Auntie Zhao Gave Them a Good Scolding!

"C-Comrade, have you made a mistake? How could I possibly use diseased pork..." Wang Laowu's face went pale as a vegetable as he spoke in panic.

Wang Defa, who had been so arrogant moments ago, suddenly changed expression. He instinctively took two steps back, his eyes darting around as he looked for somewhere to run.

The customers seated at the noodle stall immediately exploded.

"Diseased pork! Why has Wang Laowu been buying diseased pork for so long?"

"What else could it be for? He must have been using it to make Noodle Mince! That bastard is rotten to the core!"

"He let us eat diseased pork for free? That's utterly wicked!"

When it had merely been leftovers mixed into the food, everyone had seen that Wang Laowu seemed sincerely remorseful and felt they could barely accept it.

But diseased pork used for Noodle Mince? Who could stand that?

And the key was that it had been long-term and in large quantities!

That meant Wang Laowu's noodle stall had always been using diseased pork to make Noodle Mince and toppings for everyone.

Some regular customers of Wang Laowu's noodle stall already felt dizzy, their throats itchy, and discomfort everywhere in their bodies.

The onlooking workers all backed away, moving farther from Wang Laowu's noodle stall. Thankfully, the officers had arrived in time!

That had been close—they had almost sat down to eat!

"It's a mistake, it has to be a mistake!" Liu Fen shouted in a trembling voice.

"Wang Qi, the butcher from the farmers' market, has already confessed. On the list he gave us, Wang Dewei, you were the very first one!" An officer stepped forward and snapped the silver bracelets onto Wang Laowu's wrists. "Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely! Once you two get to the station, you'd better come clean!"

"Ah—" Wang Laowu and Liu Fen cried out, collapsing to the ground at the same time. Their faces were full of panic as their eyes instinctively turned toward Wang Defa.

Wang Defa left without looking back, his fat legs moving so fast he was practically running.

The commotion was so huge that even the customers inside Zhou Erwa Restaurant came out holding their bowls of noodles to watch. They craned their necks and pricked up their ears, afraid of missing any crucial information.

Quite a few people had also run out from the factory to watch. It was not often that they got to see officers arresting someone.

Wang Laowu's noodle stall had been set up outside the factory gates for a long time, and plenty of people had eaten there. Hearing that he had used diseased pork, the crowd immediately became furious.

"You bastard! You dared feed diseased pork to customers and make blood money! May your children be born without assholes!" Zhao Tieying took the lead, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Wang Laowu and his wife as she cursed, "The Kitchen God should lift your pot lid—your sins are all recorded in the underworld's ledger!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"Auntie Zhao gave them a good scolding!"

Wang Laowu and Liu Fang lowered their heads, not daring to look up. Like two rats crossing the street, they were hauled into the vehicle.

Zhou Yan stood at the entrance with his arms folded. He was tall enough that even with two rows of female workers in front of him, it did not affect his ability to watch the show.

Wang Laowu and his wife had gotten what they deserved. Still, the epidemic prevention station's efficiency had surprised him. They had traced the case to Wang Laowu by noon; his tip-off letter had not been written in vain.

He watched Wang Defa hurry away. Director Wang's fat body was shaking as he moved, and he looked extremely flustered. Just now, he had said the pork Wang Laowu used was just as good as the Factory Canteen's. Could it be that the Factory Canteen had also used Wang Qi's diseased pork?

Zhou Yan recalled some memories from when Little Zhou had been an apprentice at the Factory Canteen. Little Zhou's master, Xiao Lei, had argued with Wang Defa because the pork procured by the canteen was of such poor quality. He had been demoted from head chef to prep cook.

Young and hot-blooded, Comrade Zhou had stood up for his master, caused a huge scene, and been fired.

He did not think Wang Defa was a good man, but he had no evidence for now. It would depend on whether the officers could pry anything out of Wang Qi.

"Please rest assured, everyone. We will definitely give you an explanation and make the criminals pay the price!" Gao Tianlei called out to the crowd. His gaze swept toward the restaurant, where he spotted a tall, thin figure whose back looked somewhat familiar.

