The old lady's words were full of advice and admonition.
Zhou Yan smiled and nodded, saying, "I know. I don't have that kind of power right now. I just need to focus on making a living in Suji's place."
Little Zhou was trying to handle too much, and ended up ruining it.
Zhou Yan learned his lesson.
The old lady had great wisdom, Zhou Yan wholeheartedly agreed.
Zhang Zhengping smiled after listening, "Yes, listen to Third Sister, she's right."
Today's small family gathering was quite harmonious and comfortable.
No one compared who earned more, and no one pressed the children about their grades. The conversation focused on everyone's recent situations and their hopes for the future.
The old lady was in a good mood today and drank an extra liang of liquor.
His Granduncle also had three liang of liquor and was slightly tipsy. He pulled the old lady aside to reminisce about some things from his childhood. When he got emotional, his eyes welled up with tears. He was a very genuine person.
"Little Uncle, I don't want to study anymore. I want to come to the restaurant to learn cooking during this year's vacation. I want to start being a chef as soon as possible." Zhou Lihui whispered to Zhou Yan after the meal.
Zhou Yan looked at him and laughed, "There's only half a year left after this year's winter break, don't you want your junior high school graduation certificate?"
"Little Uncle, is a junior high school graduation certificate important if I want to learn to be a chef?" Zhou Lihui asked him earnestly, not as a question, but out of curiosity.
"If you're determined to be a chef for life and never change jobs, then a junior high school graduation certificate isn't that important." Zhou Yan explained earnestly. "But if you study for a year or two and then realize that being a chef isn't as glamorous as you think, and you want to go out and try your luck, like working in a factory, then a junior high school graduation certificate becomes very important as proof of your educational level."
"I want to be a chef!" Zhou Lihui nodded firmly. "A chef for life."
Zhou Fei sat beside him, listening, hesitant to speak, but ultimately just looked at Zhou Yan without saying a word.
Zhou Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Practice your straight-knife technique until winter break. Then you can come to the restaurant and be responsible for cutting potatoes and lotus roots. If you can endure the hardships of being a chef, we'll talk about other things."
"Okay!" Zhou Lihui nodded.
Zhou Yan instructed, "Remember to practice your handwriting and learn more characters at school. I'll give you a test during winter break. I won't accept an illiterate apprentice who can't even write down all the seasonings, spices, and kitchen utensils."
"No problem!" Zhou Lihui grinned, full of confidence. "I can write all the characters for the seasonings in the restaurant now."
"He's been practicing handwriting every night before bed lately, saying that his little uncle's handwriting is so beautiful, and a good chef has to have beautiful handwriting." Zhao Hong was clearing the table when she heard this and chimed in with a smile.
"That's good." Zhou Yan smiled as well.
"Zhou Yan." Zhou Weiguo, standing at the door smoking, called out to Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan quickly got up and went out the door, smiling slightly, "Little Uncle, is something the matter?"
"I ran into Mayor Huang Chen at the canteen at noon today. He told me that they had a meeting this morning to discuss vigorously promoting and developing Suji Cross-legged Beef, and they plan to use you as a benchmark to build the Suji Cross-legged Beef industry." Zhou Weiguo said, lowering his voice slightly.
"Is there really such a good thing?" Zhou Yan's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, but after thinking for a moment, he added, "But how exactly do they plan to promote and develop it?"
"He didn't tell me the specifics, but he told me to reassure you that no matter how they promote and build it, they will absolutely not harm your interests, nor will they ask you to share the recipe with everyone." Zhou Weiguo said. "Moreover, they will support you in building the reputation of Cross-legged Beef and severely crack down on other people's malicious competitive behavior."
"That's wonderful!" Zhou Yan clenched his fist, this was indeed a reassuring statement.
The "Cross-legged Beef" later became Suji's signature dish, and countless Cross-legged Beef restaurants originated from here, spreading throughout the country.
Suji has become an important cultural tourism brand in Jiazhou thanks to its signature "Cross-legged Beef". The continuous stream of tourists has made the established Cross-legged Beef restaurant a fortune.
With the increasing number of butchers in Zhou Village, the flourishing of Suji Cross-legged Beef was an inevitable trend. Even without Zhou Yan, it would have entered a period of rapid development in the 1980s.
Is making Cross-legged Beef difficult?
