Senior Brother Zheng is still too witty.
Zhou Yan is going to be laughed to death by him sooner or later.
It's a pity there's no voice recorder, otherwise he would definitely record it so that Senior Master Uncle Xu can listen to it properly.
"This braised food, even your grandmaster has to go out with money to buy it from Zhou Yan's grandma to go with his drinks, I can't even learn it." Xiao Lei said with a smile.
"It's a family recipe passed down from Junior Brother!" Zheng Qiang suddenly realized, but was a little disappointed.
Family recipes are not passed down to outsiders, that's the rule.
He immediately lost interest.
He's still a person of principle after all.
Of course, it's different for those in the sect.
Zheng Qiang has already started pestering Xiao Lei to teach him how to make Steamed Pork Slices With Red Bean Paste.
He had learned from his master, but not very well. Now, realizing the importance of these steamed dishes in the banquet, he resolved to learn and practice diligently.
The bride and both sets of parents came over to toast, specifically expressing their gratitude to the three chefs.
From the smiles on the newlyweds' faces, Zhou Yan also felt the sense of accomplishment of being a chef at the banquet.
The guests had almost finished eating; of the thirteen dishes, except for the children's table, the other tables were almost completely empty.
Everyone patted their bellies, still wanting more.
Seeing his Second Uncle get up, Zhou Yan immediately stood up and quickly followed, tugging at his sleeve, "Second Uncle, are you going to announce the dinner time tonight?"
"Yes." his second uncle nodded with a smile.
Zhou Yan smiled and said, "What time? I'll call it for you, and I'll also spread the word for my master and Master Zheng. They're planning to partner up as a rural chef and take on banquets."
"The two of them partnering up? That's fantastic!" Second Uncle exclaimed in surprise, then laughed, "Look how happy everyone was today! They finished all the food, and everyone praised Master's cooking. Dinner is at 5:30 PM, and you can do whatever you want with the rest."
"Alright." Zhou Yan nodded, stood on the long stone slab by the door, and shouted loudly, "Friends and family! Dinner's at 5:30 tonight! Play cards or mahjong this afternoon, and there's plenty of tea and sunflower seeds for chatting. Have dinner before you go home!"
"Alright!"
The guests looked at Zhou Yan and responded with smiles.
"This is Zhou Yan! He made all the cold dishes today! He's still single, ladies! Take a look and see if you like him; you still have a chance!" someone shouted from the crowd.
The guests burst into laughter.
This young man is handsome, can cook, and is good at talking—truly a perfect match!
Zhou Yan immediately spotted Zhou Jie, who was laughing hysterically in the crowd.
Damn it! There's a bad guy in the crowd!
But he's thick-skinned and not afraid at all.
After everyone had finished laughing, he continued with a smile, "Did you all enjoy today's outdoor feast?"
"Very much!"
"I've never had such a delicious outdoor feast before!"
The guests nodded in unison; the empty plates on the table said it all.
"Everyone's satisfied makes my Second Uncle and Brother Hao happy. The fact that everyone enjoyed the meal shows that their hard work over the past half month wasn't in vain." Zhou Yan said with a smile. "For this banquet, we invited my master, Master Xiao Lei, the former head chef of the textile factory and a national second level chef, as well as Master Zheng Qiang, the head chef of Rongcheng Restaurant and a national third level chef. These eight steamed dishes and that braised fish are their masterpieces. They're very happy that everyone is satisfied."
"Wow! They're all masters!"
"No wonder the banquet food was so delicious today!"
"These national second level and national third level chefs are truly top notch!"
Some guests, unaware of the details, couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
Those who already knew the news, after finishing their meal, began to marvel at the reliability of the rating.
Zhou Yan's voice rose slightly: "Through this collaboration, these two Sichuan cuisine masters saw the demand for high quality outdoor banquets. They wanted to offer delicious blessings to every newlywed couple, every elder celebrating a birthday, and every newborn baby, allowing the host family to proudly welcome and send off every guest. Therefore, they decided to join forces to work as a rural chef.
The room fell silent for a moment, then many guests' eyes lit up.
Young people holding wedding banquets, elders celebrating birthdays, and babies celebrating their one month birthdays—there is indeed a demand for outdoor banquets.
Chefs of Master Xiao and Master Zheng's caliber are simply unavailable to ordinary households; everyone knows that.
These were the Old Zhou family's last minute hires, ensuring the outdoor banquet was a resounding success. Zhou Laoer was beaming with pride; for the next year, whenever outdoor banquets were discussed in Zhou Village, he would undoubtedly be mentioned.
But what was Zhou Yan saying? These two chefs are teaming up to run a rural chef business?
Wouldn't that mean everyone would have a chance to ask them for favors?!
Who doesn't want a grand wedding? A grand birthday celebration?
The most prestigious thing in this day and age is having guests who remember the meal fondly, even after they've left!
"Zhou Yan, how much does it cost for these two chefs to host a banquet?" an uncle asked.
The others also looked at him.
There are six or seven village chefs in Suji Town, charging between 1.5 and 3 yuan per table.
Zhou Ze and his group originally hired Zhao Si, who charged the highest price of 3 yuan per table. Because of his excellent cooking skills, everyone was vying to hire him.
Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang, either one of them could easily outshine Zhao Si. How much would it cost per table for a banquet hosted by the two of them?
While master chefs are great, if the price is too high, one has to consider whether they have enough money.
