1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 322 Zhou Momo, who loves to teach (Bonus chapter for 2485 monthly votes)

"If you can get up, I'll teach you how to knead dough. This is the most important part of making steamed buns. The dough for steamed buns should be soft and elastic to be perfect. Even my master didn't teach me this skill. True masters are proficient in both cooking and baking, and they can handle both with ease." Zhou Yan looked at him and said this with a sincere smile.

Which step in making steamed buns is the most tiring?
Kneading and mixing dough is definitely number one.

Six hundred steamed buns and one hundred and twenty bowls of noodles—kneading and mixing the dough is truly hard work, no exaggeration.

"Really?" Ah Wei's eyes lit up, his heart fluttering with excitement.

"How could it be fake? Let me ask you, if you want to make such delicious steamed buns, would you find someone elsewhere who can teach you how to make them for free?" Zhou Yan asked.

He saw a glimmer of hope for improvement in Awei's eyes.

When a person wants to improve, they become the best ox or horse.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch." Awei shook his head. Zhou Yan was telling the truth. If someone could make steamed buns this delicious, they could easily support their whole family by opening a steamed bun shop.

Zhou Erwa sells steamed buns at his restaurant on the side. He sells 600 buns every morning, which brings in 90 yuan. If he earns half of that, he gets 45 yuan, which is 1,500 yuan a month.

Open a steamed bun shop and earn 10,000 yuan a year.

This skill is something no master craftsman would casually teach to outsiders.

But Master Zhou was so casual about teaching him!
There are still many good people in this world.

“Learn! Learn how to make steamed buns!” Kong Liwei nodded, how could he miss such an opportunity?

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Okay, then you can come to the store at 4:30 tomorrow morning."

"Huh? Wasn't it five o'clock?" Kong Liwei was stunned. "Why is it half an hour earlier?"

"It's too cold. Even steaming it in a pot will barely make it rise properly, so there's nothing I can do about coming early." Zhou Yan looked at him and said, "Can you come or not? If you don't come, plenty of others will."

Kong Liwei gritted his teeth and shook his head in the end: "No way! 4:30 in the morning is too terrifying! I had to make a huge decision to get out of bed today."

Zhou Yan shook his head helplessly; this guy's ambition was still not strong enough.

It was only 4:30 a.m. on a winter morning, and he gave up.

“Awei, strong people never complain about their environment,” Zhou Yan earnestly advised.

“That’s great. Strong people never complain about their environment, but I’m the weak one. I not only complain about my environment, but I also complain about the strong.” Awei looked at Zhou Yan. “Teacher Zhou, it’s because there are too many geniuses like you that we ordinary people seem like useless people.”

Zhou Yan sighed: "Awei, you have to live up to expectations! You can't let others look down on you."

Ah Wei shook his head and said slowly, "They all look down on me, and I'm just not ambitious enough. No one's helping me to reach the top, and I'm hopeless anyway. Getting up at 4:30 for work? Screw that! I want to sleep in!"

Zhou Yan almost laughed himself to death at this kid. Well, it's the dead of winter, he's really not easy to fool.

"Good morning, Zhou Yan." Xia Yao entered the store carrying a picture book and smiled at Zhou Yan.

"Good morning," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Good morning, boss lady," Ah Wei greeted her.

"Hmm?" Zhou Yan and Xia Yao looked at him at the same time.

"Oh dear, I'll go add some firewood." Ah Wei turned and left.

Xia Yao's face flushed slightly as she looked down at the ground. Ah Wei, that guy really is...

Zhou Yan also felt slightly embarrassed. Looking at the sketchbook in his hand, she asked, "Did you draw a new picture again last night?"

Xia Yao nodded: "Yes, there are four more pictures in the Jiading silk series. I finished the second one last night, and I need to finish the remaining two this week so that we can make a sample next week. I might be able to see the sample before the end of my internship."

Zhou Yan was taken aback: "Is the internship almost over?"

Xia Yao nodded: "Yes, the internship period is about a month and a half, and this is the fourth week."

"Time flies." Zhou Yan sighed. The shop is so busy every day that he's not so sensitive to the passage of time anymore.

I see Xia Yao every day and run with her, and I've completely forgotten that she's going back to school after her internship ends.

"Boss, I'd like two ounces of dry noodles!"

"Two ounces of beef noodles, extra chili! And a pickled mustard greens and pork bun."

Before the two could chat for long, customers had already come in, sat down, and ordered food.

Xia Yao smiled and said, "You go ahead with your work, I want to eat braised pork rib noodles today."

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, responded to the guest, and turned to go into the kitchen.

Kong Liwei leaned closer and asked earnestly, "Teacher Zhou, do you have any 'Guidelines for Quickly Winning Over the Hearts of Beautiful College Girls'?"

"I really don't have that." Zhou Yan shook her head, glancing at him. "But I do have a book called '100 Practical Tips for Quickly Winning Over a Rich Woman's Heart,' do you want it?"

"Really?!" Awei's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly. "That's great! One step at a time, I don't want to struggle anymore!"

"It sounds good, but I don't know if you can endure this suffering. As you know, if you want to be prominent in public, you must first suffer in private," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Isn't this a sin?" Awei hesitated.

“That must be a bit of a sin, otherwise why would a rich woman want to keep you? Is it because you have a square face, or is she waiting until you’re thirty to raise fish in the Mediterranean?” Zhou Yan leaned over and said a few words to him.

After hearing this, Ah Wei shook his head like a rattle drum: "No, no, I'd rather work hard and find a normal girl."

Zhou Yan smiled; indeed, not everyone could endure such hardship. "Master Zhou knows so much, have you ever suffered?" Awei asked Zhou Yan with some suspicion.

