactory.

It wasn't a waste of time to learn last time.

The benefits of comprehensive improvements in knife skills, cooking time, and seasoning are becoming increasingly apparent.

For dishes with relatively simple cooking techniques, as long as someone is willing to teach him seriously once, he can replicate them almost perfectly.

But to improve from "good" to "very good" and then to "excellent", you need to keep practicing.

Aunt Zhao came out of the kitchen, carrying another serving of taro chicken.
[An incomplete serving of taro and chicken stew]

—Zhou Momo's Special Reduced-Spiciness Version.

Considering that the little one really couldn't eat very spicy food, Zhou Yan served Zhou Momo a separate bowl before stir-frying the chili peppers.

This way, you don't need to rinse the rice water. The slight spiciness comes from the fermented soybean paste, and the aroma is not diminished, but the numbing and spicy flavor is less.

There was some leftover pig's head meat from the morning. Zhou Yan cut up a plate of it, then cut up the remaining pound of pig's head meat and sent it to the security department next door, which delighted the security officers on duty.

"Wow! The taro is so delicious today! It's even better than last time~~" Zhou Momo picked up a taro, took a bite, and her big eyes sparkled as she immediately started praising it.

"This bowl is all yours, eat slowly," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"So much? I'm so happy!" Zhou Momo's mouth opened slightly. After thinking for a moment, she looked up at Zhou Yan and asked, "Brother, if I can't finish it, can I save it for tomorrow morning? I want to put noodles in it and mix them in!"

"Of course." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. The little guy's noodle-making spirit has awakened! He even knows to save the leftover good food for noodles tomorrow.

Zhou Yan first served himself a bowl of rice, then picked up a piece of taro from the red soup, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

The taro is coated in a thick sauce, and the savory aroma of the chicken is infused into the broth and absorbed by the taro. It melts in your mouth with a gentle bite, and one bite is a spicy, savory, and smooth experience.

The taste was good, but upon closer inspection, Zhou Yan noticed that the taro was a little too soft. The taro had been added too early, and being too soft, it would dissolve into the broth, making the broth too thick.

I ate another piece of chicken, and it was still tender, but it wasn't quite as good when I chewed it carefully.

Perhaps it's because the chicken was killed in the morning and left out for most of the day, or maybe the cooking time needs to be slightly improved.

Zhou Yan was summarizing his experience, but that didn't stop Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou from enjoying their meal.

"Mmm! Delicious! I feel there's no difference! The taste is just right!" Aunt Zhao said with great satisfaction as she slurped up a chicken foot.

"It's delicious." Old Zhou shoveled rice into his mouth and said, "I'll save this broth for later; I'll use it to make noodles tomorrow morning."

A pot of taro and chicken stew was eaten, and in the end, only half a bowl of soup and a few pieces of chicken were left.

Sure enough, not a single taro was left.

Comrade Zhou took the bowl to wash it, and Aunt Zhao took a towel and carefully wiped the table clean.

After finishing her meal, Zhou Momo moved to the next table to read comic books. Today she was reading "Wu Song Fights the Tiger." She stared at the tiger with its piercing eyes and white forehead for a long time, then turned to Zhou Yan and asked, "Brother, does a tiger look like this? It looks a lot like Hua Hua."

“Because they are both felines, but tigers are huge, fast, can climb trees, and can swim,” Zhou Yan explained to her with a smile. “Then why did he fight the tiger?” Zhou Momo asked, pointing to Wu Song in the painting.

Zhou Yan suddenly realized that the little one couldn't read yet and didn't understand what kind of story it was, so she sat down next to her and explained with a smile, "His name is Wu Song, and he passed by Jingyang Ridge..."

Zhou Yan told her the story of "Wu Song Fighting the Tiger" based on the illustrations in the children's book. The little one listened with great interest. When she heard, "Wu Song leaped onto the tiger's back, grabbed the tiger's head with his left hand, and punched it hard in the head with his right fist until the tiger bled from all seven orifices and died," she clapped and cheered.

"Wu Song is so amazing! He killed that man-eating tiger! He's a hero!" Zhou Momo clapped her hands, her eyes shining. "I want to learn kung fu too! I want to fight tigers when I grow up!"

“Then next time Ming comes, you can tell him,” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

However, in Sichuan and Chongqing, when she grows up, she will probably occupy the same ecological niche as a tiger.

"This is so interesting! I want to draw a tiger too!" Zhou Momo slid off the stool, ran behind the counter to get her crayons and sketchbook, climbed back onto the stool, and started drawing seriously.

Zhou Yan played three games of chess with Comrade Lao Zhou, and narrowly lost by one move.

