Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

"I picked out the hat! It even has bunny fur inside," Zhou Momo said, pointing into the cap as if presenting a treasure.

Mrs. Zhao reached out to feel it, and her eyes instantly lit up. Flipping the hat inside out, she saw it was indeed lined with a layer of fluffy rabbit fur. "It’s fleece-lined!" she exclaimed. "This rabbit fur feels so smooth and comfortable! It’ll definitely be warm to wear in the winter."

"Zhou Yan, this hat wasn’t cheap, was it?" Zhao Hong asked, looking at Zhou Yan.

Mrs. Zhao also looked at him.

"It’s machine-knit and lined with rabbit fur," Zhou Yan replied. "It’s windproof. Eight yuan and twenty cents each."

"Eight twenty!" they both exclaimed.

"That’s so expensive!" Zhao Hong marveled. "For that price, you could buy enough yarn to knit a dozen hats."

Mrs. Zhao, however, said with a smile, "Hand-knit ones aren’t this comfortable. You can give it to your grandma later. To be honest, even I didn’t think to buy her a hat or some clothes, but the little girl here remembered her grandmother."

"Will do." Zhou Yan nodded and pushed his cart through the door.

Zhou Momo scampered in after him, opened her small money pouch, and pulled out a thick wad of small bills bound by a rubber band. She held it up to Zhou Yan. "Brother, for you!"

"Money for me? What for?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at her.

"There’s four yuan and ten cents here! I had Dad help me count it!" Zhou Momo said with a serious expression. "We bought the hat for Grandma together, so I have to pay for my half."

"You’ve got it all figured out, have you?" Zhou Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’He hadn’t expected the little one to be so serious.’

"No wonder she came back and asked me what half of eight-twenty was. She even had me count out four yuan and ten cents for her," Comrade Zhou said with a laugh as he walked in.

"Take it!" Zhou Momo insisted, pushing the money forward.

"Alright, I’ll take it," Zhou Yan said, accepting the money with a smile. "Then this hat is officially a gift from both of us to Grandma."

’This thick wad of small bills and coins was everything the little girl had earned and saved, bit by bit, from her "daily-paid sales jobs."’

’Zhou Yan had thought she was saving up for toys. He never expected she’d be willing to spend it all on a hat for their grandmother.’

Zhou Ming came to the restaurant after giving his statement at the police station. Zhou Yan had just finished prepping the ingredients for the evening service when he came out and saw Zhou Momo hugging Zhou Ming’s leg, whining playfully, "Mingming, teach me Martial Arts! I want to learn!"

"Alright, let’s start with the horse stance today," Zhou Ming said with a chuckle, immediately positioning the little girl. "That’s right, just squat like this."

The little girl had only been squatting for a moment before her legs started to tremble.

But she was stubborn, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to hold the pose... before her bottom plopped right onto the floor.

This sent all the adults into fits of laughter.

Zhou Momo giggled along with them. She propped herself up to get back on her feet, but her legs must have fallen asleep. She tried to stand, then sat right back down. Looking up at Zhou Ming, who was grinning from ear to ear, she said, "Mingming, my legs feel all tingly, like lots of little ants are biting them. I can’t stand up!"

"It’s normal for your legs to fall asleep," Zhou Ming said with a laugh. "When you can hold a squat for half an hour without them going numb, then you’ll have a pretty good horse stance."

"’Fallen asleep?’" The little girl looked down at her legs, completely puzzled. "But my legs aren’t sleepy. How can they fall asleep?"

That afternoon, Zhou Momo learned for the first time what it meant for one’s legs to fall asleep.

"Ming, what did the police say?" Zhou Yan asked.

Zhou Ming said, "The victims all gave statements, including the woman who was sexually assaulted. They’re looking at charges for armed robbery and assault—very serious offenses. The police are also investigating them for other crimes, so they’ll likely be sentenced harshly. The whole gang was from out of town. All four of them have been rounded up."

"That’s good," Zhou Yan nodded. ’With the way things are now, a harsh sentence means they’ll likely rot in prison for life, or even face a firing squad.’

’A one-time thief is one thing, but one that holds a grudge is a constant worry.’

’Catching the whole gang at once meant no worries about future retaliation.’

"Did you let yourself get stabbed on purpose?" Zhou Yan took a step forward and asked in a low voice.

Zhou Ming gave him a meaningful smile and didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, "They went after old people and women—those scumbags have no shame. We had to make an example of them. I bet the buses to Suji will be free of thieves for a long time to come."

"You’re something else!" Zhou Yan gave him a thumbs-up. ’Ming put himself on the line to lure those violent thugs into a trap.’

"You go have a seat. I’ll get started on dinner." He then turned and headed into the kitchen.

"Again!" Zhou Momo scrambled up from the floor and went back into her horse stance.

"Wow, Momo, you’re so tough! Aren’t your legs asleep?" Zhou Ming asked with a laugh.

"They’re not asleep!" Zhou Momo shook her head, completely ignoring her trembling legs.

"Mrs. Zhao, is stubbornness a family recipe?" Zhou Ming asked with a laugh.

"That’s just how it is. We Sichuan women are strong-willed from birth," Mrs. Zhao said, smiling broadly. "Look how perfect her stance is!"

After hearing that, Zhou Momo straightened her back even more... and then plopped right down on the floor.

"Are they asleep now?" Zhou Ming asked.

"They’re not! I’m just taking a break!" Zhou Momo shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes, but she fought to keep them from falling.

"You stubborn little thing," Mrs. Zhao chuckled, shaking her head.

Even from the kitchen, Zhou Yan couldn’t help but peek out, fighting back a laugh.

’A young dragon from Sichuan and Chongqing might fall, but will never surrender!’

Zhou Yan stir-fried a portion of quick-fried pork liver, a dish of red-braised ribs, and a plate of Twice-Cooked Pork. He also took some of the non-spicy braised items and sliced them up for a platter—one assortment of meats, and one of vegetables.

"Wow, so many dishes! They look delicious and smell even better." Zhou Ming took a seat, his gaze falling on the braised meats and vegetables. "Yan," he said in surprise, "have you mastered Grandma’s braising recipe?"

"I’ve been selling it in the shop for the better part of a month now. Have a taste and tell me if I’ve captured the essence," Zhou Yan said with a smile.