Chapter 337 - 185: This Flourishing Age is as You Wished

Chapter 337: Chapter 185: This Flourishing Age is as You Wished

"Okay, I’m off!" Zhou Momo turned and ran to her room to grab her crayons and drawing paper, then scampered downstairs.

Zhou Yan placed the letter in the box and glanced at the drawing again. Smiling, he changed his clothes and went downstairs for a run.

When he returned from his run, Comrade Zhou was massaging Mrs. Zhao’s shoulders while Zhou Momo sat primly at the table, drawing intently.

After showering, Zhou Yan came out and glanced at Comrade Zhou setting up a chessboard. He then looked at Mrs. Zhao and said, "I’m going to draft the menu for Sunday in a bit and figure out the arrangements. I also need to confirm the headcount so nothing is overlooked."

"Your father and I already figured out the headcount last night. Your eldest uncle’s family has nine people, your second uncle’s family has seven, your Uncle’s family has three, plus your youngest uncle, Grandma, and your great-uncle. Add our family of four, and that’s twenty-six people in total. Three tables will be just right," Mrs. Zhao said. "You can plan the menu. Just stick to our usual standard for hosting guests. Whip up some of your signature dishes; everyone will enjoy the meal more that way."

"Will do." Zhou Yan nodded. He had a good idea of what to do now.

This was their first time hosting a dinner party since moving, making it a major event. Zhou Yan had to make sure everything was arranged perfectly.

"What’s the plan for lunch on Sunday? Should we find a restaurant in Jiazhou?" Zhou Yan asked.

"Traditionally, your grandma makes a basket of steamed buns for the road, brings a couple of containers of pickled vegetables, and we keep it simple," said Zhou Miao.

Zhou Yan laughed. "Just pickled vegetables is a bit too simple, don’t you think? I’ll get up early that morning to braise a pot of meat and vegetables. I can pack some for our lunch, and the rest can be served at the dinner party that evening."

Mrs. Zhao nodded. "Good idea. That’s definitely much better than just eating pickles."

Zhou Yan took a pen and paper from the counter and quickly jotted down the menu, then calculated the necessary ingredients and quantities.

Braised Dishes: Braised Pig Ears, Braised Pork Head, Braised Beef, and a platter of assorted braised vegetables.

Stews and Braises: Red-Braised Pork Ribs, Beef with Dried Bamboo Shoots, Huo Xiang Carp.

Stir-fries: Stir-fried Beef with Double Peppers, Twice-Cooked Pork, Flash-Fried Pork Liver, Mapo Tofu, and Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork.

A total of twelve dishes.

All of them were quite substantial.

A spread like this, at the restaurant’s prices, would go for 15.8 yuan.

The standard for this meal was quite high.

"Aside from the Kneeling Beef, you’re making almost everything on your menu?" Mrs. Zhao came over to look at the list, a little surprised.

"We’re all getting together now, and the next time might not be until the New Year. I want everyone to have a taste of my best dishes. Twelve seems like a good number," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Fair enough." Mrs. Zhao nodded, her gaze falling on the last dish on the list. "Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you make that one."

"I make it all the time at the cafeteria. It’s a specialty of our Kong Sect, and I was planning to add it to the restaurant menu next week," Zhou Yan fibbed casually. ’I’ll unveil it on Sunday for everyone to try, test the reception, and make adjustments accordingly.’

"I haven’t had Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork very often, but Fish-Flavored Eggplant is delicious. Your grandmother used to make it all the time. It’s so good with rice. Even just eating it with sweet potatoes was pure bliss." A nostalgic look appeared on Mrs. Zhao’s face. "I haven’t had it in ages. Whenever I try to make it, it feels like something’s missing. It’s never as good as how your grandmother made it."

"That must be because the pickled erjingtiao peppers taste different. Next time, try using the ones Grandma pickled," Zhou Yan said, looking at her. ’Was she nostalgic for the Fish-Flavored Eggplant, or for herself as a child?’

Mrs. Zhao smiled and nodded. "That makes sense. Next time I visit my family, I’ll bring back a jar of the starter brine from your grandmother’s pickling crock."

Zhou Yan played three games of chess against Comrade Zhou and won every single one.

"Dad, your skills are getting rustier with every game. I think you need more practice," Zhou Yan gloated.

"Today doesn’t count," Comrade Zhou grumbled, putting away the chess pieces, clearly not ready to admit defeat. "I think it’s going to rain tonight. The pressure is low, the air is stuffy... it affected my judgment. We’ll have a rematch tomorrow."

"A bad workman always blames his tools," Mrs. Zhao muttered, pursing her lips. Yawning, she picked up Zhou Momo and carried her upstairs to bed.

Comrade Zhou’s face flushed. He put the chess set back under the counter and followed them upstairs.

For the next two days, the restaurant was as busy as ever.

The announcement that the restaurant would be closed on Sunday was met with another round of groans from the customers.

’But there was no helping it. Compared to a weekday, closing for Sunday lunch resulted in the smallest loss for the restaurant.’

’Besides, for a special occasion like this, he would have had to close for the tomb-sweeping even if it were a weekday.’

After closing up on Saturday night, Zhou Yan and his family made a trip back to Zhou Village.

Grandma went over the next day’s arrangements with her sons.

The offerings for paying respects were simple. Grandma had always been frugal in these matters and refused any extravagance.

Regarding the food, when Grandma heard Zhou Yan planned to braise meat to bring for lunch, she smiled and asked, "Isn’t that a lot of trouble? Getting up so early just to cook."

"It’s no trouble. I’m used to it, and we’ll be eating it for dinner anyway," Zhou Yan said with a laugh.

"Very well. We’ll do as you’ve planned," Grandma nodded.

「The next morning」

Zhou Yan rode his roadster bicycle out to buy groceries.

The meal would be for three tables and featured a wide variety of dishes, but he didn’t need a large quantity of any single ingredient.

When he returned to the restaurant with the groceries, Comrade Zhou was already in the dining hall, helping prep the ingredients.

By eight o’clock, the various braised meats were already coming out of the pot.

Zhou Yan sliced two pounds of the braised pork head, filled an enamel basin with assorted braised vegetables, and packed a glass jar with pickled radishes.

The tomb-sweeping itself wouldn’t take all day, but the Zhou Family had a tradition, established by Grandma, of hiking and picnicking together. After paying their respects, the entire family would climb Laoxiaoding before heading home.

"Zhou Yan!"

"Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt!"