A wooden plank was placed on the long bench, and a bed was placed against one wall, covered with a new cotton quilt that Zhou Yan had bought a couple of days ago.
The room was lit by a warm yellow light, and apart from a bed, there were only two wooden boxes, making it look empty.
Zhou Momo was wrapped in a small blanket and sleeping soundly like a little green worm.
Zhao Tieying lay on the bed, eyes wide open, looking around, too excited to sleep: "Old Zhou, does this mean we've moved into our new house?"
"Of course we are! It's an apartment building, with cement floors, white walls, and it's on the second floor. It's so much better than our old patched-up mud walls." Zhou Miao nodded with a smile. "Zhou Yan really knows how to arrange things."
"This kid seems to have suddenly become more insightful. He's become more reliable in his words and actions and knows how to share the burdens of his parents!" Zhao Tieying said with a smile, but her eyes were a little moist.
"That's your child too, and you've raised him little by little over the years. It's only right that he'd be filial to you." Zhou Miao reached out and hugged her, gently patting her back.
Zhao Tieying buried her head in his chest and whispered, "That night, watching the house collapse, I felt like the sky had fallen. I never imagined we'd have a new home so soon."
"Home is where family is." Zhou Miao hugged her tighter.
The gentle flow of the river outside the window made them fall asleep quickly.
…
Zhou Yan woke up just as dawn was breaking.
There was no way around it. His biological clock was already set. He went to bed early and woke up early, full of energy.
He pulled the cash box from under the bed, stuffed a wad of cash into his pocket, and carried it with him. There were only nine tables of customers for lunch today, so he didn't need to prepare many dishes, but leaving early would allow him to pick out better quality ingredients.
With the braised meat now available, word of mouth spread quickly, and the restaurant's revenue had remained stable at around 500 yuan for four consecutive days, with a gross profit of 260 to 270 yuan.
These past two days, he'd spent a lot of money rendering lard, buying half a tractor load of oak wood for firewood, renovating the second floor, building a new stove, and buying a new pot.
He still had 762.62 yuan in cash.
That was a considerable sum.
Of course, this included Aunt Zhao's and Comrade Old Zhou's salary and commissions, which hadn't been deducted yet.
The Cross-legged Beef dish is now selling a stable 120 bowls a day, with a consistent 60% profit margin. Aunt Zhao earns about eight yuan a day in commission, bringing her monthly salary and commission to around 270 yuan.
The braised meat, thanks to Comrade Old Zhou's skillful meat cutting techniques, has a stable turnover of around 150 yuan, with a gross profit margin of about 60%. Comrade Old Zhou earns about 18 yuan a day in commission.
Zhou Yan is happy to give this money. Aunt Zhao and Comrade Old Zhou are angel investors. This restaurant is open with their savings, so it's only right that they ask for a share of the profits.
Besides, the two of them are now the restaurant's core technical staff. Without them, how could the turnover reach 500? The restaurant would have to close down.
Helping out at the restaurant is much better than Comrade Old Zhou slaughtering cattle. The workload is less than when he slaughtered cattle. Every morning, he would go to buy groceries with Zhou Yan, and after they come back and finish processing the chicken and pig heads, he would go fishing by the river in front of the restaurant.
However, he hadn't caught a fish for four days in a row.
Yesterday, Comrade Old Zhou said that the boats coming and going at the dock in front of the textile factory everyday have scared away the fish, so today he's going to his old fishing spot.
Those who understand will naturally know.
If he fishes under Aunt Zhao's nose and fails to catch anything, he really won't catch anything. It's not a good idea to go to the market and buy one to save face.
With 300 yuan left for groceries, Zhou Yan planned to take his parents and little Zhou Momo into the city to shop around after the restaurant closed at noon, and buy some things for their new home at the department store.
The second floor is now in a state that is no different from a house with bare walls.
Zhou Yan was about to leave when Comrade Old Zhou followed him downstairs.
"Dad, we're not selling braised meat or cold chicken dish today, why don't you sleep in a little longer?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at him.
