1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 305 Revenge Must Be Taken Immediately (6.2k words, two chapters combined)

Zhou Yan was dressed very formally today, wearing a corduroy jacket with black suit pants and shiny leather shoes.

No matter how shiny his leather shoes were, they couldn't compare to the beauty of the girl beside him.

Wearing a white, double-breasted blouse embroidered with gold thread, paired with a gray midi skirt cinched at the waist to accentuate her figure, and with her long black hair styled in an updo and adorned with a peach wood hairpin, this girl exudes an elegant and gentle aura.

She is truly as beautiful as an angel.

Standing next to him, Zhou Yan was not only incredibly handsome, but also gave off the impression of being very wealthy and powerful.

Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang had seen Xia Yao at Zhou Yan Restaurant last time, she's the one... tsk, you're such a nice person.

The girl from Hangzhou had a soft, pleasant, and gentle voice that left a deep impression on me.

"Didn't Teacher Zhou say he was a friend? Why did he bring him to class?" Zheng Qiang muttered under his breath, a little jealous.

"Your girlfriend is a friend too," Xiao Lei grinned.

"Wow! Zhou Yan found a goddess as his girlfriend?" Kong Liwei exclaimed in shock.

Zheng Qiang said, "She's not only beautiful, but she's also a college student at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and the niece of the textile factory director."

“Zhou Yan is so lucky…” Kong Liwei gritted his teeth.

"Master, Uncle-Master, Senior Brother, you're all here?" Zhou Yan pushed his bicycle over and said with a smile.

"We just arrived too. Is Master Zhou finished with the apprenticeship banquet?" Xiao Lei nodded, then turned to Xia Yao beside him and said with a smile, "Is this young lady also here to listen to Master Zhou's lecture?"

"Xia Yao, my assistant, is here with me at the base for a visit and learning today," Zhou Yan introduced.

Xia Yao smiled and nodded.

"Assistant?" Zheng Qiang's eyes widened. Are we just a part of your game?

“It has to be Master Zhou. He even has an assistant now. Our manager doesn’t even have one.” Kong Liwei chuckled and glanced at his manager mentor beside him.

“It’s reasonable for a chef of Zhou’s caliber to have an assistant. I used to be his assistant when my master went to events,” Manager Kong Guodong said seriously.

Zhou Yan silently gave Kong Guodong a thumbs up in his heart; the manager was indeed quite articulate.

Xia Yao pursed her lips, trying to control her expression. Why did she feel that Zhou Yan's master and senior uncle were acting strangely?
Zhou Yan introduced the group to Xia Yao: "This is my master, Chef Xiao. He used to be the head chef of the textile factory canteen, a national second-level chef, and now he is a well-known local chef in the surrounding area."

Xia Yao smiled and said, "When I was interning at the textile factory, I often heard my coworkers talk about Chef Xiao when we ate in the canteen. They said that the food you cooked in the factory canteen was delicious. You must be very capable to have taught Zhou Yan to cook so well."

"I heard them scold me a lot when I was here. It's true that you only know how to cherish something when you lose it." Xiao Lei grinned from ear to ear. This girl really knew how to flatter people.

"This is my senior apprentice, Master Kong, the manager and second-in-command of Leming Restaurant, and a national second-level chef," Zhou Yan continued, introducing Kong Guodong.

"Hello, Uncle Kong." Xia Yao said with a smile.

"Hello, Xia Yao, welcome to the base." Kong Guodong nodded slightly. He had spent most of his time in the front hall these past few years, responsible for receiving important guests. Xia Yao's clothes and appearance suggested that her family background was unusual.

Zhou Yan continued, "This is my master's apprentice, Zheng Qiang. He worked at Rongcheng Restaurant for more than ten years and is a national level three chef. Now he works as a rural chef with my master."

“This is Kong Liwei, a disciple of Master Kong…” Zhou Yan paused for a moment when looking at Kong Liwei, “He’s a man.”

Standing ramrod straight, waiting for Zhou Yan to praise him, Kong Liwei snapped, "What kind of man is this! Teacher Zhou, you can't treat people differently like this! I'm going to complain to the clerk!"

"Hahaha!" The three people next to him laughed heartily.

Only when Kong Liwei is injured can the world be achieved.

Xia Yao couldn't help but laugh. It was clear that the relationship between the disciples of the Kong School was quite harmonious.

It's just the way he talks, he's a bit...

how to say.

