Chapter 57: Chapter 51: Ingredient Supplier
A small table lamp was on by the headboard in the cozy bedroom.
The dim, warm light shone on Meng Anhe’s flushed cheeks. Her fingers drew circles on Lin Zhiqiang’s chest as she panted slightly, "Have you been secretly working out these past few days?"
"Working out?" Lin Zhiqiang flicked the cigarette held between his fingers, raising his chin smugly. "Do I need to? This was just my usual performance."
"As if I don’t know what you’re made of." Meng Anhe shot him a look, and the finger that had been drawing circles gave him a pinch.
Once a man is past twenty-five, the only tough part of his body is his mouth.
And that was even more true for a thirty-eight-year-old man.
"HISS..." Lin Zhiqiang sucked in a sharp breath and quickly pleaded for mercy. "It’s probably because I’ve been eating so much beef lately. My health must have improved."
"Kneeling Beef?" Meng Anhe was lost in thought.
"It’s a bone broth that’s simmered for eight hours, with all sorts of Chinese medicinal herbs and beef added. It’s definitely nourishing."
"In that case, you should go eat there every day. I’ll cover the bill."
"Great. But of course, it’s mainly because I’m already in good health. Whether it’s nourishing or not doesn’t really make a difference."
"Is that so? Then let me put you to the test again." Meng Anhe sat up, grabbing a hair tie to pull her hair back.
"Oh! I just remembered I have a design drawing I haven’t finished, and I have to present it at a meeting tomorrow! I’m going to go work on it. An He, you go ahead and sleep." Lin Zhiqiang scrambled out of bed, threw on his pajamas, and tried to walk out, his legs feeling a little weak.
’What kind of cadre could withstand this kind of test?’
"Heh. Men." The corner of Meng’s mouth lifted as she reached out and hooked his collar. "Come back and lie down. I’ll stop teasing you."
"That’s more like it. We have to make it last, can’t be too greedy." Only then did Lin Zhiqiang lie back down on the bed.
Meng Anhe rested her head on his arm and said with a smile, "From what I saw, the factory director and Meilin seemed quite satisfied with dinner today."
"I’ve eaten with the factory director many times, including at several big restaurants in Rongcheng, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen him react like that," Lin Zhiqiang said, also smiling. "His expectations were too low at first, but then he was completely blown away. His attitude toward Zhou Yan changed noticeably."
Meng Anhe nodded slightly. "To be fair, the dishes Zhou Yan made today were definitely on par with those from famous restaurants in Rongcheng. For someone with his skills to open a restaurant in this small town... it’s a real waste of talent. He should go try to make it in a big city."
"I wouldn’t say that. I think he’s taking things one steady step at a time," Lin Zhiqiang mused. "Getting fired from the factory cafeteria, then opening a restaurant right at the factory gates... for a young man from a small town, without much education and from an ordinary family, to be able to open a restaurant, make it successful, and establish a foothold in such a short time—that’s already the best he could have possibly done."
"Once he’s earned his first pot of gold, he might just expand to a big city. Who knows, maybe he’ll even open a big restaurant in Rongcheng someday."
"You seem to have a lot of faith in him," Meng Anhe said with a smile.
"Most people who’ve worked in state-owned enterprises for a long time look down on private business owners. But we saw a lot while studying abroad. Opening a shop and running a business is a perfectly respectable line of work. A capable person can earn much more than they would at a factory. Life is obviously better with money, and going to college doesn’t guarantee you’ll be more successful..."
"Are you trying to matchmake Xia Yao and Zhou Yan?" Meng Anhe interrupted, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
"I don’t have that kind of power, but I certainly wouldn’t stand in their way." Lin Zhiqiang held up his hands. "If those two kids really do get together someday, Zhou Yan wouldn’t be a bad match for her."
"Then why don’t you go tell my sister and my brother-in-law that."
"What? As if I’d dare!"
...
Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Dormitory.
A small lamp glowed on the desk.
Xia Yao sat at the desk, writing a letter. Her elegant handwriting flowed across the page, and several crumpled balls of paper lay in the trash can beside her.
"Yaoyao, is writing a love letter really that hard?" Deng Hong popped her head out and asked with a grin.
Zhu Yuyu poked her head out from another bed and teased, "Right? This is your fifth draft already. You’re taking this more seriously than I’m taking my thesis project. How about you let me have a look so I can learn from the master?"
"I’m writing a letter, not a love letter," Xia Yao said, sitting up straighter without turning her head. Her hand, however, instinctively moved to cover the words on the page.
"Right, right. A letter brimming with comradely friendship," Deng Hong nodded with a laugh. "In that case, thank Comrade Zhou Yan for us for the puffed rice candy. It was delicious."
"Totally. And tell him I said the same," Zhu Yuyu added, nodding.
"Alright, you two go to sleep. I’ll turn off the light in a little while," Xia Yao said with a laugh.
...
As the sky was just beginning to brighten, Comrade Zhou rode his bicycle out to buy ingredients for the day.
First, he went to find Zhang the Third and bought eight catties of pork ribs.
