1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 329 Heroes of the World Are Like Carp Crossing a River (6k-page compilation)

Zhou Ming stood behind the two of them, a smile on his face, but his tone carried a hint of helplessness.

He knew the two of them were coming to Zhou Yan's restaurant for breakfast today, so he got up early to invite them. However, he waited at the intersection for more than ten minutes without any luck. When he saw the familiar bicycle in front of Zhou Yan's restaurant, he realized that the two of them had already arrived.

"You're here! Have a seat, there just happened to be empty." Song Wanqing looked up at him, smiling as she pointed to the seat next to her. "Want some noodles? This double-pepper minced beef noodle soup is super delicious!"

"The bean sprout and pork buns are delicious too," Song Changhe added, looking up as he ate his noodles.

Zhou Minggang sat down.

"What are you eating, Mingming?" Aunt Zhao asked as she came over.

"Fourth Aunt, I'd like a bowl of minced beef noodles and a pork and pickled mustard green bun." Not daring to offend either side, Zhou Ming decisively chose to have both.

“Okay,” Aunt Zhao replied.

"You didn't have class this morning either?" Song Changhe asked, looking at him.

Zhou Ming nodded: "Yes, I've already talked to Lao Wang. He can't sleep in the morning, so he gets up to lead the morning exercises. I'll be in charge of the extra practice after class in the afternoon. He's going to the dance hall to dance, so I don't have to get up so early in the morning anymore."

"Teacher Wang is a star of ballroom dancing. I heard she's very popular with the ladies at the dance hall," Song Wanqing said with a smile. "It's not easy. She's fifty years old and still gets up early every day to exercise with her students. She's maintained a great figure."

“I think he’s really enjoying himself,” Zhou Ming said with a smile.

"Teacher Wang's wife works for the city's theater troupe and performs in the park every weekend. Her life is very colorful. Sometimes she even goes to the dance hall with Teacher Wang to assert her dominance."

Eating breakfast and chatting about gossip, it was quite leisurely and comfortable.

Song Changhe originally wanted to eat two more bean sprout and pork buns, but after eating a small bowl of mixed noodles, he really couldn't eat anymore and had to give up.

There is a reopening day, and no one is young.

The same goes for the stomach.

When Zhou Yan brought out the noodles, there weren't many customers left in the shop. It was almost eight o'clock, and the workers quickly finished their buns and noodles, paid their bills, and went to work.

"Old Song, do you like this bean sprout and pork bun?" Zhou Yan placed the bun in front of Zhou Ming and asked Song Changhe with a smile.

"Very good!" Song Changhe looked at Zhou Yan, his tone filled with emotion: "Zhou Yan, your pickled mustard greens and pork buns are so authentic, they taste almost the same as my master's wife's. One bite reminded me of when I was learning martial arts on Mount Emei. More than sixty years have passed in the blink of an eye."

"If you like it, come again next time," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

How could he forget? That was his vibrant youth.

"This bowl of noodles is so big!" Song Wanqing peeked at Zhou Ming's noodles, her eyes widening slightly as she muttered under her breath.

"I can't help it, we're brothers, they're worried I won't have enough to eat." Zhou Minggang mixed the noodles and said with a smile, "Teacher Song, do you want some? I'll share some with you."

Song Wanqing shook her head, "No, I don't want to. My eyes are big and my stomach is small. I thought I could eat another bowl, but I'm already feeling full before I've even finished eating."

Zhou Ming smiled upon hearing this and lowered his head to eat his noodles.

"We're out of pickled mustard greens and pork buns, Mingming. You can have a pork bun, okay? This is the last one." Aunt Zhao brought over a plate and placed it next to Zhou Ming.

“Okay.” Zhou Ming replied, pushing the plate toward Song Wanqing. “Try the pork buns Zhou Yan made. Give me the noodles if you can’t finish them.”

Song Wanqing had originally intended to decline, but upon hearing this, she became somewhat tempted. She picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the large meat bun, and her eyes immediately narrowed.

The buns were still piping hot, with soft dough and fresh, tender meat filling. With one bite, the juicy meat burst in your mouth, oily, sweet, and savory – a completely different taste from the pickled mustard greens and meat buns.

It's so delicious!

It tastes completely different from the bean sprout and pork buns that Zhou Ming brought her last time!
It smells so good!

“Grandpa, I was wrong. These freshly steamed buns are indeed different.” Song Wanqing said to Song Changhe.