Zhou Yan's smile vanished, and he calmly said, "You should know that this world is fair. When you are handsome enough, you can suffer less."

Ah Wei stopped laughing: "Get up!"

Zhou Yan handed the table to Xia Yao. Zhou Momo had already gotten up and was looking at Xia Yao's drawing, exclaiming "Wow!"

Seeing Zhou Yan bring out the noodles, she stretched out her little hand and waved to him, saying, "Brother, look! Sister Yao Yao's flower drawing is so pretty!"

Zhou Yan placed the paper a little further away from the picture book and peeked out. A sea of ​​flowers caught his eye, possessing both the charm of traditional Chinese painting and the realistic feel of oil painting. One could imagine that if it were printed on silk, the effect would be quite remarkable.

"Yes, it looks good," Zhou Yan nodded.

Xia Yao smiled and picked up the sketchbook: "Okay, put it away and eat noodles. I'll wash Momo's face after I finish eating noodles."

"Mmm." Zhou Momo nodded, then turned to Aunt Zhao in front of the large stove by the door and said, "Tie Ying, did you hear me?"

Aunt Zhao turned around, suppressing a laugh, and said, "Zhou Momo, are you asking for a beating again?"

"Mom~~ I called you the wrong name! Please forgive me~" Zhou Momo ran over excitedly, hugged Aunt Zhao's leg, and looked up at her with her little face, "I'll teach you how to do your homework tonight, and I won't call you a little pig anymore."

"Then tell me, who is the little pig?" Aunt Zhao looked down at her and asked with a smile.

"Little pig is..." The little guy thought for a moment and then said, "Awei!"

Ah Wei was carrying out a bowl of mixed beef and minced meat noodles when he heard the voice and raised an eyebrow: "Mo Mo, you have to give me an explanation today!"

"Little pig means cute," Zhou Momo turned to look at him and explained earnestly.

"Really?" Awei asked, still somewhat skeptical.

“Ah Wei, you little silly pig, you’re so cute~~” Zhou Momo said in her childish voice.

"Uh..." The little baby voice was so cute that Awei didn't know whether he was being praised or scolded. "Never mind, I'll take it as a compliment."

Zhou Yan and Xia Yao, who were standing nearby, were overjoyed.

"I won't be going for a run tonight, and the restaurant will be closed tomorrow, so you'll probably have to eat at the cafeteria," Zhou Yan told Xia Yao.

Xia Yao had just picked up her chopsticks when she heard the sound and looked up at Zhou Yan: "What happened?"

Zhou Yan nodded: "Yes, my sixth uncle from my paternal clan passed away last night. I have to keep vigil for him tonight, and there will be a funeral procession and banquet tomorrow, so I guess I'll be quite busy."

Xia Yao quickly put down her chopsticks and looked at Zhou Yan, saying softly, "Please accept my condolences."

Zhou Yan nodded slightly: "Thank you, I'm fine. Sixth Master passed away peacefully, so it can be considered a happy funeral."

"That's good." Xia Yao nodded. Her grandparents and maternal grandparents were still alive and had never experienced this situation before, so she didn't know what to say for a moment.

"You eat first, I'll go cook some noodles. If you're afraid of the dark tonight, you can go for a run with Uncle Lin earlier."

"okay."

Xia Yao's pork rib noodles were in a clear broth, with a rich bone broth paired with freshly braised pork ribs cooked that morning. There wasn't even any soup left. She ate until her forehead was slightly sweaty and her whole body felt warm. All the fatigue from staying up late drawing last night was swept away.

"Yaoyao, I'm so sorry to trouble you to wash Momo's face and comb her hair every day," Aunt Zhao said, looking at her somewhat apologetically.

"Auntie, it's alright. I'd love to comb Momo's hair and braid it for her. It's so much fun." Xia Yao smiled slightly and led Zhou Momo to a tree nearby.

Zhou Momo sat obediently on the stool, watching Xia Yao take out hair ties from her bag, and said in a childish voice, "Sister Yao Yao, it would be great if you were my sister-in-law, so when you and Guoguo have a baby, I can braid the baby's hair and wash their face."

Xia Yao paused, then continued combing Momo's hair: "How did Momo know it was her younger sister?"

The little guy replied matter-of-factly, "Because my sister is good, my sister is cute."

Xia Yao smiled but didn't reply.

"So, does that mean you agree to be Momo's sister-in-law?" Zhou Momo looked up at her.

"Shh, don't talk nonsense." Xia Yao put a finger to her lips and said softly.

"Mmm." Zhou Momo nodded obediently, "This is our secret."

"Huh?" Xia Yao was a little confused. What had become a secret?
She tied the little one's hair into two little buns today, using black hair ties.

She has so much hair, and it's quite fine. When she wakes up, it grows wildly like weeds. It's hard to comb it out properly, and then she ties it into two small buns, which looks simple and cute.

After tying her hair up and teaching her a new classical poem, Xia Yao picked up her bag and went to work.

"Mommy~~ Do you want me to teach you a new ancient poem? Yao Yao just taught me one." Zhou Momo moved a small stool to sit next to Aunt Zhao, looked up at her and asked.

"No need," Aunt Zhao refused.

“It’s free, I’ll teach you to read it word by word,” Zhou Momo said.

“I won’t learn it even if it’s free. I haven’t even memorized that song yet,” Aunt Zhao shook her head.

"Then...then I'll give you five cents." Zhou Momo took out five cents from her pocket and handed it to Aunt Zhao: "After you take the money, call me Teacher Zhou."

Aunt Zhao looked down at her, a smile playing on her lips, her tone tinged with helplessness: "Zhou Momo, you're quite the know-it-all, aren't you? You've got an addiction to being a teacher, haven't you?"

　This is an extra update to make up for yesterday's missed chapter.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)