1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 298 Pot, you're eating mine! (6.3k words combined)

Zhuang Huayu chuckled at the sack in Zhao Niangniang's hand and said with a smile, "You're really using a sack to pack it? You can just count the money directly, and then take this box with you later, it'll be more convenient."

"This suitcase is so nice, you don't want it?" Aunt Zhao paused, patted the suitcase containing the money, and looked up at Zhuang Huayu.

Zhuang Huayu nodded: "You can take it. I bought it casually this morning to carry the money. I have a suitcase, so I don't need it. This money was withdrawn from the bank. The receipts haven't been torn off yet. It's a stack of one thousand yuan. You can break it up and count it."

"Great! This box is so convenient for storing things. Thank you, boss." Aunt Zhao immediately put the sack aside.

"Let's count the money first. No need to open it, just count how many bundles there are," Zhou Yan said with a smile, taking out bundles of 10,000 yuan from the box and neatly stacking them on the coffee table.

Ten bundles made a pile, exactly forty piles. They were all neatly arranged, without the slightest discrepancy.

“No problem, exactly 40,000 yuan.” Zhou Yan took out two recipes he had written yesterday from his pocket and handed them to Zhuang Huayu. “Mr. Zhuang, this is the recipe for braised food, as well as the braising and soaking time for various meats and vegetables, and the techniques for maintaining the braising liquid. I have written it all down. To prevent omissions or ambiguity, I have written two copies for you, so you can keep them separately.”

Zhuang Huayu stubbed out his cigarette, took the recipe with both hands, and began to read it carefully. The recipe was written in great detail, including the proportions of each spice, the water ratio, the maintenance details of the braising liquid, and even the precise control of the braising time down to the second.

The handwriting is neat and clear, and two copies are made.

Even he could see it clearly, let alone a professional chef.

Seeing the recipe, Zhuang Huayu felt that the 40,000 yuan was well spent. Zhou Yan was indeed a person worth befriending.

"Mr. Zhou, thank you for your kindness." Zhuang Huayu, holding the recipe, stood up and shook hands with Zhou Yan. "I really like your way of doing things, and it's been a pleasure working with you. If you ever come to Hong Kong, please contact me. I'd love to invite you to my restaurant for a meal and ask you to give my chefs some pointers."

“Okay, if I can come to Hong Kong, I will definitely contact Mr. Zhuang in advance.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

"Here you are, Mr. Zhuang, we brought you some braised meat." Aunt Zhao placed a thermos on the coffee table.

"So good?" Zhuang Huayu opened the insulated box, revealing layer upon layer of braised pig ears, braised pig head meat, braised beef, braised pork intestines, and finally a serving of braised tofu skin and dried bean curd.

"Looks like Lao Yao and I will be having a couple more drinks tonight. All these dishes are great to go with the drinks!" Zhuang Huayu rubbed his hands together and said with a smile, "You guys are so thoughtful, thank you."

Aunt Zhao hesitated for a moment and said, "If you've finished eating, and you don't want this insulated box, just leave it at the guardhouse. I'll come back and pick it up when I come to town for a visit later."

Zhou Yan pursed her lips, suppressing a smile. Aunt Zhao really knew her stuff.

Zhuang Huayu paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll put it in the guard room later and put a note on it so you can find it easily."

He found the simple values ​​of the working people to be real and endearing.

Zhou Yan put the money back into the suitcase and closed it.

"Put it in a burlap sack, it won't be noticeable." Aunt Zhao took out her burlap sack and put it over the box.

"Oh, right, Momo asked me to give you this painting, saying it's a gift for you, as a return gift for the fountain pen you gave her." Zhou Yan took out a rolled-up piece of drawing paper from his pocket and handed it to Zhuang Huayu.

"The little guy has finished drawing?" Zhuang Huayu was a little surprised. He untied the rope binding the drawing, carefully unfolded it, and his eyes lit up.

This is a portrait drawn with crayons, depicting him and Lao Yao sitting in a restaurant.

An eight-immortal table, with one person sitting on each side, a triangular composition, and vibrant yet tasteful colors.

The large pot behind him was steaming, and the aroma of cooking was overwhelming.

In the lower left corner of the painting, four characters were written in pen: "Presented by Zhou Momo"

"It's really well drawn. This little one is talented." Zhuang Huayu held it and looked at it for a long time, then pointed to the four characters and asked, "Did she write this?"

“Yes, I wrote it down once, and she copied it, or rather, drew it.” Zhou Yan nodded.

