1996: Starting from a bankrupt farmhouse restaurant

Chapter 120 The Enthusiastic Old Lady

"Don't just stand there, come with me, we're only at the beginning," my uncle urged with a relaxed expression.

My uncle is unmarried, so he only needs to eat and has no family to worry about. Besides, his parents take care of him, so he doesn't have that kind of trouble.

The group followed their uncle through the back door of the front hall, passed through the front hall, and arrived at the main entrance of the restaurant.

They moved quietly during the process because the diners didn't look like people from the surrounding rural areas; they were all well-dressed, and some looked like truck drivers. I've heard that truck drivers are very rich.

They ate along the national highway, and when they saw a pretty waitress, they hooked up with her and left.

Others were dressed in suits and looked like leaders of nearby factories. I heard they were very generous and their secretaries were their concubines.

In just a few seconds, all sorts of rumors and hearsay took root in the minds of my second aunt and the others, making them think that no one with money was a good person.

The front-of-house staff walk incredibly fast, almost as if they're flying.

But they held the plates very steadily, and not a drop of soup spilled.

When you get to the restaurant entrance, it's even more impressive; the open space in front is packed with cars.

Semi-trailers, light trucks, Changhe trucks, Daihatsu trucks—these are all impressive vehicles, and there are even four-ring logos that I don't recognize; they all look very expensive.

The two sons-in-law stood with their arms crossed, studying the situation for a long time. The uncle had already walked quite a distance ahead, but when he turned around, he found them still standing at the door.

He was so angry that he ran back in a flash, urging, "What's there to see at the entrance? The other shops are over there! See Sister Lu's Spicy Hot Pot? The one with the sunshade at the entrance, that's Xiao Yuan's."

Only then did everyone look over, and dozens of meters away, the area under the pergola was also full of people.

After getting closer to their uncle, their psychological pressure lessened considerably.

Because the people at Sister Lu's Mala Tang restaurant are mostly dressed like farmers, and there are very few fashionable city people.

Some of them were eating spicy hot pot, and some were eating cold noodles. Judging from the red oil all over their mouths, you could tell that the food must taste amazing.

My second aunt, who was directing the waiters to quickly clear the tables at the door, saw my uncle and immediately greeted him, "Brother Hero, are these Xiao Yuan's maternal grandfather and the others?"

"Yes, Second Sister-in-law, you go about your business, I'll show them around," the uncle replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, my second aunt jogged over, greeted my grandfather and the others, and then insisted on pulling them to sit at a table that had just become available.

"Xiao Yuan and Ying Hong must be too busy to move right now. You guys sit here and rest for a while. I'll ask my sister-in-law to cook some spicy hot pot for everyone. It tastes amazing."

"Second sister-in-law, you go about your business, you really don't need to worry about us!" The uncle declined repeatedly, afraid of troubling her.

The second aunt responded even more forcefully, pressing each of them down into a chair, and said with a smile, "Of all these shops, the mala tang shop is the least busy, so you can all just relax and wait."

"Aunt Guan, make a few plates of cold noodles for Grandpa Xiaoyuan and the others!" Second Aunt said as she entered the room.

She then went straight to the kitchen and said to the old woman who was scooping out vegetables, "Sister-in-law, Xiao Yuan's maternal grandfather and his family are here. I reckon Xiao Yuan won't have time to greet them. Could you cook some spicy hot pot for them?"

"Of course! I'll go say hello to them first!"

The old lady quickly scooped the vegetables into the prepared soup, sprinkled on some cilantro, roasted sesame seeds, and peanuts, and directed the waiter to take it out.

Then she picked up her apron, wiped her hands, and went outside to greet her grandparents warmly.

In rural areas, visiting relatives or in-laws is a grand affair.

As the eldest daughter-in-law of Lu Yuan's grandfather's branch of the family, she was practically half the master of the house.

Moreover, Lu Yuan is now the backbone of everyone, and with his grandfather coming, everyone will definitely greet him even more warmly.

A personal greeting isn't enough; good tea, fruit, and pastries must be served first.

When they came out, the old lady asked Lu Hua to go home and get some covered bowls to make eight-treasure tea for everyone.

They also demanded that lots of rock sugar be added, so that every sip was sweet enough to reach the back of one's throat.

Eight Treasure Tea is a traditional tea drink served to guests in northern China. There is a similar tea drink in Gansu Province called Sanpaotai, which is very similar in form.

In northern China, the Eight Treasure Tea is traditionally served in a covered bowl, hence the name "Gaiwan Tea" (covered bowl tea).