【Sarcastic and unfriendly】, 【Divine and unpredictable】.

These two words that Deng Hong often uses seem quite appropriate here.

"Senior Brother Kong, why don't you give yourself a proper introduction?" Zhou Yan teased.

Kong Liwei coughed twice and said, "I am Kong Liwei. I have been practicing for six and a half years. I have been working as a kitchen helper at Leming Hotel for three and a half years. Now I also work as a kitchen assistant. I am a reserve candidate for the National Level 3 Chef."

"What does 'Level 3 Chef Reserve' mean?" Xia Yao asked curiously.

"I'm preparing for the exam, but my level is still a bit lacking. I'm always ready," Zhou Yan explained to her.

Xia Yao covered her mouth and chuckled. Zhou Yan's mouth could be quite playful at times.

"That hits the nail on the head. Compared to Master Zhou, Awei is still far behind," Kong Guodong nodded.

"Ah Wei, you need to practice more. It took me ten years to pass the exam." Zheng Qiang reached out and patted Kong Liwei on the shoulder.

“Ah Wei is dead…” Kong Liwei sighed and said quietly, “When will I be able to become famous like Master Zhou?”

"If you want to shine in front of others, you must suffer in private. You should learn more from Master Zhou. His skill in controlling the heat and seasoning is enough for you to learn for ten or eight years," Kong Guodong said.

"Senior Brother Zheng, thank goodness you're here." Kong Liwei looked at Zheng Qiang with relief.

"Get out of here!" Zheng Qiang rolled his eyes at him.

"Professor Zhou, please come to my office first. I'll briefly explain the class procedure to you," Kong Guodong said, walking towards the office.

"Okay," Zhou Yan replied, first pushing the bicycle to the side and parking it.

“That’s how the Confucian school is. I’ve been corrupted by them, otherwise I’d seem out of place,” Zhou Yan said to Xia Yao.

"Yes, I can see that." Xia Yao nodded with a smile on her face: "It's clear that your sect has a good relationship and can take a joke."

Zhou Yan nodded: "Yes, that's true. It's just that the way he talks is a bit strange. Don't mind it, you'll get used to it."

"No, they're all very nice people." Xia Yao said with a smile, "You go prepare your lessons, and I'll wander around. I just saw a base history museum over there, and I'd like to go take a look."

"Okay, just call me if you need anything. The base isn't big, I can come right away."

"Okay." Xia Yao nodded.

Zhou Yan went into the office next door. Xiao Lei and the others weren't there. Kong Guodong made him a cup of tea and asked curiously, "Zhou Yan, what dish are you going to teach today?"

"I brought a piece of pork belly to teach them how to make twice-cooked pork."

"Twice-cooked pork?" Kong Guodong looked at him, somewhat surprised.

“Yes, twice-cooked pork is one of the representative dishes of Sichuan cuisine. Every chef can cook it, but many chefs' twice-cooked pork does not reach the standard of being perfectly cooked and glistening. So today I want to talk about the classic way to cook twice-cooked pork to show the trainees in the training class.” Zhou Yan nodded.

"Twice-cooked pork..." Kong Guodong pondered, thinking that Zhou Yan would teach a high-end dish and show off his skills in front of the young students.

"That's great! So many chefs struggle to cook twice-cooked pork properly. Zhou Yan's willingness to teach them is their good fortune." Kong Qingfeng walked in, took off his gloves and tossed them into a drawer, then smiled at Zhou Yan.

"Xiao Zhou, I asked them to prepare two catties of pork liver. Besides twice-cooked pork, how about you demonstrate a spicy stir-fried pork liver dish for them later? Each class is an hour long, so this arrangement will be more varied."

“Okay, I’ll listen to my grandmaster.” Zhou Yan nodded. He had no objections. He cooked more than twenty servings of the stir-fried pig liver dish every day, and he knew the technique by heart. He could easily share it.

The two then chatted with Zhou Yan for a while about the class schedule.

The chef's courses are quite unconventional, with no fixed methods.

The main thing is to do whatever you want.

As long as you can explain how to make the dish clearly so that the students can understand and learn it, then you have done a good job.

Chefs typically begin learning to cook around the age of fourteen or fifteen, and may not even have graduated from junior high school. While they might not be considered hopelessly illiterate, they certainly cannot be called intellectuals.

They believe in pragmatism.

Of course, the training courses have been running for decades, and the regular lecturers still have certain methods and course arrangements for their classes.

