1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 76 Your Grandma's Here (Please Read On)
Zhou Yan put the noodles in the pot, washed and dried his hands, took out Zhou Momo's painting, opened it, and his eyes widened.

It's clear that the drawing was done with charcoal. It depicts a small courtyard with a little girl with pigtails in it, a cat crouching at her feet, and a goose following behind her.

There was a small, dark handprint in the corner, which was probably Zhou Momo's unique way of signing her name.

Charcoal is not a pen, so the little girl's features are blurry and not particularly beautiful, but upon closer inspection, there is a certain charm in it, which can make people feel the childlike fun.

Zhou Momo is only three and a half years old!
The little one usually likes to pick up a twig and draw in the sand, but no one has ever taught her how to draw.

I never expected someone to have such a talent.

Zhou Yan thought it was wonderful after reading it, full of heartfelt sentiment. She carefully folded it and put it in her pocket, then quickly scooped the noodles out of the pot.

After breakfast, Zhou Yan went upstairs to get the letter she had written the night before, added a note saying that it was a drawing Zhou Momo had made for her, then put it back in the envelope, sealed it with rice, walked to the factory gate, and dropped the letter into the mailbox.

clang.

The letter fell into the empty mailbox with a soft thud.

Zhou Momo followed us over at some point, and asked curiously on tiptoe, "Brother, does Sister Yaoyao live in the tub? Can you hold me so I can see?"

"Look." Zhou Yan smiled and picked her up, letting her peek through the long, narrow gap in the mailbox.

"Sister Yao Yao, turn on the light, I can't see you." Zhou Momo looked for a while, then cupped her little hands into a megaphone and shouted into the mailbox.

This scene amused the security guards standing at the factory gate.

"This is a mailbox, where you put your letters." Zhou Yan smiled and put her down, explaining, "If you put your letter in here, the postman will come and take it, then he'll travel over mountains and valleys to deliver it to Sister Yao Yao, so she can see your letter."

"Does she live in a very, very far place?" Zhou Momo asked, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"Yes, it's quite far now, over 300 kilometers. We need to get to Jiaozhou first, then take a bus to Chongqing. It'll be a bumpy ride, probably taking a whole day," Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

After listening, Zhou Momo thought for a moment, then looked up at him and asked, "When shall we set off?"

"Huh?" Zhou Yan looked at her.

“A day is just a nap away.” Zhou Momo shook his hand and said in a childish voice, “I want to go play with Sister Yaoyao, bro, will you take me?”

“You can’t go right now. Your brother Hao is getting married tomorrow, and you’ll be a flower girl. There’s also a banquet to eat at the banquet. Aren’t you going to eat?” Zhou Yan said, looking at her.

Zhou Momo only thought for a second: "Then let's have the banquet first and then go."

"Okay, next time I have time I'll take you to Jiaozhou for a trip. Shancheng is too far away." Zhou Yan reached out and patted her head, then turned and walked towards the restaurant.

“Okay!” Zhou Momo skipped after him. “I want to eat a popsicle.”

"Then go and talk to Aunt Zhao."

"I...I don't want to eat anymore."

……

The workers gradually returned to work, and the restaurant slowly became busier.

Zhou Lihui is now a very qualified fire starter, able to control the heat of the two noodle pots very steadily, and can also help with the seasoning.

Zhou Yan noticed that his hands were quite steady and he had a precise control over the amount of seasonings. After watching him for a few days, Zhou Yan gradually learned to control the amount as well.

A talent for seasoning is quite important for a chef.

Some salt lords can get their guests to drink two extra bottles of water a day.

Zhou Lihui was greatly encouraged to participate in tasks other than carrying water and starting fires.

Even if it's just adjusting the flavor, at least you've deeply participated in the cooking process of a bowl of noodles.

Zhou Yan looked at him with a smile in his eyes. Huihui had a patience that was rare for a young man, which was very important for learning to cook, a tedious task.

After all, not everyone is like him, perfectly inheriting the foundation that Comrade Xiao Zhou spent two and a half years laying, and becoming a chef without any pain.

At 7:30, Zhou Lihui picked up his schoolbag and went to school.

He's been helping out at the store lately, and although it's mostly physical labor, his enthusiasm for learning has actually increased a lot.

According to Zhao Hong, she memorizes texts in the morning and practices calligraphy at night; she is very diligent.

This left Zhou Yan unsure whether to be happy or worried. If Huihui were to take things seriously and unlock the full potential of his studies, his grades would improve dramatically. He really wouldn't want him to finish junior high school and become an apprentice at the shop.

In this era, being able to study is undoubtedly the most promising path.

When it comes to cooking, it doesn't matter when you start learning.

These days, Zhou Yan is already quite adept at making eighty bowls of noodles every morning. Even if the orders double, he could probably handle it. It's just a pity that the number of noodle-eating workers has reached its limit. Being able to maintain eighty bowls is already quite good, and he is content with that.

A bicycle was parked in front of the restaurant.

