Chapter 456 - 220: I’ll Be Damned, I Ran Into a Ghost

Chapter 456: Chapter 220: I’ll Be Damned, I Ran Into a Ghost

"Wow, Wu Song is amazing! He killed the man-eating tiger! He’s a hero!" Zhou Momo clapped her little hands, her eyes sparkling. "I want to learn kung fu too! I’m going to fight tigers when I grow up!"

"Then you can tell Ming next time he comes over," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

’Though, in Sichuan and Chongqing, she’ll probably be the tiger once she grows up.’

"So cool! I’m going to draw a tiger too!" Zhou Momo slid off her stool, ran behind the counter to grab her crayons and drawing pad, then climbed back onto the stool and began to draw intently.

Zhou Yan played three games of Chinese chess with Comrade Zhou and unfortunately lost the last one by a single piece.

"Son, you’ll need another couple years of practice." Comrade Zhou, looking smug, held his daughter in his arms, put an arm around his wife, and headed upstairs to bed.

Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile, put the chess set back in its box, took out some letter paper from the counter, and unscrewed the cap of his fountain pen. He paused for a moment, then began to write swiftly across the page.

’Buying the Qiu Family’s Old Mansion was the first step in his expansion into Jiazhou.’

’And a very important one at that.’

’A whim from over a month ago... He never expected it to actually come to fruition.’

’The feeling was pretty special.’

He wanted to share this joy with Xia Yao, and also bring a Chapter of Qiu Qi and Wang Yu’s story to a close.

Miss Qiu had gone to Xiangjiang, while Wang Yu remained in Suji.

Perhaps the letters, crossing thousands of miles, would become the new bond between them.

...

At the crack of dawn the next day, Zhou Yan and Comrade Zhou woke up early and headed out.

As soon as they opened the door, they saw a figure standing outside.

"Whoa!" Zhou Yan jumped. He shone his flashlight on the person and said with some surprise, "Mrs. Li, why are you here so early?"

Standing at the door was none other than Li Lihua, wearing an indigo-colored work smock.

"Boss Zhou, it’s my first day, so I was afraid of being late. That’s why I came a bit early," Li Lihua said, rubbing her hands together a little sheepishly. "Are you two heading out to buy groceries? It’s no problem, I can just wait here for you to get back."

"It’s cold outside, come on in and have a seat," Zhou Yan said with a smile. He then made the introduction, "This is my old man."

"I’m Zhou Miao. You can also call me Zhou the Fourth," said Zhou Miao.

Li Lihua smiled and nodded. "Alright. I’m Li Lihua."

Zhou Yan turned on a light for her and had her sit down in the shop, then went with Comrade Zhou to buy groceries.

By the time they returned with the groceries, Mrs. Zhao and Li Lihua were already in the shop, drinking tea and chatting up a storm, their laughter ringing out from time to time.

"They certainly hit it off fast," Zhou Yan whispered.

"Your mother has a great personality. She gets along with everyone quickly." The corners of Comrade Zhou’s mouth tilted up, full of pride.

"You’re back." Seeing the two of them wheeling their bicycles in, Mrs. Zhao stood up with a smile to help carry the groceries.

Li Lihua also came forward to help, lifting off the chickens that were hanging from the handlebars.

"Mom, this is the new employee, Mrs. Li Lihua," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"I know. We were in the Suji Town women’s militia together back in the day. Li said she recognized me," Mrs. Zhao said with a laugh.

"Back then, Tie Ying took first place in target practice and was named a pacesetter. She was the role model for all of us in the women’s militia, of course I remember her," Li Lihua said wistfully. "In the blink of an eye, sixteen, seventeen years have passed."

"Yeah, I haven’t touched a gun in so many years," Zhao Tieying said, also feeling a bit sentimental.

As they were talking, Zhao Hong and Zhou Lihui also arrived.

Mrs. Zhao introduced Li Lihua to Zhao Hong. Upon learning they had a new server, Zhao Hong was delighted.

The three of them started a Dragon Gate Formation as they worked, and they quickly grew familiar with one another.

Li Lihua was a capable worker, a real plug-and-play addition. She helped Mrs. Zhao process the beef offal, her movements deft and practiced.

"Li, have you worked with beef offal before? You seem so skillful at cleaning these beef intestines," Mrs. Zhao asked with a smile.

"I used to work at a restaurant, so I handled beef tripe all the time. The restaurant had a Maoxuewang that used it. This is my first time with beef intestines, but I used to clean pig intestines a lot. The pig intestine dish was a specialty at my old place, and it sold really well. I’d have to wash about ten sets every morning." A hint of confidence appeared on Li Lihua’s face. "I clean pig intestines exceptionally well, and I’m fast too."

Zhou Yan, who was stir-frying the saozi topping, felt a jolt of inspiration at her words. ’What a coincidence!’

He had been thinking about putting braised pig intestines on the menu, but had temporarily shelved the idea due to being short-staffed.

Li Lihua was an expert at handling pig intestines—it was a perfect match for the job!

Pig intestines were a pain to prepare. If not handled properly, they had an unpleasant odor, which was why few people made them at home.

But pig intestines were a favorite of many gourmands and a much-loved ingredient among Sichuan Cuisine chefs, with a wide variety of cooking methods.

Braised Pig Intestines, Dry-Fried Pig Intestines, Griddle-Cooked Pig Intestines, Red-Braised Pig Intestines, Soft Fried Bracelet, Pea and Pig Intestine Soup... It was also often used as a key ingredient in other dishes, like Fish with Pig Intestines, Pig Intestines with Blood Curd, and Tofu Pudding with Pig Intestines.

Zhou Yan had even come across... Pig Intestine Coffee.

As a food blogger, even he was shocked by this combination and hadn’t dared to try it.

Of course, the most famous of all was the culinary world’s ultimate "open conspiracy"—Nine-Turn Large Intestine.

With its unique texture and a variety of elaborate cooking methods, pig intestines were transformed into one delicacy after another, deeply loved by gourmands.

Zhou Yan might not know every recipe, but he had long since mastered the perfect technique for braising pig intestines.

Now that he had Li Lihua, an ace at cleaning pig intestines, Zhou Yan was already itching to get started.

They hadn’t added a new braised dish in a long time. It was time for an update.

With Li Lihua on board, the workload for Mrs. Zhao and Zhao Hong was noticeably lighter. Even some of Comrade Zhou’s tasks were shared.

Zhou Yan had her try slicing some potatoes. After just a few slices, her skill was already at a perfectly usable level.