1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 352 My own girlfriend, go ahead and flirt with her (6k words combined)

"Okay, do you want to eat it now or take it home?"

"Ye'erba should be eaten hot. It's best to eat it right now. If you want to take it home, I'll pack it up for you. You can reheat it when you get home, or you can put it on top when you're steaming rice."

The proprietress said with a smile, and while looking at Xia Yao, she couldn't help but praise her: "This girl is so pretty, so fair and clean."

"Thank you, Auntie." Xia Yao smiled; who doesn't love to hear compliments?

"Eat now, no need to pretend," Zhou Yan said with a smile, handing over seven cents.

The medium-sized steamer is placed on top of a large coal stove, which is then mounted on a tricycle. Steam rises from the steamer, and the food is sold fresh. It looks like several steamers have already been sold.

"Be careful, it's hot." The proprietress took the money, pinched the leaves, put the four leaf-wrapped rice cakes in an oil paper bag, and handed them directly to Zhou Yan, not forgetting to introduce them to him: "This one is red bean paste, this one is walnut, this one is fresh meat, and this one is cured meat."

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile, then looked at Xia Yao and asked, "Which flavor would you like to try?"

"I want to eat red bean paste. I love red bean paste pastries," Xia Yao said, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Here you go." Zhou Yan handed her the red bean paste leaf cake. The freshly steamed leaf cake was crystal clear, and the thin skin revealed the red bean paste base color.

【A really good red bean paste leaf-wrapped rice cake】

Xia Yao reached out and took it. It was still a little hot to the touch through the leaf. Holding it in her hand, she thought it was a soft, squishy little thing, and it even looked kind of cute.

She blew on it, took a bite, and her eyes widened immediately.

The skin of Ye'erba is soft and chewy, very bouncy, moist and refreshing. It's a thin layer, and when you bite into it, you'll find it filled with sweet and delicate red bean paste.

It's a little hot, but...it's so delicious!
She has absolutely no resistance to these soft and cuddly little things.

It has a very chewy texture, but it's not sticky at all, and it's sweet and refreshing.

"The red bean paste filling is so delicious." Xia Yao looked up at Zhou Yan and said with a smile, "Do you want some?"

Zhou Yan looked at the half-eaten red bean leaf cake in her hand and swallowed hard.

"What are you thinking? If you want to eat, I'll buy you another one." Xia Yao reached out and gently punched his chest, her face slightly flushed, and whispered a reproachful tone.

"Then I won't, I'll just try one with cured pork filling," Zhou Yan said with a smile, picking up a leaf-wrapped rice cake and taking a bite.

The thin-skinned, generously filled Ye'erba has a soft and glutinous texture. One bite reveals a filling of cured pork and pickled mustard greens, which is fragrant and oily. The combination of cured pork and pickled mustard greens is a match made in heaven.

The cured pork was pre-cooked, so the saltiness wasn't too pronounced. The pickled mustard greens absorbed all the oil from the cured pork, making them moist and flavorful. After steaming, the taste was absolutely amazing.

[An extremely delicious cured pork and pickled mustard greens rice cake]

Yes, the appraisal results are quite in line with Zhou Yan's expectations.

In addition, this leaf cake has a unique fragrance of large-leafed clematis leaves.

Ye'erba is made with a skin of glutinous rice and regular rice, and it's a bit like tangyuan (glutinous rice balls).

Sichuan's glutinous rice balls have strange and unusual flavors, especially the savory ones, which can be filled with almost anything.

However, compared to glutinous rice balls, leaf-wrapped rice cakes are larger and, when placed on a leaf, take on a plump oval shape.

"The taste is alright, isn't it? I've been here for two months now, and lots of regular customers come to eat. I steam three or four baskets a day, and today, for the holiday, I made eight baskets. I think I can sell them all." The proprietress said with a smile, her tone full of pride and confidence.

"Mmm, so delicious! It's so sticky and the red bean paste is cooked perfectly, so fragrant and sweet," Xia Yao said with a smile, her voice full of delight.

"This girl is speaking Mandarin? Is she from out of town?" the proprietress asked with a smile.

Xia Yao said, "My family is from Hangzhou, but I studied in Chongqing and am doing an internship here."

"That's so far! You must have never had 'Ye'erba' before," the proprietress said, lifting the lid of the steamer and handing Xia Yao a red bean paste-filled 'Ye'erba'. "Here, if you like it, I'll give you another one with red bean paste filling."

Xia Yao quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need, Auntie, I've already had breakfast, I can't eat any more."

