1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 229 Master's Obsession! Completed! (6k words combined)

Zhou Yan wasn't just fooling Aunt Zhao; the restaurant was doing well, and it was only a matter of time before it grew bigger and stronger.

Currently, when it comes to restaurant management skills, none other than Aunt Zhao stands out.

More than 20 years of experience in managing a household has cultivated a calm and composed demeanor.

If Zhou Yan were to open a branch restaurant in the future or need to travel, the restaurant would need someone to manage it, and this important responsibility would definitely fall to Aunt Zhao.

Literacy, bookkeeping, and accounting are basic skills.

While there are still literacy classes in town, let's make up for his shortcomings in recognizing and writing characters first, so he will definitely be a capable assistant in the future.

After soaking their feet, Comrade Zhou and Aunt Zhao took Zhou Momo upstairs to bed early.

"Sanshui, do you think I can learn it? I couldn't read when I was a child, and I was a student who slipped through the cracks in the literacy class when I was young. Now I'm forty, isn't it a bit too late to learn it now?" Lying on the bed, Zhao Tieying said softly, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

“You’re so smart, it’s never too late to start learning.” Zhou Miao hugged her from behind and said gently, “You used to think that knowing how to read and write was useless, so you didn’t put your heart into it. But now that you’re going to be a manager, you’ll definitely be able to learn quickly and well. You even got first place in shooting, which is so difficult. You’re very smart.”

"Sanshui, you're so kind."

"It's only right that I treat you well. Wait a minute, I feel a bit tired today, why don't we go to bed early?"

"No, I want to repay you."

"We can't repay kindness with enmity..."

……

The turnover was 662.6 yuan. After deducting the cost of ingredients, seasonings, and a rough estimate of various losses, the profit was about 360 yuan.

Zhou Yan put the bundles of money into the box and made sure to record the accounts.

Although turnover did not increase significantly, profits were quite substantial thanks to the drop in meat prices.

In this way, the monthly profit can reach nearly 10,000 yuan.

For a small restaurant in a rural town, this is already quite a remarkable performance.

The potential of the textile factory has been almost fully tapped. It can be said that most of the workers who are willing to spend money to eat at restaurants and buy braised dishes have already consumed at restaurants.

Moreover, after the initial excitement faded, the frequency of purchases by regular customers began to decline.

This is not hard to understand, after all, his prices are not low. Even if you come to eat with colleagues, the average cost per person is basically more than 60 cents, which is considered a high-end place in Suzhou.

The frequency has decreased, but the stability is good. I still come to restaurants with good food once or twice a week to treat myself.

Knowing that restaurants are generally closed on Sundays, many people chose to have their meals together in the evening, which to some extent compensated for the reduced frequency of consumption.

In addition, expanding the customer base beyond textile factories has gradually begun to show results thanks to the promotion by Sichuan Cuisine magazine and Jiaozhou Daily.

Zhou Yan glanced at the task list:
Side Quest: Zhao Shulan's Troubles! Progress 28%

Side Quest: Master's Obsession! Progress 99%

Main Quest: Breaking Boundaries Plan! Progress 136/200

The "Breaking the Circle" plan is progressing significantly, with the mission already more than halfway complete.

Aside from the elementary school students lured in by Zhou Momo's braised dishes, about half of the customers came because of her reputation. Some of them came all the way from Jiaozhou, saying they had read about her in magazines and newspapers and had come after hearing about her.

These customers generally have good spending power. They have a time cost to come to Suji, so they will take some braised dishes back with them when they leave, thus maintaining the restaurant's turnover.

Just like Section Chief Wu and reporter Shen Shaohua, who came to present the awards today, they took half a pound of braised pig's head meat and a pound of braised vegetables with them when they left, each spending two yuan.

They not only awarded Zhou Yan an award, but also gave him money.

Don't underestimate these customers; their reputation is built up little by little.

Daily newspaper reporters of that era possessed considerable publicity capabilities.

And Wu's circle happens to be the group of people in Jiaozhou City with the strongest spending power and the most particular about food.

Once he builds a good reputation, the word will naturally spread when he opens a restaurant in Jiaozhou.

Based on this trend, the task of breaking into new markets should have a chance to be completed next week.

His master isn't holding a banquet tomorrow, but if he's free, he'll probably come to the shop to learn. I'll have to teach him properly.

