1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 226 Paying Tribute to Zhou Yan, a Heroic Exemplar of Courage and Righteousness! (6k-page compilation)

"You bought the Qiu family's old house? The big mansion across from Jiaozhou Wharf?"

The old lady was a worldly person, unfazed by honor or disgrace, but upon hearing Zhou Yan's words, she still showed a look of surprise.

Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, "Yes, it's that mansion, but it might not be as big as you think, only about ten rooms. Miss Qiu sold it to me."

"Miss Qiu's son is so successful and wealthy, why did she sell the Qiu family's old house?" The old lady asked Zhou Yan, puzzled, "How much did you pay for it?"

"Didn't I mention it to you last time? I helped Miss Qiu and Wang Yu reunite, and Duan Yuyan was willing to sell the Qiu family's old house to me. Miss Qiu also agreed to this. I got the property certificate yesterday. In a couple of days, when they go to Hong Kong, the driver will bring me the keys, and then the handover will be complete." Zhou Yan said with a smile, "It cost a total of ten thousand yuan."

"Ten thousand?" The old lady nodded thoughtfully. "That's good. The location of that house is quite nice. If you're planning to move the restaurant to Jiaozhou, it's a good choice."

“Right? That house has two small shops, one selling braised meat and the other selling noodles, and business is pretty good. I plan to wait until I've saved enough money next year, then demolish the old house and build a new apartment building. Once everything is ready, I'll open a restaurant in Jiaozhou,” Zhou Yan said. “My mom said she'd invite everyone to Jiaozhou for a meal during the Spring Festival to make it more festive.”

“Alright, I’ll have your sixth master pick a date for you later.” The old lady nodded.

"Zhou Yan is here." Zhou Weiguo came out carrying a toothbrush cup.

"Uncle, I'm asking Grandma about braised meat," Zhou Yan replied.

Zhou Weiguo looked at him and said, "By the way, the case you and Zhou Ming solved last time, where you captured the carjackers, has been settled in the last couple of days. Those guys came from the Northwest, committing numerous thefts and robberies along the way, and they even have two murders on their hands. The provincial department has already intervened."

You two have done a great service. The banner recognizing your bravery has been prepared. Zhou Ming will send it to No. 1 Middle School to make it look more formal.

You have two sides. Didn't you jump into the river to save a female college student? The approval was granted, and today county leaders will come down and escort you to your restaurant along with town leaders.

The town government has also nominated you for city-level and provincial-level model of spiritual civilization, but the results won't be announced until the end of the year.

"Really?" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to receive a banner, especially one personally delivered by a county leader.

That's great. The banner can be hung in the store, which is a kind of honor.

As for being a model of spiritual civilization, Uncle Lin had told him before that the textile factory had also recommended him, but he didn't really care whether he could succeed or not.

However, this should be quite important to Doflamingo.

Maybe it will help him get a permanent position at No. 1 Middle School.

"Grandma, Uncle, I'll head back now. I still need to buy groceries," Zhou Yan said, then got on his bike and rode away.

"Mom, I just heard Zhou Yan say that he bought a house in Jiaozhou?" Zhou Weiguo asked curiously, watching Zhou Yan's departing figure.

"I spent 10,000 yuan in Jiaozhou to buy an old house in a good location." The old lady nodded.

"Ten thousand?!" Zhou Weiguo exclaimed in astonishment. "How could Fourth Brother and the others come up with so much money?"

Over the years, he has only saved a few thousand yuan from the allowances and subsidies he received. Ten thousand yuan is not a small amount.

“Sanshui and Tieying don’t have much money. Zhou Yan had to borrow eight hundred yuan to open his shop.” The old lady shook her head. “Most of it was money that Zhou Yan earned himself from running the restaurant.”

“Zhou Yan is quite capable,” Zhou Weiguo laughed upon hearing this. “But they still work very hard, getting up early and working late, their feet barely touching the ground when they’re busy.”

“Earning money is hard work for everyone. Even those who work harder than them can't earn 10,000 yuan. Zhou Yan has the talent and ability, as well as the courage and determination to start his own business. This money should be his.” The old lady said with a smile.

……

Zhou Yan went to Zhang Laosan's place to get some pork intestines. Today he ordered two baskets of pork intestines, each basket weighing about five jin.

The price was quite attractive; Zhang Laosan charged him one cent per pound and even did some simple processing for him.

