Zheng was just too funny.

Zhou Yan figured he was going to die laughing because of Zheng sooner or later.

’It’s a shame there are no voice recorders now, or I’d definitely record this for Master Xu to hear.’

"This braised food... even your Master would have to take his money and go find Zhou Yan’s grandmother to buy some for his drinks. I haven’t been able to learn the recipe myself," Xiao Lei said with a smile.

"So it’s a family recipe of my junior brother’s!" Zheng Qiang said, enlightened but also a little disappointed.

Family recipes weren’t passed down to outsiders. That was the rule.

He immediately gave up on the idea.

He was a man of principle, after all.

Of course, skills from their shared school were a different matter.

Zheng Qiang was already pestering Xiao Lei to guide him in making sweet steamed pork with red bean paste.

He had learned it from his master before, but his skills weren’t refined. Now, realizing the supreme importance of these steamed dishes at a countryside banquet, he was determined to study and practice them diligently.

In the middle of the meal, the bride and both sets of parents came over to toast the three chefs and express their special thanks.

Seeing the smiles on the newlyweds’ faces, Zhou Yan also felt a sense of accomplishment as a banquet chef.

The guests were nearly finished eating. Of the twelve dishes, almost every plate on every table was picked clean, except for the children’s table.

Everyone patted their stomachs, still wanting more.

Zhou Yan saw his Second Uncle stand up. He quickly got up, hurried over, and pulled on his sleeve. "Second Uncle, are you about to announce the time for dinner tonight?"

"That’s right," his Second Uncle said, nodding with a smile.

Zhou Yan smiled. "What time? Let me make the announcement for you. I can also use the opportunity to promote my master and Master Zheng. They’re planning to partner up as countryside chefs and take on banquets."

"Those two are partnering up? That’s fantastic!" Second Uncle exclaimed in surprise, then smiled. "Look how happy everyone was eating today. All the food is gone, and everyone’s praising the chefs’ skills. Dinner is at five-thirty tonight. You can handle the rest of the announcement however you see fit."

"Got it." Zhou Yan nodded, hopped onto a long stone bench by the entrance, and shouted, "Friends and family! Dinner will be served at five-thirty tonight! This afternoon, feel free to play cards or mahjong. For those who want to set up a Dragon Gate Formation, there’s plenty of tea and melon seeds to go around. Don’t go home until you’ve had dinner, okay!"

"Alright!"

The guests looked at Zhou Yan and responded with laughter.

"That’s Zhou Yan, he made all the cold dishes today! And he’s single! Any young ladies without a partner, take a good look and see if you’re interested. You still have a chance to make your move!" someone in the crowd shouted.

The guests burst into roaring laughter.

This young man was handsome and talented, could cook, and was well-spoken—truly a good match!

Zhou Yan’s eyes immediately spotted Zhou Jie in the crowd, who was laughing his head off.

’Damn it! There’s a traitor in our midst!’

But he was thick-skinned and not afraid at all.

He waited for the laughter to die down, then continued with a smile, "So, this banquet today, was everyone satisfied with the meal?"

"Very satisfied!"

"I’ve never had such a delicious banquet in my life!"

The guests all nodded in agreement. The empty plates on the tables said it all.

"As long as you’re all satisfied, my Second Uncle and Hao are happy. The fact that you all enjoyed the meal proves their preparations over the last half-month were not in vain," Zhou Yan continued with a smile. "For this banquet, we invited the former head chef of the textile factory and a national Second-level Chef, my master, Master Xiao Lei. We also invited the head chef of Rongcheng Restaurant and a national Third-level Chef, Master Zheng Qiang. Those eight steamed dishes and that braised fish were their masterpieces. They’re thrilled that everyone enjoyed the food."

"Whoa! They’re both Grandmasters!"

"No wonder today’s banquet was so delicious!"

"That national Second-level and Third-level Chef ranking is the real deal!"

Some of the guests who weren’t in the know gasped in amazement upon hearing this.

