Chapter 69 Fragrant and Spicy Crucian Carp with Scallions
As soon as Song Yu got home, she saw the strawberries. After washing them, she arranged them neatly on a white porcelain plate and placed them on the dining table.
His eyes widened, and he turned to look at Song Xinran, exclaiming in surprise, "Mom, the strawberries look exactly like the ones in the picture book!"
You could almost hear a hint of him swallowing in his childish voice.
Song Xinran smiled gently at his greedy look: "Then Xiao Yu, go wash your hands and taste it yourself to see if it tastes the same as described in the book."
Song Yu excitedly gave a loud "Mmm," took off her schoolbag and placed it on the cool mat, then ran quickly into the kitchen. She turned on the tap and washed her hands clean, then ran to the dining table. As she reached for the strawberries, she paused, turned to look at her, and asked, "Mom, are Aunt Chen and Auntie having dinner at home tonight?"
He tapped the bowls and chopsticks on the table with his little hand and counted: "There are four bowls in total."
The number of bowls and chopsticks indicates how many people are eating together tonight.
Song Xinran nodded.
Song Yu hesitated for a moment, then withdrew her hand, saying somewhat reluctantly, "Then I'll wait for Aunt Chen and my aunt to come back so we can eat together."
He was taught from a young age that children should not eat alone and should wait until all the adults and elders are at the table before they can start eating. Although Cai Yang never did this well when he was at his aunt's house, Song Yu always strictly followed this rule and therefore received a lot of praise.
Song Xinran watched as he reluctantly looked away from the strawberries, placed his hands at his sides, and tried hard to restrain himself. She then gently stroked his hair with pity: "It's okay, Xiao Yu can try some first. This is fruit that Mom specially prepared for Xiao Yu."
Song Yu was clearly tempted; her eyes lit up, and she asked softly, though somewhat uncertainly, "Did Mom prepare this especially for me?"
Song Xinran nodded and said very seriously, "Yes, it's okay to eat a little more now. There's still some at home, we can wash it and eat more."
It was only after these words that Song Yu reached out his little hand towards the strawberry. He was extremely careful, as if he were handling some fragile treasure, because when the teacher taught them about fruits, he said that strawberries are very delicate and can be crushed with the slightest force.
He picked it up gently. The surface of the strawberry was not smooth, and it had seeds like sesame seeds on it, but the skin felt very thin, which was very different from other fruits he had eaten, such as oranges, apples, and bananas.
Carefully hold it up to your face, and you can almost smell the sweet aroma of fruit; it's a very special fragrance.
But Song Yu didn't immediately put it in her own mouth. Instead, she stood on tiptoe and handed it to Song Xinran, saying expectantly, "Mom, you can have some too."
Looking into his wet eyes, Song Xinran's heart softened instantly, and a slight sourness welled up inside her. Song Yu clearly regarded the strawberries as precious treasures, wanting to share them with her before eating them himself.
However, in her previous life, this was just a slightly more expensive fruit, far from being so precious that it required mutual courtesy.
But seeing the little one's expectant eyes, Song Xinran couldn't bear to refuse. She took it and popped it into her mouth, her lips curving into a smile: "It's very sweet."
Song Yu immediately smiled, her eyes crinkling, and this time she picked up another one and finally put it in her mouth.
This box of strawberries looks exactly like strawberries, tastes like strawberries, and is uniformly sized without any odd shapes.
As soon as Song Yu bit into it, the sweet juice gushed out, and the flesh was soft and delicate, making it very smooth to eat.
Song Yu's eyes lit up. This was a taste he had never experienced before. Although he had tried strawberry-flavored candy before, strawberry-flavored things tasted completely different from strawberries.
He finished eating a strawberry and said in a soft voice, "Mom, strawberries are so delicious."
Song Xinran remained silent and directly picked up the second strawberry and fed it to his mouth.
