1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 235 When people are doing bad things...

"Has it already been published?" Zhou Yan was somewhat surprised to hear this. Shen Shaohua hadn't mentioned a specific publication time, only saying it would be two days later.

"Here you go, take your time reading it when you're done with your work." Wang Hongliang smiled and handed him the newspaper.

"Thank you, Factory Director." Zhou Yan came out and took the newspaper, glancing at it. Sure enough, it was the front page headline.

The Su brothers bravely captured a notorious bandit, and the people stood up to protect public order!

Zhou Yan suppressed the corners of his mouth, trying his best to make his smile look less smug.

The accompanying photos included two pictures: one of Zhou Ming receiving an award at school, and the other of his family receiving an award in front of a restaurant, which conveniently included the restaurant's signboard.

Shen Shaohua is a good reporter; he clearly understands what the key points are.

Next time he comes, I'll have to treat him to a meal.

"Zhou Yan, you're amazing!" Wang Wei gave Zhou Yan a thumbs up with a bright smile.

"Thank you." Zhou Yan nodded slightly.

"Impressive, Zhou Yan." Xia Yao smiled slightly at him, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.

"Thank you, I'll get back to work now." Zhou Yan put down the newspaper and turned to go into the kitchen.

"He's just too upright and has a very strong sense of justice. He was fired from the textile factory because he felt that Wang Defa disrespected his master and was targeting Master Xiao at every turn. During the morning meeting, he beat up Wang Defa in front of everyone and was taken away by the security department, which is why he was fired. This was only because he had behaved well before, so he was given a lenient punishment," Wang Wei and Xia Yao said in a low voice.

"I think it's great to be an upright person," Xia Yao said with a smile.

Wang Wei nodded in agreement: "Yes, that's a very rare quality."

"Sister Wang Wei is quite familiar with him?" Xia Yao glanced at her.

“I’m in charge of collecting the rent from these shops around the textile factory, so I’ve known him for a few months now. I used to run into him occasionally when we were working in the factory canteen. For a while, he was assigned to serve food, and the line at his window was always long. Quite a few female workers liked him,” Wang Wei said with a smile. “But his hands never shook when serving food. After a while, he was transferred back to the kitchen. I heard that his window was losing money, which made Wang Defa very angry.”

"Really?" Xia Yao was overjoyed when she heard that.

After chatting for a while, Wang Wei looked up at Wang Hongliang and said, "Uncle, I'll pay for the braised pig's trotters myself later. I'll treat Xia Yao to them."

"Pig's trotters are so delicious, why don't you treat me to one?" Wang Hongliang asked with a smile.

Wang Wei shook her head decisively: "No, my salary can only support me to treat Xia Yao to a meal."

Wang Hongliang smiled and nodded: "Okay."

Xia Yao also ordered a stir-fried cabbage with pork cracklings and two bowls of braised beef.

The factory manager and deputy factory manager sit here, and the managers and workers who enter the store will greet them.

They would both respond with a smile.

In those days, workers had a very high status in the factory. As long as they didn't do anything wrong, even if they offended the factory manager, the manager couldn't do anything about it.

When dealing with a tough nut to crack, it's always the factory manager who suffers.

Because of Wang Defa's affair, everyone in the factory knows that Wang Wei is the factory director's niece.

However, since he graduated from a vocational high school with a degree in accounting, and was assigned to a textile factory, he was highly capable and had a strong sense of justice, so no one said anything.

As for Xia Yao, her drowning incident caused quite a stir, and she's also very beautiful, so many people know that she's Lin Zhiqiang's niece.

It's quite surprising to see college students from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute interning at a textile factory.

After all, the mountain city is quite far away.

These four people sitting at one table are like a small family gathering.

Braised pork intestines and salted pork belly were served first.

A series of gazes followed and turned towards them.

Salted braised pork belly is a new dish that was just introduced today. It is the core dish of this large-scale banquet and is very popular.

However, the price of 2.2 yuan per serving still deterred many workers.

The salted braised pork belly at the factory canteen costs 1.5 yuan a serving, which is 70 cents cheaper than Zhou Yan's.

Steamed dishes require much less precise control of heat compared to stir-fried or braised dishes, so the difference between chefs doesn't seem as significant.

Whether Zhou Yan's 70-cent-more-than-average salted pork belly is worth the price remains to be seen.

So, the two factory managers ordered a plate of salted braised pork belly for everyone to try first.

It has to be the factory manager; he's more willing to try new things.

Slices of glistening, salty braised pork belly are neatly arranged on top of the bean sprouts, their reddish-brown skin and vibrant color resembling an enticing mountain of meat.

The aroma wafted out with the steam, the fragrance of the bean sprouts blending with the aroma of the meat, making it exceptionally tempting.