Zhou Yan raised his hands to signal everyone to quiet down, then announced loudly, "The chefs are skilled, but their pricing won't be out of touch with the common people. For their outdoor banquets, based on today's standards, it's three yuan per table if only the dishes are cooked. If it's a package deal including labors and ingredients, then it will be based on the menu set by the host. Prices will vary from place to place, but they will be absolutely fair and honest!"
The room quieted down for a moment, then everyone applauded, and the atmosphere became quite lively.
Three yuan per table!
That's incredibly reasonable.
Can Zhao Si's cooking compare to theirs? And he's charging three yuan per table!
Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang looked at each other, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
"Master Uncle, this Junior Brother is really eloquent, just like our manager." Zheng Qiang whispered.
Xiao Lei nodded: "He's quite talkative, I never realized that before."
Men change a lot as they grow up, huh?
What exactly did Zhou Yan go through in these past three months?
Is the harsh reality of society really that inspiring?
Aunt Zhao looked at Zhou Yan, her smile never fading. She was overjoyed and proud, even happier than wearing new leather shoes.
Zhou Miao was also grinning from ear to ear, his eyes fixed on Zhou Yan.
"That's my Guo Guo! He made all these dishes, isn't he amazing?" Zhou Momo pointed to the dishes on the table, her face beaming with pride.
"Your Guo Guo is so amazing!" a little boy exclaimed, his eyes shining.
"Momo, you're so lucky! You get to eat so much good food everyday!" a little girl said enviously.
A child protested, "That's nothing! My Guo Guo dares to eat poop!"
"My Guo Guo…" Zhou Momo thought for a moment, then shook her head, "He won't eat it!"
The adults nearby all laughed.
Then the child was dragged away by his brother, crying loudly.
Zhou Yan then announced loudly, "Oh, and let me introduce myself lastly. I'm the groom's younger brother, Zhou Yan. These four cold dishes are all made by me. I run a restaurant called Zhou Erwa Restaurant near the textile factory gate, and these four dishes will be available for sale starting tomorrow."
"Welcome everyone to dine at the restaurant! Of course, you can take away the braised dishes. If you usually have a large number of guests at home, you can pre-order and we'll deliver them to your door!"
"Friendly reminder: If you're holding an event on a set date, book your banquet early. There will definitely be more than one event on these auspicious days, but our chef can only host one event per day."
This immediately jolted everyone awake. The guests who had already set a time for their event immediately stood up and surrounded Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang, afraid that someone would beat them to it.
Even at the table in the courtyard, one guest quickly got up and headed towards the gate.
"Old Ma, where are you going?" Huang Chen asked.
"My son is having a banquet in two months. I'm going to book a chef too. Three yuan a table, what a bargain!" Old Ma said without turning his head.
Everyone at the table laughed.
Sun Yan smiled and said, "Old lady, your grandson is quite the talker. He's witty and humorous, explains things clearly, and isn't shy at all."
"It's not easy being a self-employed person these days. It's not enough to just cook well; you also have to be a smooth talker." the old lady said with a beaming smile.
Huang Chen also remarked with some emotion, "With that cooking skill and eloquence, he'll definitely be successful in the future. The country is vigorously developing the economy; these young people who are self-employed have a bright future."
"I haven't seen Zhou Yan for several months. I didn't expect his cooking to be so delicious, and his eloquence to have improved so much." the bride, Chen Yueyue, said with a light laugh to Zhou Hao after finishing her toasts and starting her meal.
Zhou Hao nodded proudly, "My younger brother has been smart since he was little. He deserves the most credit for making this banquet so successful and ensuring everyone had a great time."
"Cousin Sister, is he really still single?" a girl at the table asked quietly.
Chen Yueyue and Zhou Hao both looked at her.
"Zheng Shuang, are you interested in Zhou Yan? Then I'll introduce you two." Chen Yueyue said with a smile, "Zhou Yan is a good person, and he's reliable in his work."
'I...I was just asking casually.'"
Sitting nearby, Aunt Zhao was also surrounded by enthusiastic aunties, who recommended eligible girls from the surrounding villages—some were capable, some were pretty, and some had large hips, making them good for childbearing.
Zhou Yan, completely unaware of this, jumped down from the long stone and smiled as he looked at Master Xiao and Senior Brother Zheng, who were now surrounded by the crowd.
See, the situation opened up immediately!
People these days are still too reserved.
If you don't tell them loudly, they'll think you're a deity in heaven. Who would guess you've actually descended to earth to host a banquet?
Master resigned because of him, and now Zhou Yan has successfully gotten him back on the job.
This is part of the favor owed.
If the banquet goes well and builds a reputation, opening a restaurant and offering private banquets in the future will be very promising.
With a powerful duo like his master and Senior Brother Zheng, little Suji would definitely not be able to contain them. As long as they hold a few more banquets, the wealthy families in various counties and towns of Jiazhou would definitely be eager to have them host their banquets.
When orders become overwhelming, slightly increasing the price per order allows you to filter out high net worth clients and earn even more.
Many restaurants have grown this way, gradually expanding and strengthening their businesses through word of mouth.
Each banquet in the village caters to hundreds of different guests, and wedding banquets are highly discussed events in the village. If done well, they can quickly expand their reach.
This is why skilled village chefs are in high demand.
"Zhou Yan! My father's birthday is the day after tomorrow, and I'm planning to host a five tables banquet at home. I'd like to order five tables of cold dishes from you. Is that okay?" A voice interrupted Zhou Yan's thoughts.