1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 312 The Braised Pork Intestine and Blood Tofu is a Success! (6.2k words, combined into one)

A pot of mutton and offal weighing twelve pounds was placed on the stove and eaten slowly. After drinking two bowls of mutton soup and eating a bowl of rice, I felt warm all over and my face was flushed.

"I really enjoyed the mutton and offal today, the taste was absolutely fantastic!" Zhou Qing wiped his sweat and said with a satisfied look.

"It's so comfortable. Eating mutton soup in winter is really comforting," Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile.

"Zhou Yan still knows how to find places; he can even find shops in these tucked-away corners," Zhou Ze remarked in admiration.

The old lady finished the mutton soup in her bowl, looked at Zhou Yan and said, "We've almost finished eating the meat. Put the radish in the pot and blanch some peas too."

"Okay." Zhou Yan replied. The mutton and offal in the pot were almost all taken out. He picked up a radish from the side and put it into the soup pot.

As the saying goes, "Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer," this is the wisdom of our ancestors.

Zhou Yan didn't know if it was good for nourishing the body, but he could tell if it tasted good after just one bite.

When winter radishes are stewed in meat broth, whether it's beef or mutton soup, the fresh, sweet, and refreshing taste is absolutely amazing.

Its main selling point is to make it refreshing and not greasy.

The white radish has been blanched in advance to remove any excess radish odor, so it won't affect the flavor of the soup and will cook more easily after being put into the pot.

All eyes were fixed on the basket of peas next to Zhou Yan.

I just started eating pea shoots these past couple of days; I've only picked them a couple of times, and they're at their freshest and most tender.

The pea shoots grown by the proprietress are really good. They're plump and tender, cut short, each one plump and bright green, with water droplets clinging to them. I can tell they're tender even before I've tasted them.

Xia Yao drank three bowls of mutton soup and ate a lot of mutton. She originally felt that she was already a little full, but when she saw Zhou Yan preparing to cook pea shoots, she immediately felt that she could eat a little more.

"I'm going to start scrambling the peas now. Attention everyone, be quick and stylish!" Zhou Yan took a pair of serving chopsticks, picked up the basket, and scrambled a third of the peas into the bubbling mutton soup.

Just like cooking tripe or duck intestines, the most important thing when cooking pea shoots is controlling the heat.

Getting a burn is a serious offense and can lead to a family military court.

It looks like a big basket, but it will shrink after being cooked.

Zhou Yan used serving chopsticks to press the peas into the soup.

The people who were originally lounging in their chairs have now picked up their chopsticks, leaned forward, and are ready for battle.

The peas softened in three seconds after being tossed into the water.

"Hurry up!" As soon as ten seconds were up, Zhou Yan gave the order and first scooped up a chopstickful of pea shoots and put it into Xia Yao's bowl.

Everyone's chopsticks were quickly dipped into the pot, and in the blink of an eye, the peas were all scooped out clean.

Zhou Momo eagerly picked up her chopsticks, but her arms were too short to reach the edge of the pot. She turned to look at Zhou Yan with pleading eyes, then glanced at the peas in Xia Yao's bowl, pouting slightly, "Brother, where are my peas? Aren't I your best sister?"

Staring at him with pleading eyes, big, watery eyes glistening with tears, Zhou Yan felt a pang of guilt and gave an awkward laugh: "Right away! I'll scald another batch for you right away!"

Xia Yao smiled as she looked at the peas in her bowl, picked up half of them and put them in Zhou Momo's bowl, saying with a smile, "Here, I'll share half with you, let's eat together."

"Thank you, Sister Yao Yao~~ You're the best!" Zhou Momo nuzzled her head against her arm, affectionately calling her "sister."

Then I picked up my chopsticks and bent down to eat the pea shoots, just like slurping noodles, one pea at a time, and I ate them with great relish.

Xia Yao picked up a pea with her chopsticks and fed it to her mouth, her eyes immediately narrowing.

The pea shoots cooked in mutton soup are tender, delicious, and refreshing, with a unique fragrance and a sweet aftertaste.

After eating so much mutton and offal, I'm feeling a bit greasy.

This bite of peas is refreshing and cuts through the richness; it's a perfect match.

The cooking time was just right, resulting in the freshest and most tender texture, just as she had expected.

The first bunch of peas this winter, Zhou Yan cooked for her; they were quite delicious, a little sweet.

