1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 227 The Brave Ones Enjoy the World First! (6k-page compilation)

Everyone was initially quite moved, but upon hearing this, they couldn't help but laugh.

The little guy is so cute!
In the front row, Shen Shaohua raised his camera and captured the scene.

As a reporter for the Jiaozhou Daily, he volunteered to cover this incident today. Besides the fact that this major case was enough to make the Jiaozhou Daily's headline, which piqued his interest, he was also looking forward to interviewing Zhou Yan in Suji and having a meal at his shop.

Then Zhou Yan took another photo with the two leaders.

The simple commendation ceremony came to an end.

“It just so happens to be lunchtime, so I won’t interfere with your business or the workers’ meals. Maybe we’ll meet again next month when the model workers are selected,” Section Chief Wu Liwei said with a smile, shaking Zhou Yan’s hand.

"Thank you for your understanding, Section Chief Wu," Zhou Yan said.

With so many workers waiting to eat, he was indeed eager to open the door and welcome guests, since the lunch break was so short and the workers needed to rest for a while after eating.

Huang Chen then said, "Section Chief Wu, how about we have lunch at Zhou Yan's restaurant? You can also try our Suji traditional specialty, Qiaojiao Beef, a dish that has been passed down for centuries in Zhoucun, Suji."

Wu Liwei suddenly realized: "Oh, is that the 'Qiaojiao Beef' you mentioned in your report at the meeting last time? And it was even featured in the Sichuan Cuisine magazine?"

Huang Chen nodded: "Yes, there are many butchers in Zhoucun. They not only sell beef, but their families also sell soup pots. There are hundreds of people in this industry. Zhou Yan's Qiaojiao Beef is the most delicious and authentic."

“Alright, since we’re already here, we should definitely try some of the traditional cuisine of Suji and Zhou Yan’s cooking.” Wu Liwei nodded.

Huang Chen then turned to Shen Shaohua and said with a smile, "Reporter Shen, why don't you join us and try some of our Suzhou cuisine?"

Shen Shaohua nodded: "I've heard so much about you. Since Mayor Huang invited me, I'll take the opportunity to try it out today, so I can help Zhou Yan enrich his character."

Huang Chen dismissed the staff and the drum troupe, and then led Wu Liwei, Shen Shaohua, and a county committee staff member into the store and sat down.

The workers then filed in.

Congratulations, Mr. Zhou!

"Mr. Zhou is truly amazing! A model of courage and righteousness! We salute you!"

"Aunt Zhao looks so happy today."

The guests greeted each other warmly and offered their congratulations, their smiles particularly genuine.

The restaurant owner, who I often eat at, is a good person who acts bravely and righteously. I wouldn't say I'm proud of him, but it certainly makes me seem sophisticated.

"A remarkable hero." Xia Yao entered the room, looked at Zhou Yan with a bright smile, her eyes shining.

He was her savior; Zhou Yan's kindness could never be repaid.

"That's brave of you, you're really something." Lin Zhiqiang reached out and patted Zhou Yan's arm, his voice filled with both admiration and pride. After spending so much time together, he had completely come to regard Zhou Yan as one of his own juniors.

"Great job." Meng Anhe also gave Zhou Yan a thumbs up.

The two banners represent two acts of heroism.

Zhou Yan, this young man, does indeed possess a strong sense of justice, which is hard not to admire.

In comparison, academic qualifications seem less important.

The fact that they came from a family with a long military tradition in Sichuan caught her attention.

Zhou Yan's father was a butcher, but he seemed particularly calm and reliable, and his clothes were clean and neat, which was perhaps a reflection of his family's values.

"Thank you, please sit here." Zhou Yan smiled, feeling a little embarrassed to be praised by so many people for the first time.

Two banners were hung directly on empty nails in the menu area.

With its dark red background and gold lettering, bearing the signature of the Chiayi City Government, it exudes an air of prestige.

When customers come in and order, they always take a second look.

"Then I'll get back to work." Zhou Yan and Xia Yao said as the guests sat down and began ordering.

"Go ahead, go ahead," Xia Yao nodded with a smile.

Zhou Yan went into the kitchen and started getting busy.

Lin Zhiqiang's eyes lit up as he looked at the menu: "Braised pork intestines, is this a new dish they've quietly introduced? Shall we order some and try it?"

"I don't want to eat pork intestines." Meng Anhe shook her head without hesitation.

