The Pentium Era - South to North

Zhang Chen sat in the office until half past eight. At this time, everyone who had dinner should have left. It was still early for supper, and it was the least crowded time in all restaurants.

Zhang Chen walked out of his office, went downstairs, and walked to "Huijuan Local Food Restaurant" without driving.

In Hangzhou in January, the wind was biting, and the door of "Huijuan Local Food Restaurant" was closed. Zhang Chen saw through the glass that there was a table of customers inside, but it was already at the end, and everyone put down their chopsticks. The wine glass was empty, but I just didn’t want to get into the cold outside too quickly and sit and chat.

In the restaurant outside, he saw Ah Qiao with her back to the door, leaning on the counter and talking. Huijuan was sitting inside the counter, and only the top of her head could be seen from here.

Zhang Chen walked over and was about to open the door when he saw Huijuan standing up from the counter and smiling at him. Zhang Chen was stunned for a moment and continued to walk in. Ah Qiao was also there dumbfounded. She turned around and looked Zhang Chen looked at Huijuan again and asked:

"Did you know that Brother Zhang is here?"

Huijuan nodded, and Ah Qiao also said to Zhang Chen, "Yes, I felt Brother Zhang coming."

Zhang Chen smiled and said: "It can't be so magical."

He walked closer and looked into the counter to see if there was a mirror or something. Huijuan saw herself outside the glass door from inside.

Huijuan seemed to know what he was looking at, and smiled: "Look, look, is there nothing?"

Zhang Chen nodded. There was indeed nothing in it. He was not convinced and said, "Then if you have the ability, guess what I want to eat."

"Tofu stew, large intestine stew, meatballs and vegetables, right?" Huijuan asked.

Zhang Chen was surprised. Although he didn't expect the meatballs and vegetables stir-fried, it was already amazing that he could guess two out of three.

Huijuan giggled: "There are some good things today, I guarantee you will like them."

"What?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Youzhao, I just boiled lard today. How about I fry it with chili for you?"

"Okay, my mouth is watering." Zhang Chen said quickly.

Huijuan walked into the kitchen at the back, and Zhang Chen followed. Huijuan looked back and said with a smile, "Follower, what are you doing here?"

"No?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay." Huijuan pursed her lips and smiled.

Zhang Chen asked: "How are you doing lately?"

"Okay." Huijuan nodded vigorously.

Huijuan started to get busy. Zhang Chen stood there and looked at Huijuan. Huijuan smiled at him: "Brother Zhang, go sit outside. The oil smoke here is too heavy."

"I don't feel it." Zhang Chen said.

Tofu pot and large intestine pot are actually semi-finished products that have been prepared and placed on the shelf. When customers order, they can be simmered for a while.

Huijuan sat the two casseroles on the gas stove, turned on the gas switch with "pop, pop", turned around and asked Zhang Chen, "Would it be spicier?"

Zhang Chen said yes, make it spicy.

"It will kill you."

Huijuan said as she added dried chili peppers and turned around to cut the meatballs and vegetables.

Zhang Chen saw that the color of the green vegetables was dark green, and knew that they were grown in the open air and had been beaten by frost. Such green vegetables had a very thick texture and a slight sweetness. By the way, if he saw it, he would really meeting point.

In this way, Huijuan hit all three, no, four. Fried green pepper with oil residue is also her favorite.

"How is business now?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Okay." Huijuan said and laughed, "I didn't expect that so many people would like to eat such a local dish."

"No matter where we are, people's mouth and stomach are still the same. Otherwise, if you think about it, why are there so many Chinatowns and Chinese restaurants abroad." Zhang Chen said.

Huijuan nodded: "Okay, you are right."

Huijuan finished cutting the green vegetables and started to cut the peppers and green garlic, which were used for frying the oil residue.

After all the preparations were done, Huijuan stood there and told Zhang Chen to wait a few minutes to fry and serve it with the casserole. Zhang Chen agreed.

The two stood there, looked at each other, and couldn't help laughing. Huijuan said, "Your factory is really big."

"Have you ever been in?" Zhang Chen asked.

"You can see it when you stand in front of my store. However, I have also gone in. Many people in your factory are my old customers and my fellow villagers. They took me in." Huijuan said, " Otherwise, you won’t be allowed in at the door, right?”

"You can tell them that you are here to see me." Zhang Chen said.

"Is it okay?" Huijuan asked.

"Okay." Zhang Chen said, "You can say that I ate at your place and ran away without paying."

Huijuan laughed and said yes, I will tell the security guard this way next time.

The two of them wanted to say something else, but Ah Qiao shouted from outside: "Lady boss, pay the bill."

Huijuan went out and came back after buying the order. She said to Zhang Chen, "You go sit outside, I'll cook."

Zhang Chen said: "I'm watching you cook."

Huijuan chuckled: "I want to learn from it secretly."

Zhang Chen is right.

Huijuan turned on the stove and fried the meatballs and green vegetables first, then the green pepper residue. After frying, she held two plates of vegetables in her hands and asked Zhang Chen, can you go now?

Zhang Chen said yes.

When the two of them got outside, Huijuan and Ah Qiao said, the casserole is ready, please help me bring it out.

There are no customers in the store now, and the last table just paid and left.

