1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 331 The literacy class is enough with just me and my mom (6.4k combined)

Back in Suji, Xiao Lei asked Zhou Yan to come to his place first.

"These four books are the textbooks. Take them back and take a look, and start preparing." Xiao Lei came out of the room and handed the four books to Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan reached out and took the book. The books weren't very thick, but you could tell they had been flipped through frequently. They felt fluffy to the touch, not the kind of nearly new book that had only been flipped through a page or two.

"I'm borrowing this from you. Remember to return it after you're done reading it. I'm preparing for the Level 1 Chef exam next year, so don't mess it up for me," Chef Xiao said, looking at him with a hint of caution.

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded and put the book back into his bag.

"Why don't you ask him why he's so clueless?" Ah Wei muttered to himself.

Zhou Yan rolled her eyes at him.

He didn't even want to talk about his senior brother.

Back at the hotel, Zhou Yan first took out four books from his bag and casually flipped through them: "Outline for Chef's Professional Skills Examination", "Sichuan Cuisine Cooking" (Volumes 1 and 2) and "Dietary Nutrition and Hygiene".

The content is substantial, the writing is relatively simple, and it's clear that it was written with the participation of top chefs. It's not detached from the kitchen and has a high level of technical expertise.

Zhou Yan was initially worried that he wouldn't understand anything, but after a quick glance, he found that the content was actually quite simple and easy to understand when compared with his own experience.

After all, he stood out from the fierce college entrance examination competition in Zhejiang Province and was a legitimate public university student at a second-tier university.

For him, creating teaching materials that even chefs with limited education could easily master was not particularly difficult.

"Master Zhou, what are we having for dinner?" Ah Wei, already wearing his apron, peeked out from the kitchen and asked.

"I'll just stir-fry a couple of dishes and we'll be done eating. What would you like to eat?" Zhou Yan glanced at his watch; it was already 4:30. He put the book in the counter drawer and headed towards the kitchen.

As the restaurant closed for the evening and Zhang and his team were just about to leave, they called Zhou Yan, who had changed his clothes and was coming out, over to the next door and said, "Boss Zhou, the kitchen is basically finished. Let's open the door tomorrow, is that alright?"

Zhou Yan went in and inspected the kitchen. The new stove, fermentation box, and other equipment were indeed in place, with the cement smoothed out. It looked quite presentable and met Zhou Yan's expectations.

The walls were freshly plastered with white paint, making the room look much brighter. The lights were also installed by an electrician as Zhou Yan requested, simple incandescent bulbs to match the style of the neighbor's decor.

Master Zhang's craftsmanship is quite reliable; he pays attention to detail and has the spirit of a craftsman.

Now all you need to do is open two doors, one to connect the kitchen and the other to connect the dining room.

The square has already been drawn on the wall; just chisel it open and trim the edges.

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, "Master Zhang, how about you come over and work overtime to open the doorway after the restaurant closes tomorrow night? That way, I can clear out the kitchen after closing to prevent dust and other grime from getting into the food."

Teacher Zhang readily agreed: "That's fine, then we'll come at this time tomorrow."

Zhou Yan waited until they left the house, then closed and locked the door.

Great! We'll open the doors tomorrow, and starting next Monday, Tuesday's Baby Restaurant will be a double-storey establishment.

Zhou Yan was running along the riverbank when he spotted a figure sitting on a bench in the small garden below the dormitory building. The figure had a drawing board on its lap and was drawing something intently, occasionally glancing up at the ginkgo trees in the distance that had almost lost all their leaves.

Zhou Yan walked over and stood beside him for a while.

The painting depicts a corner of a small park, with only one leaf remaining on a ginkgo tree branch, fluttering in the wind as if it might fall at any moment. Although it is just a sketch, a sense of winter desolation is palpable, creating a particularly strong visual impact.

"You're here." Xia Yao put down her pen, turned around and smiled at him.

"You knew I was here? I saw you were drawing quite intently, so I didn't dare to say anything." Zhou Yan was a little surprised.

