"Baby, you still have such good taste." Duan Yuyan smiled radiantly, bending down to pick her up.
"Mua~" Zhou Momo leaned over and kissed her, exclaiming in her childish voice, "Wow~ Sister Yuyan, you still smell so good! But this time, it smells like peaches!"
"My goodness, you can actually smell the peach scent." Duan Yuyan looked at her in surprise. The perfume she was wearing today had a hint of peach, but the scent was actually very subtle. She didn't expect the little one to be able to smell it.
"Mmm, I like peaches." The little one nodded, her smile bright. "I like you too, Sister."
"You're so good, and you're so good at praising people. Sister likes you too." Duan Yuyan smiled and kissed her cheek, then put her down and showed her the box in her hand: "Look what sister brought you."
"What is it?" Zhou Momo peeked over curiously.
"A little leather jacket and a little hat I bought for you." Duan Yuyan opened the bag, pulled out a brown leather jacket, and then took out a burgundy duckbill cap.
Zhou Momo's eyes sparkled as she clapped her little hands and exclaimed in her childish voice, "Wow! It's shaped like a duck's beak, just like sister's hat!"
"Come on, put it on and let me see." Duan Yuyan put the hat on Zhou Momo's head. The little one had her hair in double ponytails today, and the duckbill cap fit her perfectly.
"Hehe, cute! And kind of cool too." Duan Yuyan nodded with satisfaction, took Zhou Momo's hand and walked into the restaurant. "Come on, take off your little floral jacket and let's try on the little leather jacket. I asked someone to bring this from Hong Kong. The styles at Rongcheng Department Store are a bit ugly."
The driver, Yan Fei, got out of the driver's seat and jogged to the other side to open the car door. "Mrs. Qiu, please be careful."
"It's alright." Old Mrs. Qiu got out of the car. Today she was wearing a gray mid-length cheongsam, her hair still meticulously tied up, with a beige shawl draped over her shoulders. She smiled as she looked at Duan Yuyan, who was holding Zhou Momo's little hand.
This little one is so adorable! She's so tiny, yet her words are so sweet, and she always manages to praise things perfectly. It shows she's well-mannered and intelligent.
"Hey, hey, hey! Isn't that a Crown?! Holy crap, even Suji can see that car?!" Huang Bing and Huang Ying, riding side by side, exclaimed upon seeing the car parked in front of the restaurant.
"What are you getting so excited about? It's not like you've never seen a car before." Huang Ying said, shaking her handlebars and rolling her eyes at him.
"You don't know anything about this! This is a Crown! Even if we sold our Feiyan Restaurant, we might not be able to afford one." Huang Bing craned his neck to look. "I thought there was only one in Jiazhou. She even ate at our restaurant before. She was a very pretty girl, and she was wearing a black one..."
"Hey? Why do they have the same license plate number?"
Two bicycles stopped in front of the restaurant.
Huang Bing and Huang Ying both looked into the restaurant.
An elderly woman in a cheongsam, her silver hair piled high, and a young woman in a leather jacket and skirt were walking into the restaurant.
"Isn't that Grandma Qiu? She's a regular at our restaurant!" Huang Ying covered her mouth, her face showing surprise.
"That's her!" Huang Bing stared at the girl wearing a duckbill cap. Her fashionable outfit was unmatched in Jiazhou City.
The brother and sister exchanged a glance, seeing worry in each other's eyes.
"They probably don't know Brother Yan well, right? A Hong Kong businessman driving a Crown wouldn't come to town to eat so often, would he?" Huang Bing said in a low voice.
"I hope so." Huang Ying whispered.
Then, the two saw Duan Yuyan putting a coat on Zhou Momo inside the restaurant, it was a small brown leather jacket.
The little one was wearing a burgundy duckbill cap.
Her outfit was exactly the same as Duan Yuyan's.
"Judging from appearance, they're not just familiar, they're quite familiar." Huang Bing said with a hint of bitterness in his smile.
"Then we can only hope they don't order the braised meat." Huang Ying sighed softly.
What is Feiyan Restaurant most afraid of?
It's regular customers coming to Zhou Yan's restaurant for meal!
The two stopped their bicycles.
Huang Bing felt a chill run down his spine. Turning around, he met the gaze of the driver in the Crown's driver's seat, a gaze icy and laced with a chilling murderous intent.
