Chapter 189: Uncle Jiu, You Are Doing Me a Favor
The county theater, located on North Street, was just a few dozen meters away from Bobai Normal School.
The full name of the county troupe was the County Tea Picking Troupe. Its predecessor was the County Cultural Center. In November 1959, it was renamed the County Art Troupe, then changed to the County Art Guidance Group in 1961, and later to the County Art Team in 1965. It wasn't until the beginning of this year that it became the County Tea Picking Troupe.
On this day, Deng Shirong visited the county troupe again and found Director Zhou, who wasn't out performing.
After exchanging pleasantries and sharing a few cups of tea, they got down to business.
Deng Shirong said, "Captain Zhou, my eldest granddaughter was born two days ago!"
Captain Zhou quickly raised his teacup. "Congratulations, Uncle Jiu. Let me toast you with tea instead of wine."
Deng Shirong smiled and clinked his cup with Captain Zhou's. After finishing his tea, he continued, "I came here today to follow up on the matter I mentioned to you last time. I plan to hold a full moon banquet for my eldest granddaughter on the 17th day of the 11th lunar month and would like to invite your troupe to perform. Is that possible?"
Captain Zhou's face lit up with a smile. "Of course, no problem. We'll perform the piece 'A Flower.' Does that sound suitable, Uncle Jiu?"
Deng Shirong laughed. "That's a wonderful choice. Let's go with that."
Captain Zhou nodded. "As long as you're satisfied, Uncle Jiu, our troupe will be there on time on the 17th of next month."
Deng Shirong added, "The room will be the same one you stayed in last time. I haven't dismantled the stage I built either."
Captain Zhou smiled. "That's great. Our troupe has performed in the countryside many times, but the most comfortable place to stay is still your house, Uncle Jiu. And, of course, the young men and women in our troupe will never forget your cooking skills, which rival those of a master chef."
Deng Shirong chuckled. "When you come, I'll cook for you myself. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Captain Zhou smiled gratefully. "Then I'll thank you on behalf of our troupe members."
After concluding their business discussion, the two chatted over tea for about ten more minutes before Deng Shirong bid farewell and left.
Deng Shirong and his family didn't stay in the county town for long. A week after the child's birth, they packed up and prepared to take a bus back to their hometown.
Before leaving, Deng Shirong once again visited the gatekeeper across the street to share a smoke and chat.
While stuffing tobacco into his pipe, Deng Shirong said, "Brother Zhang, our family will be taking a bus back to our hometown soon. Please keep an eye on my house and make sure no troublemakers sneak in."
Zhang Guoan smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Uncle Jiu. With me here, no one dares to mess with your house."
Deng Shirong lit the tobacco with a match, took a few puffs, and then said, "I'll probably stay in my hometown until after the New Year before coming back. I'm thinking of having my eldest son and daughter-in-law stay in the county to start a business. If it takes off, I'll need to hire a few people to help.
So, Brother Zhang, please keep an eye out for suitable candidates for me during this time."
Zhang Guoan's eyes lit up at this. In this era, finding work wasn't as easy as it would be in later years. For rural folks, securing a job was a significant challenge.
Now, Deng Shirong was asking him to recommend suitable candidates, which Zhang Guoan saw as a great opportunity to do a favor.
"Uncle Jiu, recommending candidates won't be a problem, but what are your hiring criteria?" Zhang Guoan asked eagerly.
Deng Shirong gave a hint. "I plan to open a restaurant. First, I plan to hire a security manager. This role doesn't involve much work—just keeping the place secure and preventing trouble."
Zhang Guoan immediately understood. Unlike state-owned restaurants, private establishments were vulnerable to troublemakers. Hiring someone to maintain order was a smart move.
"Uncle Jiu, I have the perfect candidate for this job. He's my cousin, just two years older than me. He's highly respected in our village. If you hire him, very few people would dare to cause trouble at your restaurant."
Deng Shirong was pleased. This was exactly the kind of person he was looking for. "Brother Zhang, I'll leave this to your cousin. We can discuss the salary after the restaurant opens."
Zhang Guoan nodded. "No problem. Are there any other positions you need to fill?"
Deng Shirong took another puff of his pipe. "I also need a chef and two waitresses. The chef should be skilled in cooking and able to follow instructions. The waitresses need to be hardworking, presentable, aged 18 to 25, and preferably fluent in both Dilao and Hakka."
Although Deng Shirong had trained his nephew in basic cooking skills, his nephew was still more suited to home-cooked meals than restaurant-level cuisine. Restaurant chefs needed to work quickly, especially during peak hours, which required practice and experience.
As for the waitresses, Deng Shirong didn't want to rely solely on relatives. Hiring local women who were fluent in both Dilao and Hakka would help avoid communication issues, as not everyone in the county spoke Hakka.
Zhang Guoan nodded thoughtfully. "I have suitable candidates in mind for these positions. Once your restaurant is up and running, I'll recommend them to you."
Deng Shirong felt relieved. Having a local with a wide network made recruiting much easier. "It's settled then. I'll discuss hiring with you, Brother Zhang, after the restaurant opens next year."
Zhang Guoan smiled. "No problem. I'll wait for your good news. You can trust that the people I recommend will be of good character."
Deng Shirong took a few more puffs of his pipe, then set it aside. "Brother Zhang, you've fought against the Japanese before. Of course, I trust your judgment completely. I'll leave this matter to you."
Through their interactions, Deng Shirong had learned that Zhang Guoan was a veteran who had fought against the Japanese. If not for his low education level and his reluctance to burden the country after retiring from the army, he could have held a much higher position than a court security guard.
Zhang Guoan laughed. "What trouble are you talking about? Uncle Jiu, you're doing me a favor."
"I've already packed my luggage, so I won't keep you any longer, Brother Zhang. See you next year!"
"Safe travels!"
"Thank you!"
(End of this chapter)