"I heard footsteps, I knew it was you." Xia Yao closed the sketchbook, put it back in her cloth bag, placed it in the guardhouse next to her, greeted the guard lady, and jogged out, her high ponytail swinging back and forth, her chest trembling slightly, and said in a clear voice, "Let's go."

"Mm." Zhou Yan looked away and jogged alongside her along the riverbank.

"You must be tired these past few days? You've even lost weight," Xia Yao said softly.

"Really? That shows that staying up late really does make you look haggard." Zhou Yan smiled upon hearing this. "I went straight to bed when I got back last night. I slept for eight hours, so I'm still quite energetic today."

"Yes, you need to rest more." Xia Yao nodded, then looked at Zhou Yan and said, "By the way, will you be coming to the textile factory's New Year's Day cultural performance next Tuesday? Our office needs to put on two performances, and I've signed up."

"The New Year's Day performance? If you're going to participate, I'll climb over the wall to watch it." Zhou Yan nodded.

Xia Yao smiled upon hearing this and quickly said, "You're not allowed to climb the wall. I'll ask my uncle tomorrow to see if you and Momo can go to the show together. There should be seats for family members."

"Family members? Sure." Zhou Yan smiled.

Xia Yao pursed her lips, a blush rising on her cheeks, whether from running or something else, it was unclear.

What kind of performance are you signing up for?

"solo."

"That's amazing? I thought it was a group performance." Zhou Yan was somewhat surprised.

"All the ladies in the office signed up for the choir, but we were still missing one performance. The director asked me at the last minute if I could fill in, and I agreed." Xia Yao's face showed a little pride: "Actually, I'm the arts and culture representative of our class, so performing arts isn't that difficult."

"Awesome." Zhou Yan gave a thumbs up, his karaoke king was no less impressive.

The textile factory's New Year's Day cultural performance is a major annual event. During the Spring Festival, when everyone goes home for the holidays, it's not as lively.

“I’m preparing to take the Level 3 chef exam, but I don’t have enough years of work experience. This afternoon I took the materials to Jiaozhou to see if I could apply for an exception.”

Xia Yao's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "That's great! I heard that chef's certificates are quite valuable. The head chef of our school cafeteria is a Level 3 Special Chef. Our teacher mentioned in class that he enjoys the same treatment as an associate professor, with the same salary and benefits."

“Yes, state-owned enterprises still recognize it very much. Although I’m self-employed, if I can get a high-level certificate, having that title is a good thing.” Zhou Yan nodded.

"You're so smart, you'll definitely pass!" Xia Yao said, clenching her fist in a soft voice.

Zhou Yan's lips curled up slightly, and he immediately felt full of energy.

The two ran a long circle along the riverbank, and it was already dark when they returned to their dormitory building.

“Well…” Zhou Yan looked at Xia Yao and prepared to say goodbye.

Xia Yao took a step forward, looked up at him with a smile, and said, "I've noticed that you look quite good from this angle. Could you stand up next time so I can draw one of you?"

Zhou Yan looked down at her, and saw that she was beautiful even in this state. He smiled and said, "Okay, you decide the time."

"Goodnight!" Their eyes met, she blushed, and turned to run away.

Zhou Yan watched her take the cloth bag from the security room and go upstairs. A little while later, the light in the dormitory on the third floor came on, and he turned around and went back to the restaurant.

Back at the hotel, Zhou Yan first boiled water. Today was a day off, so there would be no extra training.

He pulled out a book from behind the counter, sat down and started reading it attentively. He had a notebook next to him, and he would write down any difficult terms or points of knowledge he encountered, planning to ask his master about them later.

Every college student who can get into a public second-tier university is a genius in their own small town; they certainly have the ability to learn.

Not long after, Aunt Zhao and the others returned.

"Guoguo~~ What are you doing?" Zhou Momo ran over, tiptoeing and asking curiously, "Are you secretly studying hard?"

“Yes, I’ll secretly work hard and try to compete with you in the literacy class.” Zhou Yan nodded.