Achieving the perfect fusion of various Chinese herbs and spices is certainly not easy, but if you only require a clear broth and delicious flavor, it's actually not difficult.
Find a chef who knows how to make soup, and they can improve the soup pot technique by making adjustments and improvements little by little.
Chefs have plenty of patience as long as there's money to be made.
Make a rich broth from fresh beef bones, and blanch fresh tripe and beef in it. As long as you control the heat well, the taste will never be bad.
The fundamental reason for Suji Cross-legged Beef's growth and success is its proximity to Zhou Village, where cattle are slaughtered, ensuring a daily supply of fresh offal and beef.
Zhou Yan currently holds a first-mover advantage, having achieved brand building through the cover of "Sichuan Cuisine" magazine.
With the names "Zhou Erwa Restaurant" and "Zhou Ji Qiao Jiao Niu Rou" up, as long as the taste isn't bad, Suji's Cross-legged Beef will definitely have a place in the world of soup pot and Zhou Yan will have a place there.
The old lady is right. Each person has their own bowl of rice, focus on your own bowl first.
Instead of trying to steal rice from everyone else's bowls, try to make the pot of rice big, and then use the rice scoop to scoop the very center portion.
Huang Chen is in charge of the economy. If he is willing to support the Cross-legged Beef industry, help him build the reputation of Cross-legged Beef, and help him combat any malicious competition, then he will definitely seize such an opportunity.
"I reckon they'll come to talk to you once they've finalized the details of the plan." Zhou Weiguo said, relieved to see Zhou Yan's open-mindedness.
"Okay, I'll discuss the details with them then." Zhou Yan nodded.
He guessed that He Zhiyuan must have been pushing things along, and that township leaders might not necessarily have such a long-term vision and decisiveness in industrializing a single dish.
After clearing the table, Zhou Yan and Zhou Miao got on their bicycles and took his granduncle and grandmother home.
The old man was slightly tipsy, and they didn't feel comfortable letting him take the old lady home.
Zhou Miao rode the bicycle he had borrowed back to the village, which would make it much easier for him to go out.
His great-aunt still needed him to go over for acupuncture, and that would be a long walk back and forth.
"Zhou Yan, Granduncle was really happy with the meal today. Your cooking was absolutely delicious." Zhang Zhengping said, getting out of the bicycle and taking Zhou Yan's hand.
"Granduncle, if you like it, you can come by bicycle anytime. It only takes about ten minutes." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Okay, then ride slowly on the road." Zhang Zhengping said, letting go of his hand.
Zhou Yan responded and drove Comrade Old Zhou back to the restaurant.
A flashlight illuminated the road. As he passed their old house, he glanced at it from the side, and Comrade Old Zhou also turned his head to look at it intently.
"Dad, do you still want to come back and repair the house?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.
"Of course I want to." Comrade Old Zhou said with a smile. "Once I've saved enough money, I'll come back and rebuild this house so we'll have a place to live when we go back to the village."
"No problem." Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Once I've finished fixing the house in Jiazhou, I'll help you save some money for repairs."
"Don't worry about that. Go do what you need to do first. We won't be coming back to live here anytime soon anyway." Comrade Old Zhou said firmly, withdrawing his gaze. "Your mother said that as long as our family lives together, anywhere is fine.
If you want to develop your career in Jiazhou in the future, we'll go with you whenever you need us. If you want to buy a house in the city, then go ahead and buy one, we'll fully support you."
Zhou Yan felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing this. Aunt Zhao was truly so clear-headed and trusted her son so much.
"I've done the math, and I should have enough money to buy the house next month. But tearing it down and renovating it might cost even more. I plan to earn money while I work on it, there's no rush." Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Grandma's right. We should only take what we can handle. We'll earn the money slowly, live life to the fullest, and there's plenty of time."
"Okay, you decide." Comrade Old Zhou nodded, paused for a moment, and then said, "Let's play a couple more games of chess when we get back? I've figured out what you did yesterday. If I change the move, you'll definitely lose."
"Still not convinced? Fine, I'll play a couple more rounds with you." Zhou Yan laughed.
Back at the restaurant, Aunt Zhao had already mopped the floor and was wiping the tables. Zhou Yan didn't see Zhou Momo anywhere.
Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "She fell asleep as soon as you two left. She ran around and played wildly with Fanwa in the evening, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow at night. We didn't even have to coax her."
