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Chapter 71
"There is no box left?"
Jiang Ci couldn't believe it, and leaned over to check the reservation record, and found that the box was fully booked.
He Mingcan explained: "We only have three rooms in total, and we can only receive three tables a day. I don't know how many people are interested in us after watching "Delicious Variations" recently. In addition to regular customers, those who can be bookedIt's the lucky one."
The guests have already reserved boxes, so naturally they cannot be refunded.Jiang Ci struggled for a while, so she had to come up with a compromise, call back, and ask Zhao Sulan and her friends to pick a good place, and she will cook a banquet in person.
She wanted Zhao Sulan to be happy, but Zhao Sulan didn't want to bother her granddaughter so much, she refused repeatedly.A day later, Qi Yan said that there was something urgent and canceled a reservation, and Jiang Ci happily told Zhao Sulan that the box was vacant.
It wasn't until He Mingcan leaked the truth that Jiang Ci knew that Qi Yan had heard about Zhao Sulan's situation.She lowered her eyes and thought for a while, then couldn't help smiling.
...
On Saturday evening, Zhao Sulan wore a plain cheongsam for the first time, and simply cleaned it up.
When they walked to the gate of the community, the sisters of the choir had gathered together and waited. After seeing her, they joked:
"Old Zhao, dressed like this? It's rare!"
"Are you so happy to seduce your granddaughter with us?"
Zhao Sulan usually has a plain and simple image. In fact, she is now among a group of gorgeous old ladies. She may not be noticed by others. It's just that she is very different from usual, and people can feel the difference at a glance.
Her figure is no different from when she was young, and she is a little fatter, but she is not bloated when she is pinched by the plain cheongsam, but looks honest and kind.
"No, I'm still happy because the choir won the ranking." Zhao Sulan's brows and eyes were filled with unconcealable joy.She has worked hard for most of her life, and both the old man and his daughter left before her. The granddaughter was not close to her before, and her life made her worry too much.These days can almost be said to be the happiest for her in the past twenty years.
The old ladies laughed noisily again when they remembered their magnificent performance in the chorus competition, only one old lady in a peony cheongsam pouted.
"Mrs. Liang, what's the matter? Are you uncomfortable?" Someone asked.
"No." The old lady known as "Ms. Liang" patted her handbag, with a smile on her face, "I just think that Teacher Zhao's granddaughter really has face, so many elders go to praise her."
Granny Liang's tone was unhurried, with a pampered elegance.The person who asked the question suddenly shut his mouth: Why do these words sound so yin and yang?Obviously it was difficult to get a seat for Feng Qianguan. Everyone wanted to taste it, so they asked Zhao Sulan to speak, but the taste changed in Mrs. Liang's mouth.
But after thinking about it, she figured it out again: Mrs. Liang is the "old man" in the chorus, her family background is one of the best in the choir, and she is usually the focus of the chorus, but recently she has obviously been robbed of the limelight.
The interrogator pretended that he didn't understand Mrs. Liang's yin and yang aura, and continued, "That's right, I didn't realize that little girl was so powerful back then."
Granny Liang choked, pursed her lips and stopped talking.
Zhao Sulan didn't know the episode here, so she beckoned people to set off together.
After five o'clock, the group arrived at Feng Qianguan. Jiang Ci greeted them outside the store, and saw a group of old ladies walking noisily, surrounded by a woman in her forties.Jiang Ci knew that this woman was the teacher of the chorus, and recently arranged a program for Zhao Sulan and the others, and the program won a small prize, so everyone wanted to come and have a meal.
Standing in the crowd, Zhao Sulan beamed when she saw Jiang Ci.
Feng Qianguan has been open for a while, and the first customers have already taken their seats.Jiang Ci was wearing a white chef's robe, making her look neat and beautiful.The little girl's shyness and innocence in the girl's eyebrows and eyes were no longer visible. Facing a group of strange old ladies, she handled them with ease.
"Ms. Zhao, this is your granddaughter?"
"What a handsome girl, she looks so energetic!"
The old ladies praised her again and again, Jiang Ci was polite without blushing at all, but Zhao Sulan felt embarrassed now, and her face overflowed with blood which is rare.
Jiang Ci led a group of people into the store, and after they all walked into the box, they went back to the back kitchen first.
As soon as Jiang Ci left, the old ladies in the box began to look around.