"No! You can't do that!" Zhou Momo shook her head, her voice still childish. "My mom and I are enough for the literacy class. You can't come. You're not illiterate, you know~~"

“Exactly, if you come again, I’ll be completely humiliated,” Aunt Zhao nodded in agreement.

"Exam Preparation Outline for Chef (Chef) Professional Skills Examination" Old Zhou stepped forward and glanced at the book next to Zhou Yan, somewhat surprised: "You're going to take the chef's certificate exam?"

Aunt Zhao looked over upon hearing this.

“Yes, I’ll go see my grandmaster at noon today to see if I can be admitted through special admission. If I can get admitted, I’ll take the exam. If not, I’ll have to wait until I have eight years of work experience before I can take the exam.” Zhou Yan nodded. “If I can get an advanced certificate, I can say that I am a master of Sichuan cuisine. When I open a restaurant in Jiaozhou in the future, it will be a good reputation.”

"That makes sense," Comrade Zhou nodded.

"Do you... understand it?" Aunt Zhao asked carefully. Zhou Yan had never passed any subject when he was in school.

He dropped out of school because he couldn't study and started working with his father to slaughter cattle. Later, he became an apprentice of Xiao Lei and became a chef.

“I can recognize all the characters,” Zhou Yan nodded.

"Yes, you should take the test first. If you pass, it's your skill; if you don't, it's not a big deal. Anyway, we need a certificate to run a business," Aunt Zhao said with a smile.

"There's hot water in the pot, why don't you soak your feet first and do your homework while you soak? I'm going to take a shower." Zhou Yan put down his pen, got up and walked towards the kitchen.

"I'll go pour out the foot bath water." Comrade Zhou followed him into the kitchen.

Zhou Yan took a quick shower, poured a bucket of hot water to soak his feet, and continued reading.

Zhou Momo and Aunt Zhao were doing their homework nearby, while Old Zhou was reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms in his recliner, creating a warm and comforting scene.

"Tieying, you've misspelled this character again!"

"The teacher said, if you write it wrong, you have to rewrite it ten times!"

Soon, Zhou Momo's childish voice broke the warm atmosphere.

Zhou Yan silently turned away, avoiding eye contact.

Comrade Zhou slowly moved the book in his hand upwards, covering his face, and he too dared not breathe loudly.

Aunt Zhao's attitude towards learning was quite good; she copied it ten times as asked without haggling.

After finishing writing, Zhou Yan glanced at the characters as he passed by. The characters, which originally looked like earthworms crawling around, have now been able to stay stably in the grid after two weeks of supervision and teaching by Teacher Zhou.

I'm currently learning simple Chinese characters, and while my handwriting isn't exactly beautiful, it has definitely become much neater.

In addition to what the teacher taught, Aunt Zhao has recently been practicing the shop's menu, and her progress is obvious.

This can be seen from the daily menus delivered to the kitchen, which have evolved from simple pictographs into written characters, an irrefutable proof of human civilization's progress.

In order to keep up with the pace of the restaurant's development, his mother, who had been illiterate for forty years, was determined to eradicate illiteracy, so what reason did he have to back down?
Aunt Zhao put the homework back in her schoolbag, picked up Zhou Momo and said, "Teacher Zhou, I'll wash your face tomorrow, okay? I can't bother Yao Yao every day."

"Ah? No, no!" Zhou Momo shook her head, looking at Zhou Yan for help: "Brother~~ when are you going to marry Sister Yaoyao? If she's my sister-in-law, wouldn't that be such a hassle~~"

“That makes sense.” Aunt Zhao smiled upon hearing this.

"Mom, you can wash her tomorrow, and I'll wring out the towel for you," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Brother~~ You can't be a traitor~" Zhou Momo reached out her hands and was carried away.

Zhou Yan folded a simple bookmark out of a piece of paper, placed it where he had just seen it, closed the book, counted the day's sales, and wrote down the accounts.

Today's turnover broke through the 750 mark for the first time, reaching 752.4 yuan, and the profit was close to 400 yuan.

