1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 350 Sales Champion Certificate, Comrade Zhou Momo, please accept it! (6k-page compilation)

Ah Wei happily counted the money again. It wasn't that he hadn't received a salary, but after working for eight days and taking a day off in between, he could still earn thirty-two yuan!

This is truly the first time!
"Boss, just let me know if you need anything in the future," Ah Wei said politely to Zhou Yan after putting the money away.

"Awei, I'm thirsty. Get me a glass of water," Zhou Yan said.

“Master Zhou, you still need to have some boundaries. I’m your worker, not your slave,” Awei emphasized seriously, handing him a water glass. “Don’t do it again.”

"Okay." Zhou Yan smiled and took the teacup.

Zeng Anrong put the money away and went back to her seat to read.

"Sister Zeng is so disciplined, it's terrifying. She starts studying as soon as she gets off work. Does she also want to take the chef certification exam?" Awei exclaimed as he brought out the chess set.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan looked at Zeng Anrong and stepped forward, saying, "Little Zeng, are you qualified to take the Level 3 chef exam? You joined Qingshen Restaurant at the age of thirteen, so you've been working there for over ten years, right?"

Zeng Anrong looked up and replied, "I have worked at Qingshen Restaurant for thirteen years, and in the kitchen for five years. I may not meet the requirements."

Zhou Yan looked at Awei, "Awei, are there strict requirements for this job?"

Ah Wei scratched his head: "The restrictions on job types don't seem to be that strict. For someone like Sister Zeng, it depends on whether she can pass the final review."

"Why don't you sign up and give it a try?" Zhou Yan asked Zeng Anrong.

"Teacher Zhou, with my current level, isn't it a bit too much to pass the Level 3 exam?" Zeng Anrong asked hesitantly, gripping her pen.

“I think we should sign up and give it a try if we have the chance, just in case,” Zhou Yan said with a smile. “After New Year’s Day, I’ll go to Jiaozhou to ask around and see if we can sign up through the training base. Our restaurant is a privately owned restaurant and we’re not eligible to sign up.”

"but I……"

“Your knife skills and cooking level have a chance to reach level three. Even if you fail the first time, you can still experience the atmosphere of the exam, familiarize yourself with the process, and try again next year. It will also be a valuable experience.” Zhou Yan looked at her and said, “The chef level exam is very strict. It’s normal to fail the first time. Our senior brother Zheng Qiang has been studying cooking for more than ten years and took the exam three times before he passed level three.”

“Brother Zheng is really a bit inexperienced. If it were me, I would definitely have passed on the second try,” Awei added.

Zeng Anrong pursed her lips, not daring to reply or laugh.

The Level 3 chef exam was too far away for her.

At Qingshen Restaurant, experienced chefs were given priority to sign up, followed by younger chefs with good connections who would be recommended for a spot.

But on her first day at Zhou Erwa's restaurant, not only did she receive her salary, but Master Zhou also said he wanted to take her on as an apprentice and recommend her to take the Level 3 chef exam.

It was like a sudden, overwhelming happiness that left her dizzy and disoriented.

“Okay, I’ll do whatever Master Zhou says.” Zeng Anrong nodded. She wasn’t ungrateful; she had a strong desire to seize the opportunity presented to her.

Master Zhou is right. It's okay if you don't pass the test soon; just consider it as gaining experience.

Zhou Yan continued, "The Level 3 exam includes a written test, which covers these three books. Only after passing the written test can you take the practical exam. There's an exam outline for the practical exam. If you successfully register, you can contact me to discuss it."

“Okay.” Zeng Anrong nodded and quickly closed the book in her hand, handing it to Zhou Yan: “Teacher Zhou, please read it first.”

"Look, I can read the second volume first, it's the same." Zhou Yan took the second volume of "Sichuan Cuisine Cooking" from Awei's seat.

“Teacher Zhou, I still love learning too.” Awei said, a little unconvinced.

"Even if you do want to, I'm afraid you'll use it as a sleeping mat and your drool will soak the book up," Zhou Yan said leisurely.

"Never mind, I can't take the exam this year anyway, so you guys can learn first." Awei said while setting up the chessboard, "Teacher Zhou, wanna play a couple of games?"

"No, I want to study." Zhou Yan took a book, sat down at the table next to Zeng Anrong, and began to read it carefully.

