1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 245 I Can't Bear This Suffering Anymore (6k words combined)

"Sure! I'll have the kitchen make it for you right away, and I'll add two extra eggs!" The round-faced proprietress replied with a smile. "You handsome guy really knows how to eat mala tang. Our fried rice is usually only known to regular customers. I see this is your first time here, how would you know?"

"A friend recommended this place, saying your broth is fragrant, the dipping sauce is well-made, the ingredients are fresh, and the taste is absolutely fantastic," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "He also told me I absolutely have to try your fried rice with eggs, it's so delicious to eat it with spicy hot pot."

"Oh my, you're so good at talking!" The boss grinned from ear to ear and turned to go to the kitchen.

"Which of your friends often comes to eat here?" Aunt Zhao asked curiously.

“A classmate,” Zhou Yan casually made up, as he was an expert at eating spicy hot pot.

Not only mala tang, but he also likes to order a plate of egg fried rice in the second half of his hot pot meal.

Even the most fragrant broth and the freshest ingredients, when paired with a dipping sauce, can feel a bit greasy after eating for half an hour.

At this time, a bowl of egg fried rice would be perfect.

Hehe, that was absolutely amazing!

Zhou Yan glanced behind the counter and said to the clerk next to him, "Auntie, bring me three more bottles of Shancheng beer and two bottles of Tianfu cola."

"Okay!" the auntie replied, quickly bringing them beer and cola, along with a bottle opener.

"Are we not going to live like this anymore?" Zhou Ming whispered, watching Zhou Yan open the bottle with a few clicks.

How much money must this meal cost?

"Want a drink or not? If not, I'll open one less bottle." Zhou Yan placed the beer in front of him and asked with a smile.

Zhou Ming smiled and nodded: "Drink! I'm happy today, it's fitting to have a bottle!"

"Come on, old man, let's have a couple of drinks today." Zhou Yan opened a bottle of beer for Old Zhou.

Old Zhou didn't reach out to take it; instead, he looked at Aunt Zhao.

"Look at my hands! Come on, drink up! You two have never drunk together before," Aunt Zhao said with a smile.

"Okay." Old Zhou then smiled and took the beer.

Zhou Yan opened two more bottles of Tianfu Cola and handed them to Aunt Zhao and Zhou Momo.

"Cola!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up as she held out her little hand to take it, smiling happily.

"Come on, let's celebrate Ming-ge's successful apprenticeship!" Zhou Yan raised his glass and said with a smile.

"It's done?!"

Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou's eyes lit up when they heard this. Zhou Yan had told them about this before, saying that it would be fraught with difficulties.

How come I ended up becoming a disciple of someone else just by cooking a meal today?

"Yes, today it was all thanks to Sixth Master, Teacher Song, and Zhou Yan's help. I never expected that my first formal meeting with Mr. Song would result in me becoming his apprentice." Zhou Ming said with some emotion, feeling that it was somewhat miraculous.

"Actually, it's all because Ming-ge is outstanding, capable, and of excellent character that Mr. Song favors him so much and is willing to take him on as a disciple." Zhou Yan smiled and raised his glass. "Come on, cheers."

"Here, cheers."

The five cups clinked together, and everyone's face beamed with smiles.

With the weather getting colder lately, beer feels especially refreshing, instantly masking any greasy feeling.

Zhou Yan cooked another batch of beef with houttuynia cordata and handed three or four pieces to everyone.

Beef with houttuynia cordata is made by rolling up slices of beef with houttuynia cordata (a type of herb) folded in half and then skewering them on bamboo sticks.

Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint, is a plant that many people from other places find terrifying.

In Sichuan, houttuynia cordata is a favorite among many gourmets.

Add houttuynia cordata to hot pot dipping sauce, add houttuynia cordata to roasted sweet potato noodles, tie houttuynia cordata up and put it in the hot pot, roll it up with beef and put it on a bamboo skewer to make mala tang (spicy hot pot).

Broad beans mixed with houttuynia cordata is a common dish on Sichuan people's tables in spring.

After being boiled, the originally raw, crisp, and spicy houttuynia cordata immediately becomes soft and tender. When wrapped in beef and dipped in dried chili powder, it has a unique flavor, and you can no longer taste the houttuynia cordata.

Before long, the proprietress brought out a steaming bowl of fried rice with eggs.

The rice fried with free-range eggs has a golden color. The eggs are fried a little dry and are loose, which blends perfectly with the distinct grains of rice. Before serving, a handful of chopped green onions are sprinkled on top, mixing them evenly, but the green onions are still fresh and bright green, and the aroma is irresistible.