He was a little embarrassed because he felt that he was already a big kid and didn't need adults to feed him. He reached out and took the strawberry himself, biting off the tip and savoring it slowly. His little face showed happiness.
Song Xinran fed him four or five pills in a row, and Song Yu's face turned slightly red: "Mom, I don't want any more."
He looked up at the white porcelain plate on the table. Since he had eaten quite a bit, a small portion of it was now empty, which looked a little strange. "Mom, let's put the rest of the strawberries back on."
Song Xinran went into the kitchen, took out the strawberry box, opened it, and found a strawberry lying in each of the small compartments, with half of it still left.
Song Xinran said, "Xiao Yu, you can wash them. After washing them, just put them on a plate. Take them if you want to eat them."
Song Yu nodded: "Okay, Mom!"
He answered very seriously, and he always did his best to complete the tasks his mother asked him to do.
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Then Xiao Yu will wash the fruit, and Mom will cook the rest of the dishes."
Song Yu nodded and agreed.
Song Yu gets out of school at five o'clock, while students at No. 3 Middle School get out twenty minutes later. Song Xinran prepared the cooking ingredients at home in advance and cooked crucian carp and tofu soup, keeping it warm in the pot.
But soup can be kept warm, while dishes will get cold and change in taste if they are cooked too far in advance. So she calculated the time when Song Xinwen and the others would return and cooked the dishes in advance so that they could eat them hot when they returned.
Song Yu also took the box of strawberries to the kitchen, gently took out a few strawberries, and washed them very carefully in a basin of water. He even tried to pick off the strawberry seeds, but he soon realized that it was futile and accepted the fact that the strawberry seeds were part of the strawberry and could not be washed off.
Even while washing the strawberries, Song Yu could smell their sweet, natural aroma, which filled her with a deep sense of happiness.
That's great! The teacher just taught them about strawberries, and he's already seeing, touching, and eating them. He'd never even heard of strawberries before when he was at his aunt's house. I wonder if little Yang has ever heard of them. But when we eat later, his aunt will definitely bring two strawberries home for him. Because when his aunt goes to the market or a banquet, she always brings things home for Cai Yang. It always seems like his aunt has some kind of treasure in her coat pocket.
He slightly raised his eyes and glanced at his mother. His mother's clothes also had pockets, but the treasures she brought him weren't kept in those pockets; instead, they were scattered throughout the house, like the drawing pens she bought for him and the strawberries she specially prepared for him...
When Song Xinwen and Chen Jingfang returned, Song Xinran had just lifted the pot lid and scooped the braised crucian carp into a large basin. Ten crucian carp would have to be placed in the largest basin in the house.
Next, sprinkle a handful of finely chopped scallions into the bright red broth in the pot. The refreshing and spicy aroma of the scallions and the fresh spiciness of the broth immediately create an enticing fragrance, instantly enveloping the entire kitchen in a delicious aroma that continues to spread outwards.
Standing at the door, Song Xinwen and Chen Jingfang smelled it immediately. Having just dealt with hungry primary and secondary school students and gone through a busy hour of business like a battle, the two of them were still feeling a bit tired. But as soon as they smelled the aroma, they felt refreshed and their fatigue seemed to disappear, replaced by a surge of hunger.
Song Xinwen rushed into the kitchen and just saw Song Xinran pouring broth with scallions over the braised crucian carp. The crucian carp was fried perfectly, with slightly charred skin and amber color. As soon as the bright green scallion broth was poured over it, the crucian carp was immediately submerged in the broth, and covered with a layer of chopped scallions. It was clear at a glance that it was very flavorful.
This was the first time Song Xinwen had ever seen crucian carp cooked this way. Crucian carp is a common fish in their area; it's inexpensive and nutritious. However, the usual home cooking method is to fry it and then simmer it, adding some homemade pickled vegetables, such as pickled ginger and pickled chili peppers. Scallions are just for seasoning, so adding so many is putting the cart before the horse, and scallions aren't cheap at this time of year.
