1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 26 His restaurant is no ordinary place.

Zhou Momo sat at the entrance of the restaurant eating noodles. It was clear broth pork rib noodles, and she ate it with great relish, one bite after another.

She's too young; it's fine for her to try a little bit occasionally, but Zhou Yan usually doesn't put any spice in the noodles or rice he feeds her.

She sipped the noodles and soup from the large bowl, finishing all the soup in small sips.

Zhao Tieying and Zhao Hong chatted at the door for a while before washing the dishes.

Zhou Yan also lay down on the bamboo chair, preparing to take a nap, as he had gotten up far too early in the morning.

"mom!"

"Fourth Grandmother!"

Two loud and clear sounds rang out.

When Zhou Yan opened her eyes, she saw two boys, one big and one small, running towards her.

The taller one must be about 1.6 meters tall. He was wearing a blue imitation military jacket, had a cloth bag slung across his shoulder, his hair was cut very short, his head was round, and his eyes were big and bright. He looked very energetic.

The younger one, who looked about six or seven years old, looked exactly like the older one, a miniature version. His clothes didn't fit him well; the sleeves and pant legs were rolled up several times, clearly indicating that he was wearing his older brother's clothes.

Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan are Zhao Hong's two sons and nephews.

The two ran very fast and arrived at the store entrance in no time.

Upon seeing Zhou Yan, the two called out in clear voices, "Uncle!"

"Huihui, Fanwa, did you run here? You're covered in sweat." Zhou Yan sat up and asked with a smile, looking at the two who were steaming with heat and had sweat on their cheeks.

"Hehe." The two chuckled, their eyes secretly glancing in Zhao Hong's direction.

"Why are you running? You'll get all sweaty and catch a cold, or I'll shove you up!" Zhao Hong grabbed one of them, took a towel and dried their heads first, then wiped their backs.

The two brothers huddled up like quails, chuckling foolishly, not daring to resist at all, quite like their father.

Zhou Momo had already put down her chopsticks and moved closer, putting her little hands behind her back. After the two of them were finished, she said expectantly, "It's my turn! It's my turn!"

"What?" Everyone looked at her at the same time.

Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan had smiles in their eyes and their faces were full of joy.

“Call me! Huihui and Fanwa haven’t called me yet.” Zhou Momo looked at the two of them with a smile.

Zhou Yan was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. So the little guy was waiting for this.

"What are you doing? Don't you even know how to call out to your aunt?" Zhao Hong chuckled and patted the two of them.

The two brothers, Zhou Lihui and Zhou Lifan, scratched their heads, exchanged glances, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Auntie."

"Hey, sweetie!" Zhou Momo replied loudly, laughing happily.

Seeing Zhou Momo smile, the two brothers laughed along with her.

Although Zhou Momo is only three and a half years old, she is indeed the youngest aunt, and the cutest youngest aunt at that.

"Huihui, Fanwa, have you eaten yet? If not, ask your uncle to cook you some noodles," Zhao Tieying asked, looking at the two of them.

Zhou Lihui replied, "Fourth Grandma, we've already eaten. Mom left us some sweet potato porridge, and the two of us ate half a pot. We're quite full."

"Mmm, I'm full," Zhou Lifan said, rubbing his stomach.

“I’m full too. I’ll take you to ride the seesaw.” Zhou Momo took their hands, one on each side, and said as they walked, “I also have a really fun secret base…”

She does... have a bit of the air of a young aunt.

"Huihui, keep a close eye on your aunt and Fanwa!" Zhao Hong said.

“Okay!” Zhou Lihui replied.

Zhou Lihui is fifteen years old this year, already a little adult, so it's quite reassuring for him to take two kids out to play.

Just as Zhou Yan was about to lie down, he saw a shuttle bus approaching and stopping at the entrance of the textile factory.

The car door opened, and twenty or thirty young men and women got out. They were all dressed quite fashionably. The leader was a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a black Zhongshan suit. He was thin, with his hair parted in a neat and tidy style, giving him a scholarly air.

Several people from the textile factory quickly came out to greet them, led by Lin Zhiqiang, with the others also being leaders of the textile factory.

"Look, isn't that Xia Yao?" Zhao Tieying, with her sharp eyes, spotted Xia Yao in the crowd at a glance.

"It seems these are all college students from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute." Zhou Yan quickly spotted Xia Yao in the crowd. She was tall and had fair skin, making her quite conspicuous.

Xia Yao was also looking towards the restaurant when her eyes met Zhou Yan's. She smiled slightly at him, her lips curving upwards.

Zhou Yan nodded slightly in acknowledgment, surprised that Xia Yao would return.

Lin Zhiqiang shook hands with Su Jun, the teacher leading the group, and then said loudly, "Dear teachers and students of the Arts and Crafts Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, I am Lin Zhiqiang, deputy director of Jiaozhou Textile Factory. Welcome to visit and learn, and to investigate school-enterprise cooperation..."

As the students listened to Lin Zhiqiang's words, their eyes couldn't help but dart towards Zhou Erwa's restaurant.

smell good!
A large pot stood at the entrance of the restaurant, and the rich aroma of beef wafted out from the gaps in the lid.

Although they had already eaten breakfast in Jiaozhou, the aroma was simply too tempting. Even the teacher leading the group glanced over a few times.

Besides the large pot, many people also noticed Zhou Yan sitting under the tree.

"Hey! Xia Yao, isn't that the savior you drew?" Deng Hong blurted out, "His name is Zhou... Zhou something again?"

"Zhou Yan!" Zhu Yuyu exclaimed, "He's even more handsome in person than in the portrait! He looks so tall!"