"It's alright, just heat it up when you get home, it'll taste just as good next time," the proprietress said with a smile, and stuffed the Ye'erba directly into Zhou Yan's hand, "You take it, her skin is delicate, so she won't get burned."

“Okay, I’m tough, I’m not afraid of getting burned.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

"Thank you, Auntie." Xia Yao said a little shyly but with a lot of gratitude, feeling that the glutinous rice cake in her hand smelled even better.

"You're welcome. I made it myself; it just took a little effort," the proprietress waved her hand dismissively.

"Auntie, your leaf-wrapped rice cakes with pickled mustard greens and cured pork filling are also delicious. The pickled mustard greens are authentic Yibin pickled mustard greens, and the filling is very fragrant. Moreover, they don't stick to your teeth or the leaves at all. They're so well made," Zhou Yan praised.

"Hmm, you young man, you do know a thing or two. The best Ye'erba from Qingxi Town is so delicious that it doesn't stick to the plate, chopsticks, or teeth—it's three-no-stick." The proprietress gave him an approving look. "No wonder you found such a beautiful and eloquent girlfriend."

"I love what the proprietress said. Give me six more red bean paste leaf cakes and nine more cured pork leaf cakes. I'll pack them up and let my family try them." Zhou Yan reached for his wallet.

"Do you really want that much?" the proprietress asked, looking at him.

"Money." Zhou Yan handed over two yuan and fifty cents.

"Okay, I'll pack it for you!" The proprietress replied with a smile, and immediately put the Ye'erba (a type of steamed bun) in an oil paper bag for him. "If you like it, come again next time. I've been a farmer for half my life and I've always dreamed of being a boss. I never thought that I would become a boss selling Ye'erba at the age of forty."

"Okay, I'll come again next time." Zhou Yan picked up the Ye'erba.

"Goodbye, Auntie," Xia Yao said, smiling as she followed Zhou Yan.

"Would you like to try other flavors?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile as he watched her finish the glutinous rice cake in her hand.

"No, I'm already full." Xia Yao shook her head with a smile on her face: "But it really is delicious, a chewy little dessert, not quite what I imagined."

Zhou Yan said, "The meat filling is also quite fragrant. Why don't you eat it at the shop for lunch? You can put it on top of the rice and steam it for a while. It will taste just as good once it's heated up."

"Okay, then I won't stand on ceremony." Xia Yao nodded.

Continuing on, Zhou Yan bought two green cabbages, two bunches of celery, and two cabbages.

Vegetables are very cheap, and Zhou Yan usually doesn't haggle with the farmers selling them, since the cost is already included in the price.

After packing the vegetables into his basket, Zhou Yan stood up and saw Xia Yao taking a straw dragonfly from an old man's hand. She turned back to Zhou Yan and smiled, "Look, it's so beautifully woven, so lifelike, and it only costs two cents!"

"Yes, it looks good." Zhou Yan nodded; the old man was also a craftsman.

"Going to the market is so much fun! It feels like you can buy anything there, and the prices are so cheap, much cheaper than at the supply and marketing cooperative." Xia Yao followed Zhou Yan, looking around.

“This is the most important trade link at the township level. Prosperity means that everyone’s life is gradually getting better.” Zhou Yan saw the tofu sign and reached out to take Xia Yao’s hand, leading her in that direction.

The sign for Silent Tofu still stands in front of the tofu stall, and only two pieces of tofu remain unsold on the small table.

A pretty good piece of soft tofu

Zhou Yan glanced at the appraiser, who had already given his assessment.

I haven't been to the morning market for a month. Laifu's tender tofu has improved a lot!

Zhou Yan arrived at the tofu stall. Besides Lai Fu, there was another person sitting behind the stall.

"Grandma, are you helping out at the tofu stall too?" Zhou Yan said with a smile, looking at the old lady sitting behind the tofu stall.

Zhang Lihua looked up at the sound and immediately smiled when she saw Zhou Yan. They said in unison, "Zhou Yan is here! It's been so long since we've seen you."

Laifu stood up as well, a smile appearing on his handsome face.

"I've been so busy making steamed buns in the mornings lately that I haven't been to the morning market in ages," Zhou Yan explained with a smile.

Zhang Lihua looked at Xia Yao, who was holding Zhou Yan's hand, and asked with a smile, "Who is this little darling?"

"Xia Yao, this is my girlfriend," Zhou Yan introduced with a smile.

