1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 278 Forget it, I can't explain it to you (6k words combined)

Zhou Yan turned around and looked at the chubby child in front of him, feeling a little lost for a moment.

Who is this?

"It's me, Lu Chuan! We were deskmates for two years in junior high, and you've already forgotten me?" The chubby boy reached out and patted his arm, grinning as he said, "It's been years since we last met, you've grown quite a bit taller. I went to Zhoucun to visit you before, but your mom said you went to the textile factory canteen to learn to cook. Later, I went to the textile factory, but the security guards stopped me from going in, so I didn't see you."

"Ah, Lu Chuan, it's been years since I last saw you. You've gained quite a bit of weight." Zhou Yan looked at the chubby guy in front of him, and he gradually recognized him as the slender boy in his memory.

Good heavens, he hasn't grown taller, but he's twice as wide horizontally, and his face is round like a millstone. No wonder he didn't recognize him.

She's 1.6 meters tall and looks like she weighs almost 200 pounds.

Lu Chuan was one of Xiao Zhou's few friends in junior high school. He was one of the worst students in the class. After graduating from junior high school, he supposedly came to Jiaozhou to learn cooking. Xiao Zhou didn't have much contact with him after that.

From what I remember, aside from being a bit of a goofball, he was a nice guy.

Memories flooded back, and looking at the chubby child again made me feel much closer to him.

"After all these years, you're still such a good conversationalist." Lu Chuan's tone was a little resentful, but his smile remained bright. "I've been testing dishes for my master, and every inch of my body is a work-related injury. You know, when you're learning to cook, it's inevitable."

"That's strange. We're both learning to cook, so why am I only building muscles?" Zhou Yan lifted a corner of his shirt, showing Lu Chuan his abs with a bright smile.

Lu Chuan stopped laughing and gritted his teeth: "You've crossed the line, my friend!"

"It's alright, it just means you've truly inherited your master's teachings," Zhou Yan comforted him.

“That makes sense.” Lu Chuan was comforted. Looking at the chef’s certificate hanging on Zhou Yan’s chest, he asked curiously, “Your master was invited to cook? And you’re his assistant? A chef from a textile factory can be invited to cook today’s banquet? Your master is quite impressive.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Zhou Yan nodded.

His master was invited by him to be his assistant, which was a rather awkward thing to say.

I felt that since we were classmates and it was not easy to meet again, it would be a bit impolite for him to greet me with a smile and then immediately start a physical confrontation, so I didn't explain further.

"And what about your master?" Lu Chuan asked, looking around.

"He went to kill chickens. We need two chickens today. Your guesthouse is quite formal, you can't kill chickens in the kitchen, there's a special slaughtering area. He caught them and locked them up first," Zhou Yan explained with a smile.

"Of course, the guesthouse is for entertaining leaders and important guests, so it's quite well-organized in all aspects. It's not just our guesthouse; the big hotels in Jiaozhou are all quite sophisticated." Lu Chuan nodded, then looked at Zhou Yan and asked, "By the way, how's it going at the textile factory canteen? Have you finished your apprenticeship?"

"I was fired from the factory canteen a while ago," Zhou Yan said.

"Fired?!" Lu Chuan was shocked and looked at him anxiously: "What did you do? The textile factory is a large state-owned factory. Even an apprentice can't be fired so easily!"

"I got into a fight with the director of the factory canteen, but he couldn't beat me," Zhou Yan said with a laugh.

Lu Chuan: “…”

He really is a genius!

"Boss, you should be a little more accommodating..." Lu Chuan scratched his head, "So what are you doing now? Have you found a new job yet?"

“Now Su Ji has opened a small restaurant, and my mom and dad help out there. He’s running his own business,” Zhou Yan said.

"Going solo? That's good." Lu Chuan sighed upon hearing this, his gaze towards Zhou Yan filled with pity. He had lost his stable government job and could only go solo, needing his parents' help. This old classmate really had it tough.

"And you? You're wearing the chef's uniform from the guesthouse. Have you graduated and started cooking yet?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at him.

"Three years to learn to cook, three years to help out in the kitchen, and then another two years to become a chef myself." Lu Chuan puffed out his chest, patted his chef's certificate on his chest, and looked a little proud: "I'm currently a cook at the city guesthouse. Sometimes I can even stir-fry dishes like hot and sour shredded potatoes and pickled cabbage. I'm one of the best young chefs at the guesthouse. They all call me a genius."