Ah Wei's arrival significantly improved food preparation efficiency, leading to a higher table turnover rate. Some customers who previously disliked queuing were now willing to wait a little longer.

Of course, this is also related to the braised pork intestines and blood curd dish that was launched in the last two days.

For just one yuan, you can enjoy delicious braised pork intestines and hearty blood curd, which has successfully attracted some customers to the store.

Every time a new dish is launched, there is a small peak in sales that lasts for several days.

This is due to regular customers coming to the restaurant to try it out after hearing about it; it's a normal fluctuation.

This is also why Zhou Yan keeps launching new dishes.

No matter how delicious the food is, you'll get tired of it if you eat it too often.

Introducing new dishes is like changing the flavor, which can keep customers interested and lead to a good repeat purchase rate.

Zhou Yan carried the money box upstairs to sleep.

……

The next morning, Zhou Hongwei arrived, riding his bicycle and carrying a satchel. He greeted Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou with a smile as he entered the store.

"Hongwei, you're here." Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen and beckoned him over: "Come on, the braised meat is freshly made, why don't you try it out?"

"So direct?" Zhou Hongwei was taken aback.

"Are you treating us to a meal? Do we have to be so polite first?" Zhou Yan pouted.

“Okay!” Zhou Hongwei nodded quickly, took out his own kitchen knife from his bag, washed the knife as Zhou Yan asked, scalded it with boiling water, and then came to the cutting board.

On the cutting board was a piece of pork head meat weighing about three ounces, its shape irregular, or rather, somewhat hastily made.

Kong Liwei came closer, his eyes full of curiosity.

Zhou Yan said, "Go ahead and cut it. If you only have this one piece of pig's head left, how do you plan to cut it to the customer's satisfaction?"

Zhou Hongwei thought for a moment, then picked up the cleaver and began to chop.

His hand holding the knife was very steady. He sliced ​​thin, even pieces at an angle, constantly changing the angle, and soon he had cut a piece of pig's head meat.

The cut pork head meat is of similar length and uniform thickness, and it is laid out on the cutting board in a neat and orderly manner.

"Wow, bro! You've been practicing your knife skills for over half a year, haven't you?" Kong Liwei asked, somewhat surprised.

"No, I've only practiced for less than a month." Zhou Hongwei smiled憨厚ly, "My ancestors were butchers, so I have some knife skills."

"To be able to cut like this in a month, that's quite an impressive skill level." Kong Liwei couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "Why are so many monsters coming out of Zhoucun these days?"
Zhou Hongwei looked at Zhou Yan with some nervousness: "Zhou Yan, how is it?"

“Sure, that’s enough to sell braised meat.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. “How about I give you five catties of pig’s head meat to try selling first?”

"Okay!" Zhou Hongwei nodded, put down the cleaver, took out a ten-yuan note from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Yan, "Here, cash!"

"You seem to know your stuff." Zhou Yan smiled as he took the money, then picked out a few pieces of good-looking pig's head meat from a winnowing basket and put them into the basket that Zhou Hongwei had brought. The basket was lined with a new gauze.

"Will you sell it?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at Zhou Hongwei's beaming face.

"We'll just shout out our wares," Zhou Hongwei said confidently, picking up his basket and preparing to leave.

Zhou Yan stopped him: "Don't rush off. Shout out a couple of times first and let me hear if it sounds right."

With an initial investment of ten yuan, if Zhou Hongwei can't sell his pig's head meat today, he'll have to save that money for almost half a month, and he probably won't have any money to buy more tomorrow.

Zhou Hongwei cleared his throat and said, "Pig...pig...braised pig's head meat, come and buy!"

After shouting, Zhou Hongwei's face turned red, and he looked embarrassed.

“Pig… Silly little pig~~” Zhou Momo imitated.

The kitchen was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.

“When you’re out selling yourself, why are you afraid of being embarrassed? That won’t do.” Zhou Yan laughed as well. “Also, your tone was off. Do you even know them? You came up here and started ordering them to come and buy. How far away would they run?”

