1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 99 Aunt Zhao, Sober and Awake

Zhao Tieying was taken aback by Zhou Yan's words, but her eyes quickly lit up: "Great! I'll move into your hotel!"

The restaurant has two floors; the first floor is used for business, while most of the second floor is empty.

Zhou Yan only occupied a small area at the top of the stairs, making a small room to sleep in. The rest of the space was empty, and with a little tidying up, they could move in.

Firstly, there's no need to pay extra rent, and secondly, it avoids some of the hassles of moving back to the old house.

We can't save up the money for house repairs anytime soon, but if we dig out the bed boards tomorrow and air them out, we can make two bedding sets and have a place to sleep.

Zhou Yan is indeed reliable now, and he resolved her problem in one go.

She strongly agreed with the old lady's principles of managing the household: distant relatives and close enemies.

Zhao Tieying, who had been in charge of the household for over twenty years, was always a person of her own mind. After drinking the ginger soup and staying in the warm room for a while, her flustered heart gradually calmed down. Before the old lady could speak, she said, "Mom, it's settled then. Zhou Miao and I both want to go live at Zhou Yan's shop. It will be more convenient for the whole family to live together, so that Momo won't have to carry things around in her basket every day and not get a good night's sleep."

“Yes.” Zhou Miao nodded quickly, expressing his support for Comrade Zhao Tieying’s authority.

Seeing Zhao Tieying's firm attitude, the old lady nodded and said, "Alright, we'll leave it to you."

How could she not guess Zhao Tieying's thoughts? She didn't want to be a burden to her brother-in-law who was getting married.

A consensus has been reached on the accommodation issue, which can be considered a preliminary solution.

The old man stood up, took out two ten-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them to Zhao Tieying, saying, "Sister-in-law, this is a small token of our appreciation. If you encounter any difficulties, please come to us anytime."

Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Youngest Uncle also got up and each handed twenty yuan to Zhao Tieying.

Then Zhou Fei led the way, and Zhou Hai, Zhou Jie and the other brothers each took ten yuan and handed it to Zhao Tieying.

This is a tradition of the Zhou family: when one is in trouble, help comes from all sides, and everyone unites to overcome difficulties.

Zhao Tieying clutched a handful of ten-yuan notes, her eyes reddening. She sniffed and said with a smile, "I won't refuse to pay you all. I'm really having some difficulties right now and need the money to settle down. I'll definitely pay you all back by the end of the year at the latest."

"We're family, what's the big deal? This is just a small token of our appreciation," the uncle said with a smile.

Others also responded.

“No way, this money is borrowed by me, and I won’t write an IOU. Anyway, I will definitely pay everyone back before the end of the year.” Zhao Tieying said seriously, “You know, I always keep my word.”

Everyone laughed upon hearing this and said no more.

Zhou Yan felt a warmth in her heart as she watched this scene; this was what family was all about.

The rooster outside started crowing.

The old lady glanced at her watch and said, "Those who need to slaughter cattle, go slaughter cattle; those who need to set up stalls, go set up stalls; those who need to go back to sleep, go back to sleep. That's settled then. Everyone, don't worry about it. Do your own thing, meeting adjourned!"

"Alright!" Everyone stood up and took their leave, still feeling warm.

Chen Yueyue held Zhou Hao's arm tightly, and the two shared an umbrella. She smiled and said, "Your family atmosphere is so wonderful! I feel like I've married into a fantastic family! I feel enveloped in love and happiness."

"Is our family's Chinese teacher planning to write a short essay?" Zhou Hao asked with a smile.

"Ouch!" Chen Yueyue reached out and gently punched his chest, but couldn't help thinking about it, and whispered, "I feel that Grandma and Fourth Aunt are both very capable and have strong opinions."

Zhou Hao nodded: "That's right. Everyone in Zhou Village respects my grandmother. Even the county leaders who come to visit her show her great respect. Fourth Aunt is no ordinary woman either. She is nicknamed Iron Lady. When she was young, she was the deputy captain of the militia brigade. She even won the target shooting champion in the militia competition. It is said that in close combat, most men can't beat her."

"No wonder Fourth Uncle was so afraid of her!" Chen Yueyue's eyes widened, realizing she had discovered a blind spot.