"Steamed buns should be eaten hot; they smell best when they're fresh out of the steamer. It's that simple," Song Changhe said with a smile.

After breakfast, Song Changhe looked at Zhou Yan and said, "Zhou Yan, let's go to the river for tea. Do you want to come along?"

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Mr. Song, you should go with Teacher Song and Brother Ming. I still need to make braised meat and prepare dishes for lunch, so I really don't have time to go. If it happens to be a weekend next time, I'll invite you for tea."

“Okay.” Song Changhe nodded and took out his wallet to pay the bill.

“Master, let me do it, let me do it,” Zhou Ming said quickly.

"Don't give me that, my pension is higher than your salary, I can easily afford to treat the two of you to a meal," Song Changhe said.

"It's rare for you and Teacher Song to come here, so please accept this breakfast on my behalf," Zhou Yan quickly added.

"If you say that, I'll feel embarrassed to come next time. These bean sprout and pork buns are so delicious, I'd like to come back for more." Song Changhe put 1.8 yuan on the table, got up and left.

Zhou Momo slept in late today. She just came downstairs, blinked, and said, "Teacher Song! Ming-gege~~"

"MoMo, the sun's already high in the sky and you're still not up? Do you want to come play with us?" Song Wanqing asked her with a smile.

"Yes!" Upon hearing that they were going to play, the little guy nodded decisively without even asking where they were going.

"So what do you want to eat for breakfast?" Song Wanqing asked, looking at her.

"Brother?" Zhou Momo immediately looked at Zhou Yan, who was standing to the side.

"Shall I make you a goose egg pancake?" Zhou Yan asked.

"Great!" The little guy's eyes lit up immediately.

Zhou Yan turned and went into the kitchen. Yesterday, his grandmother brought them three goose eggs. He cracked one open, added some flour, and fried a golden goose egg pancake for Zhou Momo.

The little guy came in after washing his face, holding a colorful little windmill in his hand. When he saw the big pancake on the plate, his mouth opened wide, and he looked up at Zhou Yan: "Wow, buddy! Did you make such a big pancake from a goose egg?"

"Hmm, can you finish it?" Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. The old lady's geese were well-raised, and the goose eggs they laid were as big as four or five chicken eggs, weighing nearly half a pound.

"Yes!" The little guy nodded, put the windmill aside, and climbed onto the stool by himself.

Zhou Yan placed the egg pancake in front of her.

Before the omelet was taken out of the pan, it was cut into four pieces with a spatula, each piece was about the size of a plate, and they were stacked on the plate.

This is with relatively little flour. If you make a regular egg pancake, one goose egg would be enough for two or three people.

Zhou Momo reached out and picked up a piece of cake. It was a little hot, but she was reluctant to let go.

"Whoosh~whoosh~" The little guy leaned forward, pouted his little mouth and blew on it, his chubby cheeks puffed up, and then he opened his mouth and took a bite.

"Wow~ Little White, you smell so good!" The little guy's eyes lit up, and he immediately took another bite. As he chewed, his little short legs dangled back and forth, clearly enjoying the food.

Watching from the side, Song Wanqing looked on with curiosity and couldn't help but swallow hard: "Is it delicious?"

"Mmm." Zhou Momo nodded, reached into the plate, took a piece, and handed it to her. "Teacher Song, you have to try it, it's super delicious!"

"Thank you, Momo." Song Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it, tearing off half and handing it to Zhou Ming. "You can eat half for me, I'm already too full."

She took a bite of the egg pancake. It was fresh out of the pan, soft and fluffy, with a rich egg flavor and a slightly sweet aftertaste amidst the salty and savory taste. It was indeed delicious.

In just a few bites, half of the egg pancake was gone.

Song Wanqing glanced at the egg pancake that Zhou Ming hadn't eaten yet, then reached out and took it back, tearing off a small piece and feeding it to him: "You just ate so much noodles, you definitely can't eat anymore. Just taste it, don't force yourself."

"Okay." Zhou Ming replied, opened his mouth to take a bite of the egg pancake, and watched with a smile as Song Wanqing ate the rest of the egg pancake.

Zhou Yan rolled her eyes. It was early in the morning, and she couldn't stomach this dog food.

"Hiccup~"

After finishing her meal, Song Wanqing covered her mouth and let out a burp, then smiled somewhat awkwardly.

Oh no, this morning I had noodles, steamed buns, and even a goose egg pancake. I'm really stuffed.

