1996: Starting from a bankrupt farmhouse restaurant

Chapter 128 Breakfast: Vegetable Pancake

Similarly, news reports of European affordable luxury brands breaking down after just one wash or a few uses are commonplace.

It has already been revealed that they are made in China, but once that logo is hung on the bag, the nature of the product changes.

Poor quality bags are often mistaken for "luxury" bags because they're not meant to be washed or used for carrying things all the time.

The reason is this terrifying stereotype: if you take it, you're rich; if you don't, you're a poor loser.

Fast food chains like KFC, which initially focused on quality as their core operating principle, no longer have an advantage in taste or price.

But when it comes to hygiene, no one would doubt that this is a preconceived brand stereotype.

But explaining these things to Director Liu would be too profound, so Lu Yuan wouldn't tell him that much for the time being.

What we need to know right now is exactly what Director Liu is going to do.

Does he want to get involved? Or does he have other motives?

So Lu Yuan asked, "Does Director Liu have any suggestions for our development?"

Director Liu didn't answer directly, but instead told Lu Yuan his story: "I went to university in Shanghai, and after I started working, I also went to the southern coastal areas for further studies. To be frank, the gap between our Northwest and the South is huge."

"This gap is not only in economics, but also in vision, innovation, overall perspective, and execution."

"When it comes to enduring hardship, no one can endure it more than the people of Northwest China. In the early years, we couldn't even get enough water to drink, let alone have enough to eat."

"But hardship cannot make people rich. We are now in a period of rapid economic growth, and farmers' income can no longer keep up with the increasing number of new products and high prices."

"In the years I can foresee, the economic gap between the Northwest and the South will widen further. They may have skyscrapers everywhere, while we still only have bungalows and dirt roads."

Director Liu's remarks truly impressed Lu Yuan.

On the one hand, his views are somewhat forward-looking, not limited to the present era.

On the other hand, his views reveal a compassionate sentiment, which often appears in those good officials who are remembered in history.

Director Liu paused for a moment, then continued, "I noticed something different about your shop when I last inspected it. Merchants are usually driven by profit and lack ethics; it's rare to see one that can exceed our standards like you."

"But this time, you surprised me even more. You not only maintained your high standards, but also replicated them in several other stores."

"Through today's visits and observations, I have seen in you the qualities that can lead this era."

Lu Yuan was already a little dizzy from Director Liu's praise, and immediately waved his hand and said, "Director, you flatter me. I'm not as outstanding as you say."

Director Liu shook his head righteously and said, "Boss Lu, you don't need to be modest. I hope you will be the leader."

"This is also my hometown. When I was studying in the south, I felt very inferior because my hometown didn't give me enough confidence. I believe many children who go out to study have had the same experience as me."

"So I've always had a dream: to make our hometown a better place. Talking about catching up with developed regions is nonsense, but at least we want our children to feel less inferior when they go out into the world!"

Lu Yuan also felt this deeply; when he first arrived in the capital, he also felt a profound sense of inferiority.

He doesn't speak Mandarin well, dresses unfashionably, doesn't understand what people are saying, and isn't even as trendy as others when it comes to having fun.

This is not a single instance of backwardness, but a sense of isolation resulting from overall backwardness.

Although it wasn't that exaggerated in hindsight, it's not a bad thing if it can make the hometown more advanced.

Director Liu looked at Lu Yuan and said sincerely, "Therefore, I would like to invite you to join me in building up our hometown, starting with Luwangtan Village."

Lu Yuan looked at him, pondered for a moment, and then said calmly, "Director Liu, I will do my best."

Lu Yuan didn't seem very excited. After all, shouting slogans is the least valuable thing. He had his own development plans and determination.

Moreover, this was only the first time he had met Director Liu. Even if the other party genuinely wanted to work with him to build the village, he still needed to see if the other party was truly sincere and what his capabilities were.

Director Liu seemed to have seen through Lu Yuan's thoughts and asked directly, "Boss Lu, what kind of support do you need right now? You can tell me. As an advanced individual business owner, I can provide you with some conveniences."

