1996: Starting from a bankrupt farmhouse restaurant

Chapter 125 Roast Duck

Zhao Yan clenched her fists, but still held back, wrinkling her nose as she said, "Hey Boss Lu, can you please stop thinking of me as a glutton!"

Then she crossed her arms, mirroring Lu Yuan's gesture, and slightly raised her head, a hint of pride in her eyes: "What I mean is, I can paint murals; I'm a professional!"

Lu Yuan knew, of course, that wasn't what she meant, but he couldn't help wanting to tease her.

Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You scared me to death! I thought you were going to steal food from the children!"

"You!" Zhao Yan couldn't help but raise her fist after being teased by Lu Yuan.

"Haha!" Lu Yuan laughed and ran away. If he kept teasing her, he was afraid Zhao Yan would really hit him.

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The next morning, Lu Yuan got up and, as usual, sat in the courtyard to wake himself up.

But he found that Zhao Yan had already gotten up and was sitting right in front of him, sketching the sunflowers in the corner with her easel.

Zhao Yan still had her hair tied in a neat high ponytail, wearing a tight-fitting sweatshirt on top and casual trousers on the bottom.

The morning light shone on her profile, creating a soft, intermittent glow. Even though her features were not clearly visible, she still looked incredibly beautiful.

After drawing for a while, Zhao Yan suddenly stopped drawing, put away her drawing board, and strode towards Lu Yuan.

It wasn't until Zhaoyan completely blocked out the morning light that he could see her face clearly. She seemed a little swollen from sleeping and had a bit of baby fat.

Zhao Yan turned the drawing board towards Lu Yuan, and a sketch of sunflowers vividly appeared on the paper.

"I told you I'm a professional!" Zhao Yan raised her head with a hint of smugness. "Let me paint the mural!"

"Sure! Plenty of steamed buns, go ahead and draw!" Lu Yuan readily agreed, eager to contribute his labor.

Just then, a shoe suddenly flew over and hit Lu Yuan's leg.

Wei Yinghong stood at the door and yelled, "Get out and make breakfast! You dare try to fool Yan Yan with steamed buns? I'll teach you a lesson!"

Lu Yuan suddenly felt exhausted and disillusioned; Wei Yinghong hadn't disciplined him in a long time.

But since Zhaoyan came back yesterday, his mother has scolded him twice.

A mother's love will eventually disappear!

Breakfast? We never had this before.

Since Zhao Yan came, her eating habits have been adjusted. Lu Yuan feels that his mother needs to clarify who her biological child is!

When Lu Yuan went to the kitchen feeling depressed, he ran into Lu Hua, who had come looking for him.

Lu Hua said with a worried look, "I contacted several greenhouse builders, but none of them were willing to pay in installments. They said the bill had to be settled before the greenhouse was finished."

Lu Yuan frowned as well; setting up a greenhouse was indeed a rather tricky matter.

Saving up money can indeed get you started, but it will seriously affect the progress of planting vegetables.

By then, it will be impossible to grow many kinds of vegetables.

Actually, it's already a bit late now, as many vegetables require a long growing cycle.

There was nothing he could do; it was just that Lu Yuan was reborn at this crucial juncture.

"How about..." Lu Hua hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "We have such a good relationship with President Wang now, how about we borrow some money from him?"

Lu Yuan shook his head decisively: "Whether it's President Wang or a villager who only eats a bowl of cold noodles, they are all our guests. Let's just maintain this relationship."

Upon hearing Lu Yuan's words, Lu Hua no longer insisted.

Indeed, these CEOs seemed to be joking and laughing with Lu Yuan, and they appeared to have a very good relationship.

But this reflects their emotional intelligence and their skill in dealing with people.

If Lu Yuan were to actually bring this up, the relationship would completely change.

He couldn't run the shop with such ease; he would always be bound by these personal relationships.

At least for now, he can't have an equal dialogue with these bosses, and in the future, he will have to step out of his role as a chef to cooperate with them.

After pondering for a moment, Lu Yuan said, "Go and ask the bank again. You can ask them to come to the restaurant around mealtime. I'll also ask Chen Dongsheng if we can borrow some money."

Among Lu Yuan's connections, only Chen Dongsheng had the ability to borrow such a large sum of money.

But he was still a little uneasy. Firstly, 150,000 yuan was not a small amount in those days. It could buy two or three houses in the provincial capital. Even if people had money, they would have to consider whether his old classmate from the countryside could repay it.

Secondly, I spread rumors about him, and given his vengeful nature, he'll probably retaliate.

