Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

"We’re not visiting the graves for another two days. Ming, why are you back so early? Was it that easy to get time off?" Zhou Yan asked.

Mrs. Zhao and the others also looked at Zhou Ming.

"I was transferred back to train the martial arts team at Jiazhou First Middle School. My old master is coaching the team there now. As the national champion in Emei Fist, I’m considered a distinguished alumnus coming back to guide the younger students," Zhou Ming said with a smile. "I’ll probably be here until the New Year. It’s also a good opportunity to find a grandmaster of the spear and see if I can become their disciple."

"Don’t you already have a school?" Zhou Yan asked, confused.

"The country is focusing on the preservation and inheritance of traditional culture now, and Emei Martial Arts has been included on the list. They need to collect and organize related materials, and I’ve already signed up to help." Zhou Ming put down his chopsticks and explained with a smile, "Fewer and fewer people are learning martial arts these days. Many styles are dying out because there’s no one to carry them on. I find it a real shame, and it pains me. For the past two years, I’ve been visiting old masters and martial arts families, learning from them and compiling a lot of information."

"Even though martial arts are becoming less practical for combat and competitions are mostly focused on routines, these skills, honed and polished by our ancestors for thousands of years, shouldn’t just fade away into silence. As a Martial Artist, I feel it’s my responsibility to do something. I might not be able to make it flourish, but at least I can help it leave a mark."

Zhou Yan looked at him, filled with a newfound respect.

’I thought he was just a crude brawler, but he actually has such passion and ambition!’

In his memory, Emei Martial Arts was later added to the national intangible cultural heritage list.

It couldn’t be helped. As a signature of Jiazhou, it was just too famous. As a food blogger who frequently traveled between Jiazhou and Mount Emei, he had naturally heard a thing or two.

’There must be many people like Zhou Ming working silently behind the scenes.’

After dinner, Zhou Ming played with Zhou Momo for a while. Seeing that the shop was getting busy, he said his goodbyes and left.

"HI-YAH! HA—" Zhou Momo struck a proper-looking stance in the open space in front of the door and threw a few punches. After a while, she got tired, ran back to the braised food stall, and sat down to continue her "daily-wage sales position."

"Great-uncle!" Zhou Momo suddenly stood up and ran to a bicycle parked at the restaurant entrance. She looked up at Zhang Zhengping and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

Hearing this, Zhao Tieying also looked toward the entrance and asked with a smile, "Uncle, why don’t you come sit inside?"

"Not yet. I just gave Li Hua her acupuncture treatment, and then I got to chatting and lost track of time," Zhang Zhengping said with a smile. "I won’t come in. I need to get home for dinner. Tie Ying, pack me some pig’s head meat and a pound of braised vegetables. I’ll take it back to have with some drinks with Third Sister. Put in some extra dried tofu."

"You got it!" Zhao Tieying replied with a smile.

On the side, Zhou Miao had already cut and packed the pig’s head meat and braised vegetables. He walked over and placed them in Zhang Zhengping’s bicycle basket.

"How much is it?" Zhang Zhengping asked with a smile, taking out his wallet.

"Uncle, I can’t take your money," Zhou Miao said gently as he went back to cutting meat. "Ride home safely now. It’s getting dark."

"If you don’t take my money, I won’t come back next time." Zhang Zhengping took out a one-yuan bill and handed it to Zhou Momo, saying with a smile, "Momo, you take this."

"Okay." Zhou Momo took the money, grinning. "Then you have to come back next time, okay?"

"Of course. Momo is such a good girl, your great-uncle will definitely come back," Zhang Zhengping smiled, reached out to pat the little one’s head, then got on his bike and left.

"Hey boss, how come he gets to cut in line?" someone in the queue grumbled.

Zhou Miao said calmly, "That’s my uncle. He’s taking it home to have a drink with my old lady."

"The Thunder God rules the sky, and an uncle rules on earth. Heaven is big, the earth is big, but an uncle is the biggest of all. I’ve got no problem with it," the man who had spoken before replied.

The crowd laughed.

Zhou Momo ran back, stood on her tiptoes to drop the one-yuan bill into the cash box, and looked up to whisper, "Daddy, you should buy Great-uncle something next time. If you don’t take his money, he won’t come back."

"Alright." A small smile touched the corner of Zhou Miao’s mouth as he nodded.

"So the little one is teaching her old man about the ways of the world, huh?" Zhao Tieying couldn’t help but laugh when she heard that.

"Zhou Yan, a letter for you!" The postman shouted, pushing his bicycle with difficulty through the crowd.

"Here! A letter for my brother! Is it from Mountain City?" Zhou Momo immediately hopped over, raising her little hand and shouting.

"Your brother’s name is Zhou Yan?" The postman looked at the little girl, smiled, and nodded. "That’s right, it’s from Mountain City."

"Yes, my brother’s name is Zhou Yan." Zhou Momo nodded her head and raised her little hand. "I swear! It’s true!"

"Zhou Yan is in the kitchen cooking. You can give it to him," Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

"Alright." The postman handed the letter to Zhou Momo.

Holding the letter high, Zhou Momo turned and ran toward the kitchen, yelling, "Brother! A letter from Yaoyao came! It’s a letter from Yaoyao!"

Zhou Yan was moving his spatula so fast it seemed like it was about to create sparks. He turned to look at her and said with a laugh, "You hold on to it for me. I’m too busy to read it right now."

"Oh!" Zhou Momo nodded obediently and ran to sit behind the stove. Cradling the letter in her hands, her eyes were full of anticipation. "Brother, what do you think Yaoyao wrote?"

"Maybe she’s praising how nice your drawing is," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Really?!" Zhou Momo’s face lit up with a brilliant smile, wishing she could tear open the letter right then and there. After a moment’s thought, she added, "Oh, right! Great-uncle came to buy braised meat just now, and I took one yuan from him. Because he said if Daddy didn’t take his money, he wouldn’t come back next time."

"Good idea. We’ll buy him a little something later," Zhou Yan said with a nod and a smile. ’That old man is just as stubborn as the old lady.’

Zhou Momo held the letter and kept watch behind the stove. Seeing how busy Zhou Yan was, she didn’t pester him. Instead, she picked up some small twigs from the nearby firewood pile, tossing them into the stove one by one, muttering in a tiny, sweet voice: