1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 32 Old Zhou, you've finally stood up today!
Zhou Yan rode his bicycle to the town and bought three bags of rice candy from Zhang Jiwu's family. The candy cost 1.2 yuan per jin (500 grams), and each bag weighed 1 jin. It was wrapped in kraft paper and tied with rope.

Su Ji didn't have any local specialties that were easy to carry. Even he found the dry, tough beef too hard to chew to be a waste of his jaw muscles.

Zhang Jiwu's rice candy is quite famous in Suji.

Render the lard from fresh lard, then mix it with maltose and stir-fry to make an amber-colored sugar oil. Pour in roasted peanuts and rice puffs and stir-fry until the rice puffs are coated with the sugar oil. Remove from the pan, spread on a cutting board sprinkled with sesame seeds, and then sprinkle with a layer of roasted white sesame seeds.

Roll out and flatten the rice candy with a large rolling pin, then cut it into small pieces.

The aroma of popped rice wafted far and wide; the sugar and oil mixture was a favorite treat for everyone in those days.

When students passed by after school, they couldn't walk any further.

The owner let Zhou Yan try a piece; it was fragrant and sweet, crispy and crunchy, with a meaty aroma, and had a unique flavor.

He also brought an extra 50 cents for Zhou Momo and her two nephews, so they could have a taste too.

When Zhou Yan returned to the shop, Zhou Momo and Fanwa were playing hopscotch.

Zhou Lihui, who was acting as referee for them, greeted Zhou Yan with a smile: "Uncle, you're back."

"Yes, I bought you some rice candy. Take it and eat it with Momo and Fanwa." Zhou Yan handed him the loose rice candy.

Zhou Momo and Fanwa had already come over after smelling the aroma.

"Hey! Is that rice candy?" Zhou Momo stared at the rice candy in Zhou Lihui's hand, swallowing hard. "I want some!"

"You two go wash your hands, then you can eat," Zhou Yan said with a smile, carrying the groceries towards the kitchen.

That evening, college students alone ordered 28 bowls of noodles and 20 bowls of braised beef.

Zhou Yan estimated that some workers would come to join in the fun that night, so he bought enough meat to make meat sauce and toppings for sixty people.

It's okay if we can't sell them all. There are a lot of people here today, so we can use them as food for dinner.

Washing vegetables and stir-frying ingredients, time was quite tight.

Zhou Yan had just started chopping vegetables when he noticed Zhou Lihui had come to the kitchen doorway. He looked up and asked with a smile, "What's up, Huihui?"

"I want to see my uncle cook." Zhou Lihui smiled a little embarrassedly.

"Come in if you want to see. What can you see standing at the kitchen door?" Zhou Yan greeted with a smile, his cleaver never stopping. A piece of beef was quickly sliced ​​into pieces, then shredded, and finally minced.

Zhou Lihui's eyes widened as he watched this scene.

"Can you cook?" Zhou Yan put the minced meat into a plate on the side for later use.

"I only know how to stir-fry vegetables and cook porridge."

"Then learn how to make braised pork ribs and minced beef with double peppers from your uncle today, and show off your skills to your parents next time," Zhou Yan said casually with a smile.

"Hmm." Zhou Lihui nodded, took two more steps forward, and looked even more intently.

……

"Director Su, I look forward to our cooperation yielding fruitful results."

"Pleasant to work with."

In the conference room, Lin Zhiqiang and Su Jun shook hands.

After an afternoon of discussion, Jiaozhou Textile Factory and the Department of Arts and Crafts of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute reached a preliminary cooperation agreement to carry out school-enterprise cooperation and build a brand for Jiaozhou Textile Factory.

However, the specific cooperation methods and details will need to be finalized later.

Lin Zhiqiang was very satisfied with the result. Sichuan Fine Arts Institute is a top-notch art school in Sichuan and even in the whole country. Being able to cooperate with the Department of Arts and Crafts of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute will greatly benefit the reputation of Jiaozhou Textile Factory.

He studied abroad and understands the importance of branding.

Jiaozhou Textile Factory is currently thriving and its foreign exchange earnings are reaching new highs. However, compared with advanced textile factories abroad, there is still a gap, and it is necessary to explore the path of brand building.

"It's almost time to get off work, and the students are all waiting outside, so let's go straight to dinner," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, glancing at his watch.

“Okay, I am a little hungry.” Su Jun nodded.

……

Zhou Liangliang rode his bicycle to the entrance of the textile factory, stopped the bicycle, took out a cigarette, and asked a few vendors about Zhou Erwa's restaurant.