What's going on? It's been stuck at 99% for half a month, and Teacher Xiao really doesn't care at all!
Currently, the most promising task seems to be his master's perfect "Spicy Pig Liver" task.

He'd been trying to break through the final barrier for ages, but couldn't, so he decided to kick his master instead.

Over the past few days, he has accumulated more than a thousand yuan in cash. He still has seven hundred yuan left from buying the house. He will settle his parents' salaries tomorrow and take some time in the next couple of days to visit Suji and buy Xia Yao a gift as a return gift.

Aunt Zhao has told him about this twice.

Zhou Yan had a general idea in mind; he would go to the department store to take a look later.

Close your eyes and fall asleep in a second.

……

The next morning, Zhou Yan went out to buy groceries early as usual. Today he ordered two extra baskets of braised pork intestines, doubling the supply of braised pork intestines.

This should be the upper limit for braised pork intestines for a long time to come. Unless a separate pot of stinky brine is made specifically for braised pork intestines, he dares not increase the amount of pork intestines at will, lest he ruin the old brine.

"Looks like the braised pork intestines are selling very well. The price has already doubled on the second day." Zhang Laosan arranged for the pork intestines for Zhou Yan and loaded them onto the bicycle.

Comrade Zhou smiled and nodded: "Of course! It's soft, chewy, and not greasy at all. It's really delicious. I only tried two pieces."

"Now that you mention it, I'm tempted to eat some." Old Zhang smacked his lips and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, "Zhou Yan, save me a portion of your braised pork intestines. I'll bring my wife over for lunch after I close up shop."

"Sure, I'll save it for you." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. As a big customer of Zhang Laosan's meat stall, he would still bring his wife to the shop for a meal every week to show his support.

Zhou Yan now consumes over a hundred catties of meat every day, from pig's head to ribs, pork belly, and pig liver. Although the requirements are high, the quantity is also large.

Zhang Laosan said to Zhou Yan, "The pig's blood is very fresh. If you want to make blood curd sometime, just tell me and I'll save it for you. It's very cheap."

"Okay, I'll let you know if I need anything later." Zhou Yan nodded. Pig's blood curd is a good thing, but unfortunately he can't get it right now.

If done well, this thing can be very profitable.

The cost is very low; a pound of pig's blood can sell for less than a penny, but if it's made into blood curd and served in his shop, a bowl of it will cost at least five or six cents.

If you add some tripe or large intestine to make it into a spicy blood curd or a blood curd with large intestine, the price will go up even further.

I'll go back and ask my master for some advice, and see how well he's doing.

I've been busy all morning.

As expected, Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang arrived when the braised dishes were ready.

"Wow, Master Zhou's braised pork intestines look so delicious! You've added another new dish to your menu, you're really skilled." Xiao Lei said with admiration as he looked at the braised pork intestines that had just been taken out of the pot.

Zheng Qiang nodded in agreement, saying, "The color looks really appealing, but I wonder what it tastes like. Just looking at it makes my mouth water."

"Come, come, let me cut some for you to try. Please have the second and third-level masters taste and give their opinions." Zhou Yan took a knife, cut off a piece, sliced ​​it diagonally, put it on a plate, and handed them two pairs of chopsticks.

"How could I dare to give Master Zhou any pointers on braised dishes? We call this learning how to make braised dishes." Xiao Lei took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of fatty intestine, put it in his mouth, tasted it carefully, and nodded, "It's soft, chewy, and bursts with juice with every bite. The taste is absolutely fantastic. The fatty intestine is very clean, but the fat on the inner wall wasn't completely removed. It's been evenly preserved, making it even more oily and smooth."

"Quite professional." Zhou Yan couldn't help but give a thumbs up. It really has to be Master Xiao. He can tell whether someone is good or not just by looking at them.

“Uncle Xiao is right.” Zheng Qiang tasted a piece and nodded in agreement.

Xiao Lei rolled his eyes at him: "What do you mean I'm right? You should also express your own opinion. Young people should have their own views."

Zheng Qiang hesitated for a while, then looked helplessly at Xiao Lei: "Uncle-Master, how about I speak first next time? You've already said everything, what else can I say?"

"Okay, you go first next time." Xiao Lei nodded, picked up another piece and put it in his mouth, then said, "The pork intestines are cooked to perfection, tender but not mushy, and they're a bit chewy, yet you can easily cut them with your teeth."

