1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 35 I Want to Be a Chef!
The crucian carp with mint was served, and Zhao Tieying's braised eel was also ready.

Zhou Yan stir-fried some greens and served a dish of pickled radishes, and that completed the dinner menu.

I had originally planned to use the leftover toppings for dinner, but they sold out completely, with not a single piece left.

Zhao Tieying took an enamel basin, filled it with rice, and placed it on the table. She then served a bowl of rice to everyone.

"This crucian carp with mint is so delicious! It has a beautiful color and smells wonderful. It looks even better than the ones in state-run restaurants," Zhou Fei exclaimed, looking at the plate of crucian carp with mint.

"It looks good." Zhou Miao nodded and added, "This braised eel looks even better, with a bright color and a fragrant aroma. It's really well-made."

"Stop talking so much, just eat." Zhao Tieying placed a bowl of rice, thick and round, in front of him, her lips curving into a wide smile.

"Okay." Zhou Miao replied with a smile, first pushing some soup aside, then picking up a piece of fish meat from the belly of the crucian carp and giving it to Zhou Momo, saying gently, "Sip it slowly, and spit out any bones."

"Mmm." Zhou Momo nodded, already eagerly picking up her chopsticks and taking a bite.

Tender! Smooth! Delicious!

She pouted her little mouth, sucked out a tiny splinter, spat it out, and immediately shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth, chewing it with great relish.

Zhou Momo started eating fish when she was three years old, and she has a great talent for it.

Of course, Zhao Tieying didn't dare let her eat too much. Each time, she would only eat a little bit of the meat with fewer fish bones on her belly, just to taste it.

"Crucian carp has many small bones, Fanwa. You're not good with food, so just eat the eel your fourth aunt cooked." Zhao Hong put a piece of eel on Fanwa's plate.

"I'm not that stupid..." Fanwa said, feeling a little aggrieved, but he still enjoyed eating the eel. He had choked on fish before and was afraid to eat it in the first place.

Zhao Tieying first picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks. The thick broth coated the fish, and after it entered her mouth, the spicy and savory flavor melted in her mouth, with the aroma of agastache being very prominent.

The fish was pan-fried beforehand, but not overcooked. The skin was slightly charred, making it more fragrant, while the flesh remained tender and smooth.

It also has a slightly spicy pickled pepper flavor!

good to eat!

It tastes so much better than the crucian carp with mint she used to make; it's like a completely different dish.

Moreover, it goes perfectly with rice.

Zhao Tieying ate three mouthfuls of rice in a row, feeling quite satisfied.

"This tastes just right! It's much better than the braised carp you made last time," Zhao Tieying said to Zhou Yan.

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yan immediately remembered the braised carp that Comrade Xiao Zhou had made last time. It was terrible; the muddy taste was completely unmasked. The fact that it was all eaten was entirely due to the scarcity of resources and the reluctance to waste food.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Miao couldn't wait to pick up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth.

One bite and everyone was stunned.

This looks so delicious!
The fish is smooth and tender, soaked in the broth, with the aroma of mint taking the lead. The sour, spicy, and fresh flavors dance on the tip of the tongue, it's so delicious.

He shoveled down two mouthfuls of rice.

He looked up at Zhou Yan and said, "Take two fish to your grandma tomorrow. She loves fish, and she'll definitely love this crucian carp with mint flavor that you made."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded. That was a good idea.

Zhou Yan tasted a piece of the crucian carp with mint, and his eyes lit up as well.

This dish is not uncommon in Sichuan restaurants, but he had never encountered one where the fish meat and the flavor of the sauce were controlled to this extent.

Amazing, everyone!

He almost blurted out his catchphrase.

So delicious, it goes perfectly with rice!
A crucian carp weighing one pound has more bones than small ones, making it more enjoyable to eat.

Zhou Fei and Zhao Hong also tried the agastache crucian carp and were amazed by its deliciousness, praising it repeatedly.

You shouldn't talk too much when eating fish, as it's easy to get a bone stuck in your throat.

She slurped the fish head clean, and even the broth was mixed with rice and eaten clean by Zhou Momo.

Zhou Miao's plan to pack the soup broth to take home for later use fell through, which was quite a disappointment.

"Let's fish for crucian carp again next time, they're delicious." Zhao Tieying assigned the task to Comrade Zhou. "Okay, next time I'll catch even bigger ones." Comrade Zhou's savings swelled, his back straightened, and he was full of confidence.