Ah Wei moved his lips, a lip-reading gesture that most people could understand.

"By the way, Wei, help boil a big pot of water so that Momo and the others can wash their feet when they get back," Zhou Yan said.

"Okay," Ah Wei replied, getting up and walking towards the kitchen.

Zhou Yan and the others were reading, but Awei got bored after sitting for a while, so he went into the kitchen, grabbed a radish, took out a carving knife, and started carving it.

Half an hour later, Zhou Momo's voice rang out from outside the door.

"Awei! What are you carving?" Zhou Momo ran in and approached Awei's desk.

"Here's the little pig I carved." Ah Wei put down his carving knife, placed the finished pig in his palm, and handed it to Zhou Momo. "Look, doesn't it look like one?"

Zhou Momo's eyes lit up, and she nodded her little head, saying, "So alike! That's amazing, it looks just like you!"

Ah Wei: "..."

I felt like I was being praised, but also like I was being scolded.

I was at a loss for words to comment.

"So cute! It's chubby, just like the big fat pig my grandma raises." Zhou Momo looked it over from all sides, and even reached out her little hand to carefully touch the pig's ears, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

Ah Wei looked at the little guy, such an adorable little thing who didn't even realize it, and smiled as he handed the pig over: "Do you like it? It's yours."

"Really?" Zhou Momo carefully took the radish piglet from her two little hands, cradling it in her palms, and said happily, "Awei! Thank you for your silly little piglet! I love it so much~~"

"You're welcome, you're welcome," Ah Wei said with a smile. The little guy was so cute; a little pig could make him this happy.

He has quite a few special skills, and he can easily make cats and dogs.

"Ah Wei's carving skills are really good. This little pig is so lifelike." Aunt Zhao came in carrying a cloth bag and said with a smile when she saw the little pig in Zhou Momo's hand.

"I've been learning for a few years, but I'm still not skilled enough." Awei put away his carving knife, smiled, and scratched his head. "By the way, Aunt Zhao, there's hot water boiling in the pot. Why don't you soak your feet in it later?"

"Yes, you've thought of everything." Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile.

"You've taken over all my work," Old Zhou said as he pushed his bicycle in.

Ah Wei sighed, "There's nothing I can do. Teacher Zhou and Sister Zeng have to study, and Aunt Zhao and Momo have to do their homework. I'm just waiting for you to come back so we can play chess. You're the only one in the shop who I can play with now. I've already set up the chessboard."

"I'll go get the foot bath water for your aunt and Momo right away, then we'll come downstairs." Old Zhou replied and walked towards the kitchen.

Zhou Momo ran up to Zhou Yan, holding the little pig, and said happily, "Brother, look! Silly little pig~~"

"Yes, it's cute." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. It was indeed carved very realistically, and the eyes were even dotted with charcoal, making them look even more lifelike.

"Momo, come and wash your feet," Aunt Zhao called out.

"Here it comes~~" The little guy ran over with the piglet in his hands, then moved his little stool over. "Mom, I have a question for you."

"No." Aunt Zhao helped her take off her socks, placed her little feet on the back of her feet, and scooped up water with her hands to pour it on her feet. "Is it hot?"

"Hot!" The little guy nodded, his little feet slightly red from the heat.

"Then let it sit for a while longer, I think it'll be just right." Aunt Zhao put her feet on the edge of the foot basin and started soaking them herself.

"Mother……"

"Don't shout, let me have some peace and quiet."

"Tie Ying, what you're doing is wrong."

"Zhou Momo, are you really asking for a beating?"

"The teacher said I have to supervise your studies at home. If you hit me, I'll tell the teacher at school tomorrow!" Zhou Momo crossed her arms, not afraid at all.

"Fine, fine, go ahead and ask," Aunt Zhao said helplessly.

"Xiaoming is 6 years old this year, and Xiaoqiang is 4 years old this year. How much older will Xiaoming be than Xiaoqiang in 2 years?"

"4 is old."

"Wrong! He's still two years old! Tieying, Xiaoqiang will grow up too."

……

In the small restaurant on a winter's day, some were teaching literacy classes, others were preparing for exams, and Old Zhou and Awei sat in the far corner, quietly playing chess, creating a rather warm atmosphere.