"Comrade, I've eaten noodles at Wang Laowu's place for several months straight. What if something happens to my body?" Wang Jianming stepped forward with a worried expression. He was a regular at Wang Laowu's noodle stall.

"Same here." Liu Laoba also wore a miserable expression.

Quite a few other victims were deeply worried as well. After something like this, they had no idea whether they had harmed their bodies from eating there.

Gao Tianlei raised a hand to calm them down and said loudly, "Everyone, don't panic. I'll have Little Zheng record your names and circumstances..."

Wang Laowu and his wife were taken away. The remaining basins of unused toppings and Noodle Mince were taken away by epidemic prevention station staff for investigation, while the officers shut down the noodle stall.

Wang Laowu's noodle stall, which had loudly declared that day it would challenge Zhou Erwa Restaurant and drag Zhou Yan down, had gone out of business just like that.

Selling leftovers could only earn him moral condemnation when customers had not fallen ill. By offering free noodles, he had regained quite a bit of goodwill and reputation.

But selling diseased pork was different. From that day on, all the workers at the Textile Factory would know that Wang Laowu's noodle stall used diseased pork to make Noodle Mince and toppings. Who would dare eat there again?

And he had bought diseased pork in large quantities over a long period, then used it to make Noodle Mince and toppings. That charge alone should be enough to put Wang Laowu and his wife away for quite some time.

"You mustn't learn from Wang Laowu. We can make a little less money, but we can't lose our conscience. Otherwise, people will point fingers behind our backs." Back in the kitchen, Zhao Tieying did not forget to earnestly remind Zhou Yan.

"Yes. I'll definitely make sure customers feel safer eating here than they do at home." Zhou Yan smiled and nodded.

[Ding! Wang Laowu has been arrested, and his noodle stall has gone out of business. Mission complete! A somewhat lackluster business war. Reward obtained: Perfect Steamed Bamboo-Trough Rice Guide]

The system notification popped up. Zhou Yan glanced at the reward and frowned. That was it?

Were there really any special techniques for steaming rice?

Although, with Little Zhou's cooking skills, there were sometimes undercooked grains or scorched bottoms when steaming large pots of rice. The grains also tended to clump together, and the fragrance was not quite strong enough...

Fine. The Perfect Steamed Bamboo-Trough Rice Guide was quite suitable for him.

He was already preparing to sell Qiaojiao Beef, and it definitely needed to be served with rice.

Rice steamed in a wooden bamboo trough was especially fluffy, soft, and sweet, enough to make any dish taste better.

Once he finished work that day, he would study the rice-steaming guide properly.

After Wang Laowu was arrested, the customers who had been watching while holding their noodles returned to the restaurant to continue eating. They had given Zhou Erwa Restaurant some excellent GG.

Quite a few tempted workers followed the aroma into the restaurant and ordered bowls of noodles to try.

Zhao Tieying was blunt and hated evil. Her fierce Sichuan-Chongqing-style verbal assault won the favor of many young workers, who affectionately called her "Auntie Zhao."

That delighted Zhao Tieying so much that she served a small dish of pickled radish with every bowl of noodles.

The sour, spicy, crisp pickled radish instantly became the customers' new favorite.

After eating several bites of noodles, things started to feel a little greasy. One bite of pickled radish was crisp, sour, spicy, and refreshing, cutting through the richness perfectly. It was simply the ideal match for noodles!

To get another dish of pickled radish, the customers called "Auntie Zhao" even more sweetly.

Close to one o'clock, the last customers finally left, and it was time for the factory workers to return to work.

Zhao Tieying hummed a little tune as she cleared away the bowls, her steps unusually light.

"Auntie Zhao seems rather happy today," Zhou Yan said with a smile.

They had sold fifty-two bowls of noodles that afternoon, making up for all the noodles they had failed to sell in the morning. The one hundred portions of toppings they had prepared would surely all sell out.

