antique masters in modern times

Yanyou is good at restoring antiques and is most sensitive to the physical properties of various materials.He has been exposed to various modern banknotes before, and knows their thickness geometry.After a rough estimate, it was deduced that the envelope contained at least seven or eight hundred yuan.

He also thought about how much compensation he should charge before, but he never thought that Mr. Mo would be so generous.He hastily said, "Old Mo, you can't do it."

Mo Lao didn't make a sound, first refilled the broken cup with tea, and then said: "I've been calling you little friend, but I even forgot to ask for your name."

"My name is Yanyou." As he spoke, he pushed the envelope forward: "Old Mo, this salary is too much."

Seeing that Yan You still refused, Mr. Mo couldn't help but admired it.

In the seemingly random moment just now, he has already tested Yan You's sincerity: If someone who seemed angry but happy, saw that he was calm, he would definitely accept the money with a few perfunctory words.This little friend not only has a calm insight that exceeds that of his peers, but also has stronger concentration than adults.Such a good seedling is very pleasing to the eye, so I must help him!

Compassion does not command soldiers, righteousness does not engage in business, working hard on Hong Kong Island for many years, Mo has long cultivated a heart of stone.But when he returns to his long-lost hometown, no matter how hard-hearted a person is, he will unconsciously soften his attitude.What's more, ever since Yan You said those words, Mo Lao had a good impression of him.

For Mr. Mo's current wealth and status, helping an ordinary person walk more smoothly is nothing more than a small effort.That being the case, why not do it?

He raised his hand and pressed down lightly, stopping Yan You who was still about to talk, Mo Lao smiled and asked, "Yan You, are you already working now?"

Yan You nodded, a little strange, because he didn't mention it.

Mo Lao pointed to his clothes and his fingers: "The factory uniform you are wearing fits well, not like an adult's. Also, after returning to the city, I also met a few distant relatives and juniors. Anyone who is studying, There are always ink marks in your nails that can't be washed off, but you don't. Maybe you are not old enough to work. So I guess, your family conditions are not very good, so you came out to work early. "

Only then did Yan You suddenly realize: Mo Lao is not a prophet, but just as good at observing as himself.

"You are a smart kid. I don't want you to be delayed. Don't refuse any more. You can keep the money first. If you are really worried, return it to me after you have learned something." Mo Laoyu said earnestly : "Don't lose face and delay your life for a moment of pride. Even in history, there is no strong man who is smooth sailing. As strong as Li Shimin, there are times when he is forced to form an alliance under the city."

Yan You is not a member of Xuan Jie, but he just feels that selling such a high price for something he bought for nothing violates his business principles.

Just as he was about to speak, Mr. Mo spoke first again: "Besides, I've been looking for it for decades, and it so happened that your family kept it for me. Even if this money is converted into a storage fee, it's only one yuan a month."

Hearing Mo Lao's witty words, Yan You had a good time.Even Xiao Fang, who was not quite right with him, smiled and said, "Just accept it, don't disappoint Mo Lao's good intentions."

Speaking of this, Yan You thought it better to accept it first, the money plus the scholarship should be enough to renovate the house, and maybe there will be a living allowance left over for Grandma Luo.He is confident that as long as the current difficulties are over, at most two or three years, he will be able to make a name for himself.At that time, double the money and return the money, which is the best of both worlds.

Thinking of this, he said, "Then thank you, Mr. Mo. I owe you the money. When I have the ability, I will definitely return it to you."

Seeing that he spoke neither humble nor overbearing, Mo Lao became more and more satisfied: "Okay, I will give you a business card, just come to me if you need anything."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Fang took out a well-printed business card and handed it to Yan You with great winking.

The reason why Mo Lao left his contact information was not because he was really waiting for Yan You to pay him back.It's just a disguised reminder to Yan You that you can still go to him if you have difficulties.

Seeing through this meaning, Yan You respected Mo Lao even more.The old man is a real person, and he does not want to repay his kindness, unlike some people, who make a small favor of sesame and mung beans known to the world, for fear that others will not know.

He didn't point out what Mo Lao meant.Looking at the three big characters "Mo Pingjiang" on the business card, he said solemnly: "I will definitely live up to Mo Lao's wishes."

"I believe in you." Mo Lao shook his hand with a smile, and then let go: "After talking for so long, it's almost dark, you can have dinner with me, the old man."

"What are you talking about, I should eat and drink with you." Yan You joked.

In a car, the three of them came to a restaurant called Dongxing Building.This restaurant originated from the Shun Dynasty of Qing Dynasty and specializes in home-cooked dishes, claiming to be the most authentic flavor of Sijiu City.

It's rare for Mr. Mo to go back to China, so he naturally wants to pick up some specialties from his hometown, but he has eaten all over the famous restaurants in the past few days and is not satisfied.After Shaoqing’s dishes came to the table, he grabbed the shredded fried chicken with his chopsticks, tasted it, and immediately shook his head regretfully: "Oh, it’s not the same taste as it was back then. Stir-fried dishes not only need to be heated, but also need to be prepared with care. Now None of the masters can do it as finely as before, and the old flavor has been broken."

