1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 82 Wealth and Honor: Not Returning Home (Third Update!)

This menu was drafted by the previous village chef, and it revolves around the concept of "three steamed dishes and nine braised dishes," resulting in nine large bowls.

Braised pork belly in a bowl, braised pork belly with salted pork, pork belly with red bean paste filling, steamed pork with rice flour, Dongpo pork knuckle, pig's ears, pig's head meat...

Indeed, the dishes are mainly made with pork, and the fish dish is boiled carp that is then drizzled with sauce.

The main selling point is large portions that are filling, and the food can be served quickly by steaming.

Looking at the menu alone, it does seem a bit monotonous and greasy.

However, as soon as Zheng Qiang said this, the other four people all looked at him. The old man and the second uncle hesitated, their eyes unconsciously looking towards Xiao Lei.

"Chef Zheng's suggestion is excellent. If we could add a dish of camphor tea-smoked duck, along with Kung Pao chicken and braised carp, so that the guests can also taste the flavors of Chengdu restaurants that are usually reserved for foreign guests, then everyone would definitely give it a thumbs up," Xiao Lei said with a smile.

"Yes, that makes sense." Zheng Qiang nodded, the corners of his mouth already starting to turn up.

“But when we host a banquet, we can’t just think about having a lot of dishes and a variety of options. We also have to consider the host’s budget.” Xiao Lei continued with a smile, “Look at this menu. Everything on it, from pig’s head to pig’s stomach to pig’s trotters, is utilized. Once that big fat pig is slaughtered over there, we’ll have almost all nine dishes for these thirty tables of banquet.”

"If you need to get another thirty ducks and thirty chicken drumsticks for Kung Pao Chicken, do you think that will increase the cost?"

"Another point is that Kung Pao Chicken and Braised Carp require precise control of the heat and are served at the right time. Are you confident that you can serve all thirty portions within a short period of time?"

Zheng Qiang stopped laughing.

Because the smile shifted to Zhou Yan's face.

Zhou Yan was beginning to understand what "academic" meant. Spending too much time in a large restaurant could make one somewhat detached from the masses.

The old man and the second uncle standing nearby nodded in agreement. Weddings cost a lot of money, and a banquet in the countryside with nine large bowls of meat, where guests can eat their fill, is a very respectable feast.

They knew Zheng Qiang was knowledgeable, having worked in a large restaurant in Chengdu, but when it came to understanding large-scale banquets, it had to be Chef Xiao.

Zheng Qiang understood Xiao Lei's words and also sensed the complicated looks in his uncle's and second uncle's eyes.

After hesitating for a long time, I wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

No, what's the logic behind him calling him Master Zheng while simultaneously scolding him like a master?

“Master, let’s change the dry-frying method to red-braised. First, fry the fish in oil, then cook it in two large pots together. Finally, reduce the sauce and pour it over the fish. I think it might taste better than just boiling it in water,” Zhou Yan suggested.

“That’s what I was thinking too.” Xiao Lei nodded, then looked at Zheng Qiang and said, “Chef Zheng, is it alright if I leave this dish to you tomorrow?”

Zheng Qiang straightened his back, regaining some confidence: "No problem, this is my specialty, ten pieces in one pot, I can handle it."

"That's great! Let everyone try the braised fish with the Rongcheng restaurant style. They'll definitely rave about it." Xiao Lei praised with a smile, and then said, "This afternoon, you'll be in charge of chopping the meat sauce and slicing the meat. You'll be making stuffed dishes, braised pork belly, and steamed pork with rice flour. These require very good knife skills. The helpers we found in the village aren't good at knife skills. For such an important task, we still need Chef Zheng."

“Okay, I’ll do it.” Master Zheng nodded with a smile, confident and decisive.

Zhou Yan pursed her lips and silently turned her face away, afraid that she would laugh out loud.

He suddenly understood. His master used to scold Xiao Zhou often, and it was quite strange when he occasionally praised him. After praising him, he would do whatever he was told, and he would do whatever he was told, without caring about getting dirty or tired, just like he was on steroids.

Now this trick has been used on Master Zheng.

After Xiao Lei's arrangement and organization, everyone who had been called in to help got to work, slaughtering pigs, butchering chickens, and tending the fire, each doing their job in an orderly manner.

"Zhou Yan, your master is truly amazing. He deserves to be the head chef and a national second-level master chef." Second Uncle pulled Zhou Yan along, his smile revealing satisfaction: "If it weren't for you today, things wouldn't have gone so well."

“It’s only right that Hao-ge gets married.” Zhou Yan smiled and took out a wad of money tied with rope from his bag and handed it to his second uncle. “Second uncle, this is what I borrowed from you before when I opened the shop. Hao-ge has a lot of expenses for his wedding, so I’m returning the money to you.”

“What do you mean, ‘pay me back’? Didn’t we say we’d pay you back next year? You should focus on running the restaurant well. We don’t need this hundred yuan.” Uncle Er waved his hands repeatedly, refusing to take the money.

Zhou Yan smiled and stuffed the money into his pocket: "I will definitely pay you back when I have the money. Keep it safe and don't forget anything. Count the money later and let me know if it's missing."

"You little rascal..." Uncle couldn't help but smile, nodding with satisfaction: "Okay, then I'll take you. I'll be even happier if you can make money."

Zhou Yan chatted with him for a few minutes, then slung his bag over his shoulder and went to find other creditors.

My uncle, my third uncle, and a few other close relatives all gathered here today.

Zhou Yan went around and returned all the money to them.

Zhou Hai and Zhou Jie were helping to scrape pig hair and couldn't free their hands, so Zhou Yan returned the money to his two sisters-in-law.