"Gulu——"

The sound of swallowing saliva rose and fell.

Lin Zhiqiang's was particularly loud.

He hadn't had a delicious braised pork belly for months, and the one served today looked incredibly appetizing.

"This braised pork belly looks so appealing. Too much soy sauce makes it dark and unappetizing, while too little makes it pale and tasteless. It should have this bright red and oily look; that's the best," Wang Hongliang nodded, picking up a piece with his chopsticks.

The meat was so soft that it sank into the chopsticks as soon as they were picked up, and it trembled as if it would break at any moment.

"The texture is just right, almost breaking when you pick it up, but not falling apart—that's the perfect state of being soft but not mushy." Wang Hongliang put the meat in his mouth, chewed it carefully, a look of surprise on his face, and only after swallowing did he say, "Delicious!"

"This braised pork belly is absolutely the best I've ever had! The salty and savory flavors of the bean sprouts and the aroma of the pork blend together perfectly, complemented by the sweet and savory soy sauce. It's so delicious!"

"After being fried, the tiger skin absorbs the juices from the bean sprouts and meat, making it very soft and sticky. The fat melts in your mouth, while the lean meat is tender and not dry, with a savory and fresh flavor."

"That's awesome!"

As he spoke, Wang Hongliang's voice became increasingly excited.

As a chef whose talent was wasted on the factory director, he has always been very confident in his culinary skills, even believing that they are no less than Xiao Lei's.

But the salted braised pork belly that Zhou Yan made today completely won him over.

The skill level of ordinary chefs in steaming dishes is indeed not that different; as long as the cooking time is right, it is difficult to create a significant difference.

But truly skilled chefs can achieve the ultimate in knife skills, heat control, and seasoning, thus creating a significant gap between them and ordinary chefs.

Wang Hongliang even felt that Zhou Yan's salted braised pork belly was better than Xiao Lei's.

"Let me try the bean sprouts again." Wang Hongliang picked up a piece of bean sprouts with his chopsticks. The bean sprouts, which had absorbed a lot of meat oil, were shiny with oil. When he chewed them, they made a crisp, crunchy sound.

"Authentic Yibin pickled mustard greens are crisp, sweet, and refreshing, perfect for cutting through grease and quenching thirst. They're savory with a hint of sweetness, and they soak up all the meat oil, making them incredibly fragrant! They're absolutely delicious with rice!"

"Fellow workers, I'm not exaggerating, but in my opinion, this salted braised pork belly is definitely worth a try. If you order it and think it's bad, just bring the plate to me later and I'll reimburse you. Of course, I'll take the meat home with me."

Wang Hongliang said with a smile, his tone relaxed and cheerful.

The workers at the restaurant laughed when they heard this.

Lin Zhiqiang couldn't resist picking up a piece of meat, wrapping it with some bean sprouts, and feeding it to his mouth. His eyes immediately brightened.

It smells so good!

This is the taste!

The crisp bean sprouts paired with the soft and tender meat make for an absolutely irresistible flavor.

Tender and slender Yibin pickled mustard greens, with their salty, fresh, and sweet flavor, are the soul of this dish. They are a perfect match for pork belly, creating this exquisitely delicious braised pork belly.

came back!
The familiar taste is back!

This is what you call salted braised pork belly!

The salted pork belly in the factory canteen now is utterly terrible; it's a complete mess.

Lin Zhiqiang knew that everyone was waiting for them to finish eating and give their ratings, so he spoke up, "It's no exaggeration to say that this is the best salted braised pork belly I've had since I came to Sichuan, bar none."

Everyone was surprised to hear this; Director Lin had given such a high evaluation.

"Boss, we'd like a serving of salted braised pork belly!"

"Aunt Zhao, we'll have one too!"

Some people were still hesitating, but others had already rushed to place their orders.

"Get it!"

"immediately!"

"There are only nine servings of salted braised pork belly today, otherwise you'll have to wait until tomorrow," Aunt Zhao replied with a smile, giving everyone a heads-up.

"There are only nine portions!"

The customers who were still hesitating immediately started placing their orders.

After ordering nine portions, Aunt Zhao removed the sign and smiled, "Alright, the salted braised pork belly is sold out! If you want some, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. I'll have Zhou Yan make more tomorrow so everyone can have some." "Ah—"

A chorus of sighs and lamentations erupted both inside and outside the restaurant.

"Is salted braised pork belly really that appealing?" Xia Yao asked, somewhat surprised.

Because it looked too fat, she had never ordered this dish at restaurants, nor had she ever participated in any of the traditional Sichuan-Chongqing banquets. Her previous knowledge of this dish was limited to Deng Hong's fervent love for it.

She really loves both salty and sweet braised pork belly. Every time she goes back to her hometown for a feast, she vividly describes to me how delicious the nine dishes she ate were, especially her salty and sweet braised pork belly.