Boss Xiao Jiang's aesthetics fluctuates, but at least the decoration style of this box is still online.It is early summer, and there are pots and bowls of lotus placed on the rosewood flower stand. The light of the glass chandelier is comfortable but not dazzling. The yellowish halo makes the tableware look shiny and clean, which seems to increase people's appetite.
An old lady was fascinated by the elegant Wanlian, took out her mobile phone to take several photos, and couldn't help boasting: "Su Lan, your granddaughter is really promising. My unlucky grandson really broke meHeart."
"Hey, so is my granddaughter. She has made my hair gray."
Speaking of grandchildren, some people couldn't help answering, and everyone in the box talked to each other for a while, and praised Zhao Sulan again in their words.
It is indeed envy.With such a granddaughter, who is promising, beautiful, and extremely filial, how can she not be envied by others?In particular, some insiders thought of the vicissitudes that Zhao Sulan had suffered in the past few years, and they were even more emotional. Apart from praising, they also meant to comfort her.
Suddenly someone "puchi" laughed: "It's just a restaurant owner, Mrs. Wang, isn't your grandson already taking over the company, if he hears what you say today, he won't be happy."
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and found that it was Mrs. Liang wearing a peony cheongsam who was speaking.
Mrs. Wang stood beside Wanlian, stopped taking pictures, and said awkwardly, "Which one is it? Xiaoci started from scratch, and my grandson is purely in favor of his father."
"It's too modest." Mrs. Liang said with a smile, but it sounded sour. "No matter how small the company is, the difficulty of opening a restaurant is still incomparable."
Having said that, it is already a bit bitter.Zhao Sulan is usually soft-tempered, but when it comes to Jiang Ci, she can't be soft-spoken, and her face suddenly turns ugly: "I am very proud and satisfied that my granddaughter can open such a restaurant."
As soon as the atmosphere became cold, Mrs. Liang put on a face instead: "Mr. Zhao, don't be too sensitive. How can you say that your granddaughter is not good?"
Zhao Sulan's mouth was stupid, she pursed her lips and didn't know how to answer.The old lady Wang next to him quickly said: "Oh, Mrs. Liang, don't praise me! I know what my grandson looks like."
Someone next to him couldn't see it, and said in a choked voice: "My children and grandchildren are no match for other people's granddaughters, don't use Mrs. Wang as a sword, don't ask people if they are happy or not."
Mrs. Liang couldn't maintain her expression, her face flushed red, and she held back for a long time and said, "I didn't! You... misinterpreted my words, do you have any opinions on me?"
Everyone was speechless for a while.Someone returned the words: "Mrs. Liang, don't be too sensitive. We didn't mean that."
"Forget it, forget it, everyone is here to celebrate, so don't make trouble." Mrs. Wang tried to smooth things over, then turned her head and said, "Mrs. Liang, what you said just now is really inappropriate. Feng Qianguan is not an ordinary small restaurant. The locationIt is very difficult to order. During the Spring Festival, my daughter brought back a beggar chicken at the food festival, which didn't make me faint, but later she said that it couldn't be ranked. This time we are the blessing of Tuo SulanA real treat."
When mentioning the beggar's chicken, someone turned around and asked, "Su Lan, I saw that beggar's chicken on TV too, can we eat it today?"
"Yes, yes." Zhao Sulan hurriedly said, "Xiao Ci said that the beggar chicken is nourishing, soft and tender, and it doesn't take too much effort. This time, I made it for us."
Among the dozen or so people at the table, because of the food festival, two or three had tasted Feng Qianguan's dishes and were full of praise for the Beggar's Chicken.The others were only attracted by the hit screening of "Delicious Variations". After hearing their praise, their expectations were raised from eight points to ten points.
Mrs. Liang curled her lips in disdain.Mrs. Wang happily introduced to the choir teacher: "Mr. He, you don't know how hard it is to book this restaurant in our city, so you have to try it later!"
Teacher He nodded when she heard the words. In the process of getting in touch with these old ladies, she knew that everyone was really picky, and it was really not easy to get a compliment from them.
The menu in the box was pre-ordered. After a while, there was a light knock on the door outside the box, and then the first cold dish was served.
Shredded chicken in cold sauce, candied lotus root in honey sauce, jellyfish in scallion oil, preserved garlic eggs... several cold dishes were placed on the table one by one.