Lu Yuan underestimated Director Liu's determination, and he countered, "My request might be a bit difficult to fulfill."

Director Liu laughed and said, "Feel free to bring it up."

"Can we mention anything?"

"Anything is fine!"

Lu Yuan stated directly, "I want Lu Wang Tan Village to revert back to Lu Family Village!"

Director Liu was taken aback. He hadn't expected Lu Yuan to make such a request, but he quickly realized the reason behind it.

The story of Lu Family Cuisine and Luwangtan Village is rather awkward to tell.

But the story of Lu Family Cuisine and Lu Family Village is a natural one, a result of what was expected.

It must be said that he underestimated Lu Yuan's foresight; he thought Lu Yuan would ask for something like a loan or land.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he focused on the obstacles to future development.

Moreover, this obstacle is not an immediate one, but a problem that will only emerge several years or even more than a decade later.

However, for Director Liu, Lu Yuan's ability to raise questions was the first step towards friendly communication.

He's adopting such a humble attitude today because he's afraid that a promising young man like Lu Yuan might not come back after opening the shop.

This is quite possible; he doesn't want Lu Yuan to treat Luwangtan Village merely as a stepping stone.

On the contrary, once Luwangtan Village becomes Lujia Village, this problem will be solved, meaning that Lujia Village will keep Lu Yuan tied to this place.

Director Liu didn't linger. He chatted briefly with Lu Yuan, left him his phone number, and then departed.

There was no private banquet this afternoon, so Lu Yuan had a rare moment of leisure and simply set up a grill at the entrance to prepare some meat skewers.

Around 6 o'clock, the jeep turned out from the country dirt road.

After the car came to a stop, Zhao Yan got out of the driver's seat looking exhausted.

8.

After a day of classes, she had lost all the energy she had in the morning, and even the white cuffs of her trousers were stained a dull gray.

When Zhao Yan saw Lu Yuan, she didn't go in. Instead, she sat down on the steps next to him, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes filled with melancholy.

Lu Yuan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but didn't say anything. Instead, he continued grilling the meat skewers.

As the fat was roasted over the flames, it underwent a Maillard reaction, sizzling and dripping oil onto the charcoal, releasing an enticing aroma.

Lu Yuan deliberately moved the meat skewers closer to Zhao Yan, but she still didn't react.

Lu Yuan couldn't help but tease, "What's wrong? Can't take it after just one day of classes? You're not going to run away too, are you?"

Zhao Yan removed her hand from her chin and placed it on her lap, sitting up straight. Her voice became a little hoarse: "Lu Yuan, do you know, these kids don't eat breakfast. During the last class in the morning, I could hear their stomachs growling."

Lu Yuan said casually, "Isn't this normal? Rural people only eat two meals a day anyway."

Zhao Yan's tone was a little agitated: "But some children who live far away don't have time to go home for lunch. They only eat a dry steamed bun or don't eat anything at all!"

Lu Yuan's tone remained calm: "That's normal. People in the countryside can't eat lavish meals every day. Besides, it's hot now; wouldn't packed lunches go bad by lunchtime?"

Zhao Yan raised her voice another notch: "But they don't even have water cups; when they're thirsty, they just turn on the tap and drink!"

Lu Yuan remained nonchalant: "I was like that when I was a kid too!"

Zhao Yan looked up at the distant mountain peaks. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, and a few leaves slowly drifted down from the roadside.

It was quite unusual that she came into contact with Lu Yuan's family as soon as she arrived in the rural area of ​​northern China.

The food here was so plentiful and the accommodations were so good that it created a strong illusion for her.

Only today did she see the harsh side of this yellow land.

She turned her gaze away from the unchanging mountain peak in the distance and stared intently at Lu Yuan, saying, "Lu Yuan, I know you've always been like this. But now that I'm here, I want to do something for these children, at least to make their lives a little more comfortable while I'm here."

Seeing that she wasn't just saying it casually, Lu Yuan placed the grilled lamb skewers in a less crowded area and asked, "So, what do you want to do with them?"

"I want to open a cafeteria at the school to provide breakfast and lunch for these children."

