Zhou Yan slowly opened his eyes, two clear tears sliding down his cheeks.
His eyes were lifeless, lying there blankly for a while before his eyeballs began to move.
He felt as if he had watched a very, very long movie, witnessing the old woman's most arduous ten years of life, and the efforts and sacrifices made by those people to protect their country.
The aftereffects were too strong. After a while, Zhou Yan finally got out of bed, shook his slightly dizzy head, turned on the bedside lamp, and picked up the watch from the bedside table and glanced at it.
8:30 p.m.
He lay down to go to sleep around eight o'clock.
After exiting the memory, he must have been lying there for about twenty or thirty minutes.
Therefore, when entering the memory, it is highly likely that time has not passed in the outside world.
Or perhaps, like reading a recipe, there was only a two or three minutes pause.
That's good. This way, he won't have to worry about getting stuck in a memory for hours without realizing it.
Taking a notebook from the bedside table and unscrewing a Parker pen, Zhou Yan quickly wrote down a few names and drew lines to mark the relationships between the characters.
The once dashing Duan Xingbang has passed away. Qiu Qi is staying at the Qiu family's old house instead of the Duan family's old house where she spent more time with Duan Xingbang after their marriage. This suggests that her unresolved issue did not stem from Duan Xingbang, who died of old age, but rather from Wang Yu, with whom she was once engaged but ultimately missed due to the war.
A line was drawn for Wang Yu. Zhou Yan wrote "Wang Ran" after it, paused, and then added a '?'.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yu was taken back to Jiazhou for trial.
He had served as a high-ranking Kuomintang official and was active in the coastal areas of Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong for a long time. He should be among the group most likely to leave.
In Zhang Shufen's memory, Zhou Yan saw a small part of the materials that Zhou Yi had compiled for him. Wang Yu joined the Communist Party in 1941 and became an undercover agent, mainly responsible for transporting urgently needed medicines to the Party through Kuomintang channels.
Unfortunately, both the contact and the superior had been killed, making it extremely difficult to prove his innocence. Zhou Yi took three months leave of absence and spent almost all his time working on this matter, pulling strings and finally finding some clues.
After the materials were submitted, Zhang Shufen, lacking the necessary channels, did not follow up, and no one notified her afterwards. Therefore, Wang Yu's fate remains to be verified.
Investigating this matter now shouldn't be difficult. Zhou Yan could ask his Little Uncle to retrieve the documents; as long as it doesn't involve classified information, they should be able to find the results.
Zhou Yan both hoped that Grandpa Wang was indeed Wang Yu, and yet didn't want him to be.
Because Wang Yu had suffered so much.
"With the nation in peril and our land shattered, how can I think of a home? I should dedicate myself to the country and save it!"
His words still echoed faintly in his ears, resounding and thought-provoking!
Throughout his life, he has lived a life worthy of his country but he ruined his own life.
Zhou Yan looked at the names on the paper, vivid faces appearing in front his eyes. It took him a long time to close the notebook.
Perhaps in their own memories, many things had already become blurred.
How fortunate he was to be able to see what they looked like when they were young through Zhang Shufen's fragmented memories.
"Praise the old lady!" Zhou Yan chuckled to himself.
The relationship was now clear. Tomorrow, he'd first visit Grandpa Wang to verify his suspicions.
Then he'd go to the Qiu family in Jiazhou to meet Qiu Qi and see how he could use the information he possessed to help her resolve her inner conflict.
Braised Beef!
Zhou Yan opened the control panel and looked at the gleaming golden recipe for [Braised Beef].
This was his key to unlocking the secrets.
Braised beef must hold a very important place in Qiu Qi's heart.
Zhou Yan lay back on the bed and opened the recipe.
Slightly lost in thought, knowledge flooded his mind.
Zhou Yan already possessed a [Good] level of mastery over braised beef.
So, the advanced experience pack for Braised Beef was quickly absorbed, and he came to his senses.
[Braised Beef (Advanced): 99999/100000]
The Braised Beef's level information was updated on the panel.
He glanced at the other stats.
The heat control, seasoning, and knife skills have all significantly improved!
Indeed, the high-intensity cooking everyday greatly increases proficiency and skill.