"You must be tired after standing all day. Go soak your feet, I'll wipe the rest." Comrade Old Zhou said gently as he took the rag from Aunt Zhao's hands.
"Okay, there are only three tables left. I've boiled some water in the pot, so you two can soak your feet later. It'll make you feel much more relaxed." Aunt Zhao said, walking towards the kitchen.
"I'll bring the foot bath water." Zhou Yan followed her in.
Each person had a wooden bucket at their feet. Zhou Yan and Comrade Old Zhou sat facing each other, a chess set already laid out.
Aunt Zhao sat in the middle, acting as referee for the two, and also chatting casually.
"I've discussed it with your father, and we're planning to invite a few of our brothers and nephews' families over for a meal this Sunday to celebrate. When our house collapsed, everyone lent us money to help us through the crisis. Now that we've settled down in town, we want to invite everyone over for a meal so they can get to know us." Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan and asked, "What do you think?"
"Of course!" Zhou Yan nodded, then asked earnestly, "How about I ask my master and senior brother if they're free? We can prepare a proper feast, like the Three Steamed Dishes and Nine Large Bowls."
"No need, no need. We're not hosting a big banquet. If you do it like that, people might not know whether they should give you a red envelope or not." Aunt Zhao shook her head with a smile. "Just cook the dishes on our menu. You'll be in charge of cooking, and your father and I will help you. Just treat it as a family meal, and it'll be a good opportunity for your uncles and brothers to taste your cooking."
"We'll have dinner that night, so it won't affect Zhou Jie and Zhou Hai's business, nor will it affect your three uncles' slaughtering and selling of beef. That day is the busiest day of the week."
Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. His mother's thinking was quite sensible: "Then I'll write down a menu tonight and calculate the number of people, so we can prepare for the day."
"Checkmate!" Comrade Old Zhou said smugly.
"Dad, you're launching a sneak attack!" Zhou Yan looked at the chessboard, raising an eyebrow.
…
Tonight's game ended with Zhou Yan narrowly losing, winning one and losing two.
Comrade Old Zhou poured out the foot bath water, then proudly took his wife upstairs to sleep.
Clearly, he'll get a good night's sleep tonight.
Zhou Yan took out the cash box and began to tally the sales revenue and record the accounts.
The twenty extra servings of Cross-legged Beef that they added today sold out completely, increasing the revenue by twelve yuan just from that dish.
Aunt Zhao's judgment was correct, as the weather gets colder, customers' willingness to order a bowl of hot Cross-legged Beef has clearly increased.
Before even stepping into the restaurant, the aroma of steaming hot beef soup was more enticing than any sales pitch.
Conversely, sales of cold chicken dish have been steadily declining, with the daily amount of chicken prepared reduced from four to three, and this trend is likely to continue as the weather gets colder.
This is an objective law: cold dishes don't sell well in winter, and hot soups don't sell well in summer.
People don't want to eat icy cold dishes when it's cold, and they can't drink oily hot soup when it's hot.
No matter how good the taste is, sales will still drop.
Braised dishes are slightly better, but when the coldest days of winter arrive and the fat solidifies, even pig head meat is hard to sell.
Hot and steaming braised and stir-fried dishes are relatively more popular in winter.
Adjusting the menu focus according to the seasons is also something a qualified restaurant owner needs to do.
Of course, there are some capricious bosses who only do seasonal business.
For example, some mutton soup restaurants only operate in autumn and winter. Once the weather warms up in spring, they close down and wait for the temperature to drop again next autumn before reopening.
After bundling the money and putting it back in the box, Zhou Yan closed the ledger, took out a wooden plaque from the cabinet, wrote "Mapo Tofu" on it, paused, and wrote down the price: 0.8 yuan per serving.
A serving of Mapo Tofu uses one jin of tofu, one liang of sirloin for the topping, beef bone broth, and all the ingredients and other costs, even if it costs only ten cents, the profit is still half.
The price is the same as the spicy stir-fried pork liver.
Zhou Yan predicts that Mapo Tofu will become the restaurant's star dish this winter.
Both plates of Mapo Tofu were completely devoured tonight.
As for dishes that go well with rice, only the braised crucian carp with perilla leaves on the menu can rival it.
After hanging up the Mapo Tofu sign, Zhou Yan's eyes fell on the braised beef with dried bamboo shoots. This dish was very popular with customers, selling 35 servings a day, almost twice as many as braised pork ribs, and it always sold out.