Zhou Yan pursed her lips, trying to hold back her laughter.

I'm starting to get the feel for it; it's definitely still the same goofy plus version from back then.

"Wow, Lu Tiancai has even mastered high-end dishes like hot and sour shredded potatoes and stir-fried cabbage. He'll dominate the guesthouse's kitchen in no time," Zhou Yan exclaimed.

"That's still a long way off. As long as my master doesn't retire, I'll always just be a prince." Lu Chuan shook his head and sighed. "Do you know my master? He's known in the martial arts world as Lu Xiaoji, the Lu Xiaofeng of the culinary world."

"Lu Xiaoji, I've heard so much about you." Zhou Yan nodded, but to say that he was Lu Xiaofeng of the culinary world was a bit like using someone's nickname to try and gain attention.

"My master is the head chef of the guesthouse, one of the top chefs in Jiaozhou. Today, famous chefs from Jiaozhou are gathered here, and he is among the invited masters. He is making the guesthouse's signature braised pork, one of the main dishes for tonight's banquet." Lu Chuan said proudly, "I cut that braised pork. Isn't that amazing?"

"You're awesome!" Zhou Yan gave a thumbs up, feeling really involved.

"Hehe." Lu Chuan chuckled, then composed himself and asked, "By the way, who is your master? What are you carrying?"

"My master is Xiao Lei, a third-generation disciple of the Kong school and a national second-level chef, who is a student of Kong Huaifeng," Zhou Yanlong introduced solemnly.

"Ah... I've never heard of it." Lu Chuan scratched his head awkwardly, then said, "But the Kong School is very powerful! My master often said that Master Kong Huaifeng of the Kong School is the chef he admires the most. He has a noble character, is open-minded, and opened up training classes, paving a great road for chefs in Jiaozhou."

Zhou Yan nodded slightly. The advisor's reputation in the Jiaozhou culinary world was indeed renowned, and of course, he deserved it.

"This contains braised beef," Zhou Yan said, holding up the basket in his hand.

"Ah! Braised beef, that's definitely on the menu!" Lu Chuan's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "So your master is a cold dish chef. I almost forgot the important thing while we were chatting. Come with me, this braised dish needs to be sent to the cold dish section first."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded and followed Lu Chuan toward the kitchen.

As they walked and talked, Lu Chuan mentioned the current situations of some of his junior high school classmates, many of whom were developing their careers in Jiaozhou.

It's clear that Lu Chuan still keeps in touch with them.

He has a good personality and gets along with everyone.

Zhou Yan is different. Even when searching through his memory by comparing his name with others, he only has some vague impressions. He might not even recognize the person standing in front of him.

"Do you remember Chen Rong? She's the girl who used to sit in front of us, the one with the slightly round face."

"Some impression."

“We’re dating and planning to get married before the New Year. You have to come and be my best man.” Lu Chuan smiled at him. “I was planning to pick up the invitation and visit you next week, but we ran into each other today, so I thought I’d say hello first.”

"Huh?" Zhou Yan paused, looking at him in surprise. "So fast? You're not even of legal marriage age yet, are you?"

"I'm pregnant, we can't delay any longer, I'm starting to show, I'm going to be a dad." Lu Chuan leaned closer to Zhou Yan and lowered his voice, his joy barely concealed in his eyes. "Let's have the wedding first, and after the baby is born, we can get the marriage certificate in a couple of years. This kind of situation happens all the time."

"You rascal." Zhou Yan couldn't help but laugh and nodded, "Then congratulations on becoming a father and a groom at the same time. Give me the invitation later and I'll make sure to come and support you at the wedding."

"I knew you'd say yes, my good brother!" Lu Chuan said happily, looking at him, "Are you still single?"

"Yes, I'm currently single." Zhou Yan nodded.

"What do you mean 'currently'? It's like we've talked before. Don't we know each other?" Lu Chuan curled his lips and continued, "Let me tell you, Chen Rong has a cousin who's going to be his bridesmaid. She's a year younger than us, quite pretty, and works at the Jiaozhou Post Office. I'll ask Chen Rong to introduce you to her. You're just as good-looking as me, maybe it'll work out."

"When it comes to being thick-skinned, I think I'm still a little inferior," Zhou Yan said seriously.