"Yaoyao, what about you?" Lin Zhiqiang looked at Xia Yao.

Xia Yao hesitated. She couldn't really accept pork intestines either. When she was a child, she visited relatives in Shanghai and ate sweet and savory braised pork intestines, which left her with a psychological trauma. She never ate any dishes made with pork intestines again after that.

However, this was made by Zhou Yan, so won't it be a little different?

"Let's order one, try Zhou Yan's new dish," Xia Yao said, she could tell that her uncle really wanted to try it.

"Okay." Lin Zhiqiang nodded happily, ordered the dishes, and asked for a plate of braised pork intestines.

At the next table, Huang Chen was also ordering food.

"Two bowls of braised beef, and one serving of twice-cooked pork. You can't even find this kind of taste in Chengdu. Zhou Yan's braised dishes are also exceptional. This braised pork intestine looks like it's a new dish today, let's order some to try." Huang Chen ordered three dishes and looked at Wu Liwei: "Section Chief Wu, what two more dishes would you like to order?"

Wu Liwei looked at the menu carefully and said, "Then let's order some Mapo Tofu to go with the rice. There are four of us, so three dishes and a soup should be enough."

"Okay." Huang Chen nodded and ordered the dishes.

"Old Huang, do you come here to eat often? You seem quite familiar with the dishes," Wu Liwei said with a smile.

“I occasionally bring my wife and kids here for a treat. My kids especially love Zhou Yan’s braised vegetarian dishes. Sometimes they come after work and buy a few cents worth of vegetables to take home, and they’re so happy,” Huang Chen said with a smile.

“He Zhiyuan, the deputy editor-in-chief of Sichuan Cuisine Magazine, is my college classmate. He came to visit me on his way to Suji last time, and I took him to Zhou Erwa Restaurant for dinner. He is usually very picky, but he was amazed after eating Qiaojiao Beef and was impressed by Zhou Yan’s spirit of recreating traditional cuisine, which led to that interview and the picture on the magazine cover.”

"So there's a story behind this. I was wondering how Qiaojiao Beef, which even I, a Jiaozhou native, didn't know about, ended up in the Sichuan Cuisine Editorial Department." Wu Liwei laughed and said, "Old Huang, you've really found a talent scout."

Huang Chen waved his hand: "I dare not call myself a talent scout, but it is my duty to make Suji cuisine famous and create more opportunities for individual business owners to make money. The fact that Qiaojiao Beef was featured in a magazine can be considered an unexpected success."

Shen Shaohua listened from the side, occasionally scribbling notes in his notebook.

On the way here, Huang Chen had talked to him about promoting Suji Qiaojiao Beef. He had studied Zhou Yan's interview and felt that this topic could be explored in more depth. He would occasionally chime in with a few questions.

While we were chatting, the braised beef with pork knuckles was served first.

Two earthenware bowls, the soup is clear, with lotus root at the bottom, beef tendon, beef intestines, and tripe, topped with a few thin slices of beef, the color of which is slightly pink and looks particularly tender.

Wu Liwei looked closely and said, "This soup smells so good. I could smell it when I was standing at the door. But the soup looks much lighter than I expected. It looks like nothing was added."

"Have a bowl of soup while it's hot, then try the offal and beef inside. The taste will definitely be different from what you imagine," Huang Chen said confidently.

"Seeing how confident you are, I'll really give it a try." Wu Liwei picked up a spoon, ladled half a bowl of soup for himself, scooped up a ladleful of soup, blew on it, and put it in his mouth. His eyes immediately lit up.

"So fresh! It's so fresh it'll make my eyebrows fall out!"

The seemingly clear broth, upon tasting, burst forth with an amazingly delicious flavor.

Fresh beef bones are simmered for over six hours, along with beef intestines and tendons, infusing the savory flavor and essence of the beef into this pot of broth.

There's absolutely no gamey smell. The spices and herbs are barely noticeable, subtly and effectively neutralizing and eliminating any gamey odor from the beef intestines and bones.

Beef offal is usually cooked in a spicy broth.

For example, hot pot, spicy blood curd, braised beef offal, etc.

This pot of clear soup was truly beyond his expectations.

The word "stunning" perfectly encapsulates it.

Shen Shaohua and another staff member drank the soup and also praised it highly.

Huang Chen smiled broadly and then recommended to them, "You can dip the dishes inside in this chili powder; it tastes really good."