Not bad!
After finishing this matter, he can put the braised beef on the menu!
Pulling the covers over himself, Zhou Yan fell asleep immediately.
…
The next day, just as dawn broke, Master Little Zhou and Master Old Zhou set off on their bicycles to buy groceries.
"I heard that ration coupons are going to be abolished. From now on, the price of meat sold at street stalls will be the same as that of the supply and marketing cooperatives. Pork, beef, and mutton will all be subject to this policy. Jiazhou has already started piloting it these past few days." Zhou Miao and Zhou Yan said on the way.
Zhou Yan's eyes lit up: "Really? If Jiazhou starts, Suji will definitely follow suit immediately. Otherwise, the price difference makes the trip to Jiazhou worthwhile!"
This was great news for small business owners like them, especially his restaurant, which used over 100 jin (50 kg) of meat daily.
Once prices were deregulated, the cost of meat could drop by about half.
If the prices of the dishes remained the same, the gross profit margin for pure meat dishes could increase from 50% to over 70%.
Of course, the prices of some dishes could be appropriately reduced, or the portions increased, to improve the cost-effectiveness and attract more customers.
For example, braised pork ribs are currently priced at 1.6 yuan per serving. Using half a jin of ribs, the cost is 1.1 yuan, leaving a gross profit of only 0.5 yuan. Sales are decent, with one or two servings often left over, so the profitability is not very strong.
If the price of pork ribs drops from 1.8 yuan per jin to 0.9 yuan per jin, the cost of ingredients can be reduced to 0.65 yuan, resulting in a gross profit of nearly 1 yuan.
Even if the turnover remains the same, the restaurant's net profit will increase significantly.
"I heard from my fellow butchers and other butchers that Rongcheng has been implementing this policy for a while now, so it should be true. It's only been a couple of days." Zhou Miao nodded with a smile. "It's good that the price has been deregulated. Before, everyone went to the supply and marketing cooperative with ration coupons to buy meat, complaining that we were selling it too expensively. If we didn't sell it all, we would lose money. If the price is deregulated, those arrogant salespeople at the supply and marketing cooperatives will never be able to compete with us."
"That's right, that's the market economy." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.
"Should we adjust the restaurant's menu prices?"
"No." Zhou Yan shook his head decisively. "Our customers have already accepted our prices. Even if we lower them by ten or twenty cents, it's difficult to attract more customers who don't eat out just by lowering prices.
The economy is developing, and I expect the lowered meat prices will gradually rise back up soon.
Lowering menu prices is easy, but raising prices after costs have increased could alienate customers and cause us to lose more business."
Zhou Miao nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with Zhou Yan's point.
The economy was indeed developing rapidly, especially in the last two years.
Who would have dared to dream of having "ten thousand yuan" before?
However, in the past year or two, they have often seen reports about people with 10,000 yuan in income in newspapers.
Sure enough, the people who have the best information about meat prices are definitely the meat sellers.
Today, when Zhou Yan went to buy beef and pork, the butchers all mentioned this, sharing the same view as Comrade Old Zhou: it was beneficial for them, as individual business owners.
"Why did you buy three jin of beef shank? Are you planning to make braised beef?" Zhou Miao asked on the way back.
Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Yes, I want to practice first. I originally thought that the price of braised beef was too high and it would be difficult to sell. But if the price of beef can be reduced, then I can also reduce the price. Adding braised beef can also increase the turnover."
"That's good. Your grandmother's braised beef was something the wealthy families of Suji never forgot." Zhou Miao nodded, a hint of nostalgia on his face.
"I know, you used to go with First Uncle and the others to deliver meat to their door."
"Hmm? How did you know?" Zhou Miao looked at him with some surprise.
"Um... Grandma mentioned it when she taught me how to braise meat. She said she had a stall at the bridgehead and had you all deliver the meat to each household, saving her a lot of trouble." Zhou Yan replied with a smile.
Zhou Miao nodded: "That's right, but that was before Liberation. I was only five or six years old then, so I can't remember many things. Later, the wealthy families all fled south. We weren't allowed to slaughter cattle anymore, so we only sold pig's head meat, and business wasn't as good anymore."