Two baskets of pork intestines cost only one yuan.

In those days, ordinary families didn't eat much offal, especially large intestines, which were too troublesome to process and few people could do well, so the price was naturally cheap.

"Is it time to serve braised pork intestines?" Old Zhang asked with a smile as he helped pack the meat.

“Yes, we’re going to give it a try.” Zhou Yan nodded.

Zhang Laosan said with some emotion, "Pork intestines are delicious, but they are too troublesome to prepare. If you don't do it well, they will smell terrible. Only in winter when everyone is not busy will people be willing to buy them to prepare. If you prepare them well, more people will definitely buy them."

"If I sell well, I'll have to ask you to buy more pork intestines later," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

Old Zhang waved his hand: "That's not possible. I'll get you as many as you want, and I guarantee they'll all be of the highest quality."

After loading all the meat, Zhou Yan and Comrade Lao Zhou returned to the restaurant.

Li Lihua and Zhao Hong have already arrived.

Zhou Yan put the two sets of pork intestines into the wooden tub and looked at Li Lihua, saying, "Aunt Li, the task of cleaning the pork intestines is now in your hands. The first requirement is that they be clean. The second requirement is that half of the fat be removed and half be left. The remaining fat must be evenly distributed, and there should not be any large bulges of fat in any section. The last requirement is still that they be clean."

Li Lihua took the wooden tub, smiled and nodded: "Okay, your requirements are similar to those of the restaurant I went to last time. I'll wash one set first so you can see, and if it's suitable, I'll wash the second set."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded; he liked this efficient way of communicating.

"You've already prepared two sets of pork intestines on the first day. How do you plan to sell them?" Aunt Zhao asked curiously.

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, "The cost of ten catties of pork intestines is one yuan, and it can yield about three to three and a half catties. Considering that the processing of pork intestines is more troublesome than that of pig head meat, and that flour and salt are needed to clean them, which increases the cost, I plan to sell the braised pork intestines for three yuan per catty, the same price as braised pig ears."

Aunt Zhao nodded upon hearing this: "Aside from the trouble, the profits are still quite considerable."

"The word 'trouble' itself is the biggest cost. Fortunately, we brought back a professional player," Zhou Yan said with a smile. He had been thinking about the fatty intestines for a long time, but to be honest, if it weren't for recruiting Li Lihua, he didn't know when he would be able to play.

Li Lihua's monthly labor cost is 20 yuan, and the daily investment is less than 1 yuan, which can be described as extremely cost-effective.

Putting everything else aside, just the fact that we can sell an extra three kilograms of pork intestines a day is enough to cover the wages of the four people in the shop.

Of course, commissions are calculated separately.

We could also test the reaction of using braised pork intestines as a noodle topping; if that works, we could add a noodle dish to the menu.

The cost of pork intestines is currently very controllable.

Zhou Yan went into the kitchen to stir-fry the meat sauce and toppings for the noodles. Not long after, Li Lihua came in carrying a bucket containing a basket of cleaned pork intestines. She smiled and handed it to Zhou Yan, saying, "Boss, do you think this is okay?"

A basket of clean pork intestines

Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow; the basic target had been achieved.

He washed his hands and turned a section of the large intestine inside out to take a look.

It really cleaned very well. There was still some grease left on the inner wall, but it was cleaned very evenly, removing all the raised grease. It looks very clean and comfortable.

Fatty, fatty, the word "fatty" is the essence.

If you remove all the fat, leaving only a layer of intestinal skin, you completely lose the pleasure and flavor of eating pork intestines.

Zhou Yan picked it up and smelled it; the surface odor had mostly dissipated.

Li Lihua is indeed a master at cleaning pig intestines.

"It's washed very clean. Wash it according to this standard." Zhou Yan said with satisfaction.

“Okay, I’ll go wash the other basket too.” Li Lihua replied and then turned and went out.

"She's very energetic, and Lihua is quite capable; she's a real pro," Aunt Zhao said with a smile.

In the morning, Xia Yao and Meng Anhe's family came to eat noodles. They ordered a bowl of braised pork rib noodles for the two little ones. Zhou Yan specially cooked extra noodles for them and added a few extra pieces of pork ribs.

Xia Yao also ordered braised pork rib noodles, but the difference was quite obvious when they were served.

