1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 224 No, what makes Zhou Yan so special?

At this moment, Duan Yuyan actually felt a little envious of Zhou Yan.

Xia Yao is not only beautiful, but her temperament, personality, and way of handling things also remind her of her grandmother.

Dignified and elegant, composed and unhurried.

She has many wealthy friends who drive luxury cars, live in mansions, wear glamorous clothes every day, carry bags worth tens of thousands of dollars, sit in cafes in Central drinking afternoon tea, and talk about where they are flying to next week to see concerts and music festivals.

But Xia Yao is different.

She's so beautiful!
No, what gives Zhou Yan the right?

How could he possibly allow a young lady from a scholarly family to come all the way from Chongqing to Suzhou for an internship?
Although Zhou Yan is indeed handsome, cooks well, is ambitious, knows how to make money, has high emotional intelligence, and is also a very interesting person.

but……

Even if he really is a good match for her, she just doesn't feel right.

This is the daughter of her favorite painter!

Huang Ying pursed her lips. How did the scene suddenly change like this? It's turned into a fan meeting?
Bored, I want to see rivers of blood!
But looking at Xia Yao, who had a faint smile on her face and was talking to Zhou Momo with her head down, he really couldn't bring himself to say anything encouraging.

She appears to be a gentle and delicate woman from Jiangnan, yet she also exudes a strong inner strength that makes her seem unapproachable.

In the kitchen, Zhou Yan actually overheard their conversation.

He was still somewhat surprised by Xia Yao's family background.

He only knew that Xia Yao's family must be well-off, since she was a college student who hadn't graduated yet, and could give away so many expensive gifts so casually.

But I never expected that they came from a family of traditional Chinese painters. Both their mother and maternal grandfather were masters, the kind of masters whose works were exhibited at Hong Kong auctions.

No wonder she has such an elegant demeanor; it's the result of generations of family tradition and learning.

Unlike Duan Yuyan, a wealthy heiress, she is more like Qiu Qiqiu in her youth, with elegance etched into her bones.

During our casual conversation, braised pork ribs and braised beef with ribs were served first.

"Then let's eat first, sisters. I'll come find you to play later~" Zhou Momo closed the sketchbook and made a graceful exit.

"She's so well-behaved; she completely understands how hungry I am because I haven't had breakfast," Duan Yuyan said with a smile.

"Actually, I didn't eat breakfast either. I've been thinking about lunch since this morning." Xia Yao picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork rib, and smiled. "Then I'll start eating. Please don't be shy."

"Okay, sure." Duan Yuyan and Huang Ying nodded repeatedly.

She picked up the trembling braised pork ribs, put them in her mouth, and they fell off the bone in one bite. Xia Yao's eyes lit up.

This smells amazing!
After returning to school, she finally got to eat the braised pork ribs she had been craving!

Why choose Jiaozhou Textile Factory?

Even if it's just being able to eat such delicious braised pork ribs every day, what's there to hesitate about?

She served herself half a bowl of rice and ate it with the ribs, one bite after another.

After eating three pieces of pork ribs, she served herself a small bowl of beef soup.

The first serving of beef soup was exactly as delicious as I remembered.

I picked up a slice of beef, dipped it in the sauce, and then put it in my mouth. The tender beef, coated with spicy dried chili powder, tasted even better.

"Huang Ying, let's eat together. I can't finish one serving." Xia Yao moved her bowl of braised beef towards Huang Ying and smiled, "With so many new dishes, I want to try a few more."

"Okay." Huang Ying nodded with a smile and served herself a bowl of beef soup.

Shredded pork with garlic sauce, a platter of braised vegetables, braised beef, and twice-cooked pork were also served one after another.

Xia Yao tasted every dish and nodded repeatedly as she ate.

I especially like shredded pork with garlic sauce and braised vegetarian dishes.

The shredded pork with garlic sauce is tangy and spicy with a slightly sweet aftertaste and a very mild flavor. The winter bamboo shoots added are especially crisp and delicious, and the shredded pork is tender and smooth. It's a great dish to eat with rice. It tastes so much better than what they make in their school cafeteria!
The braised vegetables smell so good!

Lotus root and dried bean curd, in particular, taste absolutely delicious.

She even thought it tasted better than braised beef, and it was easy to chew.

Every dish was a wonderful surprise for her. She doesn't usually eat fatty meat, but she ate several pieces of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts today. The soft and tender pork skin paired with the chewy lean meat was simply irresistible.

Zhou Yan, you're really amazing!
When she last came, there weren't many dishes on the menu. Some classmates ate noodles for three meals, but they still couldn't forget it.

Before she arrived, Deng Hong hugged her and told her to make sure she ate a few more pieces of braised pork ribs.