It's delicious hot as a braised dish, served fresh with some broth. It should become even chewier when it cools down, making it even more enjoyable as a snack with drinks. The feeling of the oil slowly melting as you chew is wonderful; the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes.

Zheng Qiang listened, stunned. After a moment of silence, he said weakly, "Uncle-Master, why don't you finish everything next time? This makes me seem a bit slow..."

"Teacher Zheng, look at you, you're all red and hot again," Xiao Lei said with a smile.

Zhou Yan couldn't help but laugh.

When it comes to food, few can compare to a professional chef.

"Master, when will your spicy pig liver be ready? How many times have you tried? Haven't you gotten it right yet?" Zhou Yan asked Xiao Lei.

"That's why I've come to learn from Master Zhou again today. I'm just missing that tiny bit of feeling, something so mysterious and elusive, I just can't quite grasp it." Xiao Lei looked at Zhou Yan and said earnestly, "Tell me, where exactly is the difference between us? And how do you grasp that little bit of feeling?"

Zheng Qiang also looked at Zhou Yan with a curious expression.

Xiao Lei has come to Zhou Yan's place many times, just wanting to make the stir-fried pig liver even better. Time and time again, it seems like he's become a little obsessed.

Zheng Qiang felt that his uncle's stir-fried pig liver was already quite good, even better than his master's.

Although Zhou Yan's stir-fry was more perfect, the difference was so great that most ordinary customers could hardly taste the difference.

Is a dish of stir-fried pork liver that costs only 80 cents worth such meticulous craftsmanship in pursuit of perfection?
He didn't quite understand, and didn't dare to ask.

Zhou Yan was silent for a moment, then said, "Master, perhaps what you lack is not skill, but absolute confidence. Absolute confidence in the spatula in your hand and in the pig liver in the pot."

"Absolute self-confidence?" Xiao Lei murmured.

Zhou Yan nodded: "That's right! If you have a slight worry in your heart the moment the food goes into the pot, the result will inevitably be a little worse. This is your psychological expectation playing tricks on you."

"Let's not talk about techniques, let's talk about psychology?" Xiao Lei scratched his head.

“When science can’t explain something, we might consider the influence of psychological suggestion,” Zhou Yan said earnestly. “For example, believing in the power of belief.”

"The power of belief?" Xiao Lei pondered. "Your mentor once told me something: 'Believe in yourself without reservation. No matter what kind of person you want to become or what you want to accomplish, don't hesitate, focus on it, and you will maximize your chances of success.'"

Zhou Yan nodded: "You see, the wisdom of masters is all the same."

Zheng Qiang: ... Xiao Lei was silent for a while, then nodded: "What Teacher Zhou said makes sense."

“Master, you taught me my skills. Your culinary skills were passed down from Master Kong Huaifeng, a famous chef from Jiaozhou. Your techniques are already perfect. You must believe that the stir-fried pig liver you make is the most perfect.” Zhou Yan looked at him and said, “With this belief, stir-fry every plate of stir-fried pig liver, and the pig liver you make will definitely not be bad.”

Xiao Lei straightened his back a bit without realizing it. "Then let's make some stir-fried pork liver for lunch today. I'll start cooking now."

Zhou Yan took out his watch from his apron pocket, glanced at it, and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll stir-fry some pork cracklings with cabbage and make some fish-flavored tofu. That'll be our lunch."

"Fish-flavored tofu, Junior Brother Zhou, have you learned a new dish?" Zheng Qiang, who was in charge of tending the fire, asked curiously.

"I learned this new dish from the Sichuan Cuisine Cookbook. I thought I already mastered the fish-flavored sauce, and the tofu is readily available at the restaurant, so I wanted to learn how to make this fish-flavored tofu. However, my current version is still quite average and won't make it onto the menu. I'll ask my senior brother and master for some pointers later, and maybe I can improve faster," Zhou Yan explained, picking up a piece of tofu.

Although they often meet, his master is a genuine Level 2 chef with over 20 years of experience as a head chef in a textile factory.

Zheng Qiang is also a Level 3 chef, having studied and worked as a chef at Rongcheng Restaurant for over ten years.

A pillar of the Kong school of culinary tradition and a master chef in Jiaozhou.

In comparison, Zhou Yan is just a novice who has been learning to cook for two and a half years and has mastered a dozen or so dishes. He still has a lot of shortcomings in terms of experience in all aspects.