Yanyou also visited the unrenovated Dongxing Building many times with his guests.For him, it was only a month or two ago, so he still remembers the taste of the restaurant's special dishes very vividly.

Immediately, he took a piece of the shop's signature jujube paste square garden, took a bite, and frowned: "That's wrong, it's too sweet."

"Yo, it's really like this." After tasting it, Mo Lao frowned, but he became more and more convinced that Yan You had a special origin.

It should be known that the elders in these four or nine cities are the most particular, but there are also three, six, and nine grades of exquisiteness.Take the dishes of Dongxing Building as an example, people who have eaten them once or twice by chance will not be able to tell the difference in taste at all.Only regular customers can taste the spoon from the master chef or the stove from the new apprentice.In the past, during the war, ordinary people tried their best to get money from their teeth, and they were rarely willing to eat out.Anyone who can be a regular customer of this restaurant must have a good family background.

He guessed that Yan You often came to the store with his elders when he was a child.At that time, the master chef was still there, so I remembered the taste, even if my family was in trouble later, I didn't forget it.

Earlier, he presumptuously labeled Yan You as a down-and-out kid.But because he lived on Hong Kong Island all year round, he didn't know much about the mainland. He didn't expect that at Yanyou's age, when he remembered, it was the eve of the eradication of chaos. Even if they have money in private, ordinary people dare not go to restaurants to eat and drink, lest they make mistakes.

Yanyou didn't know that Mo Lao had guessed half of his origin correctly.Seeing Mr. Mo's thoughtful look, he thought it was a secret regret for not eating the taste in memory, so he said: "Mr. Mo, I can make a few side dishes, and the taste is not bad. If you don't mind, Shall I make you two?"

"Really?" Mo Lao's eyes lit up, "Yanyou, what kind of food do you cook?"

"It's all home cooking, mainly stir-fried."

When Yanyou was poor in his early years, he had to cook for himself.At that time, I didn’t pay much attention, and I ate whatever I could afford.Later, the conditions gradually improved, and he wanted to learn everything he liked, so he took the opportunity to ask famous chefs for tips.

Although it is impossible for people to know all the unique skills of the family, the one and two points revealed in the words are enough for Yan You to practice good cooking skills.Although the palace banquet cannot be rectified, family banquets and small gatherings are not a problem.

Mr. Mo said enthusiastically: "The real skill is to cook the home-cooked dishes well. Xiaoyan, you can make me some fried shredded chicken and raw fried duck slices."

"no problem."

It has never happened in Dongxing Building that the guest has to cook the stove by himself just after moving the chopsticks.The waiter originally thought that the guests at this table were sick, but as soon as Xiao Fang revealed his identity as an overseas Chinese, he put on a smiling face and persuaded the chef to let the kitchen out.

When Yan You walked into the kitchen, the chef standing at the door, whose waist was almost as tall as the gasoline barrel, immediately spit in a low voice, and cursed softly: "Virtue! What a stinky air! I'd like to see what delicacies he can cook."

"Master, it seems that he also wants to catch fried chicken shreds." The apprentice who has not yet left the master secretly peeped in: "Hey, the chicken shreds must be seasoned before being put into the pot? Master, this is different from what you taught me." ..."

"You look down on me, you recognize him as your master!"

Feeling the master's anger, the little apprentice shrank his neck, not daring to say anything, but his eyes kept following Yan You's movements, wondering what this young man younger than himself could cook.

After a while, with the sound of hot oil being poured into the pan and the sound of stir-frying, the air was filled with an unspeakable delicious smell.The little apprentice involuntarily took a sip of saliva, and was about to speak when he saw Yan You walking out with a tray.

The dishes on the plate are bright in color and fragrant, which is completely different from what the restaurant made before.But the portion is very small, there are only a few chopsticks in the medium white plate, not enough for a big belly guest to eat two bites.The little apprentice was about to ask the reason, but Yan You had already walked back to the box.

"Master, how about... let's go and have a look?"

"Look at your disappointment!" The chef cursed, but his face was not as ugly as it was at first.As soon as he smelled the first ray of aroma, his original resentment turned into surprise: this aroma is similar to the dishes made by the national special chef who came to their training class to give lectures. How could a young boy be so delicious? Can it be done?Maybe I remembered it wrong?

With doubts, he couldn't help but follow behind the little apprentice, and quietly lay down on the wall of the box.

I only heard Mo Lao's surprised voice coming from inside: "Well, well, not only does it look good, but it also tastes better! It's the same taste as before! Xiaoyan, it seems that your family has a long history!"

Xiao Fang asked suspiciously: "Old Mo, why is the portion so small?"

