Comrade Old Zhou's skillful demonstration astonished the guests.
His hands were incredibly precise, and his knife work was impeccably steady.
No matter how much they say, just one cut, not a penny less.
At first, everyone thought he was just guessing, but after several customers ordered pig's head meat and it was sliced in one go, everyone was completely convinced.
His precise hands were one thing, but his knife skills were truly exceptional.
Pig ears needed to be thin and evenly sliced, which requires the person in charge to have a high level of skill.
The knife moved swiftly in his hands, so fast it was almost a blur.
Thin slices of pig's ear landed on the cutting board, so thin they were translucent.
The pig's head meat was even more exquisite, the thickness of each slice meticulously controlled, almost identical to the last.
The workers looked at Comrade Old Zhou with even more admiration.
"This is the skill of a master butcher!"
"Give me a pig's ear, half a jin of pig's head meat, and a serving of cold chicken dish." Factory Director Wang arrived early today, squeezing through the crowd with his food box.
"Sure! Factory Director Wang, please wait a moment." Zhao Tieying smiled as she took the food box, then had Comrade Old Zhou cut the last pig's ear for the Factory Director.
"Comrade, your knife skills are really good, but you don't look like a professional helper. What did you do before?" Wang Hongliang asked curiously, watching Zhou Miao cut the braised meat.
"I was a butcher for over twenty years." Zhou Miao packed the pig's ear and handed it to Wang Hongliang along with the half jin of pig's head meat, smiling somewhat embarrassedly.
Wang Hongliang gave him a thumbs up: "Then your butchering skills must be excellent."
Zhou Miao smiled, a truly hearty smile.
A while later, Lin Zhiqiang arrived. He was disappointed to see that the pig ears were sold out, but luckily there was still a piece of pig snout left, so he quickly ordered that, along with three liang of pig head meat.
"Old Zhou, cut me a leaner piece; my youngest son doesn't eat fatty meat." Lin Zhiqiang said to Zhou Miao.
He ate at the shop frequently and had a good relationship with Zhou Yan, so he naturally became familiar with Zhao Tieying and Zhou Miao.
"Sure!" Old Zhou nodded with a smile, selecting a piece of meat that was mostly lean with little fat for him.
"Is Anhe back? Why did Factory Director Lin buy so much food?" Zhao Tieying asked with a smile.
"Yes, she's back tonight. I bought two braised dishes to take home." Lin Zhiqiang nodded, then thought for a moment and handed over his food box: "Could you pack me a portion of cross-legged beef?"
"Sure." Zhao Tieying smiled and took the food box.
"Mainly because the two kids want to eat it." Lin Zhiqiang added.
"Beef is good for the kids' growth." Zhao Tieying responded, casually grabbing a few more slices of sirloin and blanching them in the pot. Factory Director Lin's family was very kind.
Zhou Miao was in charge of the braised meat section. His superb knife skills and incredibly precise hands attracted many customers.
The braised pig's head meat sold all day yesterday, and word of it spread quickly. Today, everyone was crowding around to buy it, and many workers, after asking around, also joined in the buying.
Within half an hour, all the braised meats were sold out.
Fortunately, Zhou Miao's knife skills were superb, so customers could pick up their food without waiting. If it were someone with slightly less skillful knife work, it would have taken them an hour just to cut all that meat.
"Sorry, we're sold out of braised meat for today. We'll add some more tomorrow." Aunt Zhao apologized to the later customers.
They had braised six pig heads today, and this morning she was a little worried they wouldn't sell.
But Zhou Miao chopped them swiftly and efficiently, selling them all in half an hour.
Many customers were simply curious and wanted to see if his hands were really that precise, able to cut just the right amount for them.
The cold chicken dish also sold very well. Customers who wanted takeout had learned from experience; they washed and dried their lunchboxes after lunch, and then simply used them to pack their orders in the evening, preventing the chili oil from spilling and ensuring cleanliness and hygiene.
The best way to enjoy cold chicken dish is to wait about twenty minutes after mixing it, allowing the flavors to fully infuse the chicken, making even the bones flavorful.