"Xinran, what kind of crucian carp did you make?"
Song Xinran turned and glanced at her: "Scallion crucian carp tastes best when there are lots of scallions. You can also use the scallions to mix with rice."
Judging from the color and appearance of the dish, Song Xinwen knew it couldn't be wrong. Her mouth involuntarily watered, and she swallowed it, saying, "I'll take it out!"
Chen Jingfang also went into the kitchen, ladled out the cooked crucian carp and tofu soup and put it on the table. The fish soup was milky white, and a corner of the tofu was exposed. It was as tender and white as jade. It smelled of no fishy smell at all, but rather a rich and fresh aroma.
Mapo tofu should be prepared before scallion crucian carp. As the saying goes, "haste makes waste," because tofu is very hot when cooked, especially tofu like Mapo tofu, which needs to be soaked in the oily broth. You can easily burn your mouth if you're not careful. It's better to make it first and let it cool down a bit before eating.
When it was served, the oil in the bowl swayed gently, and the tender tofu was covered with specks of minced meat. The whole dish exuded a strong spicy and smoky flavor.
Just looking at the table makes it look incredibly appetizing. Chen Jingfang said, "It's just a regular home-cooked meal, Xinran, you've prepared way too much!"
Song Xinran said, "There's no need for too much. Crucian carp is the main dish. If you want to eat it with rice, you can eat tofu. If you want to drink soup, you can have soup. Two dishes and a soup are just right."
If she had a leisurely and relaxed life every day, Song Xinran would like to cook two dishes and a soup for every meal, with one meat dish and one vegetable dish, so that the diet would be more harmonious.
However, times have changed. In rural areas, every household can afford to eat vegetables. During the harvest season, there are more vegetables in the fields than can be eaten. Meat is more precious and expensive.
Therefore, Song Xinran also added some minced meat to Mapo Tofu to enhance the meaty flavor of the dish.
After all the dishes were served, Song Xinran lifted the dust cover that was covering the strawberries, and Song Xinwen and Chen Jingfang finally saw the plate of red strawberries.
Chen Jingfang exclaimed in surprise, "How come there are strawberries?" This is a rare find!
This was the first time Song Xinwen had encountered the concept of strawberries, and he was somewhat bewildered: "What is this?"
Chen Jingfang said, "This is a kind of fruit, it's very expensive and not easy to buy. It's not even common in Yongyan City. You can only find it in big stores. I saw it at my relatives' house before..."
The relative Chen Jingfang mentioned was the wealthiest relative on her husband's side, but they hadn't been in contact since, as the difference between them was too great and they were from completely different worlds.
Song Xinwen was also extremely surprised and couldn't help but take a few more glances at the plate of strawberries: "Is this stuff that rare?"
Chen Jingfang said yes.
Lingde Town is located in a relatively remote area with inconvenient transportation. The town mainly trades locally produced or durable agricultural products. Items like strawberries, which are subject to great damage during transportation, are simply not sold. Even if they are sold, the price is very high, and most families simply cannot afford them.
Song Yu picked up the plate with both hands and handed it to Song Xinwen and Chen Jingfang: "Auntie and Aunt Song, eat some strawberries, they're delicious."
Song Xinwen chuckled and joked, "Did Xiao Yu know it was delicious because he ate it beforehand?"
Song Yu blushed slightly and didn't dare to speak.
The two of them each took one. They couldn't take too many of these precious things. But after tasting them, they didn't know if it was because the taste was really good or because of the psychological effect of the strawberries being so highly praised, but they felt that they were not the same as other fruits that could be bought. They seemed to be much more high-end than others.
After eating one, the two of them decided not to try any more and started eating the side dishes.
Drinking half a bowl of crucian carp soup before meals is an appetizer; it tastes extremely fresh and is very refreshing.
