1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 268 The ridicule from peers is not worth mentioning (Part 2)

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Meng Anhe became quite interested.

She grew up in Jiangnan and later studied architecture, traveling to many places and seeing all kinds of gardens and mansions.

The Qiu residence in Jiaozhou City is exquisite, but compared to the gardens of Suzhou, it can only be considered an ordinary house of a small family.

In terms of vision, Xia Yao is not much worse than her.

There must be something interesting about it that made her give such an evaluation.

Zhou Yan stepped forward, opened the heavy vermilion gate, and led everyone inside.

Meng Anhe followed her in, looking around and nodding slightly from time to time.

It's a small courtyard built in the style of Suzhou gardens. It's a bit small, but the craftsmanship is quite skillful, and it has some exquisite details.

However, the scenery is presented too directly, ultimately lacking the charm and interest of Suzhou gardens.

Meng Anhe pushed open a door and stood in front of the openwork window. Beams of light shone through the window frame onto her. Looking at the courtyard, she smiled and said, "This backyard is better designed than the front yard. It has a certain charm. It's clear that the owner of this courtyard had been to Jiangnan. It has the flavor of a corner of the Master of the Nets Garden."

It's a pity it's a bit small and doesn't have a water feature, but the view from the window is still quite charming. It should be very beautiful next spring when the magnolias bloom.

The flowers in the yard are now just bare branches, but those who love flowers can still recognize what kind of flowers they are and when they bloom.

Zhou Yan stood aside and watched, suddenly understanding a bit about the aesthetics of his ancestors.

The view from the window, so this is what it means to have such a beautiful atmosphere.

Several children have already run off to play on the swings.

I came out of the backyard and wandered into the study.

Unlock the door, push it open, and sunlight streams through the gaps in the carved window into the study, landing on the desk. Beside it is a wall full of bookshelves, with several calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, and the fragrance of books fills the air.

Meng Anhe stood at the door of the study for a long time, a smile on her face. "The owner of this study must be an elegant and quiet person. This study is so comfortable. Look at that rattan chair. If I take a book and brew a cup of tea, I could sit here for an entire afternoon without moving."

The desk is arranged so well, it's comfortable for writing and drawing. Although the front yard is a bit messy, the few slender bamboos planted outside the study window look particularly pleasing to the eye.

Sitting here writing and drawing, one's mind must be very calm. This homeowner has such a refined taste for life.

"Right? I feel really comfortable too," Xia Yao said with a smile.

“Your mother will definitely like it when she comes.” Meng Anhe nodded slightly. “Her study is not as elegant as this one.”

“There’s nothing I can do. She’s happy to let my dad stay in the study. Once his books are laid out there, it doesn’t look elegant anymore.” Xia Yao laughed. “Last time, Zhou Yan gave me a copy of ‘Dongpo’s Postscripts,’ which I’ve already finished reading. I’ll bring it back to her for the New Year, and she’ll definitely be very happy.”

"Su Dongpo's Postscripts? There are such good things? I've been searching for ages in the secondhand book markets in Chengdu and haven't been able to find any." Meng Anhe's eyes lit up. "I'll go to your dorm tonight and take a look."

"Okay." Xia Yao nodded.

“This painting… is it by Chen Shaomei?” Meng Anhe entered the study and quickly spotted a figure painting on the wall. Her gaze soon fell on the signature, and after looking at it carefully for a while, she nodded and said, “That’s right, it’s his painting. The lines are elegant yet disciplined, the clothing has the style of the Song Dynasty, and the style is refined and elegant, combining gentleness with strength. Mr. Zhang Daqian’s evaluation of his painting is quite accurate.”

“It really is a painting by Mr. Chen Shaomei. I didn’t even notice it last time.” Xia Yao also stepped forward to take a look and said with some shock, “I didn’t expect that Miss Qiu would have a genuine work by Mr. Chen Shaomei.”

"Is this a painting by a famous artist?" Zhou Yan asked curiously.