"Why is that driver staring at me like that?" Huang Bing shrank back.
"He's afraid someone like you will get close to his young lady." Huang Ying said matter of factly.
"Bullshit! I look like a perfectly good person!" Huang Bing retorted.
Yan Fei watched Huang Bing and Huang Ying enter the restaurant before turning his gaze away and parking the car.
Having failed to guard against both the buzz cut man and the old man, he had given up hope of winning a bonus.
But to his surprise, neither Miss Duan nor Mrs. Qiu had come to Suji in the past two weeks, and Zhou Yan hadn't visited Miss Duan at the Qiu residence either.
President Duan hadn't fired him, his salary was still being paid, and he'd even received a fifty yuan raise.
A scholar will die for one who understands him!
Yan Fei was determined to protect Miss Duan and Mrs. Qiu with his life. If a delinquent teenager like him were to appear near the Qiu residence, he would have already thrown him far away.
He's quite adept at dealing with blond-haired bastards!
In the restaurant, Zhou Yan and Aunt Zhao stood to the side watching Zhou Momo, who had changed into her new clothes.
The little leather jacket fit perfectly, and the style was similar to the one Duan Yuyan was wearing, the leather looked soft.
After Zhou Momo changed into it, she looked energetic and adorable, and with the duckbill cap on her head, she was even more cute.
This is how wealthy people buy clothes, they only care about a perfect fit, and they don't consider whether it will fit next year, because they'll just buy new ones for their children next year anyway.
"Yes, it looks great, and the size fits perfectly. My taste was spot on." Duan Yuyan nodded with great satisfaction, pinched Zhou Momo's chubby cheek, and said with a smile, "It's a gift from your sister, wear it well."
"It looks great, and it's so warm!" Zhou Momo twirled around, touched the leather jacket she was wearing, and smiled brightly, "Thank you, Sister Yuyan."
Zhou Yan first greeted Old Lady Qiu, then looked at Duan Yuyan and said, "Thank you for going to all this trouble, even bringing her clothes from Hong Kong."
"That's right, buying such nice clothes for the little one." Aunt Zhao also looked embarrassed. She had seen the price of leather jackets at the department store last time, and one cost over a hundred yuan.
Although Zhou Momo's dress is small, but it's a high-end item from Hong Kong, and it might even be more expensive!
"What's the trouble or waste of money? This is my sister. Buying her some clothes doesn't count." Duan Yuyan said matter of factly, her eyes full of doting affection as she looked at Zhou Momo.
Zhou Yan felt conflicted. Zhou Momo had managed to get a taste of being a kept woman first!
He just said it casually that day, but he didn't expect Duan Yuyan to take it to heart.
It's great. Putting everything else aside, when Zhou Momo goes back to the village for Chinese New Year this year and puts on this little leather jacket, she'll be the prettiest girl in the whole village.
"By the way, I have a few words to tell you." Duan Yuyan walked to a corner, and Zhou Yan quickly followed.
"My grandmother has agreed to sell the Qiu family's old house to you. She's started moving things out these past few days, moving her belongings to the Duan family's old house. She estimates she'll be done by the end of the month." Duan Yuyan said.
"Really?!" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up, he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.
"My grandmother said she definitely wouldn't sell to anyone else, but since you want it, she's willing to sell it to you." Duan Yuyan said with a smile. "She thinks you're a good person."
Zhou Yan smiled and nodded, "I should be able to save up enough money by the beginning of next month."
"You're quite capable, aren't you?" Duan Yuyan looked at Zhou Yan with some surprise. Last time, Zhou Yan said he only had two thousand yuan on hand, and he could save up ten thousand by the beginning of next month, which showed that his restaurant business was indeed doing quite well.
"I earned this money by risking my life." Zhou Yan said with a smile, his upturned lips carrying a hint of youthful pride.
"We handled this matter beautifully. My dad gave me a sky villa in Central, and I'll be the general manager of the branch office when I get back." Duan Yuyan said calmly.
Zhou Yan's smile froze, a bitter taste creeping onto his lips.
Suddenly, he felt a little dizzy, like he was having heatstroke.
Wait a minute, he came from a poor family, how could he have heatstroke!
"Hmm? Why aren't you smiling?"
"Miss Duan, I'm not naturally inclined to smile." Zhou Yan said calmly.