Zhou Yan quickly cooked a second batch of pea shoots. This time, he first put a chopstick on Zhou Momo's plate, then a chopstick on Xia Yao's plate, and finally scooped a few from the edge of the pot into his own bowl.

The peas were quickly thrown into the pot, and the best part was that they were gone before they were ready.

When eating meat, people might politely offer each other more pieces, letting the children have a couple more.

But pea shooters won't.

The child is still young and doesn't understand what "fresh and tender" means, so it's okay if they don't eat it.

Zhou Yan took a bite of the pea shoots and couldn't help but smile; they were indeed fresh and tender!
After the peas were cooked, everyone was still eager for more.

However, the proprietress said that this was already half of what they had cut out for the day, and it was even given away for free, so they couldn't add more even if they wanted to.

"Try the radish. Radish cooked in mutton soup is especially delicious." Zhou Yan used a strainer to scoop two pieces of radish for Xia Yao and added two more pieces to Zhou Momo's bowl.

"Okay." Xia Yao replied, picked up a piece of radish. The cooked radish was as translucent as white jade. She blew on it to cool it down and took a bite.

The tender radish has a sweet and savory flavor, and it has absorbed the flavor of the mutton soup. It has a smooth texture and no raw or astringent taste.

"Mmm, delicious! It tastes even better than the radishes I usually eat," Xia Yao exclaimed softly.

“Definitely. Mutton soup with radish is a perfect match.” Zhou Yan ate the radish and said with a smile, “Would you like another bowl of soup?”

"No need, I really can't drink anymore." Xia Yao shook her head, finished the two radishes in her bowl, and then put down her chopsticks with satisfaction.

This mutton soup was so satisfying.

Zhou Yan ate some radishes and drank a bowl of mutton soup. Grandpa Xiao was right; Liu's Jianyang mutton soup was indeed excellent.

The pot of mutton soup was eaten clean, not a drop of soup was left.

Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan and asked, "The pea shoots are delicious. Should we add them to our braised beef? It'll cost an extra 10 cents per serving. Just cook them with the tripe and serve them together."

“That’s a good idea. We’ll see if we can find anything good when we go grocery shopping tomorrow morning. I reckon a lot of customers will order it.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. Aunt Zhao had indeed given a good suggestion.

Some beef restaurants do offer a special version with pea shoots, a winter-only option that's incredibly popular.

Zhou Yan got up to pay the bill, which came to twenty-one yuan, including the mutton and offal.

"Is the taste alright?" the proprietress asked after taking the money.

"Delicious! The pea shoots are especially tender. I'll come again next time." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

"Okay, come earlier next time, and I'll bring you extra pea shoots." The proprietress said with a smile. This was a big customer; he spent twenty-one yuan on one meal. He was obviously a wealthy boss.

As they left the mutton restaurant, it was getting dark. The group rode their bikes toward Suji Town, and by the time they arrived, it was completely dark.

Fortunately, nowadays everyone has the good habit of carrying a flashlight when they go out. They parted ways at the stone bridge. Grandma and the others went towards Zhoucun, while Zhou Yan and the others went towards the textile factory.

The car stopped downstairs in front of the girls' dormitory. Xia Yao jumped out of the back seat and smiled at Zhou Yan, saying, "Then I'm going up."

"Goodbye." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

"Sister Yao Yao, see you tomorrow morning. If I have to get up early, can you wash my face for me? Please~~" Zhou Momo looked at Xia Yao and pouted, acting coquettishly.

Xia Yao reached out and patted Zhou Momo's head, nodding with a smile: "Okay, then you have to get up. If you can get up, I'll teach you to memorize new ancient poems."

"Really?!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up immediately, and she nodded, saying, "I'll definitely get up!"

Xia Yao turned and went upstairs. A short while later, the light in a dormitory on the third floor came on, and Zhou Yan rode away on his bicycle.

Back at the hotel, Zhou Yan looked at Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou and said, "Tomorrow I plan to try making braised pork intestines and blood curd."

Aunt Zhao's eyes lit up: "Pork intestines and blood curd? That's good! The spicy chicken blood you made last time was also quite delicious."

"Are you eating it yourself, or are you planning to put it on a menu and sell it?" Old Zhou asked him.

"Bring out the menu. It's been a while since we updated it. Let's bring out some new dishes," Zhou Yan said.

"Then I'll go find Zhang Laosan now and ask him to bring you a bucket of pig's blood tomorrow." Before Old Zhou had even parked his car, he turned it around and headed out the door.

