1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 255 Even the leaders said it was delicious (6.5k words combined)

Mr. and Mrs. Wang were detained for two weeks because of the pork contaminated with the disease.

However, since no serious consequences resulted in injury or death, he was released after paying a fine.

Wang Qi was different; he colluded with the butcher to sell large quantities of diseased pork over a long period and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Wang Defa's case has not yet been concluded, but news has emerged that the amount involved is enormous, with a minimum sentence of indefinite imprisonment and even the possibility of the death penalty.

Old Wang's most promising backer has collapsed just like that.

Overnight, Wang Laowu became a sinner in the Wang family and has been afraid to go out lately, fearing that people will talk behind his back.

After resting for a month, Lao Wang went out and found He Ermao, a fellow inmate he had met in the detention center, and prepared to make a comeback.

He Ermao was imprisoned for stealing a piece of cured meat from his neighbor.

Losing a piece of cured meat is a minor matter. Even if you encounter a shrew, you'll only be subjected to endless cursing of your ancestors for a month.

But this guy ate someone else's cured meat, found it unpalatable, and wrote a note and stuck it on their door.

"This is the worst cured meat I've ever eaten in my life. It's incredibly salty and stinks, a disgraceful piece of junk. I'll teach you how to make cured meat..."

This is somewhat like killing someone by attacking their spirit.

The neighbor's wife was furious after reading the note and took it to the police station to report it.

That evening, the police knocked on He Ermao's door and took He Ermao and the remaining half of the cured meat back with them.

The reason for such high efficiency in solving cases lies in the fact that He Ermao's handwriting is so ugly that it is recognizable.

They took the note to the brigade for a check, and quickly identified him by his handwriting.

He Ermao had studied cooking for a few years, but he was lazy, loved to teach others, and often ate and drank for free. He also liked to give unsolicited advice.

Upon seeing the note, many villagers guessed that he had stolen the cured meat.

When the police came to investigate, they found that he couldn't escape.

In the detention center, Wang Laowu and he were locked in the same room. When they were bored, they would chat and gossip.

He Ermao had studied pastry making for a few years and worked in the kitchen of a restaurant in Chengdu, making steamed buns and wontons. Later, he was fired because he couldn't get along with his boss.

Back in Jiaozhou, unable to find suitable work, he stayed home every day. When he ran out of food, he would go out and commit petty theft. This time, he was caught because of a piece of cured meat, and his thigh was broken from being slapped.

After the storm passed these past two days, Wang Laowu started going out to look for work.

When I arrived at the entrance of the textile factory, I saw that Zhou Yan's shop was full of customers eating noodles. Business was much better than before, with hundreds of bowls of noodles sold in one morning.

Not only textile factory workers, but also other silk factory workers and government staff from the town came to eat.

Just selling noodles, Zhou Yan can make sixty or seventy in a morning. Now that meat prices have dropped, he can earn thirty or forty a day!
Old Wang's back molars were all crushed.

He sold noodles for two years, but he didn't accumulate as many customers as Zhou Yan did in a month.

They don't earn as much as him.

I couldn't sleep for days because this matter was on my mind.

His wife suggested selling noodles in Jiaozhou, but he was completely unfamiliar with Jiaozhou and had no idea where to set up a stall.

After thinking about it for two days, I decided to continue setting up my stall in front of the textile factory.

Selling noodles is definitely not an option. Given the issue of the diseased pork, if he just stands in front of the stall, who would dare to eat there?

So he thought of He Ermao.

There is only one steamed bun shop in Suji, located at the bridgehead, and it does quite good business every day.

The textile factory canteen also makes steamed buns and mantou, but Zhou Yan doesn't.

So he went to find He Ermao and personally tasted the steamed buns he made; they were indeed quite delicious.

Anyway, the steamed buns are much tastier than those at the steamed bun shop near the bridge, and they taste much better than those in the factory canteen.

After discussing it, the couple decided to partner with He Ermao and set up a stall at the entrance of the textile factory, selling steamed buns, mantou, and porridge.

That's how he and He Ermao ended up squatting here, observing the breakfast business at Zhou Erwa's restaurant.

"This noodle shop is really doing great business! I thought you were kidding me." He Er Mao's hair was messy, his face was covered in stubble, and he had a withered foxtail grass in his mouth. He rubbed his nose and his eyes were shining: "I see how well this business is doing!"

