473 Old Man Du, who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside

I have to say that Fu Yuanhang is a good helper and can help Su Taotao do a lot of things.

Su Taotao has taken him out to work many times over the years.

A job like this might take Su Taotao a whole day to complete alone, but with Fu Yuanhang, it can be shortened to two or three hours.

Better than the top assistant Xiao Lu.

"Ah Hang, when the time comes, hang a painting here, here, and here. You can paint anything you want, as long as it matches the style of this place."

Fu Yuanhang listened and took notes, trying not to miss any details.

"Sister-in-law, I think the four private rooms can be set with different themes, such as listening to the rain in spring, the sun in midsummer, the dream of autumn, red plums covered with snow... all are fine."

Su Taotao nodded with satisfaction, "It's up to you. I believe in your aesthetics."

When we got to the gate, Su Taotao said:

"We can hang some straw, sickles, bamboo strips, wheat ears, anything here, as long as it looks down-to-earth. We can also make the gate look a bit old-fashioned and replace the lock with a rusty one, just like the gates in the countryside."

Fu Yuanhang rarely questioned Su Taotao's words, but now he couldn't help wondering: "Elegant inside, but vulgar outside?"

Su Taotao nodded: "The greater the contrast with the inside, the greater the surprise when the guests open the door. We want that feeling of being in a different world."

Fu Yuanhang: "I understand, sister-in-law. Actually, we can build a fake door here, cover it with yellow mud and straw, and hang a few strings of chili peppers and dried vegetables on both sides to give people the feeling of a thatched cottage."

Su Taotao snapped her fingers and said, "That's a good idea. Let's do it. When we get back, I'll ask Xiao Zhang to help find a few craftsmen so it can be finished before school starts."

Fu Yuanhang: "Sister-in-law, we all have to go to school. Mom can come to collect the money, but where can we find people to serve in the kitchen?"

Su Taotao: "I plan to ask Grandpa Hu to find a few retired soldiers from the kitchen team who need jobs to work there."

Fu Yuanhang was concerned: "We don't have a system, and we can't even open the door to do business openly. Will they be willing to come?"

Su Taotao: "Ah Hang, believe me, we will be able to apply for a business license this year at the earliest, or next year at the latest, and then we can open the door to do business.

If they are unwilling to come, we will consider inviting someone else.

In the past two years, many educated youth have returned to the city. Not everyone has a job, but we can always find the right person.”

Su Taotao had no plan to expand and become strong right from the start. The house was hers and she had no operating costs. It wouldn't be a big problem to resume business once she was able to recruit publicly.

Fu Yuanhang wrote them down one by one. He knew Su Taotao's hiring habits, and would give priority to veterans and disadvantaged groups.

After they finished their work here, they planned to find a fly restaurant to have lunch before going back. When they closed the front door, the door next to it creaked open at the same time.

"Hello, Grandpa Du."

"Hello, Mr. Du."

Old Man Du, smoking a cigarette, glanced at them and asked, "Have you had lunch?"

Su Taotao and Fu Yuanhang shook their heads at the same time: "Not yet."

Old Man Du closed the door and said, "Let's go. Please treat me to dinner."

Su Taotao and Fu Yuanhang: "…………"

"We are not familiar with this place. Do you have any restaurant recommendations?"

Old Man Du: "I didn't count on you. You eat less salt than I eat rice. Can you eat the food you bring me?"

Su Taotao and Fu Yuanhang: "…………"

You have a sharp tongue and we can't argue with you. Everything you say is right.

Su Taotao and Fu Yuanhang followed Old Man Du through many twists and turns and finally arrived in front of an inconspicuous bungalow.

I watched as Old Man Du took out the key from the dog hole and opened the door with ease.

The people inside were not surprised to see him: "The old man is here? Hey, you brought your kids with you? What do you want to eat today? The old three things?"

Old Man Du replied casually, "Three of the old things, three copies, plus a dish of Chinese cabbage with vinegar."

The waiter smiled and nodded: "Okay, please find a place to sit and I will serve you the food in a moment."

Old Man Du turned around and looked at Fu Yuanhang, then handed him the key:

"Do you have any good eyesight? Put this back and close the door."

Fu Yuanhang, who had no eyesight: "…………" He silently took the key and put it back in the dog hole, then closed the door.

It was probably past dinner time, and the first round of diners had finished their meal and left. There were actually two empty tables in this small restaurant that usually only has five or six tables.

Su Taotao had no idea that Old Man Du, who was familiar with the place, came at the right time on purpose.