"Don't worry, business will only get better and better in the future. You and me will work together to make it bigger and stronger!" Zhou Yan said confidently.
Zhou Miao smiled upon hearing this, "Okay!"
The Huang siblings also arrived early this morning.
After four days of high-intensity cycling training, their physical appearance hadn't changed much, but their mental state had improved significantly.
Huang Bing's dark circles had faded considerably, and some color had returned to his pale, weak face. His eyes had regained some sparkle, making him look much more pleasant than the first time he'd seen him.
Huang Ying had her hair tied in a high ponytail. Her round face was rosy, but her breathing was steady, and she looked quite energetic, completely different from her lifeless appearance of the first two days.
"Brother Yan!"
"Boss Zhou."
The two entered, first greeting Zhou Yan, then Aunt Zhao.
They arrived at seven o'clock, and there were only three or four customers inside. Zhou Yan was quite idle, standing at the door chatting with Aunt Zhao.
"You two are getting earlier and earlier." Zhou Yan said with a smile, looking at the two.
"Actually, we leave around the same time, around 6:20 a.m., but we're riding faster and faster now, it only takes us about half an hour." Huang Ying replied with a smile. Seeing Aunt Zhao already bringing them water, she quickly stepped forward, took the large bowl, and sweetly thanked her, "Thank you, Aunt Zhao!"
"Thank you, Auntie." Huang Bing echoed, taking the warm water and taking a few small sips before looking at Zhou Yan and saying, "I'd like a large portion of double peppers minced beef noodles."
"I'd like a medium-sized double peppers minced beef noodles, with a side of braised pork ribs, and extra spicy." Huang Ying said.
"Okay." Zhou Yan replied, heading towards the kitchen.
Adding toppings is a new way to eat it that was introduced a couple of days ago. It costs thirty cents a serving and is tailor-made for customers who have money and can do whatever they want.
After all, many customers can't eat two servings of noodles but still prefer more elaborate toppings, like Huang Ying.
These past two days, she's been ordering the extra-topping version, either noodles with braised pork ribs or beef with dried bamboo shoots.
"You two ride back and forth three times a day, you look much more energetic, really impressive." Zhao Tieying remarked, looking at the two of them with considerable admiration.
"Aunt Zhao, you have no idea how well I sleep every night now! I take a shower, lie down on the bed, and fall asleep instantly." Huang Ying said with a smile. "Before, I liked to watch TV at night, and if I got hungry in the middle of the night, I would cook noodles and eat chocolate, then sleep until noon."
"That's wonderful! Good girl, you're a very determined person. With that kind of drive, you can succeed at anything." Zhao Tieying praised.
"Hehe." Huang Ying's smile revealed a hint of pride at being praised.
Huang Bing glanced at her, slightly raising his chin, and said, "I make one more trip than her everyday. Now I practice my knife skills for three hours everyday in the kitchen, and I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow at night. I haven't gone drinking for days."
"Hmm, you're pretty good too. It's good to learn a skill." Aunt Zhao said with a smile.
"Once I master my knife skills, I'll set up a stall and sell braised meat." Huang Bing grinned, his eyes full of anticipation.
Huang Ying glanced at his hand covered in bandages, and swallowed the words she was about to say.
After finishing morning work, Zhou Yan started braising the beef shank.
Two large aluminum pots are now used in rotation everyday, only being used simultaneously when the demand for braised meat at banquets surges.
Feiyan Restaurant's braised meat orders have increased from ten jin to twenty jin, a pleasing increase, proving their solid foundation.
After finishing work at noon, Zhou Yan took a piece of beef shank, weighed it and it weighed eight liang, and cut it against the grain of the beef. Thick slices of braised beef, about the thickness of a copper coin, fell onto the cutting board.
The cross-section was beautiful, the beef shank's natural fascia stretched out like translucent amber, the braising sauce soaking into the beef, its bright red color incredibly tempting.
[A Perfect Braised Beef]
The system gave its assessment.
After slicing the beef, Zhou Yan picked up a scrap and put it in his mouth.
The lean meat was tender yet not dry, the fascia soft and flavorful, the meat soaked in the old braising sauce, chewy yet with a subtle chewiness, the aroma slowly unfolding with each bite.
Really good!