Wu Liwei picked up a slice of beef, dipped it in a small dish full of chili powder, coated it with chili powder, and then put it in his mouth.

The large, thin slices of beef are exceptionally tender, and the spicy chili powder is the perfect finishing touch, making the mild beef even more delicious.

The crisp tripe, the tender tendon, and the soft beef intestines have very different textures, but all taste impeccable.

Even the cabbage at the bottom, after absorbing the delicious broth, becomes exceptionally sweet and refreshing.

"The taste of this 'Qiaojiao Beef' really surprised me. No wonder it was featured on a magazine cover and in an interview." Wu Liwei nodded repeatedly and looked at Huang Chen, saying, "Old Huang, I think your judgment is correct. If your Suji had a group of individual vendors who could make 'Qiaojiao Beef' taste like this, it would definitely become a culinary calling card for Suji, or even for Jiaozhou."

“Currently, only Zhou Yan and his cousin Zhou Jie can make it taste like this. However, with role models and leaders, I believe that other individual vendors selling hot pot will soon follow suit and improve their skills, thus promoting the development and growth of the Suji Qiaojiao Beef industry,” Huang Chen said. “Of course, this is inseparable from the support and promotion of higher-level organizations, adding a new revenue-generating industry to the Suji slaughtering industry.”

Wu Liwei nodded: "Okay, I'll write a report when I get back, and we'll have another meeting to discuss it next time."

"Okay." Huang Chen nodded with a smile.

Today, he hosted the leader at Zhou Erwa Restaurant. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; it was something he had planned in advance, including this irresistible lunch time.

Suji's development of the "Qiaojiao Beef" industry cannot be separated from the support of higher authorities.

To truly appreciate the quality of Qiaojiao Beef, it would be more convincing to have the leaders taste it.

……

When the braised pork intestines that Lin Zhiqiang ordered were served, all three of them were drawn to them.

The braised pork intestines are soaked in the braising liquid, giving them a bright red luster like agate. They are cut into small pieces at an angle, each weighing a little over three ounces. They are served on a small plate, drizzled with a spoonful of braising liquid, steaming hot, and accompanied by a small dish of dried chili powder. The aroma of the braising liquid is irresistible.

Hot braised pork intestines, like braised pig's trotters, are a special dish only available at the restaurant.

Freshly cooked braised pork intestines are undoubtedly at their most tempting. Drizzled with bright red broth, glistening with oil, they even make the workers at the next table swallow hard.

"It looks good, and it doesn't smell weird at all." Meng Anhe examined it, showing a hint of curiosity.

"Let me try it first." Lin Zhiqiang couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks, take a piece of braised pork intestine and put it directly into his mouth.

With one bite, the braising sauce bursts in your mouth, and the fatty intestines are soft and chewy yet tender, very oily but not greasy at all.

The braised pork intestines are so delicious!
"Mmm, it's delicious. You all have to try it. There's no strange taste at all. It's been washed very clean. It's fatty but not greasy, and it has a tender yet slightly chewy texture. It's easy to chew." Lin Zhiqiang strongly recommended it. He had already picked up a second piece of braised pork intestine with his chopsticks, dipped it in chili powder, added a slice of garlic, and fed it to his mouth.

The braised pork intestines with five-spice sauce are delicious enough, but dipping them in chili powder adds a spicy and fragrant flavor. Paired with garlic slices, they're incredibly delicious!
As a northerner, I've always believed that eating meat without garlic is like missing half the flavor.

Braised pork intestines with garlic is truly a genius way to eat them!
good good!
With this new way of eating, in his mind, braised pork intestines have successfully defeated braised pig's head and become the number one braised food!
"Then I want to try it." Xia Yao picked up her chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, then fed a piece of braised pork intestine to her mouth with a "do-or-die" attitude.

She still vividly remembered the disgusting experience she had last time with the pig intestines, but since this was Zhou Yan's doing, she still had some expectations.

The pork intestines entered my mouth with a gentle bite, the braising liquid burst forth, and the aroma of the braising sauce immediately blossomed in my mouth—there wasn't a trace of any strange taste! The pork intestines were cleaned so thoroughly!
It has a soft and chewy texture, but it's also slightly springy when you chew it, and your teeth can easily and neatly cut through the fatty intestines.

It's fatty but not greasy, fragrant and delicious, with the rich braising sauce permeating every corner of the intestines, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

good to eat!