Old Man Du led them to one of the tables and sat down, then began to instruct Fu Yuanhang:

"See that kettle? Go and get three bowls of hot tea."

Fu Yuanhang stood up to pour tea.

Old Man Du crossed his legs, tapped the table, and asked Su Taotao: "Do you want to open a restaurant like this?"

Su Taotao: "Yes and no, it is a restaurant, but its positioning is more elegant than this one, and the price is higher than this one, so it is probably not a popular snack like this."

"Common people's snacks?" Old Man Du sneered, "Huaqing University students are so great? They are not common people?

It is flashy but not practical, it is flattering and popular, good wine needs no bush, don’t underestimate this place, it is a place where you can make a fortune quietly.”

Su Taotao: “…” Just say what you want to say, why do you include personal attacks?

"I am an ordinary person, but why can't I cook expensive food?"

Su Taotao nodded her head and said, "I have so many recipes here that I can't even count them all. I don't have to cook the same as everyone else and only cater to the tastes of the people in the capital."

Old man Du still looked disdainful.

Su Taotao knew that Old Man Du actually had good intentions, but he condescended to bring them here because he was worried that she would get into trouble.

Fu Yuanhang brought the tea over and everyone drank half a bowl of it while it was hot.

Don’t mention it, even though it’s a small restaurant, the tea they serve is not shoddy at all and you can tell it’s good tea.

While we were drinking tea, another old customer came in with his key:

"Hey, there are still so many people here?"

The clever young man who had just received Su Taotao and the others came forward again:

"Uncle, why are there so many people here today? There's only one table. I'll add a few stools for you guys to squeeze in."

The group walked towards the only empty table: "This is the only way."

After a while, another person came in.

The young man went forward again: "Brother, there is no room today."

The visitor waved his hands and said, "It's okay. I brought a lunch box and will take it home to eat."

Just like that, less than ten minutes after Su Taotao and her friends sat down, several waves of people came in one after another, either to take away their food or to eat while standing.

Not a single person chose to eat somewhere else because there were no seats available.

Old Man Du knocked on the table and said, "See? There are so many customers. We just happened to come in at a coincidence, otherwise we wouldn't have a place to sit.

Don't underestimate this place. I dare say there is no more authentic restaurant than this one within a ten-mile radius."

Su Taotao smiled and said, "Have you tried the No. 1 Noodle House in Beijing? How does it compare to his?"

Old Man Du: "Which one in xx alley?"

Su Taotao nodded: "Yes, that's the one."

Old Man Du: "They only have three tricks. The fried bean paste noodles are of a decent standard. The rest are just average. But the boss is a nice guy and can retain many customers."

Su Taotao: "So, you've been to all the restaurants within a ten-mile radius?"

"Tsk!" Old Man Du started to speak in a weird tone again, "Who are you looking down on? I have eaten at all the famous restaurants in the capital."

Su Taotao clasped her fists and said, "So you are a gourmet. I am so sorry for your disrespect.

By the way, this restaurant is doing so well, the food must be good. Sir, what kind of food is served here?"

After Su Taotao finished speaking, before Old Man Du could answer, something came up.

Old Man Du knew that Su Taotao was from the south, so he introduced her to the city in a good-tempered manner:

"Stir-fried liver, fried tripe, sesame pancakes. I only ordered cabbage today because you came. I don't eat grass on weekdays."

Su Taotao: “…………” Thank you, old man.

The portions are not large, but they are made very delicately, and are all individual portions.

Old man Du picked up the fried liver in front of him, put his mouth to it, moved it in a small circle along the edge of the bowl, took a big sip, then picked up the steamed bun, took a bite, and drank another sip of the fried liver, repeating the cycle.

After finishing the whole pancake, add a little vinegar to the remaining half bowl of fried liver, and then eat it as before.

After he finished the whole bowl of fried liver, he picked up the small portion of fried tripe, poured it with Erba Sauce, and ate it like noodles, finishing it in just three or two bites.

When the old man put down the small plate with satisfaction, he saw that Su Taotao and Fu Yuanhang had not yet picked up their chopsticks, so he frowned and said:

"Eat! Will you be full just by watching me eat? In this weather, the fried liver smells fishy when it gets cold. Eat it while it's hot."

Su Taotao smiled and said, "I'm from the countryside, I've never tasted this before, I'm waiting for you to show me how to do it."

Su Taotao and Fu Yuanhang are actually not interested in this sticky food.