"I've been sleeping so much more lately, I wake up as soon as it's light, and I feel uncomfortable lying on bed." Comrade Old Zhou took out his new fishing rod, which he had just made a couple of days ago, from the bottom of the stairs and said with a smile, "I'm going to go and reserve a spot early and see if I can catch a big fish."
In those days, fishing enthusiasts in rural towns mostly made their own fishing rods from bamboo rod, about 1.8 meters long. Any longer and they would be inconvenient to carry, too heavy and tiring to their hands.
Comrade Old Zhou's handiwork has always been superb. This old bamboo pole was roasted over a fire and stretched straight. A semi-transparent fishing line was tied to the tip of the rod. The floats were made of six small, cut goose feather rods. The fish hooks were also changed from the original embroidery needles to purchased fish hooks.
Comrade Old Zhou, whose personal savings are plentiful, has significantly upgraded his equipment compared to a month ago.
The only thing that remained unchanged was his loyalty, even though he never caught a fish.
Logically, this shouldn't be the case. Zhou Yan had been jogging along the river after work lately, and everyday he saw many fishermen sitting on both banks. Each of them had fish in their baskets, some big and some small. It was quite rare to see someone who didn't catch any fish.
Even if you don't know how to scoop fish out of the Qingyi River, in this era before electricians, fishing shouldn't be difficult and anyone with hands can do it.
"Dad, what do you use to fish?" Zhou Yan couldn't help but ask.
"Earthworms, I see them all using this. I specifically dig out big baits, this thick and long, specifically for catching big fish." Comrade Old Zhou gestured with his middle finger.
Zhou Yan's eyes went black upon hearing this.
An earthworm as thick as half a middle finger on a hook, for catching freshwater sharks?
It wasn't that there weren't big fish in the Qingyi River, but Comrade Old Zhou's hook was only a little wider than his little fingernail.
Zhou Yan wasn't a fishing enthusiast, but he had a roommate in college who loved fishing, proficient in everything from rod fishing to lure fishing. He even made his own fermented rice in the dorm, getting tanned like an African.
Zhou Yan went fishing with him a couple of times, learning the basic principles and methods of rod fishing, and even caught a few fish. He found it genuinely enjoyable.
However, fishing can easily cause sunburn, and as a handsome blogger, he eventually had to give up this path.
Being handsome has its troubles, which most people can't understand.
"Old man, when you go dig for earthworms today, just get the ones this big, a little bigger than a fishhook. Tear them in half, thread them back and forth on the hook." Zhou Yan said to Comrade Old Zhou. "Then go to their rapeseed oil pressing workshop, buy a jin of rapeseed cake, grab a handful, soak it in water, knead it into a ball, throw it in the spot where you want to fish, and start casting after half an hour. If you still haven't caught anything, the money for the fish you bought today is on me."
Comrade Old Zhou was stunned. This method was quite different from what he had learned.
Seeing Zhou Yan's confidence, he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say."
The father and son pushed the bicycle out together.
For a fisherman, leaving early is equivalent to rest.
If Comrade Old Zhou still can't catch anything, then it just means he's really bad at fishing.
He'll go buy a jin of cheap liquor later, and when he gets back, he'll soak some rice in it and give him a good workout.
When the weather gets cold, it'll be crucian carp fishing season.
Crucian carp are great. They'll be useful for making crucian carp with perilla leaves.
Wild crucian carp are also delicious in fish soup.
There's no way around it. He's his own father, so he has to spoil him.
Going home empty-handed everyday isn't a solution. It's too discouraging.
Zhou Yan came back from buying groceries, and Aunt Zhao was sitting under the tree by the door combing her hair.
Zhou Momo was up early today, her hair loose, squatting nearby, muttering to the ants that had come out to forage:
"Ants, ants, do you have names?"
"Have you had breakfast?"
"I'm so hungry, are you guys hungry?"
Zhou Yan chuckled, "What are you muttering about?"
