The Northern Stories of Chef Lao Tan

Chapter 191 Lao Tan and Brother Liu drink and chat

In the 30 years of reform and opening up, China has undergone tremendous changes and has inadvertently become the world's second largest economy.

The Eastern Sleeping Lion has woken up, and its roar shakes the world.

The changes and rapid development that have taken place in China, as well as the achievements that have shocked the world, cannot be described by me as a cook.But I am glad that I am a Chinese, and I am proud of it.

From the perspective of catering professionals, the changes brought about by the reform and opening up to the catering industry are enormous.Of course, like other industries, it also experienced an initial disorderly explosion that made a small number of people rich first.Then it entered a period of confusion and chaos.Finally, after a whole generation of people's dedication, exploration, and progress, it gradually became standardized, forming the current professional, standardized, and streamlined catering era.

Food is the paramount necessity of the people.At any time, in all dynasties, food, clothing, housing and transportation are indispensable. As long as you do business without leaving these four major blocks, you generally can't lose money.

In particular, restaurants have existed since ancient times and have never been broken.

Whether you are opening a restaurant or selling clothes, no matter what you do, if you want to make money, you must first ask yourself three questions.

Is the thing to be done beneficial to the common people?If it is beneficial and the common people accept it, then there will be consumption, and vice versa;
Can it last for more than ten years?
Persistence is victory.Take restaurants as an example. According to preliminary statistics, the average life expectancy of Chinese restaurants is currently 30.00 years.30% persisted for more than five years, [-]% persisted for more than ten years, and less than [-]% persisted for more than [-] years.

Most of the restaurants that have been operating for more than five years have been profitable, and the ones that have really made money are those that have been operating for more than ten years.From the opening to the closing of the store, most of the people who insisted on losing money in three years, and those who didn't lose did not make money. It's not bad to make a mess.

This also corresponds to the ten-year golden rule.

Can you not forget your original intention and stick to your original oath?It's a bit too much to say an oath, but that's what it means. To put it bluntly, I don't forget my roots.How many people got carried away after getting rich and forgot their duties, and were finally beaten back to their original forms without exception.

To sum up, people have to do good deeds. They may not be selfless, but they must be altruistic, respect heaven and love others.

What's more, you can't be hot-headed and hot-blooded for 3 minutes. After that, you don't want to do it anymore.As the saying goes, those who have aspirations set up long aspirations, and those who have no aspirations often

Determined, that's the reason.

In addition, keep in mind that great virtues carry things. Without such great virtues, you cannot carry that great wealth. You cannot be rich without virtue, or you must not forget your original intention and forge ahead.

In May, the provincial capital is already full of green, the sun is warm and the breeze is blowing, which is very refreshing.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Lao Tan came out of the store in Beibei University City, did not go back to the old store, and asked the driver to take him to the small park behind his residential area.After getting out of the car, I lit a cigarette and looked around while smoking.

The small park is lush with green trees, and the surrounding fence has been removed, replaced by a half-meter-high low wall, forty centimeters wide, covered with a marble surface, which is convenient for people to take a nap.

Five or six hair-cutting masters set up a booth under the shade of a tree. The booth is simple, with a chair, a set of hair-cutting tools, a white coat, and a wooden comb in the pocket.

The haircutters are all old men without exception, and the youngest one is over fifty.They are the last batch of barbers in the provincial capital. Although they can't cut the trendy styles in the barber shop, the old skills of shaving, shaving and shaving are still popular, and there is an endless stream of customers, all of whom are old-fashioned.

Three yuan per person, no one is cheating.

Several old men seemed to be familiar with the hair-cutting master. They set up chess next to their booth and played it intently, surrounded by a few spectators.

Old Tan came here to find Old Brother Liu.

Do we still remember the old brother Liu who loves to play mahjong and drink?

Since Lao Tan was busy going to the store in Hohhot, he ran across the provincial capital of Hohhot and rarely saw Brother Liu.The most recent time was before returning to my hometown last year, and I haven't seen him since.

I called Brother Liu in the past two days. Brother Liu said that his eye disease is getting worse and he can no longer play mahjong. Now he just strolls in the small park, walks around, watches people dance in the square, and then sits at the haircut booth , chat with those old men, watch chess.

Old Tan and Old Brother Liu are old friends. Speaking of which, without Old Brother Liu, Old Tan would not have known Yanzi, would not have had a long-lost reunion with Yanhua, and would not have had Aqiao.

Of course, I will not know Xiaofeng, and I will not know Sister Yuan through Xiaofeng. After the trip to Gan Qika, I have formed an indissoluble bond with Inner Mongolia.

If there is a cause, there must be an effect.

In our lives, often because of an ordinary good relationship, we meet a friend, treat each other with sincerity and communicate with each other with heart, unknowingly plant a good cause, and get to know many people one after another, thus subtly changing our destiny.

Lao Tan didn't look at Brother Liu at the haircut booth, but went inside.

It was past four o'clock, and it was still a little hot, and there was no one in the fitness area on the right side of the entrance.Under the shade of the trees on the lawn on the left, a group of old ladies in cheongsams were walking the model walk. The soothing music attracted Lao Tan, so he walked over to watch for a while.