Today's braised pork belly looks a little different; it has a reddish-brown color, like amber, and is less greasy, making it look quite tempting.

After hesitating for a moment, she picked up her chopsticks, put a piece in her bowl, and took a bite.

Well--

This taste!

It was completely different from what she had imagined.

The juicy pork belly, fatty but not greasy, has a special aroma, which must come from the finely chopped bean sprouts in this plate.

There's a Yibin-style spicy noodle shop near the back gate of their school, and their dormmates frequented it often. They especially loved the crisp and refreshing pickled mustard greens in the noodles, saying they were the soul of the dish.

The combination of pork belly and pork belly is truly a match made in heaven.

At that moment, she suddenly understood why Deng Hong loved it so much.

It's definitely worth it!
When she gets home tonight, she will write another letter to Deng Hong, telling her that she has eaten the best salted braised pork belly in the world.

Made by Zhou Yan!

Let that greedy girl be envious.

Before she even wrote the letter, she could already picture Deng Hong tossing and turning in bed, screaming about how terrible it was, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

Write! I'll write during my lunch break!

When people are doing bad things, they don't find it troublesome at all, and they can even give up their lunch break.

Wang Wei served her a bowl of rice and said with a smile, "In braised pork belly, the bean sprouts are the finishing touch. Scoop a spoonful over the steaming rice, and the bean sprouts soaked in the oil will definitely make you applaud."

"I'll give it a try." Xia Yao was already eager to try. She picked up a spoon, scooped a spoonful of bean sprouts onto the rice, mixed it evenly with chopsticks, and took a bite.

The oil from the sprouts mixed with the steaming hot rice, making it incredibly delicious.

Xia Yao's eyes cleared up a bit as she looked up at Wang Wei: "It's so delicious! It's not greasy at all when you eat it like this!"

"Eat slowly, the braised pig's trotters are here." Wang Wei moved the plate of hot braised pig's trotters a little closer to Xia Yao and said with a smile, "You choose first."

The bright red braised pig's trotters were split in half and placed on a plate. The plate wobbled as it was moved, the skin of the trotters trembling slightly. There was a pool of braising liquid underneath, steaming and emitting a fragrant aroma.

“I think it’s cut very fairly, so I’ll take my half.” Xia Yao picked up her chopsticks, ready to grab a piece.

"You have to use your hands to eat pig's trotters. It doesn't feel the same if you just pick them up with your hands. Watch me." Wang Wei put down her chopsticks, reached out and pinched both ends of the other half of the pig's trotter, then took a bite, chewed for a while, swallowed, and said with a smile, "You should try it, it's super delicious."

"Okay." Xia Yao also put down her chopsticks, picked up the pig's trotter like Wang Wei, and took a bite.

These braised pig's trotters are so tender!
The pork skin falls off the bone with a gentle touch, and the tendons between the meat and bone are soft, chewy, and bouncy – the texture is simply divine. The braising sauce has completely soaked in, making it impossible to stop eating, one bite after another.

"How is it?" Wang Wei asked.

Xia Yao nodded and said, "The braised pig's trotters are delicious, but they're a bit sticky on the lips. They're especially fragrant and tender."

Wang Wei said with a smile, "This is my favorite. Because of it, I can work in Suzhou for a few more years."

On the other side, Wang Hongliang was completely captivated by the braised pork intestines that had just been served.

"My goodness! How can braised pork intestines be so delicious? Soft, chewy, and fragrant with oil and braising sauce, it's absolutely amazing to chew!" Wang Hongliang exclaimed in admiration, picking up another piece of pork intestine with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth.

What he's least good at is making braised food, and maintaining a braising liquid isn't very practical for a busy factory manager.

But I happen to like having some braised food with my drinks.

Although he didn't eat out much during this period, he would buy some braised food every now and then to go home with his drinks, or buy some spiced braised vegetables for his grandson.

This braised pork intestine dish amazed him once again.

Pork intestines are his favorite food; braised pork intestines and dry-pot pork intestines are his specialties.

However, the intestines were too troublesome to prepare, so he would only do it when his two sons were home during holidays, and he would arrange for them to clean the intestines.

Zhou Yan's preparation of the fatty intestines was exactly what he wanted.

The large intestine was cleaned very thoroughly, removing excess fat, but a thin, even layer of fat was left on the intestinal wall, which ensured the texture of the large intestine without making it greasy.

"I'm going to pack some to take home later to have with my drinks. Braised pork intestines, they're great even when they're cold," Wang Hongliang said with a smile.

Everyone was very satisfied with the lunch.

Wang Hongliang held Lin Zhiqiang down and said with a smile, "I'll do it this time, you can do it next time."