“Then I really gave this pen to the right person. When Lao Yao comes back later, he’ll be so envious.” Zhuang Huayu smiled smugly and carefully rolled up the painting. “I’m going to take it back and hang it in my study. Maybe little Zhou Momo will become a famous painter in the future.”

After saying goodbye to Zhuang Huayu, Zhou Yan carried a sack full of boxes, followed by Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou, who were carrying guns and knives, and strode downstairs.

As they reached the corner, a hand suddenly landed on Zhou Yan's shoulder.

Click!

The pistol was chambered in a second.

The lifted hem of her garment gleamed coldly.

"Don't shoot, we're on the same side!" Zhou Yan quickly said, pulling a somewhat bewildered Lu Chuan over and laughing, "Claws?"

Aunt Zhao quietly unloaded the gun, put it back in her bag, and smiled.

Comrade Lao Zhou simply covered himself with his clothes without making a sound.

"I was also wondering what you and your aunt and uncle are up to? Is the shop closed today?" Lu Chuan laughed, glancing at the sack in his hand: "And what's this?"

“A few local specialties. Yesterday, Boss Zhuang and Boss Yao came to my shop for dinner and insisted that I come and pick up some local specialties from Hong Kong. I also brought them some braised dishes.” Zhou Yan replied naturally.

"Really? What local specialties does Hong Kong have? Seafood? Chocolate?" Lu Chuan suddenly became interested and stared at the sack in Zhou Yan's hand.

"Aren't you going to work? Why are you wandering around?" Zhou Yan changed the subject. He couldn't very well open the box and give Lu Chuan a bundle of local specialties.

The main concern is that the kid might not be able to handle the shock.

After all, his brother is now driving a Land Rover.

"It's my break time. I just finished lunch and came out for a stroll, and here I am," Lu Chuan said. "If you had told me you were coming, I would have brought the invitation. I'm off on Saturday, so I'll come to Suji to see you and bring you the invitation."

“Okay, when you come, please bring me the insulated food container from the security room.” Zhou Yan said to him, “The boss will put it in the security room after he finishes eating, and there should be a note with my name on it.”

"Then we'll head back first; we still have some things to take care of."

"Okay, take care." Lu Chuan smiled and waved to Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou: "Auntie, Uncle, take care too."

"Okay." The two nodded with smiles and followed Zhou Yan.

Goodness, he suddenly appeared out of nowhere; I almost got him killed.

As Zhou Yan rode his bike out of the guesthouse, he said with a smile, "Mom, they already gave you a suitcase, why did you ask for the insulated box back?"

"I originally wanted to be firm and say I didn't want it, but then I thought about it. This insulated box cost me six yuan and twenty-five cents, and it keeps things warm very well. My teeth even hurt from clenching it, but I still couldn't bear to part with it," Aunt Zhao said.

Zhou Yan was overjoyed; his mother was quite adorable too.

"Did I embarrass you?" Aunt Zhao looked at him, a little worried.

Zhou Yan laughed heartily, "No, it's fine. Anyway, Boss Zhuang doesn't want this insulated box. It's normal for an ordinary family like ours to ask for an insulated box back. It would be a bit silly not to."

Aunt Zhao smiled upon hearing this, a hint of smugness playing on her lips: "That's right, life has to be lived carefully."

The box, covered by a burlap sack, was in a basket draped over Zhao's legs. She held onto Old Zhou's waist with one hand and put the other in her satchel, her eyes scanning left and right with a sharp, dagger-like gaze.

Zhou Yan had witnessed his mother's ability to load a gun in a second and had no doubt about her accuracy.

It makes me feel so safe.

"Which bank?" Comrade Zhou asked.

“Go to the Bank of China. I remember there’s a big branch on the street near the department store,” Zhou Yan said. Once he opened an account and deposited the money, he would feel more at ease.

"Okay," Comrade Zhou replied.

The bicycle was parked in front of the bank. Zhou Yan took the suitcase off his backpack, glanced at Aunt Zhao who was looking around, and said softly, "Mom, you stay here and watch the bike. Don't bring the gun in, or we might have trouble explaining it later."

"What can't be explained?" Aunt Zhao asked, puzzled.

"We're afraid people will say we robbed a bank," Old Zhou whispered.

Aunt Zhao smiled and nodded, "Okay, then I'll watch the car here."

Zhou Yan took the suitcase out of the sack and walked into the bank with Comrade Lao Zhou.