"Wow! I want to eat!" Zhou Sanwan's eyes lit up. As a rice connoisseur, she had no resistance to a steaming bowl of egg fried rice.

"Okay, let me serve you a bowl first." Zhou Yan took a small bowl and filled it to the brim.

"Thank you, bro! I'll always love you!" Zhou Momo grabbed a spoon and started eating.

Zhou Yan ladled a bowl of egg fried rice for everyone, and didn't forget to have some for himself, picking up his chopsticks and taking a bite of the steaming hot egg fried rice.

The scrambled eggs were a bit dry and crumbly, not exactly smooth and tender, but the free-range eggs had a rich aroma. The steamed rice was fluffy enough, with each grain distinct. Stir-fried with lard, it was incredibly savory. With one bite, the aroma of scallions exploded in your mouth, completely masking the greasiness of the hot pot, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

good to eat!

"Mmm, this fried rice is so fragrant and oily, with plenty of lard. It's really delicious with spicy hot pot." Aunt Zhao shoveled a mouthful of rice, then dipped the beef with houttuynia cordata in the oil sauce and put it in her mouth, nodding repeatedly in approval.

"Zhou Yan really knows how to eat," Zhou Ming praised.

Once the egg fried rice is served, the spicy hot pot becomes a side dish.

Zhou Yan continued to cook vegetables in the broth, mixing them with fried rice and occasionally taking a sip of ice-cold beer. It felt absolutely wonderful.

The meal lasted for more than an hour. All the meat skewers piled up like a small mountain in the bamboo basket were cooked in the hot pot, and broth was added twice during the meal.

The large bowl of fried rice was completely devoured.

"Check, please." Zhou Yan took out his wallet and went to the front desk to pay.

The owner counted the bamboo skewers in front of him and said with a smile, "There are 280 short skewers, 42 long skewers, a bowl of fried rice, three bottles of beer and two bottles of cola. The total is 11.36 yuan, let's just say 11.2 yuan."

"Okay, thank you." Zhou Yan took out his money to pay the bill.

Eating eleven yuan in one meal attracted a lot of attention.

This young man is really willing to spend money.

"Come again next time!" The proprietress smiled and saw everyone out; this was truly a big order.

"belch--"

The group stood at the entrance of the mala tang restaurant and all let out a satisfied burp.

"I'm so full~" Zhou Momo patted her round little belly. "I only ate two bowls, why am I full already?"

"You didn't mention a single word about those strings of meat," Zhou Yan said with a helpless smile.

“That’s too extravagant. We can only come here to eat once a month at most,” Aunt Zhao said seriously.

"Your mother is right," Comrade Zhou nodded.

“I agree with Fourth Aunt,” Zhou Ming nodded in agreement. “It’s delicious, but it’s too decadent!”

"Brother, I'll always be on your side!" Zhou Momo ran to Zhou Yan's side and hugged his leg. "If they won't eat, we'll eat it ourselves!"

"Okay! We'll come and eat by ourselves next time." Zhou Yan scooped her up.

This is called "those who know when to yield will have food to eat."

The sun was about to set, and the lights on East Street were lit up. Customers came and went, and many customers were already sitting behind the stalls, making it quite lively and bustling.

"I didn't expect East Street to be so lively. Back when I was in school, there wasn't much of a crowd here. Since the policy on individual businesses was relaxed, the market has become so vibrant." Zhou Ming looked at the people coming and going and said with a smile, "Zhou Yan, if you opened your restaurant here, your business would definitely be booming!"

Aunt Zhao's eyes also lit up: "Yes, there are so many people. City people have money and are willing to spend it."

She wasn't very confident about opening a restaurant in the city, thinking that the area near the textile factory was good enough, since Zhou Yan could earn several thousand yuan a month, which was quite a considerable income.

But looking at the pedestrians coming and going on East Street, he was tempted again.

As they walked home, Aunt Zhao couldn't help but ask Zhou Yan, "Aren't we making making money too complicated? Look how simple his mala tang is. He just boils a broth as the base, prepares two dipping sauces, cuts the ingredients and skewers them on bamboo sticks, and the customers pick out what they want and cook it themselves. He makes money so easily."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "If we open a restaurant that specializes in braised beef, and also sell some steamed dishes, we can build up a good reputation and sell quite a lot every day. We can easily make money that way."