The main event is now the crucian carp with scallions. First, pick up a whole crucian carp and put it on your plate. Because the crucian carp is quite large, it can't stretch out in a bowl, so it's obviously more suitable to eat it on a plate.
The moment it was picked up, it released a fragrant, spicy, and savory aroma. Using chopsticks, I simply parted the scallions and seasonings on top, revealing the crucian carp with many cuts evenly distributed across its body, exposing the tender fish meat. I picked up a full mouthful with my chopsticks, put it in my mouth, and chewed. The fish meat absorbed the broth, not fishy at all, but fresh, spicy, and with a slightly sweet aftertaste. This is the season when crucian carp is at its most delicious.
Crucian carp is delicious, but its only drawback is that it has too many bones. If you're not careful, you can get a bone stuck in your throat, which is very uncomfortable and ruins your appetite. But this dish of crucian carp with scallions is obviously different. There are far fewer bones than when they usually make it at home.
Song Xinwen found it incredible as he ate it: "Xinran, where did you buy this fish? It seems to have fewer bones. Is it a different breed?"
Song Xinran laughed: "Sister, it's not a problem with the type of fish. I just removed some of the bones when I was cutting it."
Upon hearing this, Song Xinwen exclaimed in admiration, "No wonder there are so few fish bones!"
Turning to Song Yu, he said, "Xiao Yu, eat more. It's better to give children less fish bones than fish bones."
Then she thought of something else: "Cai Yang likes to eat crucian carp, but he always wolfs it down like he hasn't eaten for days, and he always gets choked. Xinran, how do you cut and clean it? I want to learn so I can feel more at ease cooking it at home in the future."
Song Xinran laughed and joked, "Sister, why don't you buy some crucian carp another day? I'll teach you how to cook them. Don't forget to invite me to eat with you then."
"Of course I'll call you!" Song Xinwen said seriously. "You've taught me your secret technique."
Watching this scene, Chen Jingfang couldn't help but feel a little envious. She also had several siblings, but her sisters got married and her brothers got married. Only the brothers in the countryside still lived relatively close to each other, while the sisters were scattered far away. Their feelings had faded, and there were some disagreements between them. No family had a relationship as good as Song Xinran and Song Xinwen.
However, she got along well with her family, and Chen Jingfang didn't want to go that far. Right now, it was time to enjoy her meal. This scallion crucian carp was really good. After finishing the crucian carp, she scooped a bowl of white rice, then poured a spoonful of crucian carp broth over the rice. Each grain of rice was immediately coated with a layer of broth, topped with blanched scallions. She picked up the bowl and scooped out a mouthful of rice. The rice was distinct, the broth was spicy and flavorful, and the scallions were refreshing. The taste was simply amazing!
Three crucian carp are just right for an adult, but one crucian carp isn't enough for Song Yu. He has a good appetite today, even though he ate several strawberries before the meal.
Song Xinran gave him one of her crucian carp, placing it on the plate in front of Song Yu. Song Yu was unaware that the crucian carp was rationed and ate it with great enjoyment.
He especially loves the fish roe inside, which is braised until golden brown, has no bones at all, and tastes particularly good.
Finally, he imitated the adults and ate a couple of bites of rice soaked in soup, even though he was already full.
After finishing her meal, Song Xinwen had to go back. Shiyan Village was quite far from Lingde Town, unlike Chen Jingfang who could walk home in ten minutes if she walked fast. She still had to take a motorcycle back.
Song Xinwen's heart was bleeding when she paid the fare. Although Song Xinran had paid her for helping out in town, it still cost ten yuan a day to ride the motorcycle back and forth. Ten yuan was not a small amount; it could buy two jin of meat. However, the weather was cold and it got dark early, so it wasn't safe to go back in the dark.
Song Xinran said, "Sister, why don't you sleep at my house tonight? There's an empty bed available."
Song Xinwen: "No need to trouble yourself. It's not far to go back. When the weather gets warmer, I'll just walk back. It only takes about an hour."