She's going to write to them tonight, telling them that she not only ate braised pork ribs and braised beef, but also incredibly delicious shredded pork with garlic sauce, twice-cooked pork, and other braised dishes.

My wonderful internship has begun!

Xia Yao has never had a big appetite, but today she ate a bowl and a half of rice and drank two bowls of beef soup for lunch.

She put the last mouthful of rice in her bowl into her mouth and then resolutely put down her chopsticks.

I can't eat anymore!
No matter how delicious it is, it won't work.

The restaurant was already full of customers, and some of the workers were eating so fast that they were already serving the second batch of customers.

"Yao Yao?" Lin Zhiqiang and Zhao Dong walked into the restaurant and were surprised to see Xia Yao. "Didn't An He say you were going back to Suji with her today?"

"Uncle," Xia Yao smiled and said, "My aunt has a meeting and won't be back in Suji until tonight. I took the company shuttle bus here this morning and will report for duty at noon so I can go straight to work tomorrow."

"You little rascal, you really can't wait even half a day." Lin Zhiqiang shook his head helplessly. "Then what about your lunch..."

"I just finished eating, and I met some new friends." Xia Yao introduced Duan Yuyan and Huang Ying to Lin Zhiqiang.

"Hello, Uncle." Duan Yuyan smiled.

After greeting Huang Ying and Huang Bing, Huang Ying looked at Zhao Dong with a smile and said, "Hello, Uncle."

Zhao Dong didn't know how the brother and sister got to know Xia Yao, but it was good. After all, Director Lin's niece was a top student from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Making friends with her might improve the aesthetic sense of his two nephews.

"Then wait for me to finish eating, and I'll take you to complete the onboarding procedures," Lin Zhiqiang said to Xia Yao, taking out his wallet and settling the bill for their table.

"Okay, thank you, Uncle." Xia Yao said with a smile.

"Thank you, Uncle Lin," Duan Yuyan and Huang Ying said.

"You're welcome." Lin Zhiqiang waved his hand with a smile. These kids can really eat; one meal cost him half a month's worth of breakfast money.

What can we do? She's our own niece.

Zhao Tieying offered to give us a free meal, but that was definitely not an option. It wasn't even close to happening yet, and we couldn't take advantage of her.

I can only get reimbursed by Anhe tonight.

There were too many customers in line, so Xia Yao and her companions paid their bill and got up to give up their seats to the customers behind them.

Huang Ying and Huang Bing rode off on their bikes. The two siblings both have jobs at Feiyan Restaurant now; one is in charge of front desk reception, and the other is learning knife skills in the kitchen.

"So elegant! Xia Yao must have read a lot of books and have excellent upbringing. Even her meals are so elegant. When can I become like her?" Huang Ying exclaimed as she rode her bike.

"May you be reborn into a better family in your next life. It seems like you don't have much of a chance in this one. If you try to be like her, I'm afraid I might just give you a good whack," Huang Bing said seriously.

"Get out!" Huang Ying gritted her teeth.

Duan Yuyan had just finished eating and didn't want to take a car, so she and Xia Yao took Zhou Momo for a walk along the riverbank.

The two were of similar age and hit it off immediately. They chatted about everything from Chongqing to Hangzhou, then to Hong Kong, from painting to literature, and had a very pleasant conversation.

Duan Yuyan graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a degree in Chinese Literature. She loves reading, but she rarely encounters like-minded young people.

"Xia Yao, why didn't I meet you sooner? Otherwise, I would definitely visit you in Shancheng more often. I've been in Jiaozhou for almost a year, and the first ten months were so boring and dull. All I could do every day was read and sleep." Duan Yuyan had already linked arms with Xia Yao, her tone carrying a hint of resentment.

Xia Yao smiled and said, "Next time you come to Shancheng, I'll take you around, to eat hot pot, Bishan braised chicken, Tai'an fish..."

Duan Yuyan swallowed hard, then looked a little worried: "It sounds delicious, but I've heard that it's spicier and more numbing in Chongqing than in Chengdu. I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it."

"It's okay, I can't actually eat too much spicy food either. As long as I'm taking you there, you can eat whatever you want," Xia Yao reassured her.

"Sister, you're so kind!" Duan Yuyan was a little touched. "I'm flying to Hong Kong on Friday, you must write to me. I'll definitely come to visit you next year."

“Okay, leave me your address.” Xia Yao nodded. “I’ll send you a painting by my mother later, and have her write a couple of words of encouragement for you.”

"A personal autograph?! That's amazing! From today onwards, you're my best friend!" Duan Yuyan was deeply moved. "Give me your address too, so I can send you some little things I like when I get back."

