1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 316 He's practically a god of timing! (6k chapters combined)

“Mom? You didn’t say that when I wore the chef’s uniform.” Kong Liwei tried to awaken his maternal instincts.

"Get lost! I'll settle the score with you later." Ding Meng's smile vanished, and she glared at him.

The same chef's uniform looked loose on him, like a monk's robe. How could they be the same?

"Okay..." Ah Wei rolled away smoothly.

Zhou Yan brewed tea for the two of them and said with a smile, "Auntie, the menu is on the wall. You and Uncle can take a look and see what you want to order."

He could tell at a glance who was in charge of the family.

Kong Liwei couldn't help but strongly recommend, "Mom, don't you love braised pork intestines and blood curd the most? Zhou Yan's braised pork intestines and blood curd is really delicious! It has the same flavor as Grandpa's."

Ding Meng's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Pork intestines and blood tofu? That's great!"

She is from Dayi County, where braised pork intestines and blood curd are a famous local dish. However, she has not been able to find a dish that tastes particularly good since coming to Jiaozhou.

I can only eat this a few times a year when I go back to my parents' home for the Spring Festival. It's been half a year since I went home. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

but.

The skill level of the Kong school in making blood curd is not very high.

Last year during Chinese New Year, Guodong made Maoxuewang (a spicy Sichuan dish), but the blood curd was overcooked and full of holes, and the tripe was cooked until it was like a rag, impossible to chew. He almost ended up in the Kong family's military court.

Although Zhou Yan is handsome, ...

She glanced at Zhou Yan, thinking, "Let's give him a chance."

"Xiao Zhou, would you like to order a plate of braised pork intestines and blood curd?"

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

Kong Liwei continued, "Twice-cooked pork is also delicious, especially fragrant. My old man loves twice-cooked pork the most. Let me tell you, Zhou Yan's twice-cooked pork is even better than my second uncle's."

"Ding Meng, then... then let's order a plate of twice-cooked pork too," Kong Guoliang suggested to Ding Meng.

"Okay, let's order another serving of twice-cooked pork, that'll make about two dishes." Ding Meng nodded.

"Okay, then I'll go cook the dishes first." Zhou Yan turned and went into the kitchen.

He felt that Ah Wei's mother wasn't that scary, right?

Is he really a fierce person who dips a leather whip in iodine and disinfects it while whipping someone?

Ding Meng's gaze shifted to Kong Liwei, her tone turning colder: "Awei..."

"Mom, the food won't be ready for a while, why don't you read your magazine first!" Kong Liwei picked up the "Sichuan Cuisine" magazine from the menu wall, opened it to the page with Zhou Yan's interview, slammed it on the table, turned around and walked towards the kitchen without looking back: "I'm going to work! I won't chat with you anymore!"

"Look at your son!" Ding Meng was furious and wanted to punch Old Kong.

"Team Leader Ding, don't be impulsive, take a look at this first!" Kong Guoliang quickly pushed the magazine in front of Ding Meng. "An interview with Zhou Yan in Sichuan Cuisine magazine! Qiaojiao Beef! Look, isn't this the restaurant?"

Ding Meng loosened her fist, looked at the accompanying photo and nodded: "Yes, it's him. He's even more handsome in person than in the photo. The black and white photo just doesn't do him justice."

"Is this the important point?" Old Kong tilted his head.

Ding Meng and Kong Guoliang sat with their heads close together, reading the interview, their expressions becoming somewhat complicated.

“I thought my son would grow up to be like this.” Ding Meng put down the magazine and sighed. “Other people’s sons are always better.”

"I wouldn't even dare to do that in my dreams." Kong Guoliang's lips twitched, but he held back a laugh.

Ding Meng looked the restaurant up and down. It was neither too big nor too small, with nineteen tables. It couldn't compare to the big restaurants in the city, but it was more presentable than most roadside shops.

No matter how you look at it, Leming Hotel is clearly the better choice.

It's almost 11:30, and there's only one customer at the next table in the store.

It's so deserted; I really can't understand why Ah Wei came here.

Can this kind of business support so many people in the store?
Kong Liwei closed the magazine and moved the cover closer to Ding Meng: "How about we order another serving of braised beef? Look, this magazine cover looks delicious!"

Ding Meng glanced at it and nodded slightly: "Let's order. I want to try his signature dish and see how it tastes. Is it really as amazing as Second Uncle and Awei said?"

"Boss, would you like another serving of braised beef?" Kong Liwei said.