"Guo Guo!" Zhou Momo jumped up and ran over, "I want noodles! I'm hungry!"
"I didn't make noodles this morning, so I bought you steamed buns instead." Zhou Yan took a paper bag from the basket and handed it to Zhou Momo. "Hold on tight, there are four big meat buns."
"Meat buns!" Zhou Momo's saliva was already dripping from the corners of her mouth.
Aunt Zhao casually tied her hair up and took the buns, saying as she walked inside, "I'll help you carry them. It'll be a disaster if you drop them. Wash your face and hands first, then I'll comb your hair after you eat the buns."
"Okay!" Zhou Momo happily followed, climbing onto the stool and sitting obediently.
Aunt Zhao put the buns on the table, wrung out a hot towel, rubbed Zhou Momo's face, and carefully wiped her hands before taking a bun from the paper bag and placing it in her hand.
The bun was huge. Zhou Momo couldn't close it with both hands, and the little one's cheeks were flushed.
She took a big bite, making a small opening, but found no meat filling.
She chewed, nodding her head. "So fragrant! Sweet!"'
Then she took another big bite, but still no filling.
Now she was a little annoyed, turning to look at Zhou Yan who was moving meat beside her: "Guo Guo, where's the meat?"
Zhou Yan glanced at the bun in her hand and couldn't help but laugh: "Take another bite. If you still can't find the meat, I'll take you to the boss for a refund."
These days, steamed buns are large, with thick skins and little filling, mainly to fill you up, but they don't taste good.
Zhou Momo took another bite, and this time she bit into the meat filling. Her eyes lit up, and she turned to Zhou Yan with a smile: "Yes! Look, it's meat!"
"Then you can eat it. Next time, I'll make you a bun with lots of meat." Zhou Yan said with a smile. He just didn't know how to make buns, otherwise he would definitely make Zhou Momo a meat bun where she could taste the meat filling with just a small bite.
Aunt Zhao, being more experienced, prepared a dish of pickled radishes and ginger, which she ate with relish, enjoying the pickled vegetables.
When they lived in the village, they usually couldn't afford to buy buns. In the mornings, they would cook a pot of sweet potato porridge and eat it with pickled vegetables.
Even if the steamed buns had very little meat, they still had some meat in them, and these buns were soft and fluffy, with a slightly sweet taste—delicious!
Zhou Momo ate half of her bun, then slipped off the stool and ran to the door to share a little of the remaining meat filling with ant.
Sister in law Zhao Hong wasn't coming today. There were only nine tables of guests, and they weren't making cross-legged beef or braised meat, so they can handle it. They decided to let her rest for the day to avoid making the trip.
Around noon, Comrade Old Zhou returned, wearing a straw hat, carrying a fishing rod and a fish basket, his smile clearly visible.
"Daddy! Did you catch any fish?" Zhou Momo asked.
Zhou Yan and Zhao Tieying also came out to look.
"I caught three!" Comrade Old Zhou smiled and handed over the fish basket.
Zhou Yan peeked inside and saw—good heavens! A small crucian carp weighing about two liang, a yellow catfish, and a white semi-knife carp.
[Three Wild Small Fish]
The system gave its assessment result.
Great news! The angler has successfully broken his zero fish mark!
Comrade Old Zhou was beaming and he couldn't stop smiling.
Aunt Zhao also came over to take a look, laughing, "They're so small! Seeing how bright your smile is, I thought you caught something big. Not as big as those two last time."
Comrade Old Zhou stopped laughing, scratching his head awkwardly. "It's a bit small. I'll catch a bigger one next time."
The fisherman was so pleased with himself that he almost forgot about it.
"Alright, you haven't caught anything the past few days. Let's keep the crucian carp and yellow catfish alive for now, and kill them when we have enough for a meal." Zhao Tieying took the fish basket and headed towards the kitchen.
"Let me see! I want to see too!" Zhou Momo tiptoed forward, almost jumping up and down in her eagerness.