Zhou Yan said, "We don't need too much pig's blood. Ten catties will be enough for tomorrow. The shop doesn't have a suitable large pot."

"Okay," Old Zhou replied, got on his bike, and rode away.

Zhou Yan pulled out his notebook, calculated the costs, and began to consider how much to sell a serving of braised pork intestines and blood curd for.

Pig's blood is free, the cost of ingredients for blood curd is zero, the cost of seasonings and wood is one cent, and the selling price of braised pork intestines is three yuan per pound. A serving of pork intestines and blood curd plus two ounces of braised pork intestines costs about three cents.

In that case, a serving of braised pork intestines and blood curd served in an earthenware bowl would cost one yuan, which is a reasonable price.

This is a common way of selling blood curd in the Sichuan and Chongqing areas.

Some restaurants even feature blood tofu as their main dish, setting up a large pot at the entrance filled with blood tofu and pork intestines. Customers order it, and the pork intestines are scooped out, cut up, and placed on top. The ingredients are seasoned on the spot, and then served to the customer who mixes it themselves, somewhat like eating noodles.

If it's vegetarian blood curd, the price will be even more affordable.

But Zhou Yan doesn't plan to sell, as that would lower the average order value too much.

Adding new dishes is for making money, not for competing with ourselves.

Zhou Yan took out the last wooden plaque from the cabinet and wrote down the names and prices of the dishes.

"One yuan a bowl? That's not too expensive." Aunt Zhao nodded. The price was quite reasonable, considering that if you add braised pork intestines, it would definitely be more expensive than stir-fried pork liver.

"Oh, right, Mom, I hired a new chef. He'll start work tomorrow morning," Zhou Yan said casually as he hung the sign on the wall.

"A new chef? So suddenly? Where did you hire him?" Aunt Zhao asked in surprise.

“One of my senior brothers from the Kong school, my master’s disciple, is named Kong Liwei. You saw him in Linjiang last time, the one who looks like a monkey.”

"Oh! Wei? He greeted me before. He's the young man with the thick, bushy hair, like an afro." Aunt Zhao laughed.

"That's him, that's him."

Aunt Zhao asked doubtfully, "Isn't he working at the Leming Hotel? His master is the manager. Why would he give up such a big state-owned hotel to come and work at our small restaurant? Are you kidding him?" "No, he came voluntarily, and his master and his advisor both agreed." Zhou Yan waved his hand. "However, I paid him double the salary, 120 yuan a month."

"One hundred and twenty a month? That's such a high salary!" Aunt Zhao's voice trailed off, but she quickly added, "It's worth it. After all, he's a chef from a big restaurant, so he can definitely help you. Lately, many customers have been saying that the food is served too slowly and they can't wait for it."

“That’s exactly right. I need to start training the chef team in advance so that we can accommodate more guests when the restaurant opens in Jiaozhou.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. “There is also a chef who is participating in the training and said he wants to join our restaurant, but he will have to wait until the training ends next week to come for an interview.”

Aunt Zhao laughed and said, "You decide what to do. Anyway, I don't know anything about it. You decide what to do. Your father and I are your soldiers, and we'll follow your orders."

“Okay, I plan to renovate the kitchen as well, connect it with the store next door, and double the kitchen area so that it won’t be crowded when there are more chefs. I’ll build a stove specifically for cooking blood curd, and move the pastry preparation area next door as well.” Zhou Yan returned to the table and began to draw new design drawings. The original renovation plan had undergone some changes.

The current kitchen is just right for him to move around in; it's quite spacious.

Adding another chef would immediately make the workflow a bit cramped.

Moreover, there are only two earthen stoves for cooking, which is just enough for him. If the new chef only does chopping and preparing dishes, then his monthly salary of 120 yuan would be too high.

So he plans to break down the wall next door and build two new stoves, so that Kong Liwei and Zeng Anrong, who might come, will have workstations.

This is a training ground; they need to be given some room to demonstrate their abilities.

Kong Liwei and Zeng Anrong didn't come for the double salary; they wanted to learn a skill and improve their cooking.

What Zhou Yan wants are talented people who are willing to learn and work hard, so as to cultivate excellent chefs for the long-term development of the restaurant.

"Mom, have you finished your homework?" Zhou Momo came over with her notebook, looked up at her mother and asked.