"Okay." Zhao Tieying brought over the thermos, refilled their water, and said with a smile, "You care so much about the child, even taking time off to come see him. Awei is reliable in his work and serious about learning. Our Zhou Yan values ​​him very much."

"Oh, you're Zhou Yan's mother, right?" Ding Meng smiled and looked at Zhao Tieying with some surprise, saying, "You look so young, only in your thirties, right?"

“She was born early, at nineteen.” Zhao Tieying’s smile widened as she looked at the counter: “And there’s a little crybaby who’s only three and a half.”

"Mom~~ I'm not a crybaby, I only cry occasionally." Zhou Momo put down her paintbrush and corrected him earnestly.

Ding Meng and Kong Guoliang then noticed the little guy sitting behind the counter.

"Oh my, this little girl is so cute!" Ding Meng's eyes lit up as she looked at Zhao Tieying with envy. "Sister, how did you have these two children? Your son is so handsome and your daughter is so beautiful. I'm so envious."

Zhao Tieying said with a touch of Versailles, "Actually, when it was first born, it was tiny and wrinkled, and I even thought about throwing it away. But after raising it for a while, the more I looked at it, the more pleasing it became."

“Awei was born weighing seven pounds and six ounces, chubby and cute.” Ding Meng sighed, “I never expected him to get uglier and uglier as he was raised, looking more and more like his father.”

Kong Guoliang's face darkened. Was he making a veiled insult? He was one of the most handsome young men in the factory when he was young! Back then, wherever he rode his bicycle, a bunch of factory girls would stare at him!

"Okay, you guys sit down for a bit, I'll go make some braised beef with ribs." Zhao Tieying turned around and went to cook the braised beef with ribs.

"Pfft, hahaha—" Huang Ying, who was chatting with Zhou Momo at the next table, couldn't help but laugh when she heard what the two of them were saying.

Ding Meng and Kong Guoliang looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Auntie... I really couldn't help it." Huang Ying stuck out her tongue, somewhat embarrassed.

Ding Meng looked Huang Ying up and down, her eyes lit up, and she said with a smile, "It's alright, she is quite funny."

Huang Ying looked at Ding Meng and said, "Actually, Zhou Erwa's restaurant is quite good. Your son has good taste. He's learning cooking from Boss Zhou, and he'll definitely be successful in the future."

Ding Meng was a little surprised. She hadn't said anything when she arrived at the shop, but this girl seemed to have seen through her thoughts. After a moment of thought, she asked, "Are you a regular customer of the shop, young lady?"

Huang Ying nodded: "Yes, I come here every day. I ride my bike from Jiaozhou to eat here. I've been doing this for over a month."

"You ride your bike all the way from Jiaozhou to eat every day? You go back and forth every day?" Ding Meng was a little surprised. Just now, Lao Kong had taken her down from Jiaozhou on his bike, which took at least an hour, and Lao Kong was panting heavily.

Huang Ying smiled and said, "Before, we made three round trips a day. These days, it gets dark earlier, so we only have breakfast and lunch, and then we make two round trips."

Ding Meng and Kong Guodong stared, mouths agape, somewhat shocked.

"Is it so delicious?"

"You'd never get tired of eating this every day?"

the two asked.

“How could I get tired of it? Boss Zhou updates the menu almost every week. He always comes up with something new and surprising. For example, today he served braised pork intestines and blood curd.” Huang Ying said with a smile, “I think I could eat it for another year and not get tired of it.”

The oriole looks quite fortunate, and seems very convincing when it comes to food.

Zhou Yan's restaurant seems to have really good food. It's fed the girl so well. She has a round face and a big bottom, which are exactly what Ding Meng likes in a daughter-in-law.

"Actually, Mr. Zhou's restaurant is not only delicious, I come here every day to lose weight. In just over a month, I have already lost more than 20 pounds." Huang Ying's smile revealed a hint of pride.

"Huh? To lose weight?"

This was somewhat beyond the expectations of Ding Meng and Kong Guoliang; it wasn't Zhou Yan who fattened them up.

“Yes, even though I ride a bike, it’s still a 20-kilometer round trip. Before, I would go three times a day, covering 60 kilometers, and I was losing weight every day.” Huang Ying sighed, a little melancholy: “But I haven’t lost a single pound in the last ten days. I don’t know what’s going on.”

"It's alright, little sister, you look just right, you look so blessed," Ding Meng said with a smile.

"Thank you, Auntie." Huang Ying smiled broadly; she loved hearing that.

"What's your name? Where in Jiaozhou do you live? I think you're a very special girl," Ding Meng asked with a smile.