The guesthouse's kitchen was quite large. Lu Chuan took Zhou Yan to the cold dish area, labeled the insulated container, and placed it in the food preparation area.

"Don't worry, this area is managed by designated personnel. No one can enter without a work permit, and no one will cause any trouble," Lu Chuan told Zhou Yan.

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded. The braised beef was sent to the cold dish section. If there were any problems, the guesthouse would take the blame.

"Lu Chuan! Another master has arrived, go and greet him!" a voice came from the side.

"Yes, Director!" Lu Chuan replied, then said to Zhou Yan, "You can wander around, I'm going to get busy. Tonight, after the masters are done with their work, we'll find a place to have dinner and chat."

"Okay, you go ahead and do your thing." Zhou Yan nodded. This guy was actually quite interesting. Although they hadn't seen each other for two years, there wasn't much of a sense of distance when they chatted.

Perhaps this is what friends are like.

With nothing else to do, Zhou Yan actually started wandering around.

The city guesthouse caters to high-caliber guests, but in terms of the number of diners, it's not as large as the textile factory canteen.

However, this kitchen is even larger than the factory canteen's kitchen.

Cold dishes, hot dishes, and cold dishes are clearly separated, and raw and cooked foods are kept separate.

When it comes to preparing high-end banquets, the emphasis is on "refinement," and this is something worth considering.

When the restaurant opens in Jiaozhou, it will definitely have to be more sophisticated.

Look over here at the food preparation area, several groups of chefs are already busy cutting, stewing, and stir-frying.

Why do I say "partner"?
Because each stove is surrounded by two or three chefs, who are basically a combination of three generations: old, middle-aged and young.

Zhou Yan's gaze fell on a wine jar in the corner. The jar was quite large and stood on an iron rack. Below it was a stove covered with sawdust. There was no open flame, only a smoldering fire. A rich, fresh aroma wafted out from the gaps in the jar's seal, carrying a faint scent of wine.

"The braised pork in a jar, Lu Xiaoji has truly inherited his father's skills, and he makes it quite well, worthy of the guesthouse's reputation." A familiar voice rang out from behind Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan turned around and saw that the people who came were Kong Qingfeng, Kong Guodong, and Kong Liwei. He quickly smiled and said, "Grandmaster Uncle, Senior Uncle, Senior Brother, you've come."

"We just arrived too." Kong Qingfeng nodded and said with a smile, "Zhou Yan, were you also invited to cook?"

Kong Guodong and Kong Liwei also looked at Zhou Yan with concern.

“Yes, the Municipal Economic Commission invited us.” Zhou Yan nodded.

"Zhou Yan, you're amazing!" Kong Liwei exclaimed, looking at Zhou Yan.

Both were in their early twenties, but Zhou Yan was invited to cook, while he came along to serve as a kitchen helper for the clerk. That's the difference.

"Young and promising! It's such an honor that two chefs from our Kong School were invited to cook here today," Kong Guodong exclaimed, his pride evident in his words.

"Good, really good." Kong Qingfeng nodded repeatedly, his expression filled with emotion, "This reminds me of the days when my senior brother and I cooked together. Back then, we were young and energetic, and the two of us could basically handle everything on many occasions, so we didn't need to hire so many chefs."

"The culinary skills of my grandmaster and grandmaster are beyond question." Zhou Yan had seen them at their peak; their cooking skills were unparalleled in Jiaozhou. It was no surprise that the two of them could easily host a banquet together. "What dishes did they invite you to cook today?" Kong Qingfeng asked again.

"One dish of braised beef and one dish of snowflake chicken soup," Zhou Yan replied.

"Please cook two dishes?" Kong Guodong and Kong Liwei were both surprised to hear this. Zhou Yan was the youngest of the invited chefs, but he was probably the one who cooked the most dishes.

Kong Qingfeng nodded and said, "One cold dish and one hot dish, both with flavors that no one else can replicate, it's a reasonable arrangement."

Kong Guodong and Kong Liwei nodded in agreement, agreeing that this was indeed true.

Previously, at Qian Siyuan's thank-you banquet, they had eaten Zhou Yan's braised dishes and snowflake chicken soup. Needless to say, the taste was indeed something that no other chef in Jiaozhou could replicate.

"Did you come alone?" Kong Qingfeng asked.

“My master and Senior Brother Zheng are here too. They went to the slaughter area,” Zhou Yan said.

"So, the stone is here to be used as a stool?" Kong Qingfeng's expression was a little strange.

