Chương 70: I Have a Friend

Master Zhang and his apprentice worked efficiently, finishing the stove before the factory closed and cleaning the premises spotlessly. Taking Zhou Yan's wages, Master Zhang smiled and said,"Boss Zhou, study hard at making braised dishes. If you master it, I'll definitely patronize your business often. My old man still often talks about Aunt Zhang's braised offal, but now he only has three teeth left, so he probably can't chew it anymore."

"Okay, I'll definitely study hard," Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. Childhood sweethearts are something that even the person in them can't change. Zhou Yan wasn't confident his braised dishes would satisfy Master Zhang. After all, the best fried rice and wontons from the back gate of his high school, when he went back to university for vacation, no longer had the same ravenous feeling as they were after evening self-study.

There was no way around it; after eating too much of the glamorous stuff outside, he had finally broadened his horizons. Looking at the once charming proprietress, she had lost some of her allure. The new stove was sitting there for a couple of days before it could be used. He planned to take some time in the next couple of days to go back and visit the old lady, to let her know in advance so she could help him cook the braising liquid.

If he could cook the braising liquid by Saturday, he could start trying to sell braised food next Monday. To make money, you need to be full of passion and energy. The biggest advantage of braised food is that it's not limited to dine-in service; you can order whatever you want, weigh and cut it on the spot, and take it home for the whole family to eat together. There are actually three braised food stalls near the factory canteen. One is doing well, and the other two are also selling well.

There is a braised food market; it's a favorite snack for many people to enjoy with alcohol, and children love it too. The two stalls mainly sell braised pork products, such as pig's head meat, pig's ears, pig's tongue, and pig's trotters, all of which are best-sellers. The most popular stall mainly sells sweet-skinned duck, which costs 3. 2 yuan per duck. They sell several every day, along with some duck products and braised pig's head meat, and business is booming.

Zhou Yan simply cooked two dishes, and they finished their dinner before leaving the factory. A full stomach gives you the energy to work. As the factory closed, customers flocked in. The reputation of the twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts spread rapidly, making it a favorite among customers. However, Zhou Yan only prepared twenty portions today; thirteen were sold at noon, and the rest sold out quickly after dinner.

"Huh? The twice-cooked pork is sold out already? We came specifically for it!"

"Boss, what happened? Twice-cooked pork is such a popular dish, and you only prepared so little?" A customer entered, looking at the twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts hanging in the clearance section, surprised and somewhat annoyed. They'd been craving it after hearing about it from their colleagues at noon, only to find it sold out when they arrived?

"I'm sorry everyone, our twice-cooked pork only uses pork belly cut with the second cut to ensure the best texture. It's a new dish today, so we only have twenty servings available," Zhao Tieying explained with a smile to the customers. She added, "We'll prepare more tomorrow, so customers who want twice-cooked pork can come earlier." Since Aunt Zhao had said that, the customers didn't say anything more, secretly making a mental note to come earlier the next day at noon.

Seeing the tempting sliced beef and crucian carp with mint on other people's tables, they couldn't resist. Since they were already there, they sat down and ordered a few other dishes, enjoying them just as much. Business was even better today than yesterday, thanks to the addition of the star dish, twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts. Old Zhou didn't go fishing today; he came to the shop early to help out. He was Aunt Zhao's most obedient employee, always doing whatever she asked. Even Zhou Momo wasn't idle.

She sat on a small stool by the door, chatting with everyone she met, even greeting the passing dog. Zhou Momo was tiny, adorable, and had a sweet tongue; everyone was charmed and happy to chat with her. When things got lively, the little one would recommend her family's dishes, praising her husband's cooking skills and inviting them to try them. Some customers couldn't resist this sweet offensive and actually came in to try it. This job was arranged for her by Aunt Zhao.

Despite her small size, Zhou Momo had boundless energy. She always had something to say and endless questions. After a long day of work, she wanted to sleep as soon as she hit the bed, not wanting to hear Zhou Momo's cries of "Mommy, Mommy, why is this?" Although her little girl was adorable, she was truly exhausted. She needed to burn off her energy before going home, so she could shower, wrap herself in her blanket, and fall asleep instantly.

The factory gate was crowded at this time of day, so they didn't dare let her wander around. They gave her a workstation near the gate, where she could chat with whomever she wanted. Zhou Yan even set a commission for her: one cent for each customer she brought into the shop. Zhou Momo wasn't really after the money; she was a real chatterbox, and this was a convenient way to earn some extra cash.

"Sister, come again next time!" Zhou Momo waved her little hand, greeting the young female worker who was leaving after her meal.

"You're so good! Sister, come again next time!" The female worker smiled brightly, feeling the afterglow of the meal even more lingering. After closing time that evening, Zhou Yan gave Zhou Momo a commission of 13 cents. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. This little child laborer had already earned enough to buy candy with her own little mouth.

"Thank you, bro! I love you forever!" Zhou Momo jumped up happily, clutching the money in her hand.