"My name is Huang Ying, and I live in the south of the city," Huang Ying said politely, but without going into too much detail.

Ding Meng nodded: "Huang Ying, what a beautiful name. No wonder your voice is so beautiful, just like a nightingale's."

"Are you descendants of Master Kong Huaifeng?" Huang Ying asked casually.

“Yes, Kong Huaifeng is our uncle.” Ding Meng nodded, then looked at her with some surprise: “How did you know?”

“Boss Zhou is a member of the Confucian school, and your son is his senior brother, who is also a member of the Confucian school. I guessed that.” Huang Ying smiled slyly.

"Young lady, you know quite a lot. Is your family also in the culinary business?" Kong Guoliang asked curiously.

Huang Ying nodded: "Our family owns Feiyan Restaurant."

"Is Huang Xiaoji your dad?" Kong Guoliang's expression was a little strange.

"Yes." Huang Ying nodded. "Uncle, do you know him?"

"I've met you, but we're not close," Kong Guoliang nodded.

Leming Restaurant and Feiyan Restaurant are mortal enemies. He studied cooking at Leming Restaurant for three years, but was expelled from the school because of his poor talent and went to work in a factory fixing screws. However, he was still familiar with Feiyan Restaurant.

I really didn't expect that the daughter of the owner of Feiyan Restaurant would come to the small restaurant in Suji Town to eat every day, and even eat three meals a day.

Upon hearing this, Ding Meng sighed inwardly. So she was the daughter of the owner of the big restaurant. It seemed that her son, Awei, had no chance.

That's true. If it were an ordinary family's child, how could they afford to eat out three times a day for more than a month? That would cost more than a hundred yuan.

Zhou Yan's restaurant isn't big, but the prices are anything but cheap. A serving of twice-cooked pork costs two yuan, and braised pig's head meat costs two yuan and fifty cents per pound, almost the same as the menu prices for casual diners at Leming Restaurant.

With Ah Wei's salary of just a few dozen yuan, it's not even enough for him to eat.

Ah Wei doesn't deserve it.

Just as the atmosphere became slightly awkward, Zhao Hong came out carrying two bowls of braised pork intestines and blood curd. One bowl on each table immediately attracted the attention of the three people.

The dark red blood curd is topped with juicy fatty intestines, and the portion is very generous. Bright red chili oil, tender green scallions, and golden peas collide in the bowl, creating a vibrant and spicy flavor.

"This braised pork intestines and blood tofu looks really authentic!" Ding Meng's eyes lit up. The wafting steam, mixed with a rich aroma, was quite tempting, and it was just as good as the decades-old shop next to her hometown.

Huang Ying nodded in agreement: "It's pretty good. It has the feel of Dayi Fatty Intestine and Blood Tofu. It smells very fragrant, and it also has bone broth."

"Huang Ying, you even know about Dayi Fatty Intestine and Blood Tofu?" Ding Meng was somewhat surprised to hear this.

Huang Ying nodded: "My dad took me there once last year. It's at the alley entrance next to Dayi Bus Station. It's called Ding Laosan Blood Tofu. It's pretty good."

Ding Meng laughed and said, "What a coincidence! Ding Laosan is my third uncle from the same clan. I grew up eating his blood curd. My family home is at number eight in that alley."

My third uncle made blood tofu for most of his life, and now, about a third of the blood tofu makers in Dayi learned their skills from him. His braised pork intestines and blood tofu is the best I've ever eaten; I haven't tasted anything that good since leaving my family home.”

"Really? That's such a coincidence!" Huang Ying was also pleasantly surprised. "Before today, I also thought that was the best braised pork intestines and blood curd I had ever eaten, but now I have to try what Boss Zhou makes. His dishes have given me so many surprises."

As she spoke, she picked up a spoon and began stirring the pork intestines and blood curd.

The chili oil was stirred, and the spicy aroma, combined with the savory fragrance of the bone broth, wafted up, coating the blood tofu and pork intestines with a bright and enticing color.

She first filled half a bowl with rice, then picked up a spoon and scooped a spoonful of soup and blood tofu into the bowl.

Start with a piece of fatty intestine. The outer layer is tender and glutinous, while the inner wall retains its elasticity. After being coated with spicy sauce, it is fragrant but not greasy. With each chew, you can taste the aroma of the braising liquid that has permeated the intestine. It is the flavor of old braising liquid.

The sauce is perfectly prepared. Zhou Yan's chili oil goes without saying, and the rich bone broth enhances the aroma. There should also be some braising oil added, making the flavor even more mellow and layered.