Zhou Yan read for a while, and after his body cooled down, he went upstairs to get his clothes, took a shower, started keeping accounts, and took out the food order book to take stock.

"Your father has already ordered pork and tofu from Zhang Laosan and Laifu, and asked them to deliver it to the shop at eight o'clock tomorrow morning," Aunt Zhao said.

"Okay." Zhou Yan replied. He was planning to go out later, and Old Zhou had saved him the trouble.

The total number of tables booked for tomorrow is 42, including 7 banquet tables, which is close to his estimate.

Other non-pre-booked banquets usually have six or seven people per table, clearly indicating that the whole family is out eating so they can go see the cultural performance afterward.

There were fourteen tables at noon, three of which were reserved for banquets, and the rest were all booked for the evening.

Compared to weekday work meals, the meal standards for holiday gatherings are significantly higher.

Braised pork ribs, which are not usually a popular dish, are ordered by almost every table, clearly a dish for children.

Dishes like shredded pork with garlic sauce, which are popular with all ages, are also very popular.

We also ordered a lot of braised meat; snacks are essential for drinking during holidays.

The average order value is much higher than on weekdays.

Forty-two tables, collected 562.6 yuan.

Keep in mind that this revenue was generated without serving breakfast or braised beef.

It has to be a banquet!

Zhou Yan wrote down the quantities of vegetables. Old Zhou will buy the beef tomorrow morning when he goes back to Zhoucun; it will be freshly slaughtered, and he can buy it from whichever shop is best. The pork and tofu will be delivered to our door.

Zhou Yan said to Old Zhou, "Old man, you go back and buy the meat tomorrow morning, I'll go buy the vegetables. It's been a long time since I've been to the morning market." "Okay," Old Zhou replied.

Aunt Zhao and Zhou Momo finished their homework, and Zhou Yan also finished taking stock of the accounts and the groceries to be bought tomorrow.

Ah Wei yawned as he tidied up the chessboard and prepared to go to sleep.

Only Zeng Anrong remained sitting in the corner, reading attentively and taking notes diligently.

"Sister Zeng, aren't you going to rest? Aren't you tired after working all day?" Awei asked her.

"I'm fine, I'm going to read a couple more pages, you guys take a break first." Zeng Anrong replied with a smile, "This book is so well written. Before, I would only choose vegetables by feeling, and when I got the vegetables, I would only think about how to cook them. I never thought about what nutrients different vegetables have, or how to scientifically identify and store them. I've learned a lot."

"I'm completely impressed by your enthusiasm." Ah Wei cupped his hands in greeting, then went to brush his teeth, wash his face, and take a shower.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan smiled slightly. Zeng Anrong's drive was indeed impressive; she could accomplish anything. "Little Zeng, after you finish reading, boil some water yourself. There's a private room in the yard behind the kitchen where you can take a shower. The light is at the kitchen door."

“Okay, Teacher Zhou.” Zeng Anrong nodded. “Then I’ll go wash up after Awei finishes washing up, so as not to make too much noise and disturb your rest.”

"Get some rest. The knowledge you learn needs time to digest before it becomes your own. Otherwise, even if you copy it from the book, it will be difficult to remember much," Zhou Yan said to her.

“I understand,” Zeng Anrong nodded.

Zhou Yan carried the money box upstairs.

Zhou Momo, holding her precious little pig, followed them upstairs.

"Mom, Dad, here's your salary for this month." When they reached the second floor, Zhou Yan called out to the two of them and handed over the money that had just been counted.

"Mom, your basic salary is thirty yuan, this month's commission from the beef jerky is two hundred and sixty yuan, plus a bonus of ten yuan, for a total of three hundred yuan."

“Old man, your basic salary is thirty-eight, your commission from braised food is nine hundred and fifty, and your bonus is twelve yuan. I'll make up the difference to a thousand yuan.”

When Aunt Zhao and Comrade Zhou received the money, their eyes lit up.

"So much? Are you sure you didn't miscalculate?" Aunt Zhao chuckled as she counted the money. "Three hundred a month! My salary, Zhao Tieying's, is higher than the factory manager's?"

After counting the thirty ten-yuan bills, the smiles on his face were radiant.

"Here, count my wages too." Old Zhou handed over the two bundles of money tied with rubber bands.