Lu Yuan didn't prepare anything special for breakfast; steamed buns and mantou require the dough to be fermented in advance.

He simply made some rice noodle soup, and having a bowl of it in the morning was very comforting.

If you don't add dumplings to the rice noodle soup, it's a relatively luxurious breakfast in a rural area of ​​northern China.

For those with a large appetite, soaking some fried dough sticks in the soup, or simply pouring the soup over rice and mixing it in, are both delicious combinations.

Lu Yuangang had just finished taking a big bite when he looked up and saw Zhao Yan across from him breaking up a fried dough stick and soaking it in the soup.

I thought to myself, how can this girl eat so much? Is painting very physically demanding?

When Zhao Yan saw Chen Nuo off a few days ago, she fell in love with this local delicacy from the northern frontier.

The pea jelly is very smooth and has a chewy texture.

The key is that Lu Yuan's soup base is delicious. It looks red, but it's not too strong in flavor. It's full of the fresh aroma of meat broth.

The most amazing way to eat it is to soak the fried dough sticks in the broth. The fried dough sticks soak up the broth, and then you can eat them with the wood ear mushrooms and rice noodles in the soup. The taste is very rich.

This is so much more luxurious than the combination of congee and steamed buns, or soy milk and fried dough sticks!

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhao Yan suddenly asked, "Lu Yuan, do you know where there's a cell phone signal?"

Although the "Big Brother" mobile phone was a mobile phone, its signal coverage was basically limited to cities these days.

Mobile phone signals were rarely available in rural areas, and even after the turn of the millennium, 2G network coverage in rural areas was not widespread.

Therefore, television often features scenes of city dwellers climbing various mountains to make phone calls while holding cell phones.

However, Lu Yuan did not suggest that Zhao Yan climb the mountain, as there are leopards on the highest peak, Helan Mountain.

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Either drive to the county town, or use the landline in the village. The shop will also install a landline in a while, which will be more convenient then."

Zhao Yan politely helped stack the bowls and chopsticks, saying as she carried them to the kitchen, "I'll go to the county town this afternoon and bring you a gift then, to thank Chef Lu for his hard work cooking!"

"No need, Teacher Xiao Zhao, don't be so polite. Cooking a meal is just a small favor," Lu Yuan declined with a smile, then changed the subject: "However, there's a custom in the North: when giving a chef a gift, it has to be a pure gold kitchen knife to be considered polite!"

Zhao Yan pouted and rolled her eyes at Lu Yuan, saying, "You look like a golden cleaver!"

"Ugh, why is Master Jing talking so rudely!"

Zhao Yan put the bowl and chopsticks into the sink, clenched her little fist tightly, and said, "Master Jing's hits hurt even more, want to try?"

Lu Yuan smacked his lips and distanced himself from Zhao Yan, thinking to himself that this girl was really hiding her true nature. She looked quite quiet, but how could she be so violent inside?

Lunchtime arrived as scheduled.

Now Lu Yuan is becoming more and more relaxed. When there are fewer people, he even lets Lu Jie start to flip the wok.

Sometimes cooking is all about feeling; when he teaches his apprentices, he doesn't like to set rigid rules.

A few grams of this, a few grams of that, how many seconds to stir-fry and then take it out of the pan...

Snacks and cold dishes can indeed be made quickly, but a chef who holds a wok relies entirely on intuition.

The word "appropriate amount" requires a certain level of understanding.

This afternoon is Mr. Ding's family dinner and Mr. Wang's friend's business dinner.

This wasn't the first time Mr. Wang's friend had come; he had previously served as an accompaniment when Mr. Wang hosted a banquet for Mr. Ding.

When the two met, they greeted each other warmly.

After hosting so many private banquets, most of the dishes have become repetitive.

It's impossible to have new dishes at every private banquet; that would be a bit of an exaggeration.

However, some innovation is still necessary. These high-end diners need a certain level of novelty.

Today, Lu Yuanxin is introducing a traditional famous dish: Peking duck!

This is a standard banquet dish, with a complicated preparation process, high price, and a fancy presentation. The way it is eaten also requires special attention.

In short, serving roast duck at a banquet almost always makes you look good.

It might be more common in later generations, but these days there are basically no places in the northern border regions where you can eat roast duck.

Lu Yuan's method of making roast duck incorporates some other techniques into the traditional methods.

On the one hand, using Western cooking techniques, carrots, parsley, onions, etc. are stuffed into the duck's belly and marinated for a period of time.

This adds a fresh, vegetable-like aroma to the duck and also makes the meat more tender during roasting.