"Of course! I've been selling noodles here for two years. There's no better location in Suji Town. Every morning, over three thousand textile factory workers come and go on their way to work. As soon as the steamed buns are ready, the aroma wafts out, and customers come right away. I'm sure I can make money!" Wang Laowu grinned, glancing at He Ermao's greasy hair and tattered clothes, a hint of disdain in his eyes. He whispered:
"How about this, we open a breakfast stall here together. You'll be in charge of making steamed buns, mantou, and ye'erba, while my wife will be in charge of cooking porridge, collecting money, washing dishes, and other odd jobs. We'll split the profits 30/70. What do you think?"

“I don’t have a single penny on me,” He Ermao said.

Wang Laowu waved his hand: "It's alright, I'll pay for whatever you want to buy. You just provide the technology, and you'll get a share of the technology."

"Tech stocks are only worth 30%? Wang Laowu, you're a bit greedy! You want 70% just to ask your wife to cook some porridge." He Ermao sneered and looked at Wang Laowu with a smile: "You can stay at home and sleep until the sun is high in the sky, but I have to get up at three or four in the morning to knead dough and prepare fillings, and you only want 30%? I won't do it."

Wang Laowu's eyes widened, and he quickly said, "Hey, hey, you can't say that. Look, I have to pay for everything, and I'll still be the one buying flour and meat for you. Besides, I'm the one who brought you here. I've been running this business for so many years, and I've got all the connections..."

"I'm just lazy, not reckless. Don't give me that nonsense. If you're really sincere, then let's split it 50/50." He Ermao crossed his arms, looked at Wang Laowu, and said with a hint of mockery, "Don't talk about how many years you've been in business. You've done something like using diseased pork, your reputation is ruined. You'd better not show up at the stall anymore, so customers won't be scared."

"You..." Old Wang glared and puffed out his cheeks, unable to utter a word for a long time.

"Fine, I'm not doing this anymore, I'm going home." He Ermao got up to leave.

"Fine! We'll do it your way, fifty-fifty!" Old Wang gritted his teeth. "But you have to promise to set up your stall every day from now on! If I set up another stall, I'll have staked all my savings on this. If I lose money again, I'll be broke."

"Don't worry, my master has been transferred to Rongcheng Restaurant and is a real master of pastry making. Although I'm not as good as him, I still have the skills." He Ermao put his arm around his shoulder and laughed, "Then your wife will help me out from now on. I definitely can't handle it all by myself. Ask her to make steamed buns for me."

"Yes, that's a no-brainer."

"Your wife is quite old, she looks much younger than you, and her skin is so fair."

"She's thirty-eight this year, six years younger than me... Eh? You're asking about this paw?"

"Hehe, I was just asking casually. Partners definitely need to know each other. Let's not talk about that. Let's go buy the steamer first, and then get a stove and cookware."

"Okay, but you still need to tidy up your outfit. It scares the guests."

……

"I think I just saw that scoundrel Wang Laowu. He brought a homeless man with him and squatted over there looking in the direction of our shop. He didn't look like he had any good intentions," Aunt Zhao said to Zhou Yan, who was coming out of the kitchen after taking off her apron, after closing for the morning.

"He's been released?" Zhou Yan asked in surprise, then quickly smiled and said, "Let him do whatever he wants. Wang Defa has been arrested and is just waiting to be punished. He can't cause any trouble."

Wang Laowu is a typical street vendor. Based on previous interactions, he is the kind of person who has no bottom line and no backbone, and who bullies the weak and fears the strong.

With Wang Defa's downfall, he wouldn't dare to retaliate; he probably just wants to come back and do business.

If a butcher like Wang Qi were to be secretly observing from the shadows, then he would have to be on high alert to deal with the situation.

However, he was quite curious: Wang Laowu's reputation had been ruined because of the pork hog scandal, so why did he still want to come back to do business?

Does he think the textile factory workers are idiots?

I didn't understand, and I didn't take it too seriously.

Mason Master Zhang arrived with his apprentice. After communicating with Zhou Yan, he asked his apprentice to bring over bricks and cement, and then began building a second stove next to the main stove for braised beef.

"You're working way too hard! You're making noodles and steamed buns too. You've made all the money!" Master Zhang said to Zhou Yan with a smile as he laid bricks.

"There's no other way, the capable should do more, right? It would be a shame not to let everyone try these delicious bean sprout and pork buns," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“If you put it that way, I’ll definitely try it later. The steamed buns from that shop at the bridgehead have tiny fillings; you can’t even get any meat in a big bite, and the meat is all mushy and not very satisfying.” Master Zhang said with a look of disgust, “Only the steamed buns are passable. Two with some pickled vegetables are enough to fill you up.”

After chatting for a few minutes, Zhou Yan went back to the kitchen to get busy.

The master and apprentice worked well together and finished building the double-sided stove in one morning.