She carried the bag in her hand, still a little embarrassed: "Xinran, I'll take these strawberries back for Cai Yang to try."
During the meal, Song Xinran noticed that her gaze lingered on the strawberries several times and guessed what she was thinking. Most women in this era think this way: after getting married and having children, their children become the top priority in their lives.
Song Xinran still had more than half of the strawberries left at home. Since such delicate fruit was not convenient to leave overnight, she gave a few to Song Xinwen and Chen Jingfang to take back.
Seeing that Song Xinwen insisted, Song Xinran didn't press her further and watched her get on the motorcycle and leave.
She was thinking to herself that she would need to hire new employees when the shop opened. Two people were enough for a stall, but the shop would need at least three: one person to cook in the kitchen, one person to handle accounting, collecting money and greeting customers, and one person to handle miscellaneous tasks such as serving dishes.
This is roughly the model for larger shops in town. Most shops in town are run by husband and wife, and if business is good, they will hire an assistant.
However, there are some things to consider when hiring someone. If the house is too far from town, the bus fare is expensive, and it's not safe to walk a long way in the dark. Moreover, the shop can't provide accommodation. Song Xinran already had a plan in mind: after the renovation is finished, Song Xinwen can stay in the attic on the second floor temporarily. She can go home if she wants, and stay upstairs if she doesn't want to go home.
In any case, the attic was just a fallback for Song Xinran; she was much more comfortable living in a rented apartment now.
Besides not being able to live too far from town, she also needed someone with a good heart. The person she was looking for had to be a chef in a mala tang restaurant. If someone had character issues, it would greatly damage the business. In addition, she had to be careful in her selection, as the chef profession requires a lot of talent and hard work.
The food made by Chen Jingfang and Song Xinwen can only be described as home-style cooking, which is fine for their own consumption, but it's not quite good enough to open a shop and sell as a product.
Song Xinran knew her sister well; she had taught Song Xinwen how to cook, but the taste was still lacking. Chen Jingfang was the same.
A name suddenly popped into her mind, and she decided to ask Song Xinwen what Ge Xia from the same village was doing when she arrived the next day.
The shop's renovation is being improved day by day, and the purchase of refrigerated display cases needs to be arranged in advance, as these can only be sold in the city.
In the past, when Song Xinran went to the city, she would usually take a day off. But now she can't rest. She still has a thousand yuan debt to Song Xinwen, and the shop renovation is like a money-devouring beast, requiring her to keep throwing money into it. Taking a day off means losing a day's earnings.
Fortunately, oden is not a complicated dish. Just prepare the broth and have Chen Jingfang cook the ingredients. Calculate the cooking time for each item and follow the time strictly.
After carefully planning her schedule for the next few days, Song Xinran turned to go home, and Song Yu said, "Mom, let's go for a walk."
He patted his stomach: "I'm a little too full. Mom's scallion fish was so delicious."
Song Xinran smiled and agreed.
Song Yu held her hand and walked slowly, whispering to her, "Mom, when I'm not full anymore, let's go home and eat the strawberries."
Song Xinran was secretly pleased. So that was what Song Yu was planning. He took a walk to digest his food and then went home to eat more. It was clear that he loved strawberries.
She said, "If Xiao Yu is full, she shouldn't eat anymore, or her stomach will hurt."
Song Yu said, "But strawberries are very precious."
Song Xinran said gently, "The most precious one is Xiao Yu. When Xiao Yu grows up a bit, he can eat as many strawberries as he wants."
She doesn't plan to stay in the town forever. Once she has enough money, she will go to the city or the city center, to a bigger city where transportation is convenient and the economy is developed, and buying strawberries won't be difficult.
Song Yu blinked, pursed her lips, and smiled quietly: "Mom is precious too."
No one had ever said this to him before, but now he knew that he was also a treasure in his mother's heart, just like Cai Yang was in his aunt's heart.