Xia Yao nodded and said, "Mr. Chen Shaomei was one of the four great masters of the Republic of China, and was as famous as Zhang Daqian, Pu Ru and Jin Beilou. He died young, but in his short life he reshaped the height of the Northern School of landscape painting."

I had seen Zhang Daqian and Zhou Yan in textbooks; anyone who could be on par with this person must be a master.

The things Miss Qiu left him are truly invaluable.

Meng Anhe took two more steps forward, looked at a scroll of running script for a while, and said, "This scroll of running script is by Wen Zhengming. It looks like it's quite likely to be genuine. If you're not staying here permanently, I suggest you keep it safe. A piece of it was auctioned in Hong Kong recently for a considerable price. This one is a gift, so it's a bit small, but as long as it's genuine, it will have a price."

"Okay!" Zhou Yan listened to the advice, immediately took it down, carefully rolled it up and put it away, and would take it back to Suji later.

"There are quite a few good things here, treasures that only old collectors would bring out. I've never even seen many of them before." Meng Anhe glanced through the books on the shelf again, then looked at Zhou Yan and said, "You've given them all to me? What did the previous owner have that you have in your hands?"

"The fact that I have no leverage over you is probably just a special kind of fate," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“It’s good.” Meng Anhe nodded with a smile, tiptoed and carefully took an ancient book from the bookshelf, marveling at it: “This book, ‘Ten Bamboo Studio Letter Paper Collection,’ has been famous for a long time. My father has been looking for it for many years without success. I didn’t expect to find it here. It looks like a replica, but it is indeed very well made.”

Zhou Yan glanced at the ancient book in her hand and said with a smile, "If the old man likes it, Sister Meng, you can give it to him. It's like a pearl being buried in dust if I keep it here."

"You're so generous, giving away such precious ancient books so easily," Meng Anhe said with a smile. "At this rate, you'll be giving away this whole bookshelf of ancient books in no time."

“A fine sword is given to a hero, and ancient books are given to a master. When Grandma Qiu gave me these books, she said she didn’t want them to be left on a shelf and become decorations. Grandpa is a famous painter and a book lover. Giving these books to him is much better than leaving them on this bookshelf to gather dust. It also better reflects Grandma Qiu’s original wish.” Zhou Yan said seriously, “If it were someone else who wanted them, I definitely wouldn’t give them to him.”

“Yes, Xiao Zhou’s awareness and level of thinking are indeed quite high.” Meng Anhe nodded, handed him the book in her hand, and said with a smile, “Keep it for now. If you have the chance later, give it to the old man yourself. He will definitely be very happy.”

Zhou Yan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that this was a gift that Sister Meng had carefully chosen for him. He reached out and took it, nodding solemnly with a smile.

Xia Yao, who was standing to the side, turned her head to look at the painting on the wall, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

Meng Anhe walked around the study and said, "This study is so nice, I almost feel reluctant to tear it down. If you want to keep this study, then rebuild it according to this layout and size. You don't even need to change the orientation. Especially these windows, be careful when you take them down, they fit together so well."

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say." Zhou Yan nodded.

After leaving the study, Zhou Yan took Meng Anhe to the rooftop platform.

“The river view is really nice, and you can even see the Jiaozhou Buddha and Lingbao Pagoda in the distance. Seeing this view, I suddenly understand why you bought this courtyard and want to rebuild it.” Meng Anhe took two steps forward and looked at the river view with admiration. “Make the second floor into private rooms, raise the style a bit, and with your cooking skills, this will be the best restaurant in Jiaozhou.”

"I'm relieved to hear you say that," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“Of course, if we’re going to go in that direction, the cost of rebuilding won’t be low. You have to be prepared for that.” Meng Anhe turned to look at him. “Half of the cost is for building the house, and the other half is for decorating, which will take up the bulk of the expense.”

"I understand." Zhou Yan nodded. He was aware of the cost of the renovation.