"Mom, look, we..." Meng Anhe picked up a piece of braised pork rib and stuffed it into Lin Bingwen's mouth, silencing him. "Eat yours, and then hurry up and go to class!"

"Zhou Yan is a genuine guy," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, handing the two brothers small bowls of noodles.

The two brothers really enjoy eating noodles; after all, Lin Zhiqiang is from Shanxi, and his love for noodles is ingrained in his bones.

Meng Anhe doesn't eat much and couldn't finish a serving. She originally thought that sharing it with the two brothers would be enough.

"After eating Zhou Yan's noodles, even the local noodles in Shancheng taste a bit lacking now," Xia Yao said with a smile. She first put two mouthfuls of noodles into Lin Jingxing's small bowl before starting to eat herself.

The portion of noodles was too large for her to finish, so she shared some with her two younger cousins ​​beforehand to avoid waste and to prevent herself from overeating.

"Auntie, where's Momo? I haven't seen her." Lin Bingwen took a couple of bites of noodles, but still couldn't help asking Zhao Tieying.

Xia Yao also looked over.

"MoMo hasn't gotten up yet; she'll probably stay in bed a little longer," Zhao Tieying said with a smile as she brought them a plate of pickled radishes.

"Huh?" Lin Jingxing and Lin Bingwen were both shocked.

"Doesn't she have class? If she sleeps any longer, she'll be late! She'll be punished by standing in the corner." Lin Jingxing said with concern.

"You'll get your hands slapped!" Lin Bingwen said with a worried expression.

"It's alright, she hasn't started school yet, she can sleep as long as she wants," Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

Lin Bingwen and Lin Jingxing fell silent, their worry turning into envy. "Ah... Momo is so lucky! She doesn't have to go to school!"

"Alright, you two, if you don't hurry up and eat your noodles, you'll be the ones being punished by standing in the corner and getting your hands slapped," Meng Anhe said with a smile.

The two little ones dared not linger any longer and buried themselves in eating their noodles.

"Mmm! Zhou Yan's noodles are so delicious!"

"Dad, if you sneak out to eat again next time, we will never forgive you!"

Lin Zhiqiang kept his head down, eating his noodles, pretending not to hear the two little ones' complaints. "Xia Yao, after you get off work at noon, come directly to Zhou Yan's place to eat. I'll come early to reserve a spot," Meng Anhe said to Xia Yao.

"Auntie, aren't we eating at home?" Xia Yao asked with a smile.

"Should you cook, or should I? If we take the food back from Zhou Yan's, we'll have to wash two more dishes," Meng Anhe said with a smile.

“My aunt lives a much more carefree life,” Xia Yao said with a smile.

"Mom, what about us? Can we eat too?" Lin Jingxing asked expectantly.

Meng Anhe refused without hesitation: "You can eat at school, don't be special. I'll take you out for something nice when you come back tonight."

"Cousin Yao Yao~" The two little ones turned to look at Xia Yao, looking pitiful.

“Calling me won’t help; I’m still being controlled by your mother,” Xia Yao said with a smile.

The morning was the busiest time, and Zhou Yan only came out to say hello while he was upstairs.

After closing time, they immediately started braising meat again.

With the old lady's assurance, Zhou Yan felt reassured and boldly blanched the pork intestines before putting them into the braising pot to be braised together with the pig's head meat and beef.

Talking about toxicity without considering dosage is meaningless; Zhou Yan could probably understand what that meant.

After cleaning and removing the grease from the ten pounds of pork intestines, only about nine pounds remained. They were cleaned thoroughly, but in terms of volume, they were smaller than a pig's head.

The braised meat was put into the pot in batches, and a thick piece of wood was placed in the stove.

Zhou Yan left the kitchen, took out a wooden sign and a calligraphy brush from the counter, and began writing a new menu: Braised Pork Intestines - 1 yuan/serving (3 yuan/jin)
It was hung first in the braised food section, with the most prominent position reserved for new dishes.

After hanging up the sign, Zhou Yan went back to the kitchen and helped chop vegetables.

He didn't know when the leader who was going to present the banner would arrive, so he had to finish his work as quickly as possible to avoid being caught unprepared later.

It doesn't matter if I neglect my superiors, but it won't do if it interferes with business.

He didn't tell Aunt Zhao and the others about this, intending to give them a surprise.