This bite of braised pork intestines completely reversed her terrible reputation for pork intestines at this moment!
Well-cooked pork intestines are surprisingly delicious.

Chefs who don't clean the intestines properly, making them so tough that they can't be chewed even after repeated chewing, are truly despicable!
She served herself a bowl of rice, shoveled it in, then picked up a piece of braised pork intestine, dipped it in chili powder, and put it in her mouth.

The same chili powder used for Qiaojiao Beef adds a touch of spiciness when dipped in it, making it equally delicious.

"Is it really that delicious? You're eating it all without making a sound?" Meng Anhe looked at Xia Yao, who was engrossed in eating rice and braised pork intestines.

"Auntie, why don't you try it and you'll see? You know my taste," Xia Yao said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll try it." Upon hearing this, Meng Anhe couldn't help but pick up her chopsticks and put a piece of braised pork intestine into her mouth.

Ah!
This tastes a little different.

The rich aroma of the braised meat paired with the succulent pork intestines created a wonderfully satisfying and bursting flavor that completely overturned her expectations of the extraordinary.

That's right, there's no strange taste at all.

The intestines were cleaned so thoroughly.

She's a bit of a germaphobe and has always kept her distance from those kinds of internal organs.

She doesn't eat beef intestines, including the beef tripe she ate before, but she can accept the crisp and refreshing texture of tripe.

But this braised pork intestine is so delicious!
The texture and flavor are both superb!

"Try eating it with a slice of garlic; I guarantee it will open your eyes to a whole new way of eating," Lin Zhiqiang urged.

"The garlic is too spicy, I can't eat it." Meng Anhe was still hesitating.

Xia Yao had already picked up a piece of garlic and a piece of pork intestine, dipped them in chili powder, put them in her mouth, chewed and swallowed, her eyes sparkling as she said, "It really is even more delicious! When eaten with the pork intestine, the spiciness of the garlic becomes very mild, which is quite good."

Brave people enjoy the world first!
One dish of braised pork intestines can be prepared in three different ways, each with its own unique flavor.

They're all delicious!
Meng Anhe hesitated for a moment, but still refused to eat it with garlic.

The spiced one was also delicious, and she was quite satisfied.

The guests next to them swallowed their saliva several times as they watched. They had been a little hesitant about the new dish of braised pork intestines, but the evaluation by Director Lin and his family was enough to dispel all doubts.

"Boss! Add an extra serving of braised pork intestines."

"We'll add one more serving, and please add extra garlic slices."

Someone immediately added more food to the menu.

Regular customers know that Boss Zhou has a tradition of not serving large portions of new dishes on the first day.

If you act too late, you might not be able to get any today.

At the next table, Huang Chen and Wu Liwei were also enjoying their meal.

"If it weren't a weekday, I'd definitely have a couple of drinks," Wu Liwei remarked. "Zhou Yan's braised dishes are really good. I saw that the braised pig's head on the other table was also quite delicious. I'm going to pack some to take home and have a drink with my dad tonight. I'll also pack some braised vegetables; my teacher Chen really loves braised lotus root."

"It's really well done." Huang Chen nodded repeatedly, and today's new dish was a hit.

Shen Shaohua had just swallowed a piece of twice-cooked pork, his mouth greasy with oil, and exclaimed, "I think it won't be long before Zhou Yan's restaurant becomes a famous restaurant in Jiaozhou."

Braised pork intestines are very popular; before the lunch break even ended, three and a half pounds of braised pork intestines had already sold out.

"Just... gone?"

"Aunt Zhao, you have to tell Zhou Yan to make more! I've been craving it outside for an hour! My braised pork intestines..."

The guests immediately let out a wail, especially the pig intestine lovers, who were almost in tears.

It's too much trouble to make pork intestines at home, and very few people can do it well.

Even when eating at a restaurant, if you make a mistake, you don't say a word.

At noon today, Zhou Yan made about ten servings of braised pork intestines, and almost every customer praised them after eating them.

The reputation built by braised meat is quite solid.

"This food is so delicious! Being able to eat such good food every day makes going to work feel wonderful." As they left the restaurant, Xia Yao linked arms with Meng Anhe, her smile radiating satisfaction.

“It’s much tastier than the cafeteria food,” Meng Anhe said with a smile. “But with your internship stipend, it’s not enough for you to eat.”

"It's okay. My parents gave me living expenses before, and I still have a lot of money saved from New Year's. It'll be no problem at all during this internship," Xia Yao said with a smile. "I can even treat you to meals often."