"Really?" Duan Yuyan looked at him questioningly.
"Miss Duan, do you have any unused money? I can help you spend it." Zhou Yan asked earnestly.
"Get lost!" Duan Yuyan pouted. "I'm half Sichuanese too! We agreed that Sichuanese people don't lie to Sichuanese people."
""Yes, we've both benefited from this." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
Duan Yuyan is reliable, at least she resolved the housing issue for him smoothly. Now she's just waiting for him to save enough money.
Besides, she's really good to Zhou Momo. Even though the little one could be easily cheered up with a toy, she specially asked someone to bring her little clothes from Hong Kong, and the size was perfect.
"Let's order. I haven't had breakfast, I'm starving." Duan Yuyan smiled as she looked at the menu, her eyes lighting up. "Mapo Tofu! A new dish? I had Chen Mapo Tofu in Rongcheng last time, and it was really good with rice. There were too many people, so I didn't eat much. I'll order one serving to try today."
Over there, Zhou Momo had already been called over by Old Lady Qiu, who was helping her straighten her clothes and speaking gently.
Zhou Yan glanced outside and met Yan Fei's gaze as he squatted by the door smoking. Smoke billowed up, and his eyes held a hint of murderous intent.
Zhou Yan smiled and nodded at him. What was wrong with this driver? He always seemed to have some inexplicable hostility towards him.
Yan Fei stared at Zhou Yan. This guy, as expected, still hadn't given up. Even when Miss Duan came for meal, he'd pulled her aside for a private chat.
He didn't know what he said, but Miss Duan seemed quite happy. She's usually such a cold person, but today she's been smiling non stop ever since she got out of the car.
Yan Fei was completely helpless against this buzz cut guy.
His skill level is too high, it looks like Miss Duan is the one taking the initiative.
Damn it! This makes him look so useless!
He's completely let down the boss's trust!
Huang Ying and Huang Bing hesitated at the door for a while, then went inside and sat down at the table next to Duan Yuyan and the others, just in time to hear Duan Yuyan ordering food.
Don't order braised meat!
Whatever you do, don't order braised beef!
The two remained expressionless, but simultaneously pricked up their ears to listen intently, while silently praying in their hearts.
"One Mapo Tofu, one Braised Pork Ribs, and one Twice-Cooked Pork." Duan Yuyan paused, then turned to look at Grandma Qiu. "Grandma, would you like another serving of braised beef?"
"Sure." Grandma Qiu nodded slightly.
Huang Bing and Huang Ying's hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.
Yes!
It's still her favorite!
It's over!
"Can they tell the braised meat is the same?" Huang Bing whispered to Huang Ying.
Huang Ying sighed softly and whispered, "Of course! Dad said Grandma Qiu has been eating at our restaurant for decades, and she always orders braised beef."
Zhou Yan looked at the siblings, his expression slightly strange. Weren't they trying to avoid any awkwardness? Although Grandma Qiu and Duan Yuyan probably already knew the braised beef was the same, but it was still a little embarrassing, wasn't it?
Zhou Momo noticed the two of them and happily greeted Huang Ying, "Sister Huang Ying!"
"Oh, Momo, you're so sweet." Huang Ying replied with a smile, then stood up to greet Grandma Qiu, saying, "Grandma Qiu, it's been a long time."
Grandma Qiu looked Huang Ying up and down, somewhat surprised, and said, "You're Huang Xiaoji's daughter, Huang..."
"Huang Ying." Huang Ying replied with a smile.
"Yes, yes, Huang Ying." Old Mrs. Qiu nodded, smiling, "You've lost weight and become more beautiful. I didn't even recognize you at first."
"Hearing you say that makes me so happy." Huang Ying said with a smile. It had to be someone she hadn't seen in a long time to notice how thin she'd become, almost twenty jin!
But what's "Huang Xiaoji"? Was it her father's nickname or a pet name?
"Grandma Qiu." Huang Bing called out.
Huang Ying introduced him, "This is my brother, Huang Bing."
"Oh, you look a lot like your father when he was young, both skinny and bony." Grandma Qiu nodded with a smile.
Huang Bing felt a little embarrassed and stole a glance at Duan Yuyan, instantly becoming stunned.
Wow! She's so beautiful! Her aura is absolutely stunning.
And she has such great fashion sense!