Zhao Yan voiced her thoughts, and Lu Yuan exclaimed in surprise, "Master Jing, you really are rich! Do you know how much it costs to have over 500 students every day?"

Each student pays 1 yuan per day, excluding weekends and holidays. A semester's time at school is 90...

day.

With over 500 students, the cost of food for one semester is more than 5 yuan.

But in addition to the cost of ingredients, there is also the cost of labor.

Based on market prices, each person costs 300 yuan per month, so the total labor cost for 5 months is 3000 yuan. Adding the cost of ingredients, the total cost is close to 6 yuan.

To everyone's surprise, Zhao Yan shook her head and pointed at Lu Yuan, saying, "I have no money left, I've given you all my money."

Lu Yuan gasped, somewhat speechless. "How can you be like this? You just lent out money and you already want it back?"

Zhao Yan didn't speak. She just stared intently at Lu Yuan, her eyes clear and bright, making him look increasingly pitiful.

Lu Yuan immediately gave in. He couldn't stand Zhao Yan staring at him like that, so he said helplessly, "Fine, I give up. But deduct the cost of ingredients and labor from your 15. After that, I won't pay you back!"

Lu Yuan estimated in his mind that the daily cost was only a hundred or so yuan. Since he wasn't going to take 15 yuan all at once, he wasn't under any pressure.

Anyway, Master Jing has money, so let's just consider it an improvement in the children's meals.

After Zhao Yan finished speaking, she immediately beamed and said, "Lu Yuan, I knew you were the most loyal!"

After saying that, Zhao Yan seemed to regain her appetite and picked up the grilled lamb skewers and started eating them without any hesitation.

"I'm starving! I haven't eaten all day!" Zhao Yan muttered as she ate her kebabs.

"Where's the bread my mom gave you?" Lu Yuan asked.

"I shared them all with the children."

"Then you can come back for lunch too."

"The kids haven't eaten, and I come back to eat something delicious? How unfair is that!"

Lu Yuan sneered after hearing this, saying, "You two are so righteous, but in the end, only I am left exhausted!"

Lu Yuan thought to himself, "What kind of nonsense is this? It makes me feel like a heartless person who is being forced to do charity work."

. . .

The next morning, Lu Yuan got up two hours earlier than usual and worked with Wei Yinghong at the fried dough workshop.

They are making a type of fennel cake that is basically only popular in this county.

Fennel white cakes are made with unleavened dough, so there's no need to ferment the dough beforehand. After kneading the dough and adding fennel oil, it's folded into a three-fold shape.

No oil is needed in the frying pan; cook until both sides are slightly browned and cooked through.

This fennel-flavored white cake loses the softness of fermented dough, but gains a dry and chewy texture.

One bite reveals a chewy texture, firm on the outside and soft on the inside, with a rich wheat flavor followed by a strong fennel aroma that makes the whole white cake less bland.

Freshly baked fennel flatbreads are so delicious that you can eat several just by eating them plain, without any side dishes or sauces!

The biggest advantage of this fennel white cake is that it greatly releases the aroma of wheat.

Therefore, in this county town area, fennel cakes are a versatile staple food that goes well with almost all types of food.

Lamb offal soup with flatbread, spicy hot pot with flatbread, braised meat with flatbread...

There is another way of eating it, which is the most famous breakfast style in the county town area.

Later generations used this method of eating to open dozens of chain stores.

The gross profit margin of this single item was a staggering 80%, making the boss a fortune.

This way of eating it is called: stuffed with vegetable pancakes!

There are many different types of stuffed pancakes across China. In Tianjin, there are flatbreads rolled with everything; in Henan province, there are sesame flatbreads stuffed with vegetables; moon-shaped steamed buns stuffed with vegetables; and even hot steamed buns stuffed with vegetables... Even hand-pulled pancakes have to be stuffed with vegetables!

However, this fennel white pancake with vegetables is brushed with a spicy sauce similar to a spicy paste.

Spicy porridge also became a popular snack in later generations. The combination of the two is a powerful alliance, and the flavor is very memorable.

The fillings for the vegetable pancakes are also quite particular, usually including spicy shredded potatoes, cold mixed shredded vegetables, vegetarian chicken and carrot, and cold mixed vegetarian beef steak.

