Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

’Master, you’ve really changed!’

Zhou Yan truly hadn’t expected this. Just a month ago, Master Xiao was still hesitating about whether to become a rural banquet chef, and now he was already pulling his friends into the business with him.

Looks like he’s really gotten a taste of how sweet it is to be in business for himself.

In the past month, he and Zheng Qiang had earned at least a thousand yuan, taking home five or six hundred each.

When he was the head chef at the textile factory, his monthly salary was only a little over one hundred yuan.

There was simply no comparison.

Chinese New Year was just two months away, and that month was the busiest time for rural banquet chefs. They already had six banquets booked in advance, and there weren’t many open days left to schedule more.

The two of them were now the most sought-after rural banquet chefs in Suji Town. Any family that managed to hire them for a banquet felt it was a huge honor.

The guests ate well, the hosts gained face, and they earned their money with dignity.

A triple win!

Their business was no longer confined to Suji. They had just broken into the rural banquet market in Linjiang. Even textile factory workers living in neighboring towns or in Jiazhou City were seeking them out to cater banquets.

When he said this to Luo, he was genuinely looking out for his friend.

With Luo’s culinary skills, opening a small mom-and-pop shop, as long as it was managed properly, would surely be more rewarding than working in the kitchen at Le Ming Restaurant.

Le Ming Restaurant was state-owned, which meant salaries were standardized. No matter how skilled a chef was, their monthly pay was capped. You could get a small raise by passing certification exams, and another for seniority.

During a recent chat, Zhou Yan had asked about Zheng Qiang’s salary. He’d been at the Rongcheng Restaurant ever since his apprenticeship—thirteen years of service—and his monthly salary was only 66.8 yuan.

With a wife and two children to support, life in Rongcheng was tough. That’s why he decided to return to Jiazhou and become a rural banquet chef.

Since returning and working with Master Xiao, he’d been thriving. He was earning three to four hundred a month, had over ten days of free time to spend with his wife and children, and the smile rarely left his face.

But more opportunities didn’t mean you could just scoop up cash by the sackful. That other Master Zhou had just taken a huge tumble, after all.

The restaurant industry seems to have a low barrier to entry, a place where anyone can come and test the waters.

In reality, the true barrier is on the inside. The only ones who make money are those with genuine skill.

Making money isn’t easy these days. Customers are savvy; if a place doesn’t taste good, they’ll visit once and never again.

Zhou Yan was afraid Luo would get carried away, dive in headfirst, and end up making no splash at all.

A man in his middle years, with parents to support and children to raise, can’t afford such a major upheaval.

That’s why he brought up the possibility of losing money first.

As Zhou Shuren so wisely said: As long as you don’t lose money, you’ve definitely made money.

Luo scratched his head and chuckled. "I’ll have to think this over carefully. I’ve been at Le Ming Restaurant since I was eight, trailing after my old man. I learned to cook there, and I’ve been working there for over twenty years. It’d feel strange to just leave. Besides, this isn’t a decision I can make on my own. I have to go home and talk it over with my wife."

"All the money’s with your wife, is it?" Xiao Lei scoffed. "Some man you are! A big, burly guy like you, letting your wife boss you around. You can’t even think for yourself."

Luo shot him a sidelong glance and said dryly, "Oh, really? And isn’t Dongmei the one who calls the shots in your house? You think you can get away with anything?"

"Pfft, how is that the same?" Xiao Lei said with a wave of his hand. "I’m not kidding. In my house, no one dares to even step into the kitchen without my permission. And if I don’t do the housework, no one else dares to touch it."

The other three were left momentarily speechless.

"Wow, you’re really something else, Master Xiao," Luo said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Same at my house," Zheng Qiang added, trying to stifle a laugh.

Zhou Yan: ...

’Is life for married men really this miserable?’

He glanced over at Comrade Zhou, who was quietly sweeping the floor nearby.

’Alright, I guess it’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black.’

Xiao Lei patted Zhou Yan’s arm and said with great earnestness, "Enjoy these carefree days. Once you get a wife, you might not have them anymore."

Luo and Zheng Qiang nodded at the same time, in solemn agreement.

"Alright, alright, I’ll keep that in mind," Zhou Yan said with a smile and a nod. ’It’s still a long way off for me, anyway.’

He didn’t even have a girlfriend, and marriage wasn’t even on the horizon. For now, he wouldn’t be tasting the "hardships" of love anytime soon.

"Oh, by the way, I brought two young chickens with me today. They’re tied to my bike. Go take a look and see if they’ll do," Luo said, looking at Zhou Yan.

"You brought two?" Zhou Yan asked, surprised. "That’s a pretty high cost."

Luo laughed. "My old man used to say that to learn how to make Snowflake Chicken Porridge, you have to go through at least two hundred chickens. Don’t worry, I came prepared for this. I’ll cover the cost myself."

"With that kind of determination, you’re sure to master it," Zhou Yan said, giving him a thumbs-up in wholehearted approval.

"Zhou Yan, how many chickens did it take you to learn Snowflake Chicken Porridge?" Zheng Qiang asked curiously.

Xiao Lei and Luo also turned to look at Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan thought for a moment. "Around ten or twenty, I’d say."

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Luo: ?

Xiao Lei: ...

Zheng Qiang pressed his lips together, trying to keep from laughing. It was a real struggle.

An awkward smile touched Zhou Yan’s lips. It wasn’t that he was trying to brag, but he was afraid that if he gave the real number, Zhou Momo would hunt him down and demand to know how he’d secretly gone through so many chickens behind her back.

"Tell me, is there any justice in this world?" Luo asked, looking at Xiao Lei.

A hint of pride crossed Xiao Lei’s face. "In a genius’s world, that word probably doesn’t exist. If you have any questions, you should ask my apprentice."

"Oh, get a load of you!" Luo snorted, fuming.

"What about it?" Xiao Lei said, spreading his hands. "If you’re so capable, go find one for yourself."

"Alright, you win," Luo conceded.

Zhou Yan grinned. "Master, Zheng, in that case, I’ll be in charge of teaching Master Luo today. I’ll leave the prep work to you two."

"Sounds good. Just prep the usual amount," Xiao Lei nodded.