1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 333 Sister, do you know magic? (6.4k combined)

"A pig-slaughtering feast?"

Xia Yao's face showed curiosity.

"Is the pig-slaughtering feast a kind of outdoor feast?" Lin Zhiqiang also became interested.

Zhou Yan nodded with a smile: "Yes, we'll slaughter a pig tomorrow morning and have a pig-slaughtering feast at noon, which is a traditional banquet, but not as formal and grand as a wedding banquet."

“A simple banquet at the market is fine, there’s no need for such formality and grandeur.” Lin Zhiqiang looked at Meng Anhe and said, “Anhe, shall we go? We can also visit Xiao Zhou’s hometown. I’ve heard so much about Killing Cow Village, but I haven’t been there yet.”

“Sure, since Xiao Zhou has invited us, we definitely have to go and see what a pig-slaughtering feast is like.” Meng Anhe nodded.

Zhou Yan looked at Xia Yao: "Xia Yao, what about you?"

"I want to go." Xia Yao nodded with a smile. "I've never actually seen a pig being slaughtered before. What time are you going to Zhoucun tomorrow morning?"

“This pork doesn’t need to be sold, so there’s no need to rush. We’ll leave at eight o’clock tomorrow morning, and I’ll pick you up,” Zhou Yan said.

"Okay!" Xia Yao nodded.

“Then let’s set off at eight o’clock. I haven’t seen a pig slaughtering scene for many years. When I was young, my family slaughtered the New Year’s pig, and I was a master at handling the pig. I’ll go and help tomorrow.” Lin Zhiqiang was eager to try.

"Old Lin, you'd better calm down. I'm afraid you'll get kicked by a pig," Meng Anhe couldn't help but laugh.

"Slaughtering pigs! I want to go slaughter pigs too!"

"My classmate said the pig-slaughtering feast is delicious!"

Lin Bingwen and Lin Jingxing were thrilled to hear this; such occasions were incredibly appealing to city kids.

And that's how the matter was settled.

"By the way, Zhou Yan, our factory is holding a cultural performance next Tuesday. I got four tickets for you. Do you and your parents want to go?" Lin Zhiqiang took out four stamped tickets from his bag and asked Zhou Yan.

"That's great, thank you Uncle Lin." Zhou Yan smiled as he accepted the tickets.

Lin Zhiqiang said, "You're practically an employee of our textile factory. The factory manager approved the pass, so just take the pass to the factory's cultural auditorium."

"Okay." Zhou Yan put the ticket away.

Zhao Tieying also said happily, "The textile factory's cultural performance is very enjoyable, and there's even a model show. The performance is quite good, so we'll definitely come."

While everyone was chatting, Zhou Yan went back to the kitchen to make ramen.

Xia Yao washed Zhou Momo's face first, and then braided her hair after breakfast.

The little guy pulled a watermelon candy from his pocket and handed it to Xia Yao: "Sister Yao Yao, thank you for helping me wash my face and tie my hair. Here, have this candy. From now on, the money my brother earns will be yours to spend~~"

Xia Yao took the candy, a smile playing on her lips, and said softly, "Why did you give me your brother's money in advance? Does your brother know?"

Zhou Momo said in a childish voice, "My boyfriend said that what's mine is his, and what's his is mine. I don't have any money right now, so his money is my money. If I say I'll give it to you, then I'll give it to you."

“I don’t need to spend his money, I can earn money for myself.” Xia Yao unwrapped the candy and fed it to her mouth, then smiled and patted her head, saying, “But I really like the watermelon hard candy that Momo gave me, it tastes like summer.”

"Right! I love eating it too~~"

Xia Yao taught Zhou Momo a new poem before going to work.

After the first wave of students finished their morning rush hour, there was a ten-minute break. Awei was already able to take on the task of cooking and seasoning the noodles, and Zhou Yan only needed to pull the noodles properly, so her workload was decreasing.

Zhou Yan brought out a bowl of noodles from the kitchen and saw a girl standing at the door. She was of medium height, had short hair, carried a large cloth bag on her back, and was looking up at the signboard.

"Comrade Zeng Anrong?" Zhou Yan served the noodles to the customer, walked to the restaurant entrance, and looked at the girl with some surprise, saying, "What brings you here?"

This short-haired girl was none other than Comrade Zeng Anrong, who had volunteered at the Leming training base and was now a chef at the Qingshen Restaurant.

“Teacher Zhou!” Zeng Anrong looked at Zhou Yan upon hearing this, a smile appearing on her face. She quickly took two steps forward and said, “This really is your restaurant. I thought I had come to the wrong place. We closed a day early, so I took the shuttle bus down early this morning to come and interview you.”

