Chapter 74 Returning to My Hometown.
After reading it, Gu Qingqiu was surprised that this @MissFishballs, who had returned home to start her own business, would give her fish balls such high praise. The corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, and her almond-shaped eyes were full of smiles.
It's gratifying to receive recognition from professionals.
She then looked at the comments section, which was quite lively.
[Rich and willful: Hahaha, welcome to Jiang City, Fish Ball! It feels like Gu's Private Kitchen has become a major attraction in Jiang City now. I see it all the time on Xiaohongshu, and I often hear people raving about it in real life. Looks like I need to find some time to try it!]
[Star Creation Dream: Ahhhh, it's so rare to see a fish ball praising a restaurant like this! I'm dying of laughter! I thought we were going to eat, but it turned into a fish ball review. To get such high praise from you, it's clear this restaurant's fish balls really suit your taste!]
[Springtime Romance: This is the first time I've heard of this restaurant! You praised the fish balls so much, I'll make a note of it and make sure to check it out when I travel to Jiang City. Hopefully, they'll have fish balls then.]
[I've made peace with my acne: God knows how excited I was to see Yuwan post this note. It's such a dream collaboration between my favorite blogger and my favorite restaurant!]
I'm quite familiar with Gu's Private Kitchen, so let me introduce it to you all: This restaurant is located on Suli Street in Yunjiang District, Jiang City. It resumed operations in April. The owner determines the daily menu based on the ingredients purchased and posts it around 10 a.m. via @Gu's Private Kitchen.
You can absolutely trust the deliciousness of Gu's Private Kitchen. No matter what dishes are served that day, you won't be disappointed. And the price is incredibly affordable compared to the taste and quality of the dishes!
A friendly reminder: if you plan to dine at Gu's Private Kitchen, be sure to order in advance. It's best to arrive at 11:00 AM or 5:00 PM when the restaurant opens to avoid queuing. Even a few minutes late might mean having to take a number and wait in line outside.
Moreover, Gu's Private Kitchen only prepares enough ingredients each day to serve about 20 tables for lunch and dinner. If you go too late, you might not even get a chance to queue! Generally, if you arrive after 12:30 pm or 7:20 pm, you will see a sign that says "Ingredients Sold Out" and the staff will refuse to queue.
Those interested should definitely try Gu's Private Kitchen. I guarantee you'll be hooked and never want to go back to any other restaurant again; you'll only want to eat at Gu's Private Kitchen as your own home cafeteria!
After reading the long review recommending his own restaurant, Gu Qingqiu's lips curled into a wide smile, revealing his adorable dimples.
She really loves these lovely online fans and is always enthusiastically recommending her restaurant online.
This long review recommending his own restaurant only ranked among the top few in the comment section in terms of likes, but it had the most comments within comments.
[To be frank: If I didn't see you frequently appearing in the fish ball's comment section, I would have thought you were sent by Gu's Private Kitchen to advertise.]
[Even breathing hurts: LOL, the fact that the poster could write such a long comment shows they're a true fan of Gu's Private Kitchen.]
[Warm and Gentle Duck: !!! As a fellow fan of Gu's Private Kitchen, I couldn't help but say that the information shared by the original poster is incredibly helpful and practical. Following this simple guide to eat at Gu's Private Kitchen is definitely the right choice. And, just between you and me, you'll discover some pleasant surprises after eating there often! dddd!]
[forever: Okay, seeing how sincere you are, I've decided to follow Gu's Private Kitchen. I'll definitely check it out when I'm in Jiang City!]
[Gold, Silver, and Jade are all welcome: Fish Balls gave this restaurant, especially its fish balls, such high praise that I really want to try it too. I've bookmarked this post; I'll definitely follow your recommendation when I go to Gu's Private Kitchen!]
There were many more comments in the thread, some suspecting that the netizen was a shill sent by Gu's Private Kitchen, while others were genuinely convinced and eager to try their restaurant, and quite a few were still observing.
In addition, most of the comments in the comment section were about our restaurant. Thanks to the blogger's strong recommendation, no netizens said anything bad about our restaurant. Most of them were discussing whether the fish balls at this restaurant were really that delicious.