After tidying up the tools, Master Zhang said to Zhou Yan, "This side is next to the stove, so the temperature is a bit high. It might crack. I'll come back and check it tomorrow morning. If it cracks, I'll fix it for you. It won't affect its use."

Zhou Yan nodded and said with a smile, "Okay, thank you for your hard work. It's lunchtime, I've already prepared the dishes, washed my hands, and will eat before going to the next job."

Master Zhang and his apprentice laughed and nodded, saying, "That's right! I would be polite if other restaurants invited me, but Boss Zhou's dishes are just too delicious, I can't refuse at all."

The master and apprentice tidied up the entrance area, put the tools under a tree, and washed their hands and faces before entering.

Zhou Yan likes this kind of meticulous craftsman; he has good skills and is reliable in both his character and work.

The stove is built in the morning so it won't affect the business at noon.

"This stove is built nicely, square and neat, and it looks pleasing to the eye." Aunt Zhao went outside to take a look, nodded repeatedly, very satisfied, and then looked at Zhou Yan and asked, "Should Baozi write something too?"

"There's not much to write about steamed buns; they win people over with their taste." Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile. He really couldn't bring himself to write a short biography for steamed buns.

"How much do you plan to sell those bean sprout buns for?" Aunt Zhao asked again.

"I plan to sell them for two cents each."

"Two cents? The buns at that shop by the bridge only cost one cent each. Although his buns don't have much meat, they're twice as expensive. Isn't that too much?" Aunt Zhao frowned.

"We use about twice as much meat as the one at the bridgehead, and the taste is even better, so it's reasonable that the price is a bit higher," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

He calculated the costs yesterday; the cost of one bun is about eight cents, and the price is twenty cents each, so the profit margin is not bad.

Using flavor to increase the premium is his consistent strategy.

However, the specific price hasn't been finalized yet. We'll find out the current market price of steamed buns in the factory canteen in the next couple of days. If it doesn't work, we'll lower the price by five cents. Fifteen cents would definitely be a killer price.

After lunch, Master Zhang received his wages, then bought three ounces of pig's head meat, and left with his apprentice, completely satisfied.

Zhou Yan looked at the one yuan that had returned to his hand, his expression somewhat complicated.

That means we've already recouped half of our investment.

Before the end-of-get off work bell rang, Factory Director Wang Hongliang and Deputy Factory Director Liu Yusheng led four men in black jackets into the store, saying with smiles, "Director Chen, today at noon we'll take you to try the best-tasting restaurant in Suji."

Chen Ming, the director of the Municipal Economic Commission, came to inspect the textile factory today. Chen Ming smiled and said, "Director Wang, last time you came, you said that the stir-fries in your factory canteen were more comfortable than those in state-run restaurants. How come they've become this restaurant today?"

“New talents emerge in every generation. This restaurant has been open for less than half a year, and it has already driven our factory canteen out of business.” Wang Hongliang laughed heartily, “The workers and the masses have discerning eyes. We should trust their choices.”

"Is that so?" Chen Ming and the others were all quite surprised when they heard this.

Wang Hongliang nodded and said, "Don't underestimate this small restaurant. The owner's cooking skills are no less than those of the big restaurants in Chengdu. If it were to open in Jiaozhou, it would definitely be packed with customers."

“If you put it that way, then we’ll definitely give it a try.” Chen Ming nodded and followed them into the restaurant.

"Director Wang, you've arrived." Zhao Tieying saw Wang Hongliang and Liu Yusheng, the two factory directors, leading a group of leaders as they entered the room, and quickly greeted them with a smile.

“Yes, let’s bring the leaders to try Zhou Yan’s cooking.” Wang Hongliang nodded with a smile and pointed to the table next to the menu wall, saying, “Let’s sit at this table, it’ll be easier to order.”

“Okay.” Chen Ming nodded, and everyone took their seats.

"Qiaojiao Beef, that sounds familiar." Chen Ming looked up at the menu, frowning in thought.

"Zhou Yan's braised beef with 'qiaojiao' was featured on the cover of Sichuan Cuisine magazine. Perhaps Director Chen has seen it?" Wang Hongliang said.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming suddenly realized, "Now that you mention it, I remember that Mayor Huang of Suji Town recently attended a meeting in the city and strongly promoted Qiaojiao Beef, saying that he wanted to develop the Qiaojiao Beef industry."

"And that magazine you mentioned, my wife's been reading it too. She just told me a couple of days ago that she wants to try it sometime when we come to Suzhou. Let's order one and see if it lives up to its reputation."

"Okay." Wang Hongliang nodded and said to Zhao Tieying, "Then let's have two bowls of braised beef."