Meanwhile, those who already knew were marveling at the reliability of the official chef rankings after finishing their meal.

Zhou Yan raised his voice. "After collaborating this time, these two Sichuan Cuisine Grandmasters have seen the demand for high-quality banquets. They want to offer delicious blessings to every newlywed couple, every elder celebrating a birthday, and every baby celebrating their first full month. They want to help hosts welcome their guests with their heads held high. That is why they’ve decided to join forces and become countryside chefs."

The crowd went quiet for a moment, and a light glinted in the eyes of many guests.

Young people holding wedding banquets, elders celebrating birthdays, babies having their full-month celebration—there was certainly a demand for banquets.

Chefs of Master Xiao’s and Master Zheng’s caliber were simply out of reach for ordinary families. Everyone knew that.

The Zhou Family had managed to hire these living legends on short notice, making this banquet a dazzling success. It brought great honor to Zhou the Second, and for the next year, any discussion of banquets in Zhou Village would surely include his name.

But what was that Zhou Yan said?

These two great chefs were going to team up and work as countryside chefs?

Didn’t that mean everyone would have a chance to hire them for their events?

Who wouldn’t want to get married in style? Or celebrate a major birthday with flair?

Having guests go home still talking about how good and delicious the meal was—that was the most prestigious thing one could achieve in this era!

"Zhou Yan, how much do these two great chefs charge for a banquet?" an uncle in the crowd asked.

The others all turned to look at him as well.

There were six or seven countryside chefs in Suji Town, charging anywhere from 1.50 to 3 yuan per table.

The one Zhou Ze and the others had originally hired, Zhao Si, charged the highest rate of three yuan a table. Because his cooking was good, people were still fighting to hire him at that price.

Either Xiao Lei or Zheng Qiang could wipe the floor with Zhao Si, so if the two of them were hosting a banquet together, how much would that cost per table?

Grandmasters were great, but if the price was too high, they’d have to check if they had enough money in their pockets.

Zhou Yan raised his hands to quiet the crowd, then announced clearly, "The chefs’ skills are top-notch, but their pricing won’t be detached from the masses. For a banquet of today’s standard, if they’re only responsible for the cooking, it’s three yuan per table. If they’re providing both labor and ingredients, the cost will be based on the menu set by the host. It’ll vary from family to family, but the price will be absolutely fair. Honest with young and old!"

The crowd was silent for a moment, then erupted in applause. The atmosphere was electric.

Three yuan a table!

That price was incredibly reasonable.

Could Zhao Si’s cooking even compare to theirs? And he was charging three yuan a table!

Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang looked at each other, and both saw the surprise in the other’s eyes.

"Martial Uncle, this junior brother of ours really has a way with words, just like our manager," Zheng Qiang said in a low voice.

Xiao Lei nodded. "He certainly does. I never noticed it before."

’A boy changes eighteen times on the way to manhood, huh?’

’What on earth has Zhou Yan been through these past three months?’

’Could the harsh beatings of society really be this motivating?’

Mrs. Zhao watched Zhou Yan, a smile never leaving her face. She was happy and proud, even happier than if she were wearing new leather shoes.

Zhou Miao was also chuckling nearby, a smile on her face as her eyes were fixed on Zhou Yan.

"That’s my Brother! He made all these dishes, isn’t he amazing?" Zhou Momo said, pointing at the dishes on the table with a proud expression.

"Your Brother is so cool!" a little boy said, his eyes shining.

"Momo, you’re so lucky! You get to eat so much delicious food every day!" a little girl said with an envious look.

One kid looked unconvinced. "That’s nothing! My brother dares to eat poop!"

"My Brother..." Zhou Momo thought for a moment, then shook her head. "He doesn’t eat that!"

The nearby adults all laughed.

Then that child was dragged away by his older brother, crying his eyes out.

Zhou Yan then continued in a clear voice, "Oh, right, let me introduce myself. I’m the groom’s younger brother, Zhou Yan. I made the four cold dishes today. I’ve opened a restaurant at the main gate of the textile factory called Zhou Yan Restaurant, and starting tomorrow, these four dishes will also be on sale."