"Zhou Yan, how did you fry these goose egg pancakes? I have three goose eggs at home and I don't know what to do with them," Song Wanqing asked Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Goose egg pancakes are actually very simple. If it's for two or three people, just add flour and water in a 1.5 ratio. Put a bowl of flour in a small rice bowl, add a bowl and a half of water, then crack the goose egg in and mix it all together until there are no lumps."

You can add a little salt and sugar to the batter to give it flavor and a slightly sweet aftertaste. If you like scallions, you can add some chopped scallions for extra aroma. Zhou Momo doesn't like scallions, so I didn't add any.

To fry, heat the pan over medium-low heat first, then add oil. Use a spoon to scoop a spoonful of batter into the pan, swirling it to spread the batter evenly. Fry one side for 30 seconds, then flip and fry the other side for another 30 seconds until golden brown. You'll have a golden-brown goose egg pancake.

"Easy, right?"

"Um..." Song Wanqing thought about it seriously for a moment, then reached out and nudged Zhou Ming beside her: "Have you learned it?"

"Huh?" Zhou Ming was stunned.

"Huh? I'm asking if you've learned how to make goose egg pancakes yet?" Song Wanqing asked, looking at him.

"Zhou Yan, why don't you say it again?" Zhou Ming pulled out a small notebook and a fountain pen from his pocket.

"Okay." Zhou Yan looked at him with some pity. Sure enough, women change once they get what they want.

Zhou Ming wrote down the detailed recipe for goose egg pancakes. Zhou Momo had also finished eating. Aunt Zhao came over with a towel, wiped her face and hands, and buttoned up her coat before letting her go play with Teacher Song and the others.

"Look at them, they're holding hands. I think it's quite possible I'll be attending a wedding during the New Year," Aunt Zhao remarked.

"It can't be that fast, we've only just started talking about it." Zhou Yan didn't believe it.

It's sunny today, so I went to sit by the river, basking in the sun and having some morning tea. It was so cozy.

Unfortunately, Zhou Yan wasn't destined to bask in the sun; he turned around and went back into the kitchen to braise meat.

After closing for lunch, Zhou Yan slung his bag over his shoulder, pushed his bicycle, and headed out. "Teacher Zhou! Wait for me!" Kong Liwei called out, pushing his bicycle after him.

"Awei, where are you going?" Zhou Yan turned around and looked at him.

"I'll go to Jiaozhou with you guys. I also want to see if I can get a special admission spot." Kong Liwei grinned. "I think with my current level, getting a Level 3 certificate shouldn't be a problem."

"Okay, let's go." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. He couldn't really judge Awei's cooking skills, as he hadn't tried his dishes yet.

However, his thinking is not hard to understand. Nowadays, everyone is taking chef certification exams. Without a certification, you're like an apprentice when you go out, and you always feel inferior.

If given the chance, who wouldn't want to take the exam as soon as possible?

Even chefs who want to become top scholars have to start from the lowest level (童生) and then the next (秀才). If they pass the third level exam this year, they can only take the second and first level exams next year. There are rules and regulations governing this.

The two rode their bikes to their master's house, called out, and the gate opened. Xiao Lei pushed his bicycle out and locked the gate.

"Is your wife not home?" Zhou Yan asked.

"She went to play mahjong. If she goes too late, she can't sit down. She put down her bowl at noon and ran away." Xiao Lei said with a smile, "You know, she loses every time she plays cards. When she loses, she goes home and cries. She's so angry that she can't sleep."

"The next day, as soon as they shouted, 'Coming! Coming!' you couldn't even outrun them."

“You’re bad at games and love to gamble, just like my mom. She goes out to pray to Buddha, and when she loses money, she comes back and gives Buddha a good scolding,” Awei laughed.

Zhou Yan couldn't help but feel annoyed after hearing this; he never expected his master's wife to be this kind of person.

"Ah Wei, I forgot about you. Here, take the key to go to sleep?" Xiao Lei looked at Kong Liwei and handed him the key.

"No need, Uncle-Master, I'll go with you." Kong Liwei shook his head.

Xiao Lei looked at him: "You're already missing your master chef who was almost fifty when he finally passed the Level 2 chef exam after only two or three days?"

Kong Liwei: "..."

Zhou Yan pursed her lips. Teacher Xiao really holds a grudge.

