Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

"Once I’ve mastered my Knife Skills, I’ll set up a stall to sell braised meat." Huang Bing grinned, his eyes full of yearning.

Huang Ying glanced at his hand, which was covered in adhesive bandages, and swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

After the morning rush, Zhou Yan started braising the beef shank.

He had two large aluminum pots, which he now used on alternating days. Only when demand for braised meat surged for banquets would both pots be used at the same time.

Feiyan Restaurant’s order for braised meat had already increased from ten jin to twenty jin—a gratifying increase. It truly showed their solid foundation.

After the lunch rush, Zhou Yan took out a piece of beef shank. He weighed it—eight liang—and sliced it against the grain. Slice after slice of braised beef, each as thick as a copper coin, fell onto the cutting board.

The cross-section was beautiful. The natural tendons in the shank spread out like translucent amber. The braising liquid had soaked through the meat, and its glossy, reddish-brown color looked incredibly appetizing.

[A Perfect Braised Beef]

The system gave its Identification.

After he finished slicing the beef, Zhou Yan picked up an end piece and popped it into his mouth.

The lean meat was tender, not tough, and the tendons were soft, glutinous, and flavorful. The meat was saturated with the aged braising liquid, possessing a pleasant chewiness, and the aroma bloomed slowly with each bite.

’This is really good!’

"GULP~" Zhou Momo, who had been watching eagerly from the side for a while, swallowed loudly. "Brother, is the braised beef yummy?"

"Why don’t you try some and find out?" Zhou Yan grabbed a small plate, placed three liang of beef on it, and said, "Take this out and eat with Mom, Old Man, and the others."

"Okay!" Zhou Momo took the plate with both hands and carefully walked out.

Zhou Yan pulled out a sheet of kraft paper, wrapped up the remaining half-jin of braised beef, grabbed the copy of *Life* he had finished reading, and pushed his bicycle out the door.

As Zhou Yan rode up to the Stone Bridge Head, he couldn’t help but brake. The Zhang’s Braised Shop stall was no longer under the tree. The Banyan Tree, which in Zhang Shufen’s memory had only been as thick as a wrist, was now lush and full, its canopy like an umbrella. It had become a popular spot for the town’s residents to cool off in the shade. Two old men sat on a long stone bench, chatting idly.

After buying a bottle of good liquor, Zhou Yan got on his bicycle and headed for the library.

At the library entrance, Wang was leaning back in a bamboo lounge chair, reading glasses perched on his nose, completely absorbed in a book.

Zhou Yan parked his bike. Wang looked up at him and smiled. "Finished it?"

"Yes, I finished it. It really made me think. Life isn’t easy," Zhou Yan replied with a smile. He took the wrapped braised beef and the bottle of liquor from his bicycle basket, placing them on the small table nearby. "This beef was just braised today. I also got you a bottle of good liquor. Care to try some?"

Wang couldn’t sit still after hearing that. He put down his book, sat up straight, and unwrapped the paper package. His eyes lit up as he looked at the beautifully marbled slices of braised beef. He looked up at Zhou Yan. "Not bad! This looks just right!"

Zhou Yan opened the bottle for him and smiled. "Want a drink?"

"Absolutely." Wang got up and went inside, coming back out with two cups. "You having some?"

"I can’t. I’m a one-drink lightweight," Zhou Yan said, shaking his head with a smile. "Who would cook for the customers tonight?" He took a cup and filled it for Wang, then picked up a thermos and poured himself some hot water.

Wang brought a stool over for him, then grabbed a pair of chopsticks for himself and sat down. He picked up a slice of braised beef, his hand trembling slightly.

Zhou Yan sat down, his gaze falling on the right side of Wang’s neck. There were several old scars there, along with a particularly conspicuous black mole. The hand Zhou Yan was holding his cup with trembled.

’It’s him!’

’It has to be!’

Wang’s face gradually overlapped with the high-spirited, handsome, and dashing face from his memories.

Zhou Yan could almost see him again: the young man carrying a birdcage in one hand and a Blue and White Porcelain Bowl in the other, his smile wild and unrestrained.

Wang Yu. Wang Ran.

’So he changed his name.’

’Was it to cut ties with his past?’

Zhou Yan felt a surge of emotion. He was excited to have found Wang Yu, but he also felt sympathy for what Wang must have gone through in the past.

Wang’s mind must have been in turmoil as well. He held the slice of braised beef with his chopsticks, hesitating to eat it, his gaze distant and lost in thought.

Zhou Yan didn’t speak, just watched him quietly.

His Zhongshan suit was buttoned up to the top, but the old scars on his neck were still visible. His hair was meticulously combed, though not with as much gel as he used to use in his youth.

After a long moment, he put the beef into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and swallowed. He then raised his cup, took a sip of liquor, and let out a long sigh.

"This is the taste," Wang said with a smile, his eyes shimmering. "I never thought I’d get to eat this braised beef again, not after more than forty years."

"Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease," Zhou Yan said, raising his cup with a smile. "I was worried I couldn’t get the flavor just right. Here, let me toast to you."

Wang clinked his cup against Zhou Yan’s, took another sip, and set it down. "The liquor is good, too," he said with a smile. "Getting such fine liquor for me is a waste."

"It’s a waste on someone who doesn’t appreciate good liquor. For a Grandmaster, it’s only fitting," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Here, have some more beef. Let me know if there’s anything I can improve."

Wang picked up his chopsticks, ate another piece of braised beef, and took a sip of liquor. "It’s already excellent," he said with a smile. "I can’t think of a single suggestion."

Zhou Yan refilled Wang’s cup and asked with a grin, "Did you often come to my grandmother’s stall to buy braised beef when you were young?"

With a cup of liquor in his belly and the taste of the braised beef he had longed for for years on his tongue, Wang began to open up, lost in nostalgia. "Your grandmother’s braised beef was incredible. Back then, which of the prominent families in Suji Town didn’t love her cooking? My family sent someone to buy it every single day..."