"Uncle, you're amazing! The fish you made is the best I've ever eaten." Zhou Lihui looked at Zhou Yan with eyes full of admiration. "I want to learn how to cook from you."

"what?"

The hall fell silent immediately.

Zhao Hong, who was clearing the dishes, paused and looked at Zhou Lihui in surprise: "What did you say? Aren't you going to study anymore?"

“Yeah, he’s only in the third year of junior high.” Zhou Fei also stared at him.

Zhou Lihui scratched his head and whispered, "Anyway, I can't study football. I always rank third from the bottom in every exam. I don't want to learn how to slaughter cattle. I like cooking. I want to follow my uncle and become a chef to cook for everyone."

Zhou Yan looked at the boy, not daring to respond.

In this era, studying is definitely the best way out.

But Zhou Lihui consistently ranked third from the bottom, proving he was simply not cut out for academics.

The restaurant business is getting better and better, and next we need to cook braised dishes and stir-fries. There's too much work in the kitchen, and he definitely can't handle it all by himself.

Taking Huihui as an apprentice is something worth considering.

This kid takes after his father; he's down-to-earth, hardworking, and observant.

Moreover, he was physically strong, having inherited the sturdiness of the Zhou family, making him a natural-born butcher and cook.

But this was a huge matter, concerning a child's future, so he dared not interfere.

Zhao Hong and Zhou Fei exchanged a glance and then fell silent.

They certainly know best what level of education Zhou Lihui has.

This kid isn't a brat; he's good at everything from catching fish and eels to climbing trees and stealing bird eggs. He just can't study, always ranking third from the bottom. The two kids behind him are the real brats.

He never caused trouble at school, and over the years, the teachers never bothered them. He even received awards many times for helping his classmates.

He definitely wouldn't be able to get into high school. Their plan was for him to learn a trade by working with his father to slaughter cattle after graduating from junior high.

He's physically strong and learns quickly; after a few years of learning, he'll be able to earn a living.

"Fourth Uncle, what do you think about this?" Zhou Fei looked at Zhou Miao, seeking the elder's opinion.

When Zhou Yan didn't learn how to slaughter cattle, he went to work as a cook apprentice in the factory canteen, which his uncles didn't quite understand.

Zhou Miao looked at Zhou Yan, "Zhou Yan, you're the chef, you speak."

Everyone looked at Zhou Yan.

"Huihui, is this just a spur-of-the-moment decision, or have you really thought it through and decided to learn to cook and become a chef?" Zhou Yan looked into Zhou Lihui's eyes with a serious expression.

Zhou Lihui unconsciously straightened up and said with a serious expression, "I only thought about becoming a chef today, but I've thought it through. I don't want to slaughter cows. I want to be a chef. Slaughtering cows is the same every day. Being a chef means being able to see customers eating the food I make, and that would be very satisfying."

"Zhou Yan, do you think he can do it..." Zhou Fei hesitated before speaking.

Zhou Yan's restaurant business is booming. Zhao Hong told him that he earns more than he does from slaughtering cattle.

If Zhou Lihui could learn cooking from Zhou Yan, it would be a valuable skill, and he would have a brighter future.

Throughout history, no cook has ever starved to death.

But Da Wa suddenly brought this up today, and they were completely unprepared. They were afraid that Zhou Yan would misunderstand and think that they were jealous of his good business and the money he made, and that he was instigating Hui Hui to learn cooking from him.

"It's alright. My initial thought was the same as his. I didn't want to slaughter cattle; I just wanted to be a chef." Zhou Yan waved his hand with a smile, just as he had been waiting for.

He looked at Zhou Lihui and said, "Well then, starting next week, you'll come to the restaurant with your mom every morning and learn to cook with me for two hours. Then you'll go to school at 7:30. You can experience it for a while and see if it's what you imagined. If you can stick with it, you can learn to cook with me after you graduate from junior high school."

"Okay! Thank you, Uncle." Zhou Lihui's eyes lit up, and he grinned.

"However, I have one requirement for you. I don't care about your other subjects, but for the next six months or so, you need to learn to recognize all the characters and master the most basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division." Zhou Yan's smile faded, and his expression turned serious.
"My kitchen is off-limits to illiterate people."

"If you can't even understand the names of seasonings, and you can't even calculate the bill when you buy groceries, don't even think about becoming my apprentice."

I want to be a master writer!!! I feel anxious if I don't write for a day!
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(End of this chapter)