Compared to the spiced braised pork intestines, this bite of pork intestines surprised her even more.

It has to be Zhou Yan!

This fatty intestine is absolutely amazing!

She eagerly picked up a piece of blood tofu, which broke easily with a little force, and then shoveled it into her mouth.

Blood curd is as soft and smooth as tofu when you put it in your mouth; it melts in your mouth with a light press on your tongue, and has an extremely smooth and tender texture.

Coated in sauce, the spicy and savory flavors burst forth in your mouth.

Numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, and tender! Absolutely irresistible!
It's so delicious!
The oriole couldn't help but want to scream.

Then look at the half piece of blood curd in the bowl. The cross-section is smooth with only a few tiny holes the size of pinholes.

You can always trust Zhou Yan's control over the heat.

He's practically a god when it comes to controlling the heat.

It has a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste, with no shortcomings whatsoever!
In comparison, Ding Laosan was completely defeated.

Huang Ying's gaze shifted to Ding Meng at the next table, and she couldn't help but feel proud. Boss Zhou was the newly crowned god of braised pork intestines and blood curd!
Ding Meng had already tasted a mouthful of blood curd. At this moment, her expression was a mixture of shock and bewilderment, as if her worldview was being reshaped in an absurd way.

This blood tofu...

too delicious!

Its texture is even more delicate than soft tofu; if you're not careful, it slips right down your throat and burns all the way to your stomach.

The blood curd made by Third Master still had some air pockets after being broken open, and the texture wasn't as tender.

This blood tofu is not only tender, but also perfectly prepared, with no trace of bloodiness.

The sauce was so fragrant. She thought that Third Master's secret-recipe chili oil was the best, but it paled in comparison to Zhou Yan's chili oil.

It's spicy and flavorful, with a subtle hint of braised aroma—it's so addictive!

As for the pork intestines, they're absolutely addictive.

Third Master's method of preparing pork intestines is very simple: add some scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, boil until tender, and the flavor depends entirely on the sauce. Coat it with chili oil, and the taste is indeed not bad.

However, compared to Zhou Yan's carefully braised pork intestines, the taste and texture are indeed far inferior.

The differences become apparent little by little in the details, and the final result of this bowl of braised pork intestines and blood curd is no longer on the same level.

Kong Guoliang, who was eating nearby, was beaming with delight, exclaiming repeatedly, "This blood tofu and pork intestines are so delicious! They smell amazing and go perfectly with rice!"

Huang Ying looked at Ding Meng with a smile and asked, "Auntie, do you think Zhou Yan's braised pork intestines and blood curd is tastier, or your Third Uncle's?"

"To be honest, Zhou Yan's version tastes better." Ding Meng's feelings were complicated. It wasn't just because Third Master lost to Zhou Yan, but also because this braised pork intestines and blood curd proved that Zhou Yan's cooking skills were indeed excellent, with superb control of heat and seasoning.

A new dish that was just introduced today is even better than the one her third uncle, who has been making blood curd for fifty years, made.

Huang Ying smiled smugly: "Right? I also think Zhou Yan's braised pork intestines and blood curd are even better. The braised pork intestines are spicy, tender, and soft, and the blood curd is smooth and melts in your mouth. The taste is absolutely amazing!"

Kong Guoliang nodded in deep agreement: "Without a doubt, Zhou Yan's cooking is much better, far surpassing Third Master's."

"Truly a leading figure among my Confucian disciples! A representative of the younger generation!"

"Ah Wei is a good judge of character; he didn't follow the wrong person."

Kong Guoliang's smile was radiant, giving off a rather smug and triumphant air.

"Even blood curd can't shut you up. Eat your food!" Ding Meng rolled her eyes at him.

Kong Guoliang buried himself in his food, eating with great relish.

"Come on, try our specialty, Qiaojiao Beef." Zhao Tieying brought over a bowl of Qiaojiao Beef, along with two empty bowls. "You can add more soup if you want. It's so comforting to have a bowl of this in winter."

"Okay." Ding Meng nodded with a smile, looking at the beef stew in the earthenware bowl. The broth was clear, but the flavor was exceptionally rich. Slices of tender pink beef covered the surface, and there were also tripe, beef tendons, and beef intestines in the soup. Except for the soup bowl, it was no different from the magazine cover.

It came with two dipping sauces made of dried chili powder.

They had seen an interview beforehand and knew that this braised beef skewers had to be eaten with chili powder.

Ding Meng scooped half a bowl of soup into a bowl to cool, added a slice of beef, dipped it in chili powder, and put it in her mouth. Her eyes immediately lit up.