"Oh dear, Uncle-Master, don't be so serious." Kong Liwei clasped his hands together and said, "Please, don't say this to my master. He's very concerned about his reputation."

"And the dishes at home during this time..."

“I’ll wash it when I get off work!” Kong Liwei immediately replied.

Xiao Lei put on a smile: "Okay, then I'll definitely say that Awei has been working hard and making great progress lately."

"He's so vicious..." Awei muttered to Zhou Yan with a bitter face.

The three of them rode their bikes toward Jiaozhou.

"Ah Wei, what are you going to Jiaozhou for? To pick up something?" Xiao Lei asked on the way.

Kong Liwei said, "I also want to see if I can sign up. I've been doing this for six and a half years, so I'm not far off. I even won first place in the Leming Hotel Young Chef Knife Skills Competition. I think my level should be enough to qualify me as a Level 3 Chef."

Xiao Lei smiled and nodded, saying, "That's a good idea. Let's go up and see if your master or grandmaster has any connections."

"Master, what are the main topics of this Level 3 exam?" Zhou Yan asked.

His master, a level-two chef, had repeatedly failed in his attempts to reach level one, but his experience was indeed rich.

Kong Liwei looked over curiously upon hearing this.

Xiao Lei said, "The chef level exam is divided into two parts: a written test and a practical test. The written test accounts for 40% of the score, and the practical test accounts for 60%. However, if you don't pass the written test, you will be eliminated and won't be able to enter the practical test stage."

"There's a written exam too?" Kong Liwei asked, somewhat surprised. "How difficult is it?"

"Anyway, you just have to memorize it. There are four textbooks. Once you've memorized them, it's not difficult. If you don't memorize them, you definitely won't get a high score." Xiao Lei said with a smile. "Some experienced teachers can't even recognize a few characters, but they are allowed to apply for ghostwriting. It's quite humane."

“You young people, you’ve graduated from junior high school. As long as you’re willing to put in the hard work, you can definitely pass the written test.”

The practical skills test for Level 3 chefs is relatively simple. The dishes tested are usually small stir-fries and pan-fries, such as twice-cooked pork, shredded pork with garlic sauce, meatball soup, and dry-fried winter bamboo shoots. There are almost no obscure or rare "top dishes". As long as you have solid basic skills and know how to cook the dishes you are given, there shouldn't be any major problems.

However, many young chefs haven't experienced exams before. They get very nervous when they arrive, chopping vegetables poorly, losing control of heat and seasoning, and failing to manage the cooking order and timing properly, resulting in a complete mess. They basically have to wait until their second year, when they have more experience, to pass…”

Zhou Yan listened attentively as his master shared his valuable experience, details that he couldn't have imagined.

The three of them chatted all the way to the training base.

After greeting the security guard, I went inside. Kong Qingfeng and Kong Guodong were sitting in the office drinking tea and talking about the training course that afternoon.

"Uncle-Master, Senior Brother," Xiao Lei greeted as he entered.

"Shitou's here." Kong Qingfeng looked towards the door and said with a smile, "Why are you two kids here too? Isn't the shop supposed to be open today?"

Kong Guodong looked at Kong Liwei and laughed, "How's your job, kid?"

Kong Liwei was the last to enter, and he closed the door behind him, locking it with a click. Then he smiled and said, "Master, I'm not bragging, but I'm doing a fantastic job, just like a fish in water!"

"I can tell you're bragging the moment you open your mouth," Kong Guodong rolled his eyes at him.

"I came up here to ask my grandmaster and uncle for help with something," Zhou Yan said.

"What's the matter? Sit down and tell me slowly." Kong Qingfeng put down his teacup and looked at Zhou Yan.

"Isn't the registration for the Level 3 Chef Exam in Jiaozhou this year? I want to see if I have a chance to be admitted through special admissions," Zhou Yan said bluntly.

“Me too,” Kong Liwei added.

Kong Guodong frowned and said, "For the Level 3 chef exam, I remember the first requirement for registration is eight years of work experience. Zhou Yan, you've only been learning to cook for a little over two years, less than three years. I'm afraid you're far from meeting the requirements."

“Master, I’ve been studying for six and a half years, and I’m not far off,” Kong Liwei said.

"With your skill level, you should practice for another two years," Kong Guodong said, glancing at him.

Kong Liwei: "..."