"I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it. There are still two pages of vocabulary and one page of arithmetic that I haven't finished." Aunt Zhao bent down to take the notebook from Zhou Momo's hand and walked to the table next to her.

"Do you want me to teach you how to write? I've finished writing." Zhou Momo followed along eagerly.

"No."

"It's very difficult; you can't figure it out."

"Bullshit, your mother is the best at math, I can even calculate money perfectly."

"Hmph, then write it yourself, and don't call me later." Zhou Momo, who loved to teach, stopped, turned around, ran behind the cabinet, took out crayons and a sketchbook, found a table, climbed up, and started drawing.

Ten minutes later, Aunt Zhao said, "Mo Mo, come here for a moment."

Zhou Momo put down her crayons, slid off the bench with a helpless expression, and walked towards Aunt Zhao with her hands behind her back: "Tie Ying, you should pay attention in class..."

"Kneel properly! Mom has a question for you." Aunt Zhao lifted her onto the bench and made her kneel down.

Zhou Yan's lips twitched, but he didn't dare to laugh out loud.

Zhou Yan on the second floor next door was planning to partition off two rooms. Not only Kong Liwei needed a dormitory, but Zeng Anrong, whose hometown was in Qingshen, would also likely need one. This would solve the problem once and for all, avoiding the need for a second round of construction.

He has already contacted the bricklayer, Mr. Zhang, who will come to work tomorrow morning.

The tables and benches are already piled up in the store. With a little modification, the master and apprentice estimate that they can finish in three or four days.

An hour later, with guidance from Mo, Aunt Zhao finished her homework.

"Sigh, Mom, please pay more attention in class." Zhou Momo sighed helplessly, her tone even carrying a hint of childishness.

Who wouldn't go crazy tutoring homework?

"I know." Aunt Zhao hugged her and kissed her cheek, smiling as she said, "Come on, let me take you to wash your feet. It's time to go to bed."

"Here, the water's boiled, take a soak." Old Zhou carried out a steaming wooden tub and placed it directly at their feet.

"It's too hot, it's too hot." Zhou Momo shook her head and pulled her little feet back onto the stool.

"It's not hot, look... Ouch! Sanshui, what's going on! You're going to burn me to death..."

"Kekeke~~~"

"Oh dear, I forgot to add water. I'll go scoop some out."

"I really want to punch you!"

"Oh, Mom, Dad didn't do it on purpose. I'll help you hold him down in a bit."

"Have it."

The restaurant was filled with laughter and chatter, and Zhou Momo even laughed so hard she made a goose-like sound.

Zhou Yan was drawing a picture beside him, a smile playing on his lips.

Perhaps this is the warmth of home.

……

Xia Yao sat under the desk lamp, her pen scribbling on the paper, and soon finished three pages.

She glanced through it, then stuffed it into the envelope; it was a letter she had sent home to Hangzhou.

Then she took out a letter and wrote a letter to Deng Hong and Zhu Yuyu. She couldn't help but want to share with them that she had eaten the martial arts apprenticeship banquet today, and also had the super delicious Jianyang mutton soup. Zhou Yan took her to eat the first pea shoots of winter.

She could already picture Deng Hong rolling around on the bed after receiving the letter, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

"I found this internship trip to Suzhou University so interesting, full of joy, delicious food, and..." Xia Yao paused, feeling the love, but wrote on the paper: "Warmth".

……

The door to the room was locked from the inside.

Meng Anhe sat on the bed, holding a savings book with 50,000 yuan filled in, and looked at Lin Zhiqiang standing next to her with a smile, "Old Lin, do you want it?"

Lin Zhiqiang swallowed hard and nodded: "I want to."

"That depends on your performance." Meng Anhe lifted a corner of the quilt, revealing a long, slender, and fair leg. She beckoned to Lin Zhiqiang and said sweetly, "Ten thousand yuan a time, I won't treat you unfairly."

Lin Zhiqiang looked troubled: "What about the three times yesterday..."

"Calculate interest on yesterday's amount." Meng Anhe smiled. "What, you don't want to?"

"Come on, who's afraid of who! Today I'm going to show you what a tiger comes down from the mountain looks like!" Old Lin said as he unbuttoned his pajamas and pounced on the bed.

ten minutes later.

The tiger lay on the beauty's belly and ejaculated profusely.

"Sister, could I owe you two payments first..."

"Here you go." Meng Anhe reached for the bankbook, patted it on his chest, and said with a smile, "I'll let you off the hook today."