Their words reached the ears of their classmates, and everyone looked at Zhou Yan.

They had all heard that Xia Yao had an accident a few days ago, but they didn't know the specifics. It seemed to be related to that young man.

Zhou Yan was wearing a white chef's uniform. His features were deep and three-dimensional, and he looked refreshing and handsome, quite different from the chefs we usually see.

Upon hearing this, Su Jun's gaze also fell on Zhou Yan. Just then, Lin Zhiqiang finished his speech, so he asked, "Deputy Factory Director Lin, is this the restaurant run by your factory?"

Lin Zhiqiang introduced with a smile: "Zhou Erwa Restaurant is a privately owned restaurant. The owner, Zhou Yan, is a good young man who responded to the call to develop the private economy. Their noodles and braised beef are very delicious. If you have the chance, you can try it."

"Qiaojiao Beef? What kind of dish is that? Is it a specialty of Suzhou?" Deng Hong whispered in Xia Yao's ear.

She's a foodie; she gained ten pounds in a year while attending university in a mountain city.

"I don't know either. This dish wasn't here last time." Xia Yao shook her head; she was also curious about what this dish was.

"Okay, I'll give it a try when I have the chance. It smells really good." Su Jun nodded with a smile, staring at the stove at the restaurant entrance for a while.

Zhou Yan seemed to be deep in thought; it turned out they were university students who had come to visit and learn.

In his eyes, these are thirty new recognitions with the potential to be refreshed.

Unfortunately, the textile factory would definitely arrange the reception in the factory canteen, so it would be difficult for him to get such guests.

What a pity, what a pity!

"College students have such a different air about them, they all look so stylish," Zhao Hong murmured in admiration.

“That’s right, cultured people all speak differently.” Zhao Tieying nodded in agreement.

Lin Zhiqiang led the group from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute into the factory, showing them the factory buildings, workshops, and exhibition area.

He initiated this visit after reporting it to the factory manager, who took it very seriously and arranged a high level of hospitality.

Jiaozhou Textile Factory produces silk products. Last year, it introduced imported automatic silk reeling machines, and its technology is among the best in China. Its products are mainly sold abroad, and its foreign exchange earnings account for 60% of Jiaozhou's foreign trade.

Although the export situation is good at present, the old factory director also agreed with his suggestions on brand building and extended an invitation to the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute's Department of Arts and Crafts, which was conducting field research in Jiaozhou.

The invitation letter was sent to the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute at the beginning of the month, but they only received a definite reply the day before yesterday.

Talented individuals who understand brand building and advertising are extremely rare. Lin Zhiqiang was somewhat surprised that the faculty and students from the Department of Arts and Crafts could come, and naturally, he wanted to seize this opportunity to establish cooperation.

In the morning, we chartered a shuttle bus to Jiaozhou to pick up 27 students and 3 teachers and bring them to the textile factory.

This stroll lasted all morning.

It was 11:30, close to the workers' off-get off work time and lunchtime.

Lin Zhiqiang led everyone toward the factory canteen. The factory had approved a meal allowance for the teachers and students, two yuan per meal, which was a very high standard.

Wang Defa, as the director of the factory canteen, was already standing at the canteen entrance. He had been informed by his superiors that he would be hosting university students from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute at noon today, and the kitchen had made a lot of preparations.

Recently, the cafeteria's stir-fry business has declined, so he plans to use these college students as an advertisement: "College students all say it's delicious!" in an attempt to win back some customers.

Seeing the group approaching, Wang Defa straightened his collar and greeted them with a big smile: "Welcome teachers and students from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute to dine in the factory canteen."

Su Jun paused, and the students behind him also stopped.

"Deputy Factory Director Lin, is our morning tour over?" Su Jun asked Lin Zhiqiang.

"Yes." Lin Zhiqiang nodded with a smile: "It's lunchtime now, so I brought the teachers and students to the factory canteen for lunch. The factory has approved a meal allowance for us."

"Our factory canteen is also ready. Braised pork belly, salted pork belly, steamed spare ribs with rice flour, shredded pork with garlic sauce, and various stir-fries are all prepared by experienced chefs. We guarantee that the students can eat with peace of mind and enjoy their meals," Wang Defa said with a smile, preparing to lead the students to the restaurant.

Su Jun didn't respond to him, but instead looked at Lin Zhiqiang and asked, "Deputy Factory Director Lin, is it okay to eat anywhere with this meal allowance? Or does it have to be eaten in your factory canteen?"

"This..." Lin Zhiqiang paused for a moment, then said, "Of course you can eat anywhere. Director Su doesn't want to eat in the factory canteen? If you want to eat at a state-run restaurant, I can arrange for a shuttle bus to take you there."

Wang Defa got a little anxious when he heard this. It was just after get off work, and the workers who came to the canteen to eat were all curiously looking at the group of college students.

The department head is leading his students to eat at a state-run restaurant instead of the factory cafeteria. Isn't that a slap in the face, implying that the food in the factory cafeteria is bad?

After Xiao Lei went to work as a cook, the remaining chefs were indeed a bit worse than those in the state-run restaurants, but since it was their first time in Suji, they shouldn't know about this.

“No need for that. We’ll have lunch at Zhou Erwa’s restaurant near the entrance. We have a seminar this afternoon, so it’s convenient.” Su Jun smiled and said, “His restaurant is quite special. I’m planning to give my students a lesson there.”

"what?"

A surprised exclamation suddenly rang out at the entrance of the factory canteen.

(End of this chapter)