The aroma of cold dishes diffused in the box, stimulating everyone's appetite.Teacher He didn't feel hungry at first, but when the smell came out, he swallowed subconsciously.
The old ladies grabbed their chopsticks one after another and started at the cold dish closest to them.
Zhao Sulan greeted Teacher He: "Mr. He, try it quickly. I remember you like seafood. This scallion oil jellyfish is very popular in the store."
Granny Liang pretended to cover her nose: "It's too greasy."
Teacher He heard the words and looked at the blue and white porcelain plate, the jellyfish shreds were crystal clear, showing a translucent gelatinous texture, with sauces made from scallion oil, chopped scallion, spicy millet, etc. on it.
It is indeed oily, but it is too fragrant. The special aroma of scallion oil whets people's appetite, and it seems to be different from the scallion oil she usually eats, but it has a refreshing fragrance.
Teacher He decisively decided to have a taste.She picked up a shredded jellyfish with her chopsticks, and the jellyfish shreds trembled slightly in the air, shining brightly under the illumination of the glazed lamp.
it's beautiful!
With just one glance, Mr. He can already imagine the crisp, tender and refreshing taste.She put the shredded jellyfish into her mouth, and her tongue was immediately captured by the deliciousness.The aroma of the sauce overflows in the mouth, the aroma is overbearing and rich, but it does not conceal the amazing sweetness of the jellyfish.
"This is the first-class old sting head that has been marinated with 'three alums'!" Mr. He commented based on his experience in seafood food. "The processing method is in place, and the taste is too crisp."
There are toxins in the body of fresh jellyfish, which need to be pickled to remove the toxins, and this processing process also greatly affects the taste and color of jellyfish.It can be said that only good raw materials and good processing can make a delicious jellyfish dish.
"It's so fresh! It feels like the umami taste explodes in your mouth as soon as you bite down!" Another old lady kept licking her lips.
Mrs. Liang saw the contented expressions of others eating cold jellyfish. No matter how unhappy she was, she still couldn't help but feel greedy. It was just that she just let go of the conversation. At this time, she was holding the chopsticks with her fingers.no.
The others didn't give her the mood to step down.
The servings of cold cuts on Jiang Ci are not many, basically the level of one person per plate, and they are about to be divided up.Granny Liang picked up her chopsticks quietly while everyone was not paying attention, not daring to lift her eyes.
And after tasting it, my heart felt more like a paint bottle was overturned, a mess.
This, how could this be so delicious!
She was not the only one who was shocked by the deliciousness.The cold dishes were emptied, but the next dish hadn't been served yet, and there was a lot of chatter in the box——
"The portion of this cold dish is too small! We underestimate our appetite."
"Whoever ate an extra bite of that shredded chicken, I haven't tasted it yet!"
"I haven't tasted it either, who added more?"
Fortunately, after a while, new dishes came up.
Considering the average age of Zhao Sulan's table, Jiang Ci also made some efforts in the selection of dishes. Most of them chose healthier and nourishing methods, making the food soft and easy to chew, but not lacking in taste.
The mellow and smooth soup, the delicious and fragrant steamed fish, the soft and tasty stew pot, the fragrant and juicy beggar's chicken... the aroma is so strong that it has substance, as if the aroma molecules are swirling happily in the air.
Teacher He looked at the scene in front of him in shock—on the table, the chopsticks of the old ladies were slapping hotly.
"Avon, are you going too far? If you snatch a chicken wing, you will also grab a chicken leg?"
"Yes, Avon, don't you usually say that you have bad teeth?"
"Oh, this eel slice is too soft and slippery, Mr. Zhao, tell your granddaughter later, can I pack a copy and go home?"
"Mrs. Wang, save some spoonfuls of this fish soup, there are still six of us who haven't drunk it yet!"
Teacher He was stunned. Are these the old ladies she knows?We usually eat together at noon, and ten people can put forward eighteen opinions. Some say they don’t like it, others think it’s not good for health, or they think it’s not affordable.But this time they all ate so much that their mouths were full of greasiness. Just this energy of overeating can scare the doctor if it is released.
Mrs. Liang was extremely depressed.Others started grabbing directly, but she had no choice but to put on airs and go to pick up the vegetables, blushing with embarrassment under the eyes of others drifting over from time to time.
