The air after the rain is fresh, the ground is filled with moisture, the sun that has not appeared for a long time is bright and soft, the newly cleaned mountains and forests are greener, and the cheerful chirping of birds can be heard from inside.
The stone pavement on the street was glowing with a wet blue light, and the small shops, tuck shops, cigarette shops, and restaurants next to the guest house all put aside their gloom and began to open their doors for business.
The man wearing a bamboo hat rolled up his trousers and carried a fish basket in his hand, followed by his jumping children, and went to the river bend in front of the town to catch fish. After lunch, the mother-in-law who had just finished cleaning the house walked out of the yard and met with the neighbor's mother-in-law.
Chatting together, talking about the rain and things in the rain------
A few five- and six-year-old children were catching frogs on the stone roadside before they could escape, shouting and croaking, perfecting their carefree childhood.
The proprietress stood at the door and shouted to the owner of the butcher shop opposite: "Cut five kilograms of plum meat and three kilograms of ribs."
"Okay, I'll send it over in a moment." The butcher shop owner replied and turned around and entered the shop.
Xiaohui and Xiaolong took the child's little hand and played on the bluestone board, and the child's "gurgling" laughter was particularly clear.
The proprietress said to Lao Tan and Wang Shulan who were standing at the door: "It's sunny. It's raining a lot. It's been raining for a whole day." Then she looked up at the sky and continued: "Don't worry, it will be open to traffic tomorrow."
Lao Tan and Wang Shulan smiled and nodded.
"Stew the pork ribs in the evening, stir-fry them in the oil and eat them in the yard." After the lady boss said that, she turned around and went into the house. Lao Tan and Wang Shulan walked along the stone road, enjoying the comfort and warmth of the countryside after the rain.
"The countryside is better. The air is so fresh and there is no pollution at all." Wang Shulan said.
"From sunrise to sunset, following the laws of nature and conforming to the heaven and earth, this is how people live their lives," Lao Tan said.
"Sometimes I think about it. I am busy working day in and day out to make money, but I am not as comfortable as people in rural areas." Wang Shulan said.
"It's just a way of life. Rural areas envy those in the city, and cities envy those in the rural areas. To put it bluntly, it means that the conditions are good. After eating and drinking enough, you start to feel emotional. If you don't believe me, try it. If you eat one meal but not another, you won't feel emotional.
, I still think about money." Lao Tan said.
"That's right------I noticed that you don't seem to care about money." Wang Shulan looked at Lao Tan and said.
"Why don't I care? There is no one who doesn't care about money, so do I." Lao Tan said.
"It doesn't look like it. To be honest, if you open a restaurant and become the owner, you will definitely be able to make money."
Lao Tan said nothing and lit a cigarette.
"You started Ah Qiao. I'm a little confused, why didn't you think about doing it yourself?" Wang Shulan asked puzzledly.
"Do it by yourself?" Lao Tan laughed and said, "Not everyone can be the boss. Some people are suitable and some are not. I was born to be Zhuge Liang, and as a Zhuge, my hair will turn gray when I am exhausted.
A boss must have a structure. I think I have a big structure, I understand management, and I am a shrewd person, but I can’t be the boss. I can’t compare with Yanhua. She can calmly do not care and put her eyes aside interests. I can’t.
She can't be calm, and she doesn't have the mentality.
In addition, as the old saying goes, kindness does not lead to wealth without military loyalty. I have the skills to lead troops and use them, but it is difficult to lead soldiers with loyalty and it is difficult to raise wealth. If I were a boss, haha, although I would also make money, it would probably be worth thousands of gold.
It will never come back again.”
"You're not greedy." Wang Shulan smiled.
"It's not that I'm not greedy, it's that I know how much money I have. Some money is mine and I must take it; some money is not and I can't move it.
I have been working as a caterer for twenty-two years, from my apprenticeship to now, and I have come to understand a truth about money: making money is ability, and money is everything, but it does not represent wealth. Money is money, and wealth is wealth, and they cannot be confused."
"It's a bit profound." Wang Shulan said.
Lao Tan smiled noncommittally.
The two of them walked to the center of the town, where some people were chatting at the gate of the town government. Everyone was smoking, and the smoke was particularly conspicuous in the air after the rain.