"Ah, Zhou, your restaurant’s business is getting better and better," Zhang the Third remarked while weighing the ribs.
"It’s okay. At least I can stay open," Zhou Yan replied with a smile, taking out some money to hand to Zhang the Third.
"Still no need for the second-cut belly or pork knuckles?" Zhang the Third asked casually as he took the money.
"Not right now. I’ll come looking for you when I start selling Twice-Cooked Pork and Dongpo Pork Knuckle." Zhou Yan placed the ribs in his bicycle basket and called out, "I’m heading out!"
’That kid’s really got something,’ Zhang the Third chuckled to himself, watching Zhou Yan’s retreating figure.
Zhou Yan then went over to the market and found the fishmonger, Boss Gao, who supplied his fish. He asked him to deliver forty crucian carp, each weighing eight liang, to the restaurant at noon.
Because he was buying in bulk and needed a daily supply, Zhou Yan successfully negotiated the price of a catty of crucian carp down from four-and-a-half mao to just four mao, with the agreement that the price would not increase on holidays.
The textile factory cafeteria and the state-run restaurant had their own supply channels, and individual retail sales weren’t great. A customer like Zhou Yan, who needed a large, stable supply, was rare. In Suji, he was considered a major client, so Boss Gao, operating on a principle of small profits and quick turnover, readily agreed.
"Boss Gao, the fish have to be good quality. You’ve been selling fish for years, so you know good from bad. If you deliberately try to pass off inferior ones on me, we’re going to have a problem," Zhou Yan said with a smile, getting the unpleasantries out of the way first.
"Don’t you worry. Every time I deliver, I’ll bring an extra ten fish. You can pick them out yourself. If you’re not satisfied, I’ll go get another batch," Boss Gao guaranteed. Despite Zhou Yan’s youth, his eye for fish was sharp; he couldn’t be fooled.
"Deal," Zhou Yan nodded, getting on his bike and leaving.
A restaurant’s operations are inseparable from its ingredient suppliers.
Establishing a stable supply chain for ingredients is a crucial part of ensuring consistent quality in the dishes.
Right now, the restaurant’s most important supply—beef—was in the hands of his own family.
At the Zhou Village Yankantu Slaughterhouse, eight cattle were being slaughtered simultaneously. In the low morning temperature, warm steam rose from each station like the resentful souls of the cattle ascending to heaven.
The thought that suddenly popped into his head made Zhou Yan laugh.
By this time, the Cow Slaughterers were already butchering the carcasses.
The deboned beef was being separated into different cuts. The meat was still warm, its color vibrant.
Zhou Yan parked his bike in front of Zhou Miao’s stall.
"Twelve catties of brisket, and twelve catties of sirloin tip. For the rest, go to your Uncle’s stall. I’ve already spoken with him. We’ll count it as two yuan per catty. That’ll be the price from now on," Zhou Miao said.
"Isn’t two yuan per catty a little too cheap?" Zhou Yan hesitated.
"No. The rural chefs who cater the big outdoor banquets also get it at this price when they buy in bulk. It’s always cheaper than the retail price," Zhou Miao said, shaking his head.
"Deal," Zhou Yan nodded.
When Zhou Fei saw Zhou Yan approaching, he asked with a smile, "Zhou Yan, how much more sirloin tip do you need?"
"Fei, five catties is enough for today," Zhou Yan said, also greeting his uncle, Zhou Qing, who stood beside them.
The uncle was sturdily built, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, and looked a lot like Zhou Fei. There was a touch of frost at his temples. He gave Zhou Yan a simple, honest smile. "Zhou Yan, you can have as much as you want. From now on, I’ll save the sirloin tip for you first."
"Deal. Thank you, Uncle," Zhou Yan grinned.
’This just shows the importance of the supply chain. If they weren’t family, buying sirloin tip would be a matter of luck, and it’d be almost impossible to get any during the holidays.’
’Sirloin tip was never hard to sell.’
Zhou Fei cut off a piece of sirloin tip, weighing it generously. He trimmed the fascia and sinew off cleanly; the meat was excellent quality. He then placed it in Zhou Yan’s back-basket.
"Uncle, at two yuan a catty, am I taking advantage of you?" Zhou Yan asked with a laugh, pulling out a Great Unity bill and handing it over.
"What’s there to take advantage of between family? I wanted to charge one-and-a-half yuan per catty, but your dad wouldn’t have it. He insisted I take two. I feel like I’m the one taking advantage of you, kid," the uncle said, taking the money and shaking his head with a smile.
"Zhou Yan, need any more sirloin tip? I saved some for you over here, too!" his Second Uncle, Zhou Ze, called out to him.
Zhou Jie held up a piece of sirloin tip to show him. "Today’s sirloin tip is top-notch!"
"I’ve got some here too, trimmed up real nice for you," his Third Uncle, Zhou Han, added with a laugh.
"I have enough for today! If I need more in a couple of days, I’ll come find you, Second Uncle and Third Uncle!" Zhou Yan replied with a smile, a warmth spreading through his chest.
’He had only mentioned it in passing, but his whole family had remembered.’
’This was nice. Really nice.’