Since I had already ordered it, I had no choice but to eat a bite of the fried liver. How do I describe the taste? Let’s not talk about the taste first, let’s talk about the texture. They never make such sticky, neither soup nor soupy food, I’m not used to it.

As for the taste, it is a local snack after all, so just try it. Even if you don’t like it, you should respect the local food culture.

Su Taotao swallowed it with great difficulty and dared not take a second bite.

They are used to eating stir-fried tripe and steamed cakes. The pickled cabbage is also delicious, cooked to perfection and with the right flavor, and you can tell the chef's skills.

It was that bowl of fried liver. They took one bite and refused to touch it. However, wasting food is shameful at any time, let alone in this day and age.

Fu Yuanhang looked ready to die: "Sister-in-law, give it to me, I'll help you eat it."

The tastes of his family members are similar. If he doesn't like something, his sister-in-law will like it even less.

Old man Du over there sneered again and moved the fried liver in front of Fu Yuanhang to himself:

"You don't know how to appreciate it. I haven't even ordered any soy milk or salted food yet, and you don't even understand the tastes of people in the capital. How can you open a restaurant in the capital? I'll kill you!"

Old Man Du helped Fu Yuanhang eat the fried liver, and Fu Yuanhang helped Su Taotao eat it, and they finally managed to eat them up.

After finishing his meal, Fu Yuanhang quickly picked up the teacup and gulped down the tea to suppress the strange taste and texture.

How could Su Taotao not understand? The hard-mouthed but soft-hearted old man was just kind-hearted. He took them to experience the authentic food culture of the capital so that she could learn from her mistakes and consider whether she was qualified to open a restaurant in the capital. Don't overestimate your own abilities and waste money.

There were people standing by waiting for a seat, so Su Taotao and Old Man Du went out first and asked Fu Yuanhang to settle the bill.

Su Taotao actually let a half-grown child pay the bill?

This action made Old Man Du unable to help but look at Su Taotao a few more times.

Su Taotao smiled and said, "Don't underestimate our Ah Hang. He has been in charge of our family's accounts since he was young. He is the housekeeper of our family."

Old Man Du snorted coldly: "If you want to use child labor, just say it clearly, why do you have to put it in such a nice way?"

"Yes, yes, I use child labor." Su Taotao found it funny. This weird old man said one thing but meant another. On one hand, he criticized Fu Yuanhang, but on the other hand, he felt sorry for him.

The strange old man walked to the side to avoid the wind, lit his pipe, and said something else:

"You have to run a small business like this to make money. Don't try those fancy things or you'll lose your house."

Su Taotao teased him: "Grandpa, have you forgotten that you have sold the house to me? It has nothing to do with you if I lose the house."

Old Man Du snorted again: "Then I don't want my house to fall into the hands of some messy and scumbag. Do you think my house can be bought by just anyone? If I didn't see you... cough cough cough...

Okay, that's all I have to say. You've seen how they run their shop. Even if you lose your pants, you still have to provide me with three meals a day!"

Old Man Du exhaled a puff of smoke: "When you hire a chef, don't make food that's too bad to affect my appetite. If you really can't find one, I'll recommend one to you. Don't just hire any chef into the store."

Su Taotao blinked her eyes. What a hypocritical old man, who was hard on the outside but soft on the inside.

"I originally planned to find two retired soldiers from the kitchen team. I have a lot of good recipes. As long as they can cook and have some cooking skills, I will teach them a few times and the food will generally not be bad."

Old Man Du looked at Su Taotao again and said, "The cook in the kitchen?"

Su Taotao: "I do have this plan. If I can't find one, I'll use the person you introduced. Do you think it's okay?"

Old Man Du said: "Although the person I know is not a retired soldier from the kitchen team, he is honest and reliable. He joined the team in the same place as me and just returned to the city not long ago.

If you let him work in your store, he can live with me and I will take care of him if anything goes wrong."

This old man is really kind-hearted. Not only did he find a chef for the store, he also found a chef who suits his taste for himself. It really is killing two birds with one stone.

However, if this man can conquer Old Man Du's picky tongue, Su Taotao really can't find any fault with him.

"Of course you can. I'm not just hiring one person. I'll try out his cooking skills sometime. When you're working with a team, you have to prioritize the top chef and the second chef."

Old Man Du nodded: "That's right, then why not choose a day? Tonight?"

Su Taotao: “…” There’s no need to be so anxious.

"Don't worry, let's do it this Sunday. I'll bring my family over to get familiar with the place and buy some groceries. You just wait at home."

Old Man Du naturally wouldn't be polite to Su Taotao, and nodded: "Okay."

…