Tender beef coated in spicy chili powder is incredibly juicy and flavorful; the texture is superb, and the taste is simply divine.

The crisp tripe, the oily and tender beef intestines, and the soft and chewy tendons each have a different texture, but all taste excellent.

I put down my chopsticks, picked up my bowl, and took a sip of soup.

Ding Meng's eyes widened slightly.

"This soup is so delicious! It's so flavorful it's made my eyebrows fall off!"

Her mind was buzzing.

How is such a rich and delicious flavor achieved from a pot of clear soup?

Reading that interview, I felt it was a bit of an exaggeration—a pot of clear beef broth on the magazine cover.

But after actually tasting it, I felt that words simply couldn't fully describe the deliciousness of this braised beef.

“Now I understand why Second Uncle could retire with peace of mind. With skills like that at twenty, even Song Bo back then would have had to temporarily give way.” Kong Guoliang said earnestly, “Awei is right.”

"Was I wrong?" Ding Meng looked up at him.

"I was wrong. I shouldn't have talked so much while eating." Kong Guoliang buried his head in his rice, looking aggrieved.

"Forget it, I'm not going to get involved in this anymore, let him be." Ding Meng picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fatty intestine and put it in her mouth. "Twenty-one years old, it's the age to go out and make a name for yourself. You can't just start waiting for Guodong to retire at this age."

Kong Guoliang nodded with a smile: "That's right, it'll be at least another 10 or 20 years before we get there. Maybe someone else will go up there in the future."

Just then, Kong Liwei came out carrying twice-cooked pork and shredded pork with garlic sauce.

He served Huang Ying the shredded pork with garlic sauce first, and asked with a smile, "How is it? This braised pork intestines and blood tofu is pretty good, isn't it?"

"One word: Absolutely amazing!" Huang Ying gave a thumbs up.

"Hehe! I told you, I could guarantee it!" Kong Liwei served the twice-cooked pork to his parents with satisfaction, and said to them, "Mom, Dad, how is it? Delicious, right? Try this twice-cooked pork again. Zhou Yan taught this dish to young chefs in his training class, and it received rave reviews from everyone."

"Delicious! Your cooking is even better than your master's." Kong Guoliang nodded.

Ding Meng put down her chopsticks, looked at Kong Liwei and said, "I don't care about your resignation. You should follow Zhou Yan and learn the craft well. Don't be lazy, be diligent and keep an eye on things."

"Really?" Kong Liwei beamed with joy, almost jumping for joy, and hugged Ding Meng, saying, "Mom! You're such a good mom to me!"

"Get up! It's work time, go back to the kitchen and get to work!" Ding Meng patted his hand, but a smile appeared on her lips.

"I'll get back to work now. I'll treat you to lunch today." Kong Liwei took out four yuan from his pocket, put it on the table, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

He quickened his pace and even mimed a basketball shooting motion, his smile absolutely radiant.

"What a childish brat," Huang Ying said with a laugh, shaking her head.

Sure enough, good men like Boss Zhou, who are mature, steady, and handsome, are rare. They've all been snatched up by beauties like Sister Xia Yao.

"Holy crap! This twice-cooked pork smells so good!" Kong Guoliang, a twice-cooked pork enthusiast, was completely captivated by the twice-cooked pork that had just been served.

Ding Meng tasted a piece and nodded repeatedly.

The three dishes—hot salad, soup, and stir-fry—each represented a completely different style, which Zhou Yan handled with ease.

This is enough to prove Zhou Yan's culinary skills.

She has been married into the Kong family for over twenty years, and while her cooking skills haven't improved much, her palate has become increasingly discerning.

You can tell the difference between good and bad with just one bite.

Let alone Awei's master Guodong, even if his second uncle came now, his cooking might not be as good as Zhou Yan's.

No wonder Second Uncle didn't object to Awei working as a chef at Zhou Yan's shop.

This must be his restaurant. Why is there no customer at mealtime?
Just as I was wondering, the workday bell rang.

Ding Meng looked up at the entrance and saw a large number of customers pouring into the store. In the blink of an eye, all nineteen tables were filled, and there were even people who had arrived late and were regretting their late arrival.

"Huh? I didn't blink either?" Ding Meng was stunned.

Is this a restaurant or a factory canteen? Why is it suddenly full of textile factory workers?
[Ding! Chef recruitment mission completed!]

In the kitchen, Zhou Yan heard a familiar notification sound.

　There will be an extra chapter later~ Please vote with your monthly tickets!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)