An elderly woman got out of the car, carrying a ceramic jar in her arms, and walked into the shop, saying, "Zhou Yan, your grandma is here." Zhou Weiguo parked the car and followed her in. Today, he wasn't wearing his Zhongshan suit; he had changed back into his military uniform, which made him look more energetic.

"Mom? What brings you here?" Aunt Zhao came out carrying noodles and was stunned to see the old lady.

"Grandma?!" Zhou Yan came out of the kitchen as soon as he heard the voice. He was also stunned when he saw the old lady and her uncle who followed her in.

Oh my God?
Are these two really that wild?
With one hand lame and a limp, how dare he ride his 75-year-old mother all the way from the village's dilapidated roads to the town?
One dared to ride, and the other dared to sit on it.

"Come on, take the caramelized sugar inside," the old lady called out.

Zhou Yan quickly stepped forward, took the jar from the old lady's hands, and looked at Zhou Weiguo to confirm, "Uncle, did you bring Grandma here?"

"Mm." Zhou Weiguo nodded.

"What's the big deal? He rides his bike very steadily." The old lady was also very calm.

The customers in the shop glanced at the two of them, and were also a little surprised.

On the contrary, the two parties involved felt that this was reasonable.

"Grandma! Uncle!" Zhou Momo slid down from the high stool, ran over and hugged the old lady's leg.

"Sweetie." The old lady reached out and patted her head, smiling, "Hmm, your braids look so pretty today, you look so cute."

“Really!” Zhou Momo’s eyes lit up, and she touched her braids with some pride. “Mom braided them for me.”

"Tieying's cooking skills are really good. She dressed you up so well," the old lady said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, Tie Ying is the best!" Zhou Momo nodded.

This made everyone laugh; the little guy really dares to learn anything!

Zhao Niangniang, who was standing nearby, beamed with joy and quickly invited the old lady to sit down.

The old lady curiously examined the newly built stove by the door. When she last came here, there wasn't this stove yet. However, since there were many customers in the shop, she didn't ask any questions. Instead, she looked at the menu on the wall, examined it for a while, and said, "Give me two ounces of beef and bamboo shoot noodles. Wei Guo said your noodles are delicious. I want to try them and see if they are really that good."

"I want beef shreds noodles," Zhou Weiguo said.

"Okay, I'll make it for you right away." Zhou Yan carried the jar into the kitchen and quickly made the noodles, cooked them, and pulled them all in one go.

Soon, two bowls of noodles were served.

The old lady picked up her chopsticks, first tasted a piece of beef, nodded slightly, ate a piece of dried bamboo shoot, a smile appeared on her lips, then tasted a bite of noodles, her eyes lit up, and finally drank a sip of soup before saying, "These noodles are made to a high standard, the best in Suji."

Standing to the side, Aunt Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on her face.

The old lady loves to cook, so she rarely praises other people's cooking. The fact that Zhou Yan received such praise from her means that this bowl of noodles truly touched her heart.

Zhou Yan, who was in the kitchen, heard this and smiled smugly.

Zhou Weiguo finished eating and went to work.

The old lady ate slowly, finishing not only the noodles but also the soup.

After she finished eating, there were no other customers in the shop, so Zhao Hong went forward to collect the bowls and take them to the kitchen.

"Is that stove for making soup stock?" the old lady asked, looking at Zhou Yan.

“Yes, but in my shop, you can order ‘Qiaojiao Beef’.” Zhou Yan nodded.

"You even know this old-fashioned way of calling it?" The old lady smiled, got up and walked to the pot, gently fanning the steam with her hand, and nodded, "Hmm, the soup tastes authentic, and it smells so fresh. Zhou Jie said he learned to make soup from you, and now his business is booming."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Brother Jie is good at talking and cooking soup. His business is already the best at the dock. If you learn from me, you can increase the unit price and the profit will be higher than before."

“His cooking is nowhere near as good as yours. I can tell just by the smell. It’s his good fortune that you’re willing to teach him.” The old lady shook her head and turned to walk towards the kitchen. “Come on, let’s cook the braising liquid. I need to go check on my second son this afternoon.”

"Okay!" Zhou Yan fawned and quickly followed.

The old lady first looked at the aluminum pot that Zhou Yan had prepared and nodded, saying, "This pot is great. The brine won't easily turn black even after cooking for a long time. Some people don't know how to cook and use an iron pot. The brine turns black after a few times, and the meat they braise is dark and doesn't look appetizing."

"Come on, pour the brine into the pot."

Zhou Yan immediately went over, lifted the gauze off the lid, and carefully poured the brine into the aluminum pot.

The brine has a bright red color, which comes from caramel coloring, making it natural and appealing.

Once poured out, the aroma of the braising sauce filled the air and permeated the entire room.

Zhou Yan likes to eat braised food, is a fan of braised duck, also eats rabbit heads, but her favorite is the oily braised pork intestines.

However, those shops that claim to have century-old braising liquid do not have braising liquid as mellow and fragrant as the old lady's pot of old braising liquid. It has a natural flavor without any high-tech additives.

(End of this chapter)