Undoubtedly, the post by @MissFishBallGoesHomeToStartABusiness successfully propelled Gu's Private Kitchen and handmade fish balls, which were already generating some buzz, onto the Xiaohongshu trending list. It also attracted many fans to check out the various dishes on their official account, and those interested even followed them.
I expect to gain some new customers in the next few days.
Gu Qingqiu smiled and felt that she should respond to this matter, so she edited and posted a comment under the blogger's post.
[Gu's Private Kitchen: Thank you so much for your likes and positive review. We are very happy to be able to make fish balls that satisfy you and most of our customers (heart emoji)]
Our restaurant will always stay true to its original mission: to cook delicious meat dishes with fresh, high-quality ingredients, and to provide warm and attentive service to every customer. Welcome to dine here!
After that, she stopped browsing Xiaohongshu and instead opened Weibo. She saw that the posts and comments were similar to usual, so she switched to her personal account to browse various gossip and anecdotes.
In the following days, Sister Zhou told me that several groups of customers, supposedly fans of Miss Fish Ball, came to the restaurant to dine, and some of them enthusiastically expressed their love for the restaurant before leaving.
Gu Qingqiu smiled after hearing this, and seemed quite pleased.
The agreed-upon day of rest arrived quickly. On Friday morning, Gu Qingqiu started packing her luggage after breakfast. She had booked a high-speed train ticket for 2 PM, and she had to rush to the high-speed train station after lunch.
My hometown is a small county in the southern part of Jiangxi Province. A high-speed rail station was just built and put into operation last year, which makes it much more convenient to go back.
The journey from Jiangshi back to my hometown by high-speed rail takes a little over two hours, but if you include the time from Suli Street to the high-speed rail station and the time from there to my hometown, it takes nearly three and a half hours in total.
I didn't have much luggage, just two sets of clothes and toiletries. I also put an umbrella, phone charger, and water bottle in my backpack. Then there were two gifts I bought for relatives back home at Yongrun Plaza after closing last night. All of these came in gift bags, so I could just carry them by hand.
We were worried that we wouldn't be able to finish all the food in our refrigerator, and it wouldn't be fresh if left out for too long, so last night we gave some to Sister Zhou and Sister Tang to take home and eat.
Around 11 a.m., Gu Qingqiu went out to the rice noodle roll shop on Suli Street and ordered a super deluxe rice noodle roll with egg, pork, shrimp, oysters, and tofu skin. That was her lunch.
This place always makes delicious rice noodle rolls. The rice noodle skin is thin and has a fragrant rice aroma. The filling is generous, with an egg, two large spoonfuls of minced meat, three shrimp, and five small oysters inside. It tastes fresh, sweet, and delicious. Adding a thick, savory sauce on top makes it even more amazing.
Gu Qingqiu enjoyed a simple yet satisfying lunch. After paying, she could go home and rest for a while.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Gu Qingqiu woke up and turned off the alarm. Without delay, she got up, changed her clothes, went to the bathroom to wash her face, tied her long, elegant hair up with a spring-like scrunchie, went to the kitchen to fill her thermos with warm water, and unplugged all the electrical appliances except the refrigerator before returning to her room.
With a light but not heavy apricot-white backpack neatly slung over her shoulder, carrying two bags of gifts in one hand and holding her phone in the other, Gu Qingqiu looked around the room to make sure the windows were closed, the air conditioner and lights were off before coming out and closing the door behind her.
The main room next door usually has its door open, and Gu Qingqiu would occasionally go in to open the window for ventilation, letting the bright sunlight in to add some yang energy.
As she passed by, she spotted a family photo of the three of them on the bedside table. She was standing between her parents, smiling broadly, while her parents looked at her and smiled back. Time seemed to stand still in that happy moment.
Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "I'll be here to see you soon."
She closed the main room door, then checked that all the windows on the second floor were closed. After going downstairs, she closed all the windows there as well, before leaving the restaurant and locking the wooden door from the outside.
A piece of white paper was posted next to the restaurant door, with the following written on it:
Due to personal matters to attend to, the restaurant will be closed from June 20th to June 22nd, this Friday to Sunday. We apologize for any inconvenience caused (bows).