Zhou Yan plans to try making braised beef with potatoes tomorrow. He'll make a portion as a work meal for his family to taste. If it's good, he might consider adding it to the menu.
His Master Uncle Zhong Yong taught him everything he knew about this dish. Zhou Yan already has a foundation in making braised beef with dried bamboo shoots and experience in braising potatoes, so he's quite adept at controlling the heat. It shouldn't be too difficult for him to master.
Potatoes and dried bamboo shoots each have their own unique flavor, so giving guests more options is always a good idea.
Unfortunately, braised pork ribs are expensive, the portion is small, and there are bones, so they don't seem to be cost-effective these days.
In comparison, the braised beef with dried bamboo shoots is generously portioned, and the dried bamboo shoots are delicious and go well with rice, making it a great value for money.
[Ding! Main Quest Issued: Breakthrough Plan! Zhou Erwa Restaurant already enjoys a high reputation and brand recognition among textile factory workers, but its customer base beyond textile factory employees needs to be expanded! Please actively expand your customer base and help the restaurant break out of its niche!]
[Quest Details: Expand your customer base by 200 beyond the textile factory employees! Accept: Yes/No]
[Quest Reward: Unknown]
Just as Zhou Yan put up the sign, a main quest appeared out of the corner of his eye.
"Breakthrough?" Zhou Yan thought for a moment, then chose to accept the quest.
Zhou Erwa Restaurant currently mainly serves textile factory employees. Although some customers have recently come from the town to eat, but the number is still small and has not yet achieved a large-scale, widespread impact.
However, if 'Sichuan Cuisine' magazine can help build the restaurant's reputation, it might bring in some new customers.
Furthermore, they still need to continue taking reservations this weekend, this is the best way to quickly expand their customer base beyond their current factory worker clientele.
Normally, textile factory employees don't meet up with colleagues to eat at the restaurant near the factory gate on Sundays. They usually bring family or friends, one by one, and these are all new customers who meet the criteria.
…
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Little Zhou and Old Zhou got up to buy groceries.
Today, Zhou Yan increased the supply of ten bowls of "Cross-legged Beef" to try to meet the customers' needs, and also ordered two extra jin of beef tenderloin to use as the beef sauce for stir-fried Mapo Tofu.
Zhou Yan and his Dad rode their bicycles back to the restaurant and saw a thin figure standing at the entrance with a basket at his feet. Upon seeing him, the figure grinned, revealing a set of neat white teeth.
"Laifu? What brings you here?" Zhou Yan stopped the bicycle and looked at Laifu with surprise, whose cheeks were flushed and whose head was steaming.
The basket was bulging with goods: two slabs of tofu, a basket of dried tofu, and a large bundle of dried bean curd sticks.
"Didn't I say I was going to get it? Why did this kid bring it to the restaurant?" Zhou Miao said, also looking surprised.
Zhou Yan parked his bicycle, took out his ledger, flipped to a page, and wrote in a few strokes: "Laifu, what brings you here? Didn't we agree that my dad would go get the dried tofu and dried bean curd sticks?"
Laifu took the paper and pen and quickly wrote: "You guys are busy, I'll bring it to you. Grandma said we shouldn't go to the bridge to sell tofu for a while, it's more important to make the tofu and dried tofu that Brother Yan wants."
After reading it, Zhou Yan nodded thoughtfully. This must have been a decision made by Grandma Sun after careful consideration. She was in poor health, and Laifu was too thin and weak, so they couldn't overwork themselves to earn money.
Eight jin of dried bean curd sticks, ten jin of dried tofu, and twenty jin of tofu—their income from orders alone from him is 14.4 yuan, with a profit of about half.
Zhou Yan reached for his money.
Laifu then wrote, "Grandma said, no money needed, just cross it off the bill and pay off the debt first."
Zhou Yan looked at the words and nodded with a smile.
Just then, Zhao Hong and Zhou Lihui arrived, helping to carry the things into the restaurant and pouring Laifu a bowl of water.
"Laifu doesn't look very chubby, but he's quite strong. It's not easy for him to carry so much stuff all the way to the restaurant." Zhao Hong said, looking at Laifu with a hint of heartache in her eyes.
Although they were of the same generation, but Laifu and Huihui were the same age, so in her eyes, Laifu was just a little kid.
Laifu drank the water, thanked her, and left lightly with his empty basket on his back.
