1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 36 The Old Lady's Great Wisdom

"Uncle, I will definitely study hard!" Zhou Lihui said solemnly, his eyes shining with an unprecedented enthusiasm for learning.

Zhou Fei and Zhao Hong smiled with relief.

They all thought Zhou Yan's dishes were incredibly delicious. Huihui is learning from him, and he'll definitely do well in the future.

Whether you help out at a restaurant or open your own restaurant in the future, there's always a path you can take.

Zhou Yan opened the package that Ma Xingye had given him. Inside were two bottles of Tianfu Cola and a pack of White Rabbit milk candy.

He handed one bottle to Zhou Lihui and his brother, and the other to Zhou Momo.

They also gave each of them a handful of White Rabbit milk candies.

"Brother Fei, this is the eighty yuan I borrowed from you when I opened the shop. Since you and your wife are here today, I'm returning this money to you." Zhou Yan took out eight ten-yuan bills that he had prepared beforehand and handed them to Zhou Fei.

Zhou Fei didn't take it, waving his hand and saying, "Zhou Yan, we don't need this money in a hurry. You can take it and use it first. You have many expenses when you run a restaurant."

“That’s right, you can use it for now,” Zhao Hong chimed in.

"Brother Fei, Sister-in-law, I don't like owing people money. I want to pay it back as soon as I have some money in my pocket, otherwise I won't be able to sleep at night." Zhou Yan said with a smile, "Got it? If I really need money in the future, I can come to you to borrow it."

“Okay, then we’ll take it.” Zhao Hong nodded and added, “If you need money, just tell us. We don’t have much, but we can still come up with a few dozen or a hundred yuan.”

Zhou Fei then accepted the money.

“Sure, we’re brothers, I certainly won’t stand on ceremony.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

By the time I finished cleaning up the dishes, it was already dark outside.

Two cars, seven people.

Zhou Yan took a flashlight and drove Zhou Lihui and Zhou Momo back to Zhou Village.

"It's so dark, why don't we just stay home for the night?" Zhao Tieying said, lifting Zhou Momo down from her seat and looking at Zhou Yan.

"The cash box is still in the shop. If it gets stolen by a thief, all our work these past few days will be for nothing," Zhou Yan said with a smile, reaching out to pat Zhou Momo's head. "Tomorrow, your brother will take you to Grandma's. Is there anything you want to eat?"

Zhou Momo shook her head and took out a White Rabbit milk candy from her pocket: "I have a big bunny now."

"No more buying candy." Zhao Tieying glared at him. "You need to be careful with your money. Don't spend it recklessly. You still need to get married in the future."

“That’s right, your mother is right.” Old Zhou echoed his wife’s sentiments.

"I understand." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, then asked, "Besides fish, what else should I bring Grandma tomorrow?"

“Your grandma loves to drink. Why don’t you go to Old Zhang’s place at the bridgehead and get her some liquor? She’ll be happy,” Zhao Tieying said. “Get her the kind that costs eight mao a jin; that’s what she likes to drink.”

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded and rode away on his bike.

"This kid's not bad, he's already paying back the money, he knows what he's doing," Zhou Miao said with a smile as he watched the flashlight beam disappear into the alley.

“If this business continues, we can pay it off in about a month, and we won’t have to worry about it anymore,” Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

"Is business good today?"

"You wouldn't believe it, a group of college students came today, all of them Xia Yao's classmates, thirty of them, and they only spent two yuan on food..."

……

“Just let Huihui learn cooking from Zhou Yan. It’s a skill anyway. He’s not interested in butchering cows with you.”

“Okay, Zhou Yan can keep him in check.”

Zhao Hong and Zhou Fei were also discussing their son learning to cook.

"So, does this count as him becoming an apprentice? What do you need to buy for that? Zhou Yan is very polite, we can't be impolite." Zhao Hong looked at Zhou Fei and said, "When you slaughter the cow tomorrow morning, ask your father what to do."

"Have it."

……

After returning home, Zhou Yan went swimming, took a shower at the shop, and wrote down the bill.

Today we sold 160 bowls of noodles and 100 bowls of braised beef, with a turnover of 156 yuan.

The faculty and students of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute contributed nearly 60 yuan, demonstrating their strong purchasing power.

After deducting the money he spent on groceries, rice candy, and the 80 yuan he returned to Zhou Fei, he had 161.24 yuan left.

He plans to visit his grandmother tomorrow and pay back the 100 yuan he borrowed from his fifth uncle. He will have a few dozen yuan on hand to cover his expenses.

He took Zhou Fei's IOU out of the cash box and placed it separately in the cardboard box on the floor by the bed. When the last IOU was thrown in, it would mean that his debt was settled.

He really liked this feeling.

He stuffed the money box back under the bed.

Turn off the lights, lie down, and glance at your control panel before going to sleep.

[Player: Zhou Yan] [Occupation: Chef]

[Wealth Points: -298.52]

[Professional Skills]:
Knife skills (advanced): 600/100000 (The tattoo artist closed his eyes—he's showing off his skills!)