"It's about time, let's go to the big classroom." Kong Qingfeng reached out and patted Zhou Yan on the shoulder, laughing heartily, "The first time I went to teach, it was also in this office. My senior patted me on the shoulder and said to me: 'You've succeeded by taking the first step onto the podium. When it comes to lecturing, being able to explain things clearly is a success. No one can do it perfectly.'"

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. He was confident and not flustered. After all, he was a proper graduate of Rongcheng University. He had never taught anyone, but he was experienced in being taught.

As I stepped out of the office, I saw that the windows of the large classroom next door were crowded with heads, mostly young faces in their twenties and thirties, all peering into the courtyard.

"What are you looking at?" Kong Qingfeng followed their gaze and saw a girl in white sitting on a bench under a winter plum tree in the courtyard. She had a sketchbook on her lap and a pencil in her hand, drawing something.

She sat sideways, the warm winter sun shining on her like a golden veil, highlighting her soft facial features, delicate yet elegant nose, and snow-white skin that seemed to glow.

"Who is this little girl? Are there any female trainees in this cohort?" Kong Qingfeng asked, puzzled.

“There is one female student, Zeng Anrong from Qingshen Restaurant, but not this one,” Kong Guodong said with a smile. “The one Zhou Yan brought is his… assistant.”

"An assistant?" Kong Qingfeng was taken aback and looked at Zhou Yan: "Teacher Zhou, that's great, you've even arranged an assistant."

Zhou Yan: "..."

The Confucian school is truly wicked from top to bottom!

"We're going to class, do you want to call your assistant?" Kong Qingfeng asked again.

Before Zhou Yan could speak, Xia Yao looked up at the sound of his voice. Seeing Zhou Yan, she smiled, put away her sketchbook, and walked quickly toward him: "Zhou Yan, is the lesson ready?"

"Sigh..." Before Zhou Yan could speak, a sigh came from the large classroom.

"Go back and sit down, class is about to start!" Kong Guodong waved with a smile.

The young chefs in front of the window then scattered in all directions.

Xia Yao was a little confused, not knowing what had happened.

"Okay, all ready. I'm about to go to class. Do you want to come in and sit in?" Zhou Yan's lips curled up, and he felt inexplicably pleased.

"Yes." Xia Yao nodded. She came to listen to Zhou Yan's class today, and maybe she could even draw a picture for him later.

Zhou Yan looked at Kong Guodong beside him: "Uncle Kong, would you please help make the arrangements?"

"No problem." Kong Guodong nodded.

Zhou Yan then introduced Xia Yao: "This is my grand-uncle, Master Kong, who, along with my grandmaster, is known as one of the two Kongs of Jiaozhou. He is a national-level master chef, a famous chef in Jiaozhou, and a master of Sichuan cuisine."

"Hello, Master Kong." Xia Yao said respectfully, "My name is Xia Yao, Zhou Yan's... assistant. I came here with him today for a visit and learning."

"Hello, welcome to the base." Kong Qingfeng nodded with a smile.

The group walked towards the large classroom, with Zhou Yan and Xia Yao lagging behind by two steps.

"What should we draw?" Zhou Yan asked.

"The wintersweet in the yard is blooming so beautifully, and it smells so sweet. I was thinking of painting one, and you came out right after I finished," Xia Yao whispered.

The training base's large classroom was converted from the original hall. Unlike school classrooms, it has no desks; instead, there are rows of stoves, five rows with six stoves in each row, which can accommodate thirty students at the same time.

Kong Guodong said there would be eighteen trainees in this class, but when he opened the door, the classroom was packed with people, at least fifty, all staring intently at Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan paused. In front of him were some unfamiliar young faces, who were probably young chefs selected by restaurants in various counties and districts of Jiaozhou to participate in the training.

In the back row, more than half of the faces were familiar.

Wang Mian, Zhong Yong, and other senior and junior masters and their disciples.

Even the two old men, Qin Kun and Li Liangcai, came.

Xiao Lei, Zheng Qiang, and Kong Liwei grinned at him from the back row, making it clear that they already knew about it.

"Damn it!" Zhou Yan muttered to himself. Don't these people have to go to work?

How did the promised small class of 18 people turn into a super large class of over 50 people?
Kong Guodong said with a smile, "Master Zhou, I heard you were coming to give a class. Everyone who wasn't working today came, and most of the disciples of the Kong School are also here. They all want to learn your cooking skills and your spirit of continuous improvement."