Gu Qingqiu walked out of Suli Street and hailed a taxi to the high-speed rail station.
She allowed herself plenty of time. After arriving at the high-speed rail station, she went through security, sat and rested in the waiting hall for a while, and then went to the platform to check her ticket when it was time to go to the boarding gate.
The high-speed train roared in at the appointed time, and Gu Qingqiu boarded the corresponding carriage and found a seat. She had reserved a window seat, and the young woman sitting next to her was also there. After exchanging nods and greetings, they went about their own business.
Gu Qingqiu put on her headphones and listened to soothing music to block out the roar of the train as it moved, then started playing on her phone.
The train that departed at 2:20 arrived at 4:20. Gu Qingqiu followed the crowd off the train and walked out of the high-speed rail station. Looking at the azure sky and the still bright sunlight, she felt a little dazed.
Just then, her phone rang, pulling her back to reality. She answered the phone: "Hey bro, right, we've arrived at the station."
"Xiao Qiu, I'm in the motorcycle parking area at the exit parking lot. Come over here."
"Okay, bro."
After hanging up the phone, Gu Qingqiu looked at the signs, took the elevator down to the parking lot, and then walked around a car parking area to the motorcycle parking area.
This guy is Gu Shaocheng, the grandson of her grandfather's younger brother, a generation younger than her. He used to work outside, but returned to his hometown for personal reasons. He currently works for a shared bicycle company.
In the early stages, it was quite tough. Every day, I was responsible for riding my motorcycle around to pick up illegally parked or dead shared electric motorcycles and taking them to designated charging and parking locations. Last year, I was transferred to the company office to handle administrative matters. My salary and working hours are stable, and my job is much easier.
This cousin is three years older than Gu Qingqiu. They used to communicate when they were young, but later Gu Qingqiu went to study in Jiang City, and they would only have the opportunity to meet when she came back for the Chinese New Year. You could say they were somewhat familiar but not very close.
In recent years, only my uncle and aunt's family remain in my hometown. They are kind and good people, and they feel sorry for Gu Qingqiu, a young girl who has suffered such a tragedy at such a young age. Every year when Gu Qingqiu returns to pay respects to her parents, they warmly welcome her and help prepare the necessary offerings. In addition, my uncle's family also helps look after the house in our hometown.
Her cousin regularly picks her up on his electric motorcycle around this time of year. He used to pick her up at the bus station, but now he picks her up at the high-speed rail station.
Gu Qingqiu walked to the motorcycle parking area and immediately saw his cousin, who was wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts and had a short buzz cut, looking very neat, leaning against the seat of his sleek motorcycle.
She called out, "Brother!"
Gu Shaocheng, who was looking down at his phone, looked over at the sound, smiled and waved: "Xiao Qiu!"
He put away his phone and ran over, naturally taking the things she was carrying. "I've finally waited for you."
"Thank you, brother," Gu Qingqiu said with a smile.
Gu Shaocheng smiled casually: "No need to thank me, it's only right that I came to pick you up. Let's go, let's go home first."
He inserted the key into the ignition lock on the front of the motorcycle, then mounted it and backed it out.
When Gu Qingqiu heard his words, his voice was still lazy and casual yet warm. He vaguely remembered him patting his shoulder and saying after they had finished arranging their parents' funeral: "Qiu, take good care of yourself while you're out there. Call your brother anytime if you need anything."
"Put on your helmet. They've been cracking down hard at intersections lately." With his long legs touching the ground, Gu Shaocheng held the front of the car with one hand and handed a dark blue helmet hanging there to Gu Qingqiu.
Gu Qingqiu agreed, put on the helmet, fastened the strap at her chin, sat on the back of the motorcycle, and grabbed her cousin's clothes with both hands: "Brother, I'm all set."
Gu Shaocheng agreed, turned the throttle with his right hand, and the motorcycle headed towards the high-speed rail parking lot.
Gu Qingqiu sat on the back seat, feeling the wind rushing in as the motorcycle started moving. Although it was still a bit hot, it felt comfortable, a different feeling from riding along the riverbank and feeling the wind, but with the same sense of freedom.