"Everyone is welcome to come and eat at the restaurant. Of course, the braised dishes are available for takeout. If you need a large order for a party at home, you can also pre-order, and we’ll deliver it to your door!"

"A friendly reminder: If you’ve already set a date for an event, you should book your banquet early. Auspicious dates are in high demand, and our chefs can only handle one event per day."

His words were a wake-up call. Guests who had already fixed a date for their events immediately got up and crowded around Xiao Lei and Zheng Qiang, afraid someone else would beat them to it.

Even at a table in the courtyard, a guest quickly stood up and headed for the gate.

"Ma, where are you going?" Huang Chen asked.

"My son’s banquet is in two months. I’m going to book the great chefs too! Three yuan a table is too good a deal!" Ma said without looking back.

The others at his table laughed when they heard this.

Sun Yan smiled and said, "Ma’am, your grandson is quite a speaker. He’s witty, humorous, explains things clearly, and has no stage fright."

"It’s not easy being a private entrepreneur these days. It’s not enough to cook well; you have to have a way with words, too," the old woman said with a beaming smile, her face glowing with pride.

Huang Chen also remarked with some emotion, "With this level of culinary skill and this Oratory Skill, he’s bound to accomplish great things in the future. The country is vigorously developing the economy. There’s a great future for young people like them who become private entrepreneurs."

"I haven’t seen Zhou Yan in months. I didn’t expect his cooking to be so delicious, and his Oratory Skill has gotten so good too," the bride, Chen Yueyue, said with a light laugh to Zhou Hao. She had just started eating after finishing her toasts.

Zhou Hao nodded, his face full of pride. "My little brother has been smart since he was a kid. He deserves the number one credit for making this banquet happen and ensuring everyone was so happy and satisfied."

"Cousin, is he really still single?" a young woman at the same table asked in a low voice.

Chen Yueyue and Zhou Hao both turned to look at her at the same time.

"Zheng Shuang, are you interested in Zhou Yan? I can introduce you," Chen Yueyue said with a beaming smile. "Zhou Yan’s a good person, and he’s a steady, hard worker."

"I... I was just asking casually."

Mrs. Zhao, sitting off to the side, was also surrounded by enthusiastic aunties, all recommending eligible young women from the surrounding villages. There were nimble workers, pretty faces, and even some with big hips, good for childbearing.

Zhou Yan, completely unaware of this, hopped down from the long stone bench. He looked at Master Xiao and Zheng, who were now surrounded by a crowd, and a smile spread across his face.

’See? The situation has opened up just like that!’

’People these days are still too reserved.’

’If you don’t announce it loud and clear, they’ll think the gods are still up in the heavens. Who would have thought the gods had actually come down to the mortal world to cook banquets?’

His master had quit his job because of him, and now Zhou Yan had successfully helped him get back to work.

’I’ve paid back a part of that debt now.’

If they did a good job with the banquets and built a reputation, opening a restaurant and offering private catering in the future would be a very promising venture.

A powerhouse duo like his master and Zheng couldn’t possibly be confined to a small place like Suji. As long as they held a few more banquets, the wealthy families from all the counties and towns in Jiazhou would definitely be fighting to have them host their events.

Once the orders piled up and they couldn’t keep up, they could raise their prices slightly, filter for a batch of high-net-worth clients, and earn even more.

Many restaurants started this way, gradually growing bigger and stronger by accumulating a good reputation.

Every banquet meant facing hundreds of different guests, and weddings were highly discussed events in the village. As long as they did a good job, they could quickly break out of their circle.

This was exactly why skilled countryside chefs were in such high demand.

"Zhou Yan! The day after tomorrow is my old man’s birthday celebration. I’m planning to have five tables at home. Can I book you for five tables’ worth of cold dishes?" a voice interrupted Zhou Yan’s thoughts.