He then introduced Xia Yao, saying, "This is my great-aunt, my grandmother's cousin, and this is my cousin Laifu, my great-aunt's grandson."

"Grandma, cousin, hello." Xia Yao smiled gracefully.

"Hello, hello." Zhang Lihua nodded with a smile. "You're so cute."

Lai Fu pointed at Xia Yao with one hand, and made a fist with the other, extending his thumb upwards.

“Laifu…” Xia Yao hesitated.

“Laifu is deaf and mute.” Zhou Yan pointed to the sign next to him. “He now works with his aunt to make and sell tofu, supporting himself.”

Xia Yao looked at the familiar handwriting and realized that this was the signboard Zhou Yan had written for him, so she nodded slightly.

"Here, these are freshly bought leaf-wrapped rice cakes, still warm. Auntie, Laifu, you two have one each." Zhou Yan handed the fresh meat leaf-wrapped rice cake to his auntie and the walnut leaf-wrapped rice cake to Laifu.

"We've already had breakfast."

"Just have a taste." Zhou Yan smiled and stuffed the Ye'erba into their hands, then patted Laifu's arm and said with a smile, "You've gained weight, you're much stronger than before."

Lai Fu smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"I've been eating more lately and have gained some weight. Now I can grind beans again, and I'm much stronger than before," Zhang Lihua said with some relief.

"Auntie, how are your legs and eyes now? Have you gone to get your medicine recently?" Zhou Yan asked Zhang Lihua.

Zhang Lihua said, "I'm much better now. My legs don't hurt much as long as I don't exert myself. I've been walking slowly to town these past two days without any problems. My eyesight is almost better too, but I can't see very clearly in the dark. I use a bottle of eye drops every week now, but otherwise, there's nothing wrong."

"That's great. As long as it doesn't disrupt our normal lives, that's the best outcome." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. "No wonder the production of dried bean curd sticks has increased so much recently."

“It’s all thanks to you and Sister Shufen, otherwise we orphans and widows would have been wiped out long ago.” Zhang Lihua held Zhou Yan’s hand and said with red eyes, “Now I can see again, and my legs are more mobile. Laifu has learned to make tofu and can earn money. Life is getting better every day.”

"Auntie, we're family, let's not talk about these things." Zhou Yan smiled and patted the back of her hand. "I came over to pick up some tofu on my way back, two trays here, right?"

“Yes, those are the two boards.” Zhang Lihua nodded. “We originally planned to have Laifu carry them over for you, but Sanshui said he would take them back on his way here, so we don’t have to make the trip.”

“That’s how it is, it’s more convenient for us to have a car.” Zhou Yan put two slabs of tofu into the basket, placed the vegetables that couldn’t be weighed down on top, and paid the money at the same time. “Has no one in the village been bothering you lately?” Zhou Yan put the basket back on his back.

Zhang Lihua shook her head and said, "No, they know that my family has relatives in Zhoucun, so they are much more polite to us now. Gu Changgui and his wife also avoid us when they see us."

“Alright, if anyone comes looking for trouble again, just have Laifu come find me. We have a lot of brothers, we can easily call a dozen or twenty. Auntie, we'll go buy groceries now, we still need to prepare braised meat when we get back,” Zhou Yan said.

“Okay, take care.” Zhang Lihua nodded.

Laifu waved to the two of them.

"Laifu's parents..." Xia Yao asked softly as the two walked away.

“Last year, when Suji was flooded, Laifu’s parents were delivering tofu and were swept away. They both died. His great-aunt, an elderly woman, lost her son, and with a deaf-mute grandson, she was nearly blind from crying.” Zhou Yan sighed. “I also happened to meet Laifu at the morning market, back then…”

Zhou Yan briefly explained Lai Fu and his aunt's situation to Xia Yao.

Xia Yao sighed after hearing this, but quickly added, "But they are still lucky to have met you and Grandma, and their lives are getting better and better now. I see light in their eyes, and they are full of hope for the future."

"I'm actually quite happy too. Seeing them getting better and better makes me feel like I've done something meaningful." Zhou Yan smiled as well. Seeing Lai Fu and his aunt's condition today was even more vivid than what Old Zhou had described.

Whether as a relative or as a core supplier for Zhou Erwa's restaurant, he wanted them to have a better life.

Further along, Zhou Yan bought a few more dishes and ordered four chickens.

"Boss Lin, I'll take these four chickens, but I can't carry them back. Can you deliver them to Zhou Erwa's restaurant near the textile factory?" Zhou Yan asked the owner after selecting four young roosters.