“I think this is a rare opportunity, so I’m bringing my master and senior brother here to broaden their horizons,” Zhou Yan nodded.

Kong Liwei: "..."

Junior Brother Zhou really dares to speak his mind.

"Uncle-Master, Senior Brother Guodong." Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang were brought over by Lin Qing and greeted everyone first.

Kong Guodong couldn't help but laugh, looking at Xiao Lei and saying, "The last time I saw Shi Tou come to this kind of occasion, he was serving as a servant to the old man. Today, he's serving as a servant to Zhou Yan. It can be said that he hasn't forgotten his original intention."

"The student surpasses the master, there's nothing I can do about it. My apprentice is so good, that's the only trouble. I haven't even become famous yet, but my apprentice has already become a star." Xiao Lei spread his hands and looked at Kong Guodong, saying, "Senior Brother Guodong, don't you think so?"

Kong Guodong glanced at Kong Liwei beside him and his smile vanished.

“Master, when you become famous, will it be my turn to be your assistant?” Kong Liwei said with a smile.

"Shut your mouth. No one will think you're mute if you don't speak." Kong Guodong couldn't help but roll his eyes. You're actually hoping to become famous by studying under a master.

Zhou Yan pursed his lips, suppressing a smile. Sure enough, the Kong School was a breeding ground for Yin-Yang Masters.

"You guys chat for a bit, I'm going to the upper hut," Kong Qingfeng said, turning and walking quickly towards the door.

"Liwei, go and take a look," Kong Guodong said hurriedly.

Kong Liwei responded and quickly followed.

"What's wrong with Uncle-Master? He doesn't look too good." Xiao Lei asked with concern.

“Maybe we didn’t cook the hot pot properly at noon today. You know he likes it undercooked, so I don’t know if the beef and tripe weren’t cooked through. He had to go to the toilet several times in Leming.” Kong Guodong said with a smile, “It shouldn’t be a big problem. His stomach is quite sensitive, so this kind of thing is quite common. We gave him some medicine.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Kong Guodong was not only Kong Qingfeng's apprentice but also his nephew, so he naturally knew more about Kong's physical condition.

Lin Qing walked over and said to Zhou Yan, "Master Zhou, you have set up the third cutting board in the cold dish area and the fourth pot in the hot dish area. Please check the pots, pans and seasonings first. If you need anything, please let me know and I will arrange it."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan replied and walked towards the stove assigned to him.

Snowflake Chicken Soup is a bit complicated, but compared to other chefs' elaborate dishes like Braised Pork in a Jar or Braised Beef Head, which often take seven or eight hours or even a whole day and night, it's incredibly simple.

It's only a little past two o'clock now, and the dinner is scheduled for six o'clock. They've even set a timer for when the dishes will be served.

Zheng Qiang was responsible for cutting and plating the braised beef. He only needed to make three dishes of snowflake chicken soup. His master would also help kill the chicken. It was a really simple job.

He checked the cookware and confirmed that there was no problem.

He brought his own seasonings; there were only three portions, so he wouldn't need too much.

He was unwilling to take the risk of having to adapt to different seasonings, as it was inevitable that there would be flaws.

With nothing to do, this group started wandering around, watching other chefs cook.

This is where the advantage of having a large number of people becomes apparent.

Since everyone here is someone of importance, it's not good to keep people from seeing, so they just stand in front of the stove, blocking the view, and then you can't really see anything.

They didn't really care; their main concern was seeing what dishes were being served at today's banquet.

"This braised pork smells so good! Rongcheng Restaurant also has this dish, but in terms of aroma, it's really not as good as this one," Zheng Qiang whispered.

"Lu Xiaoji's braised pork is a family recipe passed down for decades. He has mastered the craft and his skills are truly exceptional," Xiao Lei nodded, then took out a cigarette and beckoned to the bald, middle-aged man sitting in front of the jar like a mountain of meat, "Lu Xiaoji, a dry cigarette."

"Stone! What brings you here?" Lu Xiaoji turned around, looking at Xiao Lei with some surprise. She stood up, took the cigarette, and pressed down on Xiao Lei's hand as he reached for a match. "Smoking is not allowed in the kitchen. You'll get fined if you do, so don't get me into trouble."

"It's still early before dinner, can't you even smoke?" Xiao Lei stuffed the matches back into his pocket and tucked the cigarette he was holding behind his ear.

