Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

Some diners who didn't try it might not have known what "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" was, plus the price wasn't cheap, so they didn't choose to order it.

Besides, this dish is indeed suitable for two or three people to share.

However, those who tried it were all amazed by the "Husband and Wife Lung Slices," and many even ordered a second serving after finishing one.

"Husband and Wife Lung Slices~ Husband and Wife Lung Slices~"

Shi Ying hummed a tune as she waited for the sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce to be served.

Watching other diners enjoy sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce, Shi Ying had been craving it for a long time, and this was the first time she had ever felt this way.

Shi Ying said she could eat this dish of sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce for a lifetime and never get tired of it.

In the evening, the sales of Fuqi Feipian (a type of beef and offal dish) skyrocketed, largely because the customers who had tried it at noon returned to the store to enjoy it again, and many even brought their relatives and friends.

This situation is somewhat similar to that of the hot and sour noodles back then. Almost every table in the store with customers had a plate of sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce, and when latecomers saw this, they all came to try a plate.

The next day, Zhou's Restaurant introduced a dish with an unusually peculiar name, which caught the attention of diners on Zhongshan Street, attracting many to come and try it.

As for the reason, the name "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" is simply too bizarre, and most people are deeply attracted by it.

"Have you heard that Zhou's Restaurant has a dish called 'Husband and Wife Lung Slices'?"

"Husband and Wife Lung Slices? This can't be a dish! Are there husband and wife in it?"

"That's definitely not the case. It seems to be a Sichuan-style cold dish."

"Sichuan-style cold dishes? I've hardly ever eaten Sichuan food in my life, except for that hot and sour noodles at Zhou's Restaurant. I'll try it sometime."

With its strange name, "Husband and Wife Lung Slices," it has attracted some curious diners, many of whom want to try this oddly named Sichuan cold dish.

And this Sichuan-style cold dish certainly lived up to the diners' expectations.

Although the dish may not have anything to do with the word "husband and wife," the use of ingredients like beef heart and beef tongue, which are rarely eaten in daily life, certainly gave diners a unique experience.

As for the taste, needless to say, a thin slice of beef or beef tongue coated in red oil brings a spicy shock from the Sichuan region to local diners who prefer a lighter diet.

As a cold dish, it has a refreshing and slightly cool taste upon first bite, with the rich aroma of chili oil, the aroma of braised meat, and the fragrance of crushed peanuts and sesame seeds unfolding in layers.

The base dish, made of water celery and cilantro, is crisp and refreshing, balancing the heavy, oily texture.

On the third and fourth days, as time went by, the reputation of "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" gradually spread in Zhongshan Street, and residents near Zhongshan Street began to walk several kilometers to taste it or take it away.

Gradually, some diners started bringing a bottle of wine to the restaurant, without ordering any main dishes, just a plate of sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce, and then each person would have a glass and slowly savor it alone.

Or perhaps you'd be with a few friends, ordering two large plates of sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce, chatting as you eat.

Some diners have started taking food away, and quite a few at that.

Most of the customers who take food away have family members who cook, but they still want to order a plate of this as a snack to go with their drinks.

This is the second food item, after hot and sour noodles, that is in short supply.

Strictly speaking, it could be considered the first time, since the hot and sour noodles at that time didn't have enough toppings to sell.

……

"Are you tired?" Zhou Wen asked, looking at Shi Ying, whose eyes seemed a little vacant.

Hearing her boss's greeting, Shi Ying sat up and said, "I won't feel tired anymore once I eat the boss's food."

Zhou Wen smiled and said, "The food will be ready in a bit."

Shi Ying nodded, then stretched her wrists, saying that she was tired every day.

The restaurant's business has been getting better and better, and the number of customers is increasing. I don't know when it started, but the workload of each day has increased invisibly.

After finishing serving one table of customers, she has to serve the next. Recently, most of the customers who come here order a plate of sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce, and now Shi Ying also has the added burden of packing up leftovers.

Originally, Zhou Wen was responsible for packing the food, but since other dishes also needed to be prepared, Shi Ying took over the task.

However, Shi Ying still serves every customer with her best attitude.

In the past, when there were no customers taking food to go, Shi Ying only needed to bring out the prepared food. Now, she has to go to the kitchen to put the sliced ​​beef and tripe in a plastic box and tie it with a knot.

There's also the sauce for sliced ​​beef and tripe in chili sauce.

Originally, Zhou Wen would prepare the sauce and then pour it over the dish.

Although it was tiring, Shi Ying still felt a great sense of accomplishment and happiness as the restaurant got better and better.

As for Zhou Wen, he wasn't particularly busy. After all, serving a plate of sliced ​​beef and tripe only takes two or three minutes. He just needs to prepare a sauce and pour it on, and he doesn't need to worry about packaging.

At first, the ingredients were only sliced ​​once a week, but now they are sliced ​​thinly after the ingredients are braised each day.

In pursuit of efficiency, Zhou Wen didn't pay as much attention to plating as he had at the beginning. In addition, most people were taking leftovers home, so no one cared about plating.

……

These days, a calico cat has appeared outside the shop without anyone noticing.

Zhou Wenyuan didn't know about this at first; it was Shi Ying who told him.

"Boss, this kitten is quite cute." Shi Ying, who had just finished cleaning the shop, squatted down and looked at the kitten.

When the calico cat saw Zhou Wen and his companion, it actually took a step back.

Zhou Wen watched with interest and didn't chase them away.

Shi Ying leaned forward a little further and then teased the calico cat.

"Be careful not to get scratched or bitten," Zhou Wen warned from the side.

Shi Ying was well aware of this, especially since she also had to maintain the restaurant's hygiene on a daily basis.

So I kept a certain distance, and in my hand I had bought a sausage from a street shop, broken it into small pieces, and then fed it to the kitten.

After standing and watching for a while, Zhou Wen returned to the restaurant.

When they came out, they had an extra plate of food in their hands, all of which were leftovers that they didn't want. The plate was the same old plate that had been replaced earlier and had been sitting there all along.

After Shi Ying left, Zhou Wen, who had nothing to do, thought he would go out for a smoke and play with the cat.

When I came out, the calico cat was gone, but most of the food on the plate had been eaten.

……

"Chef Liao, do you know that dish called 'Husband and Wife Lung Slices'?" Liu Fengru asked curiously.

Liao Zheng didn't speak. Of course, he had heard of the dish "Husband and Wife Lung Slices," but it didn't matter much to him because he was familiar with different cuisines.

Liao Zheng didn't actually know the specifics of how to do it.