Before leaving home, Zhou Yan made a point of changing into presentable clothes: a corduroy jacket, black trousers, polished leather shoes, a Shanghai watch on his wrist, and a new leather suitcase in his hand. He looked quite presentable.

As the old saying goes, words can subdue a gentleman, and clothes can intimidate a petty person. Respect the clothes first, then the person; respect the appearance first, then the soul.

I came to deposit money today, and I'm depositing 40,000 yuan again.

Zhou Yan didn't want to be looked down upon, questioned, or embarrassed because of his simple clothes.

He was rushing back to cook dinner; he was very busy.

Comrade Lao Zhou lagged behind by two steps, not moving forward.

There weren't many people in the bank at this time. There was an empty counter, so Zhou Yan carried his suitcase forward, bent down, and asked the teller sitting at the window, "Hello, sir, I'd like to open an account."

The teller was a young woman in her early twenties with long, black braids. She looked up at Zhou Yan when she heard him and her eyes lit up.

The young man was quite handsome, tall and thin, and dressed smartly. He was carrying a new leather suitcase, had long, slender fingers, and wore a silver Shanghai brand watch.

"Comrade, do you want to deposit money?" teller Li Yanyan asked. "Would you like to open a personal account or a company account?"

“Yes, deposit money and open a personal account.” Zhou Yan nodded.

"Sit down, fill out the application form first. Did you bring your household registration book? Give it to me later." Li Yanyan pulled out a piece of paper and handed it out through the window.

Zhou Yan sat down, pulled out his Parker fountain pen with a 24k gold-plated clip and a cloisonné enamel top bead from the inside pocket of his jacket, and began filling out the form with a few quick strokes.

Li Yanyan couldn't help but secretly peek at Zhou Yan. She had seen this pen at the bank manager's place before; it seemed to cost more than forty yuan a pen, which was equivalent to her monthly salary, and you needed foreign exchange certificates to buy it.

Who is this young man?
He looks to be only in his early twenties.

The form isn't complicated; it mainly involves filling in basic information such as name, address, and occupation.

Zhou Yan filled out the form and handed it in through the small window along with the household registration booklet.

"Your handwriting is actually quite nice," Li Yanyan said, looking at the form with a hint of surprise.

"Thank you." Zhou Yan capped the pen and put it back in his pocket.

Li Yanyan held the household registration booklet and compared the information. When she saw that the occupation column was filled in as self-employed, she suddenly realized that this made sense.

Many workers and those within the system look down on self-employed individuals, but these tellers know best that successful self-employed individuals can make a lot of money.

Several people in Jiaozhou have become millionaires, some selling home appliances, some selling clothes, and they keep their money in the bank without anyone knowing.

Her monthly salary was only fifty yuan. After seeing so many examples, she sometimes felt envious and her heart began to stir with the urge to start her own business. "A self-employed individual, what exactly do you do?" Li Yanyan asked Zhou Yan, her voice softening slightly.

“It owns a restaurant,” Zhou Yan said.

Li Yanyan was stunned for a moment, looking at Zhou Yan with some surprise.

"Doesn't look like it?" Zhou Yan laughed.

"It doesn't quite look like it." Li Yanyan nodded. In her memory, most restaurant owners were pot-bellied and had oily faces.

But Zhou Yan looks clean and handsome, with a neat buzz cut, a bright smile, and a gentle yet magnetic voice, like a movie star, not someone who runs a restaurant.

With all the documents in order, Li Yanyan signed them and had them stamped by her supervisor. Zhou Yan's personal account was opened quickly.

"The account is open. How much do you want to deposit?" Li Yanyan asked Zhou Yan as she returned to her seat.

Zhou Yan leaned forward a little and whispered, "Forty thousand."

"Forty thousand?!" Li Yanyan was shocked. She had been a teller for two years and this was the first time she had ever encountered someone depositing forty thousand yuan.

Li Yanyan's expression became serious, and she lowered her voice slightly: "Wait a moment, let me tell my supervisor."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded.

He simply didn't want to take out 40,000 yuan in bundles and hand it to the counter in front of so many people in the bank lobby.

While this may seem pretentious, being too high-profile can easily backfire.

A moment later, Li Yanyan and a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a black cotton jacket came out and said to Zhou Yan, "Mr. Zhou, I am Qian Jin, the bank manager. Please come this way with me."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan picked up his suitcase, stood up, nodded to Old Zhou, and went into the small room next door.

There was a desk in the room, as well as a sofa and coffee table.

Li Yanyan closed the door.