However, I don't think that's what I'm after. I still want to run a restaurant well, so that customers can enjoy a wider variety of dishes, and I can continue to hone my culinary skills and improve myself.

Aunt Zhao was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then smiled and said, "That's good, you should strive to reach the top! You're only twenty years old and you're already looking for comfort and ease. Do you really want to be a beef noodle soup chef for the rest of your life?"

Zhou Yan continued, "Of course, I don't rule out the possibility of splitting some projects into standalone stores in the future. Beef with braised pork and braised dishes are both very suitable to be sold as standalone stores."

The quality control of Qiaojiao Beef is relatively simple, as long as you control the seasoning packet and the cooking time. This has been proven by Brother Jie and Brother Haizi.

A braised food shop is even simpler. I braise the meat, rent a storefront, and deliver freshly braised meat daily. I hire a butcher to cut the meat and a salesperson to weigh and collect payments. One shop is all you need to make a living.

Aunt Zhao was stunned as she listened, her eyes shining brighter as she looked at Zhou Yan. She smiled and said, "You're quite something, kid! You can think of so many good ways to make money! You've thought so far ahead."

“A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. But for now, we should focus on running Su Ji’s restaurant well before we consider expansion.” Zhou Yan said with a smile, “Jie Ge’s stall is like our first braised food branch. It can sell 15 catties of braised pig’s head and 3 catties of braised beef every day. It’s a pretty good practice.”

Aunt Zhao said confidently, "If this were opened in Jiaozhou, I estimate the business would be even better. Even Qi Laosi's braised meat, which is so bad, sells for tens of yuan a day."

“Exactly!” Zhou Yan nodded in deep agreement.

Aunt Zhao and her son Zhou Yan were having a lively discussion about starting a business, while Zhou Ming carried Zhou Momo on his back and jumped around, making her giggle.

Zhou Ming seems to have never had much desire or pursuit for money.

Zhou Yan greatly admired him for this.

He's an ordinary man; what he loves most is money.

Money gives him the greatest sense of security.

He has always lacked a sense of security.

Now, riding the wave of the times, he has long been determined to make more money so that his whole family can live a better life.

On the way back, we came across a truck parked on the side of the road changing a tire. Next to it was an old tire with a big hole, and two young men in vests were working hard, sweating profusely.

Zhou Yan and Comrade Lao Zhou's eyes lit up at the same time.

Zhou Yan stopped the car, took out a cigarette, and stepped forward with a smile: "Hello, comrades."

The two had just finished changing the tire when they looked at Zhou Yan with suspicion and a hint of wariness in their eyes.

"I see your tires are beyond repair. I'd like to make a swing out of them for my sister. I wonder if I could buy these old tires from you?" Zhou Yan said with a smile, offering a cigarette. "A tire swing! That's awesome!" Zhou Momo leaned closer, her eyes shining as she looked at the old tires.

The little guy was tiny and had an exquisitely beautiful appearance, which immediately put the two young people at ease.

After taking the cigarette, the older man glanced at Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao, who were traveling with him, and said thoughtfully, "The car belongs to the factory. These tires need to be taken back to the factory to prove that they are indeed scrapped before we can do anything else with them. That's the rule."

"Oh, I see. Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you." Zhou Yan was slightly disappointed, but then he thought it made sense. In this day and age, a tire was a valuable item, and it couldn't be disposed of so easily.

The little guy understood, and although he was a little disappointed, he still waved obediently to the two young men: "Goodbye, big brothers!"

As Zhou Yan and his companions were about to leave on their bikes, the young man said, "Our factory is just ahead. If you're not in a hurry, you can come with us. We usually deal with these unrepairable tires. We have a few piled up at the factory. You can pick one that works."

“Great!” Zhou Yan’s eyes lit up when he saw the Jiahua Cement Plant pass on the front of the truck. He hadn’t expected it to be a truck from the cement plant.

"Do you know Jiahua Cement Plant?" the young man asked with a smile.

Zhou Yan nodded: "I know, Shanpai Cement is produced by the largest cement plant in Jiaozhou."

"You still know about Shanpai? Okay, we'll go back and report first. You guys can come along, but don't let the kids follow too closely, they'll get all dusty." The young man tossed the old tire onto the car and said with a smile, "My name is Jiang Hao. Wait for me at the guardhouse when we arrive."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded. He had been researching the building materials market in Jiaozhou since he started planning the house reconstruction, so he must have some understanding of the local cement plants.

