Chapter 136 - 120: Damn! This Was Made by a 20-Year-Old Chef?
Chapter 136: Chapter 120: Damn! This Was Made by a 20-Year-Old Chef?
Zhao Dong’s wife, Yan Xue, stood to the side, smiling a little awkwardly.
"Uncle, is this restaurant any good? I don’t think the state-run restaurant in Suji is good at all." A chubby girl was sitting on the ladies’ bicycle at the very end. She was wearing a long, floral-print dress and looked to be about eighteen. She had to weigh close to two hundred pounds. This was Huang He’s daughter, Huang Ying.
Huang Ying’s build was on par with Huang He’s. She had a round, fair-skinned face that was quite charming. Her voice, however, was a bit high and pinched, not quite matching her size. She was looking at Zhao Dong with an expectant expression.
"Of course it’s good. Why else would your uncle bring you here?" Zhao Dong replied with a smile. Then he looked at Huang He and said, "Brother-in-law, let me tell you, don’t judge this little restaurant by its decor. It looks small, but the chef’s skills are the real deal. His food is way better than the state-run place. If you try it and don’t think it’s good, I’ll give you that badge of mine."
Hearing the word "badge," Huang He’s interest was piqued. "You swear?"
"I swear." Zhao Dong nodded with a smile.
"Alright then, let’s give it a try. If we all agree it’s not as good as the state-run restaurant, that badge is mine, you hear?" Huang He said. "But if it’s really as good as you say, the meal’s on me, and I’ll throw in a bottle of 104-proof Wuliangye."
"Deal!" Zhao Dong immediately nodded.
His brother-in-law was rich and generous. For a sure thing like this, scoring a free bottle of Wuliangye was a sweet deal.
Zhao Shulan watched her husband and brother, shaking her head helplessly. What else could she say?
"Where’s Bingbing?" The Zhao family matriarch, Mrs. Xiang, asked, looking left and right.
"Ma, don’t worry about that little brat. I told him we’d be here. If he dares not to show up today, I’ll deal with him when I get home," Huang He said with a laugh.
"Yeah, deal with him good!" Huang Ying chimed in, pumping a chubby fist and gloating.
VROOOM—
The roar of a motorcycle echoed from the distance.
Everyone turned to see an army-green motorcycle pull up and stop at the restaurant entrance.
"A motorcycle!"
Many of the customers in the restaurant turned to look at the entrance, their eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.
"And it’s a Jialing 70! I can’t believe you can see one of these in Suji! The parts are all imported from Little Japan. One of them costs, what, over twenty-five hundred yuan!"
Someone who recognized it clucked their tongue in amazement.
Even Zhou Yan couldn’t help but peek his head out from the kitchen when he heard the noise.
The rider was a young man in his early twenties. He wore bell-bottoms, a floral shirt tucked into his pants, and a black leather jacket over it all. On his feet were canvas shoes, and he had on a pair of aviator sunglasses. He was riding an army-green motorcycle.
This whole getup definitely made him a trendsetter for the era.
A rich trendsetter, at that.
Zhou Yan had been to Jiazhou a couple of times and had occasionally seen motorcycles on the road, but they were usually Jialing 50s, a far cry from the Jialing 70 this guy was straddling.
In an era when the average factory worker’s monthly salary was just over thirty yuan, what did it mean to be riding a motorcycle that cost over two thousand?
He was the classic rich second-generation kid driving a luxury car.
He was tall and thin, with somewhat cramped features and a pale complexion. He had the look of someone with a kidney deficiency.
"Grandma!" Huang Bing stopped the motorcycle and slid his aviator sunglasses down to the tip of his nose. He looked at Mrs. Xiang and said with a grin, "Look at my new motorcycle. Want me to take you for a spin?"
"Don’t you be foolish. You’ll jostle your grandma and make her uncomfortable." Zhao Shulan raised a hand and lightly punched Huang Bing on the arm.
"And who is this frog spirit?" Mrs. Xiang asked, frowning at Huang Bing.
"It’s me, Bingbing. You don’t remember me again?" Huang Bing’s smile fell, a hint of melancholy clouding his face.
"Nonsense. My Bingbing is only this tall." Mrs. Xiang said with a serious expression, gesturing with her hand to about her armpit’s height.
"Brother, I want a ride on your motorcycle! Take me for a spin!" Huang Ying parked her bike and ran over, her eyes full of excitement.
"No way. The second you get on, the bike will do a wheelie. I won’t be able to control it." Huang Bing immediately cut the engine, pulled out the key, and shook his head decisively.
"You..." Huang Ying was furious. She turned to Huang He, whining and tattling, "Dad! Didn’t you say you were going to deal with this little brat? Do it now! I’ll help you hold him down!"
"Uncle, Aunt, cousins." Huang Bing ignored her and greeted Zhao Dong and his wife, as well as his two younger cousins. He then looked up at the sign and the small restaurant before them, a little puzzled. "We’re eating here for lunch? For Grandma’s birthday... isn’t it a bit... small?"
"Cut the crap. It’s not your money, so you don’t get to be picky!" Huang He rapped him on the head, his face full of disdain. "Look at those pants you’re wearing. All you do all day is fool around with your good-for-nothing friends. Starting tomorrow, you’re coming to work at the store and earning your own salary. I’m telling your mom not to give you a single cent of allowance!"
"Dad, I may mess around, but I never cause you any real trouble, you know." Huang Bing said with a cheeky grin, dodging behind Zhao Shulan. He whispered, "Mom, give me a hundred yuan for gas."
"You little bastard..." Huang He’s eyes went wide.
"Huang!" Zhao Shulan stepped forward, her expression darkening. She gave his waist a sharp twist. "If you have something to say, say it at home! Don’t you dare embarrass me out here! I’ll deal with him when we get back!"
Huang He grimaced in pain, nodding repeatedly.
Zhao Shulan shot a glance over, and Huang Bing didn’t dare to laugh anymore, shrinking back behind Mrs. Xiang.
Zhao Dong spoke up with a smile, "Come on, let’s go in and sit down. I already ordered the food in advance. This is the first time the owner has opened on a Sunday."
The group followed him inside.
"Director Zhao, you’re here. Come, see where you’d like to sit." Zhao Tieying came out to greet them with a smile.
Hearing the commotion, Zhou Momo came running out too. She scurried past the group and ran outside to look at the motorcycle, exclaiming in awe, "Wow! Big car!"