The families of the five Wang'er Village villagers arrived, and the task of taste-testing was handed over to A Feng.
A Feng was very meticulous, offering suggestions on presentation for dishes that tasted good.
For those that looked good but lacked in taste, she provided guidance on areas for improvement.
The families of the five Wang'er Village villagers were deeply grateful to A Feng. With just a few minor adjustments, the dishes they made were completely transformed.
All five Wang'er Village villagers chose to contract a courtyard to operate a farmhouse restaurant.
After signing the lease contracts, Li Zhengguo forbade them from making their own signboards; the village would make them uniformly.
The signboards were simple and direct, and from Ku Shan Li Courtyard A to Ku Shan Li Courtyard E, the five signboards were quickly hung.
The Wang'er Village villagers asked Village Chief Li hesitantly, "Doesn't this signboard make guests feel a difference in status?"
Li Zhengguo nodded, "That's exactly the effect I want. I asked A Feng to rank them based on your families' cooking skills."
"Your dish prices will also follow this ranking. For example, a meat dish from Courtyard A will sell for five yuan, and from Courtyard B, it will be four yuan and fifty cents."
"For vegetarian dishes, Courtyard A will sell for two yuan, and Courtyard B for one yuan and eighty cents. Do you understand?"
The Wang'er Village villagers nodded, "Understood, understood."
This arrangement was excellent. The five households could directly set their prices, preventing price wars or disputes over customers.
If a guest believed they had chosen the best establishment, they would be willing to pay a higher price.
Those who couldn't afford the higher prices could opt for Courtyard E.
"However, we didn't choose our courtyards in order."
"It doesn't matter," Li Zhengguo waved his hand. "That's not necessary; it can be staggered."
The farmhouse restaurants were all set.
The electrical wires had already been run from the sheds on the west side of the village into the village. Li Zhengguo needed to go out.
Not only had Wan Zhongshan entered the back mountain, but Jiang Changrong and others had also gone in.
Li Zhengguo called for a security team member to accompany him.
No matter how well Wan Zhongshan spoke, he still needed to be vigilant.
They returned in just half a day, bringing with them staff from the broadcasting bureau.
Not only would loudspeakers be installed in the village, but also at the sheds on the west side.
Two teams busied themselves in the village for a few more days, and the village broadcasting room was established.
"Hello, hello."
Li Zhengguo softly tested the microphone, "Fellow villagers, our village will have electricity tonight at six o'clock. The night of light is about to arrive."
"Not only that, but in the future, when I need to address you, I won't have to shout at the top of my lungs into a battery-powered speaker."
"I can just sit here in the broadcasting room and speak at a casual volume to make your ears ring. Are you happy? Aren't you glad?"
The villagers...
Village Chief Li was becoming increasingly mischievous.
"Don't worry, once the matter in the back mountain is resolved, the wires and loudspeakers will be extended to Eagle Beak Peak."
"At that time, even if you hide in Eagle Beak Peak, I can still summon and scold you through the loudspeakers."
"You cannot escape. Work diligently and earnestly."
"Otherwise, your names will be remembered by the tourists through the loudspeakers."
The villagers...
To be singled out and criticized by Village Chief Li, and have tourists hear it?
Wouldn't that be what Team Leader Tian called social death?
Village Chief Li was going to be the death of them!
At the foot of the back mountain, Wan Zhongshan and his group had just disembarked from the helicopter when they heard the voice from the broadcast.
He couldn't help but chuckle. This Li Zhengguo had the villagers completely under his thumb.
However, from what he understood, these villagers used to be quite unruly.
Now, with Li Zhengguo dangling a carrot in front of them and whipping them from behind, they had indeed changed dramatically.
A rough demeanor combined with refined speech created a contradictory yet unique aura among the villagers of Ku Shan Li. Upon entering the village, they noticed a subtle difference.
Compared to more than ten days ago, something was different.
When they saw the five-person patrol teams, he understood; it was the involvement of these retired soldiers that brought a military-like vitality to the village.
Upon seeing Ku Shan Li Courtyard A to Ku Shan Li Courtyard E, he chuckled and asked his subordinate,
"Shall we go celebrate?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
The subordinates quickly agreed. They had searched for over three months to find the location of the formation.