More than a dozen dishes, persisted for more than half an hour before being swept away.The old ladies called for the food again, and it was Jiang Ci who came over to persuade her—she cooked this table according to a healthy amount of food, and old people have poor digestion ability. If this meal is too full and uncomfortable,That is not beautiful.
Jiang Ci said with a smile: "Let's serve a tail soup at the end, everyone take your time."
A small cup of chicken soup was placed in front of each old lady. The chicken soup was simmered slowly over water. It was golden and clear, with no oily stars at all. There were two orange-red plump wolfberries floating in the middle.
"There are lotus seeds and red dates in this soup," Teacher He tasted it carefully. In the rich aroma of chicken soup, you can also smell the faint fragrance of medicinal materials. You can imagine how much effort was spent in the stewing process, and her tongue is clumsy., can only taste these two flavors of soup.
The old ladies stretched their brows and eyes, and Mrs. Wang sighed: "Xiao Jiang is filial, the chicken soup has been made into a medicinal diet. It tastes a bit like the five-yuan fairy chicken in Jixianglou, but it tastes better than that!"
Wuyuan Immortal Chicken is a nutritious dish stewed with jujube, longan, wolfberry and other supplements. It is very popular among old people.Her words immediately resonated with all the old ladies present.Although the price of Jixiang Building is high, locals like to go there for important days, weddings and birthday parties, so many people have tried it several times.
"Indeed! The water in this chicken soup is clear, there are no oily flowers, and the aroma is tangy. It's not easy to see the effort!"
Amid the rich aroma of chicken soup, Mrs. Liang couldn't help but smack her lips after she drank the soup. She couldn't help but burped loudly and long.
"belch"
All the eyes on the table were attracted, and some people couldn't restrain their "chuck" laughter.Granny Liang was so ashamed that she wanted to find a place where no one was around and screw herself.
On the other side, in the single ward.
"Grandpa, try this chicken soup, Master Tian's specially stewed five-yuan fairy chicken." Jiang Zhe poured out a small bowl of steaming chicken soup from the thermos.
Jiang Deyong sniffed the familiar aroma, and cursed: "That guy still has the face to make soup!"
Ever since Mi Ting resigned and Master Tian made such a fuss, Jixianglou's business has suffered an unprecedented blow.Jiang Deyong was also out of breath and couldn't afford to get sick.
Jiang Deyong turned his eyes away, expressing his impatience to drink.Jiang Zhe had no choice but to take the chicken soup back, and helped Jiang Deyong to lie flat, and tucked the corner of the quilt for him.
Under the soft and clean quilt, the old man lay quietly. The sick gown covered his thin body, and the sleeves and trousers were all empty.
He is aging rapidly, just like the auspicious building that has inevitably declined.
Jiang Zhe looked at the old man on the hospital bed with complicated eyes: "You have a good rest, the doctor said that you must rest now, don't worry about it anymore."
Jiang Deyong's lips twitched: "How is it...in the building?"
Jiang Zhe thought of the messy catering group, and heaved a long sigh inwardly.
After Jiang Deyong fell, people in Jixiang Building became dispirited, and even other branches became depressed.A while ago, several chefs were poached by the new store developed in City A, and the number of customers in the store was also declining day by day.Many chefs worked with Jiang Deyong back then. When Jiang Deyong was around, they were willing to contribute to the group, but if Jiang Deyong was not around, they would not be willing to work for the younger generation of the Jiang family.
Jiang Zhe can only keep paying high prices to keep people, but high prices always have an end.Now, he has almost turned the entire group into a loss-making business.
His father was talking to Jiang Haichao about the division of the group, and he was making the Jiang Group into a one-off business, but he couldn't talk to Jiang Deyong about these things.
Jiang Zhe smiled: "There is no problem in the building, we are all working hard."
no problem……?When Jiang Deyong heard these three words, his pale lips trembled.
Neither his son nor his grandson told him the truth, and he had a vague sense of what had happened recently.From the day when he took his old classmates to eat in the building, he knew that something had begun to change.
None of his descendants can afford this family business. He originally thought that in another ten years, maybe he would be able to bring Jiang Zhe out, but now it seems that he may not have another ten years.
Lucky House...
Jiang Group...
It was something he had worked so hard for half his life.