Zhou Yan liked the girl's capable and efficient manner, and nodded, "Okay, but I'm quite busy this morning, and it's almost rush hour, so I can't find time to interview you. Why don't you leave your bag on the second floor next door, sit down and rest for a while, and I'll interview you when I'm done with my work?"

"Okay, I'll follow your arrangements." Zeng Anrong nodded and followed Zhou Yan to the second floor next door.

"There are two rooms upstairs that we've partitioned off to use as staff dormitories. This door is very sturdy, and the door frame has been reinforced. If you come, you can stay in this room. We live on the second floor next door, so if anything happens, just shout and we'll hear you," Zhou Yan explained to Zeng Anrong, and then showed her the dormitory room.

The room on the second floor had been aired out for four days, and the walls were completely dry. There was a bed and a simple clothes rack against the wall. The walls were plastered with lime, and there was a window facing the river with curtains hanging on it. The room was arranged in a relatively clean and tidy manner.

"This is great, the dormitory conditions are much better than our cafeteria." Zeng Anrong was pleasantly surprised. She carefully placed her bag on the wooden bed, leaned over to look out the window, and smiled.

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Then come downstairs and sit for a while. You can take a look around our restaurant. We can talk about the interview after the textile factory starts work."

“Okay.” Zeng Anrong nodded.

"Mom, this is Comrade Zeng Anrong, the chef who came to the store for an interview." After coming downstairs, Zhou Yan first introduced Zhao Niangniang and Zeng Anrong to each other.

"This is my mom, the hotel's lobby manager and cashier."

"Hello, Manager," Zeng Anrong said quickly.

"What manager? This kid is just teasing you. My name is Zhao Tieying, just call me Aunt Zhao like they do." Zhao Tieying looked at her and smiled, "Zeng Anrong, what a nice name, and she looks capable and efficient."

Zeng Anrong smiled upon hearing this and looked at Zhao Tieying, saying, "You look so young, not much older than me, so I'll call you Sister Zhao."

"Okay." Zhao Tieying beamed with joy. The way she was addressed as "Sister Zhao" touched her heart. Looking at her, she said, "Anrong, you probably haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Which flavor do you want: pork bun, beef bun, or pickled mustard greens and pork bun?"

"I ate a steamed bun this morning, I'm not hungry, Sister Zhao, you don't need to worry about me," Zeng Anrong said, shaking her head.

“One steamed bun isn’t enough for someone who’s been working. I’ll give you one of each. Try our steamed buns, they taste really good.” Aunt Zhao lifted the lid of the steamer, took a plate, and handed three steamed buns to Zeng Anrong.

“This…” Zeng Anrong hesitated a bit. She had just seen that the buns were 15 cents each, so these three would be 45 cents.

"Eat up, just treat it as a staff meal. We also had steamed buns for breakfast," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

“That’s right, a hot bun will warm you up, and you can work better if you’re full.” Aunt Zhao pulled her to sit down at the table next to her and placed the bun in front of her.

"Okay, then I'll try Teacher Zhou's steamed buns. Thank you, Sister Zhao." Zeng Anrong didn't refuse anymore and smiled as she took a pair of chopsticks.

"Then I'll go get busy in the kitchen," Zhou Yan said, turning and walking towards the kitchen.

Zeng Anrong truly lives up to her reputation as a model worker among waitresses; her affability is remarkable. She can quickly build rapport and create a positive impression on people she's just met with just a few words.

Such talent is highly sought after in the catering industry.

"Sister Zeng is here?!" Kong Liwei was cooking noodles when he saw Zhou Yan come in and asked curiously.

“Yes, the training course has ended. I took the shuttle bus down early this morning.” Zhou Yan nodded.

"They even took the earliest bus! They're so energetic! I bet they got up even earlier than me this morning. It takes about twenty minutes to walk from the training base to where you catch the bus to Suji," Kong Liwei remarked with some emotion.

Zhou Yan thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case.

Zeng Anrong's work ethic is truly impeccable.

Zeng Anrong sat in the shop and looked around. There were four or five customers eating noodles and steamed buns, and business didn't seem to be very good.

She picked up a meat bun and took a bite. Her eyes lit up immediately. Looking down at the bun on her chopsticks, she saw that the skin was thin and the filling was generous. With one bite, half of her mouth was filled with meat. The dough was soft and fluffy, the meat filling was tender and fresh, and the delicious meat juice burst out. The more she chewed, the more fragrant it became.

These pork buns are so delicious!

Zeng Anrong looked incredulous. Their Qingshen Restaurant also made steamed buns, but the pastry chef's skills were indeed not as good as Master Zhou's.