"That's good. Next time, Uncle Master doesn't need to give me this kind of surprise. Just tell me directly." Zhou Yan nodded, silently donning the title of "Exemplary Teacher." Looking at the room full of chefs, his mind immediately calmed down, and he felt a sense of confidence that he was in control of everything.

Xia Yao was somewhat surprised to see the classroom full of chefs, but she quickly became proud. It turned out that Zhou Yan held such a high position in the culinary world.

Among the chefs present, he must be the youngest, right?
"Comrade Xia Yao, please sit here." Kong Guodong led Xia Yao to sit in the audience section on the side, next to Kong Qingfeng, Li Liangcai and the other old men.

Zhou Yan took off his jacket and hung it on the rack next to him, revealing his chef's uniform underneath. He stepped onto the podium, placed his bag on the table next to the stove, and said with a smile, "Hello everyone, chefs. I am Zhou Yan, a fourth-generation disciple of the Kong School. At the invitation of Master Kong, I am here to give you a sharing session on the cooking techniques of twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts and stir-fried pork liver."

His voice was loud and clear, and people in the back of the large classroom could hear it clearly.

Upon hearing this, the young chefs in the training class immediately stirred.

"So young to be a teacher at a training center? That's absurd! Our restaurant's chefs of that age are still apprentices!"

"Although the Leming Training Base was founded and popularized by Master Kong of the Kong School, it's unreasonable to have a fourth-generation disciple teach us, isn't that just messing things up?"

"Exactly! The training only lasts fourteen days, and every lesson is so precious. There should be some indication of the instructor's level, right?"

The young chefs are all outstanding talents selected from various restaurants. They are all geniuses on their respective culinary paths and have come here after going through many rounds of selection.

They have indeed learned a lot during this period at the Leming training base. Being able to receive guidance from a renowned chef from Jiaozhou like Kong Qingfeng will be a lifelong benefit for them.

The experienced chefs from Leming Hotel also shared their cooking techniques and kitchen management experience with them.

But can this young man, dressed in a brand-new chef's uniform and suit pants, with shiny leather shoes on his feet and a beautiful female companion, really teach them?

Is he worthy?
The young chef didn't even bother to control his volume when he questioned them.

Xia Yao was initially quite happy, even holding her paintbrush in her hand, but upon hearing the chefs' words, her brows furrowed, and she coldly swept her gaze over them, her eyes quickly locking onto a short, stout chef sitting in the front row.

The chef kept babbling on and on, intentionally or unintentionally stirring up the emotions of the other chefs; the sourness was almost overflowing.

"Zhou Shi is too handsome, it's not very convincing," Kong Liwei muttered under his breath, his brows furrowed.

Zheng Qiang said with a smile, "There are always some people who don't know what's good for them. They even dare to question Teacher Zhou's lectures. We'll see how Teacher Zhou slaps them in the face later."

"In this line of work, you can't win people over without showing some real skills." Xiao Lei leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed. He had seen this kind of situation many times before, so it wasn't surprising. It was up to Zhou Yan to handle it.

Many of the chefs from the Kong school at Leming Hotel had witnessed Zhou Yan's stir-fried pork liver before, and these past two days they had been hearing Kong Liwei tell the story of how Zhou Yan single-handedly cooked three dishes at a banquet for foreign businessmen, astonishing everyone present. Naturally, no one doubted his ability.

Kong Guodong had just sat down when he heard this and his face darkened. What was wrong with this year's young chefs? Why were they so impatient?

If Zhou Yan makes a fool of himself on his first day of class, it will be difficult to invite him again in the future.

Just as he was about to get up and say a few words, Zhou Yan, with his hands supporting himself on the stove, looked at the young chefs below the stage and smiled, "It seems quite a few students have some issues with me as their instructor? Do they think I'm too young and not qualified to teach you?"

The fat chef who had been talking the most stood up and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, "It seems that this 'teacher' knows his place. I am Su Hai, a chef at Meishan Su Ji Restaurant. My family has been head chefs at Dongpo Restaurant for three generations. I started learning to cook at the age of twelve, and it has been ten years now."

I am currently a full-time head chef at Su Ji Restaurant. In two years, after I pass the Level 3 chef exam for hot-cooking dishes, I will be able to become the head chef.

Could you please tell me Chef Zhou's chef level? What achievements has he made so far? And what makes him qualified to teach us how to cook?