"Son, you still need to practice for two more years." Old Zhou said with a smug look on his face, holding his daughter and embracing his wife as they went upstairs to sleep.

Zhou Yan smiled and shook his head, put the chess set into the box, took out a piece of stationery from the counter, unscrewed the cap of the fountain pen, paused for a moment, and began to write quickly on the paper.

Buying the Qiu family's old house was his first step into Jiaozhou.

This will also be a very important step.

A sudden inspiration came to me more than a month ago, and I never expected it to actually come true.

This feeling is quite unique.

He wanted to share this joy with Xia Yao and also to bring a temporary end to Qiu Qi and Wang Yu's story.

Miss Qiu went to Hong Kong, while Wang Yu stayed in Suzhou.

Perhaps these letters, traveling thousands of miles, will become a new bond between them.

……

The next day, at the crack of dawn, Comrade Xiao Zhou and Comrade Lao Zhou got up early and went out.

As soon as the door opened, a figure was standing outside.

"Whoa!" Zhou Yan was startled. He shone his flashlight on her and asked in surprise, "Aunt Li, why are you here so early?"

Standing at the door was Li Lihua, wearing an indigo blue smock.

"Boss Zhou, it's my first day at work, and I was afraid of being late, so I came early." Li Lihua rubbed her hands a little embarrassedly and said, "Are you going out to buy groceries? It's okay, I'll wait for you to come back here."

"It's cold outside, come in and sit down," Zhou Yan said with a smile, and then introduced her, "This is my old man."

“Zhou Miao, you can call me Zhou Laosi as well,” Zhou Miao said.

Li Lihua smiled and nodded: "Okay, my name is Li Lihua."

Zhou Yan turned on the light for her and let her sit in the shop, then went to buy groceries with Old Zhou.

When they returned from grocery shopping, Aunt Zhao and Li Lihua were already in the shop drinking tea and chatting animatedly, with laughter frequently emanating from them.

"They get used to it quickly," Zhou Yan said softly.

"Your mom has a great personality; she gets to know everyone quickly." Old Zhou's lips curled up slightly, clearly very proud.

"You're back." Aunt Zhao smiled and got up to help carry the groceries when she saw the two pushing their bicycles in.

Li Lihua also came forward and helped lift the chicken hanging on the front bumper of the car.

"Mom, this is Li Lihua, the new lady who just started working here," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“I know, we were female militia members in the same year in Suji Town. Sister Li said she recognizes me,” Aunt Zhao said with a smile.

"Back then, Tieying won first place in target practice and was also named a model soldier. She was a role model for our female militia members. Of course I remember that," Li Lihua said with emotion. "It's been sixteen or seventeen years since then."

“That’s right, I haven’t touched a gun in years.” Zhao Tieying also sighed.

As they were talking, Zhao Hong and Zhou Lihui arrived.

Aunt Zhao introduced Li Lihua to Zhao Hong, and Zhao Hong was delighted to learn that a new waitress had arrived.

The three of them chatted and talked while working, and quickly became acquainted.

Li Lihua is a skilled worker, always ready to help. She assisted Aunt Zhao in preparing beef offal with quick and skillful movements.

"Sister Li, have you ever worked with beef offal before? You seem quite skilled at turning over beef intestines." Aunt Zhao asked with a smile.

“I used to work in a restaurant, and I often prepared tripe. The restaurant has a dish called Maoxuewang that uses tripe. This is the first time I’ve prepared beef intestines, but I used to clean pork intestines often. Their pork intestines are a signature dish and they sell very well. I have to clean about ten pairs every morning.” Li Lihua showed a bit of confidence on her face. “I clean pork intestines very well and I can clean them quickly.”

Zhou Yan, who was stir-frying the meat sauce, had a sudden thought when he heard this. What a coincidence!
He was considering putting braised pork intestines on the agenda, but had previously put it on hold due to a shortage of manpower.

Li Lihua is skilled at handling pork intestines; it's a perfect match for her profession!
Pork intestines are troublesome to prepare, and if not prepared properly, they have a strong, unpleasant smell, so very few people usually make them at home.

However, pork intestines are a favorite among many gourmets and a popular ingredient among Sichuan chefs, with a wide variety of cooking methods.

Braised pork intestines, stir-fried pork intestines, dry-pot pork intestines, stewed pork intestines, deep-fried pork intestines, and pork intestine soup with peas are all common dishes. Pork intestines with fish, pork intestines with blood curd, and pork intestines with tofu pudding are also frequently served as important side dishes in other dishes.

Zhou Yan had even seen... fatty intestine coffee.

