The Northern Stories of Chef Lao Tan

Chapter 1
The sixteenth day of the first month of [-].

The flavor of the new year in the provincial capital has just dissipated, and there are still debris of fireworks and firecrackers in the streets and alleys.

A heavy snowfall on the [-]th day of the lunar new year made the coldness of this winter a little bit more. People walking on the street wore thick down jackets and their hats were pulled tight. Many people put on their masks, exposing only two eyes, and breathed on the masks. A layer of hoarfrost.

This is the coldest winter in the provincial capital in the past ten years.

The snow on the road was wiped away by passing vehicles, and the dark asphalt pavement shone brightly under the sunlight.Remnant snow piled up under the poplar trees on both sides of the street, not so white, but gray.In front of some stores, there are snowmen with Little Red Riding Hood and a long carrot nose, adding a bit of childishness to this cold and boring winter.

The provincial capital, the eldest son of the Republic, an ancient and heroic city.

Seven thousand, 200 years ago, human beings farmed, fished and hunted here, multiplied and created Xinle culture.

In the Spring and Autumn Period, it was established as a state, and later established as a county. After several vicissitudes, it is known as "the birthplace of one dynasty, and the capital of two generations of emperors".Emperor Taizu of the Qing Dynasty moved his capital here, and it was called "Shengjing" at that time. Huang Taiji changed the name of the country here to Qing and established the Manchu Kingdom.

A generation of emperors buried their bodies here and built the imperial mausoleum - Beiling.

Beiling Park occupies a corner with towering old trees.The front of the mausoleum is solemn and solemn, while the back of the mausoleum is quiet and dense.

Go north along the Yellow River Street, pass the west gate of Beiling Park, and cross the Second Ring Bridge, you will arrive at Santaizi, the place where China's first self-developed fighter jet took off.

Santaizi is a battleground for military strategists.It is located in the north of the province, closely guarding the north gate of the provincial capital, and the terrain is ten meters higher than the urban area.After the founding of New China, a fighter jet factory was built here, which became the national arsenal.

Due to the existence of the aircraft factory, before the reform and opening up, this area was still in a period of control. In terms of buildings, they could not exceed eight floors, otherwise it would affect the take-off and landing of aircraft. Therefore, most of the residential buildings in Santaizi are five to six floors, and the high-rise No, most of them are three-storey residential buildings aided by the former Soviet Union, all of which are proletarian in character.

In the early 90s, when I went from Santaizi to the urban area, it was called to go to the city. At that time, this place was indeed a suburb. Except for the aircraft factory and a few nearby residential areas, it was surrounded by rice fields, and further north was the countryside.

With the expansion of the urban area, this place has been gradually developed. After more than ten years of development, it is now no different from the city.Especially with the opening of Subway Line [-], the entire Santaizi came alive, with the momentum of surpassing the five major districts in the city.

The subway station is at the intersection of Songshan Road and Huanghe Street.

Before the subway was built, it was just an ordinary traffic post, but now it has become a bustling area.With the opening of the subway, the housing prices of the entire Songshan Road and Huanghe Street have risen accordingly, from [-] to [-], and it is still rising.

Lao Tan's house is in the old No. [-] community in the south of Songshan Road. It is said that the community is actually a compound, a three-story residential building built with the aid of the former Soviet Union.There are three families in one building, sharing one bathroom and one kitchen. Each family has one room, with an area of ​​[-] square meters.

Yesterday, during the Lantern Festival, the three members of Lao Tan’s family and the three members of Li Ge’s family next door had a meal together. During the meal, Li Ge asked Lao Tan when he would buy a house. Lao Tan went to see his wife Lin Yan.Brother Li glanced at the subway station in front of him and said that the relocation would be fast, at most two years.

The off-plan house that Brother Li bought in Wujing New Village is still a year away.Wujing New Village was developed by the Armed Police Corps. Li Ge was born in the armed police. The internal price given was [-] yuan.Outsiders can't afford this price, at least [-] as a base.