The two strolled around leisurely and unknowingly wandered to the Hao You Lai Restaurant. There were two or three tables of customers eating inside. Since Song Xinran was already there, she went in to say hello.
As soon as Lin Hexiang entered, she saw her and strode out of the kitchen with a big smile: "What brings you here today? How's business lately? How's the renovation going? Lei Hong and I were just saying we'd come over for a big meal when you open!"
Song Xinran answered them one by one, and added, "Thanks to the renovation team that you introduced to me, Sister Xiang, the workers said that General Manager Zhang specifically instructed them to do the work, and when I went to check, the work was done very well."
Lin Hexiang said, "That's good. We can open for business as soon as the renovations are finished!"
Lei Hong finished cooking the dishes and brought the steaming food to a table where guests were eating. Seeing Song Xinran, he smiled and sat down next to Lin Hexiang: "Little sister, I was just saying I was going to come see you these next few days, but I didn't expect you to come by yourself!"
Lei Hong lowered his voice and said, "I'm planning to add a dish to the menu called Braised Crucian Carp with Patchouli. I've been trying to make it these past few days. I was thinking of asking you for advice, but now that you're here, we don't have to make an extra trip."
Lin Hexiang said, "Xinran is very busy these days, so don't bother her."
Song Xinran said, "No disturbance. I just made scallion crucian carp today, so I have some experience in cooking fish. The most important thing about scallion crucian carp is to remove the fishy smell and shape it. The pickled peppers and ginger must be stir-fried to bring out their complex aroma. Also, the timing of adding the scallion is crucial. If you master these three points, the taste will be pretty good. Brother Lei is an experienced chef, so I believe the taste will be very appealing."
Lei Hong, however, became interested in another dish she mentioned: "Xinran, how do you make the scallion-filled crucian carp you mentioned?"
Song Xinran then briefly explained how to make the scallion crucian carp, which is basically a home-style stew. The special feature is the way the crucian carp is cut to reduce the number of bones. In addition, there are plenty of scallions, which can be used for seasoning or as a side dish to mix with rice.
Upon hearing this, Lei Hong immediately said, "This scallion crucian carp is more suitable. Nowadays, when people eat in restaurants, they pay the most attention to the taste and how well it goes with rice. It's more suitable than the mint crucian carp."
Then she asked Song Xinran for more details about the specific preparation method. Lin Hexiang wanted to shake her head when she saw this. Their restaurant was already updating its menu relatively quickly. Many restaurants in the town only knew how to make the same few dishes and never thought of trying anything new.
They updated their garlic pork belly recipe a few months ago, and now Lei Hong is thinking of a new dish. He's not just daydreaming; he's determined to do it well. Every time he comes up with a new dish, it takes a lot of time and effort.
Lin Hexiang didn't know who had provoked him. He had clearly said before, "Let's take it slow and not overwork ourselves. Health is the most important thing."
As Song Xinran was talking to Lei Hong, an old woman outside called out, "Hongzi, your phone!"
Lei Hong glanced at the time, guessed what it was about, and his face lit up with joy. He rushed out, shouting, "Don't hang up, I'm coming right away!"
As soon as Lei Hong left, Lin Hexiang said, "That's just how he is—quick and decisive in everything he does."
Song Xinran said, "This is the spirit of Brother Lei—a person who is energetic, efficient, and capable of accomplishing great things."
Lin Hexiang's lips curled into a grin: "It's probably Zhou Zhengming's call. He's been calling me the most these past few days, talking for over ten minutes at a time at home. My phone bill is going to be much higher this month!"
Song Xinran heard a familiar name. Wasn't Zhou Zhengming the one who introduced her to Lei Hong? He worked at a big restaurant in the city.