“You don’t understand. Uncle Si’s reaction wasn’t fear, it was respect. Respect for one’s wife is a family tradition in our Zhou family.” Zhou Hao said with a smile, “Don’t underestimate my Uncle Si. He looks thin, but my father said that among the five brothers, only my youngest uncle is stronger than him. His cattle-slaughtering skills are the best in Zhou Village, and his knife skills are amazing.”

Chen Yueyue seemed to be thinking about something, then looked at Zhou Hao with a smile: "So, are you afraid of me, or do you respect me?"

"I could hold down five of you with one hand. Tell me, am I afraid or respectful?"

"I don't believe you! Then try pressing me down with one finger!"

"Slow down! There are puddles everywhere. You take the umbrella, I'll carry you back."

"it is good!"

"I love you, my husband."

……

Zhou Yan and his family weren't in a hurry to leave; Aunt Zhao was making arrangements for the day.

Zhao Tieying looked at Zhou Miao and said, "Old Zhou, pick up your tools and go help people slaughter cattle as planned. This is a pre-arranged matter. The owner has definitely already found helpers and sales channels. Don't make things difficult for the owner."

"But today..."

“No buts. Go and earn back the three yuan you earned today. I can buy two new towels, two new toothbrushes, and a wooden basin for washing my face. I won’t have to worry about washing up tonight. After you slaughter the cow, come back and dig for things. Safety first. Dig as much as you can in a day.” Aunt Zhao interrupted him.

"Okay." Zhou Miao slung his backpack over his shoulder, patted Zhou Yan on the shoulder, and went out.

The old lady was eating sunflower seeds nearby, and nodded slightly as she watched this scene. Tie Ying's management of the household still had some of her style.

“Mom…” Zhou Yan stood up.

"Come on, get the basket, put Momo in it, we should go buy vegetables and meat to prepare for opening for business." Zhao Tieying got up, went out to get the basket, came back in, went into the room, carefully put the sleeping Zhou Momo into the basket, tore off an oilcloth and covered it, said goodbye to the old lady, and went out in a hurry.

"Grandma, Uncle, we'll be going now." Zhou Yan said to the old lady and quickly followed.

"Mom, today you might want to..."

"Are we going to mourn for that pile of rags buried in the ground for another day? If a house collapses, we have to earn money to rebuild it. Until then, we have to work hard to earn and save money; we can't waste a single moment." Zhao Tieying stopped and looked at him, saying:

"If I take a day off, I'll lose a dollar in wages and six dollars in commission. I'll lose more than you, old man!"

"If you take a day off, how much money will you lose? How many customers will be disappointed and miss out on a meal? Will customers who came based on recommendations come back next time?" "You have to be clear-headed. If you can't even hold onto money, what can you hold onto?"

Zhou Yan looked at Aunt Zhao in shock, then nodded: "You're right!"

Aunt Zhao had a clear understanding of the situation.

If Tuesday's restaurant closes for a day, we'll lose 200 yuan, which is enough to buy them beds and blankets, a few sets of clothes, and enough daily necessities.

That's right, two hundred yuan is really useful these days.

As long as you don't touch large items or electrical appliances, you can buy a bunch of vegetables for five cents.

The plans disrupted by the house collapse were forcibly put back on track by Aunt Zhao.

As dawn broke, the rain had stopped, but the dirt road was still slippery. Zhou Yan rode carefully, since Zhou Momo was still fast asleep in the basket on his back.

As they passed Zhou Fei's house, Aunt Zhao yelled at Zhao Hong to remember to go to work.

"Are you still open as usual today?" Zhao Hong ran out of the door, somewhat surprised.

After all, such a big thing as a collapsed building needs to be dealt with more slowly.

"Open it! Open the door the way you normally would. Just leave the house to your fourth uncle. Dig up whatever you can find," Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll pack up and head out." Zhao Hong nodded.

As she passed by her own house, Zhao Tieying couldn't help but take a second look.

The house I was living in just yesterday is now a ruin. It would be a lie to say I'm not upset.