The two families have been neighbors for more than ten years, and they are like a family.When Li Ge bought a house, Nong Nong Lao Tan also bought it. Lin Yan felt that the money in her hand was not rich, so she wanted to delay it for two years.Unexpectedly, the current housing prices are rising like a rocket, and the speed of saving money cannot keep up with the rising rhythm, let alone affluent.

Two days ago, when I came back from my hometown after celebrating the New Year, Lao Tan said that he was not going to work anymore and wanted to open a small restaurant.

From working when I was 21, to 37 this year, I have been working in restaurants. I have been a chef for more than ten years, and I know how to cook.Now I don't want to go out to cook for others, so I think about doing it myself.

Lin Yan said that the family's money is reserved to buy a house and cannot open a restaurant.Tell him to work hard for two years, and then open a restaurant after buying a house.

Seeing that my wife disagreed, I didn't go any further, knowing that if I went on, it would be a quarrel and it was unnecessary.

After his son was one year old, Lao Tan has been working in other places in order to earn more money.First worked in Fuxin for two years, then went to Binhai for three years.The couple lived in two places for a long time, and they were not always together. There was a crisis in their relationship, and they became strangers living in the same room.

The couple can live a life and earn money for their family and children, but they don't have that passion.

After a woman gets married and has a child, she puts all her energy on the child, and her husband seems a bit dispensable.

Lin Yan is a strong woman with character, stubborn temper, hardworking and pioneering spirit.In the popular saying, it is a female man.Old Tan has been away for many years. She takes care of her children and goes to work at the same time. She keeps the house in order, and her son is well-behaved and sensible, which is good enough for a woman.

It's not been easy for Lin Yan these years, she can't do without a man in her family, and she doesn't even have anyone to talk to about anything.Especially if the child has a cold and a fever, forget about the anxiety in his heart, and wish that Lao Tan would come back soon.

But there is no way, who calls life difficult.

Old Tan has to earn money outside, what can he do without money?

No one wants to live in two places. Isn't this impossible?It's going to be a little bit harder now, and it will be fine when I buy a house, so I can take a breath and say that I won't let Lao Tan go out of town.

Lao Tan works out of town, so it would be nice to come back every year.Hotel work is like this, one radish and one pit, and when you leave, someone else will fill it up immediately, without leaving any space at all.

There is no way to make money.

This is also the helplessness and reality of migrant workers from rural areas.If you want to survive in a strange city, you must first solve the housing problem, and you can't live in a rented house for the rest of your life.Unlike the original residents of the city, they don't have to worry about housing. If they have a stable job, they don't have to worry about it for almost a lifetime.

For migrant workers, it is envy, jealousy and hatred.

When they came out of the countryside, they had nothing but a handful of strength and the honesty and simplicity of rural people.If you want to achieve everything from nothing, the hardship and price you pay are unimaginable. Only those who have experienced it will appreciate the sadness.

Lin Yan was strong, and she stood up for five years.

In five years, many things can change.

Old Tan stood at the entrance of the building, smoking a cigarette while thinking about what Lin Yan said before going to work in the morning, asking him to go out and find a job, and his son would have to pay the kindergarten fee when he came back from his grandma's house in two days.

He was lying on the bed at the time, thinking that he had only been here for a few days, and he would go out to look for work on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. Is there any law?Of course, you can only talk about it in your heart, and you can't yell in front of your face. That's looking for a fight.

Having been a chef for these years, I know how to deal with it.

Immediately got up from the bed and said cheerfully: "Go out to find a job today, walk a few more places, and see if there is any good job." Then he tried his best and whispered: "If it doesn't work, open a small restaurant."

Lin Yangu didn't even look at him, and said coldly: "Don't even think about opening a restaurant, read the agreement carefully at home, sign it or just be honest. It's fine if you don't sign it, but you must follow the above .”

Lao Tan came back from Binhai on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month last year. He was planning to go back to his hometown for the New Year. He knew how much he would spend to go home and how to spend it.Lin Yan filed for divorce in a fit of anger, and spent two hours tirelessly drafting the divorce agreement, and mercilessly asked Lao Tan to sign it.