Cooking level (intermediate): 3468/10000 (I don't take the subway in the morning—it's too crowded).
Seasoning (Intermediate): 3695/10000 (Your QQ Farm is ringing – the crops have died)

Eloquence (Advanced): 88889/100000 (Zhuge Liang's debate with the Confucian scholars - exceptional eloquence)
[Mastering the Dishes]:
Double Pepper Beef Noodles (Premium): 99999/100000
Braised Beef Noodles (Premium): 99999/100000
Braised Pork Ribs Noodles (Premium): 99999/100000
Pickled Cabbage (Premium): 99999/100000
Braised Beef with Pork Belly (Premium): 99999/100000
Steamed Rice in a Steamed Pot (Premium): 99999/100000
Braised Crucian Carp with Patchouli (Premium): 99999/100000
Cucumber Salad (Intermediate): 1871/10000
……

Special Skill: Food Identification (Master): 999999/1000000 (Cannot be upgraded)
Main Quest: Dominate the Textile Factory: Quest Progress: 462/1000

Side Quest: The Legacy of Braised Beef with Pork Knuckles. Quest Progress: Incomplete.

[Wealth Mall]: Unlocked when wealth value reaches 1000.

……

The wealth value is rapidly approaching a positive trend, the knife skills have been successfully upgraded to advanced, and the heat control and seasoning data have shown significant improvement.

but……

Has the rating system been updated?
That little mouth of hers is really sharp.

Wealth value is directly linked to turnover, and spending the money earned does not affect wealth value; it is definitely an independent entity.

This made Zhou Yan start to look forward to the Wealth Mall.

It's like earning one sum of money and being able to spend it twice; it feels like accumulating points.

Zhou Yan turned off the system panel and fell asleep instantly.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Master Zhou set off...

"Eh?"

"I'm not going to work today!"

Zhou Yan stood at the restaurant entrance, looking a little disheveled.

Accustomed to the work-rest schedule of cattle and horses, he actually got up very early even on his day off.

After pushing the bike back, Zhou Yan went out and ran around the textile factory. He came back sweaty, took a shower, and by then it was already bright outside. Only then did he ride his bike out to catch his next business.

Today is October 27th, time to go to the riverbank.

Cycling along the Qingyi River, the autumn breeze is slightly cool, and you can see vendors carrying loads on their shoulders or riding old-fashioned bicycles loaded with goods to the market.

When passing by the bridge, Zhou Yan bought two jin of liquor.

After riding for a while, the streets gradually became more crowded, with stalls lining both sides.

At the barber's stall, customers lay on bamboo chairs, enamel basins filled with steaming soapy water, and razors slid across their faces, their eyes half-closed in blissful enjoyment.

Bamboo weavers patted their newly made bamboo baskets, haggling with customers; ironware stalls were filled with hoes and machetes, and all sorts of shouts filled the air.

"Selling yams, selling yams! Stewed chicken, stewed duck, stewed pig's feet! Nourishing the liver, kidneys, and brain! Kids who eat them will get into college! Old people who eat them will ride motorcycles!"

"This knife of mine can chop ducks, chop bamboo, chop thieves. Go up the mountain with just this knife, and the whole mountain will be scorched!"

"Rat poison, rat poison, I'm not afraid of having many rats, I'm afraid of having no rats at all. Rats die quickly, and if many rats die, you'll die on the spot if a rat walks by. In 1 minute and 6 seconds, even the King of Hell can't save you..."

"Red tangerines, red tangerines, big and sweet red tangerines, they're so sweet they go down your throat, sweet to your belly button, and refreshing to the soles of your feet!"

……

Zhou Yan pushed his bike around for a while, and when he came out, he had two large crucian carp, a pork rib, three pounds of red tangerines (which cost three cents a pound), and some side dishes on the handlebars. He then got on the bike and rode towards Zhoucun.

The Zhou family has five brothers. As soon as they get married, they immediately separate their households. The old lady doesn't allow everyone to build their houses too close together, saying that distance breeds intimacy, while closeness breeds resentment, and relying on each other too much will lead to disharmony if they live together for too long.

Therefore, each family occupies a different location in the village, and they only gather together during festivals.

This practice initially drew criticism in the village, but over the years, the five Zhou brothers have become exceptionally close, their wives have rarely had any conflicts, and the family is very united. No one in Zhou Village dares to provoke them.

Zhou Yan felt that the old lady possessed great wisdom.

Her four daughters-in-law were completely obedient to her and all remembered her kindness.

Zhou Yan went home first, took Zhou Momo with him, and then headed to the end of the village.

The old lady lived in the old house at the end of the village. Her fifth uncle, who was not yet married, lived with her.

"Brother, this orange is so sweet!" Zhou Momo said, holding half an orange in her hand and turning to look at Zhou Yan. "It's so delicious!"

"I'll give you another one later," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Okay!" Zhou Momo nodded happily.

(End of this chapter)