"Mr. Zhou wants to deposit 40,000 yuan?" Qian Jin asked Zhou Yan, subtly sizing him up. This young man did seem quite capable; he must be a self-employed individual who had made money.

“That’s right, all the money is here. This comrade just helped me open an account.” Zhou Yan put the suitcase on the coffee table, opened it, and revealed stacks of brand-new 10,000-yuan notes with People’s Bank of China stickers attached.

Qian Jin nodded: "Okay, then I'll process your deposit now. Do you want a current account or a fixed deposit?"

“Survival period,” Zhou Yan said.

"Okay." Qian Jin nodded and said to Li Yanyan beside him, "Count the money and process Mr. Zhou's current account."

"Okay." Li Yanyan swallowed hard, picked up the suitcase, and went to the desk next to her to start counting the money.

Forty thousand is a huge sum of money, but it's not uncommon to see bank tellers counting money until their hands are numb.

But normally, such large sums of money pass through the company account.

Zhou Yan is different; he is self-employed, and all this money belongs to him personally and will soon be deposited into his personal account.

Li Yanyan counted the money, and Qian Jin invited Zhou Yan to sit down, looking at him curiously and asking, "Mr. Zhou, what kind of business do you do?"

In those days, rules and regulations weren't so strict, so it was normal to be curious when faced with such a huge sum of money.

Li Yanyan's hands slowed down noticeably as she counted the money, and she also perked up her ears.

Zhou Yan leaned back comfortably in his chair, crossed his legs, and smiled, saying, "My main business is running a restaurant. I recently did a deal with a Hong Kong businessman."

"A Hong Kong businessman? A foreign businessman who recently came to Jiaozhou for research and inspection?" Qian Jin suddenly realized that made sense; no wonder the seal was so recent.

Hong Kong businessmen are all big bosses. It is said that many of those who came to inspect this time have assets of over 100 million, so 40,000 is really nothing.

Zhou Yan nodded: "Yes, Director Chen is very pragmatic. He did a great job in attracting investment and brought a lot of new vitality to Jiaozhou's economy."

"You know Director Chen from the Municipal Economic Commission?" Qian Jin asked, somewhat surprised.

"Director Chen, who doesn't know him?" Zhou Yan gave Qian Jin a meaningful smile, seemingly giving him a half-answer.

Qian Jin stopped asking questions and started chatting with Zhou Yan.

Li Yanyan counted the money twice, tied it with the Bank of China receipt, and nodded, saying, "Manager Qian, it's 40,000 in total. The amount and the money are both correct."

“Okay, process Mr. Zhou’s deposit.” Qian Jin nodded, stood up and shook hands with Zhou Yan. “Mr. Zhou, if you have a large deposit need next time, you can come to our bank again and we will process it for you separately.”

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded.

Li Yanyan put the money into the bank's vault, and Qian Jin opened another door in the room, allowing the cash to be deposited directly into the vault.

Zhou Yan returned to the counter and quickly received his passbook. After confirming that the amount on the passbook was correct and the stamp was legitimate, he folded it up and put it into his inner bag along with his household registration book.

"Thank you," Zhou Yan said to Li Yanyan, then got up, picked up her suitcase, and left.

Li Yanyan watched Zhou Yan's retreating figure, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

"Yan Yan, how much money did this handsome guy deposit? The manager even personally took him to the small office?" The teller next door had just finished her work and came over to ask with a gossipy look on her face.

"The manager forbids me to say; the deposit amount is a client's privacy," Li Yanyan said casually, taking out a stack of documents and organizing them carefully. After flipping through a couple of pages, she couldn't help but look up and say, "But he's so handsome! Just like a celebrity, tall and handsome, with such long legs."

"What? Is the young girl in love? Why didn't you ask for her contact information earlier?" my colleague said with a smile.

"I'm sorry, it's not appropriate during work hours." Li Yanyan sighed. It wasn't that they didn't have any way to contact Zhou Village in Suji Town.

However, she's too shy to go and visit people in person.

People will think she's after money, but who would have thought she's after sex?

Zhou Yan came out carrying an empty box. Old Zhou and Aunt Zhao were guarding their old bicycles.

"Have you saved it?" Aunt Zhao asked softly when she saw Zhou Yan come out.

"It's all deposited. I've given you a passbook." Zhou Yan patted his chest and handed the suitcase to Aunt Zhao with a smile: "Mom, this suitcase is for you. It can hold some small things."

“Okay.” Aunt Zhao took the leather suitcase with a smile, examined it carefully for a while, and nodded, “It’s really nice, much lighter than a wooden box. I think it’s just right to put Momo’s paintings in it.”