"Then teach me!" Zhou Hongwei asked humbly.

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, "Come on! Pig's head meat braised in thirty-year-old brine! It smells so good it's almost intoxicating, perfect with drinks!"

“These are basic sales pitches. If you’ve just arrived in a place and people think 2.5 yuan per pound is too expensive, then you cut off a little bit for them to try. Generally, if they like it, they’re more likely to make a sale.” Zhou Yan continued, “At this point, you shout: ‘Don’t miss out! Free samples, or your money back!’”

Zhou Hongwei nodded repeatedly, searching his entire body, but unfortunately he had neither paper nor pen.

"Hey! Hongwei, here you go!" Zhou Momo ran over and tiptoed to hand him the paper and pen.

"Oh, thank you so much, Momo." Zhou Hongwei took the paper and wrote down Zhou Yan's two sentences in a crooked hand, as if he had found a treasure.

"Isn't it a bit too extravagant to bring braised pig's head meat that costs 2.5 yuan per pound for tasting?" He looked up at Zhou Yan, his face showing hesitation.

His profit actually comes from the fifth pound of braised pig's head meat; if he tries too much, there will be no profit left.

“You need to build a reputation first, let customers know that your braised pig's head is delicious. You earn 2.5 yuan for five catties of braised pig's head, but once you've made a name for yourself, you can sell ten catties a day and earn 5 yuan. Selling twenty catties will earn you 10 yuan.” Zhou Yan explained to him, “If you can sell the other four catties after trying one catty of braised pig's head, then you won't have worked for nothing today. Tomorrow, when you go to the same place to sell, you won't need to deliver anymore.”

Zhou Hongwei nodded thoughtfully, "I understand."

"Where are you planning to sell it?" Zhou Yan asked again.

Zhou Hongwei said, "I plan to go to each village one by one to sell."

“That won’t work. The villagers don’t have that much purchasing power. Even if you give away a pound of beef, you might not be able to sell more than three ounces. If you don’t sell it all by evening, all this braised pig’s head meat will just be stuck in your hands.” Zhou Yan shook his head, thought for a moment and said, “Go directly to Shuikou Town now. It’s closer. Today is market day. Find a place with a lot of foot traffic and start hawking your wares. If business is good, you can sell there regularly from now on.”

“Okay! I’ll head out to Shuikou Town.” Zhou Hongwei nodded and left with the pig’s head meat.

"Hongwei has never done business before, can he handle it?" Aunt Zhao was a little worried.

"As long as he's willing to speak up and finds the right spot, it shouldn't be a big problem," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "If you want to make money by setting up a stall, you have to be willing to go all out."

If Zhou Yan could endure the hardships of being a porter, he felt that Zhou Hongwei should be fine.

Around 5 p.m., Zhou Yan and his colleagues had just finished their lunch and were getting ready to start work when Zhou Hongwei parked his car and rushed in excitedly, grabbing Zhou Yan and saying, "Sold out! Zhou Yan, I sold out of braised pig's head! What you told me really worked!"

Zhou Yan laughed: "Well, you're pretty good, aren't you? You sold out in Shuikou?"

“Yes, it’s right at the street intersection where the market is in Shuikou.” Zhou Hongwei nodded.

"Did you send a lot?" Zhou Yan asked again.

Zhou Hongwei said with a smile, "Anyway, we collected 11.2 yuan in total and let them try about half a jin. The customers who tried it all said it was good. They wanted to buy two liang of this and three liang of this. It sold out quite quickly. They all said it would be nice to take it home and have it with their drinks."

"So how many kilograms of pig's head meat are you planning to have tomorrow?" Zhou Yan asked.

Zhou Hongwei thought for a moment and said, "I want seven jin tomorrow. I think adding two jin would be more reliable. I can sell them all and go home before dark."

“Okay, let’s take it easy and gradually increase the quantity. I’ll prepare your seven catties of braised pig’s head tomorrow. You can come and pick it up at ten o’clock.”