The dough wasn't as soft and fluffy, and the meat filling wasn't as tender and delicious.

The most common pork bun has been transformed into such an exquisitely delicious dish; Chef Zhou's culinary skills are truly astonishing.

I never expected him to be so proficient in Bai An (a type of Chinese dish).

After finishing the pork bun, she ate a bean sprout and pork bun and a beef bun.

Unlike the tender and fresh meat buns, the bean sprout and meat filling is stir-fried in advance. The half-fat and half-lean minced meat is stir-fried to release enough oil, which fully brings out the unique freshness and aroma of the bean sprouts, resulting in a moist and rich taste that is not greasy.

The beef bun is made with chili oil, with a slight numbing spiciness that makes the beef even more flavorful. Paired with chopped celery, it offers a unique and special taste.

Three steamed buns, three different flavors, completely different, yet all extremely delicious.

After finishing her meal, Zeng Anrong looked at the plate and savored the taste for a while. The buns were so well made. From kneading the dough to stir-frying the filling, to the wrapping technique of the twenty-four pleats, and the steaming temperature, everything was quite exquisite.

From a chef's perspective, this skill is truly superb.

She had always been interested in pastry making, but the pastry chef at their Qingshen restaurant was a bit stubborn and unwilling to talk to her much, let alone give her any pointers.

If I could come to Zhou Erwa's restaurant and learn the art of pastry making from Master Zhou, that would be wonderful.

"Aunt Zhao, I want two pork buns and one beef bun!"

"Aunt Zhao, I'd like a bowl of pork rib noodles."

"Wow! This shop has been completely transformed overnight!"

A series of sounds interrupted Zeng Anrong's thoughts. She subconsciously looked up and her eyes widened suddenly.

In no time, twenty or thirty bicycles were parked in front of the restaurant, and workers in textile factory uniforms poured into the restaurant. Some ordered food, while others marveled at the shops next door.

A lively atmosphere immediately envelops you.

Zhao Tieying greeted the guests with ease, answering their questions while picking up their buns. She also wrote down the orders of the noodle customers, noting which table they sat at and what kind of noodles they ordered, quickly writing it down on the order slip.

Li Lihua came out to help serve the steamed buns and also took the order slips into the kitchen.

Zhao Hong then carried bowls of noodles out of the kitchen and served them to the guests.

The sudden morning rush hour was handled in an orderly and efficient manner, which is clearly the case every day.

Zeng Anrong picked up her plate and chopsticks, got up, ate the steamed buns, and decided she couldn't keep occupying a seat.

"Give it to me, you can sit and relax for a while." Zhao Hong smiled as she took the plate from her hand and wiped the spot where she had been sitting with a towel.

Zeng Anrong watched as she wiped the table with three towels in turn. After wiping, the table was not only clean but also free of water stains. This standard was something that their Qingshen Restaurant hadn't even followed, even the year she received the model worker award.

The table is only wiped three times at the end of each workday; this is the final deep cleaning.

Zeng Anrong stood by and watched for a while, then stepped forward and said, "Sister Zhao, let me serve the steamed buns. I know which table number it is."

Zhao Tieying looked at her with some surprise: "Really? You figured it out so easily?"

Zeng Anrong smiled confidently: "Yes, I used to work as a waiter, and later I also did order taking and cashiering. I only switched to the kitchen to become a chef in the middle of my career."

“Okay.” Zhao Tieying handed her the two plates in his hand: “These three buns are for table number eight, and these four buns are for table number twelve. You should be able to recognize what kind of fillings they have.”

Zeng Anrong took the plate and left, placing the steamed buns on the table. She smiled and confirmed with the guest before putting them down.

Zhao Tieying withdrew her gaze, a smile playing on her lips. This woman was indeed extraordinary; she was a hard worker.

Li Lihua brought in a plate and slowly placed it in the corner.

"Aunt Li, aren't you busy outside?" Kong Liwei asked curiously as soon as he put the noodles into the pot.

Li Lihua smiled and said, "Don't rush. Xiao Zeng who came today is so capable. He can serve steamed buns, take orders, and do everything. He is very efficient in his speech and actions. I have a lot of free time. Let's bring the plates in first."

"Huh? Wasn't she here to apply for a chef position?" Kong Liwei exclaimed in surprise.

"You're even working now?" Zhou Yan was also a little surprised when he heard this. He sprinkled some flour on the two handfuls of noodles he had just pulled and peeked into the hall.

The hall was already full of customers. With more seats available today, there were noticeably more customers coming in. Some of the customers who used to queue for steamed buns chose to sit down and eat inside, which significantly improved their dining experience.