The journey wasn't boring either; Gu Shaocheng would talk to her: "Xiao Qiu, my mom has cleaned your house recently, so you can move in as soon as you get back. The things for paying respects to your uncle and aunt have also been prepared, so don't worry."
Sitting in the back seat, Gu Qingqiu could only see the round back of his head. She still smiled and said, "Thank you, brother. It's all thanks to your help, Uncle and Aunt. Otherwise, I don't know how long it would have taken me to finish this by myself."
"Oh, don't mention it. It's only right that my parents do all this. We're family."
Gu Qingqiu: "My aunt had messaged me before asking when I would be back, and whether I would prepare the nine items for worship and paper money as in previous years. I am so grateful to my aunt for helping with these things."
Gu Shaocheng laughed heartily: "My mom has been thinking about this. She's been counting down the days since last month, saying you might be going back to your hometown. She was afraid of bothering you, so she couldn't hold back any longer and sent you a message to ask."
Gu Qingqiu: "We've been so grateful to you and my aunt over the years. How are you both doing now?"
Gu Shaocheng: "They're doing great. They've both retired and now they just manage the land they were allocated to the family, growing all sorts of vegetables. My dad also goes to the brigade to help with chores during the day, and he'll go and lend a hand at any weddings or funerals in the village."
“That’s good too. Growing vegetables can help us be self-sufficient and pass the time. My uncle is also a lively person. He really can’t stay idle at home. It’s good for him to go and help out at the brigade,” Gu Qingqiu said.
Gu Shaocheng nodded: "Yes, that's what I said too. I like to smoke when I'm at home. Since I started helping out at the brigade, sometimes I even forget to bring my cigarettes when I'm busy. It's actually quite nice."
Gu Qingqiu couldn't help but smile after hearing this: "So, brother, how's your work going?"
"Smooth sailing. Now I don't have to work in the sun or wind. I just stay in the office from nine to five. It's quite leisurely," Gu Shaocheng replied, then asked, "You're still working at the publishing house, right? Are you busy?"
Although the cousins could chat when they met, they didn't really keep in touch privately. Gu Qingqiu hadn't posted on social media since she returned from the cultivation world, so her few remaining relatives, friends, and classmates had no idea that she had quit her job to open a restaurant.
Gu Qingqiu said, "Brother, I resigned from the publishing house in April and came back to reopen the restaurant that my parents left behind. Business is pretty good now."
If Gu Shaocheng hadn't been a decent driver and a fairly steady person, he probably would have slammed on the brakes when he heard his cousin say those words behind him.
He drove the motorcycle steadily as always, but his voice was filled with shock: "What? You quit your job and went back to reopen your aunt and uncle's restaurant? No, what a huge leap!"
"Yes, my job at the publishing house got a bit boring after a while, and I still missed the restaurant that my grandfather had been running. I couldn't bear to see it fall into disuse and disappear, so I reopened it."
"You didn't tell me about something this big. If you had, my parents and I could have at least given you some financial support. Opening a restaurant requires a lot of money at the beginning. So now you've hired a chef, are your own boss, and are also serving customers?" Gu Shaocheng asked.
He remembered that his great-uncle was a very good cook. When he was a child, he looked forward to eating his great-uncle's dishes at the New Year's Eve dinner or any big gathering. The meat dishes were delicious and the vegetarian dishes were just as good. Eating a meal like that would bring him happy memories for the whole year.
However, it seems that my uncle and aunt are not as good cooks as my uncle, but they have been running a private restaurant in Jiang City and the business is doing alright.
As for his cousin, his impression of her was that she was a quiet and well-behaved girl who was very good at studying. He had never heard of her learning to cook from the family, so he didn't think that Xiao Qiu was cooking for herself. He just thought that she had hired a chef to be her own boss.
Gu Qingqiu explained, "I saved some money after I started working. The restaurant doesn't need a major renovation, just a simple fix. We already have tables, chairs, and kitchenware, so it won't cost much. I had enough money to buy ingredients at the beginning, and after two or three days, the profits I accumulated were basically enough to cover expenses and even make a profit, so I didn't ask you for money."