At that time, Lao Tan was so angry that he didn't even look at it. He just ignored the queen's arrogance and fell asleep, that's all.

In fact, it's not a big deal. Lao Tan's mother, 77, was raised by his fifth sister in her hometown. It stands to reason that his son should take care of her. Lin Yan, the daughter-in-law, has no objections.But the old lady was old and couldn't leave the countryside, and the five older sisters didn't ask Lao Tan to bring her mother to the city.

The three of them went back to the Fifth Sister's house for the New Year, and the Fifth Sister has parents-in-law.Lao Tan wanted to give 3000 yuan to his mother, and [-] yuan to each of Fifth Sister's parents-in-law.

Lin Yan doesn't think so, she thinks it's okay to give three thousand to her mother-in-law, but she doesn't need to give it to Fifth Sister's in-laws, who are not her own.

Women are like this, when they talk about taking money for their in-laws, they feel distressed and timid.

Lin Yan is the eldest at home and has two younger brothers.Lin Yan paid for the older brother’s marriage almost all of the money, the younger brother has been supported by Lin Yan since junior high school, and now Lin Yan takes the money when he graduates from university to find a job. Although Old Tan doesn’t say anything, he knows it well.

When the two were dating, Old Tan knew that Lin Yan's family was in trouble, and his own family was also poor. They both came from bitter melon eggs, and they didn't pick anyone.After more than ten years of ups and downs, although life is not rich, it is more than enough.

Lin Yan took care of her natal family, Lao Tan understood that Lin Yan was the boss, and her five older sisters also took care of her natal family.

I thought that when the year was over, the agreement would be over.How can a couple not touch their teeth with their tongues, quarreling is quarreling, and it's not enough to live?Unexpectedly, Lin Yan brought up the old story again, Lao Tan got a little angry, and asked Lin Yan what he meant.

Lin Yan said it was meaningless, and then said: "Pay the garden fee to my son immediately, and the rent for the next quarter. The family of three still has to eat and drink, right? Find a job and don't stay at home all the time."

"Aren't you not allowed to open a restaurant?" Old Tan said.

"Don't even think about opening a restaurant. It's impossible to take money and tell you to hurry up and find a job. You don't need to be a chef, just a chef. You can pay four thousand a month, and the rest you want to do whatever you want. I don't care about finding a young lady, raising a mistress, or getting married as you please."

Lin Yan finished talking and left for work.

In fact, what Lin Yan said was quite correct, but his tone was a bit harsher.

You have to spend money when you stay at home. It is not easy to earn money, but it is easy to spend it.

When Lao Tan was thinking about it, the phone rang, an unfamiliar number.

"Hello, who is it?" Old Tan asked.

"Brother, I'm your black brother from Mahjong Club, what are you doing?"

"Oh, Brother Hei, it's nothing, just stay here."

"Come and play two games, three are missing one."

"Okay, pass in a while."

The caller was Lao Hei of the compound, an old man who used to be a three-stage son, but now he is old and runs a mahjong club at home, collecting some water money to support himself.Mahjong is not big, one pot is fifteen, and 100 yuan a day is enough to lose.

Lao Tan doesn't like to play mahjong, and he doesn't know how to play mahjong.In the first two days, Brother Li was on vacation, so he took him to play twice in his free time.Living in the same compound with Lao Hei is considered a compliment.

On the same day, Lao Hei asked for his phone number, and said that when there was a shortage of people, he went to join him.

I have already called my friends in the provincial capital to pay attention to the work.Chefs like Lao Tan are looking for jobs through mutual introductions from friends, and they don’t apply for jobs by looking at advertisements.The applicants who read the advertisements are all just out of the study class. They are not well-known in the chef circle, and they don't know a few friends.

Anyway, nothing to do, idle is idle, Lao Tan dropped his ass and turned to Lao Hei's mahjong club.

　It is a bit difficult for a cook to write a book, but I want to write about what I have experienced.There is no earth-shattering event, and I don't know how to design any plots. Let it be a story or an ordinary song.

　　Friends are welcome to comment, your opinions and suggestions can help me to be rigorous, thank you!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)