"Rules are rules, why do we have to ask the leaders?" Lu Xiaoji put the cigarette in his pocket and said with a smile, "Did you come with Master Kong?"

“No, he came with my apprentice.” Xiao Lei pointed to Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang and said, “My apprentice is Zhou Yan, and my senior brother Yunliang’s apprentice is Zheng Qiang.”

“When you call someone, call him ‘Uncle-Master’,” Xiao Lei said, then called out to the two of them, “He also attended your grandmaster’s training course, so there’s nothing wrong with calling him that.”

"Uncle-Master," Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang called out.

"Your apprentice is quite handsome, but a bit thin. He looks more like a celebrity than a chef. I wonder if he can even flip a wok?" Lu Xiaoji said with a smile, looking at Zhou Yan and Zheng Qiang. "Brother Yunliang's apprentice is perfect. He looks energetic."

For a moment, Zhou Yan didn't know whether he was praising him or making fun of him.

Forget it, everyone says he's handsome, so what's there to be angry about?

"Although I was praised, I don't seem really happy?" Zheng Qiang frowned, something seemed off.

However, he was a little surprised that his master was so familiar with Lu Chuan's master.

Indeed, once you reach the top of any circle, you're part of the same circle.

Just like the Feiyan Restaurant and Leming Restaurant, which have been rivals for many years, Li Liangcai and Kong Qingfeng can sit at the same table chatting and laughing, and even give pointers to the younger generation.

The business belongs to the boss, but the relationships belong to you.

This point is indeed made concrete.

"What dishes are you cooking this time?" Lu Xiaoji asked Xiao Lei curiously.

"Kill a chicken for my apprentice," Xiao Lei said.

Lu Xiaoji rolled her eyes: "Get the hell out of here! Your apprentice doesn't even look as old as mine, so what kind of dishes are you making?"

Zhou Yan wanted to correct him, saying that Lu Chuan was his classmate, and he was two months older than Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan has gained weight, so he needs to look more mature.

"If you don't believe me, fine, I'll come along and make snowflake chicken soup." Xiao Lei said helplessly.

"Snowflake Chicken Soup! I was wondering who would make this dish today. Isn't this a family recipe passed down in the Luo family? He couldn't make it, but you did?" Lu Xiaoji's eyes lit up.

"Forget it, I can't explain it to you. I'm going to go see what other masters are cooking." Xiao Lei turned and left. To be honest, he didn't believe a word of it, but what could he do?

As I strolled to the side, I saw an elderly man with gray hair sitting in front of a stove. There was something simmering in the pot in front of him, and the aroma was enticing.

"Uncle Yue, Master Lin, it's been a long time..." Zheng Qiang went up to greet them.

"Oh, Zheng Qiang, it's been so long since I've seen you! Didn't your master say you went back to Jiaozhou to be a village cook?" The old man looked up at Zheng Qiang and said with a smile.

"I came back to work as a village cook with my uncle, and today I'm here with my junior brother to broaden my horizons," Zheng Qiang said with a smile.

“Alright, this Jiaozhou is your Kong faction's territory, it's good for you to broaden your horizons.” Yue Guolong smiled and nodded at Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, they wandered off to other places.

Honestly, there aren't many groups as idle as them.

Lu Chuan came to the cafeteria twice, but hesitated to speak. In the end, he obediently sat down next to his master to guard the wine jars.

After walking around twice, Zhou Yan glanced at his watch; it was four o'clock. He immediately took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack by the door.

"Zhou Yan, you guys are finally getting started?" Lu Chuan asked with a smile.

Lu Xiaoji also turned to look at Xiao Lei, her eyes full of curiosity. How did Xiao Lei learn to make snowflake chicken soup, a dish that even Lao Luo couldn't master?

“Yes, let’s get started.” Zhou Yan replied with a smile, then looked at Xiao Lei and said, “Master, let’s get started. First, kill the two chickens and give me the chicken breast meat.”

"Okay," Xiao Lei replied, then turned and left.

"Ok?"

"What?"

Lu Chuan and Lu Xiaoji were both stunned.

What just happened?
"Shouldn't you be cutting beef in the cold dish section?" Lu Chuan asked, puzzled.

"You want your master to kill a chicken and get the chicken breast?" Lu Xiaoji's eyes widened. "You're going to cook? He'll be your assistant!"

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(End of this chapter)