Looking at the pedestrians and tourists coming and going on the street below, Meng Anhe smiled and said, "It's great. If a restaurant is built in this location and done well, it can become a century-old establishment. As long as people still come to worship the Jiaozhou Buddha, business will not be bad."

"You said there's a small tiled house, where is it?"

“Over here, that dilapidated tile-roofed house behind the old house, I want to tear it down and build a small courtyard,” Zhou Yan pointed out to her.

Meng Anhe looked at it for a while and nodded, saying, "The location is quite suitable. If we knock down the backyard wall, it will be convenient to move things around, and we can save a lot of money on labor. The area is not large, but it's enough to build a small courtyard. There aren't many of you, so it's sufficient."

"Will the lighting be affected?" Zhou Yan asked.

"It all depends on whether tall buildings are built around the house in the future. If they are, it will definitely have an impact. So when designing, try to borrow the natural light from your own house. That way, even if tall buildings are built on both sides and behind in the future, it won't be a big problem." Meng Anhe looked around and pointed to the house next to Dongda Street on the left. "You should wait for the opportunity and buy this house as well. That way, you can have natural light from both sides, and it won't matter how the other directions change in the future."

“Okay, I’ll ask about it later.” Zhou Yan nodded.

At this rate, they'll eventually buy up half of East Street.

Meng Anhe walked towards the stairs: "Let's take the measurements first. Once we've determined the dimensions, I can make the design drawings when we get back. If you have any requirements, you can tell me directly later, and I'll try my best to meet your needs in the design so that you can live more comfortably in the future."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan quickly followed.

Measuring is a meticulous task. Zhou Yan, Uncle Lin, and Comrade Lao Zhou carried the measuring tape and measured various dimensions inside and outside the two old houses.

Meng Anhe took out her notebook and wrote down the various dimensions.

Not only the foundation dimensions, but also the dimensions of various materials she felt might be useful.

Meng Anhe instructed, "Measure the length, width, and height of this stone, as well as the jar in the corner. Later, measure the dimensions of these two windows as well..."

"Sister Meng, I want three bedrooms, a study, a kitchen, a living room, and a toilet..." After taking the measurements, Zhou Yan took out his own design sketches and began to tell Meng Anhe his ideas and needs.

Meng Anhe frowned slightly after listening: "The toilet you envisioned may not be so easy to arrange. The underground pipe network in Jiaozhou is not yet widely available. You need to make sure that the East Street has a sewer system before you can design it according to your needs."

"Of course, your design is already close to the layout of a hotel suite in a big city, and the living experience is indeed better. I'll consider how to improve the portability of life while preserving the unique landscape of the courtyard."

"Okay, I'll follow your instructions. I was just scribbling on paper." Zhou Yan nodded. He was aware that there would be many limitations in this era. Anyway, he had made his request, and he didn't care how much could be achieved in the end.

Meng Anhe shook her head, holding Zhou Yan's design drawings, and said, "This isn't just random scribbling. I think you have quite a talent for design. The layout of this apartment is quite novel. Customizing wardrobes directly on the wall should make it more concise, but we need to consider how to prevent moisture."

The layout is also different from traditional layouts; it looks a bit awkward, but the actual user experience should be good. For example, the bedroom is separated from the living room, which is quite practical for houses with poor sound insulation, as it prevents disturbance to each other.

Zhou Yan pursed her lips, not daring to smile. Life, after all, needs a bit of privacy.

Brick walls from this era have absolutely no soundproofing effect!
If I get married in the future, it won't be so convenient to live next to each other.

Planning ahead makes for a better living experience. Besides, Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhao are only in their early forties and also need privacy.

“The study will be built here, the wall will be built here, and the house will be moved back a little so that there can be a small view outside the window. The room layout also needs to be changed. Due to limited conditions, we can’t make it a standard north-facing house…” Meng Anhe’s ballpoint pen scribbled away, and soon a three-dimensional sketch of the courtyard appeared on the paper.