On the other hand, based on the traditional method of filling the duck with broth, some air is pumped into the duck through a trachea to ensure that the duck does not collapse during roasting.

The roasted duck is plump, round, and looks beautiful.

There are two ways to roast duck: one is the hanging oven roasting method represented by Quanjude, and the other is the closed oven roasting method represented by Bianyifang.

The central kitchen's oven is a special pit for roasting whole lambs, and its form is very similar to a traditional stewing oven.

Therefore, Lu Yuan chose the oven-roasting method to roast the duck.

The so-called "closed oven" means that there is no open flame; it relies on pure high temperature to roast and simmer at the same time, resulting in a duck with more juice.

The duck was roasted before the banquet began, and when it was time to serve the dishes, Lu Yuan personally went to the courtyard to wait for them.

The point is to enjoy the hot roast duck; the hotter it is, the fresher it is—a timeless principle in Chinese cuisine.

Because the temperature drops during the slicing process, the duck is served at the perfect temperature after slicing.

Carrying the plate, Lu Jie jogged from Uncle Lu's backyard to this small courtyard.

After Lu Yuan took it, he placed it on the food cart and immediately pushed it into President Ding's private room.

Upon seeing Lu Yuan, General Manager Ding joked, "Heh! You're all in for a treat, the boss is serving the food himself!"

Lu Yuan responded with a smile: "President Ding, please be patient, I'll slice some duck for everyone."

Mr. Ding was sitting in the main seat, furthest away. Only after hearing Lu Yuan mention ducks did he stand up to get a clear look.

"Wow, Peking duck! That's a signature dish of our country. Boss Lu, you even know how to make this?"

Lu Yuan said modestly, "I've had the privilege of learning it. Mr. Ding, would you like to try it and give me some feedback?"

In this age of limited information, Peking duck is indeed a calling card of Chinese cuisine.

After Lu Yuan finished speaking, he put on white gloves, picked up a knife, and began to carve the duck.

Lu Yuan used the spatula method to ensure that each piece of duck meat had both skin and meat on it.

The technique for slicing duck must be quick, precise, and ruthless, ensuring that each slice is the same thickness.

Lu Yuan's technique wasn't particularly flashy, but everyone remained silent, watching intently as he swiftly sliced ​​through the duck, one cut after another.

As Lu Yuan's knife swept across the plates on the cart, each slice, with its amber-colored skin and tender pink lean meat, was neatly stacked in a fan shape, like a work of art.

With a total of 108 cuts, he sliced ​​out 108 pieces. Lu Yuan's technique was extremely precise, leaving no piece of meat untouched.

After Lu Yuan finished slicing the duck, General Manager Ding led the way in giving Lu Yuan a warm round of applause.

Lu Yuan simply gave a slight bow, said "The duck carcass will be made into a separate soup," and then left the private room.

I had no intention of showing off my skills or putting on a show; everything I did was to make this duck as good as possible.

Mr. Ding fell in love with Xiao Lu's Farmhouse Cuisine after visiting it once.

Lu Yuan's dishes are not flashy at all, but they are rich in flavor and leave a lasting impression.

Lu Yuan's attitude towards doing things was neither obsequious nor aloof; he had long been fed up with the fawning attitude of the manager of the provincial capital's grand restaurant.

Eating is simply eating; nothing else should be involved. Mr. Ding now prefers a simpler, more authentic state of mind.

Mr. Ding ate a piece of roast duck meat with his bare mouth and nodded. It was just as good as the ones he had eaten in Beijing, and even had a more delicate and fragrant taste.

Watching the younger generation's clumsy way of eating, he smiled knowingly, picked up a lotus leaf pancake, and said, "Kids, learn how to eat Peking duck from me. Put the lotus leaf pancake in your palm, put a slice of meat in it, dip it in sweet bean sauce, then add some shredded scallions and cucumber, and finally roll the pancake up!"

Those who had eaten Peking duck had already boasted about it, while those who hadn't just learned Mr. Ding's method of wrapping it up and were about to feed it to him.

In the kitchen, Lu Hang nudged Lu Jie with his elbow and asked, "Brother Jie, where's the extra duck we roasted?"

Lu Jie pouted and said, "Third Aunt is watching over us. She said we can only eat when Teacher Xiao Zhao comes back."

"No way!" Lu Hang said dejectedly, "After Teacher Xiao Zhao came, my third aunt stopped caring about me."

Hearing this from a short distance away, Lu Yuan sneered, "Who do you think you are? Why would I care about you? Even my own son is sidelined, you're not even in the running!"