"You're welcome," Zhou Yan said with a smile, patting her head. The little guy called in thirteen customers, who ate about seven or eight yuan worth of food. He probably earned three or four yuan, taking a 13-cent commission. He didn't know if that counted as exploiting child labor. Anyway, the child laborer seemed happy, her mother was happy, and he, as the capitalist, was even happier. A win-win-win situation! After washing the dishes, his parents went home first.

They ate dinner early today; it was still light outside. Zhou Yan locked the door and went out to run with Uncle Lin.

"Uncle Lin, a friend of mine received a letter. The opening line was 'Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person; opening this letter brings joy.' How should I reply in a eloquent way?" Zhou Yan asked Lin Zhiqiang during their jog.

"Is this friend of yours really you?" Lin Zhiqiang looked at him and laughed.

"Xia Yao wrote you a letter? Then you've come to the right person. Back in Moscow, they all called me the 'Love Letter Prince.'""I just received it today, and I'm still figuring out how to reply." Zhou Yan wasn't embarrassed at all; he was thick-skinned anyway, so he humbly asked for advice: "What does that mean?"

" I used to write to An He, and I'd start with: 'My beloved An He, hello.'" Lin Zhiqiang thought for a moment and said, "I think that's pretty good."

"It is pretty good..." Zhou Yan nodded. What "Love Letter Prince"? He was just as good as her.... Back at the shop, Zhou Yan washed his clothes, soaked the dried bamboo shoots in a basin, took a bath, changed, and after doing his accounting, he took out the Parker pen Xia Yao had given him, sat down at the table, and placed a new sheet of paper in front of him. His expression changed from solemn and serious to deep thought, then gradually became irritable, then gradually calmed down, and finally became drowsy.

The letter, with a dozen or so words written on it, was crumpled into a ball and precisely tossed into the trash can in the corner. Tired, time for bed! I have to get up early tomorrow to buy groceries; I can't let writing a letter interfere with earning money. Oh, and if I have time tomorrow, I'll go to the town library and see if they have "A Letter to My Wife" or something else. Uncle Lin has a belly full of Western learning, but the things passed down from our ancestors are ultimately more moving....

The next day, at the crack of dawn, Comrade Zhou rode his old bicycle to buy groceries. Twice- cooked pork was selling like hotcakes, so he rode early to grab some pork belly. Xu Lao Er and Zhang Lao San each saved him five jin of pork belly. Zhou Yan circled the market's meat stalls, bought two good pieces, and made an appointment with the owner to buy more the next day.

His bicycle seat had been modified; two half-height bamboo baskets were installed on either side, which could hold quite a lot of things, and by tucking his legs forward, he could barely sit on the back. This was the best solution at the moment.

"Uncle!" Zhou Yan returned to the restaurant carrying Aunt Zhao and two full baskets of goods. Zhou Lihui immediately ran over to help put down the basket on which Zhou Momo was sleeping.

"Looks like you've gotten stronger again." Zhou Yan patted Zhou Lihui's strong arm. These past few days, he'd been fetching water at the restaurant; his cooking skills hadn't improved, but his strength had certainly increased. Zhou Lihui smiled憨厚ly, "I've memorized all the multiplication tables, and I've learned quite a few characters too. Oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, Sichuan peppercorns, black pepper, star anise, cinnamon... I can write them all now."

"Good, keep it up. I'll test you during the holidays. If you can pass my test, you can come to the restaurant to learn cooking during winter break." Zhou Yan smiled.

"Okay! I'll definitely study hard!" Zhou Lihui nodded, his eyes filled with determination. Zhou Yan started cooking the broth, while Zhou Lihui was in charge of fetching water. Bucket after bucket of well water was carried from the kitchen and poured into a large pot a meter high. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and calluses formed on his palms, but he didn't complain of being tired.

After fetching the water, he went to the kitchen to tend the fire for Zhou Yan, watching him stir-fry the toppings and pull the noodles. Around 7: 30, Zhou Lihui had already eaten breakfast in the kitchen. He took out his lunchbox from his schoolbag, opened it, and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, "Uncle, could you pack some pickled radishes for me today? I want to take them to eat with my classmates."

"Boys or girls?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile.

"Boys, my deskmate," Zhou Lihui quickly replied. Zhou Yan glanced at his lunchbox; it contained braised beef brisket with potatoes. There were only three or four pieces of beef brisket, along with some offal. His mother had arranged a decent meal for him; the lunchbox was full.

"You need to steam this lunchbox to reheat it later. The pickled radishes won't fit in there, so I'll get you a small jar to take with you." Zhou Yan walked to a nearby shelf, picked out a small glass jar, and filled it with pickled radishes.

"Thanks, Uncle! I'm going to class now." Zhou Lihui packed the pickled radishes and lunchbox into his backpack, turned, and ran out the door.

"You're so reckless! Listen to your teachers at school, eat well, and don't cause trouble!" Zhao Hong called after him with a smile.

"Got it!" Zhou Lihui replied without turning his head. Zhao Hong was about to enter when she saw Zhou Weiguo ride a brand-new bicycle to the restaurant entrance and asked with a smile, "Uncle, why are you wearing new clothes and riding a new bicycle again today?" (End of Chapter)