Mo Lao squinted his eyes and chewed the duck meat in his mouth carefully. After eating, he was still in a daze for a long time before answering Xiao Fang's question: "What do you know, one of the keys to the stir-fry in the past is the amount. The dishes are served in small servings. For a seat of eight people, each person will be gone with a chopstick. After eating this plate, let it be cooked on the stove. Once the portion is too large and the fire is not in place, the taste will not be authentic. You Look now, the dishes are all full of a big plate, can the taste be the same as before?"

The little apprentice who was quietly listening to the corner outside heard this, and immediately poked the master: "Master, it turns out to be such a truth."

"Shut up and listen carefully!" The chef reprimanded in a low voice, but he kept this point in his heart and decided to try another day.

At this time, a guest from a box next to him came out suddenly, saw two people in aprons and white hats in front of him, and said quickly: "Comrade chef, what kind of food do you want in this room? It smells delicious, and we can do the same Come and have one."

Such a common request made the chef blushed, unable to speak.Did he have the nerve to say that the guest thought he was bad and did it himself?

Fortunately, the little apprentice was clever and quickly smoothed things over: "I'm really sorry, guest, this is made with the ingredients prepared according to the reservation, and there are no ingredients today."

"Yes, what a pity."

The guest returned to the box with regret on his face.The chef who saved his face wiped the sweat from his brow, secretly thankful that he was not ashamed.

But he didn't know that after the energetic old man took his seat, he said to the people around him: "I don't think this building needs to be moved elsewhere. It has a unique job. You can bring the old leader to try it tomorrow, maybe that thing will happen." it's here."

Because of these words, there was some trouble later on, which made the chef want to cry for a long time.However, this is all for later.

At that moment, Mr. Mo ate two bowls of rice with two servings of stir-fry, still feeling unsatisfied.Seeing this, Yan You offered to cook a few more dishes, but was stopped by Mo Lao: "No, no, I invite you to dinner, but let the guests cook, it is very rude. If you continue to do it, pass it on in the future." If I speak out, my surname Mo will be ashamed to face others."

This is the rule of the older generation, to be decent in everything, and to save enough face for the guests.Although Yan You had the appearance of a young man, he was out-and-out old-fashioned on the inside, and he was no longer stubborn at the moment, he just said: "Then if you want to try again someday, you can come to the No. I entertain you."

"Haha, Xiaoyan, I appreciate your kindness, but I will return to Hong Kong Island tomorrow. I will taste your handicrafts when I go to the mainland next time."

If Mr. Mo was satisfied with Yan You only five points before, then after this episode, it has already risen to ten points.Firstly, this incident proved that I was right, which made the old man very happy; secondly, it was naturally the power of food.No amount of money can buy the taste of childhood that I can never forget again.

After saying goodbye to Mo Lao, Yan You returned to the dormitory.Grandma Luo thought he was looking for a classmate again, so she didn't ask any more questions, and just urged him to go to bed.

With his back on his back, he quietly counted the money in the envelope, and found that there were actually 800 yuan. Yan You was even more grateful to Mr. Mo.

Putting the money under the mattress, Yanyou looked back and saw that grandma was still papering the matchbox with a light bulb of more than ten degrees, and couldn't help but said: "Grandma, don't bother doing this. I met a friend recently, and I helped him practice I opened a stall a few times and made a fortune. If I do it for a while, I should be able to fix the house.”

On the way back he thought of an excuse.If you earn money to repair the house and buy things, there must be a reasonable explanation for the changes in the family.But everyone knew that Yan You didn't understand antiques at all, so it was impossible to say that he made money from antiques.

After thinking about it for a long time, he had an idea. He thought of the experience that Zhu Dao told himself at the small stall that night, and decided to use the stall as an excuse.Anyway, according to his observations along the way, there are quite a few people quietly setting up stalls in Jianbei Lane in the city.

However, if you say that you can earn enough money to repair the house in a few days, it would be too suspicious.Yan You decided to wait another month, and then he said that he would work during the day and set up a stall at night, and also go to help others on weekends, so he saved enough money in a short period of time.

But even so, Grandma Luo was extremely surprised: "Xiaoyan, how can you go into business? Be careful of being tricked into doing illegal things."

"No, grandma, I'm a dumb person who eats dumplings, and I know what to do. I won't be cheated."

Grandma Luo still couldn't believe it.In the eyes of the elderly, making money is a very difficult task, how can it be so fast?She stopped her work and questioned her grandson for a long time.Fortunately, Yanyou was well prepared. Not only did he not show his flaws, but he also convinced his grandma that his grandson was not deceived, but just met a kind person and had an opportunity.

"Xiaoyan, if you invite that Zhu Dao over some other day, we have to thank him well. If it wasn't for his help, we wouldn't be able to have the money to build a house so quickly." Grandma Luo is a person who knows how to repay her kindness.

"Of course, but he's a bit busy, so I'll tell you when I make an appointment." Yan You thought, even if grandma didn't mention it, he still had to invite Zhu Dao to show his face, so as to block other people's suspicions.