The workers packed up the cold chicken dish and carried it home, wobbling all the way, until the taste was just right when it was served.
Zhou Yan only needed to make the cold chicken dish tonight, and he was clearly much more relaxed; the kitchen wasn't as chaotic as it had been yesterday.
Comrade Old Zhou is truly an excellent employee who is plug-and-play.
He prepared the same amount of food as yesterday, and ended up with a portion of braised pork ribs left over. There are still over a dozen crucian carp in the fish tank, all lively and jumping around; it won't affect their use tomorrow at all.
Zhou Yan packed up the remaining pork ribs and gave them to Zhao Hong to take home for the two children.
"Those pork ribs are so expensive, you should save them for Momo…" Zhao Hong looked embarrassed; that portion of ribs cost more than her daily wage.
"She had ribs for dinner tonight. Take this home and cook a simple dish. I'll make something fresh tomorrow." Zhou Yan smiled and handed the lunchbox to her.
They had eaten dinner before opening for business. Zhao Hong ate until she was half full, and then she would have another meal with Zhou Fei and the two children when she got home.
According to her, a family needs to eat together to feel like a family.
"Come on, let's go move the planks back. It'll be damp by the river tonight; if they get wet, we'll have wasted a whole day drying them." Zhou Miao called to Zhou Yan, and they carried all the planks that had been drying at the dam back to the shop.
The planks, having dried for an afternoon, were already half dry; it looks like they'll be ready to sleep on in two more days.
Zhou Yan changed into a vest, carried the bedding downstairs and placed it on the counter. He said to Zhao Tieying, "Mom, I've brought the bedding down. You can put the new bedding on and sleep upstairs. I'll put four benches together to make a single bed. You can sleep there for two days."
"Okay." Zhao Tieying replied, boiling water in the kitchen.
"Guo Guo, where are you going? Can I come with you?" Zhou Momo saw Zhou Yan walking towards the door and immediately slid off the bench, looking at him expectantly.
"I'm going for a run. Didn't you want to take a bath?" Zhou Yan paused, smiling.
"I don't want to take a bath..."
"Zhou Momo?" Aunt Zhao's voice rang out from the kitchen.
"Yes! I want to take a bath! I love fragrance! I love taking baths!"
Zhou Momo nodded, her eyes filled with determination, as if she was about to join the Party.
Zhou Yan smiled and went out; it was definitely a case of bloodline suppression.
Zhou Yan ran to the entrance of the family compound. Lin Zhiqiang was warming up. Seeing Zhou Yan, he smiled and followed, "Little Zhou, the braised pig's head and snout you made are so delicious! My wife and two sons raved about them after eating them, and they complained I didn't buy enough!"
"I learned this skill from my grandmother. She used to be the best braised food in Jiazhou. I'm still a bit lacking in skill." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
Lin Zhiqiang's eyes lit up, and he asked, "I heard from them that you also have braised pig's trotters? Your sister Meng loves braised pig's trotters the most. When will they be on the menu? Save me two, if I have to queue up and fight them for them, I definitely won't be able to get any."
"I'm planning to put braised pig's trotters on the menu tomorrow. They're 1.2 yuan each, and each one weighs about 1 jin 2 liang. Uncle Lin, if you want some, I'll save you two." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"1.2 yuan each? That's a pretty good price. Tomorrow is suitable. Save me two, and I'll pick them up after get off work tomorrow night." Lin Zhiqiang nodded and readily ordered two braised pig's trotters.
The two chatted as they ran.
Lin Zhiqiang ran for a week and his physical strength improved significantly. He must have had some foundation when he was young, and he quickly regained his form after resuming training.
Zhou Yan, a twenty years old young man, naturally had excellent stamina, and he deliberately kept his speed down when running with Uncle Lin.
"Are you still corresponding with Yaoyao?" After finishing discussing national affairs, Uncle Lin switched to gossip mode, mainly because it was a task given to him by his wife.
"I wonder if she received the letter I sent last time." Zhou Yan smiled slightly, having been so busy these past few days that he'd completely forgotten about it.