"Wow, Sanshui! You're making a thousand a month, that'll be a ten-thousand-yuan household in a year!" Aunt Zhao reached out and took the money, feeling the weight in her hand as she laughed, "A thousand yuan, it's still a bit heavy!"

He went over and turned on the room light, pulled a box out from under the bed, put the money in it, and sat down on the edge of the bed to start lighting it.

"Wow! So much money!" Zhou Momo came over, squatted down next to the box, rested her chin on her hands and looked at it for a while. Then she looked up at Old Zhou, hugged his hand and started to whine, "Daddy~~ I want a piece of money, okay?"

Old Zhou was so touched by the shaking that his heart melted. He glanced at Aunt Zhao but didn't dare to reach out.

"Here, take it. You can decide how much to pay for it." Aunt Zhao smiled and stuffed a bill into his hand, but it wasn't a large sum; it was a two-yuan note.

Comrade Zhou glanced at it, hesitated for a moment, and then handed it to Zhou Momo: "Here, take it."

Zhou Momo took the money, happily hugged Old Zhou's neck, and kissed his cheek: "Thank you, Dad~~"

"You're welcome." Old Zhou smiled and patted her head. He had been worried that the little one would complain about the small amount, but he didn't expect her to be so easily satisfied.

"Brother, Mommy and Daddy both have them, so do I have one too?" Zhou Momo turned to look at Zhou Yan, her little face upturned with expectant eyes.

"Come on, Zhou Momo, the top salesperson at Zhou Erwa Restaurant this month, will receive an extra 1.88 yuan bonus and a sales champion certificate in addition to her daily wages, as encouragement!"

Zhou Yan took out a stack of new coins consisting of one-cent and one-cent notes and handed them to Zhou Momo. These were new coins that he had specially chosen.

"Wow! So much money!" Zhou Momo excitedly took the money and continued to look at Zhou Yan with expectant eyes.

"This is the sales champion certificate, Comrade Zhou Momo, please keep it safe." Zhou Yan solemnly handed a hand-drawn small certificate to Zhou Momo.

The little guy put the money aside, took the certificate with both hands, and looked at the party member with a determined look in his eyes.

See? Money is worthless in the face of an award.

This was drawn by Zhou Yan two days in advance, and it's quite neat, exuding a strong sense of ceremony.

"Thank you, bro!" Zhou Momo accepted the certificate.

Comrade Lao Zhou and Aunt Zhao even applauded for her.

Zhou Momo was overjoyed with the certificate and carefully put it into her small suitcase.

After counting the money, Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan and said, "Zhou Yan, isn't this too much salary? Why don't you set a limit? We can't possibly spend all this money."

"The commission was agreed upon beforehand. The more you do, the more commission you get. That's how you increase your motivation," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Besides, the more you earn, the more I earn. There's no upper limit. I'll give you all the commissions you can earn."

Comrade Zhou added, "I think we should listen to Zhou Yan on this matter. If you don't spend all the money, take it to the bank and deposit it. Once you've saved enough, we'll go back and repair the old house."

“That makes sense.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, then turned around and led them to Jiaozhou to open a savings account. He wanted to deposit my money there as well.

“Okay.” Aunt Zhao nodded with a smile, stood up and lowered her voice a bit, “Let me tell you about Zeng’s injury. She got into a conflict with the head chef yesterday when she went to complete her resignation procedures. He and his apprentice pushed her and she hit her head on the stove.”

She had a fiery temper and didn't swallow her anger. The matter escalated to the police station, and the head chef and his apprentice were detained for half a day. Her resignation was processed that same day.

"No wonder, the head chef of this restaurant is a real scoundrel." Zhou Yan mused, knowing that the normal process would definitely not be completed so quickly.

"That's right. They've been bullying honest people for a long time. They never teach her anything. They even make her do chores like mopping the kitchen floor. They even said they'd block her file so she couldn't go anywhere. That's why this happened." Aunt Zhao sighed. "This girl has had a tough time. If you're really willing to take her on as an apprentice, that would be great. She's a hard-working person."

"Okay, I understand." Zhou Yan nodded, turned around and prepared to leave: "Then you guys get some rest, I'm going to sleep too."

"Goodnight, bro~" Zhou Momo ran over, hugged his leg, and said softly with her little face upturned.