Bring out the dishes you've just learned to cook and ask the two masters for their critique and guidance; this is a very effective way to exchange ideas and communicate.

This is a small exchange meeting within their Confucian school.

Zhou Yan cut the tofu into rectangular strips, coated them with bean flour, and fried them in a pot until golden brown. Then he started to cut the pickled Erjingtiao tofu and other ingredients.

"Master Zhou's shredded pork with garlic sauce is so delicious. I'd like to learn how to make this spice sauce." Zheng Qiang added a piece of firewood to the stove and got up to watch Zhou Yan's cooking.

Zhou Yan didn't hide anything, adding ingredients as he said, "The proportions are very important. Look at this sugar and vinegar..."

"Master Zheng, start the fire, make it bigger, I want to use a fierce fire to cook this perfect stir-fried pig liver," Xiao Lei said.

"Alright!" Zheng Qiang responded, added two pieces of oak wood to the pot, and then vigorously pulled the bellows a few times. The fire in the stove immediately roared up, and the freshly washed pot, steaming with moisture, quickly dried, emitting a faint wisp of white smoke.

Once the wok was hot, Xiao Lei scooped in a spoonful of rapeseed oil, added a little lard, heated it up, and then added the pork liver to stir-fry.

It's sizzling!

Oil splattered everywhere, and the pig liver, coated in a bright red oil in the pot, curled up and was quickly taken out of the pot.

Zhou Yan, who had just ladled the fish-flavored tofu out of the pot, looked up and saw...

A perfect plate of stir-fried pork liver

Zhou Yan's eyes lit up immediately!
Become!

Master has succeeded!

Perfectly stir-fried pork liver, what a dazzling golden description!

"Try it and see how it is. I'm starting to get a feel for this one." Xiao Lei handed chopsticks to the two of them, his expression a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

"This looks really good, Master. I think you can definitely do it this time." Zhou Yan took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of pork liver and put it in his mouth. The extreme tenderness collided with the wok hei (smoky aroma) from the freshly cooked dish, and the spicy and savory flavor exploded on his tongue.

good to eat!

What he did was already on par with what I did.

"Perfect! Master, you did it." Zhou Yan put down his chopsticks, looked at Xiao Lei, and gave him a thumbs up.

Zheng Qiang nodded vigorously: "Yes, it's quite different from what I made before! It's almost the same as Zhou Yan's, extremely tender, cooked to perfection! The flavor is just right!"

"I'll try some too." Xiao Lei picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of pig liver, and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, his eyes reddened, and tears welled up in his eyes.

That familiar face resurfaced in his mind once more, the earnest teachings, the bamboo cane that lashed his palm, the disappointed look in her eyes, and the gratified smile...

He spent twenty years learning to make a dish called "Spicy Stir-fried Pig Liver".

This time, he finally recreated his master's flavor.

Correct!
This is the taste, Master. I did it.

He wanted to laugh, but the tears that had been welling up in his eyes finally spilled down his cheeks.

Unfortunately, Master won't be able to eat it.

Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang didn't dare to speak, but exchanged a silent glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Even a tough guy like him is shedding tears.

Did you eat yourself to tears?

My master is a man of strong emotions.

[Ding! Side Quest: Master's Obsession! Completed!]

[Reward: Salted Braised Cabbage Recipe]

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow; the reward arrived instantly.

Salty braised pork belly is a representative of Sichuan steamed dishes, ranking alongside sweet braised pork belly as one of the two best dishes, and is a frequent guest in the nine-bowl feast at the "Ba Ba Banquet".

Compared to the slightly sweet and cloying sweet braised pork belly, Zhou Yan prefers the irresistibly savory and salty braised pork belly!
A delicious and satisfying dish that's rich but not greasy!

That's great! What Zhou Yan's shop is missing is steamed dishes!
Steamed dishes are similar to braised dishes; they can be prepared in advance, kept warm in the steamer during mealtimes, and taken out as needed without putting pressure on the kitchen.

In Sichuan restaurants, you can often see a stack of small steamers piled up on the stove outside the door, filled with various steamed dishes.

Some Sichuan restaurants that specialize in dishes like sweet and savory braised pork belly, steamed spare ribs with rice flour, and steamed pork with rice flour have large and numerous steamers at their entrances.