"Gulp~" Zhou Momo had been watching eagerly for a while, swallowing loudly, "Guo Guo, is the braised beef good?"
"You'll know once you try it." Zhou Yan took a plate from the side, put a three liang of beef on it, "Take it out and eat with Mom and Dad."
"Okay!" Zhou Momo took the plate with both hands and carefully walked out.
Zhou Yan took out a piece of brown paper, packed the remaining half jin of braised beef into it, picked up the book "Life" that he had finished reading, and pushed his bicycle out the door.
Zhou Yan couldn't help but brake when he reached the stone bridge. The stall of Zhang Ji Braised Food was gone from under the tree. The banyan tree that Zhang Shufen remembered as thick as a wrist was now tall and shady, a good place for the town's residents to cool off. Two old people sat on the long stone slabs, chatting idly.
After buying a bottle of good liquor, Zhou Yan hopped on his bicycle and headed to the library.
At the library entrance, Grandpa Wang leaned back in his bamboo recliner, reading glasses perched on his nose, engrossed in a book.
Zhou Yan stopped his bicycle. The old man looked up at him and smiled, "Finished reading?"
"Yes, I finished reading. It's very moving. Life is truly not easy." Zhou Yan replied with a smile, taking the package of braised beef and the bottle of liquor from the bicycle basket and placing them on the small table beside him. "Freshly braised beef today, and I also got you a bottle of good liquor. Want to try some?"
The old man couldn't sit still any longer. He put down his book, straightened up, and unwrapped the oil paper package. His eyes lit up as he looked at the beautifully patterned slices of braised beef. He looked up at Zhou Yan, "Not bad! It looks just right!"
Zhou Yan opened the liquor for him and smiled, "Want some?"
"Of course!" The old man got up and went inside, bringing out two glasses. "Would you like some too?"
"I can't, I get drunk after just one cup. Who's going to cook for the guests tonight?" Zhou Yan shook his head with a smile, took the cup and filled Grandpa Wang's cup first, then poured himself a cup of hot water from the thermos.
Grandpa Wang moved a stool over for him, took a pair of chopsticks and sat down, picking up a slice of braised beef, his hand trembling slightly.
Zhou Yan sat down, his gaze falling on Grandpa Wang's right neck, where several old scars were visible, a black mole standing out prominently. His hand holding the cup trembled slightly as well.
It was him!
It was definitely him!
Grandpa Wang's face gradually overlapped with the spirited, handsome face he remembered.
Zhou Yan seemed to see again the young man carrying a birdcage in one hand and a blue and white porcelain container in the other, his smile unrestrained and flamboyant.
Wang Yu, Wang Ran.
So he changed his name.
Was it to sever ties with the past?
Zhou Yan was filled with mixed emotions, both excited to have found Wang Yu and sympathetic for Grandpa Wang's past experiences.
Grandpa Wang must have been feeling confused at that moment. He held a piece of braised beef but didn't eat it for a long time, his eyes were unfocused, and he seemed to be thinking about something.
Zhou Yan remained silent, watching him quietly.
His Zhongshan suit was buttoned up to the top, but many old scars were still visible on his neck. His hair was neatly combed, but without the excessive use of hair gel he once had.
After a long while, he put the beef in his mouth, chewed slowly, swallowed, took a sip of liquor, and let out a long sigh.
"This is the taste. I never thought I'd be able to eat this braised beef again after more than forty years." Grandpa Wang said with a smile, his eyes glistening.
"With your words, I'm relieved. I was just worried I wouldn't be able to get the flavor right." Zhou Yan said with a smile, raising his glass. "Here, let me toast you."
Grandpa Wang clinked glasses with him, took another sip, put down his glass, and said with a smile, "The liquor is good too. It's a waste to give me such good liquor."
"Giving it to someone who doesn't understand liquor is a waste, but for master, it's perfectly appropriate." Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Come, try this beef again, see if there's anything that can be improved."
Grandpa Wang picked up his chopsticks, ate another piece of braised beef, took a sip of liquor, and smiled, saying, "It's already excellent, I can't offer a single complaint."
Zhou Yan refilled his glass, smiling, "Did you often buy braised beef from my grandmother's stall when you were young?"
