1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 243 Shall we go to the docks for some fries later? (6.2k words combined)

Cold dishes, braised dishes, steamed dishes, and stir-fried dishes were served one after another, filling the two square tables to the brim.

"Today's food is even better than the banquet at the market!"

"Even nine bowls of soup can't taste this good! You have to try this Mapo Tofu, it's absolutely amazing!"

"The braised beef brisket is so good, tender and flavorful, and the dried bamboo shoots are also very fragrant."

The veterans and their families raved about the food, their smiles impossible to hide.

Song Changhe picked up a piece of salted braised pork belly, but fell silent.

"Squad Leader Song, what's wrong? Isn't this braised pork belly delicious?" Zhou Kang asked with a smile.

Song Changhe shook his head slightly and said in a gentle tone, "It's too comfortable. It's exactly the same as the salted braised pork belly that my master's wife makes. I haven't eaten such authentic and delicious salted braised pork belly with pickled mustard greens for many years."

When we were learning the craft, my master's wife would make salted braised pork belly during festivals. She would make ten bowls at a time, and we could finish them all in one meal.

These young boys, barely out of school, were practically eating their fathers out of house and home. A group of martial arts practitioners were carrying bowls and basins full of food. If it weren't for a few of their fellow disciples coming from wealthy families and regularly sending money up the mountain, they probably would have eaten all the tree roots on the mountain.

My teacher's wife is from Yibin. Every year, she makes several jars of pickled mustard greens. After harvesting the greens each year, she cuts them into strips and hangs them on bamboo poles to dry, and then pickles them. The process of pickling three times and fermenting them in two cellars is very complicated, but my teacher's wife does it every year without fail.

Besides making braised pork belly, the pickled mustard greens are also used to stir-fry twice-cooked pork. After finishing the meat on the plate, we mix the pickled mustard greens with rice; the fragrant and oily pickled mustard greens mixed with rice are simply delicious.

Sometimes, my master's wife would also make steamed buns with pickled mustard greens. She would finely chop half-fat and half-lean pork and pickled mustard greens and wrap them inside the buns. After practicing martial arts in the morning, my fellow disciples and I could eat ten hot steamed buns in one go.

I've never eaten such delicious bean sprout and pork buns in my life.

In the blink of an eye, my teacher's wife has been gone for almost twenty years. My wife learned how to make bean sprouts from her mother and has been making them every year, so we've always had bean sprouts at home.

"It's been almost three years since Susu left, and there are still two jars of pickled mustard greens she made the year she passed away, which I haven't been able to open. These past two years, the salted pork belly I've eaten at the market feasts has mostly been local pickled mustard greens; this is the first time I've tasted such authentic pickled mustard greens."

After finishing speaking, Song Changhe put the salted braised pork belly on his chopsticks into his mouth and savored it.

“Susu is my grandma, and her mother is my grandpa’s master’s wife. My grandpa was the third among his fellow disciples, and my grandma was the youngest, the junior sister.” Song Wanqing stood at the kitchen door with a bowl in her hand and said to Zhou Yan and the others, her expression showing a bit of heartache: “It seems that grandpa still misses grandma and his fellow disciples very much.”

Zhou Hongwei took a bite of rice mixed with bean sprouts, chewed and swallowed, then asked curiously, "Your grandfather must have had many fellow disciples and apprentices, right? Don't they get together during holidays?"

Song Wanqing was silent for a while, then shook her head: "The six of them went out of Sichuan to fight against the Japanese together, but in the end only my grandfather came back. After my great-grandfather passed away, their martial arts school on Mount Emei was completely closed."

Two years ago, I accompanied my grandfather to Mount Emei. The grass was taller than a person, and it was desolate. The former glory was nowhere to be seen.

When I was little, my grandma often told me about their youth. She said that when my grandpa was young, he hated evil and wished he could kill all the evil people in the world with a long spear.

In those years, the bandits around Mount Emei held a certain reverence for these fellow disciples, and would avoid committing crimes in that area, which could be seen as a way of protecting the local safety.

Zhou Ming said with deep emotion, "Mr. Song is indeed a hero, worthy of our emulation."

Song Wanqing looked at him and said with a smile, "You're not bad either. I've never seen what my grandfather looked like when he was young, but I imagine he must have been someone like you."

"I...I'm still far from good enough." Zhou Ming was a little embarrassed, but the upturned corners of his mouth couldn't hide his smugness.

Zhou Yan and Zhou Hongwei glanced at the two of them at the same time, then looked at each other.

Zhou Yan saw a complex mix of shock, confusion, and envy in his eyes.