Zhou Yan had previously wanted to find a master to learn how to steam dishes, but now it seems that he doesn't need to learn how to make braised pork belly.

You can learn from him how to make steamed pork with rice flour, steamed pork intestines with rice flour, and steamed beef with rice flour. All of these are ingredients readily available in the restaurant, and they are all quite delicious.

Zhou Yan really loves steamed pork intestines. The pork intestines, coated in rice flour and steamed until soft and tender, offer a completely different experience from braised pork intestines.

Xiao Lei quickly composed himself, turned his face away to wipe his tears, and said with a smile, "It's done! Now I can finally tell others that this spicy pork liver dish is a true masterpiece passed down from your master."

"Master is mighty!" Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“My master will definitely want to learn from you later,” Zheng Qiang said.

Xiao Lei waved his hand: "Take it out, this dish tastes best while it's hot."

"Okay!" Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang replied, carrying the dishes out the door.

Aunt Zhao had already served the rice, and everyone sat down to eat.

"Fish-flavored tofu! I love it!" Zhou Momo sat next to Zhou Yan, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the fish-flavored tofu coated in a bright red broth.

"Eat carefully, it's hot." Zhou Yan picked up a piece of tofu covered in thick broth and placed it in the small bowl piled high with rice.

"Mmm." The little guy nodded, brought his mouth close, blew on the hot rice in small sips, took a small bite, and immediately shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth, eating with great joy.

"Fish-flavored tofu, it looks quite appetizing, let me try it." Xiao Lei picked up a piece of fish-flavored tofu and put it in his bowl. The aroma of fish was irresistible, and the taste was authentic. The tofu was fried until golden brown on all six sides, and it looked quite appealing.

I fed it directly into my mouth and took a bite.

The salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavor of the fish is very prominent, and Zhou Yan's control over the fish flavor is indeed quite good.

After the tofu skin absorbs the broth, it becomes soft and crumbly, while the inside is quite tender and smooth.

"Master, how is it?" Zhou Yan asked nervously.

"The fish flavor is authentic, and the seasoning is perfect." Xiao Lei nodded and continued, "But the tofu's texture is not good. The bean flour coating is too thick. After frying, it absorbs the broth and sticks to the tofu, but the texture is a bit mushy. It's not crispy and refreshing enough, so it doesn't have the crispy outside and tender inside feeling. It needs to be readjusted."

The frying temperature also needs adjustment; you'll need to adjust it gradually based on the thickness of the bean flour, it's hard to explain in words. Finally, when boiling, you also need to adjust the heat; otherwise, the flavor won't penetrate the tofu and will just float on the surface.

"I see. I'll try to improve it later." Zhou Yan nodded repeatedly, feeling as if he had suddenly understood.

It turns out the problem started with coating the beans in flour; no wonder it didn't look quite right when he fried it later.

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

Let him try and make mistakes little by little on his own; he might struggle with the frying step for a long time.

With my mentor's guidance, I had a direction and was able to improve much faster.

You really do need a master!
"Senior Brother Zheng, what do you think?" Zhou Yan asked Zheng Qiang, who had also tried the fish-flavored tofu.

Zheng Qiang smiled awkwardly but politely: "I think it tastes better than what I make."

Zhou Yan: ...

Well, there is indeed a significant gap between a level 3 chef and a level 2 chef.

Aunt Zhao and the others tasted the fish-flavored tofu and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Isn't this delicious?

Why are there so many problems?

No wonder professional chefs make such delicious food; they have incredibly high standards for themselves!
After lunch, the guests still hadn't arrived.

Zhou Yan pulled his master into the kitchen, took a piece of tofu, and asked Xiao Lei to demonstrate the approximate amount of bean flour needed to coat it.

Xiao Lei pinched a piece of tofu strip coated with soybean powder and said, "Just a thin layer like this, making sure the surface of the tofu is completely coated, but not too thick, to ensure the texture."

"I see! Then I was indeed wrapped up too thickly." Zhou Yan nodded.

For the same piece of tofu, his master used less than half the amount of soybean flour as him.

Now we've found the problem!
He'll try making another batch tonight; he'll master the fish-fragrant tofu sooner or later!
"By the way, Master, where did you buy your steamers? I'd like to get a few." Zhou Yan asked Xiao Lei.

Xiao Lei looked at him with some surprise: "You want to serve steamed dishes?"

　Asking for a monthly ticket~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)