Old Lin got his passbook and immediately perked up, exclaiming, "No way! At least three times, let me catch my breath."

"Take a break, don't you want to hurt your back?" Meng Anhe pulled him back into bed, rested her head on his arm, and looked at him, saying, "Old Lin, when are you planning to resign?"

"I'll at least wait until after New Year's Day to talk to the factory manager and the organization. I estimate it won't be completely handed over until after the New Year." Lin Zhiqiang said seriously, "As you know, the factory just received a batch of new equipment. I need to make sure the factory's technicians understand it before I can leave. There are also a few projects that I'm in charge of, and I need to finish those up as well."

"During my years working at the textile factory, I've grown a lot. I've gradually transitioned from a pure technician to a manager, and I've also learned how to deal with people. I can't let Director Wang leave behind a mess."

Meng Anhe smiled and nodded: "You're right. You have to hand over your work properly before you leave. If you plan to run a printing and dyeing factory, you'll inevitably have to deal with textile factories in the future. If you ruin your reputation, it will be difficult to start any business."

"Anhe, thank you for supporting me so much." Lin Zhiqiang looked at her with some emotion. The bankbook he was holding had a long string of zeros, something he had never dared to dream of before.

“You’re my man, it’s only right that I support you. We’ve been through thick and thin together for over ten years, don’t I know you well enough? If they can make money by starting their own factories, then you definitely can too. You have technical skills and management expertise, and you’ve figured out the market in the last two years.” Meng Anhe looked at him, her eyes full of pride. “Director Lin, I’ve known you’ve been capable since college.”

"That's right, back in college, I did it eight times a night!"

"Come on, at most five times that night, you can't do it after you're 25."

"No way?! Tonight I'm going to prove I'm still got it!"

"Wait a minute, slow down."

……

City Guesthouse.

Zhuang Huayu looked at the framed peony painting from left to right, his eyes full of satisfaction. He exclaimed, "Wow, this trip was worthwhile! We got a painting by Master Meng Hanwen, it's fantastic! This peony painting is so beautiful!"

Yao Licheng sat on the sofa smoking, shaking his head with a smile: "Old Zhuang, you're happy now, but I'm in a bit of a predicament."

Zhuang Huayu placed the painting on the table, lit a cigarette, and said with a smile, "What? Are you afraid that Lao Lin will take that 50,000 yuan and start his own business?"

Yao Licheng nodded and said, "I chatted with him for a bit today. Although he didn't say it explicitly, his intentions were very clear. With his abilities, connections in Jiaozhou, and influence in the silk industry, he could easily set up a small factory in Jiaozhou with this 50,000 yuan. He would definitely be able to make money."

"Isn't that a good thing for you?" Zhuang Huayu sat down next to him and said with a smile, "Old Yao, why don't you always think about hiring a senior executive? Can't you hire a capable partner?"
Look at my six restaurants. I've basically not been involved in their management for the past ten years. They're all managed by my partners. When I go to the restaurants, I'm just there to eat. I've never held a meeting with them.

You can't buy a truly talented person for ten or twenty thousand. Old Lin has been abroad, has been exposed to the most cutting-edge technology, and deals with foreign clients. He has the ability and confidence, and now he has money. He definitely wouldn't want to work in another place.

His wife is a very smart woman. Today she was able to sell the peony painting for 50,000 yuan to support him. There are two other paintings at home that she might be able to sell as well. He really doesn't lack money for his business, nor does he lack his wife's support.

Furthermore, if Lao Lin were to start his own business and partner with Miss Xia Yao, one possessing technical and management skills, and the other capable of design, do you think they could make a name for themselves in the silk industry?

Yao Licheng was silent for a moment after hearing this, then nodded and said, "Old Zhuang, what you said makes sense. I've almost finished talking with the Municipal Economic Commission these past two days, and the person in charge of the Yangcheng factory is on his way. If that's the case, I think I should prepare to have a good talk with Lin Zhiqiang. Miss Xia Yao hasn't given me a reply yet, which may really be related to Lin Zhiqiang."

……

After turning off the lights, Zhou Yan lay on the bed and clicked on the recipe that shimmered with golden light.

Countless pieces of information flooded into his mind.

Three minutes later, Zhou Yan opened his eyes, let out a long sigh, and a smile appeared on his lips.

The braised pork intestines and blood tofu is done!

　There will be an extra update later~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)