Even though she is an old lady, she is not inferior to young people in terms of demeanor and temperament. Although she is not as good as a professional model, her charm, pace, and rhythm are not bad at all.

Professional models take the catwalk show, and they take the life show; professional models are a profession, they are an attitude, a taste of life precipitated - satisfaction, self-confidence.

These old ladies, get it right.

Old Tan said something in his heart, then lingered enviously, turned and walked towards the gazebo on the other side of the rockery.

Before I got to the gazebo, I saw Brother Liu, sitting there with a water glass in his hand, listening to someone playing the erhu.

Lao Tan walked up to him and called out, "Brother Liu."

Seeing that it was Old Tan, Brother Liu was very pleasantly surprised, and hurriedly asked: "Ah, brother Tan, are you free today?"

"It's nothing, I came here on purpose, didn't you say that you are always in the small park." Old Tan smiled.

"I can't play mahjong anymore, and I feel aggrieved at home, so I come here." Brother Liu said with some regret.

Old Tan smiled, and said kindly: "It's better not to play mahjong, but to walk here and exercise."

"I walk about 62 steps every day, my fatty liver is gone, and I have lost weight. Now I am [-], which is the standard weight." Brother Liu said proudly.

"Well, I can't do it. I lack exercise, and I'm still one hundred and eighty." Old Tan subconsciously rubbed his stomach after speaking.

Brother Liu looked at Lao Tan's stomach and said, "You have to lose weight, just like me. Get up early, don't eat, and walk [-] steps on an empty stomach. You can lose weight in two months."

The two walked out while chatting, and stopped at the gate of the park. Old Tan asked, "Brother Liu, what do you want to eat?"

"I don't know what to eat, just drink some wine. It's been a long time since we drank together." Brother Liu missed the days of drinking together.

"That's not true." Lao Tan also felt the same way, "I haven't had a drink for a long time—I've been busy every day."

"You don't care about those restaurants. I don't have time—I sometimes go to the Chishan restaurant, which is close to my home. The Mongolian store manager knows me, and when he goes there, he will give me extra dishes. There are also discounts, and sometimes he doesn't charge for it." Brother Liu Say.

"What do we charge for our own store?" Old Tan said.

"That has to be charged, and there is a cost."

"Aren't you my big brother?"

The two walked forward for a while, and there was a newly opened "Dandong Small Seafood" in front of them, which looked clean, so they walked in.

Lao Tan ordered boiled cockles, spicy stir-fried clams, and shrimp with water-slicked eggs. Brother Liu ordered big loach braised in sauce and a bottle of white wine.

While drinking, Brother Liu inquired about the development of the dumpling restaurant. Lao Tan told him briefly. Brother Liu was very happy to hear that, and couldn't help but drink a few more glasses.

"How are you and Lin Yan now?" Brother Liu asked with concern.

"It's okay. She's busy and I'm busy too. Sometimes I don't see each other for two or three months, so I don't talk much." Old Tan said.

Brother Liu smacked his lips and said, "Lin Yan is so strong, and she lives a good life. You two have no major conflicts, but you are always not together and lack of communication. In addition, when Jiaheng was young, you were always not at home, and she had to be a girl. You have to go to work with your children, which is too much, and I have a problem with you."

Old Tan smiled helplessly.

Brother Liu continued: "In addition, it's the same in your job. You're always with women, but you're always homeless. I don't blame Lin Yan for thinking too much."

Lao Tan nodded and said: "There are factors in this area, mainly because I don't have a woman, if I have a woman, it's fine."

"Both of you are strong enough, neither of you will take it back, and even one of you will not take it back." Brother Liu sighed, "How wonderful is Jia Heng, smart, sensible, not worrying at all, and playing basketball? "

"Well, we're fighting." Old Tan replied.

"Playing basketball wastes time, don't let your studies fall behind, focus on your studies." Brother Liu said earnestly.

"Well, not that."

"You don't have time to take care of the children. They are all Lin Yan. You can't talk nonsense outside because of this. When the child is old, he knows everything, so he just doesn't talk about it."

"Um--"

Lao Tan knew that only those who really cared about themselves would say such things, and the people on both sides would only watch the fun.Although I don't want to mention Lin Yan, I am still very moved - Big Brother is Big Brother, and I always remind myself from the perspective of life, I hope my family is harmonious.

Both of them were very happy, and chatted a lot about what happened during this period, and finally talked about Brother Liu's eyes.

"It can't be cured. I have macular degeneration. Now I can only control it and stop it from developing." Brother Liu said resignedly.

"Now that the technology is so advanced and the level of medical care continues to improve, even cancer can be cured. I estimate that macular degeneration can be overcome in a few years." Lao Tan said.

"That's okay, I'll treat it no matter how much money I want to spend, just because I'm afraid I won't see anything." Brother Liu laughed.

"Yes, definitely." Old Tan said seriously.

"It's still my brother, it's comfortable even if you can't listen." Brother Liu laughed.

It was already dark when he came out after drinking, Lao Tan sent Brother Liu home, bought two cigarettes at the tobacco shop on the way, and handed them to him downstairs at Brother Liu’s house, then watched Big Brother go upstairs and then turned to go go home.

(End of this chapter)