“Uncle-Master, I think Zhou Yan has a good chance of passing the Level 2 exam with his current skill level. If he waits another five years until he has completed eight years of work experience, it will be a waste of his potential.” Xiao Lei said, “We don’t know how the policies will change in five years, and it’s hard to say whether the certificate will still be as useful by then.”

Just think, Rongleyuan produced Meng Liangrui last year. It's a provincial-level training base, and everyone praises Rongleyuan for being incredibly capable—the Whampoa Military Academy of Sichuan cuisine. Graduating from the advanced training program held at Rongleyuan in 1981 earned you a Level 1 chef's certificate.

These are all exceptional cases. Those young chefs are indeed the cream of the crop selected from various cities, but what is wrong with our Zhou Yan?

Heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, yet even the most outstanding individuals struggle to make progress.

I was stuck at level two for many years, and it took me a full twenty-six years to get here.

But Zhou Yan is different from me. I see the shadow of Song Bo in him. He is a natural-born cook.

I think we should fight for him; if it succeeds, it will be an honor for our Confucian school.

Kong Qingfeng nodded slightly, his expression solemn.

Kong Guodong, who was standing to the side, also sat up straight, looking thoughtful.

Zhou Yan stood ramrod straight, his emotions stirred by his master's words, as if he had already shouldered the glory of the Confucian school.

“What Shi Tou said makes sense. Zhou Yan is one of the best young chefs in our Kong school. It’s a real pity that his career has been delayed because of his short tenure.” Kong Qingfeng nodded and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, “Zhou Yan, do you have any outstanding achievements? Tell me about them first. I’ll take you to Jiaozhou Catering Service Company later and talk to General Manager Jiang directly.”

“I brought it.” Zhou Yan took off the cloth bag he was carrying and took out a copy of “Sichuan Cuisine” magazine, three newspapers, two certificates of honor, and a certificate, placing them all on Kong Qingfeng’s table.
"I was interviewed by Sichuan Cuisine magazine and even appeared on the cover."

"Helping overseas Chinese who are searching for their roots find their relatives was featured in the Jiaozhou Daily."

"He bravely captured a ruthless robber on a bus and rescued a female college student who had fallen into the water. He was awarded a commendation and a certificate of honor for his bravery by the city and was featured in the Jiaozhou Daily."

"The fact that the Municipal Economic Commission hosted a banquet for foreign and Hong Kong businessmen, prepared three dishes for them, and was received separately by the Hong Kong businessmen was also mentioned in the Jiaozhou Daily."

"The family has a clean record, no criminal record, two plaques for first-class meritorious service are displayed in the home, and the family is a descendant of martyrs of the War of Resistance Against Japan, which can be verified."

"Grandmaster Uncle, this is all we have for now. Do you think it's enough?"

After Zhou Yan finished speaking, the office fell silent.

Kong Qingfeng went through all the documents and nodded, saying, "That's enough! I want to see what Jiang Hua will say when we take these documents over. If he doesn't agree, I'll go to the leaders of the Commerce Bureau, and I'll try my best to get this done for you!"

As for the recommending organization, just fill in our training base. Since you've taken classes here, you're considered a teacher at our training base. You can give a lecture for half a day each month, and you'll receive a stipend.

"Yes, thank you, Grandmaster Uncle," Zhou Yan said quickly.

Kong Qingfeng laughed and said, "What are you thanking me for? Shi Tou is right. Chef exams should be based on skill level. There's some merit to having a time limit, but for a young person like you with outstanding skills, there should be an opportunity to make an exception. Whether you pass the exam or not depends entirely on your ability, so it's not like you're using connections."

Zhou Yan felt a warmth in his heart. He remembered the kindness shown to him by the support of the Kong School.

Kong Liwei moved his mouth, but no sound came out.

"Awei, don't humiliate yourself." Kong Guodong reached out and patted his shoulder. "Besides the first prize certificate in the Leming Hotel's young chef knife skills competition, what else do you have? Are you asking the clerk to use this certificate to make an exception for you?"

Kong Liwei almost burst into tears.

Zhou Yan didn't mention he could bring out so many things on the way here!
Zhou Yan is as presentable as he is unpresentable.

Kong Qingfeng looked at Kong Liwei and said, "Awei, you should practice hard with Zhou Yan. When you have enough seniority by the end of next year, then apply for the exam and try to pass Level 3 on your first try."

"Yes, Master." Kong Liwei nodded obediently.

"Come on, Zhou Yan, come with me to the catering service company," Kong Qingfeng said, standing up.

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