Sure enough, Zhou Momo is still the most precious treasure in this family.

"Let's go, I'll go buy a candied hawthorn up ahead before going back," Zhou Yan said, pushing his bicycle forward.

Not far ahead, a woman carrying a child on her back stood by the roadside with a stick full of candied hawthorns on it. She looked at the passersby, hesitant to speak, and before she could say anything, her face turned red.

"How much are the candied hawthorns?" Zhou Yan stopped at the side, glanced at the sleeping child on the woman's back, and asked.

A gleam of joy flashed in the woman's eyes, and she said in a low voice, "Two cents a skewer, or three skewers for five cents if you want more."

"Okay, I'll take seven strings. Could you wrap them individually in brown paper for me?" Zhou Yan said, taking out some change from his pocket.

"Okay," the woman replied, her smile still reserved, but it was clear she was very happy.

She picked out the seven largest strings, wrapped them individually in kraft paper, and handed them to Zhou Yan, saying, "Just give me one yuan."

"How come it's getting cheaper the more you calculate it?" Zhou Yan laughed.

The woman looked to be around thirty years old, with a round face, slightly dark skin, and a friendly smile.

"I'll give you a free skewer for my first sale today, thank you," the woman said.

"How long did it take before it opened for business?" Zhou Yan asked.

"Those that come out in the morning don't sell very well." The woman's eyes dimmed.

"I'll charge you two cents a skewer, here you go." Zhou Yan handed over 1.4 yuan, then took out a skewer of candied hawthorn and took a bite. The sugar coating was crisp and sweet, and the sweet and sour hawthorn burst in his mouth. It was delicious and flavorful, even better than the one Zhou Momo bought last time.

The pointed end was even cut off; they're quite meticulous.

The woman held the money, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

"It's pretty good, it shouldn't be selling poorly." Zhou Yan smiled at her, and seeing three young girls coming together, he immediately called out, "Candied hawthorns, sweet and sour, so delicious! One bite of candied hawthorns, sweetens the whole winter! Two cents a skewer, five cents for three skewers! Beautiful ladies, want some candied hawthorns?"

Zhou Yan's shout startled the woman carrying the candied hawthorns.

Hearing this, the three girls slowed down, exchanged a few words, and then stepped forward, saying, "Boss, three skewers, please."

While paying, he secretly sized up Zhou Yan.

"Candied hawthorn berries, sweet and sour candied hawthorn berries!" Zhou Yan called out twice more, and seeing people gathering around to buy them, a crowd immediately gathered.

I want one skewer of this, and three skewers of that.

The shop owner was collecting money while picking candied hawthorns for people. By the time she finished, there were only two candied hawthorns left on her arm, and the young man was nowhere to be seen.

Her eyes immediately welled up with tears when she saw the large wad of loose change in her handbag.

The child behind her whimpered twice. She reached out and patted him gently, saying, "Baby, let's go home. We met a kind uncle today."

……

"You're so kind-hearted, yet you're still promoting it to others," Aunt Zhao said with a smile to Zhou Yan from the back of the bicycle.

"She's shy, but I'm thick-skinned. It's nothing for me to help her sell out quickly so she can take her baby home sooner." Zhou Yan's lips curled up slightly. Those two shouts made him feel great, and it made him happy all day.

“That’s right. If it’s something you can do, you should help.” Aunt Zhao nodded, her eyes filled with pride as she looked at Zhou Yan.

Back at the hotel, before Zhou Yan even got out of the car, Zhou Momo had already gathered around the bicycle, tilting her little face up to look at him expectantly: "Brother! Did you bring me candied hawthorns?"

"Here, take this." Zhou Yan took a string of candied hawthorns from his bag, removed the brown paper covering them, and handed them to her.

"Wow! It really is candied hawthorn! Thank you, bro!" Zhou Momo tiptoed to take it, first bringing it to her lips and licking it. A happy smile appeared on her cute face, and she looked at Zhou Yan with her eyes crinkling as she said, "Bro! I will always, always listen to you!"

"You said it." Zhou Yan smiled and distributed the remaining candied hawthorns to everyone, keeping one for Xia Yao.

"So sweet! Candied hawthorns are so delicious!" Zhou Momo happily twirled around. Seeing that everyone else was eating them except Zhou Yan, she came over, stood on tiptoe, and held up her candied hawthorn. "Guoguo, you can have mine! Here, have one, but only one!"

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)