That outfit makes her look so cool, like a movie star.
In comparison, Bao Gu Xue's face is a bit long, her nose a bit flat, and her mouth is big. Her clothes are also rather dowdy, even with her fancy floral shirts, the difference in their aura is too great.
Last time, Huang Bing only saw a side profile and a back view. Today, seeing her face, she was even more beautiful than he had expected.
Duan Yuyan was also observing the brother and sister, a playful smile playing on her lips.
Ever since she learned that Feiyan Restaurant got its braised meat from Zhou Yan, her impression of Feiyan Restaurant has dropped considerably, and she has only accompanied her grandmother there once during this period.
The brother and sister were quite bold, even though they knew her grandmother was a regular at Feiyan Restaurant, they didn't try to avoid seeing them.
Huang Ying had a round face, a pleasant voice, and was polite and courteous. Her smile was quite friendly, which made her feel somewhat favorably towards her.
But it was her brother who, with his pointed face and monkey-like features, and whose impolite gaze made her a little uncomfortable.
After a brief greeting, Huang Ying sat back down and began ordering.
They're just customers and the owner, a simple greeting is enough to show a good relationship. Saying too much will only annoy people.
"Aunt Zhao, we'd like one Mapo Tofu and one Braised Beef With Dried Bamboo Shoots." Huang Ying said.
"Another serving of Cross-legged Beef." Huang Bing added.
"Sure." Zhao Tieying replied with a smile, tearing off the order form and heading to the kitchen.
"What's that?" Duan Yuyan's gaze fell on a wooden board nailed to the menu wall, upon which stood a magazine. The magazine cover featured a bowl of soup that looked somewhat like Cross-legged Beef.
Grandma Qiu followed her gaze, her eyes narrowing slightly, and said with some surprise, "Sichuan Cuisine magazine. The cover looks like Cross-legged Beef?"
"It's in a magazine? Let me see." Upon hearing this, Duan Yuyan couldn't contain her curiosity and got up to walk over. When she got closer, she laughed: "It really is! It's in a beautiful blue and white porcelain bowl. I didn't recognize it at first glance, but the beef and tripe are definitely Cross-legged Beef."
"It's Zhou Yan's Cross-legged Beef. Last time, the deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine came to interview him and took photos. Not only was it on the cover, but he also wrote an article about it." Zhao Tieying said with a smile as she came out of the kitchen.
"There's also an exclusive interview, let me see." Duan Yuyan picked up the magazine and opened the table of contents. She quickly found the article on "Cross-legged Beef" in the "Top Four Highlights" section. She opened it and saw that it was two long pages long. At the top was a solo photo of Zhou Yan standing at the entrance of the restaurant.
Although the print was black and white, but the photo was quite good, and Zhou Yan's features were still recognizable.
She read very quickly, finishing the two pages in no time, and exclaimed, "This article is really well written! I never imagined there was such a story behind the 'Cross-legged Beef' dish. Zhou Yan is quite impressive."
"Really? Let me see." Hearing this, Grandma Qiu also became a little curious and said with a smile, "Sichuan Cuisine magazine is quite professional. Many first class and special class chefs teach how to cook in it. Although I am not very good at cooking, but I like to read it. I even subscribed to the first and second issues."
"Look." Duan Yuyan said, handing the magazine to Grandma Qiu with a smile.
Grandma Qiu took it and read it carefully, nodding occasionally. After a long while, she finished reading and nodded, saying, "To restore and pass down a dish from a tattered recipe, the difficulties involved are unimaginable. For someone so young to have such determination and perseverance is truly remarkable."
She already had a very good impression of Zhou Yan, and after reading this article, she felt even more that this young man had an excellent character.
Duan Yuyan picked up the magazine, casually flipped through a few pages, put it back in its place, and looked at Zhao Tieying, asking, "Auntie, is this magazine sold in Jiazhou? I want to buy a few copies to take back as gifts for my friends, so they can know what kind of delicious food I ate in Sichuan."
"This..." Zhao Tieying didn't know how to answer for a moment. She didn't know where to buy the magazine either. She wanted to buy two more copies: one for the restaurant entrance, one to put on the menu wall, and one to open so people could see the interview pages.
"Newspaper shops sell them, but the stock is limited. If you need a lot, you might have to go to several newspaper shops." Huang Ying chimed in with a smile, "I just bought three copies the day before yesterday and even got Zhou Yan's autograph."
