1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 223 Zhou Yan ate too well! Damn it... (6k words combined)

Duan Yuyan looked at Zhou Yan with a smile, her eyes fixed on the letter in his hand, full of curiosity.

Just as Zhou Yan was about to answer, the bus door opened, and a girl wearing a white shirt and a plain long skirt stepped off the bus carrying a bag. Her long, black hair, past her shoulders, fell smoothly down, and her profile, though unadorned, was still exquisite and beautiful.

She turned around and met Zhou Yan's gaze. A smile appeared on her face, and she said, "Zhou Yan, it's been a long time."

Her smile had an unadorned purity, as gentle as the autumn breeze, bright and radiant.

"Xia Yao, long time no see," Zhou Yan replied, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes revealing undisguised surprise.

Why is she here?

"Sister Yao Yao! What brings you here!" Zhou Momo excitedly rushed over.

"MoMo." Xia Yao responded with a smile, bent down to hug her, and patted her head.

Duan Yuyan turned around upon hearing the sound, her gaze falling on Xia Yao, who was smiling and greeting Zhou Momo. Her eyes brightened slightly.

This girl is so pretty!
He had a remarkably clean face, delicate features, fair skin, a straight back, and was tall and slender, giving off a cool and aloof vibe.

She exudes a subtle scholarly air; a simple white shirt and plain long skirt, yet she radiates a gentle and confident aura.

"Is she your Yao Yao?" Duan Yuyan asked softly with a smile.

Before Zhou Yan could speak, Xia Yao had already led Zhou Momo over.

"Hello, I'm Duan Yuyan, Zhou Yan's friend." Duan Yuyan extended her hand, her Van Cleef & Arpels watch gleaming on her wrist.

Duan Yuyan wore a black houndstooth tweed Chanel-style jacket today, with sparkling gold buttons, a skirt, and over-the-knee high-heeled boots, looking very refined and elegant.

Her long, wavy hair was tucked behind one ear, revealing a white pearl earring. She had put on exquisite makeup and lipstick, looking elegant and radiant, a true socialite.

"Hello, I'm Xia Yao." Xia Yao reached out and shook her hand gently, with a smile on her face and a composed demeanor.

The two girls had completely different temperaments and each had their own unique beauty.

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling that the atmosphere seemed a little off.

"You have such a great temperament, especially with an artistic flair." Duan Yuyan withdrew her hand.

"Thank you, you look beautiful too. The earrings match your clothes and makeup perfectly today." Xia Yao looked at her, her eyes also full of admiration.

“Right? I chose it on purpose.” Duan Yuyan couldn’t help but smile. “It’s our first time meeting, but I’ve often heard Momo mention you.”

"Really?" Xia Yao looked down at Zhou Momo, her eyes full of doting affection.

"Mmm! I miss Sister Yao Yao so much, but Guoguo said that Shancheng is too far away, so I can't come to see you even though I want to." Zhou Momo nodded her head and said in a childish voice.

"Sweetie, that's why I came to see you," Xia Yao said with a smile.

"Why are you here?" Zhou Yan finally interjected, voicing his confusion.

Xia Yao shouldn't be on winter break yet, right? Isn't she going to do an internship?
"I applied for an internship at Jiaozhou Textile Factory and I'm here to report for duty today," Xia Yao said with a smile. "I didn't tell you beforehand because I wanted to give you a surprise."

"Really?" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up, and he nodded with a smile: "That's great."

Xia Yao's gaze fell on the envelope Zhou Yan was holding in his hand. "Is this for mailing a letter?"

"I was going to send it to you, but I didn't expect you to come to Suji, so there's no need to send it then." Zhou Yan lowered his hand.

"Then just give it to me, I want to see it." Xia Yao stretched out her hand and looked at him with a smile.

Zhou Yan handed over the letter.

"I drew a tiger for Sister Yao Yao!" Zhou Momo exclaimed, her mouth agape.

Xia Yao was amused and reached out to pinch her little cheek. "Did you receive the comic book I sent you? You've even learned how to read the tiger picture book."

"Yes, I received it. It looks great!" The little guy nodded.

"If you like it, I'll send you the comic later," Duan Yuyan said.

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow; Miss Duan's tone carried a hint of jealousy.

"Okay! Sister Yuyan is the best!" Zhou Momo nodded, glanced back at Xia Yao, and then said with a smile, "Sister Yaoyao is good too!"