The braised meat has been turned off and is soaking in the pot. The braising liquid for the vegetables is ready. Various vegetables are added to the pot in batches, and the timing is carefully monitored to ensure they are taken out of the pot at the exact second, thus guaranteeing the taste of the vegetables.

Zhou Yan looked at the pot of braising liquid after the vegetables were cooked. The color was still brownish, and the aroma of the spices was still quite strong.

Every day, we use the old brine to dilute and prepare the mixture, and then pour it away after use, which is really a waste.

He wondered if he could use this braising liquid to braise pork intestines, and then use the braised pork intestines with a milder spiced flavor to make other dishes. This way, the versatility would be much higher than that of braised pork intestines made in a large pot, which already have a very strong flavor.

The braised meat had been soaking for about the right time, so Zhou Yan first took out the braised pig ears, braised pig snouts, and braised pork intestines.

The once white pork intestines have now turned a bright red color and curled up. They are scooped out of the pot with a slotted spoon, trembling and dripping with braising liquid, looking quite tempting.

The two baskets of braised pork intestines and braised pork were scooped out and poured onto a winnowing basket. They had shrunk by more than half, and the amount was much less than when they were freshly cooked.

Comrade Old Zhou stepped forward, picked up a pair of long chopsticks, weighed them in his hand, and said, "There's only one pound and seven ounces left in one basket. One pound yields three and a half ounces, that's absolutely right."

"Not bad, at least there's still three and a half jin left," Zhou Yan said with a smile, which met his expectations.

Remove the braised meat in batches, leaving larger pieces like beef, which require more soaking time, in the pot.

Zhou Yan took a kitchen knife and first cut off a piece of pork intestine about a length long. The brine had already soaked through it, and even the cut surface was light brown.

Place the pork intestines on the cutting board for slicing braised meat, and make a series of small diagonal cuts, splashing juices and releasing a fragrant aroma.

A perfect braised pork intestine

Zhou Yan picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. The freshly cooked braised pork intestines burst with juice when he bit into them. The braised aroma was exceptionally rich and flavorful, and the texture was soft and chewy with a touch of bouncyness. It was incredibly oily and refreshing to eat.

It smells amazing! It smells so good!
It was his dream love!

I've been looking forward to it for so long, and I finally got to eat it.

The fat on the inner wall of the large intestine is very thin, which provides a better texture and avoids the problem of being too greasy.

"Come on, everyone, have a taste." Zhou Yan said with a smile, seeing that everyone was standing and watching.

Aunt Zhao picked up her chopsticks, took a piece, and put it in her mouth. After chewing a few times, her eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded, saying, "Delicious! This fatty intestine is oily, smooth, soft, and chewy. It tastes so good!"

"It smells so good! It's oily but not greasy, and it tastes even better than what Grandma makes!" Zhao Hong exclaimed.

"Delicious, perfect with drinks." Comrade Zhou tasted a piece and nodded in approval.

After tasting it, Li Lihua's eyes widened in shock: "This... how can braised pork intestines be so delicious! It's so much better than what my old employer used to make!"

Zhou Momo tiptoed around the stove, but couldn't see anything. She was so anxious she almost jumped up, "I want to try it too!"

"Here, have a piece." Zhou Yan picked up a piece for her and fed it to her.

The little one chewed, nodded his head, and said in a childish voice, "Delicious! It smells so good!"

"Hearing you say that makes me feel relieved," Zhou Yan said with a smile. It seems everyone has the same taste; good things can be tasted.

Zhou Erwa Restaurant's braised pork intestines are officially launched!
It was still early, so Zhou Yan prepared a simple lunch, and everyone ate their working meals first.

Just as he put down his bowl, someone outside called out, "Zhou Yan!"

"Yes!" Zhou Yan responded and stood up.

"Who's here so early?" Aunt Zhao peeked out and saw a car parked outside the door, and several people riding bicycles over and stopping at the door. Suddenly, there was a lot of noise, and the area in front of the door was crowded with people, making it very lively.

"I came to present this banner because I performed a heroic act," Zhou Yan said with a smile, straightening his clothes.

"Oh! That explains why you specially wore this new chef's uniform today." Aunt Zhao suddenly realized, and quickly straightened her own clothes, asking Old Zhou beside her, "Sanshui, do you think my hair is messy?"

"It's not messy, it's neat and tidy, it looks nice." Comrade Zhou shook his head with a smile.

"Your clothes are a bit messy, let me straighten them for you." Aunt Zhao reached out and helped Old Zhou straighten his collar before getting up herself.