Gaiwans are not unusual; in the old days, most places used gaiwans for drinking tea.

A gaiwan has three parts: a base, a bowl, and a lid. The base keeps it cool, and the lid helps to skim off the tea leaves.

Eight Treasure Tea, as the name suggests, has eight ingredients: goji berries, red dates, longan, walnuts, white sesame seeds, raisins, rock sugar, and tea leaves.

Actually, the ingredients aren't fixed. Some also include dried apples and jujubes. Any dried fruit or nuts will do.

Eight Treasure Tea is sweet but not cloying, refreshing and with a lingering aftertaste. It has no bitterness, and one sip is full of nutty and floral aromas.

Later generations developed many new flavors, such as adding rose jam, mulberry, and chrysanthemum, which are also very delicious.

Before long, Lu Hua brought a large plate of covered bowls to the table, which were already filled with eight-treasure tea.

When you gently shake the gaiwan, a faint fruity aroma can be released from the gaps.

Then, my aunt brought out a plate of watermelon and peaches, as it's customary to serve seasonal fruits to guests.

After returning to the front desk, Lu Hua brought out the fried dough cakes, dumplings, and pastries she had just retrieved from home.

Zizi is a common snack served to guests in rural northern China. Like fried dough cakes, it is deep-fried.

The difference is that the fried dough sticks and fried dough twists are fried to be drier and can be stored for a longer time.

My uncle's large table was laden with eight-treasure tea, fruit, and pastries, showing him considerable respect.

Grandpa sat in the main seat, beaming from ear to ear.

The diners at the surrounding tables all glanced over curiously, wondering what kind of relative this was to the owner, that he had such a big influence.

My second aunt and her family were also a little overwhelmed by the enthusiasm shown by my eldest aunt and the others.

Aunt Guan's cold noodles were already prepared, but tea and snacks weren't served yet; it was a bit irregular to start eating right away.

After her grandfather and the others had a few sips of tea and some fruit and pastries, she personally brought out the cold noodles.

She didn't mix it for everyone, since there was more spicy hot pot and other dishes that the older woman had arranged later; the cold noodles were just an appetizer.

Cold skin noodles are perfect for eating on a hot day like this.

Everyone couldn't resist picking up a chopstick, slurping it up; it was smooth, chewy, and incredibly spicy and sour.

"So delicious!" My second aunt loves liangpi (cold skin noodles) and mala tang (spicy hot pot) the most. Among all the liangpi she has ever eaten, this is definitely number one.

"Hero, is this something Xiao Yuan researched too?" Auntie took another bite, a little doubtful.

Logically speaking, it's expected that Chinese chefs can cook delicious food.

But liangpi is a street food, and these days Chinese chefs don't even look at it. How did they come up with such a delicious liangpi?

Uncle took a sip of tea with a nonchalant air and said, "Liangpi (cold skin noodles), mala tang (spicy hot pot), stir-fries—Sister Lu, Uncle Lu, and Old Man Lu, all were researched and developed by Xiao Yuan."

As he spoke, the old man pointed to Uncle Lu and Old Man Lu next door.

Looking out the windows, both shops were packed, with people constantly going in.

"Xiao Yuan's own shop only sells stir-fries, so why are Uncle Lu and Old Man Lu also selling stir-fries? Isn't this like fighting with your own hands?"

My aunt looked puzzled, and everyone else nodded in agreement, sharing the same question.

My uncle put down his teacup, shook his head, and said, "I don't know, but every single one of these shops that opens becomes a hit. I'm also curious where all these people come from to eat here?"

"By the way, wasn't this the Wang family's shop before? How did it end up with Xiao Yuan?" Auntie asked, remembering something.

The uncle said, "The Wang family was unruly, so they were dealt with by Old Master Lu."

"Grandpa is amazing!" Grandpa suddenly exclaimed. As he got older, he realized that it was rare to live so long and still be so clear-headed.

Everyone was completely astonished by Lu Yuan's actions, and now they felt a sense of calm after envy and jealousy.

Compared to them, they couldn't even understand what Lu Yuan was doing, so what was there to envy?

Just then, Second Aunt and Lu Hua personally carried two large basins of spicy hot pot and placed them on the table.

My grandfather and his entourage were quite large, and one bowl wasn't enough, so they simply brought out two bowls so everyone could eat to their heart's content.

The aroma of the spicy hot pot immediately attracted everyone's attention the moment it was served.

The soup is glossy and reddish-brown, sprinkled with dense sesame seeds and bright green cilantro.

Even my grandfather, an elderly man, couldn't help but swallow.