Huijuan placed the dishes on the table in front of the counter and asked Zhang Chen whether he wanted to add rice and wine to the heat?

Zhang Chen said yes.

Huijuan took two bottles of rice wine from the counter and went into the kitchen. Ah Qiao took out the two pots one by one, brought Zhang Chen bowls, chopsticks and bone plates, and told Zhang Chen, Brother Zhang, take advantage of the opportunity. Eat hot.

After that, take away the lids of the two casseroles.

Huijuan took out the wine bottle, took a glass from the counter, and filled Zhang Chen's glass with wine. Zhang Chen said, "You want to drink too?"

Huijuan shook her head and said, since she had to go to work later and she smelled bad, Zhang Chen wouldn't force it.

Ah Qiao and Huijuan said, should I go to the supermarket?

Huijuan nodded and said, go ahead and bring back two packets of salt.

Ah Qiao said yes and walked out.

There were only two people in the whole store, Zhang Chen and Huijuan. Huijuan walked to the counter, took her cup, filled it with water, walked over and sat across from Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen ate so fast that he almost choked. Huijuan scolded, "eat slowly, no one will compete with you."

Zhang Chen smiled and said: "You can't wait any longer, it's so delicious."

"Have you regressed?" Huijuan asked.

Zhang Chen said no, no, I feel there is progress.

Huijuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm still worried. I feel a little sluggish due to being busy every day, and whether the cooking of this dish will deteriorate."

"How is that possible?" Zhang Chen said, "Practice makes perfect. You can probably do it with your eyes closed now, right?"

Huijuan smiled and said: "That's right."

The tofu stew and large intestine stew were spicy and hot, coupled with the hot wine with shredded ginger. After a while, Zhang Chen's whole body became hot, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead and trickled down his cheeks.

Huijuan took out the tissue and looked up at the door behind Zhang Chen. She leaned over and wiped the sweat from Zhang Chen's face. Zhang Chen's head was tilted and motionless. When she finished wiping, she said thank you. He continued to eat. After a while, sweat came out again, and Huijuan continued to wipe him.

"Brother Zhang, let me ask you something." Huijuan said.

"you say."

"In the store next door, he told me that he would go home for the Spring Festival this year and not plan to come back again. He asked me if I wanted to transfer his store." Huijuan said.

"Are you too busy to come here now?" Zhang Chen asked.

Huijuan shook her head and said: "When there are the most people eating, it is too busy. Many people have no choice but to leave because there are no seats."

"Then you turn around. Does the kitchen still need to be enlarged?" Zhang Chen asked.

"The kitchen is no longer in use."

"Then his store will be converted into a shop." Zhang Chen said, "His original store door will be sealed, and it will be made into a glass window just like the one there. Open a door where you enter, like this The three rooms are connected together, and you can enter through one door.”

Huijuan nodded and said, "That's good. I just can't think of how to transfer it."

"I'll draw you a drawing later. If you want to renovate it, just use the guy who originally decorated it. He did a good job." Zhang Chen said.

Huijuan said yes.

"In the innermost part of his room, you can consider getting a private room. After all, there are still people who have such needs. Moreover, you used to have small tables, but there is a big table, which is more flexible." Zhang Chen said.

Huijuan nodded.

"How much is the transfer fee and rent?" Zhang Chen asked.

"The transfer fee is one thousand five hundred and fifty, and the rent is supposed to be until the end of January. There are still a few days left. He said forget it. I can just go and sign a one-year contract with the village."

Zhang Chen nodded: "Then I'll call you tomorrow."

"No, no, no." Huijuan was a little anxious, "I have money, Brother Zhang. Let me tell you, it's not about money. I just want to hear your opinion. If you say you can transfer it, I will be bolder. The rent I have to pay the transfer fee myself.”

"Do you still need to decorate?"

"Yes, yes, I have the money myself," Huijuan said.

Zhang Chen looked at Huijuan and asked, "Are you ready to add another store?"

"Okay, just call a waiter and that's it." Huijuan said.

Zhang Chen said: "Don't work too hard."

Huijuan smiled and said: "It doesn't feel hard at all like this now. It's still the same as before in Sanbao. I had nothing to do all day and just sat there stupidly. That's why it was so hard. At that time, I told you, Brother Zhang, was in the store There was nothing to do in the room, so when I got back to the room, I still couldn’t fall asleep, and now, haha, I’m already asleep before my head even touches the pillow.”

"What time do you go to bed now?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Go back here and wash up. It's almost four o'clock."

"When get up?"

"I have to get up at eight o'clock to buy groceries."

"You only sleep four hours a day?"

"No, you can still take a nap for an hour in the afternoon. Also, for example, at this time, when there are no guests, you can lie down in it for a while. It's okay. I feel like I wake up and have had enough sleep every day."

Huijuan spoke anxiously, Zhang Chen stared at her and said nothing more.

Huijuan quickly picked up the wine pot and said to Zhang Chen, "The wine is cold, Brother Zhang, let me heat it up for you."

Huijuan took the jug and went to the back, turned on the gas stove, put the jug on it, and looked at it. Huijuan's eyes suddenly became wet. She wiped them with her hands and cursed with a smile:

"Die!"

Thank you to Crush Killer VIP for ranking third from top to bottom and for the reward of two fishes one above the other! Thanks for all the votes and reading! Have a good evening everyone!