"I'm currently the chef at my own restaurant, responsible for cooking the dishes for the day. I've also hired two other staff members. One is a full-time employee who is responsible for serving customers, cleaning and wiping tables, and maintaining the cleanliness of the dining area. The other is a dishwasher who comes to work for two hours each at lunch and dinner."
Gu Shaocheng thought he had misheard. How come this was exactly the opposite of what he thought?
He said bluntly, "What? You didn't spend much time in the kitchen before? How did you suddenly become a restaurant chef?"
And it sounds like the restaurant is doing pretty well right now.
Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "Brother, although I don't go into the kitchen often, I grew up watching my grandfather and my parents wielding pots and pans in the kitchen. I know a lot about cooking techniques and how to control the heat."
Besides, have you forgotten how, when I was a kid, I was really interested in kitchen knives, and my grandpa made me practice my knife skills for a whole year? Actually, I've been cooking for myself these past few years, and I've gradually improved my culinary skills. Opening a restaurant and being my own chef wouldn't be a problem."
Gu Shaocheng did remember that when Xiao Qiu was a child, she said that chopping vegetables was so much fun and that she wanted to practice knife skills to become a martial arts master. As a result, her uncle made her practice knife skills for a year.
Back then, Xiao Qiu had a round, fair face and wore double buns, making her especially cute. Whenever she saw him, she would cry out, "Brother, let me come to your house and be your little sister. I don't want to be Grandpa's granddaughter anymore. I don't like Grandpa who makes me practice knife skills."
Thinking of this, Gu Shaocheng couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Now that you mention it, I just remembered. If that's the case, you've been influenced by your grandfather and uncle and aunt's skills, and with enough theoretical knowledge plus the practical experience of the past few years, you'd definitely be good enough to open a restaurant and work as a chef."
Thinking about why Xiao Qiu has had to cook for herself in recent years, he felt a sudden dryness and itchiness in his throat, and simply said cheerfully, "As expected of my sister, you're awesome!"
“That’s right!” Gu Qingqiu replied without hesitation.
She went on to talk about the restaurant's current situation. Business was very good, with customers often having to queue. It was also quite popular online, with many people traveling from other places specifically to eat at her restaurant.
Hearing this, Gu Shaocheng's lips curled up wildly, his eyebrows and eyes beaming, and he repeated "My sister is amazing" countless times.
As Gu Qingqiu spoke, she also noticed the scenery rushing past. The small town seemed as lively as ever. At 4:30, the vegetable market she passed was packed with people, electric bikes and motorcycles were crowded everywhere, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and customers bargaining filled the air.
She also noticed that many houses had been built on the former vacant land, some new trees seemed to have been planted along the roadside, the greenery had improved, and an overpass had crossed over the area, which her cousin said was used for transporting goods.
My hometown is a village in a township in Huixian County. After getting off the high-speed rail, I walked down to the township and then across the only main road to reach the familiar village.
After entering the village, it only took three minutes to drive home. Gu Shaocheng stopped his motorcycle and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Mom and Dad, I've brought Xiaoqiu back!"
"Hey, here it comes!"
Voices of a man and a woman responded from the two-story self-built house. As the door opened from the inside out, a tall, thin middle-aged man and a slightly plump, round-faced, kind-looking middle-aged woman hurried out.
"Xiao Qiu is back!" They gathered around her enthusiastically, looking at Gu Qingqiu to see if she had been doing well this past year.
Gu Qingqiu greeted them with a smile: "Uncle and Aunt, I'm back. You've worked so hard these past few days. My brother also had a hard time picking me up. Thanks to you, I can finally relax a little."
Uncle Gu shook his head and said, "Hey, we're all family, so there's no need for formalities. Whatever we do is what we should do, and it's also what your brother should do to pick you up. If he can't even do this simple thing right, then he's wasted all those years."
Aunt Gu held her niece's hand and saw that she hadn't lost weight as much as a year ago, and her complexion looked even better than last year. She was relieved and happy at the same time.
“These are all small things for us. You must be tired from your journey back. Go back to your room, wash your face, and rest. Dinner will be ready soon. We'll have plenty of time to talk later.”