"Okay." Lin Zhiqiang nodded with a smile and didn't pull any further.

"Grandpa, I'll pay for the pig's trotters myself." Wang Wei took out her purse and handed the money to Wang Hongliang.

"Okay, you decide." Wang Hongliang smiled and took the money.

"Thank you for the meal, sir. We're going for a walk now," Wang Wei said, taking Xia Yao's arm as they walked away.

When Xia Yao arrived at the door, she picked up Zhou Momo and they went for a walk along the river.

“Girls get to know each other so quickly; they can be holding hands and playing around after just one meal,” Wang Hongliang said with a smile.

“Exactly.” Lin Zhiqiang smiled as well.

It's good that Xia Yao can make new friends. Having an upright friend like Wang Wei makes it less likely for her to be harassed or bullied at the factory.

Lin Zhiqiang turned to the kitchen doorway and waved to Zhou Yan: "Little Zhou."

"Uncle Lin, what's the matter?" Zhou Yan asked as he scooped two plates of food out of the pot.

"It's Yao Yao's birthday today, and we're planning to have a simple celebration for her at your shop. An He asked me to say hello to you and ask you to cook her a bowl of longevity noodles for dinner. I wonder if it would be convenient for you?" Lin Zhiqiang gestured with his hand: "Just a small bowl will do, just a token."

"It's her birthday today." Zhou Yan was a little surprised, but quickly nodded with a smile: "No problem, I'll prepare it for her. I'll cook for her when you're almost finished eating."

"Then I'll have to trouble you." Lin Zhiqiang took out a piece of paper and handed it over: "Anhe went to inspect the construction site today and may be home late tonight. I ordered a few dishes, could you save them for me tonight so that there won't be any left if I come late?"

"Okay, I'll remember." Zhou Yan reached out and took it, stuffing it into his breast pocket.

"Then you continue with your work, I won't keep you any longer." Lin Zhiqiang turned and left.

Zhou Yan was indeed busy at the moment, so he turned around and went back to the stove to continue cooking.

After the business closed at noon, Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen, took out the menu written by Lin Zhiqiang, glanced at it, and had a general idea of ​​what to expect.

"What did Director Lin say to you?" Aunt Zhao asked while clearing the table.

"He said it's Xia Yao's birthday today, and asked me to save some dishes for him and make her a bowl of longevity noodles," Zhou Yan said.

“It’s Xia Yao’s birthday, so we should definitely celebrate it properly for her.” Aunt Zhao thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll treat you to dinner tonight. She’s given me so many gifts, and I haven’t returned the favor.”

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, went upstairs to change his clothes, put his wallet in his pocket, pushed his bicycle, and prepared to go out.

"Where are you going?" Aunt Zhao asked.

“Jiazhou, buy her a gift. Didn’t you tell me to do this again and again?” Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"What are you planning to give as a gift?" Aunt Zhao asked.

"I'm thinking of going to the department store to pick out a nice watch for her; I haven't noticed she's wearing one," Zhou Yan said. "What do you think?"

“The older generation says that you shouldn’t give clocks as birthday gifts; some people have this kind of superstition.” Aunt Zhao pondered for a moment and said, “Although our family doesn’t care about this saying, we should consider whether others think the same way.”

Zhou Yan was taken aback upon hearing this; he hadn't actually considered that aspect.

After all, someone as stingy as him has very little experience in giving gifts to others.

"Why don't you go to the department store and see if they have any nice silver bracelets? I noticed she's not wearing any jewelry," Aunt Zhao suggested. "Given her family's financial situation, if she needed a watch, she could definitely afford one. The fact that she's not wearing one means she doesn't like wearing them or doesn't think she needs them."

But no girl can resist a beautiful piece of jewelry. You can keep it when you're not wearing it and take it out when you want to. Compared to a practical watch, a bracelet seems more thoughtful.

“That makes sense! Mom, it has to be you.” Zhou Yan nodded and pushed her bicycle out the door.

Zhou Yan went to a department store and picked out a beautiful silver bracelet at the Lao Feng Xiang counter, spending 68.6 yuan.

The price of silver is 58 cents, but the craftsmanship of this bracelet is more complicated, so the craftsmanship price is slightly higher.

"A gift for your girlfriend? That's so thoughtful. So many girls have their eyes on this bracelet, but none of them have been willing to buy it." The saleswoman smiled as she helped him put the bracelet into a brocade box.

"Thank you." Zhou Yan smiled, picked up the gift box, and went out.

Back at the hotel, Zhou Momo was already sitting at the table drawing. When she saw Zhou Yan enter, she looked up and said in her childish voice, "Brother, what gift did you buy for Sister Yao Yao? Look, there are no flowers left. I want to give her a sea of ​​flowers, just like the mountain behind Grandma's house."

(End of this chapter)