That's right, it's a 3D diagram. It even shows the layout of the courtyard, using some of the materials from the current large courtyard. Zhou Yan can find some particularly obvious materials on the diagram.

She used the materials she already had in the yard to rebuild a small courtyard.

"The layout of this courtyard is wonderful, small yet beautiful," Xia Yao exclaimed as she watched from the side.

“The specific layout will need minor adjustments during construction, but the overall structure won’t change too much. Anyway, I’ll use whatever is usable in this old house to save on material costs. The cheapest thing these days is labor. An experienced craftsman only earns a little over a dollar a day, but a single high-quality beam can cost tens or even hundreds of dollars,” Meng Anhe said. “This isn’t a construction drawing; it’s just to make it easier for you to understand. I’ll draw the detailed plans when I get back; it won’t be ready in a day or two.”

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say." Zhou Yan nodded repeatedly.

After discussing the courtyard plan, Meng Anhe began talking to Zhou Yan about the layout and planning of the restaurant.

From the kitchen layout to the hall circulation, the direction of the restaurant's main entrance, the location of the second-floor staircase, and the layout of the second-floor private rooms...

Meng Anhe considered everything thoroughly, listened to Zhou Yan's needs, and offered her insightful suggestions.

“Five meters, you’re building this as a high-standard lobby. This will increase construction costs and decoration costs significantly. You’ll need to use expensive, high-quality lighting fixtures and floor tiles to achieve the desired effect. Are you sure you want to do this?” Meng Anhe paused her pen on the paper and looked at Zhou Yan to confirm.

Zhou Yan nodded very firmly: "That's right. Unless it is rebuilt, the ceiling height cannot be changed. I hope that decades later, when the hotel is renovated, it will not be embarrassed by the low ceiling height."

“Okay, a very visionary idea.” Meng Anhe nodded and marked five meters on the first floor.

Zhou Yan then said, "Sister Meng, could we preserve some of the architectural style of this old house while rebuilding it? For example, could we keep the gatehouse so that it can blend in with the new building and benefit from the ancient architecture?"

Are you worried that this restaurant will be demolished in the future?

"You really know it all." Zhou Yan nodded.

"You're quite shrewd," Meng Anhe said, taking the manuscript paper with her as she left the gate and retreated to the riverbank to examine the gatehouse closely.

The gatehouse is meticulously constructed with fine blue bricks, which complement the background of blue tiles and white walls, creating a simple yet elegant atmosphere.

The eaves are intricately carved, and two stone lions playing with embroidered balls stand in front of the door. The double vermilion doors also appear quite imposing.

The original owner put a lot of thought into it, using solid materials, and it remains very sturdy even after a hundred years.

Meng Anhe said, "Then let's keep this gatehouse. The overall color scheme will be blue tiles and white walls, which will give it a more elegant and grand appearance, differentiating it from other brightly lit restaurants and hotels. We can open a gate on the east side of the street to make full use of the corner store's advantages."

“Okay! Let’s go with this style.” Zhou Yan nodded in agreement. He also disliked those brightly lit restaurants, such as the Feiyan Restaurant with its neon lights.

This century-old hotel, which should have been quite nice, gives people a strange feeling of being both Westernized and outdated.

Since Zhou Yan has come all the way to Jiaozhou to open a restaurant and invested a lot of money, he must have some ambitions.

If we also opened a stir-fry restaurant, Zhou Erwa Restaurant would be quite good.

Meng Anhe scribbled on the paper, looking at Zhou Yan and said, "If we follow your requirements, the budget will have to be increased, and it probably won't be enough to reach 50,000."

"Approximately how much?" Zhou Yan's expression turned serious upon hearing this.

"Including renovations, it will cost at least 80,000 yuan, and you have to control the budget carefully during the process, otherwise you will exceed the budget if you are not careful."

“Eighty thousand…” Zhou Yan thought about it seriously for a while, then nodded and said, “Okay, eighty thousand it is.”

Eighty thousand is not a small amount, but it's not too outrageous for him either.