"Sure! Boss Zhou, I'll deliver it to you right now! You can pay when it arrives. Next time you want chicken, just let me know, and I'll send you the best ones." Lin Shoucheng readily agreed.

This wasn't the first time Zhou Yan had bought chicken from him. He was a regular customer who paid promptly. Zhou Erwa's restaurant was doing well, and if they could establish a long-term relationship, he would become a big customer.

Zhang Laosan, who lives near the bridge, is now the main pork supplier for Zhou Erwa's restaurant.

Every day, he delivers over a hundred pounds of pork to Zhou Erwa's restaurant, earning at least ten yuan.

This made the knife makers in Suji extremely envious.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan looked at Lin Shoucheng and smiled, saying, "Mr. Lin, are you looking to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with me?"

"If Boss Zhou is willing, I would be more than happy to oblige," Lin Shoucheng said quickly.

Zhou Yan said, "Your chickens are indeed quite good, but if we want to cooperate long-term, we'll definitely need to discuss the price further."

Lin Shoucheng nodded and said, "If Boss Zhou wants to buy regularly, the price can be reduced by one cent, to nine cents per pound. I just leased a piece of forest and am preparing to expand my breeding scale. I will raise chickens, ducks, and geese, and I guarantee that they will all be high-quality free-range chickens."

“Okay, then let’s go for 90 cents a pound.” Zhou Yan nodded, then added, “But all the chickens delivered to my shop have to be of this quality. I won’t accept chickens that don’t meet the quality standards. Let me be upfront to avoid any disputes later.”

Lin Shoucheng nodded: "Okay, I know Boss Zhou has high standards, so I will definitely deliver the goods to you with guaranteed quality and quantity. If Boss Zhou doesn't like them, I will take them away without any questions."

“Okay, it’s settled then.” Zhou Yan nodded.

Xia Yao watched from the sidelines the whole time. Zhou Yan looked quite serious when he was talking about serious matters, and he had a kind of imposing presence.

After buying the groceries, Zhou Yan led her back home.

Passing by a used bookstore, Xia Yao stopped for a while, took out her money and bought a yellowed comic book.

After taking a few steps forward, she couldn't help but excitedly say to Zhou Yan, "This is Ren Luying's 'Legend of the White Snake,' published by People's Fine Arts Publishing House. It's a colorful comic book. I've been searching for it for ages at all the bookstores in the city, but I couldn't find it. I never expected to come across it at the market today!"

Zhou Yan asked curiously, "Is this comic book special?"

Xia Yao nodded: "Yes, it's very special. Mr. Ren Luying's painting of the White Snake Lady is beautiful yet strong, not the usual weak and affected appearance of a beautiful woman. Moreover, the colors are elegant and vigorous, the colors are bright, the shape is clear, and the composition is appropriate. It is quite artistic!"

As she spoke, she unfolded the comic book for Zhou Yan to see: "Look at this scene of weathering the storm together, it's drawn so beautifully!"

"Yes, it's really good." Zhou Yan didn't understand art, but he could tell from Xia Yao's expression that she liked the comic book. He put his arm around her shoulder and dodged the old man carrying his basket who was rushing around next to them.

"I'll read it again when we get back. I'm sure Momo will like it too." Xia Yao closed the comic book, clutching it tightly in her hand, unable to hide the smile on her lips. This was truly an unexpected delight.

Back at Zhang Laosan's stall, Zhou Yan hung his basket on the back of the bicycle, greeted Zhang Laosan, and slowly rode towards the restaurant with Xia Yao.

"Going to the market is so much fun! They have everything! I'm so happy!" Xia Yao said with a smile, her arm around Zhou Yan's waist.

"I'll take you next time I have time," Zhou Yan said.

"Okay." Xia Yao nodded with a smile, slipping her hand inside the buttons of her cotton-padded jacket. Through the chef's uniform, the lines of her muscles were so clearly visible, like a sculpture. She couldn't help but stroke them a couple of times.

However, she quickly realized what she was doing, her hand immediately stopped, and she silently took it out of her coat, not daring to move it again.

Her ears were slightly red, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.

Zhou Yan's body stiffened slightly, feeling that he had been harassed.

But what can be done?

Go ahead and flirt with your girlfriend as much as you want.

Getting angry.

Back at the hotel, Xia Yao jumped out of the car, carrying a comic book and a piece of Ye'erba (a type of rice cake) into the hotel, followed by Zhou Yan pushing his bicycle.

