The Northern Stories of Chef Lao Tan

Chapter 604 The Apprentice
There are two days before the Chinese New Year, and Lao Tan called again to explain the work during the Spring Festival to the managers and executive chefs of each district in detail, and started to prepare his own New Year's goods after a little peace of mind.

There is no need to prepare cigarettes, alcohol, and food. They are all available at home. The main thing is to prepare some sugar, fruit, and snacks, in case people and children come to eat on the first or second day of the first lunar month.

The rest is to buy Spring Festival couplets and blessing characters, and I have to make the house look like a Chinese New Year.

Another thing is to lie and tell everyone that a family of three is celebrating the New Year at home, otherwise they will ask him to go to his own home to celebrate the New Year if they know that he is spending the New Year at home alone.It's not good to go to anyone's house on New Year's Eve.

Yaru went back to her hometown with her son yesterday, and before leaving, she told Lao Tan that her mother followed her.

"I can't help it. My mother and sister-in-law can't go together, and I don't feel relieved when she is alone at home." Yaru said.

"That's right, so you don't have to worry about it all the time." Old Tan said.

"As soon as my father left, she also started to feel bad. If it doesn't hurt, it hurts that way. I keep taking medicine all day-I can still take care of it."

"That's not."

"It's mainly because my brother is just playing tricks and can't be my sister-in-law's family."

"Isn't there a girl like you?"

"Hey--"

"Isn't my mother at my fifth sister's house? I'm still a son."

"You are different, your mother doesn't like to come."

"It's all the same, now I can't even think about it—"

Yaru comforted Lao Tan with a smile of understanding, but Lao Tan smiled wryly.

When the time came in the afternoon, Lao Tan bought some new year goods and came to Yingzi's house.It happened that Zhang Li and Lao Huang were also there, and they also brought New Year's goods to Yingzi's family.

Zhu Debao took the things from Lao Tan's hand, Lao Tan walked into the living room and sat on the sofa, and Yingzi gave him tea.

"I heard from Yingzi that you prepared a lot of dumplings this year?" Zhang Li asked.

"Well, I have a lot of equipment." Old Tan said.

"Don't be quarantined at home on New Year's Eve like last year." Zhang Li said worriedly.

"Heh, that happens to be selling dumplings." Old Tan laughed, and then said: "This year, local New Year's Eve is advocated, and many people from other places can't go home. As long as there is no epidemic situation, the restaurant must be busy." Afterwards, he emphasized: "Don't look at the fact that there is no requirement to order a New Year's Eve dinner. , probably no worse than those who ordered New Year’s Eve dinner.”

"You're gambling."

"It's not all. The actual situation is there, and anyone with a discerning eye can see it."

"Not necessarily, there are lessons learned from last year. Most restaurants are closed this year, and they lost money last year."

"In business, there are losses and gains. All factors must be taken into consideration. You can't be bitten by a snake for ten years and be afraid of well ropes. The crops are not harvested every year, and who knows when the weather will be good."

Lao Huang interjected, "That's right."

"There are really people who hold stinky feet." Zhang Li said.

"Hey, it's a pity I'm not in the national football team."

"But you were wise to take the holidays last year."

"When a blind cat encounters a dead mouse, it doesn't have the front and rear eyes. It just wanted to send the employees home for a reunion year, so it just happened to happen."

"Oh, I'm still being humble."

"Humility, it's true."

Yingzi and Debao wanted to stay with Lao Tan and Zhang Li for dinner at home, but they declined.

After leaving Yingzi's house, Zhang Li and Lao Huang drove away. Lao Tan strolled home alone, and happened to bump into Li Shuang when he strolled to the old shop.

Li Shuang has recovered from the pain of losing his father, and his whole person looks the same as before, yet different.

More mature and stable than before.

The master and apprentice stood in front of the old shop and chatted for a while.

"Master, why do you look old here recently?" Li Shuang asked, and then asked as if he had found the answer: "Why did Miss Wang leave?"

"Half of it is—mainly because I am old and feel powerless." Old Tan said.

"It's not like you." Li Shuang laughed after finishing speaking.

"Oh, why not? Master is just a cook, not as good as you imagined."

"You are too tired."

Lao Tan looked at Li Shuang, and from her eyes and the demeanor she exuded, she seemed to see herself ten years ago, but she was calmer than she was then.

He smiled gratifiedly and said, "Then master will rest and retire to the countryside."

"You're just like my dad, worrying all your life that I won't grow up, worrying that I won't live well when I grow up, and worrying that I won't live well when I get old, always worried."

"Really, I'm already that old?"

"I'm talking about mentality. Me, Xiaogao, Huaqing, and Liu Yang are your apprentices. You can rest assured of none of them, including Xiaomei. Only Zhongqing can make you rest assured.

Don't worry, we have let you beat it out these years, you are able to resist pressure and be able to be independent. "

"That's good."

The two of them were talking about the neighbor Li Ge calling Lao Tan, saying that he was asked to arrange three tables for the team's temporary dinner, and they would arrive at six o'clock in the evening.Lao Tan handed over the matter to Li Shuang, and then started to walk home.

As soon as I got home, my phone rang again. I saw that the phone number was SF Express, and I wondered if I didn’t buy anything online.

It turned out to be seafood delivered by Sister Zhao.

The courier brother made sure that he was at home and climbed upstairs to the door. After Lao Tan signed for it, he called Sister Zhao to express his thanks.

"Thank you, my own stuff." Sister Zhao said.

"Thanks for that." Old Tan said.

"Thank you for leading me to the Beautiful Valley after the Chinese New Year."

Old Tan promised to lead Sister Zhao to the Beautiful Valley, but was delayed by Wang Shulan's death, so that he has not been able to go until now.

"Okay, we must go after the Chinese New Year." Old Tan said.

"I'm teasing you, it's time to work on you, wait until you have time."

"If I have time, I will officially retire after the Chinese New Year and no longer manage it."

"Why did you return it well?"

"I'm tired, take a break and live the life you want."

Sister Zhao smiled on the phone and said, "How old are you just now—" Then she said, "It doesn't matter, I'll accompany you around when I get down, anyway, I'm just an idler."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Lao Tan got idle, so he thought there was nothing else to do. After thinking about it for a long time, he called Li Shuang and asked Li Ge if the order was arranged. Li Shuang said that it was arranged. In the small banquet hall on the second floor of Chishan Road, Twelve dishes per table, plus two extra dishes and a plate of dumplings.

Lao Tan was very satisfied with this arrangement, he lit a cigarette in a happy mood, and after the smoke filled his entire lungs, he spit it out comfortably, bringing out a cough along the way.

It seems that this cigarette should really be quit. If you can't quit, you have to smoke less. Your health is important.When he was thinking this way, someone knocked on the door, and when he opened it, it was his apprentice Hua Qing.

Hua Qing held a box of wine and two cigarettes in his arms, and Lao Tan said that he wanted to quit smoking and you still bought them.Hua Qing put down the cigarette and wine with a smile, then took out a small box from his pocket, took out a cigarette holder from it and handed it to Master.

"Master, you can use this pump in the future to filter nicotine." Hua Qing said.

Old Tan put the cigarette in his mouth into the cigarette holder in disbelief, "Can it work?"

"It's easy to use. I read the introduction. It doesn't affect the taste of the smoke, but it definitely filters the nicotine. It's quite expensive, more than two hundred, and it's genuine."

(End of this chapter)