Lei Hong returned shortly after leaving, almost running back. As soon as he entered the restaurant, he plopped down opposite Song Xinran, his face beaming with joy: "Xinran, Zhou Zhengming just called me and said that a restaurant in the city has gone out of business and they're selling everything inside, including a refrigerated display case! You should hurry up and go check it out when you have some free time, and try to snag a bargain!"
Song Xinran was slightly stunned, unable to believe that such a good thing could happen.
Suddenly, I remembered what Lin Hexiang had said earlier: Lei Hong had been calling Zhou Zhengming a lot lately, probably because of her.
Song Xinran couldn't hide her joy: "Brother Lei, this news is like a godsend! I was planning to go to the city today to see if there were any second-hand refrigerators for sale. I was so worried that I couldn't sleep at night. You've brought me a lifesaver right here."
"I just heard from Sister Xiang that you and Manager Zhou have been in close contact lately, all because of me. I really don't know how to thank you enough!"
If a restaurant is going out of business, you can not only pick up cheap refrigerated display cases, but also tables, chairs, benches, stainless steel kitchen racks, and other items. The things used in big restaurants are definitely not bad, and the things sold off when they go out of business will be cheaper than in the second-hand market.
She's short of money right now, so this really helped her a lot.
What moved Song Xinran even more was that Lei Hong must have noticed this for her long ago, which is why he contacted Zhou Zhengming in advance and was able to learn about this news so coincidentally.
Lei Hong's face was full of hearty smiles as he waved his hand and said, "No need for thanks. It's only right that Zhou Zhengming helped you find out some information. If it weren't for your idea of that special restaurant, Xiangmanyuan wouldn't be doing so well now. You have to book two or three months in advance to hold a banquet there!"
Lei Hong knew everything about Song Xinran's purchase of the shop and understood her difficulties. He wanted to help her look for second-hand refrigerated display cases, which were a rarity in the town and certainly not available there. He then thought of Zhou Zhengming.
In retrospect, it was thanks to Zhou Zhengming's phone call that he asked him to look after Song Xinran; otherwise, they wouldn't have met.
However, using the word "take care of" is inappropriate, as Song Xinran actually helped him a lot in cooking.
When Zhou Zhengming called, he was quite puzzled: "You two are so close now? You even asked me to help her open a shop."
Finding connections is not a simple matter. Once you find someone, you have to do them a favor, and favors naturally need to be repaid.
Zhou Zhengming knew Lei Hong well; he rarely sought out people for his own sake, yet now he was doing so for another friend. They had only known each other for a few months, but Zhou Zhengming felt that their friendship was deeper than his own decades-long one.
Lei Hong said, "Wasn't this all because of you? You said someone had helped you a lot and told me to keep an eye out for them. Now that they need help, it's only right that you lend a hand!"
Zhou Zhengming laughed: "Yes, we owe a lot to Song Xinran back then!"
Zhou Zhengming briefly explained to Lei Hong the current situation of Xiangmanyuan Restaurant, which was almost like a comeback. There was another restaurant in the city that wanted to imitate this style, and the owner of that restaurant had even privately approached Zhou Zhengming, offering him a high salary to poach him.
However, Zhou Zhengming refused. He knew that this kind of approach was just for the sake of novelty, and that if he were to start a second company, the results would definitely not be as good. He was doing well at Xiangmanyuan and did not want to switch jobs.
After saying that, Zhou Zhengming agreed: "Then I'll keep an eye on it. I see there's a restaurant in the north of the city that's probably going out of business. I'll contact you when it goes under."
Lei Hong didn't expect such a coincidence. After that, he would call Zhou Zhengming from time to time, firstly to ask about his recent life, and secondly to inquire whether the restaurant in the north of the city had gone out of business.
After waiting for so many days, it finally collapsed.
Strictly speaking, Lei Hong also felt that he hadn't helped much; it was mainly due to the goodwill that Song Xinran had cultivated.
Song Xinran smiled broadly: "Thank you, Brother Lei. I'll go to the city tomorrow!"
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