"Of course. Everyone ate happily and praised our noodles, saying the pickled vegetables were good too. They said they'd come again next time." Zhao Tieying smiled. "I heard more compliments today than I did in the first half of my life. Of course I'm in a wonderful mood."

"You've worked hard too." Zhou Yan helped collect the bowls. Hearing the customers' praise put him in a great mood as well.

Switching identities from a diner in his previous life to a restaurant owner was indeed a new experience.

"All I did was carry plates and wash bowls. What hardship?" Auntie Zhao waved a hand casually, then glanced toward the entrance. "But why is your old man finishing up so late today? Doesn't he usually sell out by this time?"

"Big brother, Momo's tummy is hungry." Zhou Momo came over, tugging at Zhou Yan's trouser leg as she spoke in a sweet childish voice.

Creak.

A bicycle stopped outside the restaurant.

Zhou Miao stepped through the door, then swayed as soon as he reached the entrance and reached out to steady himself against the doorpost.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Tieying tossed aside the towel in her hand and jogged over to support Zhou Miao.

"Dad." Zhou Yan hurried forward. Zhou Miao did not look well. His lips were dry and peeling, and beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

"It's nothing. I caught a chill from the cold wind this morning. I should be fine after getting some sleep." Zhou Miao forced a small smile and explained gently.

"Daddy, are you sick?" Zhou Momo ran over too and looked up at Zhou Miao. "I'll take you to get a shot-shot."

"Good girl, Daddy's fine. I don't need a shot-shot." Zhou Miao stroked Zhou Momo's head and forced a smile.

"Come on, sit over here first. I'll pour you a bowl of water." Zhao Tieying helped Zhou Miao to the table.

"How about a bowl of beef bone soup? I added Chinese medicine to it, and it happens to help drive away the cold." Zhou Yan said this as he hurried toward the kitchen.

The beef bone soup had been simmering on the honeycomb coal stove for a full eight hours, bubbling away. When he lifted the lid, the rich scent of meat rushed out, mixed with the subtle fragrance of spices and Chinese medicine. It smelled even more enticing.

Zhou Yan took a ceramic bowl, ladled out some soup, sprinkled in a little chopped scallion, and placed a spoon inside.

"Dad, drink a bowl of soup first. You'll feel better once you warm up." Zhou Yan said, "I'll prepare the hotpot. After we eat, go upstairs and get some sleep."

"All right." Zhou Miao replied. The meaty aroma rose with the steam and seemed to clear his foggy head somewhat. Just as he picked up his spoon, he noticed Zhou Momo climbing onto a stool beside him, the little girl swallowing as she stared at the broth.

"Momo, do you want a taste?" Zhou Miao asked her.

"Eat yours. I'll go ladle some for her." Zhao Tieying pressed down his bowl.

"Daddy eats first. You have to eat so your sickness gets better. Momo isn't hungry." Zhou Momo shook her head seriously. "I'll eat meat later."

"Okay." Zhou Miao lowered his head and took a sip of the hot soup. It lightly scalded the tip of his tongue, and the deliciousness shot straight to his head.

The Chinese medicine and spices had blended perfectly into the soup, enhancing its fragrance and freshness without the slightest strange taste. It was completely different from the hotpot soup Zhao Tieying made, and far more delicious. It was so fresh it could make his eyebrows fall off!

Spoonful after spoonful, he blew lightly before taking big gulps. Before long, an entire bowl of soup had gone into his stomach.

Zhou Miao felt warmth spread through his whole body. Sweat appeared on his forehead and back, and he felt indescribably comfortable from head to toe.

"Tastes good?" Zhao Tieying asked with a smile.

"Mhm, it was so fresh my eyebrows almost fell off." Zhou Miao smacked his lips, savoring the aftertaste before adding, "About as good as yours."

"Here it comes." Zhou Yan emerged from the kitchen carrying a two-handled iron pot and placed it in the center of the table. Napa cabbage lined the bottom, with beef intestine and beef tendon underneath. Thin, broad slices of beef and tripe were spread over the top, filling the small pot to the brim. A little chopped scallion and cilantro had been sprinkled over it, making it look especially tempting.