Jiahua Cement Plant has a long history. As one of the key cities in the Third Front construction, Jiaozhou has many factories with mysterious code names.

Jiahua mainly supplies cement to these factories for construction, and in the last two years it has also started supplying it to civilian use, at a price that is not cheap.

The car drove away, kicking up clouds of dust.

After waiting for a while, Zhou Yan and the others finally caught up.

Comrade Zhou has a map in his head; he's not afraid of getting lost.

After turning two corners, a towering chimney, billowing smoke, came into view.

The massive silos, with their mottled surfaces, appear exceptionally rugged and magnificent in contrast to the surrounding bungalows.

Today is Sunday, and the cement factory is closed. Two middle-aged men are playing chess at the gatehouse.

Zhou Yan and the others went forward and stopped the car. Before they could even give their names, Jiang Hao rolled out on a tire.

"Jiang Hao, what are you going to do with a tire?" a security guard asked.

“My friend is taking this back to make a swing for his child. Here, Lao Zhang, here’s the note.” Jiang Hao pulled out a note and handed it to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper took the note, examined it carefully, and nodded, saying, "Okay."

Jiang Hao rolled the tire in front of Zhou Yan's car and said with a smile, "Will this work?"

"Great! Perfect." Zhou Yan nodded. The tire was badly worn and had two holes, but the structure was intact, making it perfect for a swing chair.

"Comrade Jiang Hao, how much are these tires?" Zhou Yan asked.

"No need for money, it's a gift for the little girl." Jiang Hao laughed, picked up the tire and put it on the back seat of Zhou Yan's car, took a rope from his backpack and quickly tied it tightly to the back seat.

"I can't accept this..." Zhou Yan took out his wallet.

“Scrap tires aren’t worth much.” Jiang Hao put his wallet back in his pocket, his attitude firm. He looked at Zhou Momo and smiled, “My daughter is about the same age. Last time I made her a swing out of tires, and she was so happy. I haven’t been home for three months, and I was happy to see her.”

Zhou Yan laughed when he heard this. So the tire was a gift for Zhou Momo, and it had nothing to do with him.

“Then you have to take this pack of cigarettes.” Zhou Yan took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and stuffed it into Jiang Hao’s hand. “My name is Zhou Yan. I run a restaurant in front of the Suji Jiaozhou Textile Factory. If you’re delivering goods and passing by, you can come and have a meal. It’s on me.”

Jiang Hao looked at Zhou Yan and nodded with a smile: "Okay, I'll definitely come by on my way again."

"Thank you, big brother!" Zhou Momo exclaimed happily.

"You're welcome," Jiang Hao said with a smile and a shake of his head.

……

"The braised pork is so delicious! Sister Yaoyao! You're our savior!"

"Yes, yes! If it weren't for this plate of braised pork today, I would definitely starve to death. Please, you must maintain a good relationship with Brother Zhou Yan!"

The brothers Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen put down their empty bowls and looked at Xia Yao sitting opposite them, their faces filled with gratitude.

"I never expected to get to eat Zhou Yan's braised meat on a Sunday. I'm really lucky to have benefited from Yao Yao's kindness." Lin Zhiqiang was also very touched.

The factory is closed on Sundays, and most workers cook for themselves. The canteen chefs take Sundays off, and only a few apprentices can cook a few simple dishes to satisfy workers who can't cook and have to eat in the canteen.

Lin Zhiqiang, on the other hand, is the type who has zero cooking skills.

Xia Yao brought two boxes of braised food to eat, which was like a goddess descending to earth for the father and his two sons.

“Zhou Yan is really good.” Xia Yao said with a smile, putting the two empty lunch boxes back into her pocket. “Don’t worry, as long as I have something to eat, I won’t forget you.”

“Cousin Yao Yao, you are like my own sister!” Lin Jingxing said solemnly.

“Cousin Yao Yao, I have a request.” Lin Bingwen looked at Xia Yao with a serious expression. “I think my brother probably has little hope of becoming a chef. So, could Zhou Yan be my brother-in-law? That way, I can eat at his house every day.”

Xia Yao was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then reached out and pinched Lin Bingwen's cheek, laughing, "I haven't even dared to think about eating at his house every day, and you're already thinking about it!"

"I also think Zhou Yan is really great. He's tall, handsome, and a great cook. Plus, he has such a cute little sister!" Lin Jingxing looked at Xia Yao expectantly. "Sister Yao Yao, why don't you seriously consider it? That way, Momo will be my little sister!"

