This menu, drafted by the previous village chef, centers on "Three Steamed Dishes and Nine Large Bowls." featuring nine-course feast.
Xiang Wan, Salted Braised Pork Belly, Steamed Pork Slices With Red Bean Paste, Steamed Pork With Rice Flour, Dongpo Pork Knuckle, Pig's Ears, Pig's Head meat…
Indeed, it's all pork-based. There's a fish dish, which is boiled carp with a sauce poured over it.
The main focus is on large portions that are filling, and the steaming process ensures quick service.
Just looking at the menu, it does seem a bit monotonous and greasy.
However, as soon as Zheng Qiang said this, the other four people all turned to look at him. The old man and the second uncle hesitated, their gazes unconsciously drifting towards Xiao Lei.
"Master Zheng's suggestion is excellent. If we could add a Tea-smoked Duck, along with Kung Pao Chicken and Braised Carp, so that the guests can also taste the flavors of a Rongcheng Restaurant usually reserved for foreign guests, everyone would definitely give it a thumbs up!" Xiao Lei said with a smile.
"Yes, that makes sense." Zheng Qiang nodded, a smile already creeping onto his face.
"But when we host a large banquet, we can't just think about a lavish spread and a variety of dishes; we also need to consider the host's budget." Xiao Lei continued with a smile. "Look at this menu. Everything on it, from the pig's head to its stomach and trotters, is utilized. Once that big, fat pig is slaughtered, we'll have almost all nine dishes for these thirty tables."
"If you also need to get thirty ducks and thirty servings of chicken legs for Kung Pao Chicken, do you calculate how much that will increase costs?"
"Furthermore, Kung Pao Chicken and Braised Carp require precise control of heat and timing. Thirty servings—are you confident you can serve them all within a similar time frame?"
Zheng Qiang stopped laughing.
The smile shifted to Zhou Yan's face.
Zhou Yan was beginning to understand what "academic style" meant. Spending too much time in a large restaurant had made him somewhat detached from the common people.
The old man and his second uncle, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. Weddings cost a lot, and a traditional rural banquet with nine large bowls of meat, enough for guests to eat their fill, was a very respectable feast.
They knew Zheng Qiang was knowledgeable, having worked in a large restaurant in Rongcheng Restaurant, but when it came to understanding rural banquets, Master Xiao was the one who truly understood them.
Zheng Qiang understood Xiao Lei's words and sensed the complex emotions in the old man and his second uncle's eyes.
He hesitated for a long time, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Wait, what's the logic behind him calling him Master Zheng while simultaneously lecturing him like a master?
"Master, change the dry-frying to braised fish. Fry the fish first, then cook it in two large pots together. Finally, reduce the sauce and pour it over the fish. I think it might taste better than just boiling it in water." Zhou Yan suggested.
"That's what I was thinking to." Xiao Lei nodded, looking at Zheng Qiang. "Master Zheng, you can make this dish tomorrow, is that alright?"
Zheng Qiang straightened his back, regaining some confidence. "No problem, it's my specialty. Ten fish in one pot, I can handle it."
"That's great! Let everyone try the braised fish from Rongcheng Restaurant; they'll absolutely rave about it." Xiao Lei praised with a smile, then added, "This afternoon, you'll be in charge of chopping the meat sauce and slicing the meat. We need to make Xiang Wan, Salted Braised Pork Belly, and Steamed Pork With Rice Flour—those require excellent knife skills. The helpers we found in the village aren't good enough. For such an important task, Master Zheng, you'll have to do it."
"Sure, I'll do it." Master Zheng nodded with a smile, confident and decisive.
Zhou Yan pursed his lips and silently turned his face away, afraid he would laugh out loud.
He suddenly understood. His master used to scold Little Zhou frequently, and it was a rare treat to see him occasionally praise him. After being praised, he would do whatever he was told, without complaint, working tirelessly and without fear of getting dirty or tired, like he was on steroids.
Now, this same tactic was being used on Master Zheng.
With Xiao Lei's arrangement and organization, everyone who had been called in to help got to work, slaughtering pigs, butchering chickens, tending the fire—each doing their job efficiently and methodically.
"Zhou Yan, your master chef is truly amazing! No wonder he's the head chef, no wonder he's a national second level chef!" Second Uncle pulled Zhou Yan along, his smile radiating satisfaction. "If it weren't for you today, things wouldn't have gone so well."
"It's Brother Hao's wedding, it's only right." Zhou Yan smiled and pulled a wad of money tied with string from his bag, handing it to Second Uncle. "Second Uncle, this is what I borrowed from you before opening the shop. Brother Hao's wedding has many expenses, I'm returning the money to you."
"Return it? Didn't you say you'd return it next year? You focus on running the restaurant well, we don't need this hundred yuan." Second Uncle waved his hands repeatedly, refusing to take the money.
Zhou Yan smiled and stuffed the money into his pocket: "I'll definitely pay you back when I have the money. Keep it safe and don't lose it. Count the money later, and tell me if it's less than what I owe."
"You little kid..." Second Uncle couldn't help but smile, nodding with satisfaction: "Okay, then I'll take it. I'm even happier that you can earn money."
Zhou Yan chatted with him for a few minutes, then slung his bag over his shoulder and went to find other creditors.
First Uncle, Third Uncle, and several close relatives were all gathered today.
Zhou Yan went around and returned all the money to them.
Zhou Hai and Zhou Jie were helping to scrape pig bristles and couldn't help, so Zhou Yan returned the money to his two sisters in law.