"What are they chewing?" Wang Shulan asked.
Those people were smoking cigarettes, moving their mouths, and chewing something inside.
"Betel nut." Lao Tan said.
"Betel nut?"
"Well, people here love to chew betel nut. When I came back to Yiyang last time, I didn't know what they were chewing. When I asked, I found out it was betel nut."
"Oh. You haven't tasted it?"
"After tasting it, I'm not used to it and can't enjoy the taste. Besides, chewing betel nut for a long time is not good for your teeth."
"I'd like to try it."
The two of them walked back, and when they passed a small shop, Lao Tan went in and bought a bag of betel nuts. Wang Shulan took out one, looked at it, and asked, "Can this one be chewed?"
"It will become soft after a while," Lao Tan said.
Wang Shulan was doubtful and asked: "You don't want to eat?"
Lao Tan shook his head.
Wang Shulan put the betel nut into her mouth, and after three minutes, she bared her teeth and spit it out, saying, "I can't stand it. I can't stand this taste."
In the evening, in the small courtyard of the guest house, Lao Tan and the others were still sitting at the table on the west side from last night.
There are four dishes on the table, chopped pepper ribs, fried oil residue, steamed cured meat, and stewed fish.
"Uncle, this stir-fried oil residue is almost the same as the stir-fried pork with small pepper in our store." Xiaolong said to Lao Tan.
"Well, our stir-fried pork with small peppers is the evolution of this stir-fried oil residue." Lao Tan said: "We use pork belly, and they use plum meat. The method is the same, but the peppers are different.
Our chili peppers are not as good as those from this place, and the green garlic is not as fresh, so it cannot bring out the flavor when fried. When you eat this oil residue, it has a fresh and spicy flavor, and the soy sauce taste is strong, which is appetizing to go with rice.
The stir-fried pork with small peppers is also fragrant, and is best eaten with rice, but the spiciness is not high, so it tastes bad.”
"Even though it's a rural area, this dish is well cooked and delicious," Wang Shulan said.
"The main thing is that the raw materials are good, purely natural, and have original flavor." Lao Tan said.
"Otherwise Hunan cuisine is also delicious." Wang Shulan said.
Lao Tan said: "I really like Hunan cuisine, which is spicy and refreshing, and has a long taste. Fish head with chopped peppers, stir-fried yellow beef, steamed cured meat, Mao's braised pork, and Xiangxi grandma's dishes are all famous in Hunan cuisine."
"It's a pity that I haven't eaten it before. I am a fake from Hunan." Xiaohui said with some frustration.
"It's normal that you haven't been here since you were a kid," Lao Tan said.
Wang Shulan spat out the ribs stick in her mouth on the table, smacked her lips with unfinished content, and asked Lao Tan: "Do you have any plans to enter Hunan?"
Lao Tan said: "Hunan is difficult to enter because the food is so different. In addition, Hunan people have not been very accepting of foreign culture since ancient times, especially in terms of food.
Take Cantonese food for example. In the north, you can get good food in Beijing, as well as on the southeast coast, but not in Hunan. Changsha is a big provincial capital, and there are not many Cantonese food restaurants. The good ones are all local dishes."
"Really?" Wang Shulan asked.
Lao Tan nodded and said: "Yes. Our home-cooked Northeastern dumplings are now well developed in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. They are available on every street. You can also go to Chengdu and Chongqing. Northeastern restaurants can be found everywhere. Needless to say, in the west, Hohhot
, Baotou, Lanzhou, and further away Urumqi, Northeastern cuisine accounts for almost half.
If you go to Changsha and take a look, there are not many purely Northeastern restaurants and not many dumpling restaurants, so it will be difficult to enter."
"Really? Is that true?" Wang Shulan was doubtful.
"We'll stay in Changsha for two days, and then you'll believe it," Lao Tan said.
"I have to investigate this. If this is true, haven't you found a business opportunity?" Wang Shulan said.
"I've thought about it, but I've been hesitant," Lao Tan said.
"Don't hesitate, let's stay in Changsha for a few more days and conduct a thorough inspection. I have confidence in our Ah Qiao," Wang Shulan said.