After downing a glass of liquor and enjoying the braised beef he'd been craving for years, or perhaps it was the sight of familiar objects bringing back memories, Grandpa Wang gradually opened up, "Your grandma's braised beef was delicious. Back then, which wealthy family in Suji Town didn't love her braised beef? Our family had to call someone to buy it everyday..."
Zhou Yan was a good listener, always able to refill his glass at the right time, then pose the next guiding question or offer a positive response.
Grandpa Wang recounted some of his memories from his youth in Suji, recounting how he followed the Sichuan Army out of Sichuan, heading straight for Shanghai, and the first battle he fought was the Battle of Shanghai-Songjiang.
"It was too tragic! People were dying in heaps. Our Sichuan Army's weapons were too backward. Three or four people shared one gun, and there weren't enough bullets. The Japanese were good marksmen and well-trained. I watched my comrades fall one by one..." Grandpa Wang choked up as he spoke, then paused, "Later, a grenade exploded next to me, and I lost consciousness.
I thought I was dead, but I woke up in a field hospital. Later, I was transferred to the rear to recuperate for more than half a year. Because I had nothing to do, I assisted the foreign doctors at the church hospital, learning some English and becoming familiar with many medicines.
After recovering, thanks to the recommendation of a Nationalist general who was also recuperating in the hospital, I was transferred to Hong Kong to be responsible for purchasing urgently needed medicines from foreign countries. In 1940, during a trip, I unexpectedly saved someone, who turned out to be a Communist.
After more than a month of contact, I was impressed by their beliefs and ideals. I started reading books by Karl Marx, and thus began providing medicines to the guerrillas, becoming a Communist undercover agent."
"That's amazing!" Zhou Yan exclaimed, then asked with some curiosity, "Master, what was your code name when you were an undercover agent?"
"Code name..." Grandpa Wang picked up his liquor glass, took a sip, gazed into the distance, remained silent for a moment, and uttered two words: "Qi Yu."
"Qi Yu?" Zhou Yan's nose tingled with emotion.
In 1940, Qiu Qi's wedding to Duan Xingbang was already a year prior.
Yet he still used their names to form his code name.
How romantic!
Grandpa Wang touched his nose and smiled, saying, "I think it's like a serendipitous encounter, so I chose this code name."
You see, when a man lies, he has subconscious little gestures.
"There's not much else to say after that. General Liu's words, 'The enemy doesn't withdraw from the country, the Sichuan Army swears not to return home!'—we, the Sichuan Army, did it." Grandpa Wang smiled and said, "Look at our lives now, getting better and better. Everyone lives in peace and prosperity, and no one can bully us anymore."
"Yes." Zhou Yan nodded, filling his glass.
A simple "there's not much else to say" glossing over his contributions and the grievances he suffered.
Grandpa Wang understood the art of subtle persuasion.
What he wanted to hear, he said nothing of.
That won't do. He's eaten the braised beef and drunk the liquor; he'll definitely try to get some information out of him.
For example, why did he change his name?
Did he still have feelings for Qiu Qi in his heart when he never married?
Was it because he recognized Duan Yuyan as Qiu Qi's granddaughter that he paid for Duan Yuyan's meal yesterday?
Zhou Yan smiled and said, "My grandmother said that what impressed her most was a young man named Wang Yu who liked to buy braised beef from her. He would come every week and personally deliver it to a girl in Jiazhou City. Do you know this young man, Master?"
Grandpa Wang's hand holding the liquor glass stiffened. He looked up at Zhou Yan, his eyes flickering slightly.
Zhou Yan's smile was pure, without a trace of malice or impurity. "My grandma said that my grandpa went with him to fight the Japanese in Sichuan. During the battle in Shanghai, he even carried him through mountains of corpses and seas of blood to escape. They were separated later, and didn't see each other again until after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
My grandpa told my grandma that Wang Yu was a good person, an undercover agent, and even helped him collect information. Later, when he was drafted to North Korea, it was my grandma who submitted the information. I don't know what happened to Wang Yu afterward, but my grandma still remembers him fondly."
Grandpa Wang gently put down his liquor glass, looked at Zhou Yan, and sighed softly: "I am Wang Yu."