Zeng Anrong served the guests with a smile, carrying two plates of steamed buns; her friendliness was truly off the charts.

Some people are like that; they may not be particularly beautiful, but they make you feel comfortable at first glance, and people subconsciously want to get close to them.

This is how Zeng Anrong behaves when receiving guests.

"Sister Zeng is so composed, no wonder she's a model worker." Kong Liwei also peeked out and sighed.

"How much hardship must one endure to earn the honor of being a model worker?" Zhou Yan remarked with some emotion.

By the time the morning business was over, Zeng Anrong and Aunt Zhao had gotten along quite well.

"Xiao Zeng is really capable. He's so organized. Every dish he serves is perfect, and he writes the order details quickly and accurately," Aunt Zhao said to Zhou Yan, who came out of the kitchen.

"Yes, I saw it, and it's indeed very easy for me to do." Zhou Yan nodded.

To be honest, if Zeng Anrong hadn't come to apply for a chef position, Zhou Yan would have really wanted to hire a waitress like her, which would have immediately reduced the pressure on the dining hall by half.

Aunt Zhao only needs to manage the steamer, the hot pot beef stew, and the cashier. She can leave the reception and order taking to Zeng Anrong, who can also help with the waiters.

"I saw the shop was quite busy, and since I had nothing else to do, I helped out a bit," Zeng Anrong said modestly, looking at Zhou Yan: "Teacher Zhou, your steamed buns are so delicious! Three different flavors, all so tasty! Your pastry skills are amazing!"

"My skills in making pasta dishes are actually just average; I can only make pulled noodles and steamed buns," Zhou Yan said.

Zeng Anrong didn't believe it at all. "You're too modest. These buns are the best I've ever had. They're soft, fluffy, and sweet. I also heard several guests praise the noodles for being chewy and smooth."

"You want to learn how to make white dishes?" Zhou Yan asked.

Zeng Anrong hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "I want to learn."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "As long as you come to work, I will teach you how to make steamed buns and ramen."

Zeng Anrong was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, but her eyes immediately lit up. She looked at Zhou Yan with disbelief in her eyes, "You mean, you're willing to teach me?"

The phrase she heard most often in the kitchen over the years was: "Go away, go away, don't stand here."

In small towns, chefs are very careful about their skills, afraid that others will learn them. Some chefs even mix and match seasonings when cooking, afraid that others will know how they use them.

For someone like her, who switched from being a waitress to a chef in the kitchen without any formal training or connections, it's difficult to gain recognition and guidance from other chefs, except for actively participating in various chef training activities and collecting and studying recipes on her own.

Zhou Yan only met him twice, and each time he said he was willing to teach her.

If she hadn't actually learned a lot from Zhou Yan in the training class last weekend, she would definitely have thought Zhou Yan was a fraud.

“Yes.” Zhou Yan nodded. “Of course, the premise is that you can pass the interview and come work at my restaurant.”

"I understand." Zeng Anrong looked at Zhou Yan with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, and asked, "Shall we begin now?"

"Come into the kitchen with me," Zhou Yan said.

Zeng Anrong picked up her handbag hanging to the side and quickly followed Zhou Yan's pace.

She had been busy in the living room for an hour and hadn't even stepped into the kitchen yet, but now her eyes were full of anticipation.

This restaurant in town was completely different from what she had imagined when she arrived.

Larger scale, better business.

They sold 120 bowls of noodles and 500 steamed buns this morning. Their Qingshen Restaurant also sells breakfast, but they can only sell 60 or 70 bowls of noodles and 200 or 300 steamed buns.

In the kitchen, Kong Liwei had just finished tidying up the stove and chopping board when he saw Zeng Anrong enter. He quickly greeted her with a smile, "Sister Zeng! I'm Awei. We met at the training base."

Zeng Anrong smiled and nodded: "Yes, I remember your name is Kong Liwei, Manager Kong's apprentice, and Master Kong's grand-apprentice."

"Amazing! Absolutely right." Kong Liwei gave a thumbs up.

He frequented training classes, and Zeng Anrong was the only female student in this class, so he remembered her well. He could only recall two or three names of the other students.

But Zeng Anrong had never spoken to him before, yet she not only remembered his name, but also knew who his master and advisor were.

This is outrageous! This memory is absolutely absurd.

Zhou Yan picked up a pig's head from the basin and placed it on the cutting board. He looked at Zeng Anrong and said, "I'm going to make braised dishes this morning. This is our restaurant's specialty. Here's a pig's head that's already been dehaired. Now you can debone it. The ears and snout need to be braised at different times, so they need to be removed separately."