He withdrew the cash from the morning and noon sales, making up 160 yuan, which was just enough to pay off the debt.
Zhou Yan walked to the courtyard gate, slowly raised his hands, and stretched his whole body.
Ah—
This is what it feels like to be debt-free!
Awesome!
"Zhou Yan is really capable! In just three months, he's paid off all the money he borrowed!"
"This young man not only knows how to earn money, but he also knows how to save it. Look at Zhou Yan, he's a role model. He saved up and paid off the debt first. What a good kid!"
"Of course! We watched him grow up; he's always been obedient and sensible. Tieying is truly blessed."
The praise from the aunties and helpers drifted out of the yard on the wind.
Zhou Yan's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.
This was the feeling of returning home in glory! It's a pity Aunt Zhao wasn't here; he couldn't share this exhilarating moment with her.
Comrade Old Zhou was in charge of slaughtering pig. After bleeding the pig, he had a few younger people scrape off the pig hair. He would come back later to cut open the pig's stomach and divide the meat. He had been resting on the long stone slab at the door for a while.
He heard everything: Zhou Yan was paying back the money, and he also heard the discussions in the courtyard.
The smile on his face was impossible to hide, and he even asked, feigning concern, "All paid back?"
"Yes, all paid back." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile. "Now I only have you both five hundred left."
"Your mother said you don't need to pay it back."
"No, I have to pay it back." Zhou Yan glanced at Comrade Old Zhou's patched cloth shoes and casually remarked, "Your feet are the same length as mine."
"That's right, these shoes were originally made for you by your mother, but you didn't wear them, so they fit me perfectly." Comrade Old Zhou stamped his foot and laughed, "Look how comfortable they are! Your mother's craftsmanship is excellent, even better than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative."
"Yes, yes, your wife is the best." Zhou Yan said with a smile. Whenever he talked about his mother, the usually stern Comrade Old Zhou's eyes would soften.
A pig only has two ears, and one pig's head definitely wouldn't be enough for thirty tables. Second Uncle and the others had already placed an order with the butcher and would pick it up from each household first thing tomorrow morning.
Zhou Jie had already taken on this task. He would go to pick up the pig's head first thing tomorrow morning and deliver it to Zhou Yan's shop along with the beef.
Zhou Yan was responsible for braising the pig's ears, braised beef, braised pig's head meat, and a cold chicken dish—a total of four cold dishes.
To be precise, the cold chicken dish was prepared by the old lady. She kept four roosters in the cage; they hadn't been raised as long as the hens, so their meat was more tender and suitable for cold dishes.
He had no work today.
"Then I'll go back to the shop and get busy. I'm going home tonight, so you don't need to pick me up. Just eat here." Zhou Yan said to Comrade Old Zhou.
"Okay." Old Zhou glanced in the direction of the butcher's bench and got up to get busy as well.
Zhou Yan greeted his master, glanced at Master Zheng who was diligently peeling garlic on a small stool, smiled, and turned to leave.
On his way back to the restaurant, Zhou Yan stopped at a clothing and general merchandise stall near the bridge. After haggling with the vendor, he bought a pair of "83" leather shoes for 20.2 yuan.
He tried them on; they fit perfectly. While not exactly more comfortable than his cloth shoes, they looked shiny and made him look much more presentable.
The department store price was 19 yuan, but they were only available in Jiazhou. Zhou Yan didn't have time to go to Jiazhou today, and the department store there would be closed by the time he finished get off work.
Zhou Yan then picked out a pair of women's leather shoes. After some haggling, he got them for 26.5 yuan.
"Comrade, you're a real bargaining master. I'm practically giving you these two pairs of shoes for free; I didn't make a single penny." The owner smiled wryly as he put the shoes into Zhou Yan's bicycle basket.
The owner definitely made a profit; Zhou Yan had bargained down to about a yuan more than the department store price.
Business owners, you know, never tell the truth. They just want you to feel like you're getting a good deal, so you'll buy shoes from them again next time.
In those days, department stores priced very reasonably, with very low profit margins.
These two pairs of leather shoes were high-end goods from Shanghai. They were indeed a bit pricey, but the leather was breathable and more comfortable than wearing canvas shoes.
Tomorrow was the wedding banquet, and Zhou Yan didn't have enough money to buy Aunt Zhao and Comrade Old Zhou a new outfit, so he could only buy them a pair of leather shoes first.
After browsing a few stalls, Zhou Yan bought Zhou Momo a pair of tiger head cloth shoes for 0.8 yuan.
The shoes had red uppers and tiger heads sewn with gold thread; they looked cute and adorable.
The local auntie had hand-sewn them, earning only a small fee.
Zhou Yan rode his bicycle towards the restaurant; it was almost time for the factory to close.
Aunt Zhao sat by the door, anxiously waiting, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhou Yan.
"Why did you take so long? I was saying you weren't coming back to cook." Aunt Zhao said, getting up with concern. "Are your second aunt and the others managing?"
"My master handled everything perfectly, no problems whatsoever." Zhou Yan pushed the biycle into the restaurant, then took out the pair of women's leather shoes and handed them to Aunt Zhao, who had followed him in. "Try them on and see if they fit. If not, I'll take them to exchange them."
"Leather shoes?" Zhao Tieying looked at the shoes Zhou Yan handed her. The black leather was smooth and delicate, and the buckles were made of brass, gleaming with a golden light. She hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "You… bought me leather shoes?"
...