"Isn't that Miss Duan? She's here for dinner again! Tsk, she's so beautiful." Huang Bing and Huang Ying arrived on their bicycles and spotted the three people standing at the restaurant entrance from afar. Their eyes lit up when they saw Xia Yao: "And who's that beautiful woman in the white shirt? She's so pretty too!"

"She has such a great temperament! A simple white shirt looks so different on her. Her figure is amazing!" Huang Ying said with envy. After thinking for a moment, she added, "Could this be the female college student that Boss Zhou saved before? I heard her surname is Xia, and she's a beauty."

"Rich heiress, beautiful college student, Yan-ge is eating so well, it's outrageous, I don't agree!" Huang Bing was so envious that he almost ground his back teeth to powder.

"They're a perfect match, a match made in heaven. Who are you, a monster, to object?" Huang Ying rolled her eyes at him.

"Damn it." Huang Bing shrugged.

“Look at me, I’m also the heir to a century-old restaurant, I’m not much worse than them, am I?” Huang Ying puffed out her chest.

"Alright, alright, we're all on the same side, no need for jokes like that." Huang Bing waved his hand and asked curiously, "But, when they get together, don't they cause trouble? If my ex-girlfriend and my current girlfriend get together, they'll fight. They tear hair, scratch faces, they're really ruthless, sometimes they even hit me too."

Huang Ying rolled her eyes: "How can that be the same? The kind of ugly and deformed people who would even look at you are all only interested in money. When they fight, it's no different from them protecting their food. You think you're a hot commodity, but in their eyes you're probably just a piece of golden dung."

Huang Bing glanced at her, and said with a troubled expression, "No, Huang Ying, are you that vengeful? How could you say something so disgusting!"

"Hmph! That's just how petty I am," Huang Ying pouted, glancing at the three people standing at the restaurant entrance. She quickly regained her enthusiasm and said, "I can't join their game, so let's begin now! I want to see blood flow like a river!"

"Who do you think Yan-ge will choose? One is the daughter of a Hong Kong businessman, who drives a Crown sedan worth hundreds of thousands. The other is a beautiful female college student with an excellent temperament. Damn, it's so hard to choose!" Huang Bing scratched his head, putting himself in Zhou Yan's shoes and experiencing a happy dilemma.

“Miss Duan is bright and outgoing, while Miss Xia has a scholarly air about her. They each have their own merits, so it’s really hard to choose.” Huang Ying nodded in agreement.

As they were talking, their bicycles had already stopped in front of the restaurant.

"Sister Yingying!" Zhou Momo greeted Huang Ying happily, and then introduced her, "This is Sister Yaoyao."

Then he introduced her to Xia Yao: "This is Sister Yingying."

"Hello, I'm Xia Yao," Xia Yao said with a smile.

"Hello, I'm Huang Ying. I've been eating here a lot lately, so Momo and I are quite close," Huang Ying quickly said, trying to distance herself from the situation.

"My three favorite older sisters are here today! I'm so happy!" Zhou Momo jumped around, overjoyed.

"You probably haven't had lunch yet, have you?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at Xia Yao.

Xia Yao nodded slightly: "Yes, I had breakfast in Rongcheng and came down here to have lunch at your shop. I want to eat your braised beef and braised pork ribs."

"Then come in and sit down, I'll help you with your bag." Zhou Yan reached out his hand.

"Thank you." Xia Yao handed over the bag and let go of her hand.

Duan Yuyan, Huang Ying, and Huang Bing all widened their eyes at this scene, as it was clearly not the relationship between ordinary diners!

Xia Yao appears poised and natural, making her seem refreshing and comfortable.

“I also want to eat braised pork ribs, Xia Yao, shall we share a table?” Duan Yuyan said to Xia Yao.

"Okay." Xia Yao nodded with a smile, then glanced at Huang Ying and Huang Bing beside her. "Huang Ying, do you want to come along?"

"This isn't good..." Before Huang Ying could finish speaking, Huang Bing was already nodding frantically: "Okay, okay."

"What's it to you? Go sit at that table by the door." Huang Ying rolled her eyes at him, pursed her lips and nodded: "Okay, then I'll sit with the two older sisters."

I was originally thinking that sitting there would allow me to enjoy the melon without seeming too abrupt.