He suppressed a laugh. Teacher Song's level was still too high; she could coax Ming into becoming a placenta with just one sentence.

The four of them ate lunch on small stools by the kitchen door, chatting as they ate, and quite enjoyed their meal.

"Zhou Yan, your cooking skills are really amazing! I think every dish is better than Leming Restaurant and Feiyan Restaurant." Song Wanqing looked at Zhou Yan with burning eyes: "When are you going to open a restaurant in Jiaozhou? You've already bought Grandma Qiu's house, you must have this idea in mind, right?"

Zhou Yan nodded: "I have that idea, but we need to save up money first to tear down and rebuild that house, which will probably be after the new year."

"It'll take that long... I thought you were ready to start operating once you took back those two shops." Song Wanqing sighed.

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "If Teacher Song wants to eat, just have Ming take you to Suji. He used to practice martial arts, and now that he's a teacher, he has a lot of energy to spare. It won't be a problem for him to make a round trip between Suji and Jiaozhou. Don't worry about him."

Upon hearing this, Song Wanqing turned to Zhou Ming and said with a smile, "Teacher Zhou, is that alright?"

“No problem.” Zhou Ming nodded without hesitation. “If Teacher Song wants to eat, just let me know anytime. I’ll take you home after you finish eating.”

"Teacher Zhou, you are such a good person," Song Wanqing said with a smile, her voice tinged with emotion.

"It's nothing," Zhou Ming said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Zhou Hongwei, holding his rice bowl and carrying a small stool, moved from Zhou Ming's side to Zhou Yan's side and whispered, "Why doesn't Cui Cui treat me like this?"

"That must be because Cui Cui is different," Zhou Yan said casually, picking up a piece of pork rib.

“Yes, Cui Cui is different.” Zhou Hongwei nodded in deep agreement.

Zhou Yan glanced at him and laughed, "It's been three years, and your Cui Cui still barely acknowledges you?"

"You don't understand, I'm just pretending to be infatuated with her right now," Zhou Hongwei said confidently.

"I think she's playing you, Hongwei."

"This is just part of my plan; I have my own pace."

"In three years, Zhou Momo has learned to draw clowns, and you haven't even held her hand."

Zhou Hongwei paused in his rice-eating, looked up at him earnestly, and said, "Listen to me, she's really different from others. She's just a little slow to warm up, but she really understands me."

“She’s pretty nice to me sometimes; she even gave me a roasted sweet potato last time.”

Zhou Yan looked at him in silence for a while, then said seriously, "Hongwei, not everyone has a sense of humor."

"Really? You think I'm funny too?" Zhou Hongwei's eyes lit up.

Zhou Yan nodded: "That's right, friend, you're the funniest one I've ever met."

Zhou Hongwei nodded in satisfaction after listening: "That's what Cui Cui said too."

"Quack quack quack—" Song Wanqing laughed like a goose from the side.

Zhou Ming looked puzzled: "Didn't that girl have a pretty good opinion of her?"

Zhou Yan glanced at him and couldn't help but sigh.

Song Wanqing finally stopped laughing and looked at Zhou Ming, saying, "Really? I think you're quite humorous. I never noticed that before."

"Really? I've always thought I was a bit dull." Zhou Ming chuckled, quite pleased.

"It's great, there's a kind of funny that's adorably silly." Song Wanqing nodded earnestly.

Zhou Yan: ...

Seriously, Ming-ge only met Teacher Song because he was lucky.

If you encounter someone like Huang Qiucui, you'll be no different from Zhou Hongwei.

If the two of them return to Gotham, they'll be the two heroes of Gotham; even Batman would run away from them.

“This…how is it different?” Zhou Hongwei’s expression was somewhat complicated. He took the bowl and squatted down to the side, withdrawing into his own thoughts.

Huang Qiucui was their junior high school classmate from the next village. She was thin and small, with fair skin, loved to dress up, had a sharp voice, and loved to take advantage of others. She was Zhou Hongwei's object of affection.

This girl has several sycophants on her side; Zhou Yan knows of at least three, including Zhou Hongwei.

As for what he doesn't know, there's probably more.

She could be considered a saintess of the Beast Taming Sect, regardless of her status.

There's no way around it; Zhou Hongwei still can't shake off the aesthetic of being pale, young, and thin.

"There are still two servings of salted braised pork belly in that steamer. Should we serve them?" Song Wanqing asked Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan shook his head and said, "I think there's enough food. Those two servings of salted braised pork belly were extra that I made on purpose. It's usually quite troublesome to make at home. You can save them for dinner and tomorrow. Just steam them. They taste even better than freshly steamed ones."

Song Wanqing's eyes lit up. "You've thought of everything! My grandfather loves salted braised pork belly, he'll be very happy."

"Of course," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

The meal lasted for two hours. The veterans drank quite a bit of alcohol and gradually started talking about their years in the army. They recounted one fierce battle after another, gritted their teeth when talking about the crimes of the Japanese invaders, couldn't help but shed tears when talking about their comrades dying in front of them, and were full of vigor when talking about killing the enemy on the battlefield.

"During the Battle of Taierzhuang, our platoon was reduced to only five men by the end. I killed two Japanese soldiers, and I was shot twice—once in my left hand and once in my ear. There's also a bullet lodged in my shoulder that we haven't been able to remove." Zhou Kang waved his hand, his expression somewhat excited.

"If Brother Zhou Yi hadn't carried me out, I would have died there. But I wasn't scared at all. Killing one would be enough for me, killing two would be a bonus! I didn't even feel the bullets hitting me. I charged with Squad Leader Song, and the only thought in my mind was to kill the Japanese devils."

Song Changhe took a sip of wine, his gaze becoming somewhat profound: "In that battle, I killed four Japanese soldiers, and in the end, I killed two more in a bayonet fight. My second senior brother died in Taierzhuang. The shells landed around us, and he pushed me away. He was blown up, leaving only his upper body."

"Too many people died in that battle, but it also showed the spirit of the Chinese people! I even carried a bomb up there, but I was knocked unconscious by a shell. When I woke up, I was in a field hospital, and I had lost two big toes..."

Zhou Yan moved a small stool to the side and listened. If it weren't for the old comrades' gathering, they would rarely mention these things to their families.

The accompanying family members helped clear the table, and some even volunteered to wash the dishes.

Zhou Yan didn't refuse; he was a chef, and chefs usually don't wash dishes.

Having aged and drunk quite a bit, the veterans took their leave one after another and were taken away by their families.

The bustling courtyard gradually quieted down again.

Zhou Yan had already packed the kitchen knife and seasonings and was ready to leave.

Zhou Kang swayed as he stood up from his chair, grasped Song Changhe's hand, his hand trembling uncontrollably, but his voice was exceptionally steady: "Old squad leader, I'm leaving. The next time we meet will be when we regroup down here. I'll still be with you to kill the Japanese devils."

"Okay!" Song Changhe gripped his hand tightly, his expression somewhat moved.

“I shouldn’t have said this, but since there won’t be a next time, I’ll say a few more words today.” Zhou Kang continued, “Although Brother Zhou Yi passed away early, my sister-in-law Zhang raised her five sons very well. They are all down-to-earth and brave people.”

The fifth son, Zhou Weiguo, was born posthumously. Two years ago, while fighting the Vietnamese, he lost an arm and a leg, but he survived as a first-class meritorious soldier.

Among his grandsons, two are serving in the military and have performed exceptionally well, receiving numerous commendations and being sent home.

Zhou Ming is a child I watched grow up. He has a pure heart and started practicing martial arts at the age of eight. He has won championships in martial arts competitions at all levels and even trained hard in Mount Emei for several years.

His acts of bravery and righteousness, starting from his childhood, are truly countless and cannot be summarized in a single newspaper article. If you ever want to take on an apprentice and pass on your marksmanship, you might want to consider Zhou Ming; he's someone who can learn the craft steadily. In this era of changing ideologies, young people are all trying to find ways to make money in business, but he's different.

You say learning to shoot is useless, but I disagree. The fact that no Japanese soldier can beat you in a bayonet fight is the best proof of that.

Song Changhe held his hand in silence for a long time, and finally nodded heavily: "Kangzi, I will seriously consider what you said."

Zhou Kang smiled, withdrew his hand, stood up straight, and raised his trembling hand in a military salute.

Song Changhe also stood up straight and returned a standard military salute to him.

Looking at each other speechless.

"Hongwei, it's time to go home." Zhou Kang turned around and walked towards the door, leaning on his cane.

"Okay!" Zhou Hongwei replied, bowed to Song Changhe, and pushed the cart out the door with red eyes.

"Sixth Master..." Zhou Ming slowly clenched his fist, his eyes also reddening.

Zhou Yan reached into his chest pocket and touched the piece of paper inside, feeling a sudden tightness in his chest.

Although he didn't have much contact with Sixth Master, the old man left a deep impression on him.

"Mr. Song, Ms. Song, we're off now." Zhou Yan pushed the car and said goodbye to Song Changhe and Song Wanqing.

"Goodbye, Mr. Song," Zhou Ming said respectfully.

"Wait a minute, let me see you off, and I also need to settle your bill." Song Wanqing untied her apron and ran to her room to get her wallet.

"Zhou Ming, why do you want to learn the Emei spear technique?" Song Changhe suddenly asked, his eyes fixed on Zhou Ming like sharp arrows.

Song Wanqing stopped abruptly, and Zhou Yan also paused in his steps.

Zhou Ming quickly stood up straight and said solemnly, "Emei Spear Technique is one of the orthodox traditions of Emei martial arts, and one of the four famous spear techniques in China. The spear technique combines hardness and softness, with eighteen spear techniques and twelve reverse hand techniques, combining offense and defense, and breaking through all other martial arts."

Today, the Emei spear is in decline, and its inheritance is facing the predicament of being cut off. The organization is making every effort to rescue and protect it, and is trying to collect more paper materials.

But after studying martial arts for eighteen years, I know that if martial arts are reduced to nothing more than cold, concise words, then it is no different from the loss of its lineage.

We cannot expect that decades from now, future generations will be able to reproduce the glory of the Emei spear based on the text in the spear manual and a few illustrations.

I believe that Emei spear techniques and Emei martial arts were methods of self-defense during times of war, and they remain effective means of self-defense against villains in times of peace. If their foundations could be developed and promoted, they could also have the effect of strengthening the body.

The Emei spear technique has been passed down for hundreds of years, embodying the spirit and character of generations of martial arts masters. I believe this is even more worthy of being passed down than the spear technique itself.

In the past few years, I have been a teacher and have come into contact with many talented children. They may not have excellent grades, or they may even be considered bad kids by others.

However, after learning martial arts, they are better able to control their behavior. Learning martial arts begins with cultivating virtue; reverence breeds humility. Many children, through their daily rigorous training, develop a more resolute will and mindset than their peers.

After listening and thinking for a long time, Song Changhe looked at Zhou Ming and nodded, saying, "At your age, my level of thinking is not as high as yours."

"You're too modest," Zhou Ming said, flustered, and quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

Song Changhe shook his head and sighed:
There are always people more capable than you; never bully the weak; respect breeds humility.

"The merit of self-discipline far surpasses that of defeating the enemy."

"Holding a skill is like holding a blade; be careful when drawing it."

“When I first started learning, that’s how my master taught me, but it wasn’t until many years later that I understood the deeper meaning. Now you’re so young, yet you’re already able to put your knowledge into practice and teach younger children, while I’m like a stubborn, stinking rock, stuck in the past for over thirty years and unable to break free.”

"Before my master's wife passed away, she told me that I must take on a disciple, even if it's just one, to pass on the Emei spear technique. But I couldn't make up my mind, and I kept putting it off until I was seventy-five. Today, as I look back on the past and say goodbye to my comrades, I realize I can't wait many more years."

The wind ruffled his gray hair, making him look even older in his disheveled state.

Song Changhe smiled, as if he had made up his mind, and looked at Zhou Ming, saying, "You really want to learn martial arts from me?"

Zhou Ming cupped his hands respectfully and said, "If Elder Song is willing to accept me as his disciple, I will certainly study martial arts diligently, do my best, and live up to your expectations by passing on the Emei Spear Technique!"

Song Changhe nodded and said in a loud voice, "Alright! Then I will take you as my disciple and pass on the Emei Spear Technique to you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ming was both surprised and delighted. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Song Changhe, saying, "Master! Please accept my bow!"

Song Wanqing covered her mouth, shocked and delighted, trying hard to control her emotions.

How come this stubborn old man suddenly had an epiphany today!

She thought she would need to do more persuasion work for a while, and had even prepared a plan to cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide, but before she could carry it out, her mission was accomplished.

Zhou Yan was equally dumbfounded, never expecting that Zhou Ming would actually become an apprentice so easily!

Wasn't the purpose of bringing him here today to meet him and make a first impression?

How come...

Become!

Perhaps today's salted pork belly awakened memories in his heart, or perhaps Sixth Master's words made him realize that life has an end.

Song Changhe reached out and helped Zhou Ming up, patted his strong arm and said with a smile, "Don't rush to call me Master. In a few days, I will arrange an apprenticeship ceremony and invite a few friends to witness it."

"Since we're going to take on apprentices, we should do it formally, so that our friends in the martial arts world know that you are the inheritor of our Emei spear technique."

"Yes." Zhou Ming cupped his hands, his face beaming with joy.

Song Changhe then looked at Zhou Yan and said with a smile, "Zhou Yan, today's banquet was very well organized. Everyone ate and drank to their heart's content. Your cooking skills are excellent, and the arrangements were also very good."

"You and all the veterans are my grandfather's comrades-in-arms. I'm very happy to be able to make sure you eat and drink well," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Song Changhe nodded and said to Song Wanqing, "Qingqing, settle the bill for Zhou Yan."

"Okay!" Song Wanqing took out her wallet and asked Zhou Yan, "How much is it in total?"

Zhou Yan said, "Thirty yuan in total."

"How many?"

Song Wanqing and Song Changhe both looked at Zhou Yan.

“Thirty,” Zhou Yan explained with a smile. “It’s a veterans’ gathering. I only need to charge for the ingredients and seasonings. If I dared to charge more, my grandmother would definitely beat me when I got back.”

"How can that be? You've been busy making so many dishes and come all this way, you definitely deserve to be paid." Song Wanqing pulled out a wad of ten-yuan notes from her wallet, counted them roughly, and handed them to Zhou Yan: "One hundred. Last time you went to the Qiu family mansion to prepare a banquet, I asked Yu Yan, and he gave you one hundred."

“In Hong Kong, they call it a tip. If I don’t accept it, she’ll think the skill isn’t worth the price. We don’t do that here. I only need thirty.” Zhou Yan smiled and pulled out three ten-yuan bills. “Teacher Song, we don’t need to be so polite. Ming-ge has become Teacher Song’s apprentice, so we’re family now. Being polite would make us seem distant.”

Song Wanqing smiled upon hearing this, put the money back into her wallet, and nodded, saying, "I like what you said, so I won't be polite."

Upon hearing this, Song Changhe smiled and nodded, no longer declining.

Zhou Yan and Zhou Ming said goodbye and left.

Song Wanqing saw them to the door, then looked at Zhou Ming with a smile and said, "Teacher Zhou, congratulations on getting what you wanted."

"Thank you, Teacher Song," Zhou Ming said solemnly.

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow." Song Wanqing waved to him.

"See you tomorrow." Zhou Ming nodded.

In the courtyard, Song Changhe watched the two figures disappear through the doorway, a smile appearing on his face.

"Zhou Yan! I've successfully become an apprentice!" After leaving Dongfeng Lane, Zhou Ming finally couldn't contain his excitement.

"Congratulations, Teacher Zhou." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

"I never expected it to go so smoothly, it's like a dream." Zhou Ming slapped his face, worried that he was dreaming.

"Is this considered smooth sailing? Liu Bei only visited Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage three times, but you must have come thirty times before it worked out," Zhou Yan teased. Sometimes a person's mind can change in an instant, and today was indeed unexpected and surprising.

“That’s different! Old Master Song originally didn’t plan to take on any apprentices, but he suddenly changed his mind today.” Zhou Ming grinned.

"Then you should thank Teacher Song and Sixth Master. One of them pleaded and begged for you every day, and the other vouched for you, which is how Old Master Song changed his mind."

Zhou Ming nodded and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, "You're right. We should thank Teacher Song and Sixth Master, and we should also thank you. You've put in a lot of effort and helped me a lot during this time regarding my apprenticeship."

"We're brothers, no need to thank me." Zhou Yan waved his hand dismissively.

"You're right, brother, I'll keep that in mind." Zhou Ming smiled as well. "Where are you going now? Back to Suji?"

"Let's go to Jiaozhou Wharf. My mom and the others should be at their new house. It's their first time back, so I'll show them around." Zhou Yan looked at him and said, "Do you want to come along for a walk?"

Zhou Ming's eyes lit up, and he nodded, "Sure! Everyone knows you bought a house in Jiaozhou, but no one has been there yet. I'll go with you to take a look today."

"Let's go then." Zhou Yan got on his bicycle and rode towards Jiaozhou Wharf.

"Do you think Sixth Master's health isn't very good?"

"Sixth Master has been looking after other people's lives for half his life, so he's probably got his own life figured out too."

"Sigh..." Zhou Ming sighed softly, remained silent for a moment, and then looked at Zhou Yan with some emotion, asking, "Tell me, what is the meaning of life?"

"Shall we grab some fries at the dock later?"

"what?"

"Let's go to the dock later to have some tofu pudding."

"Sure, I like beef brisket."

"Aren't you from the Emei Sect?"

"I don't care, I just love eating beef brisket!"

"Okay, you have good taste."

……

　There will be another update later, it will probably be quite late, so don't wait, check back tomorrow morning~~ Please give me a monthly vote!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)