"Looks like your mother's paintings don't sell for cheap in Hong Kong, you're so generous with your money," Meng Anhe teased.

“Auntie, that’s because you didn’t want to accept the offer from the Hong Kong-owned joint venture. Otherwise, with your status and ability in the industry, you would definitely be richer than my mother,” Xia Yao said with a smile.

“Your aunt has ideals and ambitions. She has been involved in and presided over major projects all these years. It would be a waste of her talent to work for a private company,” Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile. “If one of us were to go into business, it would have to be me.”

The three of them strolled along the riverbank, chatting and digesting their slightly full stomachs.

Huang Chen paid the bill and saw Wu Liwei and the others off.

Everyone packed some braised dishes to take home; this taste is something you can't find even back in Jiaozhou.

It's not unusual for city leaders to visit Suji Town; they are usually entertained at state-run restaurants, but they have never praised it so highly as they have today.

Huang Chen got on his bicycle and glanced back in the direction of Zhou Erwa's restaurant.

That's good. From now on, we'll move the hospitality to Zhou Yan's place.

The price is about the same, but if the leader is happy with the food, many tasks will be easier to carry out.

……

"The three and a half jin of braised pork intestines sold out in no time. The customers were very satisfied. They didn't leave a single piece after ordering, and many customers who didn't get any were sighing with regret." After closing at noon, Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan coming out of the kitchen and said excitedly, "I think we should braise a few more baskets of pork intestines tomorrow. I think they'll sell very well."

Zhou Yan said with a smile, "New products are novel to customers, so they sell well. But they may not always sell well. Let's add two more baskets tomorrow. If we add too many, the flavor of the braising liquid might not be strong enough."

The braised pork intestines are selling well, so this can be considered a good start.

Hot braised dishes are a pretty clever way to eat food.

Hot-braised pork intestines have a more oily and tender texture, are less greasy, and are more palatable.

As the weather gets colder, the fat on the inner wall of the braised pork intestines will solidify when they cool down, which will affect the taste.

Therefore, in winter, the best option for braised pork intestines is to sell them hot in a shop, or to make pork intestine noodles, which is also a good choice.

However, it seems that the braised pork intestines produced may not be enough to sell that day.

It wasn't enough to make braised pork intestine noodles the next day.

The shop was empty. Zhou Yan took off his apron and hung it behind the counter. He picked up two red-covered certificates of honor from the counter. They were quite thick. Inside was an award certificate stamped with the seal of the Jiazhou Municipal Government. It looked very formal.

"Should we hang up the certificates of honor as well?" Aunt Zhao asked with a smile.

"That's too ostentatious. Hanging banners is enough." Zhou Yan shook his head and refused. Hanging banners is enough. Hang one on each side of the menu wall to make the presentation as impressive as possible.

Aunt Zhao looked at Comrade Zhou: "Sanshui, go to the security department next door and borrow a ladder. You and Zhou Yan can re-hang the banner in a higher position."

"Okay!" Comrade Zhou agreed and went out happily.

"While you're happy, you should stay away from things like this in the future!" Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan with a serious expression and said, "A ruthless bandit with a knife has a murder on his hands. If you're not careful, you could lose your life! Only travel when there's a foot of water! Don't be competitive."

Zhou Yan nodded in deep agreement: "I know. If it weren't for Ming-ge being there, I would have run faster than anyone else if I saw someone with a knife."

Aunt Zhao smiled upon hearing this and added, "Zhou Ming received an award this time, and a banner was even sent to No. 1 Middle School. He should be able to stay, right?"

"I think the chances are pretty good." Zhou Yan nodded. If the Jiaozhou Daily publishes this tomorrow, Zhou Ming, as the leader of the No. 1 Middle School's martial arts team, will bring honor to the school. The school leaders will definitely consider the impact of this.

……

"Teacher Song! Look at my banner and certificate of honor!"

"The city leaders brought this to the school today; it's a school-wide commendation!"

At the entrance of No. 8 Dongfeng Lane, Zhou Ming, holding a banner in one hand and a certificate of honor in the other, spoke to Song Wanqing, who had just opened the gate, with a bright smile on his face.

　You guys made over 10,000 votes in one day! You guys are amazing, making my goal seem like that of a fool!
　　There will be another update tonight, but it will probably be quite late. You can wait until tomorrow morning to read it!
　　I'm going to keep working hard!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)