Well, that's good, she's at the table now.

Sitting in the front row, eating melon seeds.

Zhou Yan hadn't expected the three of them to sit at the same table. He carried Xia Yao's bag into the restaurant.

"Isn't that the college student Zhou Yan saved last time? Director Lin's niece? She's here again?"

"It's her! She said she's studying at a university in Chongqing, right? Is she here specifically to see Zhou Yan?"

"Last time she brought a lot of things for Zhou Yan and the others."

“Look at that beautiful woman next to me. She always comes in a car. I think she’s here for Zhou Yan. Otherwise, why would she be running to Su Ji every few days?”

"Zhou Yan is such a lucky guy."

The vendors at the stalls were already whispering among themselves, their voices full of envy.

"Aunt Zhao, Uncle Zhou," Xia Yao greeted them as she entered the room.

"Xia Yao, what brings you here? Is school on holiday?" Aunt Zhao greeted her with a look of surprise. She had been busy skimming off the foam and preparing for the upcoming business opening, and hadn't even noticed.

Comrade Lao Zhou responded and stood aside with a smile.

Xia Yao smiled and said, "I'm here to intern at the textile factory and will be staying for a while. I just arrived in Suji, so I came to see you all first and have lunch with you."

“An internship? That’s great! I’ll see you a lot during this time.” Aunt Zhao nodded.

"Zhou Yan, give me this wrap." Xia Yao said.

Zhou Yan quickly stopped and handed her the bag.

Xia Yao placed her bag on the stool, unzipped the side, took out a smooth horn comb, and handed it to Aunt Zhao. "This is a horn comb, I brought it especially for you. It's less likely to cause static electricity when you comb your hair in winter." "Oh my, this is so beautiful." Aunt Zhao took the horn comb, her face beaming with joy.

"I brought you a belt for Uncle, I hope you like it." Xia Yao took out a small box and handed it to Comrade Zhou.

"You've gone to so much trouble again," Old Zhou said somewhat embarrassedly as he accepted the money.

Xia Yao took out a large box from her bag and handed it to Zhou Momo, who was standing eagerly to the side, with a smile: "Momo, I brought you new crayons. This box has sixty-eight crayons, with more colors and more of each color. Just draw, and I'll buy you more when you're done."

"Wow! What a big box of crayons! I love it!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up. She took the crayons with both hands, twirled around happily, and then leaned close to Xia Yao, saying softly, "Sister Yao Yao! I love you!"

"Good girl." Xia Yao reached out and gently pinched her nose, then took a square box out of her bag and handed it to Zhou Yan. "I think you'll need a wallet."

"Thank you." Zhou Yan accepted it, his smile more difficult to suppress than an AK.

No wonder her bag was so heavy; she had prepared a gift for each of them.

Duan Yuyan and Huang Ying were stunned. Xia Yao was so thoughtful; she had prepared gifts for Zhou Yan's entire family, and they were all exquisite and practical items.

Look at the smiles on the faces of everyone who received a gift; they say it all.

Some nosy vendors gathered at the door to watch the spectacle, but the more they looked, the more alarmed they became.

Horn combs, belts, wallets, crayons—these things aren't cheap.

City people are generous; their stuff must be genuine leather!
"Miss Duan, Huang Ying is here too." Aunt Zhao greeted them and invited them to sit down, then poured water for the four of them.

"Aunt Zhao, I'm here too, and so am I." Huang Bing quickly stepped forward.

"Yes, I saw it," Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile.

With the permission of the three girls, Huang Bing sat down at the table. The usually carefree man was sitting very properly today.

Zhou Yan glanced at Huang Bing and said with a smile, "Then take a look at the menu and tell me what dishes you want to order. I'll go and make them for you."

"They've added so many new dishes, the menu is much more extensive than before," Xia Yao said, looking at the menu with some surprise.

“Boss Zhou brings out new dishes every few days; the menu updates really fast,” Huang Ying chimed in, smiling. “Please order, ladies. I come here every day; I love whatever you order.”

Duan Yuyan said, "I often come here to eat. Xia Yao, you order first. After you order, I'll add a few more of my favorite dishes."

"Okay." Xia Yao nodded and looked at the menu, saying, "I'll have a plate of braised beef, a plate of braised pork ribs, and a plate of shredded pork with garlic sauce. I saw that braised vegetable dish earlier and it looked quite tempting, so I'd like another plate of braised vegetable dish."