"You two, that's enough. Stop talking nonsense." Lin Zhiqiang laughed, then looked at Xia Yao and said, "Yao Yao, they're just kids who speak the truth without thinking. Don't take it to heart."

Xia Yao:......

Well, one, two, three, they're all thinking the same thing.

Are you going to sell her to buy food?

She knew perfectly well whether Zhou Yan was good or not.

"I'm leaving now. I'm going back to continue drawing. You all need to do your homework obediently, okay?" Xia Yao stood up, picked up her lunchbox, and said goodbye.

"Yaoyao, why don't you tutor them with their homework..."

"Uncle, I'm going to work overtime!"

Xia Yao walked away with firm steps, without looking back.

She can accept working overtime, but she can't stand the hardship of tutoring elementary school students with their homework.

This job is so grueling.

This is also why she insisted on applying for dormitory accommodation during her internship.

After all, even someone as elegant as my aunt would turn into a crazy woman when teaching Lin Bingwen his homework.

Carrying her lunchbox, Xia Yao walked along the river to the restaurant entrance, but seeing that the door was locked, she strolled back leisurely and returned to her dormitory before it got dark.

The lunchbox was washed and placed upside down to drain.

Xia Yao sat at the table, twirling a pencil between her slender fingers, a smile playing on her lips as she continued drawing.

……

I rode my bike back to Suji.

It was already dark when we arrived at the restaurant.

Zhou Yan gave a flashlight to Zhou Ming so he could ride his bike back to the village.

The tires were pushed to the corner; it's too late today, the swings will have to wait until tomorrow when it's cooler.

Zhou Momo had been playing wildly all day, and when she got home, she was like a battery had been removed. She fell asleep in Aunt Zhao's arms halfway through washing her feet.

"That's great, I can sleep until tomorrow morning," Aunt Zhao said with a smile.

Comrade Zhou squatted down, washed her feet clean, and then carefully dried them with a towel before carrying her upstairs to sleep.

"We went to the banquet today, and Sixth Master was there too. He helped us choose a date for moving and gave it to me as well." Zhou Yan took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and handed it to Aunt Zhao.

Aunt Zhao took the book, unfolded it, glanced at it, and then handed it back to Zhou Yan: "Read it to me."

Zhou Yan looked at the black characters on the red paper, neat and tidy, with over a hundred characters without a single mistake, and began to read aloud:
"Auspicious date for moving into a new house: January 27, 1985, the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month. Great fortune for moving into the new house."

Based on the client's birth chart (favorable elements are wood and fire) and the new residence's south-facing orientation, a comprehensive analysis was conducted, taking into account the Chinese almanac, the Five Elements, and clashes/inauspicious influences…

The post details the auspicious times for moving into a new house, setting up the bed, and starting the stove, as well as the things that need to be prepared and the taboos.

It was written in great detail, so that even Zhou Yan, a complete novice in metaphysics, could understand it.

Sixth Master, this part-time feng shui master, never does anything mystical.

"It's written so carefully, only Sixth Uncle could write like this." Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile, carefully folding and putting away the invitation from Zhou Yan's hand with a satisfied look. She then said to him, "Later, send a pound of pig's head meat and a pound of braised beef to your Sixth Uncle. He loves braised meat, and with a little wine, it'll make him happy for two days."

"Take two more catties of wine with you. Uncle Liu drinks two liang every day," Zhou Miao said as he came downstairs.

“Okay, I’ll send it over tomorrow.” Zhou Yan nodded, then paused and added, “However, I think Sixth Master’s health doesn’t seem very good. Why don’t you go and see him later?”

"Really? I saw him playing chess with someone at the door last time." Aunt Zhao looked surprised.

“Then let’s go back and visit him tomorrow. Uncle Liu has definitely aged a lot in the last two years.” Zhou Miao nodded, his mood noticeably somber.

The three chatted for a few minutes, washed their feet, and then went back to their respective rooms.

Zhou Yan opened the ledger and recorded the expenses. He had indeed only charged for the ingredients for today's family dinner. Including today's dinner, the income was -11.2 yuan.

Zhou Ming was quite happy that he had successfully become an apprentice.

If you keep thinking about it, there will be a response.

He got what he wanted.

[Ding! Side Quest: Zhou Ming's Emei Spear Inheritance! Completed!]

[Reward: A fragment of Song Changhe's memory]

[Enter or not: Yes/No]

　I'll try to finish writing it all in one go tomorrow~~ That's all! Please vote with a monthly pass!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)