He withdrew the sales revenue from this morning and noon, raising 160 yuan, which was just enough to pay off all his debts.

Zhou Yan walked to the courtyard gate, slowly raised his hands, and stretched his whole body.

what--

This is what it feels like to be debt-free!

Cool!
"Zhou Yan is really capable! He paid back all the borrowed money in just three months!"

“This young man not only knows how to make money, but also how to save it. Look at Zhou Yan, he’s a role model. He saved up money and paid back the money he borrowed. What a good kid.” “Of course. We’ve watched him grow up. He’s been obedient and sensible since he was little. Tie Ying is really lucky.”

The praise from the helpers drifted out of the yard on the wind.

Zhou Yan's lips unconsciously curled into a smile.

This is what it feels like to return home in glory! It's a pity Aunt Zhao isn't here; I didn't get to share this wonderful moment with her.

Comrade Lao Zhou was in charge of the surgery. After bleeding the pig, he had a few younger people scrape off the pig hair. He would come back later to cut open the pig's stomach and divide the meat. He had been resting on the long stone slab at the door for a while.

He heard everything: Zhou Yan was paying back the money, and he also heard the discussions in the courtyard.

The smile on his face was impossible to hide, and he even asked in a fake tone, "Have you finished paying it off?"

“Yes, it’s all been paid back.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. “Now you only have your five hundred left.”

"Your mother already said you don't need to pay it back."

"No, you have to return it." Zhou Yan glanced at Old Zhou's patched cloth shoes and casually said, "Your feet are the same length as mine."

“That’s right, your mom originally made these shoes for you, but you didn’t wear them, so they’re a perfect fit for me.” Old Zhou stamped his foot and said with a smile, “Look how comfortable they are. Your mom’s craftsmanship is excellent; they’re even better than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative.”

"Yes, yes, your wife is the best." Zhou Yan said with a smile. Whenever he talked about his mother, the usually stern old man's eyes would soften.

A pig only has two ears, and one pig head is definitely not enough for thirty tables. My second uncle and his family have already made an order with the butcher and will pick up the goods from each household first thing tomorrow morning.

Zhou Jie has already taken on this job. He'll go get the pig's head first thing tomorrow morning and deliver it to Zhou Yan's shop along with the beef.

Zhou Yan was in charge of making braised pig ears, braised beef, braised pig head meat, and a cold chicken salad, for a total of four cold dishes.

To be precise, the cold chicken salad was prepared by the old lady. There were four roosters in the cage, which hadn't been raised as long as the hens, so their meat was more tender and suitable for cold salad.

He's dead today.

"Then I'll go back to the shop and get busy. I'm going home tonight, so you don't need to pick me up. Just eat here," Zhou Yan said to Old Zhou.

"Okay." Old Zhou glanced at the direction of the pig-slaughtering bench, then got up and got busy.

Zhou Yan greeted his master, glanced at Master Zheng who was sitting on a small stool, diligently peeling garlic, and then smiled and turned to leave.

On the way back to the hotel, Zhou Yan stopped at a stall selling general merchandise and clothing near the bridge and bargained with the vendor, buying a pair of "83" leather shoes for 20.2 yuan.

He tried buying them, and they fit perfectly. They weren't exactly more comfortable than the cloth shoes he was wearing, but they looked shiny and made him look much more energetic.

The department store price is 19 yuan, but you can only buy it in Jiaozhou. Zhou Yan didn't have time to go to Jiaozhou today, and the Jiaozhou department store was closed after get off work tonight.

Zhou Yan then picked out a pair of women's leather shoes, and after some bargaining, bought them for 26.5 yuan.

"You're such a good bargainer, buddy. I'm practically giving you these two pairs of shoes for free; I'm not making a single penny of profit," the shopkeeper said with a wry smile as he put the shoes into Zhou Yan's bicycle basket.

"Thank you, boss. You're so generous. May you make a fortune." Zhou Yan paid the money and pushed the cart toward another stall.

The shop owner definitely makes a profit; Zhou Yan negotiated the price down to about one yuan more than the department store's marked price.

Business owners, you know, never tell the truth. They just want you to have the illusion that you got a good deal, so you'll come back to buy shoes from them next time.

Department stores in those days had very reasonable pricing, with very low profit margins.

These two pairs of leather shoes are high-end goods from Shanghai. They are indeed a bit expensive, but the leather is breathable and more comfortable than wearing cloth shoes.

Tomorrow is the wedding banquet, and Zhou Yan doesn't have enough money in his pocket to buy Aunt Zhao and Old Zhou a new outfit, so he can only buy them a pair of leather shoes for now.

After visiting several stalls, Zhou Yan spent eight mao (0.8 yuan) to buy Zhou Momo a pair of tiger-head cloth shoes.

The shoes have a red upper with a tiger's head sewn with gold thread, making them look cute and adorable.

The local women sew everything by hand, earning only a small fee for their work.

Zhou Yan rode his bike to the restaurant; it was almost time for the factory to close for the day.

Aunt Zhao sat at the door, waiting anxiously, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhou Yan's figure.

"Why did you take so long? I was thinking you weren't coming back to cook." Aunt Zhao stood up and asked with concern, "Are your second aunt and the others managing?"

“My master took charge and arranged everything perfectly, without any problems.” Zhou Yan pushed the car into the restaurant, then took out the pair of women’s leather shoes and handed them to Aunt Zhao, who followed him in: “Try them on and see if they fit. If they don’t, I’ll take them to exchange them.”

"Leather shoes?" Zhao Tieying looked at the shoes Zhou Yan handed her. The black leather was smooth and delicate, and the buckles were made of brass, gleaming with a golden light. She hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "You... bought me leather shoes?"

……

(End of this chapter)