"Sister Yao Yao, what are you holding? A comic book?" Zhou Momo came closer and stared at the comic book in Xia Yao's hand.

"Hmm, which do you want, the comic book version of 'The Legend of the White Snake' or the Ye'erba?" Xia Yao asked with a smile.

"I..." The little guy's eyes darted frantically between the two, and he said, "Can I eat Ye'erba while reading picture books?"

Zhou Yan stopped the car, glanced at Zhou Momo, and thought to himself, "This little one is really something, already thinking about choices at such a young age."

"You're such a clever little devil." Xia Yao nodded with a smile, touching the steamed bun in her hand. "But the steamed bun is a bit cold. Let your brother steam it for you before you eat it. Do you want it sweet or savory?"

"It's sweet!" Zhou Momo said without hesitation.

"Here, give it to me." Zhou Yan walked over with a smile, took the oil paper bag from Xia Yao's hand, and looked at Zhao Niangniang, Awei, Zeng Anrong and the others, saying, "One leaf-wrapped rice cake with red bean filling and one with preserved meat and pickled mustard greens filling, each of you. Sign up quickly if you want which flavor, and I'll heat it up for you."

"I want the preserved pork and pickled mustard greens filling!" Ah Wei responded immediately.

"I want it salty too," said Comrade Zhou.

“I’ll have the red bean filling,” Aunt Zhao said.

Zhou Yan looked at Zeng Anrong.

“Then I’ll have the red bean filling too,” Zeng Anrong said.

"Okay, I'll go steam them for you." Zhou Yan walked towards the kitchen, carrying the bamboo basket inside with him.

Zeng Anrong and Awei had already prepared all the ingredients for the braised meat, and the two of them followed into the kitchen.

"Awei, start the fire, and get the fire in the braising pot burning too," Zhou Yan said.

"Okay," Ah Wei replied, and immediately crawled behind the stove.

Ladle a ladle of water into a large pot, make a simple stand with three chopsticks, place the plate containing the glutinous rice cakes on it, and then put the lid on.

Today's braised meat is supplied on demand; in addition to those who order, we also need to supply Jie Ge, Zhou Hongwei, and Feiyan Restaurant.

Today is a holiday, so we specifically increased the demand yesterday.

Even the braised pig's head meat that Zhou Hongwei ordered amounted to twenty jin (approximately 10 kg), showing a strong determination to open up the market during the New Year's Day holiday.

Zhou Yan started braising meat, and today he truly felt the benefits of having more chefs.

I took Xia Yao to the morning market and came back without delaying anything.

Put the braised meat in the pot and set the alarm clock.

Zhou Yan took the vegetables out of the basket one by one.

I checked the two pieces of soft tofu first, and after confirming that they were not broken, I felt relieved.

"Boss Zhou!" Lin Shoucheng's voice rang out from outside the door.

"It's here." Zhou Yan told Awei to keep an eye on the steaming rice cakes in the pot, then quickly went out.

At the entrance, Lin Shoucheng stood in front of the tricycle, inside which were the four chickens that Zhou Yan had picked out earlier.

"Boss Zhou, I just weighed the chicken. It weighed 12.2 jin (6.6 catties). Let's call it 12 jin. I'll charge it at 9 mao (0.9 yuan), so it's 10.8 yuan." Lin Shoucheng said with a smile, "Do you want to weigh it again?"

"Let this old man handle it all," Zhou Yan said.

Comrade Zhou stepped forward, lifted the chicken off the truck, and said, "Twelve catties, two ounces, and five mace."

"Old Zhou, you're amazing! You can even tell the difference between five coins." Lin Shoucheng was quite surprised to hear this. He had known Old Zhou for a while and really didn't know he had this skill.

"This isn't something anyone can do with their hands," Old Zhou said calmly, putting the chicken aside and turning around, his mouth already crooked.

"Eleven yuan, count it. Since the price is discounted, there's no need to wipe the scale." Zhou Yan counted the money and handed it to Lin Shoucheng.

"Okay, Mr. Zhou is so straightforward." Lin Shoucheng counted the money, put it in his pocket, and said with a smile, "Next time you want chicken, just tell me, and I'll deliver it to your door, one chicken at a time."

“Okay, I’ll come to you again next time.” Zhou Yan nodded.

When Zhou Yan entered, Zhou Momo was already holding a glutinous rice cake and taking small bites of it.

"Brother, the leaf-wrapped rice cake is so delicious~~ Is the red bean paste made by sugar? It's so sweet!" Zhou Momo asked him in her childish voice.

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(End of this chapter)