"Goodnight." Zhou Yan smiled and patted her head, then closed the door behind him.

Aunt Zhao locked the door from the inside and sat back down on the small stool.

"Didn't you just count it once?" Old Zhou asked Zhao Tieying, who was counting money again, with a puzzled look.

"Not enough counting? Let's count again," Aunt Zhao replied without looking up. "Ten yuan, twenty, thirty..."

On the other side, Zhou Momo opened her cookie tin and started counting too: "One cent, two cents, one dime and two cents..."

Comrade Zhou shook his head helplessly, got into bed, warmed the blankets first, and then took out the "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties" that Zhou Yangang had lent him that day from the bedside to read.

……

Xia Yao drew two pictures and wrote three letters tonight.

One letter was for Deng Hong, one for Zhu Yuyu, and another for her mother.

She couldn't help but want to tell all her closest people about her relationship with Zhou Yan.

Putting down her pen, Xia Yao read through the letter she had written to her mother. She hesitated for a moment, but her resolve was quickly replaced by determination.

"Mom will be very surprised when she sees this, I wonder what Dad's reaction will be." Xia Yao put the letter into the envelope and smiled. "If they meet Zhou Yan, they should like him too."

……

"Xia Yao is dating Zhou Yan, aren't you going to tell your sister?" Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, looking at Meng Anhe who was sitting on the edge of the bed applying moisturizer.

“It’s not my place to report this. With Yao Yao’s personality, she’ll write a letter about it herself.” Meng Anhe said with a smile, “If I write a letter about this, Old Xia might think that I’m the matchmaker, and that would be so unfair to me.”

“That makes sense. If Lao Xia knew this news, he would definitely be upset. We need to stay away from him.” Lin Zhiqiang nodded in deep agreement, a mischievous smile on his face.

"That Zhou kid is pretty brave. I thought he wouldn't dare to confess." Meng Anhe crawled into bed.

“Yes, Yao Yao’s internship is almost over. If she goes to work in Hong Kong, she’ll be in a new environment, meeting new people and things. She might not be able to come back to Jiaozhou.” Lin Zhiqiang nodded in agreement.

“Then you’re underestimating our Yao Yao. Once she sets her mind on someone, she’ll definitely come back, even if it’s not Hong Kong, let alone America.” Meng Anhe said with a smile, “She’s more of an idealist and not so materialistic. She went to Licheng Group with a learning mindset. If it weren’t for the promise of being sent back, she probably wouldn’t have agreed.”

I believe that.

……

Zhou Yan woke up at 6:30, picked up the clock on the bedside table, glanced at it, and stayed in the warm bed for another half hour before getting up.

Zhou Yan went downstairs and found the corner light on. Zeng Anrong was sitting there, reading a book softly.

"Xiao Zeng, are you up so early to memorize your lessons?" Zhou Yan asked, somewhat surprised.

"Teacher Zhou, did I disturb you?" Zeng Anrong quickly stood up, her expression showing a hint of nervousness and guilt.

"No, your voice is barely louder than a mosquito's buzz. Who could you possibly wake up?" Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile, looking at her and asking, "What time did you get up? Not used to the new bed?"

"I got up at 5:30. I slept well. The bed was very comfortable. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, listening to the sound of the river," Zeng Anrong said. "However, I'm used to getting up early. I used to get up at 5 a.m. every day to help prepare breakfast ingredients at the restaurant."

“Okay, you keep watching. I’m going for a run.” Zhou Yan nodded, opened the door, and went out to jog two kilometers along the riverbank.

At seven o'clock, it was already light, but there was fog on the river today, making the air quite humid and exceptionally fresh. I felt very refreshed after the run.

When Zhou Yan returned to the hotel, Awei had just come downstairs when he saw Zeng Anrong sitting in the corner reading a book. He blinked and asked, "Wait, Sister Zeng, you didn't sleep last night?"

“She’s asleep,” Zeng Anrong replied.

"No, she was sitting here reading like this when I went upstairs to sleep yesterday, and she was still sitting here reading when I came downstairs this morning." Awei looked at Zhou Yan with a hurt expression.

"Chef Zhou, do you really have to study this hard to become a chef? I chose to become a chef in the first place so I wouldn't have to study!"

"Has the world changed?"

　There will be another update later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)