These dishes are all blanched and then served cold, which makes them less greasy and ensures a crisp texture.

Of course, the most essential side dish is actually fried ham sausage!

After frying the chicken sausage, the flavor immediately improves. Then, brush it with spicy sauce, and one bite is incredibly delicious.

One way that children in later generations compared who was richer was to see who could put more sausages in their bowls!

To ensure a balanced diet, Lu Yuan also fried some eggs, making sure each fennel pancake contained fried sausage, fried eggs, and vegetables.

Lu Yuan had already prepared these dishes before making the pancakes, and they were now placed in a bowl for later use.

Wei Yinghong was also very efficient at making white pancakes. She rolled out the prepared dough horizontally, folded it in half from left to right, and then rolled it out vertically before putting it into the pan to bake.

After Wei Yinghong finished baking the fennel cakes, she placed them on an iron rack to cool.

Lu Yuan picked up the dried fennel cake, placed it on the cutting board, and unfolded the three-fold cake by first moving it to the left and then to the right.

He first placed a fried egg in the middle of the tortilla, then a sausage, and then added some of each of the cold dishes on top.

Finally, fold the two sides of the pancake back into the middle, and a standard stuffed pancake is ready.

Lu Yuan and Wei Yinghong worked together very well, and in no time dozens of vegetable-filled pancakes were ready.

Lu Yuan packed the prepared vegetable pancakes into a food bag, then neatly arranged them in a box, waiting for Zhao Yan to load them onto the car and take them to school.

After getting up early and washing up, Zhao Yan was about to go to school when she found Lu Yuan and Wei Yinghong busy at the fried dough workshop.

So, out of curiosity, she peered through the doorway and asked, "Auntie, what are you all busy with so early in the morning?"

Lu Yuan rolled his eyes at Zhao Yan, annoyed, and said helplessly, "Since a certain lord in the capital has taken such good care of us, we servants have to get up early and busy ourselves making breakfast!"

Zhao Yan exclaimed "Ah!" and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say yesterday that the cafeteria was going to hire a cook to prepare meals?"

Lu Yuan looked up at the pretty girl who was sometimes clever and sometimes adorably silly, and said speechlessly, "Am I Doraemon? Can I pull a stove out of my pocket? Pots and pans? Two aunties who can cook?"

Zhao Yan then realized that she had been thinking too simply; opening a cafeteria required a lot of preparation in advance.

It's called a canteen, but given the conditions of Baiyang Elementary School, it's already quite good that they can even set up a kitchen.

As for where students can eat, where can't they eat? Classrooms, playgrounds, under trees, under eaves...

Rural kids don't care about such things. They can eat just as well sitting on the ground.

Even if there's only one kitchen, we should at least discuss it with my second uncle and ask him to free up a room.

The empty house still needs a stove and a chimney, which will take several days to build.

The most crucial person is the auntie cooking in the kitchen; she's the hardest to find these days.

The aunties with the best cooking utensils in the Lu family have basically all been used up by Lu Yuanzheng.

Lu Yuan didn't trust the use of the other villages, which was the most difficult problem.

Realizing that her rash actions had caused trouble for Lu Yuan and Wei Yinghong, Zhao Yan gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands and said with a guilty look, "I'm sorry, Auntie. I didn't think things through. I made you not get enough rest and had to get up early to make breakfast."

She then bowed slightly to Lu Yuan and said, "I'm sorry, Lu Yuan, I was too presumptuous. You can scold me!"

"He wouldn't dare?" Wei Yinghong wiped her hands, took Zhao Yan's arm, and gently patted her nervous hand, saying, "Yan Yan, Auntie is very happy to help you make breakfast for the children. Anyway, Auntie doesn't have much to do in the morning, so consider it exercise!"

"Auntie, you're so kind!" Zhao Yan said, touched, as she hugged Wei Yinghong's arm and leaned on her shoulder.

Lu Yuan clicked his tongue in disapproval: "Why don't you two just do a blood test to prove your kinship? I might be the outsider here!"

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