Zhou Yan looked at the chubby boy with a smug expression and wasn't annoyed. He smiled and said, "If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have been so embarrassed to take it out and display it myself. But since you asked so sincerely, I'll give you a serious answer."

I believe many of you young chefs here share the same question: "I've been studying cooking for two and a half years, haven't even taken my chef's certification exam yet, and am younger than all of you. What gives me the right to stand here and lecture you?"

Zhou Yan opened the cloth bag and pulled out a brand-new copy of "Sichuan Cuisine" magazine, issue 4, 1984. Looking at the chefs, he said, "I think most of you young chefs here have subscribed to this magazine, right?"

Many people nodded in agreement. As a professional magazine for Sichuan cuisine, "Sichuan Cuisine" features many Sichuan cuisine masters sharing their cooking techniques, which is well worth learning from.

Being featured in Sichuan Cuisine magazine is considered a great honor by chefs, representing recognition.

Zhou Yan took out a magazine, and the expressions of the Kong school disciples sitting behind him were already starting to show.

"Damn! They're using their trump card right away?" Kong Liwei whispered. "That's too much!"

"That's what you call confidence," Zheng Qiang exclaimed.

Kong Guodong had already gotten off the chair, but then sat back down.

"What are you doing with that magazine? Did you get published in it?" Su Hai said, pursing his lips.

Zhou Yan laughed and pointed to the magazine cover, saying, "Chef Su really has an eye for talent. Did you see the 'Qiaojiao Beef' on the cover? Coincidentally, that's exactly what I made."

The classroom fell silent. The young chefs stared wide-eyed at the magazine in Zhou Yan's hand.

Su Hai was also shocked and bewildered upon hearing this, "How...how is this possible?"

Zhou Yan quickly flipped to the interview page and smiled as he showed it to everyone: "Interview with Zhou Yan, a young chef from Suji Town, Jiaozhou, who successfully replicated the century-old Qiaojiao Beef. This interview was conducted by the deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine. This photo was taken by him in front of my restaurant."

There are written words on paper and photos.

This is absolutely irrefutable.

The way everyone looked at Zhou Yan suddenly changed.

Being featured in an interview with Sichuan Cuisine magazine, and having your dishes even made it onto the cover, is incredibly convincing.

Not to mention them, even their masters dream of appearing in the "Sichuan Cuisine" magazine and bringing glory to their ancestors.

Zhou Yan is only twenty years old, yet he has already accomplished such a feat, which is truly admirable and worthy of respect.

Su Hai was somewhat embarrassed and said emotionally, "It's just a beef soup! It's a family recipe, what's so special about it?"

“That’s right. Let’s take another look at this report from the Jiaozhou Daily.” Zhou Yan put down the magazine and pulled out another newspaper. “The front page headline, how my master and I helped Qian Siyuan find his roots is not important. Let me read this to you: Master Kong Huaifeng was deeply moved when he saw that Luo Han’s father had suddenly passed away and the Luo family’s traditional craft had been cut off. Therefore, he gave up his family’s tradition, opened a class to teach, and carried forward the Kong school, which led to the establishment of the Leming Training Base.”

At Qian Siyuan's thank-you banquet for finding his relatives, Zhou Yan recreated Luohan's father's signature dish, Snowflake Chicken Soup, stunning everyone present and bringing Luohan to tears. It was like an echo across time, bringing this story of inheritance to a perfect close.

You've all heard of "Snowflake Chicken Noodles," right?

"And what about the fact that I cooked three dishes by myself at the banquet for foreign businessmen in Jiaozhou a few days ago, which received unanimous praise from the foreign businessmen and was even met privately by a Hong Kong businessman, I don't need to mention that, right?"

"Of course, if you don't believe me, you can check it out."

Zhou Yan's tone was calm, and he always had a smile on his face.

But in Su Hai's eyes, it was the ultimate mockery.

His face flushed red, and he slumped down.

Zhou Yan looked at Su Hai with a smile and said, "Chef Su, your family has been chefs at Dongpo Restaurant for three generations, which means that your family's culinary skills are indeed of a high standard. How come you've been demoted to head chef at Su's Restaurant? Don't you like Dongpo Restaurant?"

He's not a petty person; he'll settle a score on the spot.

　You guys are amazing! We've climbed to 28th place on the monthly ticket ranking! Keep asking for more monthly tickets~
　　There will be another update later, you can check it tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)