“Zhou Yan’s business is booming! He sells at least a hundred bowls of noodles a day for six cents a bowl. How much do you think he makes? Wang Laowu was arrested, so now he’s the only one selling noodles.”

“He started selling ‘Qiaojiao Beef’ yesterday, which is the soup hot pot from Zhoucun. It’s 60 cents a bowl, and business is good.”

"How much do you sell? Who knows? Aren't you from the same village? Why don't you just go and ask? Why are you being so secretive?"

"A group of college students ate at his shop today, twenty or thirty of them. They have money and are willing to spend it. I reckon he can earn several ten-yuan bills just from these college students." After chatting with the vendors, Zhou Liangliang's hand holding the cigarette was trembling. He stared blankly in the direction of Zhou Erwa's restaurant, subconsciously raised his hand to take a puff, but was burned and quickly flicked the cigarette butt away.

"Ptooey, ptooey..." Zhou Liangliang spat a few times, the cigarette butt burning him and making him shudder.

Then he saw a group of stylish, handsome young men walk out of the textile factory gate and enter Zhou Erwa Restaurant.

"You're eating at Zhou Erwa's restaurant again tonight? Just three bowls of noodles and a soup pot. Is it really that good? Even college students in the city haven't eaten anything fancy."

"Hey, why don't you try my wontons?"

The vendors murmured resentfully, filled with envy.

Just then, the factory closed for the day, and bicycles began to flow out, some of which turned towards the entrance of Zhou Erwa Restaurant.

Zhou Liangliang, no longer caring about the blisters on his lips, looked at Zhou Erwa's restaurant, which was packed with customers, with fervent eyes: "Six cents a bowl of noodles, six cents a bowl of soup, are they selling so well?"

"The textile factory workers are rich! It's easier to make money here!"

Zhou Liangliang leaned closer to take a look for a while, and seeing that everyone had indeed ordered food and was sitting down to eat, he felt relieved and rode away on his bike.

Well done!

Come tomorrow!

Selling noodles, selling soup pot!

It definitely will work!

He pedaled faster and faster, wishing he could fly back immediately.

……

The college students spent thirty yuan on dinner and were quite satisfied.

Zhou Momo sat next to Xia Yao, holding a new doll in her hand. She kept calling out "Sister, Sister!" which made the female college students swoon. They emptied their pockets of snacks and filled a small basket for her.

There's nothing we can do; this little sister is just so cute and cuddly.

"Auntie is so amazing, so many older sisters give her snacks." Fanwa squatted to the side, a candy in her mouth, extremely envious.

"Aunt Zhao, can I take Momo out to play for a while and then bring her back for dinner?" Xia Yao said to Zhao Tieying, holding Zhou Momo's little hand.

"Of course, you can take her out to play. She thinks about you every day," Zhao Tieying replied with a smile.

The textile factory arranged for them to stay at a guesthouse tonight. Tomorrow morning they will take a shuttle bus back to the mountain city, so they will have two hours to explore before returning to the guesthouse after dark.

Xia Yao wanted to play with Zhou Momo a little longer.

It was pretty much as Zhou Yan had predicted.

The fact that the teachers and students of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute are not eating in the cafeteria, but instead eating two meals in a row at Zhou Erwa Restaurant, has already caused quite a stir at Jiaozhou Textile Factory.

College students are symbols of intellectuals and fashion, and many workers wanted to see what delicious food Zhou Erwa Restaurant was selling that could captivate college students.

Zhou Yanduo's thirty-two servings of noodles and the remaining braised beef were all sold out, and even the beef broth in the pot was completely devoured by the customers who came later but didn't get to eat.

"I'm sorry everyone, we're sold out of noodles and braised beef today. The restaurant will be closed tomorrow, so please come back on Monday." Zhou Yan stood at the door, apologizing to the customers who hadn't been able to eat.

"It's gone so soon?"

"Prepare more next time, I was hoping to try something new."

"Okay, then come again next time."

The guests were a little disappointed, but they could only wait until Monday to come back.

"I'll definitely prepare more next time," Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

Just then, Zhou Miao rode up on his old-fashioned bicycle, with two large crucian carp tied to the handlebars with straw, and stopped in front of the restaurant.

"Hey, you caught a crucian carp!" Zhao Tieying greeted him with a smile, marveling, "Old Zhou, you've really got something going for you today! You caught such a big crucian carp! We can cook it for dinner tonight."

“These two aren’t that big, there’s an even bigger one that ran away.” Zhou Miao scratched his head.

Zhou Yan, who was standing to the side, silently turned her head away and moved her mouth to control her expression.

A note slowly scrolled by:
Two farmed crucian carp, fed exclusively on grains, are of acceptable quality.

……

……

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(End of this chapter)