"You can even get Zhou Yan's autograph? That's interesting!" Duan Yuyan laughed upon hearing this, and said to Huang Ying with a smile, "Thank you, I'll buy it when I get back to Jiazhou."
She was still thinking about what souvenirs to bring back for her friends and relatives when she went back to Hong Kong. This magazine seemed perfect. It could fit in a gift bag.
She could show them the pictures and articles, and tell them how delicious the Cross-legged Beef was, making them drool!
Her aunt loved to cook. Although her cooking was notoriously bad, but she had the same perseverance and dedication as Zhou Yan.
She would probably like this semi-educational magazine, and she would also like Zhou Yan's story of perseverance leading to victory.
Duan Yuyan then said to Zhao Tieying, "Auntie, please add two more servings of Cross-legged Beef, and one extra serving of beef to each of them."
"One serving is enough, we won't be able to finish it if we add more." said Old Lady Qiu.
"It's alright, Grandma. Yan Fei is still outside. He loves eating Cross-legged Beef, and he'll finish off any leftovers." Duan Yuyan said with a smile, "Besides, didn't we make an appointment with Grandpa Wang? He should be here soon."
As they were talking, a bicycle leisurely rode up and stopped in front of the restaurant.
Grandpa Wang, his white hair neatly combed, got off the bicycle, straightened his collar, and walked into the restaurant.
Yan Fei, who was squatting outside, subconsciously stood up, then silently squatted back down after watching Grandpa Wang's retreating figure.
He had someone investigate the old man's background, but found nothing, a complete blank.
So clean that he dared not investigate further.
What business was it of his that Old Lady Qiu's affairs? He had originally wanted to investigate for peace of mind, to ensure her and Miss Duan's safety, but after the investigation, he was left only with trepidation.
"Grandpa Wang." Duan Yuyan beckoned.
Old Lady Qiu turned around at the sound of her voice, a smile appearing on her face.
"Two young people came to borrow books just now, and I helped them pick out a few. Sorry to have kept you waiting." Grandpa Wang said apologetically as he approached.
"It's alright, Yuyan and I just arrived too." Grandma Qiu smiled and shook her head. "Please sit down."
"Sure." Grandpa Wang nodded and sat down beside her.
Duan Yuyan looked at him with a smile and said, "Grandpa Wang, I've already ordered the dishes. Would you like to add a couple more?"
Grandpa Wang chuckled and shook his head: "You always order too much food. I figured we'd have enough even without adding anything. No need to order anything else."
"They have a new dish today, Mapo Tofu. I ordered one, to see if it's authentic." Duan Yuyan said.
"Okay." Grandpa Wang nodded, his gaze fixed on Grandma Qiu beside him. He said gently, "Qiqi, are you almost done moving everything?"
Grandma Qiu replied, "I'm moving things little by little. The study room and bedroom haven't been moved yet. We can move them when we're about to leave. I still prefer living on Dong Da Street."
"Qiqi!" Huang Ying's gossip radar instantly activated. She pretended to drink water and secretly sized up the old man with a full head of silver hair, but whose back was straight and who had a rather refined demeanor.
She had heard her father mention that the Qiu family's old house was for sale. Her father was quite interested in it, thinking that the location of the Qiu family's old house was excellent, facing the Jiazhou Wharf and bordering the river. He believed that if they could buy the house next door and rebuild it together, it would be even better than the current location of the Feiyan Restaurant.
It seems that the person selling the house is Old Lady Qiu's son, and now it should be her granddaughter handling the matter.
But it is said that there is a prerequisite for buying the house: one must be able to resolve Old Mrs. Qiu's inner knot.
As for what Old Mrs. Qiu's inner knot is, Huang Ying doesn't know.
However, encountering Old Mrs. Qiu in Suji today, and having meal with an old man who affectionately calls her "Qiqi," might be a very important clue.
Huang Ying glanced at Huang Bing, who was secretly sizing up Miss Duan under the guise of drinking water, and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
This guy's love-struck, he falls in love with every girl he sees!
You're still eyeing someone as beautiful as Miss Duan?
She was thinking that if she could help her father buy the Qiu family's old house, she would prepare to take over the Feiyan Restaurant.
Foolish brother, just stay a simp!