Jiang Deyong felt a little difficult to breathe.He took a few deep breaths, forced himself to calm down, and said, "In a while, it will be the Fairy Chef Competition every four years. Are you ready in the building?"
contest?Jiang Zhe was taken aback for a moment, and found that he had been so devastated recently that he actually forgot about this important event.He quickly concealed his expression and said, "I'm ready, Mi Ting can't go this year, so I decided to let Master Tian go."
Jiang Deyong sighed: "That guy, probably not. I should have gone... If I were still here, and I could get that title back like before, there would be hope for Jixianglou..."
As Jiang Deyong spoke, he seemed to recall something, his eyes lit up, and his skinny five fingers grabbed Jiang Zhe's arm.
Jiang Zhe was taken aback: "Grandpa, don't get excited. You are still young, take good care of your body, and there is still a future for Jixianglou."
"future……"
Jiang Deyong was emotional for a while, his energy was quickly exhausted, and then he fell into a groggy state again.
Jiang Zhe gently opened his hand and left quietly.
...
After seeing off Zhao Sulan and his party, Jiang Ci received a call from Chairman Zhao.
"Cooking competition? Do you mean the young chef competition?"
Jiang Ci turned her head and glanced at the calendar. When chatting a few days ago, Wang Jianian and her had a popular science competition for young chefs. This competition is held every autumn, and now it is almost time to sign up.
Since Mi Ting won an award ten years ago in Province A, the performance of the newcomers has been mediocre.Jiang Ci wondered if Chairman Zhao wanted to invite her to participate in the competition and get a ranking back, so she made this call.
However, Jiang Ci's interest in the Young Chef Competition is average. Many of the young chefs participating in the Youth Chef Competition are young chefs who have not yet graduated. For her, this competition is not competitive.
Chairman Zhao's voice was tentative: "Boss Jiang, do you want to participate?"
Jiang Ci thought for a while, and said honestly, "It's so-so."
"..." President Zhao sighed, "It really is like this."
Jiang Ci smiled: "Then you still ask me?"
"Just ask, if you are willing to participate, I am also happy." President Zhao changed the subject, "But this time I called because of another matter. You should have heard of the title 'Fairy Chef', right??”
Fairy chef?Jiang Ci's expression became serious: "I heard."
Not only have I heard that Jiang Deyong won the title of "Fairy Chef" when he was forty-eight years old. It was also the most prosperous period of the Jiang family, and it was already more than 20 years ago.
Chairman Zhao felt the change in Jiang Ci's tone, and said with a smile: "I just want to remind Boss Jiang, don't miss the opportunity. There hasn't been a 'fairy chef' in the catering industry in province A for many years."
The title of "Fairy Chef" comes from an event, the World Chinese Cuisine Competition - every four years, chefs from all over the world, as long as they can cook Chinese food, can sign up for the competition.In each competition, six chefs will be selected to win the title of "Fairy Chef", and their restaurants will also become famous.
The leader among them is even more beautiful.
When the event was first held, the contestants were basically from China.However, with the development of several decades, the influence of the event has become greater and greater, and the range of contestants has become wider and wider. Chinese from all over the world, and even foreign chefs who are passionate about Chinese food, may sign up for the competition.Although so far, most of the winners are still descendants of time-honored brands.
Province A also has many excellent chefs, but Jiang Deyong is really the only one who has won the title of "Fairy Chef".And that was twenty years ago.
Over the years, other chefs have repeatedly fought and failed. Four years ago, Wang Hechang participated in the competition with his old bones, but he still failed.
This is a grand event in the culinary world, and many people will participate, but it is not an easy task if you really want to hold the honor.
Jiang Ci said, "You have confidence in me."
Chairman Zhao said reservedly: "I'm just afraid that Boss Jiang will miss the opportunity. It's great if you are interested."
Jiang Ci smiled and said, "I will participate."
The author has something to say:
I'm back!First bow and apologize to the little angels!A while ago, the three-dimensional was really too busy, plus Calvin, the update was written like squeezing toothpaste, I was really very, very embarrassed.Later, because I stopped for too long, the feel was wrong, and I was not satisfied with what I wrote, so I was delayed for a while.In addition, I was worried that I would be interrupted by unexpected events after resuming the update, so I kept saving the manuscript, and now it is finally in place, and I dare to post it (cover my face.
I am really sorry, but it is not a lie to say that it is not cheating, no matter how many people are left to read it, it will be finished!These two days will give red envelopes to the little angels who commented, bow again!
There are two more updates today.