"Master, senior brothers, hello! Is this Liu Nian? Come quickly, come with me to the kitchen."
It was lunchtime, and the kitchen was very busy. Mu Mingliang was supposed to be busy too, but he had called in the holidaymakers to cover his shift for the day, so he had more free time.
"Liu Nian, use this wok. You can teach us on the spot." Mu Mingliang brought Zhang Liunian and his group of six to a stir-fry wok and stood aside, waiting for Zhang Liunian to begin teaching.
Zhang Liunian was not one to hesitate. He took the lively lobsters and poured them into a washbasin, starting to clean them. "These are lobsters from Daming Lake, not 'stinky bugs.' They are edible, non-toxic, and very nutritious. Now, we just need to clean them thoroughly, and then we can cook."
"Because they are from Daming Lake, they are clean and easy to wash, and their large size makes them easy to identify."
After cleaning, Zhang Liunian lit the stove, heated the oil, stir-fried the aromatics, and then stir-fried the lobsters over high heat.
His movements were skillful and natural. The chefs cooking nearby could tell he was someone who cooked often.
When a basin of fragrant, spicy fresh lobsters was out of the wok, the aroma wafted into the noses of the diners in the mess hall.
"What's that smell? It smells so good!"
"Yeah, even the braised pork doesn't smell as good."
"Can anyone tell me what dish this is? I want a serving! I'll give you any ticket you want."
"..."
The diners in the hall were complaining, let alone the people in the kitchen. Many chefs who were stir-frying were so drawn in by the aroma that they forgot about their dishes. Some were burning, some forgot to add salt, and the kitchen was in chaos.
Mu Mingliang was jolted awake by the chaotic kitchen. He first wiped his mouth and then looked at Zhang Liunian, saying, "Liu Nian, can we try some?"
Zhang Liunian put down the wok and smiled. "This is for you to try. Hurry and peel the shells and try it."
With his words, Zhao Zhijie and the others immediately reached out and started eating. They peeled the shells and put them into their mouths. Mmm, so fragrant, so delicious, truly good.
"Damn it, how can it be so delicious?"
"I can't stop!"
"Me neither."
"..."
A plate of lobsters disappeared in less than a minute, and Zhao Zhijie and his disciples were still unsatisfied.
Seeing the situation, Zhang Liunian thought that the cooperation should be successful.
"Can I try cooking it myself?" Mu Mingliang washed his hands and asked Zhang Liunian.
Zhang Liunian stepped aside and gestured, "Yes."
Mu Mingliang eagerly stepped forward and began to stir-fry, following Zhang Liunian's steps precisely, not daring to make any mistakes.
In fact, stir-frying lobster didn't require much technical skill. As long as the seasonings were right, it would naturally be fragrant.
Soon, the second wok of lobsters was ready. The aroma was slightly less intense, but the taste was good.
The diners outside smelled the aroma again. This time, they could no longer suppress their gluttonous desires. They went forward to inquire if it was a new dish and if it could be tried for sale immediately.
When Mu Mingliang heard that people wanted to eat it right away, he found his colleagues and, after discussion, decided to try selling it immediately.
Since they had decided to try selling it, they needed to get the goods now.
"Liu Nian, give me 100 jin first. You can set the price." Since he was his master's nephew, Mu Mingliang naturally didn't want to shortchange Zhang Liunian on the price.
"It's four mao for cooked, and three mao for uncooked," Zhang Liunian had already decided on the price before he came. He didn't charge the mechanical factory much, so he couldn't charge them any higher.
Zhao Zhijie heard this and nodded with a smile.
"Okay, I'll have someone get the money for you." Mu Mingliang turned and asked someone to pay Zhang Liunian, while he went to try selling the dish.
To avoid any misunderstanding about the origin of the lobsters, he also had the waiters explain that these "stinky bugs" were called lobsters, produced in Daming Lake, edible, non-toxic, and rich in nutrition. They did not require ration tickets, and everyone could eat them with confidence.
The first batch of trial customers heard this explanation and believed about seventy to eighty percent of it. Coupled with the delicious smell, they couldn't resist taking a bite. After the first bite, there was a second, a third...
After finishing a plate, they realized it was gone, but they still hadn't had enough.
Everyone present saw this unsatisfied look and was convinced that the dish was delicious. The hesitant diners immediately ordered this dish, wanting to see how delicious it was that it made people want to lick the plates clean.
After these people tasted it, they also felt that one plate was not enough, and the kitchen became extremely busy.
"Another six servings of lobster."
"Three more servings of lobster."
"..."
The waiters kept reporting the quantities, and even the four chefs summoned by Zhao Zhijie joined in to help. By the time they were all proficient at cooking this dish, the lunch hour had passed.
"This is probably the first time our restaurant has been this busy in recent years," Mu Mingliang said excitedly, sitting beside everyone after seeing off the last customer.
Yesterday, his master told him he would introduce a nephew he knew, saying that the person wanted to sell him some ingredients. He hadn't had much of a reaction then, thinking he would just go through the motions.
Unexpectedly, the perfunctory effort today turned into a pleasant surprise, a chance to bring new life to their restaurant.
Their restaurant's business had always been decent, but only decent. It had never been popular.
Today, they had experienced a bustling scene, and they were very excited.
"Liu Nian, how many lobsters do you have? I want to take some back to try."
"Give me a few dozen jin to test the waters."
"And me."
"..."
The other four, after seeing the impact of the lobsters, all expressed their desire to take some lobsters back to try.
Zhang Liunian smiled helplessly. "I only have a little over 200 jin right now. You can split it equally."
The four exchanged glances and finally agreed.
After getting the goods, they eagerly returned to sell the dishes. After they left, Zhang Liunian had over a hundred yuan in his hands.
"Uncle, let's have a meal!" Zhang Liunian was grateful to Zhao Zhijie for the introduction and wanted to treat him to a meal with the money in his hand.
Zhao Zhijie smiled and refused. "Look at them, can they still move? Never mind, I'll go eat at Old Yan's."
"Then we'll go..." Zhang Liunian wanted to persuade him, but before he could finish, Zhao Zhijie waved and left the restaurant.
After he left, Zhang Liunian turned his gaze to Mu Mingliang. The latter, thinking he wanted to invite him to a meal, quickly said, "I'll treat you to this meal."
Zhang Liunian smiled. "No, I want to go to South City."
"Go to South City? To do what?" Mu Mingliang asked in surprise, blurted out.
"I'm going to South City to buy a bicycle. It will be much more convenient in the future," Zhang Liunian explained.
"Okay, you go! Wait, go after we eat!" This was his master's nephew, he couldn't not invite him to a meal.
But Zhang Liunian didn't want to waste time and politely declined, "Thank you, but no need."
According to his original plan, he still had to make preserved dishes in the afternoon. Looking at the time now, he was afraid he might not make it.
With this thought, Zhang Liunian stood up, walked out of the restaurant, and went to the mute man, asking him to take the flatbed cart home. Then he went to the bus station alone, paid fifty cents, and boarded a bus heading to South City, waiting to reach his destination.
After a bumpy journey, he arrived in South City at 2:30 PM.
At this time, South City was still old and dilapidated. There were bustling streets and quiet ones.
Zhang Liunian followed his memory from his previous life and found a bicycle shop.