Although Xie Wensheng hadn't found a way to break it yet, they had completed the first step.
It was indeed a difficult task that called for celebration.
Before descending the mountain, they didn't know about the new restaurants in the village. Now that their leader had suggested it, they naturally agreed.
"Then, shall we go to Courtyard E?"
The subordinates' eyes and mouths twitched in unison. Their leader was becoming more and more like Village Chief Li, finding joy in teasing his subordinates.
"Hahahaha."
Wan Zhongshan laughed heartily. "Jiang Changrong, go to Courtyard A and make a reservation. We need to go back and wash up; we smell awful. Remember to call down the pilots."
"Understood."
Business?
The cook at Courtyard A was thrilled. It was finally time to open. She was determined to perform at her best and create the most delicious dishes.
Li Zhengguo fiddled with the loudspeaker for a while, tuned into the People's Broadcasting Station, and then left the broadcasting room.
Knowing that Wan Zhongshan had found the location of the formation, he sighed silently.
A grand fanfare at the end, only to be met with thick dust. He wondered what kind of disagreement this mission would cause among those in higher positions.
...
The row of houses with courtyard fences on the south road of the village was also completed.
Tian Jing breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you all for your hard work. Shall I treat you to a meal at Courtyard A?"
Sister-in-law Niu shook her head, "No, no, it's too expensive. A plate of meat costs five yuan. After nurturing a melon seedling for over three months, I only earned a little over two yuan. How many drops of sweat did I shed in between?"
"Hahaha." The team members burst into laughter.
"Sister-in-law Niu, did you count the drops of sweat?"
"Sister-in-law Niu, why are you calculating for a single melon? Why not for a whole shed of melons?"
Sister-in-law Niu glared, "What's wrong with a shed? A shed is less than two thousand yuan, enough for you to eat out how many times?"
"Alright, alright, stop arguing."
Tian Jing knew Sister-in-law Niu's habit of frugality. "Everyone has worked hard for over two months. Let's go to the courtyard house and eat A Feng's cooking."
This suggestion was met with unanimous approval.
The villagers had heard of A Feng's culinary skills for a long time but had never had the chance to taste them.
Previously, there was a barrier between the villagers and the courtyard house. Later, the villagers were too busy to even eat their own meals.
Moreover, after Li Zhengguo became the village chief, the courtyard house had not hosted any guests, so the villagers had no opportunity to dine there.
Now, the opportunity had arrived.
They decided to go home, wash up, and then meet at the courtyard house.
Tian Jing went to the courtyard house first to inform A Feng.
She happened to meet the cook from Courtyard A, who had come to ask A Feng for advice.
Tian Jing waved at the distressed-looking A Feng, "Go prepare the ingredients; nine people will be dining later."
"Understood."
A Feng turned and left.
Tian Jing asked the cook from Courtyard A, "Do you have guests?"
Facing Tian Jing, the cook was more nervous than she was when facing Li Zhengguo, "Yes."
"Then do you know where A Feng learned her cooking skills from?"
"I, I heard her say it's an ancestral secret."
Tian Jing shook her head, "It's more than just an ancestral secret. Aren't your cooking skills also ancestral? Your grandmother taught your mother, and your mother taught you, right?"
"Her ancestors were imperial chefs. Those culinary techniques were not passed down. If she, a woman, learned them, she was not supposed to marry out."
"Village Chief Li asked her to taste the dishes, and she kindly gave you pointers. You should be content."
"I know you're nervous, but nervousness isn't a reason for someone else to betray their ancestral teachings, is it?"
"You can't come to her for advice every time there are guests, can you? Besides, if you ask, the other four cooks will surely come as well."
"Not only will you constantly disturb A Feng, but do you think you can keep your 'A' rating?"
"Being given 'A' means your cooking skills were already not bad. You should have confidence in yourself."
The cook from Courtyard A understood. She quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Team Leader Tian. Please convey my apologies to A Feng. It was my greed. I will never do it again."
"It's alright, it's alright."
Tian Jing waved her hand, "Who doesn't have moments of confusion? Go back and get busy."