As they chatted, Lu Yuan looked up at the clock on the wall. It was already past 7 o'clock, and they still hadn't returned.

After working for a while longer, it gradually got dark, and the last dish in both private rooms was served.

"If you want roast duck, hurry up and clean up!" After Lu Yuan said this, his apprentices quickly started cleaning up.

He took off his chef's uniform, took a bottle of soda from the refrigerator in the front hall, and sat on the steps by the door, gazing into the distance at the direction the national highway extended.

Just as his soda was almost empty, two bright lights appeared on the national highway. The lights got closer and closer, and finally turned off the national highway and stopped in front of the fried dough workshop.

After the car was turned off, Zhao Yan jumped out of the driver's seat with her bag on her back. She looked a bit travel-worn, as if she had been busy all day.

"Where have you been? Never home? Don't you have any manners?" Lu Yuan had spent more time in the capital than in the north in his previous life, so he spoke with a convincing Beijing accent.

Zhao Yan chuckled and retorted in the Beijing dialect, "Judging from your accent, you're from the old Beijing, aren't you?"

"Hey kid, you figured it out? I'm a native of Beijing, I've lived here for over 20 years," Lu Yuan suddenly remembered this witty remark.

C

Zhao Yan burst out laughing this time, her silvery laughter quite pleasant: "Lu Yuan, where did you learn that from? You're so talkative!"

"Never mind where I learned it from, what have you been doing all day? What am I going to tell your parents if you get lost?" Lu Yuan asked with a laugh.

"Do you even know who my parents are? Are you going to tell anyone?" Zhao Yan said, while shoving her bag in front of her.

After opening it, she took out a receipt and handed it to Lu Yuan: "Here, a gift for you. Thank you for the delicious food!"

Lu Yuan took it and glanced at it, only to find it was a bank receipt. He couldn't help but count, "Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, 150,000? Where did you get so much money?"

Zhao Yan zipped up her backpack and said calmly, "I heard you say this morning that you're still short so much money to build the greenhouse, and if you don't build it soon, it'll be too late to plant?"

"So, you stole money from home for me to spend?"

Lu Yuan made a joke, subtly asking her where the money came from, even though Zhao Yan was dressed in designer brands and drove a Jeep that was quite a luxury these days.

But 15 is a huge sum of money after all. She's just a young girl who has graduated from university. Even if her food, clothing and other necessities are expensive, she won't spend much money.

But cash is different; even wealthy families might not be able to save up that much money.

Lu Yuan was indeed short of this money, but he couldn't just take it without asking questions first.

Zhao Yan rolled her eyes at him speechlessly and said, "Please, I'm not a child anymore. Why would I steal money from home? This is money I saved myself, including my New Year's money, scholarship money, and money I earned!"

"Are you sure?" Lu Yuan stared intently into Zhao Yan's pupils.

"certainly!"

Zhao Yan met his gaze without flinching, and the two stared at each other for a few seconds.

Lu Yuan could tell that the girl was not lying; her eyes did not twitch at all, and she exuded an aura of righteous indignation.

Lu Yuan then withdrew his gaze and carefully put away the remittance receipt.

These days, large remittances can take several days to arrive. This is the receipt; I'll have to go pick it up later.

However, compared to the favor Zhaoyan did for me, making this trip was much easier.

Zhao Yan looked relaxed now; she was actually quite happy to help Lu Yuan with this.

She wasn't worried about the money going down the drain. Firstly, the principal was Lu Yuan's second uncle, and secondly, she had seen firsthand how Lu Yuan was running his restaurant.

But she stayed at Lu Yuan's house, eating and drinking there, and even took over his room.

To be honest, Zhao Yan was under a lot of psychological pressure.

Especially eating the delicious food Lu Yuan makes every day, it's so tasty, but she doesn't dare to eat it all. She feels like she's taking advantage of her fellow villager, which makes her very tormented.

Seeing Lu Yuan's touched expression, Zhao Yan was in a great mood. She patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder, sat down on the steps, and said with a smile, "Don't be too touched, just treat your older sister to good food and drinks every day!"

Looking at Zhao Yan's beautiful smile, Lu Yuan asked solemnly, "Teacher Zhao, I have another question."

"Please speak!" Zhao Yan stretched out her long legs and swung her feet as she spoke.

Lu Yuan asked hesitantly, "Do I need to pay it back?"

puff!

Zhao Yan nearly lost her balance and fell over. She raised her head slightly and said, "Of course I have to pay it back!"

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