"I've ordered everything I wanted to eat, you can order the rest," Xia Yao said to Duan Yuyan.

"Then I'll also order a serving of braised beef, a serving of twice-cooked pork, and a serving of braised beef separately." After ordering, Duan Yuyan looked at Huang Ying and Huang Bing, "You guys order two more."

"I won't order anything; the things my sisters ordered are all my favorites," Huang Ying shook her head.

"Then I'll also order a separate serving of braised beef," Huang Bing said.

"Okay, wait a moment, I'll go make it for you." Zhou Yan replied and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Aunt Zhao also went to cook braised beef with ribs.

Zhou Momo climbed onto the chair and sat down next to Xia Yao.

"Has Momo eaten?" Xia Yao asked gently, holding her close.

"I've eaten, I ate three bowls." The little guy nodded and gestured with his fingers.

"Wow, that's amazing! I can't even finish three bowls." Xia Yao said with a smile.

“That’s right, I eat three bowls every meal.” Zhou Momo nodded, put her hands on her hips, and looked very proud. After thinking for a moment, she slid off the stool and ran towards the counter: “Sister Yao Yao, I’m going to show you my paintings. I’ve painted so many paintings recently.”

"Okay," Xia Yao replied with a smile.

"Judging from your accent, you're not from Sichuan or Chongqing?" Duan Yuyan said, looking at her.

“Yes, I’m from Hangzhou, and I went to university in Chongqing.” Xia Yao nodded and smiled. “Judging from Miss Duan’s accent, you’re from Hong Kong?”

"You've been to Hong Kong? You guessed it right away!" Duan Yuyan was somewhat surprised.

“I’ve been there twice with my mom before. People in Hong Kong speak Mandarin, and their accents are quite distinctive,” Xia Yao nodded.

“Although I’m from Hong Kong, my ancestral home is Jiaozhou. I’ve been back to visit relatives for almost a year.” Duan Yuyan looked at Xia Yao and asked with some doubt, “There are so many factories in Chongqing, why did you choose Jiaozhou Textile Factory for your internship, going all the way here? Isn’t it quite troublesome to go back and forth like this?”

The oriole used a tactical drinking technique, glancing left and right. See how the atmosphere immediately became sharp!
“We visited Jiaozhou Textile Factory last month, and the centuries-old Jiading silk left a very deep impression on me. Jiaozhou Textile Factory is not only the leader in Jiaozhou's silk industry, but also one of the top foreign exchange earners in Sichuan Province. Both its technology and scale are among the best in the country. It just so happens that our school signed a school-enterprise cooperation agreement with Jiaozhou Textile Factory, so I applied.” Xia Yao smiled slightly at her: “Of course, Zhou Yan's cooking is delicious, and Momo is also very cute. These are the main reasons why I chose to come here.”

Huang Ying raised an eyebrow, "Sister, you're so cool! No beating around the bush at all!"

“I know Zhou Yan’s cooking is delicious,” Duan Yuyan nodded.

"MoMo is cute too," Xia Yao smiled.

“But she’s not just yours.” Duan Yuyan looked at her.

The atmosphere at the table suddenly became a little tense.

Huang Ying and Huang Bing exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

My goodness! What happened to your composure? What happened to your reserve? How come you're already fighting over ownership after just three sentences?! Is Zhou Yan really that charming?

While eating melons, Huang Ying mourned her unrequited love that had ended without fruition.

Zhou Momo came over with the sketchbook, climbed back onto the table, and sat between Xia Yao and Duan Yuyan. She opened the sketchbook cover as if showing off a treasure, "Sisters, look!"

Xia Yao carefully looked through the drawings and nodded repeatedly: "They are really well drawn. Momo has new ideas every day, and she uses colors very well. She is getting better and better at drawing."

"The color scheme is fantastic, and the composition is very imaginative. You're definitely getting better and better at painting!" Duan Yuyan was quite surprised after reading it.

She originally thought Zhou Momo just liked reading comic books, but it seems she was learning from the pictures in the comic books?
And he drew so many! The album contains over thirty drawings, and you can tell that each one was drawn with care.

This is enough to show how much she loves drawing.

Xia Yao gave her crayons; that must be Momo's first art teacher, right?
The leather jacket she gave Momo might have been more expensive, but the crayons Xia Yao gave her were far more sophisticated.

Thinking about it this way, the sour feeling in her heart dissipated, and she even felt a little embarrassed.

That's right, they were the ones who arrived first, how could she be so sour?

"Look, this is Sister Yuyan and me swinging on the swing. She has a big swing at home, it's so much fun."

"This is Sister Huang Ying. She rides her bike to come over for a meal every day and brings me all sorts of delicious food. She's so good to me."

"This is……"

The little guy explained the origin of each painting in his sweet, childlike voice, which brought smiles to everyone's faces.

She was so adorable that she made the paintings even more vivid, lovely, and radiant.

“This is wonderful! Can I give it to my sister? I want to take it home, frame it, and hang it above my bed,” Duan Yuyan said, pointing to the painting of a swing.

"Of course!" Zhou Momo nodded, took out the painting without hesitation, handed it to Duan Yuyan, and tilted her head to say, "Then you'll miss me when you go back, sister."

"Sister went back, and I miss you every night when I sleep." Duan Yuyan leaned over and kissed her, happily looking at the painting.

In the painting, she sits on a swing, holding little Zhou Momo in her arms, with a bright smile. The sky is blue, and the painting style is bright and warm.

Worried that the painting would get dirty with oil stains, she took the painting out and handed it to Yan Fei, who was squatting outside the door, asking him to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a frame and simply mount it for now.

After sitting down again, Duan Yuyan's smile brightened considerably. Looking at Xia Yao, she asked curiously, "Xia Yao, are you a painter? Did you study fine arts?"

Xia Yao shook her head slightly: "I'm not a painter. I studied interior design. Someone in my family paints, so I know a little bit about it."

“I see. My mother and I both love Chinese landscape paintings. I’ve even gone to Sotheby’s auctions with her several times, and we have a collection of paintings and calligraphy by famous artists at home. Among them, my favorite is the painting of a female painter. Her paintings have such a beautiful artistic conception, with vast expanses of misty waters and exquisite details, making you feel the beauty and spirit of the mountains and rivers.” Duan Yuyan looked at Xia Yao and said with some curiosity, “You may have heard of her. Her name is Meng Zhilan.”

Huang Ying couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Meng Zhilan! Our high school art teacher mentioned her, saying that she is a master of landscape painting, and that her father, Meng Hanwen, is also a master of traditional Chinese painting. Two masters in one family! The teacher talked about her for half a class, and I remember it very well."

Duan Yuyan nodded with a smile: "That's right, it's her painting, by Master Meng Hanwen. I also have one in my collection. It's my mother's favorite, and it's hanging in our living room."

"Xia Yao, what's your opinion?" Duan Yuyan asked, looking at her.

"I... am not really sure how to comment." Xia Yao's smile revealed a hint of helplessness. "Meng Zhilan is my mother, and Meng Hanwen is my maternal grandfather."

"what?!"

The three people at the dinner table were stunned upon hearing this, staring at Xia Yao in disbelief.

Those legendary painters who live on in other people's mouths are actually Xia Yao's mother and maternal grandfather?
Duan Yuyan's mouth was slightly open, and it took her a while to close it. She had unconsciously moved closer to Xia Yao, still somewhat incredulous: "Is Meng Zhilan really your mother? The Meng Zhilan who painted the misty West Lake?"

Xia Yao thought for a moment and nodded, "That must have been painted by her near the Broken Bridge in West Lake in the summer of '79. I even spent half a day chasing away mosquitoes for her."

Duan Yuyan shut her mouth and apologized very sincerely: "I'm sorry, I just called you by your first name, which was a bit disrespectful."

“It’s alright. Names are meant to be called. My mom won’t be angry. On the contrary, she’ll be happy that you like her paintings.” Xia Yao smiled and shook her head. “If you like her paintings, I’ll ask her for one when I go home for the New Year, and I’ll stamp it with her seal and send it to you.”

"You're such a kind person." Duan Yuyan's eyes sparkled.

Looking at Xia Yao, she suddenly understood what it meant to be radiant with inner beauty and grace.

A young lady from a scholarly family, with a rich family tradition of learning, is poised and elegant, needing no external embellishment whatsoever.

Zhou Yan ate very well.

Damn it!
(End of this chapter)