The news of Zhang Tianxing opening a barbecue stall quickly spread through the village.
"Liang Cheng, is your nephew taking over your restaurant and turning it into a barbecue place?"
"Ah, there's such a thing. Tianxing just graduated from high school, right? He's idle at home and has nothing to do. Since I can't open for business during this period, let the kids have some fun with it."
"Liang Cheng, you're a grown man, how can you be so muddled at such a crucial time? Shouldn't you think it over? No matter how close he is, he's still your nephew. What if he ruins your reputation? It wasn't easy for you to open a restaurant."
Liang Cheng responded, "It wasn't easy. What can be done when the sky wants to rain and a mother wants to remarry?"
He had worked as an apprentice for many years before getting the chance to be the head chef. He worked for many more years until he felt his skill was sufficient, and then he painstakingly opened a restaurant.
Before he could even recoup his initial investment, his hands started to tremble. For a chef, unsteady hands meant nothing could be accomplished.
This was frustrating. After this incident, Liang Cheng became indifferent to everything.
It was understandable for Zhang Tianxing to want to experience life by opening a barbecue stall with his classmates. It was perfectly fine. As for reputation, what was the use of reputation now!
With the right skills, one could handle anything. As long as he was given an opportunity, he would prove his abilities. It was a pity he couldn't do it himself anymore.
After all, he had spent so many years wielding a chef's knife. Liang Cheng was thoroughly familiar with all the ins and outs of a kitchen.
"A few high school kids, barely out of their teens, trying to open a business. Aren't they afraid of losing everything their families have?"
Hearing the neighbor's words, a surge of anger rose in Liang Cheng.
Did Zhang Tianxing eat your rice? Why are you meddling so much in other people's affairs?
If you have nothing to do, go back home and properly check your grandson's homework.
I think I saw your grandson standing outside school as punishment last time. Children need to be disciplined early on.
Just like trees, if you prune the branches when they are young, they will grow tall and straight.
If you keep cutting off the top, the tree will become a bonsai.
"I'm just offering some good advice. I even offered to help you catch crayfish. That stuff is animal feed, nobody eats it!"
"How about this, I have nothing else to do, I'll help you catch some. Money is not important, it's just that these crayfish are everywhere."
Seeing that Liang Cheng did not respond, the second aunt became furious and started cursing:
"I'm kindly advising you, and you ignore me? When your nephew makes you cry, you won't even have any regret medicine to eat. Your whole family is stubborn."
The village was small, but gossip traveled fast.
Several groups of people came to inquire about the news.
Wang Laowu came straight over and said, "Liang Cheng, if you don't want to run your restaurant anymore, just transfer it to me. I'll give you five thousand in cash, how about it? We're from the same village, I won't take advantage of you."
"Wang Laowu, I'm not selling my restaurant. You're too late. Come back in a few months, my nephew needs it now."
"How can you be so stubborn? You're an adult. Anyway, if you hand over the restaurant to your nephew, you won't get a penny. It's better to transfer it to me. Think about it, we're from the same village, I won't cheat you."
Unable to bear Wang Laowu's pestering, Liang Cheng said sternly, "I'm not selling my restaurant to you. As for my nephew, I'm happy to hand over the restaurant to him."
"Isn't your nephew doing well in his studies? I heard he's even preparing to go to university. Why open a restaurant? Isn't this a waste of time and money?"
"You don't need to worry about this. It's my family's business, and I make my own decisions. It has nothing to do with you. I have no intention of transferring the restaurant to you."
"Liang Cheng, don't be ungrateful. You'll regret it."
Liang Cheng felt a wave of helplessness. What kind of people were these?
Truly, a fallen phoenix was worse than a chicken. In his prime, no one in the entire village would dare to speak to him like this.
The past was different from today. Crayfish, which were clearly unwanted, were what Liang Cheng's nephew wanted to make into spicy crayfish.
It was truly wishful thinking. Did he really think money grew on trees, that it could be picked up by simply bending over? Clearly, he was out of his mind for money.
Liang Cheng glanced at the fields. The scenery of the fields was alluring. Forget it. He went home, picked up his net, put his bucket on the tricycle, and rode the tricycle towards the fields.
"Liang Cheng, where are you going? Let's have a drink together tonight." Someone called out to him on the street.
Liang Cheng shook his head. His nephew planned to make crayfish, so he, as his uncle, had to help out.
It was a pity he was frail and couldn't help much now. He would go to the fields to catch some crayfish for Zhang Tianxing tomorrow. That way, it would save some money.
Every bit counts. Small businesses are built by saving in inconspicuous places. Being extravagant is not a recipe for long-term business.
Treat guests generously, but be as frugal as possible with yourself. That way, the business can last longer.
There is an endless amount of money to be made, an endless road to travel, and an endless depth to human wickedness.
Although outsiders were not optimistic about Zhang Tianxing, Liang Cheng strongly supported him for a reason. Liang Cheng deeply knew that on the land of China, delicious food was always sought after.
After tasting spicy crayfish, Liang Cheng felt that crayfish would definitely be a hit.
There was no other reason. It was because he was a qualified chef and knew what kind of dishes would be popular.
Spicy crayfish perfectly fit these characteristics.
First, it was delicious. Anyone who had tasted it knew that every cell in their body would sing with joy.
Second, its appearance was appealing. The bright red shrimp bodies, combined with the oil, would awaken the appetite hidden deep within people's hearts.
Third, it was good value for money. Crayfish were not expensive now. As Chinese food lovers, one could not easily let go of crayfish, otherwise, it would be an insult to the term "food lover."
Liang Cheng arrived at the fields and cast his nets in the ditches. At this time, no one was catching crayfish.
So the harvest was abundant. Liang Cheng looked at his catch and pondered.
He wondered how many customers there would be on the first day of opening. However, in this magical land of China.
As long as someone opened for business, there would always be people who would come to try. It just depended on whether the business could last and win a good reputation.
Liang Cheng carefully selected the crayfish again. He remembered Zhang Tianxing's instructions: some crayfish should not be accepted, those with black bellies, or those that were clearly dying. In short, he wanted big, beautiful, and energetic ones.
No imperfect products were to be accepted, which made Liang Cheng want to complain. Those who knew would understand that Zhang Tianxing was making spicy crayfish. Those who didn't might think Zhang Tianxing was holding a beauty contest for crayfish.
Zhang Tianxing was a scholar of the Zhang family, considered a leader among the younger generation. The Zhang family had always been very open-minded, and they always supported Zhang Tianxing's ideas.
Moreover, Zhang Tianxing's request was not excessive. He merely wanted to experience working life in advance.
In any case, it was his own money, and he didn't have to pay rent. How much could he lose? He would also catch some crayfish himself.
This way, his expenses would be limited, and he wouldn't lose much. He was also letting his child experience life firsthand.
Only by enduring the hardships of life would one cherish a good life.
This was a consensus reached by Zhang Tianxing's previous generation. Although they lacked formal education, they knew one thing: never spare the children, and never be poor in education.
Most people would go through hardship in life. If they didn't endure the hardships of life, they would endure the hardships of learning. Some difficulties had to be faced sooner or later.