"Okay." Zhao Tieying nodded.

"Director Chen, do you have any dishes you'd like to try?" Wang Hongliang said again.

“You come here often, so you can order whatever you want. We’ll follow your lead,” Chen Ming said.

"Okay, then let's have braised beef with bamboo shoots, braised pork ribs, braised pig ears, braised beef, stir-fried pig liver, Mapo tofu... Hmm? This twice-cooked pork with pickled mustard greens is a new dish? Then let's have one." Wang Hongliang ordered the dishes.

"This menu is a bit pricey," Chen Ming joked, looking at the menu. "The restaurant is in town, but the prices on this menu are comparable to those of big restaurants in Chengdu."

"It's not just the price; the taste is comparable to the top restaurants in Chengdu," Wang Hongliang said with a smile.

"Director Wang is not only good at running the factory, but he's also known for being a picky eater. We'll have to give him a good taste then," Chen Ming said with a hearty laugh.

Zhou Yan was preparing food in the kitchen when she overheard the conversation outside.

Factory Director Wang is treating this restaurant like a reception hall, even bringing his superiors here for a meal.

That's good. The leader's meal budget is high; all the dishes on this table cost over ten yuan.

Once the order was sent to the kitchen, Zhou Yan immediately got to work.

While everyone was chatting, the braised beef was served first.

"This soup smells delicious, and the color is very clear, just like in the photo." Chen Ming's eyes lit up. He picked up a spoon, scooped a bowl of soup into it, took a sip, and nodded repeatedly. "Mmm, so fresh! The flavor is rich and mellow. It looks clear, but the soup is very flavorful!"

Upon hearing this, the other leaders all took bowls, scooped up some soup, tasted it, and nodded in approval.

"Director Chen, please try the beef offal again, dip it in this dry dipping sauce," Wang Hongliang recommended with a smile.

"I'll give it a try." Chen Ming picked up a piece of beef, dipped it in chili powder, and his eyes lit up. He tasted all kinds of offal and nodded repeatedly: "Wow! This chili powder is pretty good! The beef is tender, the tripe is crisp, and the beef intestines are the best. They're coated with some fat, so they're fatty but not greasy, soft and fragrant."

"No wonder Mayor Huang highly recommended it and it even made it onto a magazine cover. This 'Qiaojiao Beef' is truly amazing. I'll definitely say a few words in his defense at the next meeting. It's not just a new calling card for Suji, but if it can be promoted, it will also become a culinary calling card for our Jiaozhou."

Other colleagues from the Municipal Economic Commission also ate it and praised it repeatedly.

Wang Hongliang said with a smile, "It costs six cents a serving. It not only contains beef, but also various Chinese herbs. It has the effect of dispelling cold and can be considered a nourishing medicinal diet."

"It's so comforting. After a bowl of soup, I feel all warmed up. I really need to bring my wife to try it next time; she'll definitely love it," Chen Ming nodded.

One dish after another was brought out of the kitchen and served.

While eating, Wang Hongliang introduced the food to everyone.

They ate one bowl of rice without making a sound, one bowl after another.

"These dried bamboo shoots are fantastic! They're crispy and fragrant!"

"This Mapo Tofu is so good with rice! It's just as good as Chen's Mapo Tofu, but the taste is even better when it's cooked in a small pot!"

"This stir-fried pork liver is so tender! It's much better than the chef in our cafeteria. The cooking time is perfect! It's just as good as the big restaurants in Chengdu."

Chen Ming occasionally expressed his admiration, having already put away his arrogance and prejudice.

As the director of the Municipal Economic Commission, he's tasted all sorts of good food.

But these dishes truly won over his taste buds.

The fact that there was such a hidden gem of a restaurant in this small town of Suji was quite unexpected.

Wang Hongliang smiled broadly, feeling that he had gained a lot of face.

The textile factory is planning to expand its production lines. This matter was reported in the first half of the year, but there has been no follow-up. Today, Director Chen came to inspect the factory, specifically to discuss this matter, but still no clear answer was given.

Hopefully, this meal will provide some assistance.

There are more than a dozen or twenty silk factories of all sizes in Jiaozhou, with five in Suji alone. Jiaozhou Textile Factory is the leading enterprise and a major exporter.

However, we still have to follow the arrangements of the management committee; if we want to expand our business, we need approval from higher authorities first.

The braised pork with pickled mustard greens was served last.

All eyes turned to them.

Twice-cooked pork is nothing special; every household knows how to make it, and it's served daily in company canteens.

But after tasting the previous dishes, Chen Ming and the others had even higher expectations for this braised pork with pickled mustard greens.