"No, no, this isn't right." Lin Zhiqiang shook his head repeatedly. "Back when I was in Suzhou and your Sister Meng was in Hangzhou, I wrote her over three hundred love letters a year. Now, her old house in Hangzhou has a box full of over a thousand love letters I wrote to her.
Grandpa Meng didn't approve of me back then, but my mother in law was moved by my sincerity and finally agreed to the marriage."
"Do you have that much trivial stuff to write about everyday?" Zhou Yan pursed his lips, suppressing what he shouldn't say.
"One letter a day? Are the letters delivered that fast?" Zhou Yan asked.
"That's not the case. Anhe only replies to me once a week, and while I'm writing this letter, there are three other letters on their way." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, "When you like someone, you even want to share cute kittens you see on the street with her, so naturally you have something different to write about everyday."
Zhou Yan understood.
A simp, if he keeps licking, he'll eventually get everything.
Sister Meng studied abroad, is highly educated, capable, and beautiful; her demeanor screams "rich heiress."
Of course, Uncle Lin isn't bad either.
But asking Zhou Yan to write a letter everyday would be worse than killing him.
He definitely won't write one!
He's not going to be a simp.
Back at the entrance of the family compound, Lin Zhiqiang, drenched in sweat, waved and went back. Zhou Yan secretly ran another five kilometers on his back.
On the way back, Zhou Yan encountered a fisherman, shirtless, carrying a large carp weighing over ten jin, wandering around the crowded area of the dam, seemingly lost.
Last night's heavy rain had swelled the river, and many fishermen who hadn't caught anything today had caught fish.
"Oh my god, bro, you're amazing! Where did you catch such a big fish?" Zhou Yan asked, leaning closer.
A group of people taking a walk gathered around to see what was happening.
The man immediately beamed, spitting as he spoke: "Oh, not big at all, only thirteen jin and eight liang. Last time I caught a grass carp, it weighed twenty eight jin, and when I killed it, the grass carp stone inside was as big as a baby's fist..."
Zhou Yan had already walked far away, his accomplishment hidden from view.
If Comrade Old Zhou knew, he'd chase him down three blocks to find out where his fishing spot was.
Back at the restaurant, Aunt Zhao and Zhou Momo were playing sandbag toss, while Zhou Miao sat watching, his face full of smiles.
Look at Comrade Old Zhou, isn't he having a good laugh?
Aunt Zhao turned to look at Zhou Yan, who was covered in sweat, and said, "I've boiled some hot water for you in the pot. Take a break before you take a shower. Use hot water."
Zhou Yan said dismissively, "It's nothing, I'm used to using well water, a quick rinse will do."
"Bang!" Aunt Zhao slammed the sandbag on the table, her expression serious. "It's almost winter and you're still taking cold showers? You'll suffer from rheumatism when you're old! Take a hot shower, or I'll beat you up!"
"Your mother's right!" Comrade Old Zhou immediately chimed in.
"Mom's right!" Zhou Momo followed suit.
"Yes, ma'am..." Zhou Yan shrank back, not daring to disobey Aunt Zhao's authority.
The water in the pot was still boiling hot. A ladle of hot water was added to a bucket of well water, warming Zhou Yan's heart.
In his previous life, no one ever cared whether he would get rheumatism from taking cold showers.
Having a mother is truly wonderful.
"Come on, play a couple of games of chess with me." As soon as Zhou Yan finished his bath, Comrade Old Zhou dragged him to play chess.
Among the pile of things he dug up today was this chess set.
The chess pieces were carved by Comrade Zhou himself from wood many years ago. The woodworking was a bit rough, but the polishing was still quite smooth.
The two chess novices, though evenly matched, fought a fierce and evenly contested battle.
After watching for a while, Aunt Zhao carried the drowsy Zhou Momo upstairs to sleep.
...
Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, dormitory.
Xia Yao, with the desk lamp on, looked at the letter she had just received, her expression shifting between smiles, contemplation, and sudden realization.
Zhou Yan's letter came two days later than she expected.
When she received the letter, she didn't even know why the corners of her mouth had involuntarily turned up.
"Xia Yao:
Receiving your letter has brightened my mood, as if I were meeting you again....."