Gu Qingqiu's hometown is right next to her uncle and aunt's house. Her grandfather and uncle agreed to build the house together so they could take care of each other. In recent years, her uncle and aunt have been helping to look after the old house so it doesn't fall into disrepair, and they also help clean it before she comes back every time.
She smiled and agreed.
Aunt Gu wanted to help carry the things over, but after looking around, she asked, "Where's your luggage? You only brought so little stuff?"
Gu Shaocheng parked his bicycle and came over with two gift bags: "Xiao Qiu only carried a backpack and these two bags."
Gu Qingqiu took the two bags of gifts and handed them to Aunt Gu: "Auntie, these are things I brought back for you and Uncle. I hope you like them."
"Why are you still so polite, child? You're just back, there's no need to bring us anything." Aunt Gu smiled and accepted the gift, assuming it would be some mushrooms or seafood gift boxes like before.
But when he glanced at it, he saw the words "bird's nest" and "American ginseng," and was immediately shocked. He quickly stuffed it back into Gu Qingqiu's hand.
"Oh, Xiao Qiu, I can't accept these. They're so expensive, like bird's nest and ginseng. You should take them back and return them."
Uncle Gu also chimed in, "Yes, Xiao Qiu, these are too valuable to mention. We're all family, no need to be so polite. Take them back and return them."
Gu Qingqiu smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Uncle and Aunt, please accept it without worry. I only come back once a year, so this is just a small token of my appreciation. Don't worry, I've been making money quite well lately, so buying these things isn't a problem. Please accept them."
Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu still refused, but Gu Qingqiu insisted that they accept it.
Gu Shaocheng learned on the way that his cousin's restaurant was doing very well, and his admiration for her was still surging. He had never liked seeing these scenes of people passing the buck back and forth.
He said, "Mom and Dad, please accept this. It's her kind gesture, and she's thinking of you. She's doing well now, and we'll talk about it in detail later."
Gu Qingqiu nodded in agreement: "Yes, Uncle and Aunt, please accept it."
Gu Shaocheng continued, "Yes, accept it. Don't keep Xiao Qiu from resting. She must be tired from taking the high-speed train back."
Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu then accepted it with a smile.
After handing the two bags of gifts to the child's father, Aunt Gu accompanied Gu Qingqiu back to her home.
It was also a two-story self-built house. The first floor had a spacious hall, kitchen, bathroom, and two rooms. The second floor also had a hall and bathroom, followed by three rooms and a storage room. Previously, Grandpa and Mom and Dad lived on the first floor, while Gu Qingqiu lived on the second floor, since she was young and could climb stairs.
Upon entering the room, you'll see that everything—the walls, the floor, the sofa, and the chairs—is spotless and dust-free, clearly indicating that it has been thoroughly cleaned.
Aunt Gu said with a smile, "Your uncle and I came over to clean yesterday. All the sheets and blankets you slept on were washed and dried. We even turned on the air conditioner and it still works. Go upstairs and rest for a while."
"Thank you, Auntie. It's all thanks to you. Otherwise, I would have had to clean up the house when I got back, which would have been so hard."
"It's alright, don't be so polite. Go and get some rest. We'll talk again tonight."
Gu Qingqiu thanked her aunt for offering to accompany her upstairs. After seeing her aunt off, she didn't go upstairs immediately but instead went downstairs to the first floor.
She saw that the two rooms where her grandfather and parents lived, even though no one had lived there for a long time, were basically kept as they were, clean and tidy, as if the people living there had only left for a short time and were waiting for them to come back at any time.
This is the result of my uncle and aunt coming over to clean.
She let out a soft sigh, feeling a bittersweet ache in her heart. She carried her schoolbag upstairs, tidied up briefly, and lay down on the bed to rest for a while.
At 5:30, Gu Qingqiu woke up and checked her phone. She had received a voice message from her aunt, telling her to come over for dinner when she woke up. The chat window showed the conversation she had sent her a while ago about buying offerings for the deceased.
She got up, washed her face in the bathroom, and went downstairs to her aunt and uncle's house for dinner.
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