"What's going on? Why is it so lively?"

"Zhou Yan not only saved a female college student in a heroic act, but also subdued a group of bus robbers with his brother a few days ago. They were said to be a group of ruthless criminals who committed crimes on the run, the kind with murder cases on their hands. He did a great job, and we are here today to reward him."

"Zhou Yan is really something. Both of these things require risking your life. If you're not careful, you could lose your life."

The onlookers, including vendors and officers from the security department, were all talking about it.

Zhou Yan hurried out the door.

The event was quite grand; they hired the town's drum and gong team to play music and even put up a banner that read: "Learn from and pay tribute to Zhou Yan, the hero and role model who acted bravely and righteously!"
The factory's closing bell rang, and the workers poured out. Seeing the commotion at Zhou Yan's door, they all stopped in their tracks.

Meng Anhe had been there for a while, standing near the restaurant entrance, and waved to Xia Yao who had just come out.

"What happened, Auntie?" Xia Yao asked softly.

"We've brought Zhou Yan an award and a banner recognizing his act of bravery," Meng Anhe said with a smile.

"Really?!" Xia Yao's eyes lit up when she saw the banner hanging in front of the drum and gong team. It really was! She whispered, "Is it really that high-profile?"

Lin Zhiqiang squeezed in and explained with a smile, "It wasn't just that one time you were saved. I overheard them talking this morning that Zhou Yan and his brother caught a group of ruthless bandits who had been committing crimes in Suji. Those bandits had murders on their hands, so they did a great job, which is why the city is taking it very seriously."

"Then...isn't that very dangerous!" Xia Yao covered her mouth, looked at Zhou Yan, and her eyes showed a hint of fear.

Lin Zhiqiang nodded: "That must be dangerous. Zhou Yan's brother is a national martial arts champion. He was injured when he fought with that group of thugs."

In no time, a crowd gathered at the restaurant entrance, all eyes fixed on Zhou Yan, making him feel slightly uncomfortable.

Huang Chen personally accompanied Zhou Yan and introduced him with a smile: "Zhou Yan, this is Section Chief Wu from the County Party Committee Office. Today, he is here as a representative to commend your courageous act and to present you with a banner and an award."

"Thank you, Section Chief Wu, Mayor Huang, but I am unworthy of such praise," Zhou Yan said with a slight smile.

"What a young man! So handsome and brave. Excellent, truly excellent." Section Chief Wu looked at the composed Zhou Yan and shook his hand. "Our society needs young people like you who uphold righteousness and strengthen their sense of social responsibility! You've set a great example for everyone!"

“I just did what any young Chinese person would do,” Zhou Yan said.

Section Chief Wu nodded repeatedly: "You are very conscientious. You and Zhou Ming are worthy of being from Sichuan military families. You are both upright and are role models for society."

“That’s right, such a family tradition is truly admirable,” Huang Chen nodded in agreement.

"You flatter me," Zhou Yan said modestly. When it came to family traditions, he dared not be ambiguous, as it represented more than just himself.

Section Chief Wu looked at Zhou Yan with a serious expression and said, "We went to No. 1 Middle School first this morning, and then came to Suji to acknowledge and commend your and Zhou Ming's heroic actions in apprehending the criminals, as well as your act of bravely rescuing the college student who fell into the water. We are awarding you a banner, a bonus of fifty yuan, and a set of reward items for your act of bravery. Tomorrow, we will publish a report on your heroic act in the Jiaozhou Daily as a commendation."

A staff member stepped forward and presented two banners, two certificates, and two enamel basins containing towels and enamel cups.

The enamel basin and enamel cup are both printed with the words "Model of Righteousness and Courage".

Holding the banner, Zhou Yan's lips curled into a wide smile, exuding a sense of smug satisfaction.

Nothing makes people happier than being publicly praised for doing a good deed!
Section Chief Wu and Mayor Huang would still choose the right time, neither too early nor too late, just right when the factory was closing. Now the whole textile factory knew that he was a model of bravery and righteousness.

Cool!
Comrade Zhou and Aunt Zhao stepped forward, each carrying an enamel basin, their smiles barely concealed.

Holding the two certificates, Zhou Momo's little face was full of pride. She looked at everyone in her childish voice and said, "This is my boyfriend~ my dearest boyfriend!"

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(End of this chapter)