“Okay.” Zeng Anrong hung the cloth bag on a nail to the side and took out two knives from the bag: a heavy cleaver and a small boning knife.

After washing the knife with clean water, Zeng Anrong came to the cutting board, her expression immediately becoming serious, and her eyes sharpening.

Zhou Yan and Kong Liwei stood on either side of him, and Old Zhou also walked to the side to watch, but no one said a word.

Zeng Anrong first turned the pig's head around on the cutting board, face down, then pulled out a cleaver and chopped it down from the back of the head.

Click! Click!
The cleaver fell one stroke after another, each cut landing precisely in the same spot, splitting the pig's head in half. There were six cuts in total, not a single one wasted.

Split the pig's head open, first remove the pig's brain and put it in a plate, then use a boning knife to remove the pig's skull along the bone, cut off the two ears, remove the eye rings and nose, take out the tongue, and lay it out on the cutting board.

The series of movements were fluid and efficient; the pig's head was prepared in less than five minutes.

"Is this alright?" Zeng Anrong put down the knife and looked at...
"He has the skills." Comrade Zhou nodded in approval.

"That's amazing! That knife strike was so steady! It split the pig's head open in just six cuts." Kong Liwei exclaimed in amazement.

Zhou Yan looked at the cleanly removed skull and nodded, saying, "Not bad, handled very well and efficiently. Have you done this before?"

Zeng Anrong explained with a smile, "My family has handled pig heads a few times when slaughtering pigs for the New Year. Our restaurant doesn't serve dishes with pig heads. My family often helps with chopping firewood, so they're quite strong."

"That's good." Zhou Yan nodded. Physical strength is a basic requirement for a chef.

Tossing a pot of vegetables weighing over ten kilograms is a basic skill; you can't do this job without some strength.

Then Zhou Yan asked her to cut all the ingredients in the shop according to her requirements.

"Very good, standard." Zhou Yan nodded in satisfaction.

She has a solid foundation; you can tell from her knife-holding posture and the confidence she displays when cutting. She must have practiced a lot.

Zeng Anrong's tense expression relaxed a little, and a smile appeared on her face.

"She seems to be no weaker than me," Kong Liwei muttered to himself, his gaze towards Zeng Anrong now filled with more respect.

Zhou Yan looked at her and asked, "Do you know how to carve fruits and vegetables?"

Zeng Anrong said, "I haven't studied under a master. I just studied at home and figured it out on my own, so my carving isn't very good."

“Give it a try.” Zhou Yan pointed to the ingredients on the shelf. “Choose one and carve the one you think you can carve most realistically.”

“Okay.” Zeng Anrong replied, took a pumpkin down from the shelf, rummaged through her bag and took out a cloth bag, inside which were five or six carving tools.

Compared to Kong Liwei's exquisite carving tools, Zeng Anrong's tools were clearly made by a blacksmith, and the blacksmith's skills were mediocre, resulting in rather rough workmanship. The knife handles were simply held together with bamboo strips and secured with wire.

Peel, cut into pieces, use the main blade for cutting, and with the help of the V-shaped blade, a fish quickly takes shape.

Her movements were quick and steady. As the pumpkin slices fell, the fish scales, fins, and tail gradually took shape, and the lines were quite smooth.

She finished work in less than twenty minutes.

A plump goldfish appeared in her hand, and she looked at Zhou Yan and said, "I'm just showing off."

"No... you learned how to carve fish by yourself at home?" Kong Liwei's mouth was slightly open.

Fish and birds are considered basic skills in fruit and vegetable carving, and he can do them too, but he studied them seriously with the masters at Leming Hotel for five years.

Zeng Anrong had no teacher; she practiced entirely by following magazines and recipes.

He was truly astonished that the carving could reach such a level.

Zhou Yan examined the fish and nodded, saying, "It's quite good. Although you haven't studied it properly, you have a keen eye for detail and the carving is very expressive."

In terms of learning ability, Zeng Anrong is off the charts.

A gluttonous guy came to the Tuesday Wako restaurant!
"Wow! This goldfish is so cute~~" Zhou Momo, who had appeared out of nowhere, stood on tiptoe and looked up at the goldfish in Zeng Anrong's hand, exclaiming, "Sister, do you know magic? How can you dig a goldfish out of a pumpkin? That's amazing!"

"Here, this goldfish is for you." Zeng Anrong smiled and handed the goldfish in her hand to Zhou Momo.

"Thank you!" Zhou Momo carefully took it with both hands, holding it in her palms and looking at it with shining eyes: "So chubby! So cute~~"

(End of this chapter)