With the popularity of steamed buns, his restaurant's daily revenue still has room to increase, and his monthly profit is expected to exceed 10,000 yuan.

If we save up until after the Lunar New Year and start construction, we can earn money while repairing, and the progress should be able to catch up.

This is a project that can't be fixed in a short time.

He could earn 10,000 yuan by guarding the gates of the textile factory with 3,000 workers. But once he arrived in Jiaozhou City, where people from all over the country gathered, he believed he could earn even more.

The initial investment is necessary.

Once the house is built, it becomes real estate.

He went to this shop because it's a century-old establishment, and he figured he had to spend the money he needed to.

"That's impressive. I'll make a plan for you when we get back, and I'll give it to you when it's done." Meng Anhe closed the notebook, her gaze towards Zhou Yan filled with undisguised admiration.

This young man is really something else; he agreed to the offer of 80,000 yuan without hesitation.

It is clear that Zhou Erwa Restaurant is currently generating very substantial revenue.

That's right, now even the Tuesday Wa Restaurant is jokingly called the Second Canteen by the textile factory workers.

The workers who used to eat stir-fries in the factory canteen are now regulars at restaurants.

Wang Defa's vigorous promotion of the canteen's stir-fries gradually cultivated the workers' consumption habits, ultimately benefiting Zhou Yan.

This young man is not only a skilled cook, but also very proactive, seizing every opportunity he could.

Once the restaurant in Jiaozhou opens, it's foreseeable that Zhou Yan will become a prominent figure in Jiaozhou's catering industry.

Old Lin is right; if Xia Yao really gets together with him...

With his abilities and personality, she will never suffer in her life.

Judging from that girl's appearance, she probably can't escape.

"We've been busy all morning, Sister Meng, let's go eat. There's a pretty good Niuhua Malatang place up ahead. We ate there once before, and the dipping sauce was especially good," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“Sure, it’s been a long time since I’ve had mala tang.” Meng Anhe nodded with a smile.

Zhou Yan strode into the courtyard and invited Xia Yao and the others to have dinner.

Upon hearing that they could eat spicy hot pot, the brothers Lin Bingwen and Lin Jingxing were overjoyed. They couldn't get any in Suji, so they were really lucky to be in the city with Zhou Yan today.

"Auntie, I'll take you to eat tofu pudding!" Zhou Momo ran out and took Meng Anhe's hand.

“Okay.” Meng Anhe said with a smile, and she and Xia Yao followed Zhou Momo to the tofu pudding stall.

The boss and his wife looked at Zhou Momo, who was skipping and hopping towards them, and their smiles revealed a hint of helplessness.

The little guy is adorable, but he's a bit picky about food, and he's getting more and more outrageous lately, even bringing people here to eat sweet tofu pudding!

Zhou Momo walked up and immediately praised in her childish voice, "Uncle, Auntie, I'm here to eat tofu pudding again~~ Your tofu pudding is so delicious! I love it the most! I even brought my best aunt and sister with me. Can we have sweet tofu pudding?"

What can we do...?

The little guy has already said all that.

"Okay, okay, I'll make them for you. How many do you want?" the boss said with a helpless smile.

"I want three servings." Zhou Momo raised her hand, then looked back at Lin Bingwen and Lin Jingxing: "And two more servings."

"Five servings?" The boss's smile became more sincere.

This is a big order!
At this moment, saving face among peers seemed less important.

"Sister, give me a spicy one," Zhao Tieying said with a smile as she walked over.

"I'd like a mildly spicy one," Lin Zhiqiang said.

"Okay! Please wait a moment," the proprietress replied with a smile.

"Auntie, I'll pay the bill first, and then you can bring it to the mala tang shop up ahead for us." Zhou Yan took out his wallet to pay.

"Sure, I'll take care of it," the proprietress readily agreed.

The group went to Niuhua Malatang restaurant. As soon as they arrived at the door, the proprietress greeted them warmly: "Young men, you're here again! Come in and have a seat."

(End of this chapter)