"It's alright. When I make money in the future, I'll build you a house, a brick building with concrete, a two-and-a-half-story one, even sturdier than the buildings in the textile factory," Zhou Yan said with a smile, trying to comfort you.

"Okay." Zhao Tieying nodded with a smile, her face showing anticipation.

Zhou Yan bought the meat and returned to the restaurant without any major incidents.

Today he bought six pig brains and four chickens, ready to make a big splash.

I also bought half a pound of pork liver, four pork kidneys, and some side dishes for stir-fried pork liver and pork kidneys.

Today, he significantly increased the quantity of braised pig's head and cold chicken salad. He decided to postpone the stir-fried pig liver for a day or two, and first stir-fried a portion for his own family to try at noon today.

"You can also stir-fry pork liver and pork kidneys?" Zhao Tieying looked at Zhou Yan with some surprise as she brought the ingredients into the kitchen.

"This is my master's signature dish, the 'Three Fiery Brothers.' As his prized student, I'm sure I can make it," Zhou Yan said without batting an eye.

Zhao Tieying then noticed the sign for "Spicy Pig Liver" hanging on the wall and hesitated, "Eighty cents a serving? Pig liver at three cents a pound, isn't that a bit expensive? Other places usually sell it for around five cents."

“The chef usually sells his dishes for 50 cents, but mine are better, so I sell them for 80 cents. The extra 30 cents is for the taste,” Zhou Yan said with a smile. “If the prices are too low, everyone will order the spicy pork liver, and the other dishes won’t sell. How will we make money to repair the house? When we serve the vegetarian dishes later, I’ll order a few cheaper ones so that people who want meat dishes won’t be affected.”

"You're the boss, you make the decisions." Zhao Tieying turned around and went to process the beef intestines and offal. They had been delayed today because the river had risen quite a bit due to the rain, and the water was too muddy to wash the offal. They could only bring it back to wash with well water.

"Uncle, please accept my condolences. This is a small token of my appreciation. I hope your house can be repaired as soon as possible." Zhou Lihui took out two cents, handed them to Zhou Yan, and emphasized, "This is my own saved pocket money."

He didn't hear any noise last night, and was shocked to find that his great-uncle's house had collapsed this morning on his way to the restaurant with his mother.

"I appreciate your kind offer, but keep these two cents for yourself to buy snacks. Adults don't need a child's two cents to fix a house," Zhou Yan said with a smile, stuffing the money back into his pocket.

Zhou Yan already thought it was quite good that he had such a kind intention.

Adding braised meat to the menu has made mornings exceptionally busy.

After finishing the noodles, I immediately started braising meat and cooking chicken.

He bought five pig trotters, one for each person in the shop.

Having survived a disaster, it's not unreasonable to want to eat something good.

Old Zhou didn't make it back before opening for business in the morning, so Aunt Zhao decided to postpone lunch until after business hours to see if he wanted to come back for lunch.

Zhou Yan had no objection to this, since he was never hungry while cooking in the kitchen anyway.

But Zhou Momo was hungry. She had recently gotten used to eating breakfast and lunch, and as soon as the factory let out, she would start complaining that she was hungry.

"Zhou Yan, get that pig's trotter for her to eat," Aunt Zhao called out.

“Okay!” Zhou Yan replied, having already scooped out a pig’s trotter.

Aunt Zhao placed a small stool for her in front of the braised food stall at the entrance, tied a small apron for her, and let her sit down. She wiped her hands clean and then put the warm pig's trotter directly into her hands.

"A huge one!" Zhou Momo held the giant pig's trotter, her eyes shining. She looked at Aunt Zhao in shock, then back at Zhou Yan, still unable to believe it: "Honey, are they all mine?"

"Yes, it's all yours." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, "If you can't finish it..."

"Aww~" Zhou Momo had already taken a bite, there was no question of her not being able to finish it!

As the textile factory workers were leaving get off work, they saw a cute little girl gnawing on a big braised pig's trotter as soon as they stepped out of the gate.

The skin was trembling, but it came off with a gentle bite; the soft, chewy meat tendons broke with a light bite.

His hands and face were shiny with oil, and he was munching on it with such relish.

"Gulu~"

　Second update!

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　　There will be an extra chapter tomorrow!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)