"Here." Aunt Zhao let her take a look.
"Wow! Daddy's so awesome! You caught another fish!" Zhou Momo clapped her hands, looking at Comrade Old Zhou with amiration.
"Good girl, I'll catch you a big fish next time." Comrade Old Zhou's eyes were practically closed with laughter. What could be more pleasing than his own daughter's praise?
"The method you suggested this morning really worked! Lots of fish came in shortly after I threw in the rapeseed oil cake, but I haven't been able to catch many. Two even got away. I'll try it again next time when I have time." Comrade Old Zhou whispered to Zhou Yan.
"That's great. If the rapeseed oil cake works, I won't waste rice and liquor making you liquor rice." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
Comrade Old Zhou said, "The cost of rice and liquor are too high. I slaughtered a cow for Liu Wu's family before, and he charged me three cents a jin for rapeseed oil cake. One jin can last a long time."
Zhou Yan took the fishing rod from Comrade Old Zhou. It was indeed very well-made, the handle had even been sanded, making it very comfortable to hold.
But the line setup seems to have a problem.
"Old man, why don't you use some toothpaste tubes as a sinker here? The hook isn't even on the bottom, how can you catch big crucian carp?" Zhou Yan said with a smile.
"Huh?" Zhou Miao scratched his head. "There's such a thing?"
"I'll do it for you." Zhou Yan found an empty toothpaste tube, which was still made of aluminum. He cut a long strip with scissors and wrapped it about ten centimeters above the fishhook.
"Throw it into the water, so that three of the floats are in the water and three are on the surface. That way you'll be fishing at the bottom, and you'll definitely catch a big fish next time." Zhou Yan told him.
"Okay! I'll try it next time." Comrade Old Zhou nodded, then looked at him and said, "I've never seen you fish before. How do you know about these things?"
"I learned it from a book. I only understand the principles, you'll have to practice it yourself." Zhou Yan casually replied.
"Anything written in a book must be the experience of a master." Comrade Old Zhou said confidently. He carefully put the fishing rod back down the stairs, then cleaned the fish basket and hung it by the door to dry.
In those days, fishing was generally considered a waste of time.
Aunt Zhao is definitely an open-minded wife. Outsiders might think she's a bit eccentric, but at home she's always been a good wife and a good mother.
Of course, this is also largely due to Comrade Old Zhou's sense of propriety.
After each fishing trip, he would clean his fishing gear thoroughly to ensure that his house wouldn't develop any unpleasant odors because of his fishing.
He never left his dirty clothes from fishing to be washed by Aunt Zhao, he always washed and dried them himself.
Zhou Yan was the same way. Although they lived together, he would wash his own dirty clothes after running or doing work everyday.
It can be considered a kind of family tradition.
They had eaten lunch early, and the guests arrived in small groups.
"Aunt Zhao, Wang Min, five people."
"Boss, Liu Dezhu, four people."
…
All of them had made reservations. They only needed to give their names to avoid ordering separately. The menu was simply ticked off and sent to the kitchen, where Zhou Yan began cooking.
At the same time, five bicycles arrived at the door. Leading the way was Zhao Dong, who carefully helped an elderly woman with gray hair off the back of his bicycle, softly saying, "Mom, be careful."
A middle-aged man in a suit, with a burly build and a potbelly, sat on the bicycle next to them. He frowned as he looked at the restaurant sign and said, "Zhao Dong, why did you choose such a small restaurant? It's mother's birthday today. Even though we're not celebrating, we should still choose a better restaurant. How about we go to a state-owned restaurant? I already told your sister that we'll pay the bill today."
This was Zhao Dong's brother in law, Huang He, the owner of Feiyan Restaurant.
"Yes, this restaurant is a bit small, not as grand as a state-owned restaurant." a middle-aged woman in a cheongsam, with curly hair, light make up, and a leather jacket, got off the bicycle behind Huang He. She looked quite elegant.
Zhao Shulan shook her head as she looked at the somewhat shabby restaurant.