Zhou Yan stood at the doorway, watching the boy's figure disappear into the distance, a smile playing on his lips.
Human hearts are all made of flesh and blood. I know you've had a hard time, and you understand my difficulties. Only through this can we stay together for a long time.
The fact that his great-aunt and the old lady have been on good terms for so many years, and that the old lady cares about and looks after her so much, shows that she is a very good person.
"Mapo Tofu! Boss Zhou, you've finally added new dish to the menu!" Huang Ying and Huang Bing arrived early today. After entering and sitting down, they habitually glanced at the menu, and their eyes immediately lit up.
Zhou Yan just came out of the kitchen after cooking the meat sauce and toppings. Hearing the sound, he smiled and nodded: "Yes, a new dish."
There was no one else in the restaurant, so Huang Ying asked in a low voice, "Boss Zhou, Mapo Tofu isn't a specialty of your Kong Sect, is it? I remember the Mapo Tofu at Le Ming Restaurant was just so so, not much different from what our Feiyan Restaurant chef makes, not authentic at all."
Zhou Yan felt that Huang Ying's review of her own restaurant, which was based on equality, should be very objective and purely from the perspective of a diner.
"However, even the twice-cooked pork and spicy stir-fried pork liver at Le Ming Restaurant aren't as good as yours. The heat control and seasoning are far inferior. Is the lineage of Second Master Kong not as good as that of First Master Kong? My Dad says that Master Kong Huaifeng's cooking is incredibly delicious. I ate it a few times when I was a child, and it left a deep impression on me." Huang Ying looked at Zhou Yan with a face full of curiosity. "Is your Mapo Tofu even better?"
Don't stir up trouble. Zhou Yan doesn't want to be a sinner against the Kong Sect.
But this girl is really picky, you can't fool her when it comes to good or bad food.
"Whether it tastes good or bad is a matter of feeling. If you're really curious, just order one serving for lunch and you'll know." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Okay! I'll definitely order it for lunch." Huang Ying looked expectant. "I've had Chen Mapo Tofu in Rongcheng before, and I was very impressed. It's an amazing dish to eat with rice."
Zhou Yan smiled without saying a word, "Then today I'll show you what the most authentic Mapo Tofu in Jiazhou is all about."
"Brother Yan, could you write me another love letter when you have some free time? I'll pick it up when I come to get the braised meat." Huang Bing took out two yuan and handed it to Zhou Yan, his smile revealing a hint of flattery: "It's so well written. I can clearly feel the change in Xue Er's attitude towards me."
"Sure." Zhou Yan smiled and took the money. Two yuan for a page of love letter, why wouldn't that be acceptable?
However, this guy is truly a legend among simps, a pillar of the Joker, a McDonald's mascot, and a big boss in Gotham City.
Never mind, let Young Master Huang pay the bill. As long as he's happy
To be honest, Mr. Huang, who changes girlfriends every month, can't really be considered a pure-hearted guy.
Huang Ying pouted and said leisurely, "Don't go out and say you're my brother, I can't bear the embarrassment."
The Mapo Tofu on the menu attracted the curiosity and attention of many customers.
A famous dish in Rongcheng, but still relatively rare in Suji Town.
It's on the menu of the state-owned restaurants, and it costs sixty cents per serving.
However, according to those who have eaten Rongcheng Chen's Mapo Tofu, the Mapo Tofu at the state-owned restaurants are not authentic at all. The meat sauce uses only a tiny amount of pork, and you can barely taste the meat, the thickening is also terrible.
This dish looks simple, but it's actually quite complex.
At 80 cents a serving, it's not cheap, but on Zhou Erwa Restaurant's menu, it's considered a low-priced dish.
Many people were already planning to try it at lunch time.
Zhou Yan's reputation, built up through the quality of each dish, was enough to convince customers to give it a try.
Before the factory closed at noon, a Crown car slowly pulled up in front of Zhou Erwa Restaurant.
The back door opened, and Duan Yuyan, dressed in a brown leather jacket, black skirt, and Mary Jane shoes, stepped out of the car, carrying a colorful bag. She smiled at Zhou Momo, who was sitting on a small stool by the door, and said, "Momo!"
"Fragrant Sister!" Zhou Momo jumped up and ran over, looking up at the hat on her head with a surprised expression: "Today's hat looks like a duck! And it's pretty!"