"Okay." Xia Yao nodded with a smile.

The three of them walked around for a while and returned to the restaurant entrance.

Lin Zhiqiang had been waiting at the restaurant entrance for a while.

"Goodbye, Xia Yao, please remember to write to me," Duan Yuyan said to Xia Yao.

"Okay, goodbye." Xia Yao smiled and nodded.

"Goodbye, Momo." Duan Yuyan knelt down and gently hugged Zhou Momo. "Sister will miss you." "Goodbye, Sister Yuyan." Zhou Momo hugged her neck, kissed her cheek, her eyes glistening with tears, her little voice trembling slightly: "Remember to come back and see Momo, okay? I'll miss you too..."

"Okay, I'll definitely come." Duan Yuyan kissed her cheek, got up and walked towards the car. After getting in the car, she gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.

I never expected that such a strong woman would shed tears over parting.

Momo is so well-behaved!
I really want to take it home.

Zhou Yan's life is too good!

Momo is actually his sister!
Damn it...

Zhou Momo pouted as she watched the car drive away, feeling a little down.

"It's okay, she'll come back." Xia Yao held her hand and said gently, "Just like me."

The little guy's eyes lit up, and he nodded with a smile.

"Yaoyao, where's your luggage?" Lin Zhiqiang got up from the stone bench at the entrance of the restaurant and asked Xia Yao.

“There’s a bag on Zhou Yan’s counter. It’s okay if you pick it up later. All the supporting documents are in the small handbag.” Xia Yao pointed to her handbag.

Lin Zhiqiang nodded: "Let's go then, I'll take you to complete the formalities."

Xia Yao said something to Zhou Momo and followed Lin Zhiqiang toward the textile factory gate.

After closing for lunch, Zhou Yan took off her apron and came out of the kitchen. She picked up a large enamel mug from the counter, gulped down half a cup of water, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Every meal is a tense battle.

Aunt Zhao told him, "Xia Yao went to complete her onboarding procedures. Her bag is still here; she'll definitely come to pick it up later."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded.

"Brother, Sister Yuyan went home." Zhou Momo came over and looked up at Zhou Yan, saying in a childish voice, "But she said she will come to see us again."

"She said she'd be back when our restaurant opens in Jiaozhou," Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, though he didn't get a chance to properly say goodbye to Duan Yuyan.

However, given her personality, she probably wouldn't like that kind of thing.

"I want to see my new crayons!" Zhou Momo ran behind the counter, took out the new box of crayons Xia Yao had given her, placed it on a tidy table, carefully unfolded it, and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "Wow~~ so many crayons! Such beautiful colors!"

The little guy was overjoyed and couldn't wait to bring over the sketchbook, find a new sheet of paper, choose a crayon, and start drawing.

Zhou Yan thought for a moment, then went to the counter and opened the square box that hadn't been opened yet. Inside was a black square wallet. The leather was very soft and comfortable to the touch, and there was a gold 'Shanghai' metal logo in the corner, which looked understated yet exquisite.

“A Shanghai brand wallet! I saw it at the department store last time, it was so expensive!” Aunt Zhao leaned over for a look and exclaimed in a low voice, “Xia Yao is too kind, giving us such an expensive gift again.”

“Exactly.” Zhou Yan nodded. This wallet is quite exquisite. When going out, you can simply slip it into the inside pocket of your clothes, which is very convenient.

“We can’t just take their favors. They already bought us so many gifts last time, we’ve already repaid their kindness. You should go to the department store and buy her something, so people don’t think we’re just trying to take advantage of her.” Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan with a serious face and said, “Remember, when you give gifts to girls, you should buy something exquisite and pretty.”

"A gift?" Zhou Yan was taken aback; he really had no experience giving gifts to girls.

But what his mother said also makes sense; it's all about reciprocity and giving and receiving.

Xia Yao brought gifts for their whole family, showing her great thoughtfulness; he should reciprocate with a gift in return.

But what should I give as a gift?
Zhou Yan pondered for a while, but still couldn't come up with a solution, so he simply lay down on a chair by the door to rest.

"Guoguo~~ Look!" Zhou Yan was woken up by Zhou Momo. He opened his eyes and saw a painting in front of him.

The painting depicts two girls holding hands, leading a little girl along the riverbank. It is clearly Xia Yao and Duan Yuyan leading Zhou Momo.

The painting is quite lifelike; even the watch on Duan Yuyan's hand is depicted.

Watch.

Zhou Yan's gaze lingered on the painting; Xia Yao didn't seem to be wearing a watch.

He had some ideas about returning the gift.

"Finished with your work?" A clear voice rang out from the side.

Zhou Yan turned around and saw Xia Yao, who had arrived at some point. She stood up and said, "Yes, we're closed for lunch."