"Yes, I will!" Zhou Hongwei replied, and left happily.

Zhou Yan watched his proud back and a smile appeared on his lips.

Sixth Master's biggest worry was his grandson Zhou Hongwei. He was so young and already working as a porter at the docks. He was afraid that Zhou Hongwei wouldn't be able to find a wife in the future, and that he would get sick from being unable to work when he got older.

Now things are much better; he's started his own business.

Today was my first day, and I earned 1.2 yuan, which was much easier than carrying cement and hauling river sand on the construction site.

Moreover, as long as he persists and sets up a stall in Hekou Town, building a good reputation, he will definitely be able to earn more in the future.

Now Zhou Jie and his friends can sell 30 jin of braised pig's head meat and 5 jin of braised beef a day. They earn an extra 20 yuan a day from selling braised meat, which makes their two sisters-in-law very happy.

After closing for the evening, Zhou Yan and Kong Liwei carefully carried the two pots of braising liquid out of the kitchen and placed them behind the counter. Not satisfied with just covering them with lids, they covered them with an oilcloth and weighed them down with wooden boards to ensure they were safe.

Zhou Yan had been using these two pots of old brine for two months, braising so many pig heads every day with great care. The quality was even comparable to the old brine that the old lady had kept at home.

The old lady's brine is very old, but she only uses it to make brine once a year, during festivals.

Zhou Yan uses these two pots of braising liquid every day, selecting only the highest quality pig heads. The braising liquid becomes more mellow and fragrant the longer it's used.

The last time the old lady came to the shop, she praised him for doing a good job.

The most valuable thing in this shop is these two pots of old braising liquid, which accounts for nearly half of the restaurant's daily revenue.

"Ouch...it's so heavy!" Kong Liwei exclaimed, shaking his hands.

"Awei, you're too weak, you need to exercise more." Zhou Yan glanced at him.

All the seasonings and cooking oils in the kitchen were moved to the second floor; anything related to food was moved away.

Cover the pot with a lid, then cover it tightly with an oiled cloth.

Master Zhang and his apprentice arrived and started chiseling from the old kitchen side. They first chiseled out the edge, and then swung their sledgehammers and began smashing away.

It took more than an hour to break open both doorways. A crossbeam reinforced with steel bars was added to the door frame and embedded in the bricks to ensure its structural strength.

Comrade Zhou knocked out the broken red bricks one by one, and put the usable ones outside against the wall, while the broken bricks were taken outside to fill the potholes in the road.

Master Zhang and his apprentice began repairing the doorway, using cement to cover up the messy opening.

Once the bricks and ash on the ground were cleaned up, the doorway was almost repaired.

The doorway connects the two kitchens without a separate door, facilitating easy communication. Food can be served directly from the kitchen door to the adjacent store, making the workflow very efficient.

The doorway in the hall is 1.5 meters wide and is supported by an extra-thick beam, connecting the two shops for easy access.

Ah Wei didn't rush to leave work today. He stayed busy until everything was finished, getting covered in dust. He squeezed through the doorway and went to the kitchen, grinning as he said, "Great! We added eleven tables, so we can seat dozens more guests! This kitchen is also great. Chef Zhou, can I have this stove now?"

[Ding! Detected that Zhou Erwa's restaurant has doubled in size! The player's pioneering spirit deserves encouragement, triggering an extra reward!]

A familiar voice echoed in Zhou Yan's mind.

　There's no extra update today. First, let me report to all shareholders on the update schedule for the next few days. I'm flying to Hangzhou on the 6th for a training course, which will take a week. It's difficult for me to write while traveling, so I need to save some drafts to maintain updates. Therefore, there will be two updates of 6,000 words each day for the next few days. After the event ends on the 12th, I will resume the increased update frequency.

　　Since starting this book, I've rarely gone out to maintain a consistent update schedule, so I really can't cancel this event. I apologize in advance. I'll resume updating intensively when I return in the second half of the month.

　　And I'll shamelessly ask for your monthly votes again~~ Thanks!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)