Oily bean sprouts are nestled in the lamp-shaped dish, interspersed with green garlic shoots, while the bright red twice-cooked pork exudes an enticing aroma.

The textile factory had already closed for the day, and the shop was full of workers, all of whom were looking at the braised pork with pickled mustard greens on the factory manager's table.

A two-yuan serving of twice-cooked pork with pickled mustard greens—what's the difference between it and twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, and how does it taste? These questions pique people's curiosity.

“This is a new dish, and it’s the first time I’ve ordered it. But I think Zhou Yan’s twice-cooked pork is the best in Jiaozhou, far ahead of other chefs,” Wang Hongliang introduced. “Director Chen, please try it first.”

"If Director Wang gave it such a high evaluation, it must be good." Chen Ming picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork, wrapped some bean sprouts in a small bowl, and then picked up a piece of garlic sprout leaf. He put it directly into his mouth, chewed it, and his eyes quickly lit up.

After swallowing it, he praised, "It's so fragrant! Adding these bean sprouts completely changes the taste of the twice-cooked pork. It's not greasy at all, and it's especially fragrant. The twice-cooked pork is also cooked perfectly."

"Director Chen gave it a very high rating, let me try it." Wang Hongliang picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, showing a surprised expression: "This bean sprout is good! It's crisp and tender, and the aroma is particularly rich. It's authentic Yibin bean sprout. I've never bought such a good one in Jiaozhou. The bean sprout paired with twice-cooked pork is really good with rice. It has a different flavor compared to twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts."

After saying that, he shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth and said with a smile, "These bean sprouts are really good. I'll have to ask Boss Zhou later where I can buy such good bean sprouts."

As a cooking enthusiast, I simply couldn't resist such high-quality ingredients.

The comrades from the Municipal Economic Commission were quite satisfied with the meal.

I really didn't expect that every dish served at this unassuming little restaurant would be so delicious.

I usually eat two bowls of rice, but today I ate an extra bowl.

There's no way around it, they're all dishes that go well with rice.

Especially the braised pork with pickled mustard greens, which was served last, made me eat another bowl of rice.

Seeing that the leaders were full of praise, the workers who were initially skeptical placed orders one after another.

The portion of meat was exactly the same, and they even added pickled mustard greens. The price was the same as the twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts, which was two yuan per serving.

It gives people the feeling that making a purchase is a guaranteed win.

Given Zhou Yan's tradition of limiting the production of new dishes, customers are always scrambling to order them.

However, today was a bit unexpected; all the customers who wanted to order it did, and the sign remained firmly hanging on the wall.

"Don't worry, there's plenty left. We shouldn't be able to sell out by noon today," Zhao Tieying reassured the customers waiting at the door.

Twice-cooked pork is a popular dish, and quite a lot of ingredients are needed.

Twice-cooked pork with pickled mustard greens is simply pork with pickled mustard greens added, and the pickled mustard greens are also in ample supply.

"No wonder this little restaurant can outcompete your factory canteen's stir-fries. It's no wonder." Chen Ming looked at the restaurant full of workers and said with a smile, "The workers have discerning eyes."

"That's true," Wang Hongliang said with a smile.

Chen Ming said, "Could you please invite this Master Zhou out to meet me? I'd like to have a brief chat with him."

“Okay.” Wang Hongliang replied and walked towards the kitchen. Standing at the door, he looked at Zhou Yan wielding the spatula in front of the stove and said, “Zhou Yan, may I trouble you for two minutes? Director Chen from the Municipal Economic Commission would like to have a word with you.”

"Okay, Director Wang, wait for me to finish cooking these two portions of twice-cooked pork." Zhou Yan replied, stir-fried the twice-cooked pork in the pot, took the dishes out and served them to the guests, and then came to Chen Ming's table.

"Director Chen, this is Zhou Yan, the owner and chef of Zhou Erwa Restaurant," Wang Hongliang introduced.

"Comrade Zhou Yan is so young! I thought he was a seasoned chef." Chen Ming looked at Zhou Yan with some surprise and extended his hand. "Your cooking is delicious and has won over our taste buds."

"Director Chen, you flatter me," Zhou Yan said with a smile, shaking his hand.

"I'm telling the truth," Chen Ming said with a smile, lowering his voice slightly. "I wonder if you're free next Wednesday? Could you help cook a few dishes at the Municipal Economic Commission's canteen?"

[Ding! Side quest triggered: Director Chen's Invitation! Go to the Municipal Economic Commission cafeteria to cook a meal and earn Director Chen's satisfaction.]

[Mission Reward: Unknown]

[Accept: Yes/No]

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)