As a food blogger, even he was shocked by this way of eating and didn't dare to try it.

Of course, the most famous one has to be the most powerful open scheme of our time—the Nine-Turned Intestine.

The uniquely textured pork intestines, through various cooking methods, have become a variety of delicacies, deeply loved by gourmets.

Zhou Yan may not be good at much else, but he has mastered the perfect technique for braising pork intestines.

With Li Lihua, a capable assistant in cleaning up pig intestines, Zhou Yan was already getting restless.

It's been a long time since we've updated our braised food menu with new dishes; it's time to introduce something new.

With Li Lihua joining the team, Aunt Zhao and Zhao Hong's work became significantly easier, and even Comrade Lao Zhou's workload was reduced.

Zhou Yan asked her to try slicing potatoes. After slicing a few, she was able to produce potatoes that were basically good enough.

He was right to say he had experience with cutting boards; he was quite skilled in using the straight-blade technique.

Moreover, she has a strong sense of boundaries; she usually doesn't appear in front of the stove when Zhou Yan is cooking.

On my first day, I was mainly responsible for assisting the staff. I did whatever Aunt Zhao told me to do, and first, I learned the basic procedures of the restaurant.

"Business is booming! So many customers are coming to eat. It's even better than the restaurant I used to work at in Jiaozhou." After closing at noon, Li Lihua carried a wooden bucket to collect the dishes and couldn't help but sigh.

"Zhou Yan's dishes taste good, and his reputation grows day by day, which is why his business is getting better and better," Aunt Zhao said with a smile.

"Exactly! The dishes the boss cooks are so delicious, and the noodles are great too." Li Lihua nodded in agreement.

"Mom, I'm going out." Zhou Yan changed her clothes, came downstairs, slung a bag over her shoulder, said goodbye, and pushed her bicycle out the door.

He went to Jiaozhou, and Yan Fei drove him and Grandma Qiu to complete the transfer procedures.

Back at the entrance of the Qiu residence, Zhou Yan held the property certificate in his hand, beaming with joy.

He owns a house now.

"Thank you, Grandma Qiu." Zhou Yan put the property certificate in his bag and thanked Grandma Qiu again.

"You're welcome," Grandma Qiu said with a smile. "Little Zhou, then we'll see you again. I'll come back to join in the fun when your new store opens next year."

"Looking forward to your return, goodbye." Zhou Yan smiled and nodded. Goodbye, Miss Qiu.

Qi Laosi stood at the entrance of the braised food shop, watching Zhou Yan ride away on his bicycle, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Boss, I have a question for you. Is this house for sale? Any new information?" A chubby middle-aged man walked over with a smile and offered a cigarette.

Qi Laosi was in no mood for smoking. He curled his lip and said, "You only come to ask after they've all been sold. You didn't even get to eat shit while it was still hot."

"Huh? It's sold!" Huang He's hand trembled, and the cigarette in his hand fell to the ground. He exclaimed in surprise, "When was it sold? Who did you sell it to?"

"Just yesterday, Old Lady Qiu brought the new landlord to meet us and told us that we would pay the rent to the new landlord from now on." Qi Laosi sighed, "Can you believe my bad luck? So many people came to inquire about this house, but in the end, it was my colleague who bought it. I must have run into a ghost!"

Huang He's mind was buzzing, and his breathing became rapid. "Is it a braised meat vendor? Which one in town?"

"How would I know which one? Anyway, Grandma Qiu was very satisfied with his braised beef, and she even asked him to come and cook for her." Qi Laosi shook his head, thought for a moment, and then said, "His name seems to be Zhou... Zhou Yan. He just rode away on his bicycle. It looks like he got the property certificate."

"Zhou Yan! You mean Zhou Yan?!" Huang He stared in disbelief, grabbing Qi Laosi's hand immediately. "Are you sure you're not mistaken? You mean a young man around twenty years old?"

"Don't mess with me! I have a wife and kids! I'm scared of people with round faces like yours." Qi Laosi quickly pulled his hand back, took two steps back, and looked at him warily.

"Don't get me wrong, I have a wife and kids too." Huang He smiled awkwardly, but still couldn't help asking, "Is the new landlord really named Zhou Yan?"

"Yes, his name is Zhou Yan, he looks to be in his early twenties, and he's very tall." Qi Lao Si nodded, then looked at Huang He and said, "You know him?"

"I recognize him..." Huang He smiled bitterly. How could he not recognize him?

Zhou Yan, twenty years old, braised beef... there's no one else like him in Jiaozhou.

Now I not only failed to buy a house, but I also lost 800 yuan!
How am I going to explain this when I get home?

Damn it...

(End of this chapter)