Siheyuan: Starting with one acre and three fen of land

Lou Zhenhua got out of the car, stood at the door of Emei Restaurant, looked around, and walked into the restaurant.

As soon as I stepped into the lobby, Zhang Mao came to greet me with a smile on his face, and his words were full of enthusiasm.

"Boss Lou, what a rare guest! You haven't been here for a while."

Lou Zhenhua was quite satisfied with Zhang Mao's attitude. He nodded slightly and bowed in return.

"Manager Zhang, you are still so enthusiastic. I have been too busy these days, and today I have some free time, so I thought of coming here."

Zhang Mao laughed, knowing that this was just a polite remark, but still showed his enthusiasm, and led Lou Zhenhua upstairs: "Boss Lou, is it still the same old rules?"

"Haha, of course." Lou Zhenhua responded with a smile. After a pause, he continued, "By the way, is Master He Yuzhu from your store here today?"

Hearing this question, Zhang Mao's eyes moved, and after a little thought, he nodded in response.

"Boss Lou is well-informed. Master He has just returned to the restaurant a few days ago. Do you want to taste Master He's cooking?"

Lou Zhenhua nodded with a smile in confirmation, and followed Zhang Mao to the door of the private room without stopping.

Zhang Mao pushed open the door and politely invited Lou Zhenhua to come in first. After Lou Zhenhua sat down, Zhang Mao skillfully made him a cup of tea.

"Don't worry, Chef He is in charge of the kitchen. I'll go and let them know later and I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the meal."

Lou Zhenhua took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out a two-yuan note, and gently pushed it in front of Zhang Mao: "Manager Zhang, your service is always so thoughtful and makes people feel like spring breeze."

Zhang Mao glanced at the coins on the table and bowed his hands to express his gratitude: "It is an honor for our restaurant to have you as a guest. Thank you for your reward! I will prepare the dishes for you right away."

After saying that, he picked up the two yuan on the table, turned around and left the private room.

Zhang Mao came downstairs, walked straight to the counter, and handed the two yuan he had just received to Ji Hongli.

"Wow, Boss Lou is still so generous." Ji Hongli couldn't help but teasing as she looked at the money on the counter.

Zhang Mao smiled and said, "There are only wrong names, but no wrong nicknames. His name Lou Bancheng is not for nothing."

Ji Hongli nodded and recorded the money.

Since the public-private partnership, the company has received tips from diners on a daily basis, and at the end of the month, it distributes relief to employees in need, and the employees also have a share of the benefits.

At this time, in the private room upstairs, Lou Zhenhua took a sip of tea and put down the teacup in his hand.

He turned his head and looked out the window, his eyes gradually becoming deeper.

Since the outbreak of the Northern War, the steel mill business has been booming. With government support, production capacity has been continuously expanded.

Of course, as the factory grows and develops, the factory's voice gradually becomes more prominent.

Lou Zhenhua's trusted subordinates originally held important positions, but they were punished for their dishonest conduct, which made him very angry.

As the public ownership transformation of private factories progressed, Lou Zhenhua found it increasingly difficult to keep going.

After the situation in the north stabilized, the social atmosphere underwent earth-shaking changes. It was not that Lou Zhenhua could not see the situation clearly, but this industry was really difficult to give up.

The crackdown on unscrupulous businessmen during the war made him anxious and worried, and it was difficult for him to make up his mind.

He will hold a dinner at his home next week to entertain some old friends to test the waters.

Lou Zhenhua came here today, not only to try out He Yuzhu's cooking skills, but also to try to get him to work at the steel rolling mill.

The factory's kitchen is really shabby and not fit for entertaining government officials.

Inviting him to a restaurant alone would be too high-profile. And now that the influence of the "Five Antis" campaign is still there, he is not very willing to attend the banquet.

The rhythmic knocking sounds of "Knock knock knock" woke up Lou Zhenhua who was immersed in deep thought.

The waiter came in with the dishes, smiling: "Boss Lou, your dishes are here. If you need anything else, just let me know."

Lou Zhenhua's eyes were attracted by the delicious food on the table. He nodded gently and waved his hand: "Okay, there is nothing else for the time being. You can go down first."

"Okay, please enjoy your meal!" the waiter responded respectfully and turned to leave the private room.

Only after the waiter left the private room did Lou Zhenhua pick up his chopsticks and begin to savor the delicacies on the table.

As soon as he took a bite, his eyes lit up and he was filled with admiration for He Yuzhu's cooking skills.

The temptation of delicious food made him forget his worries temporarily, and he began to eat the dishes on the table with relish.

After the peak dining time, there were fewer diners in the lobby.

Zhang Mao walked into the private room carrying a small plate of seasonal fruits. He placed the fruits on the table, glanced at the plates on the table, and smiled: "Boss Lou, are you satisfied with your meal?"

Lou Zhenhua looked at the fruits on the table and gave Zhang Mao a thumbs up: "Emei Restaurant is well-deserved of its reputation. It is worthy of being a big restaurant in the old city. The dishes and services are excellent!"

Hearing the compliment, Zhang Maoyu felt proud and the smile on his face became even brighter.

"Manager Zhang, I wonder if I can meet He Yuzhu? We are old acquaintances. His father used to manage the canteen in my factory." Lou Zhenhua took the opportunity to make a request.

Zhang Mao suddenly realized that eating was not the main purpose of Lou Zhenhua, he came here specifically to find He Yuzhu.

The kitchen staff was not too busy at the moment, so it would be okay to meet him. He immediately bowed and said, "Okay, please sit down for a moment. I'll go and notify Chef He."

"Then I'll trouble you!"

Not long after, He Yuzhu came to the private room from the kitchen. Zhang Mao had already told him the situation.

He knocked on the door, then opened it and walked into the room.

Seeing Lou Zhenhua sitting on the chair, He Yuzhu bowed and greeted him: "Boss Lou, you are still as charming as ever!"

Hearing his address, Lou Zhenhua smiled and waved his hand: "Zhu Zi, your father and I are close friends, so just call me Uncle Lou. Come, sit down and let's have a good chat."

When He Yuzhu heard his words of flattery, he raised his eyebrows and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

He walked to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down, waiting for Lou Zhenhua's next words.

After all, when He Daqing left a few years ago, Lou Zhenhua was sitting in the car and did not ask him to change his words.

Lou Zhenhua was not in a hurry. He picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea for He Yuzhu, and made a gesture of invitation.

"Haha, thank you very much!"

Seeing him like this, He Yuzhu knew that one must ask for something when giving a gift, so he was cautious in his heart and did not change his words to call him, but thanked him vaguely.

Lou Zhenhua smiled and nodded, and directly explained his purpose: "Zhu Zi, your Sichuan cuisine is already very good, I wonder how your father's Shandong cuisine and Tan cuisine are doing?"

He Yuzhu took a sip of tea, and when he heard the question, he put down the teacup: "The ingredients of Tan's cuisine are rare, and there is little practice. It should be slightly inferior."

What he said was the actual situation. Commander Chen and his colleagues seldom used precious ingredients. They usually cooked home-cooked meals with small quantities at each meal. The most precious ingredient they used was their own ginseng.

It is obvious that without these precious ingredients, the quality of Tan’s cuisine would be somewhat low-key.

After hearing his answer, Lou Zhenhua invited him: "Then I feel relieved. I will hold a private banquet at home next week and would like to invite you to be the chef. What do you think?"