"Sister Yao Yao, look!" Zhou Momo handed over the painting like it was a treasure.

Xia Yao examined it carefully and nodded, saying, "Mo Mo's new drawing uses colors even better, and the lines are also great. It seems you'll really like the new crayons."

"Mmm, so many colors! I love them!" Zhou Momo nodded.

"If you like it, just draw it. I'll buy it for you later," Xia Yao said with a smile.

Zhou Momo hugged her tightly: "Sister Yaoyao, you are such a good person."

"I'll buy it for her later, this is too much of a waste for you," Zhou Yan said, somewhat embarrassed.

"No, this is a little agreement between Momo and me." Xia Yao smiled slightly, but her attitude was very firm.

Zhou Yan smiled upon hearing this, and then asked, "Have you completed the onboarding procedures?"

"It's all taken care of, and they even assigned me a dormitory room." Xia Yao showed off a key she was holding. "I need to put my bag in the dormitory first, and then go buy some daily necessities."

Zhou Yan said, "Then I'll go with you. If you have a lot of stuff, it will be more convenient to have a bicycle, and you're not familiar with Su Ji either."

"are you free?"

"Nothing's happening at the shop this afternoon." Zhou Yan entered the shop, took one of the baskets hanging on the back of his bicycle, and pushed it out the door.

“I…” Zhou Momo leaned closer.

Before she could speak, Aunt Zhao had already pulled her away, saying, "You can continue drawing."

"Okay." Zhou Momo responded obediently, picked up her crayons and continued drawing.

Xia Yao sat in the back seat, clutching Zhou Yan's clothes with a smile on her lips, and said, "There are so many new dishes on the menu. Every dish we ordered for lunch today was delicious, especially the shredded pork with garlic sauce and the braised vegetables. I even ate an extra bowl of rice."

“Is that so? Fish-flavored shredded pork is indeed quite popular with the female workers. I learned the braised food technique from my grandmother. She raised this pot of old braising liquid for more than ten years before she finally decided to pass it on to me recently,” Zhou Yan replied with a smile.

"Deng Hong and Yu Yu didn't come. I'm going to write to them tonight to let them know what delicious food you made. That gluttonous Deng Hong will definitely regret not coming with me."

Xia Yao's tone was cheerful and proud. The wind blew through her long hair, and her beautiful face seemed to glow in the sunlight.

Zhou Yan also had a smile on his face.

The vendors, who were gathered together chatting, were all stunned by what they saw.

"They're such a perfect couple, they look just like movie stars!" one of the girls exclaimed.

"Zhou Yan is so lucky..." The others sighed, exhausted from expressing their envy.

What position are you here for your internship?

"Jiazhou Textile Factory Marketing Department, involved in brand building and marketing. Specific tasks will be determined after I start work tomorrow, depending on the leadership's arrangements..."

"Are textile factories also preparing to increase their brand awareness?"

“Last time Professor Su led a team to visit and inspect, he focused on the branding of Jiading silk. The textile factory attaches great importance to this and has set up a special department to promote it. However, due to a lack of experience in this area, the progress is relatively slow.”

“That’s great. Although the textile factory is doing very well now, Jiading silk was once famous all over the world. If we can build up this brand, we can differentiate ourselves from other silk factories and make it a direct competitive advantage.”

“Professor Su said something similar last time.” Xia Yao’s eyes lit up. “No wonder Professor Su likes you so much, you really understand.”

"I just said it offhand..."

The two chatted casually along the way, feeling like old friends even though they hadn't seen each other for over a month.

Those letters between the mountain city and Jiaozhou allowed them to keep up with each other's lives, making them seem less distant.

When we talk about certain things, we share a knowing smile.

Zhou Yanxian took her to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought her daily necessities such as enamel basins, towels, and soap.

Meng Anhe had already told her in advance that she could just get the larger items like blankets and thermos flasks from her aunt's house.

"An internship only lasts a month or two, it would be a waste to buy it separately," Xia Yao said with a smile.

“That’s true.” Zhou Yan nodded.

Saving when necessary and spending when appropriate—Xia Yao's spending habits are somewhat similar to his.

After delivering Xia Yao's belongings to Zhou Yan at the female employees' dormitory building, Zhou Yan took them out of his backpack, put them all into an enamel basin, and handed it to her.

Xia Yao took the things, looked into his eyes and smiled, "Zhou Yan, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Zhou Yan looked at her. Her clear eyes were filled with a gentle smile, as tender as water. A strand of hair that had been blown by the wind across her forehead could not hide her beauty. Instead, it added a touch of messy beauty, making her even more vivid than the painting on his bedside table.

"me too."

(End of this chapter)